Share Always Take Notes
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
By Always Take Notes
4.6
2929 ratings
The podcast currently has 199 episodes available.
Rachel and Simon speak with the novelist Paula Hawkins. Born and brought up in Zimbabwe, Paula moved to London in 1989. She worked as a journalist for 15 years, reporting on business and personal finance. Her first book, "The Money Goddess", a financial guide for women, was released in 2006. She turned to fiction in 2009, publishing "Confessions of a Reluctant Recessionista" under a pseudonym, Amy Silver. Several Silver books followed until Paula published "The Girl on the Train", a thriller, in 2015. The book became a worldwide hit, selling more than 23 million copies, and was adapted into a film starring Emily Blunt. Paula's subsequent thrillers, "Into the Water" and "A Slow Fire Burning", were also instant bestsellers. We spoke to Paula about moving from financial journalism to writing fiction, experiencing huge global success with "The Girl on the Train", and her latest novel, "The Blue Hour".
A new edition of “Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World’s Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is available now. The updated version now includes insights from over 100 past guests on the podcast, with new contributions from Harlan Coben, Victoria Hislop, Lee Child, Megan Nolan, Jhumpa Lahiri, Philippa Gregory, Jo Nesbø, Paul Theroux, Hisham Matar and Bettany Hughes. You can order it via Amazon or Waterstones.
You can find us online at alwaystakenotes.com, on Twitter @takenotesalways and on Instagram @alwaystakenotes. Our crowdfunding page is patreon.com/alwaystakenotes. Always Take Notes is presented by Simon Akam and Rachel Lloyd, and produced by Artemis Irvine. Our music is by Jessica Dannheisser and our logo was designed by James Edgar.
Simon and Rachel speak to Richard Dawkins, an evolutionary biologist and bestselling science writer. His first book, "The Selfish Gene", published in 1976, has sold over a million copies and been translated into more than 25 languages. Other titles include "The Ancestor’s Tale", "The Blind Watchmaker" and "The God Delusion". The latter book, published in 2006, espoused the criticism of religion for which Richard is well known. From 1995 to 2008 he was the Charles Simonyi Professor of the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University, and he has also written two volumes of memoir. We spoke with Richard about moving from research science to writing books for a general audience, his breakout with "The Selfish Gene" in the 1970s, and his latest title, "The Genetic Book of the Dead".
“Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World’s Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is published by Ithaka Press. You can order it via Amazon, Bookshop.org, Hatchards or Waterstones.
You can find us online at alwaystakenotes.com, on Twitter @takenotesalways and on Instagram @alwaystakenotes. Our crowdfunding page is patreon.com/alwaystakenotes. Always Take Notes is presented by Simon Akam and Rachel Lloyd, and produced by Artemis Irvine. Our music is by Jessica Dannheisser and our logo was designed by James Edgar.
Rachel and Simon speak to Eleanor Moran, a television producer and novelist. Eleanor started her career at the BBC as a script editor before becoming an executive producer; she has worked on shows including "Watership Down", "The Girl Before" and "The Flatshare". She balances her work in television alongside writing fiction. Eleanor published her debut novel, "Stick Or Twist", in 2009, followed by five more under own name; in 2022 she began publishing domestic noir under the pseudonym Kate Ruby. "Tell Me Your Lies" was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick the same year and is currently being adapted for television. "Everything You Have", published in 2024, is already under option. We spoke to Eleanor about her work in television and film, her fiction, including her decision to publish some of it under a pseudonym, and the release of "Everything You Have".
“Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World’s Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is published by Ithaka Press. You can order it via Amazon, Bookshop.org, Hatchards or Waterstones.
You can find us online at alwaystakenotes.com, on Twitter @takenotesalways and on Instagram @alwaystakenotes. Our crowdfunding page is patreon.com/alwaystakenotes. Always Take Notes is presented by Simon Akam and Rachel Lloyd, and produced by Artemis Irvine. Our music is by Jessica Dannheisser and our logo was designed by James Edgar.
Simon and Rachel speak to Robert Harris, the bestselling historical novelist. Robert worked as a journalist, and wrote several non-fiction books, before his first novel, "Fatherland", which imagines a world in which Germany won the Second World War, was published in 1992. He has subsequently written 15 other novels: including the Cicero Trilogy - "Imperium", "Lustrum" and "Dictator" - "Enigma", "An Officer and a Spy" - which won four prizes including the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction - and "Munich". His work has been translated into 40 languages and nine of his books have been adapted for cinema and television. We spoke to Robert about moving from journalism to writing historical fiction, shifting from modern to ancient settings, and about his new novel, "Precipice".
“Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World’s Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is published by Ithaka Press. You can order it via Amazon, Bookshop.org, Hatchards or Waterstones.
You can find us online at alwaystakenotes.com, on Twitter @takenotesalways and on Instagram @alwaystakenotes. Our crowdfunding page is patreon.com/alwaystakenotes. Always Take Notes is presented by Simon Akam and Rachel Lloyd, and produced by Artemis Irvine. Our music is by Jessica Dannheisser and our logo was designed by James Edgar.
Rachel and Simon speak to Carissa Broadbent, author of the "Crowns of Nyaxia" and "War of Lost Hearts" series. Before turning to writing, Carissa worked in marketing. Her early books were self-published and became a sensation on social media, particularly TikTok, where videos about her work attract millions of views. "The Serpent and the Wings of Night", the first book in the "Crowns of Nyaxia" series - a tale of "heart-wrenching romance, dark magic and bloodthirsty intrigue" - was a New York Times bestseller immediately after publication. We spoke to Carissa about the "romantasy" genre (combining elements of romance and fantasy), how she moved from self-publishing to a deal with a major publisher, and her latest book, "The Ashes & the Star-Cursed King".
“Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World’s Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is published by Ithaka Press. You can order it via Amazon, Bookshop.org, Hatchards or Waterstones.
You can find us online at alwaystakenotes.com, on Twitter @takenotesalways and on Instagram @alwaystakenotes. Our crowdfunding page is patreon.com/alwaystakenotes. Always Take Notes is presented by Simon Akam and Rachel Lloyd, and produced by Artemis Irvine. Our music is by Jessica Dannheisser and our logo was designed by James Edgar.
Simon and Rachel speak to Kevin Barry, a novelist and short-story writer. Kevin is the author of four novels and three story collections. His awards include the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, the Goldsmiths Prize, the Sunday Times EFG Short Story Award and the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature. His stories and essays have appeared in the New Yorker, Granta and elsewhere. His novel, "Night Boat to Tangier", was a number-one bestseller in Ireland, was longlisted for the Booker Prize and named one of the Top Ten Books of the Year by the New York Times. Kevin also works as a playwright and screenwriter. We spoke to him about forcing himself to become a novelist, writing short stories and screenplays, and about his latest book, "The Heart in Winter."
“Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World’s Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is published by Ithaka Press. You can order it via Amazon, Bookshop.org, Hatchards or Waterstones.
You can find us online at alwaystakenotes.com, on Twitter @takenotesalways and on Instagram @alwaystakenotes. Our crowdfunding page is patreon.com/alwaystakenotes. Always Take Notes is presented by Simon Akam and Rachel Lloyd, and produced by Artemis Irvine. Our music is by Jessica Dannheisser and our logo was designed by James Edgar.
Rachel and Simon speak to Abi Morgan, a screenwriter and playwright. Abi earned her first professional stage credit in 1998 with "Skinned"; since then she has written plays including "Tender", "Fugee", "27" and "The Mistress Contract", which have been performed at the Hampstead Theatre, the National Theatre, the National Theatre of Scotland and the Royal Court. Her work for television includes "Birdsong", "The Split" and "Eric" (which stars Benedict Cumberbatch and is streaming on Netflix). Abi has also written and worked on several films, such as "Brick Lane", "Iron Lady", "Shame" and "Suffragette". Her first book, "This Is Not A Pity Memoir", was published in 2022. We spoke to Abi about breaking into the industry, working on biopics and book adaptations, and her latest TV show, "Eric".
“Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World’s Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is published by Ithaka Press. You can order it via Amazon, Bookshop.org, Hatchards or Waterstones.
You can find us online at alwaystakenotes.com, on Twitter @takenotesalways and on Instagram @alwaystakenotes. Our crowdfunding page is patreon.com/alwaystakenotes. Always Take Notes is presented by Simon Akam and Rachel Lloyd, and produced by Artemis Irvine. Our music is by Jessica Dannheisser and our logo was designed by James Edgar.
