As the Christmas season approaches, we’ve assembled an expert panel to help you navigate your gifting dilemmas and find the ideal presents for everyone on your list. Plus, how do you politely decline a festive party? And is bending the spine of a book the approved way to read it? We find out with etiquette expert, and Help I've S*xted my Boss podcaster, William Hanson as we discuss his new book Just Good Manners.  For the complete list of books mentioned in this episode and the transcript...

Join us as we time-travel through our bookshelves as we recommend must-read historical fiction in answer to your reading requests. Plus, bestselling author Jodi Picoult shares her theory on the true author behind Shakespeare's plays that inspired her new novel, By Any Other Name.  Sign up to our Booksmarks panel Books and authors mentioned in this episode: By Any Other Name by Jodie Picoult The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Catherine Arden The Glass Woman by Caroline Lee Jane Eyre by Charlotte...

What do you usually prefer: the book or the film? Or do you enjoy both? In this episode, we delve into books that have successfully transitioned from page to screen. We'll also be chatting with best-selling author Robert Harris about his gripping thriller, Conclave, which has been adapted for the silver screen this November, starring Ralph Fiennes, Isabella Rossellini, and Stanley Tucci. So grab your books and your popcorn, and get ready for another book-filled episode. Books and authors...

Join us as we dive into the world of crime, thrillers, and mysteries! We answer your listener questions with award-winning author Kate Atkinson and publicist Alison Barrow. Plus, Kate discusses her brand-new Jackson Brodie novel, Death at the Sign of the Rook. Get ready for some killer reads! Books and authors mentioned in this episode: Death at the Sign of the Rook by Kate Atkinson The Secret History by Donna Tartt The Cloisters by Katie Hayes Gone, Baby, Gone by Dennis Lehane The Thursday...

Looking for a book that will keep you up at night? If you enjoy that tingling sensation down your spine while reading something on the spookier side then you're in the right place. In this episode, we explore the best horror and ghost stories perfect for Halloween. Alongside filling your book pile with terrifying but page-turning recommendations, we sit down with Booker-shortlisted author, Daisy Johnson to talk about her new collection of ghost stories, The Hotel. Books and authors mentioned...

What makes a book a classic? Who decided which books make it into the canon? And how long would it take to read the entire list? Join our exploration through our Classic bookshelves with author Henry Eliot who answers listener questions with reading recommendations from all eras. Plus, we delve into the world of Jane Austen with Gill Hornby, whose novel Miss Austen is being adapted into a four-part drama by the BBC. Books and authors mentioned in this episode: The Penguin Classics Book by...

Joining us in our book-filled studio is broadcaster and author Zeinab Badawi, who shares her journey chronicling Africa's spectacular history through the voices of African historians, archaeologists, and local storytellers. Plus, we put your reading requests to award-winning author Derek Owusu to top up your reading pile with books by Black authors to celebrate Black History Month.  Send us a question: [email protected]. Explore all the books discussed and a transcript...

What is it like to judge the world's most prestigious book prize? How do judges manage to read 150 submissions in a matter of months? And how do publishers update the winning book jacket so swiftly?  In the first episode of our new series Ask Penguin, join our new host, Rhianna Dhillon as we delve into the world of literary prizes with this year's Booker Prize judge and award-winning author, Sara Collins. We also answer your Ask Penguin questions with plenty of book recommendations to inspire...

The Penguin Podcast is returning with a brand-new series called Ask Penguin. In each episode, we will take you inside Penguin Books to meet some of the incredible authors we publish as well as the people who work here, to get answers to all of your book-related questions. Need help finding your next page-turning read? Are you curious to know what a day in the life of an editor is like? Or perhaps why a small, aquatic, flightless bird became the iconic emblem that adorns Penguin books...

This week on the Penguin Podcast we're recapping the year with a selection of the brilliant guests we've welcomed onto the show. We hear from Jane Fallon, Chris van Tulleken, Julian Barnes, David Mitchell and more. We thank you for tuning in, and we'll see you in 2024. Happy holidays. Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode, and don't forget to leave us a review – it really helps! To find out more about the #PenguinPodcast, visit www.penguin.co.uk/podcasts Hosted on Acast....

This week on the Penguin Podcast, Nihal Arthanayake is joined by national treasure and bestselling author, Sebastian Faulks. Together they they discuss the tweet that helped inspire his latest book, The Seventh Son, his thoughts on imposter Syndrome and humility, the influence of George Orwell on his political outlook, and a magical riverbank he discovered in France.  Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode, and don't forget to leave us a review – it really helps! To find out...

This week on the Penguin Podcast, Nihal Arthanayake is joined by Booker Longlisted author, C Pam Zhang. Together they discuss Zhang's latest novel, The Land of Milk and Honey, as well as the effects of extreme wealth on the human psyche, the place of pleasure and joy in human existence, the many expectations still placed upon women, and the literary benefits of being a marginalised writer. Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode, and don't forget to leave us a review – it...

This week on the Penguin Podcast, Nihal Arthanayake is joined by one of our time's most important moral philosophers and animal rights activists, Peter Singer. In this episode, they discuss Singer's experience of animal rights in the 70s compared to now, what inspired him to begin campaigning for the rights of animals, the importance of suffering in determining rights, and his views on the rise of veganism. Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode, and don't forget to leave us a...

This week on the Penguin Podcast, Nihal Arthanayake is joined by the former Finance Minister of Greece and co-founder of the international grassroots movement DM25 as well as a Professor of economics at the University of Athens, Yanis Varoufakis. His latest book, Technofeudalism: What Killed Capitalism, explores how the owners of big tech have become the world's feudal overlords. In this episode, Nihal and Yanis discuss the impact living through the digital age has on our lives, how...

This week on the Penguin Podcast, Isy Suttie is joined by bestselling author, public speaker, and founder of The School of Life, Alain de Botton. His latest book, A Therapeutic Journey, deals with mental ill-health and recuperation and has been described as both a source of companionship in our loneliest moments and a practical guide to finding reasons for hope.   In this episode, Isy and Alain discuss the theory behind why, as adults, we cry at happy things, the importance of listening to...

This week on the Penguin Podcast, Isy Suttie is joined by comedian, writer and actor David Mitchell for a chat about Unruly, a thoughtful, funny exploration of the founding fathers and mothers of England and, subsequently, Britain.   They discuss the historical artefacts that inspired the book, why people in the Middle Ages had more confidence, and how a bout of food poisoning changed the course of English history forever.   Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode, and don't...

This week on the Penguin Podcast, Isy Suttie is joined by journalist and award-winning writer, Megan Nolan. Megan joins Isy for a chat about her latest novel, Ordinary Human Failings. They also discuss the amorality of tabloid journalism, familiar narratives of where trauma can lead you, personal pain and the limitations of empathy, and the significance of owning an armchair you’ll rarely use.  Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode, and please do leave us a review – it...

This week on the Penguin Podcast, Isy Suttie is joined by Barister, TV host and Novelist, Rob Rinder.  Rob joins Isy for a joyful conversation about his number one Sunday Times best-selling novel, The Trial. Also on the podcast, we hear Rob's perspective on imposter syndrome and its benefits, how fear and justice intersect in court, that he believes your writing style is influenced by where you sit, and why a worn-out hair brush is so precious to him.  Don't forget to subscribe so you never...

This week on the Penguin Podcast, Nihal Arthanayake is joined by debut novelist Michael Magee. Michael joins us to discuss his critically acclaimed novel, Close to Home, which has already been shortlisted for the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize. The two also discuss how Michael's novel started off as a letter-writing exercise, approaching masculinity on his own terms, working alter egos into fiction, and how bleakness in working-class fiction works best when there is added levity. Don't...

This week on the Penguin Podcast, we bring you a special episode: Shaparak Khorsandi in conversation with Isy Suttie live from Lattitude Festival. Shaparak joined us to discuss her latest book, Scatter Brain: How I finally got off the ADHD rollercoaster and became the owner of a very tidy sock drawer. The two also discuss the subtle distinctions between shame and embarrassment, memories of climbing a pear tree, the life-changing power of an ADHD diagnosis, and how being on I’m A Celebrity...

This week on the Penguin Podcast, Isy Suttie is joined by Booker shortlisted writer, Brandon Taylor. Brandon joins us to discuss his new novel, The Late Americans. The two also discuss the importance of material signifiers when writing characters, how reading contemporary fiction can influence the writing process, how learning expression through photography helped feed creativity, and what is the value of not writing during the act of writing.  Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an...

This week on the Penguin Podcast, Isy Suttie is joined by another of Granta's Best of Young British novelists, award-winning novelist, Isabella Hammad. Isabella Joins us to discuss her new novel, Enter Ghost. Also in the episode the two discuss how observing the real world helps form fictional characters, how stories can evolve and eventually become part of a communal identity, the significance of a roof in Isabella’s childhood and the importance of the sea in her new novel. Don't forget...

This week on the Penguin Podcast, Nihal is joined by one of Granta's Best of Young British novelists and recent recipient of the Orwell Prize for political fiction, novelists Tom Crewe. Tom Joins us to discuss his incredible new novel, The New Life. The two also discuss why the novel took over 10 years to write, what Tom admired most about a particular Victorian age, the candour and insights gained from the collected testimonies in the ground-breaking and inspirational book, Sexual Inversion,...

This week on the Penguin Podcast, Isy Suttie talks to author and psychoanalytic psychotherapist, Maxine Mei-Fung Chung. Maxine joins us to discuss her latest book, What Women Want, an intimate examination of female desire. The two also discuss the importance of making time for yourself, the impulse to keep busy for fear we may break down, why many of our coping mechanisms are developed in childhood, and why eye contact is essential when sharing intimate information. Don't forget to subscribe...