The Book Alchemist

Sunday Times Best Seller, million copy and twice long-listed for the McIllvanney Scottish Crime Book of the Year and an author whose books have been translated across the globe, Helen Fields consistently produces high impact, compelling novels that readers love. A former criminal and family law barrister, Helen has the expertise and experience to make the characters and plots scorch with authentic...

57 year-old author Helen Fitzgerald has written more than a dozen best selling novels. She has worked as a criminal justice social worker for over ten years. Helen grew up in Victoria, Australia and now lives in Glasgow with her screenwriter husband and family. We discuss her own books including Dead Lovely, The Cry and its BAFTA winning screen adaptation plus the inspiration for her latest novel...

Reece Donnelly is the brilliant, 27 year-old founder of Theatre School of Scotland. He was also a competitor on The Apprentice. Reading is a big part of the work he does with children and it fuels his professional ambitions. He shares insights into The Apprentice and what he's learned about himself as a result of that experience. We discuss great stories and the titles he loves which include: The...

Sarah Frame is a grandmother and the award winning founder of The Book Nook , a community bookshop in Stewarton, Ayrshire in Scotland. The Book Nook scooped Scotland's independent bookshop of the year in 2024. We discuss books and authors she loves including John Boyne's Water, Earth, Fire and Air ( to be released ), Douglas Skelton, John Niven, Caro Ramsay, Denzyl Meyrick, Donna Ashworth, Len Pen...

Dr Lesley McDowell is a novelist and writer of non-fiction, she was a lecturer in English Literature at St Andrews University, then became a full-time freelance literary critic, writing for publications like  The Herald ,  The Scotsman ,  The Guardian ,  The Times Literary Supplement  and others. Her first novel,  The Picnic , was published in 2007, and her second – U...

Seb McKay is probably Oscar Wilde's biggest fan, he loves reading and words are his life. Seb is a self confessed nerd; he loves Japanese culture, shares the bookshops he loves and how a year of reading dangerously changed the way he reads. We discuss the books and authors which have great meaning for him: Blurb Your Enthusiasm by Louise Wilder Claire Keegan's So Late in the Day White Teeth by Zad...

Donna Ashworth is a Sunday Times bestselling author, poet and lover of words who found fame with her work in her 40s. She originally self-published her work. Celebrity fans include Fearne Cotton, Tess Daly, Elizabeth Day, Mark Owen, Davina McCall, Susannah Constantine and many more. Donna's current book Wild Hope is a #1 bestseller since its release in 2023. We discuss her journey and finding hope...

Mike Kernan is an avid reader and has written a few books himself. We discuss his journey to becoming a self-published author of The Fenian and Stopping to Rain, plus the books he loves including the works of John Boyne, and William McIlvanney and we discover who the best editor in his life is.

Dr Rhona Morrison is a retired, Scottish forensic psychiatrist, artist, and author of her memoir, ‘I don’t talk to dead bodies: the curious encounters of a forensic psychiatrist’. We discuss big life changes, finding your groove in your 50s. Plus the books snd authors she loves including: Adam Kay and This is Going to Hurt Val McDermid's books Graeme Armstrong's The Young Team Guy Grieve's Call of...

Shari Low has written 40 rom com novels and sold millions of books. She started writing in her 30s and has also written a trilogy with Ross King MBE. We discuss her writing journey, overcoming self doubt, her love of libraries. Plus her favourite authors and books which include: Jackie Collins Tai Pan by James Clavell Autobiography Of a Geisha by Sayo Masuda  The Rise, The Fall and The Catch...

Author BC Harris talks about being re-born in your late 40s, her love of Africa, writing two novels and the books which she's loved of late. The books and authors we discuss include: The Bad Seed by William March The Fair Botanists by Sara Sheridan American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins Conspiracy of Cats by BC Harris Making Sacrifices by BC Harris Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch If you've enjoyed t...

Madeline Black is a psychotherapist and is also known as the Courage Cultivator. An activist, author and TEDx speaker, Madeleine has an unusual personal story and has experienced more trauma in her life than most ever will. In her memoir,  Unbroken , Madeleine tells her deeply moving and empowering story, as she discovers that life is about how a person chooses to recover from adversity. We d...

Bestselling author of The Fair Botanists and The Secrets of Blythswood Square, Sara Sheridan talks about the books which have shaped her life, libraries she loves and more. Truth or Dare, her first novel received a Scottish Library Award and was shortlisted for the Saltire. In 2022, her novel The Fair Botanists was chosen as Waterstones’ Scottish Book of the Year. Sara is also an activist, interes...