Simon and Rachel speak to the novelist Harlan Coben. Harlan's suspense novels are published in 46 languages and have been number-one bestsellers in more than a dozen countries, with 80 million books in print worldwide. His Myron Bolitar series, centred on a basketball player turned agent, has earned the Edgar, Shamus and Anthony Awards. Several of his books have been developed into Netflix original series, including "Fool Me Once", "The Stranger", "The Innocent", "Gone for Good", "The Woods", "Stay Close" and "Hold Tight". "Shelter" was also adapted into an Amazon Prime series. We spoke to Harlan about his prolific career as a thriller writer, his extensive collaboration with Netflix, and his latest novel, "Think Twice".
“Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World’s Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is published by Ithaka Press. You can order it via Amazon, Bookshop.org, Hatchards or Waterstones.
You can find us online at alwaystakenotes.com, on Twitter @takenotesalways and on Instagram @alwaystakenotes. Our crowdfunding page is patreon.com/alwaystakenotes. Always Take Notes is presented by Simon Akam and Rachel Lloyd, and produced by Artemis Irvine. Our music is by Jessica Dannheisser and our logo was designed by James Edgar.
Rachel and Simon speak to the non-fiction author and novelist Anna Funder. After training as an international human-rights lawyer in Australia, Anna moved to Germany and published "Stasiland: Stories from Behind the Berlin Wall" in 2003; the book won the Samuel Johnson Prize (now known as the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction). Her debut novel, "All That I Am", followed in 2011. It fictionalised the true story of a group of friends who fled the Nazi regime for London in the early 1930s. The novel won the Miles Franklin Prize, Australia's most prestigious fiction award, and has been published in more than 25 languages. Her latest book, "Wifedom: Mrs Orwell's Invisible Life" (2023), is a biography of Eileen O’Shaughnessy, George Orwell's first wife, and combines original research with fictional reconstructions. It was longlisted for the inaugural Women's Prize for Non-Fiction. We spoke to Anna about moving from the law to writing, investigating the secret police of East Germany in "Stasiland", and "Wifedom".
“Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World’s Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is published by Ithaka Press. You can order it via Amazon, Bookshop.org, Hatchards or Waterstones.
You can find us online at alwaystakenotes.com, on Twitter @takenotesalways and on Instagram @alwaystakenotes. Our crowdfunding page is patreon.com/alwaystakenotes. Always Take Notes is presented by Simon Akam and Rachel Lloyd, and produced by Artemis Irvine. Our music is by Jessica Dannheisser and our logo was designed by James Edgar.
In this episode Simon and Rachel speak with Toby Mundy, the CEO of the UK office of the international literary agency Aevitas Creative Management, and executive director of the Baillie Gifford Prize for non-fiction. Toby has worked in the publishing industry for more than three decades. After starting his career at HarperCollins he founded Atlantic Books in 2000. During his tenure, Atlantic Books won Independent Publisher of the Year and Imprint of the Year at the British Book Awards and achieved more than 25 top ten Sunday Times bestsellers. Atlantic titles were shortlisted for the Booker Prize five times between 2003 and 2013, including the The White Tiger, which won the prize in 2008. Toby became director of the Baillie Gifford Prize in 2014. We spoke to him about his entry into the industry, setting up Atlantic Books, his subsequent career as a literary agent, and his role with the Baillie Gifford Prize. This episode was recorded prior to the recent controversy about Baillie Gifford's sponsorship of literary festivals.
“Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World’s Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is published by Ithaka Press. You can order it via Amazon, Bookshop.org, Hatchards or Waterstones.
You can find us online at alwaystakenotes.com, on Twitter @takenotesalways and on Instagram @alwaystakenotes. Our crowdfunding page is patreon.com/alwaystakenotes. Always Take Notes is presented by Simon Akam and Rachel Lloyd, and produced by Artemis Irvine. Our music is by Jessica Dannheisser and our logo was designed by James Edgar.
The podcast currently has 199 episodes available.
150 Listeners
385 Listeners
275 Listeners
226 Listeners
116 Listeners
181 Listeners
169 Listeners
546 Listeners
273 Listeners
34 Listeners
55 Listeners
251 Listeners
51 Listeners
46 Listeners
34 Listeners