In the Reading Corner

Annelise Gray has written a thrilling adventure set in Imperial Rome.   Circus Maximus, the greatest sporting stage of the ancient Roman world, where the best horses and charioteers compete in a race to the death, and one girl dreams of glory. . Twelve-year-old Dido dreams of becoming the first female charioteer at the great Circus Maximus. She's lost her heart to Porcellus, a wild, tempestuo...

Laura Wood, author of Vote for Effie and Effie the Rebel chatted with me about the importance of taking a stand and making your voice heard. It's a great message for International Women's Day... or ver any other day of the year. About Laura Wood Laura Wood is a British writer and academic. As well as writing for children and young adults, she has a PhD in Nineteenth-Century Literature. I...

In The Reading Corner caught up with Maz Evans shortly after the publication of the first book in a brand new series. What do you do one your Mum is a celebrated spy but has given up spying to look after the family and your Dad is a supervillain who is no longer around? And what if you harbour secret dreams of attending spy school but Mum just wants you to be safe? These are just some of the every...

Hannah Gold's debut novel, The Last Bear is garnering a lot of attention. It's a heartwarming story about a girl and her friendship with a polar bear, stranded by the melting ice caps on Bear Island, unable to return to his home and kind on Svalbard. It's a story of loss and love, of care for the environment, of courage and adventure. Hannah talked to me #InTheReadingCorner about th...

Neal Shusterman's latest novel Game Changer is a thrilling Science Fiction story. 17-year-old Ashley Bowman is propelled into a sequence of alternate universes when he makes hard physical contact with other players during Americal Football matches.  With each shift, he experiences different social realities that leave him reeling and questioning the extent to which his home universe is as pro...

In this episode, Nikki Gamble talked to Tom Percival about the inspiration behind his latest picturebook The Invisible .  The discussion focuses on the effects of poverty in making people outsiders or invisible to the rest of society. Tom talks about the need for action and creating the conditions that allow people to have agency in their lives.  Support the show Thank you for listening.  If you e...

James Carter talks to us about his latest collection, featuring some well-loved favourites and some reworked poems as well as recent additions. Support the show Thank you for listening.  If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. and by purchasing books from our online bookshop, Bestbooksforschools.com In the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director...

In this episode, Garry Parsons tells us about two of his recent picturebooks Llama Glamarama , written by Simon James Green - a story which promotes self-acceptance and celebrates diversity,  And  My Daddies , written by Gareth Peter by the joy in a family with gay parents, a book that is especially close to Garry's heart as an adoptive gay parent. Support the show Thank you for listening.  I...

In this episode, Sita Brahmachari talks about her latest novel, When Secrets Set Sail, a wonderful story about sisterhood, stories, freedom, family and setting right the injustices of the past. Support the show Thank you for listening.  If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. and by purchasing books from our online bookshop, Bestbooksforschools.com In the Read...

Dr Adam Baron talks to Nikki Gamble about the craft of writing and his latest children's novel, This Wonderful Thing . Support the show Thank you for listening.  If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. and by purchasing books from our online bookshop, Bestbooksforschools.com In the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine.  Fo...

Actress and comedienne Helen Rutter talks to Nikki Gamble about the background to The Boy Who Made Everyone laugh. The idea grew out of Helen's family experience and in particular her son's stammer. She wanted to write a book that he would love to read, starring a child like him. Support the show Thank you for listening.  If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to o...

When the World Was Ours is an important story, a story inspired by family history, a story that needed to be told, but told in the right way.  In this conversation with Nikki Gamble, Liz talks about some of the decisions she made along the way and her hopes for the book as it is launched into the world. Support the show Thank you for listening.  If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by su...

It's always a treat to welcome Christopher Edge into the Reading Corner. In this episode,  we delve into Chris's latest novel,  Space Oddity - a science fiction adventure for readers 8+ with a little nod to space fantasy films of the 1980s and homage to Bowie. Support the show Thank you for listening.  If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. and by p...

Lindsay Galvin visited me In The Reading Corner to talk about her new novel Darwin's Dragons. Set on the Galapagos during Darwin's Voyage on the Beagle, Lindsay's story is a magical blend of fact and fiction. Support the show Thank you for listening.  If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. and by purchasing books from our online bookshop, Bestb...

Why is history important? Who is missing from the history we teach and how can we redress the balance. Professor Hakim Adi shares his expertise on this important subject. Support the show Thank you for listening.  If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. and by purchasing books from our online bookshop, Bestbooksforschools.com In the Reading Corner is presented...

In this episode, Armin Greder joined Nikki Gamble to talk about his latest book , Diamonds . Greder sees himself as a primarily a storyteller, not a writer for children. 'I tell stories about the world as it is, not the world as it should be.' Support the show Thank you for listening.  If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. and by purchasing books f...

Steve Cole talks to Nikki Gamble about his obsession with Doctor Who and some new publishing projects for us to look forward to Support the show Thank you for listening.  If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. and by purchasing books from our online bookshop, Bestbooksforschools.com In the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine....

Chris Wormell talks to Nikki Gamble about illustrating the full-colour gift edition of Northern Lights and the aesthetic experience of traditional wood engraving. Support the show Thank you for listening.  If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. and by purchasing books from our online bookshop, Bestbooksforschools.com In the Reading Corner is presented by Nikk...

Lucy Strange gives us a peek into the secrets that lie behind The Ghost of Gosswater. Snuggle up and discover more about this delicious ghostly mystery. Support the show Thank you for listening.  If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. and by purchasing books from our online bookshop, Bestbooksforschools.com In the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble,...

Chris Van Allsburg talked to Nikki Gamble about his approach to illustration. Chris Van Allsburg is an American illustrator and writer of children's books. He has won two Caldecott Medals for U.S. picture book illustration, for Jumanji and The Polar Express , both of which he also wrote; both were later adapted as successful motion pictures. Support the show Thank you for listening.  If you e...

A M Dassu joined Nikki Gamble In The Reading Corner to talk about her novel Boy Everywhere and the experience of Syrian families seeking refuge. Support the show Thank you for listening.  If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. and by purchasing books from our online bookshop, Bestbooksforschools.com In the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director...

In this interview, Matt Goodfellow discusses the emotional range and childhood influences in his poetry collection Bright Bursts of Colour . Support the show Thank you for listening.  If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. and by purchasing books from our online bookshop, Bestbooksforschools.com In the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of...

Ross Montgomery talks to Nikki Gamble about his latest novel The Midnight Guardians. Support the show Thank you for listening.  If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. and by purchasing books from our online bookshop, Bestbooksforschools.com In the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine.  Follow us on Youtube for more author even...

Sally Nicholas talks about the themes in her new novel The Silent Stars Go By. Support the show Thank you for listening.  If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. and by purchasing books from our online bookshop, Bestbooksforschools.com In the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine.  Follow us on Youtube for more author events You...

Catherine Bruton explains why she's reworked Dickens for the 21st century... with some clever twists to keep us enthralled. Support the show Thank you for listening.  If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. and by purchasing books from our online bookshop, Bestbooksforschools.com In the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine...