Episodes
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We round-up a year of reading with recommendations from Penguin colleagues of their favourite books of the year and a look at what they are most excited for you to read in 2025. Explore the full list of the books discussed on this episode and the transcript by visiting: Episode 12: Best books of the year.
Thank you for listening to The Penguin Podcast and our new show Ask Penguin. We would love to hear your feedback and if you have any questions for us. To get in contact with the team, send us a message via the email address below. We return in the Spring with a new series. Until then, Happy Reading!
Send us a question: [email protected].
Website: www.penguin.co.uk/podcast
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Joining us this week is award-winning author Jeanette Winterson, as we explore her captivating new collection of ghost stories, Night Side of the River, and provide listeners with reading recommendations based on their winter-themed questions. Plus, we’ll stroll through the office to gather the perfect list of festive reads from our Penguin colleagues for you to enjoy this Christmas.
Explore the full list of the books discussed on this episode and the transcript by visiting: Episode 11: Winter Reads
Send us a question: [email protected].
Website: www.penguin.co.uk/podcast
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Joining us in the studio to provide reading inspiration from the Roman Empire to the Second World War are author and podcast duo of We Have Ways of Making You Talk, James Holland and Al Murray, plus creator of Horrible Histories, Terry Deary
For the full list of books plus transcript visit: Episode 6: History Special
Books and authors mentioned in this episode:
Arnhem Black Tuesday by Al Murray
Casino ’44 by James Holland
A History of Britain in Ten Enemies by Terry Deary
The Cauldron by Zeno
Scoop by Evelyn Waugh
Mary Queen of Scots by Alison Weir
The Go-Between by L.P. Hartley
Swords of Honour by Evelyn Waugh
Send us a question: [email protected].
Website: www.penguin.co.uk/podcast
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This week we unpick the publishing process, answering all of your questions from how to find an agent to what it's like working with your editor and publicity team. Joining Rhianna in the studio is the Sunday Times bestselling author of The List of Suspicious Things, Jennie Godfrey, alongside Commissioning Editor Kaiya Shang and Director of Publicity and Media Relations, Charlotte Bush. Plus, we share details of the programmes offered by Penguin Books to help aspiring writers.
Books and authors mentioned in this episode
The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey
Sonny Boy by Al Pacino
Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner
For more information on how to get published visit: Getting Published
For the complete list of books mentioned in this episode and the transcript visit: Episode 9 - How to get published
Send us a question: [email protected].
Website: www.penguin.co.uk/podcast
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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 visit: Episode 8: Christmas gifting
Enjoy 20% off your order at Penguin Shop using the discount code PENGUINPODCAST. T&Cs apply
Send us a question: [email protected].
Website: www.penguin.co.uk/podcast
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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.
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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 Bronte
Firebrand by Elizabeth Freemantle
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Act of Oblivion by Robert Harris
In Memoriam by Alice Winn
Maurice by E.M. Forster
My Policeman by Bethan Roberts
For the full list of books and the transcript visit: Episode 7: Historical Fiction
Send us a question: [email protected].
Website: www.penguin.co.uk/podcast
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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 mentioned in this episode:
Conclave by Robert Harris
Precipice by Robert Harris
Miss Austen by Gill Hornby
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
Atonement by Ian McEwan
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
For the full list of books and the transcript visit: Episode 6: Books to Screen
Send us a question: [email protected].
Website: www.penguin.co.uk/podcast
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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 Murder Club series by Richard Osman
The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins
Charles Paris series by Simon Brett
Yellow Face by Rebecca F.Kuang
Helen Fields
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallett
For the full list of books and transcript visit: Episode 5: Crime and Mysteries
Send us a question: [email protected].
Website: www.penguin.co.uk/podcast
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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 in this episode:
The Hotel by Daisy Johnson
Heads Will Roll by Josh Winning
The Night House by Jo Nesbo
The Terror by Dan Simmons
For the full list of books plus transcript visit: Episode 4: Scary reads
Send us a question: [email protected].
Website: www.penguin.co.uk/podcast
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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 Henry Eliot
The Penguin Modern Classics Book by Henry Eliot
Miss Austen by Gill Hornby
For the full list of recommended reads visit: Episode 3: Classics
Send us a question: [email protected].
Website: www.penguin.co.uk/podcast
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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 by visiting: Episode 2: Black History Month
Website: www.penguin.co.uk/podcast
Books mentioned in this episode:
Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman
Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin
That Reminds Me by Derek Owusu
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
An African History of Africa by Zainab Badawi
The Confessions of Franny Langton by Sara Collins
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
The Lonely Londoners by Sam Selvon
Ghana Must Go by Teiye Selassie
The Terrible by Yrsa Daley-Ward
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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 your next read.
If you would like to send us a message or a question, email [email protected].
Visit our website for more information about The Penguin Podcast: www.penguin.co.uk/podcast
For more information about this episode including a full list of books discussed visit: Episode 1: Prize-winners
Books mentioned in this episode:
The Confessions of Frannie Langton by Sara Collins
The Safe Keep by Yael Van Der Wouden
Orbital by Samantha Harvey
Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
Mr Loverman by Bernardine Evaristo
The Emperor's Babe by Bernadine Evaristo
Gliff by Ali Smith
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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 worldwide?
The new series launches on Thursday 3rd October, where we'll be discussing prize-winning novels with award-winning author, and this year's Booker Prize judge, Sara Collins, and provide you with plenty of book recommendations with Publishing Director Simon Prosser.
Send us your questions for a chance to be featured by emailing: [email protected].
Don't forget to follow the show, so you never miss an episode!
Find out more: www.penguin.co.uk/podcast
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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
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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 more about the #PenguinPodcast, visit www.penguin.co.uk/podcasts
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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 really helps! To find out more about the #PenguinPodcast, visit www.penguin.co.uk/podcasts
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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 review – it really helps! To find out more about the #PenguinPodcast, visit www.penguin.co.uk/podcasts
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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 commodities have more freedom of movement than people, and the objects that inspired the theories explored in his book.
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
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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 children, and the value of pursuing a 'good enough' life that prioritises emotional wellbeing.
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
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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 forget to leave us a review – it really helps! To find out more about the #PenguinPodcast, visit www.penguin.co.uk/podcasts
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