Simon Mayo's Books of the Year

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Abigail Dean (Girl A) Mar 08, 2021

Show notes

Abigail Dean studied English Literature at Cambridge University, and graduated with a double first in 2011. Her first job was as a bookseller at Waterstones. Abigail now works as a lawyer at Google. Ahead of her thirtieth birthday, she took time off between jobs to work on her first novel, GIRL A. The book immediately became a New York Times and Sunday Times Bestseller and has sold in 31 territories including television/film. GIRL A tells the story of Lex, better known to the world as Girl A, who escaped her family home where she and her siblings were held captive by their parents. Now, after her mother’s death, she and her siblings are left the family home. Wanting to transform the House of Horrors into a force for good, Lex must come to terms with her six siblings – and with the childhood they shared. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Q&A with David Baddiel (Jews Don't Count) Feb 23, 2021

Show notes

The multi million selling author and comedian chats about his favourite books and authors which include Alan Partridge, Nick Hornby and John Updike Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Baddiel (Jews Don't Count) EXPLICIT Feb 16, 2021

Show notes

David Baddiel is an author, comedian and screenwriter. He has written and performed in a series of highly successful TV comedy shows, including Fantasy Football, The Mary Whitehouse Experience and Baddiel and Skinner Unplanned. He is the author of four novels as well as six books for children which have sold over 1 million copies. In Jews Don't Count David combines powerful polemic and personal testimony to investigate why, in an age of heightened awareness of the evils of systemic racism, anti-Semitism appears to have been neglected by those who consider themselves progressive and enlightened. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Q&A with Jeanine Cummins (American Dirt) Feb 09, 2021

Show notes

The author of the US best selling novel American Dirt tells Simon and Matt about her favourite books and authors - which include Colson Whitehead, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Ann Patchett, Jasper Fforde and Toni Morrison Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jeanine Cummins (American Dirt) Feb 01, 2021

Show notes

Jeanine Cummins chats about her US best selling novel. American Dirt follows the path of a Mexican woman who survives an attack by a drug cartel - and escapes as an undocumented immigrant to the United States with her son. It was selected by Oprah for her Book Club and Radio 4 for their Book At Bedtime - but then drew criticism from fellow authors about her representation of Latinos. Jeanine talks openly about the year she has had dealing with the backlash. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A Q&A with Jon Sopel (BBC News) Jan 21, 2021

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The BBC's man in Washington talks us through his favourite books and authors - which include John Le Carre, Hugo Young, Joseph Heller, Robert Caro and Denis Healey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jon Sopel - UnPresidented Jan 14, 2021

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The BBC's North America Editor chats about his diary of the 2020 US Presidential Election. It was an incredible year, which started with Joe Biden getting off to a very shaky start in the Primaries. And ended with a riot in Congress. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Q&A with Ian Rankin Dec 19, 2020

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The award winning, best selling author talks about his favourite books and authors. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ian Rankin (A Song For The Dark Times) Dec 19, 2020

Show notes

When his daughter Samantha calls in the dead of night, John Rebus knows it’s not good news. Her husband has been missing for two days. Rebus fears the worst – and knows from his lifetime in the police that his daughter will be the prime suspect. He wasn’t the best father – the job always came first – but now his daughter needs him more than ever. But is he going as a father or a detective? As he leaves at dawn to drive to the windswept coast – and a small town with big secrets – he wonders whether this might be the first time in his life where the truth is the one thing he doesn’t want to find... Ian Rankin has been elected a Hawthornden Fellow, and is also a past winner of the Chandler-Fulbright Award. He is the recipient of four Crime Writers’ Association Dagger Awards including the prestigious Diamond Dagger in 2005. In 2004, Ian won America’s celebrated Edgar Award for Resurrection Men. He has also been shortlisted for the Edgar and Anthony Awards in the USA, and won Denmark’s Palle Rosenkrantz prize, the French Grand Prix du Roman Noir and Germany’s Deutscher Krimipreis. Ian has received an OBE for services to literature, opting to receive the prize in his home city of Edinburgh, where he lives with his wife and two sons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Q&A with CK McDonnell (The Stranger Times) Dec 14, 2020

Show notes

Comedian and author CK McDonnell tells us about some of his favourite books and authors - which include Simon Mayo, Terry Pratchett, Simon Mayo, Gary Delaney, Simon Mayo, Rick Wakeman, Simon Mayo and Don Winslow Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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