One Love One Life is Billy Sloan's memoir. We discuss Scottish bands, his passion for music memorabilia, anecdotes about The Beatles, Phil Spector, David Bowie, Wet Wet Wet, Prince and his love of Muhammed Ali. The books and authors we discuss include: Taschen books The Longest Cocktail Party by Richard DiLello Ken McNab's The Beatles in Scotland Shake it up Baby by Ken McNab David Bowie, A Life b...

Psychotherapist and author Angela Trainer is the guest on this episode of The Book Alchemist . Angela has self-published two books, Love Never Dies and The Beauty of Broken . Both raise money for charities. She talks about the therapeutic power of writing and reading, soul friends, grief and living with illness. Angela Trainer is one inspiring woman.

Anna Campbell Jones is an interior designer who found fame in her 50's as one of the hosts of BBC Scotland's Home of the Year. We discuss the joy of a charity shop rumble, the work of Norman Wilkinson, organising bookshelves and her new brand. Plus Anna shares the authors and books which have shaped her life. This includes: Friendaholic by Elizabeth Day Max Porter's Lanny The Comfort of Things by...

Colin McCredie i s an acclaimed actor, big music lover and recent wearer of spectacles. We discuss growing up in Perth, landing dream film roles, his work on the iconic TV show Taggart and the books he loves. This includes: Mayflies by Andrew O'Hagen Sunset Song by Lewis Grassic Gibbon The Crow Road by Iain Banks Forensics by Val McDermid Billy Sloan's One Love One Life Memoirs by Thomas Dolby, Br...

Gregor Hollerin is the cofounder of Story Shop an award winning PR and marketing agency. Dad to two young children, he does a lot of bedtime stories. We discuss Alan Partridge, supporting Doddie Aid , his love of memoirs and more. The books and authors we discuss include: Nick Hornby's High Fidelity Stillness and Speed by Dennis Bergkamp Norm Macdonald's Based on a True Story Dave Chang's Eat a Pe...

Alan Parks is an award-winning author from Glasgow. We discuss his favourite library, great coffee shops, life before becoming an author, his connection to John Niven and his forthcoming novel and more. Parks has been compared to the great Scottish author McIlvanney given the many similarities in their novels. Bloody January was his debut novel, a crime thriller set in Glasgow in the 1970s. We spe...

Elissa Soave is both an avid reader and an author. Her brilliant debut novel Ginger and Me is a coming-of-age mystery that is also a love-letter to her hometown of Uddingston. The novel was shortlisted for the Saltire Society's Scottish First Book of the Year Award 2023, and film rights of the book have been sold to Mother Pictures. We discuss her journey to landing her first agent and publishing...

Hello and welcome to The Book Alchemist. I’m Heather Suttie and in this series we meet avid readers from all walks of life. My guest today is avid reader Karen Campbell. Her dream is to have a book shop and she’s one step closer to that with her business ‘For the love of books’. We discuss cosy crime, Alan Parks, Jane Harper's The Dry, Kit de Waal, Karen Campbell's Paper Cup, Marion Todd, Muriel S...

In this week's episode baker, book lover, sub-editor and Scottish Sunday Mail columnist Julie Bryson discusses her love of reading and the books which shaped her life. The books and authors we discuss include: Sophie Loren's Eat With Me Nigella's How to Eat Queen Victoria: Daughter, Wife, Mother, Widow by Lucy Worsley Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier Julia Donaldson, Peter Pan and Moat Brae i n Dumfri...

Hello and welcome to this episode of The Book Alchemist which features double best-selling author, biohacker and wellness expert Davinia Taylor . We talk all things health and wellbeing and the power of brilliant reading material. We discuss her books It's Not a Diet and Hack Your Hormones, emotional sensitivity, ADHD, resilience, weight loss and the power of Instagram. The authors, podcasts and e...

There's no one more passionate about Scottish culture than Alistair Braidwood . His website, Scots Whay Hae! podcast and radio show is a celebration of writers, poets, music, films, TV, art, comedy, books and and so much more - all created by Scots talent. The books and authors we discuss are: Iain Banks The Hobbit The Sound of My Voice by Ron Butlin Shuggie Bain Deborah Orr's Motherwell Jenni Fag...

Callum McSorley is an award-winning writer based in Glasgow. In this episode we discuss awards, Ally McCoist, the importance of finding the time to read, why failing is good and how a part-time job helped him become a best-seller. The authors and books we discuss are: Haruki Murakami Predator's Gold by Philip Reeve John Boyne's The Hearts Invisible Furies Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus The...