Ask Penguin

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.&nbs...

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 y...

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 ficti...

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 climbin...

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...

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...

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 gaine...

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 childhoo...

This week on the Penguin Podcast, Isy Suttie is joined by Booker and Woman's Prize longlisted author and one of Granta's Best Young British Novelists, Sophie Mackintosh. Sophie joins us to discuss her latest novel, Cursed Bread. Also discussed is how Welsh and its poetry have influenced Sophie's writing, where she found the inspiration for her third novel, the importance of the sea in her life and...

This week on the Penguin Podcast, Isy Suttie is joined by medical doctor, academic and science populariser and presenter, Chris van Tulleken. Chris joins us to discuss his latest book, Ultra Processed People: Why Do We All Eat Stuff That Isn't Food… and Why Can't We Stop? This thoughtful conversation also includes insightful details about the addictive nature of ultra-processed foods, the hum...

This week on the Penguin Podcast, Nihal Arthanayake is joined by the second winner of Stormzy's Merky Books Prize, and she was also one of the Observer's best new novelists, it's Jyoti Patel. Jyoti joins us to discuss her debut novel, The Things That We Lost , a story of family, loss and how far we go to protect those we love. Also discussed on the podcast is the experience of mixing British and G...

This week on the Penguin Podcast, Isy Suttie is joined by professor and writer, Jonathan Kennedy. Jonathan joins us to discuss his debut work of non-fiction, Pathogenesis , a look at the latest science of infectious diseases and bacteria, and how it has shaped human evolution. Isy and Jonathan also discuss the Stone Henge, his love for cycling scenery, how some bacteria have given us abilitie...

This week on the Penguin Podcast, Isy Suttie is joined by award-winning author, Diana Evans Diana joins us to discuss her latest novel, A House for Alice, the follow-up to the best-selling and critically acclaimed, Ordinary People. Isy and Diana also discuss home and belonging, the idea of letting go, taking risks in writing and reading, and the importance of music and a treasured guitar. Don't fo...

This week on the Penguin Podcast, Isy Suttie is joined by award-winning author and professor, Sarah Bakewell. Sarah joins us to discuss her latest work of nonfiction, Humanly Possible: seven hundred years of humanist freethinking, inquiry, and hope   Isy and Sarah also discuss Humanism and religion, finding beauty in the complexity of the world, a brief history of human dissection, and the wr...

This week on the Penguin Podcast, Nihal is joined by writer, science populariser and theoretical, Carlo Rovelli. He joins us to talk about the new English translation of his first book, Anaximander. They all also discuss the singular genius of the philosophers of the past, the importance of questioning our reality, the significance of a typewriter in his writing career, and his admiration for the...

This week on the Penguin Podcast, Nihal Arthanayake is joined by English writer and national treasure, Julian Barnes. He joins us to discuss the paperback publication of his most recent novel, Elizabeth Finch. Nihal and Julian also discuss his 'controlled' friendship with novelist Anita Brookner, how his worldview has been shaped by his french perspective, why Olympic women rowers move him to tear...

This week on the Penguin Podcast, Nihal Arthanayake is joined by Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, Paul Harding. Paul joins us to discuss his brand new novel, This Other Eden. We also hear how the pressure of winning a prize affects the writing process, why Paul prefers to keep his personal politics side-lined in his fiction, what success means to him, and why he sometimes sits to read the Oxford E...

This week on the Penguin Podcast, Isy Suttie talks to author, TV presenter, Sunday Times bestseller and beloved chef, Nadiya Hussian. They discuss her new cookbook, Nadiya's Everyday Baking. They also delve into the effectiveness of cooking to deal with grief, how food connects us with our memories, how Nadiya picked up her cooking skills, and the relevance of a set of false teeth in her family. D...

Happy New Year! Our first episode of the year features best-selling author, Jane Fallon, talking to Nihal Arthanayake about her brand-new novel, Just Got Real. Two also discuss the joys of editing a first draft, the pressure of achieving a best seller, Jane's fascination with the theme of revenge, and the importance of 'believability' in her novels. Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an e...

As we approach the new year, we're revisiting some of our favourite moments on the Penguin Podcast with part two of our Best of the Penguin Podcast. We're joined by Jarvis Cocker, Asma Khan, Lisa Jewell, Hanif Abdurraqib, and Ian McEwan. Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode, and please do leave us a review – it really does help us. And finally, to find out more about the #Pe...

As we approach the end of 2022, we're revisiting some of our favourite moments on the Penguin Podcast this year. In part one, we're joined by Alison Hammond, Claire Fuller, Michael Rosen, Sinead Moriarty, and Damon Galgut live from this year's Hay Festival. Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode, and please do leave us a review – it really does help us. And finally, to find ou...

This week on the Penguin Podcast, Nihal is joined by Malorie Blackman, author of the critically acclaimed and internationally renowned Noughts and Crosses series. She joins us to talk about her new memoir, Just Sayin': My Life In Words. Malorie also discusses her approach to, and the challenges of writing a memoir, having a positive attitude toward failure, how institutional racism affects health...

This week on the Penguin Podcast, Nihal is joined by author, screenwriter, booker winner and one of Britain's best-loved writers, Ian McEwan. He joins us to talk about his brand new novel, Lessons. Ian also discusses the delight of discovery when writing, the experience of total emersion while creating, the challenge and bliss of writing a long novel like Lessons, why a larval rock is important to...

This week on the Penguin Podcast, from the Southbank Centre we bring you the live launch event of Greta Thunberg's The Climate Book. 'The Climate Book  brings together an unprecedented collective of over 100 experts, activists and witnesses to tell the biggest story in the world: how and why our planet is changing.' Copyright © Southbank Centre  Don't forget to follow the show so yo...

This week on the Penguin Podcast, we break down the publishing process. Host Leena Norms is joined by Penguin author, Derek Owusu, his agent Crystal Mahey-Morgan and editor Tom Avery. With Derek's debut novel as the anchor, they break down the process of finding an agent, acquiring a book, editing, and everything in between. Don't forget to follow the show so you never miss an episode, and do leav...