Ask Penguin

Writer and wildlife presenter Chris Packham joins Richard E. Grant in the Penguin studio to talk about his memoir, Fingers In The Sparkle Jar. Chris brings along a number of objects that shaped his book, including a fox skull, a set of hawk bells and his first Clash ticket stub, as he explains why he has more honest relationships with animals than he does with people. Chris reminisces about badger watching in a pair of bondage trousers, talks about how children don’t explore the outdoors enough, and explains why it’s important to suck up every last drop of life. #PenguinPodcast

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Writer and philosopher Alain de Botton joins Richard E. Grant in the Penguin studio to talk about his latest novel, The Course of Love. Alain brings along a number of objects that shaped his book, including his copy of Virginia Woolf’s essay The Docks of London and a recording of Bach’s Mass in B Minor, as he explains why he decided to turn his attention to what happens after happily ever after. Crushes and sulks come under Alain’s philosophical microscope as he explains why love is more dangerous than a nuclear power station and advocates schools for relationships. #PenguinPodcast

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Award-winning comedian Francesca Martinez joins Richard E. Grant in the Penguin studio to talk about her memoir What the **** is Normal?! Francesca brings along a number of objects that shaped her book, including a photo of her beloved grandparents and a poem to her first boyfriend, as she talks about discarding the label of cerebral palsy. She reveals her careers advisor’s reaction to her acting ambitions, explains why stand-up comedy changed her life and discusses her dreams for a world where people aren’t defined by what they can’t do, but by what they can. #PenguinPodcast

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Shami Chakrabarti joins Richard E. Grant in the Penguin studio to talk about her book On Liberty. Shami brings along a number of objects that shaped the book, including a goldfish bowl and her mother’s pearls, as she tells the story behind her human rights journey. She reveals a dark secret from her childhood, talks about her second day at Liberty, on the 11th September 2001, and explains why our civil liberties matter more than ever. #PenguinPodcast

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Colm Tóibín joins Richard E. Grant in the Penguin studio to talk about the novel behind the Oscar-nominated film Brooklyn. Colm brings along a number of objects that inspired the novel as he muses on the Irish immigrant experience, homesickness and life in 1950s New York. He reveals that the story of Brooklyn’s Eilis Lacey was inspired by a conversation that he overheard as a child, and explains how crucial it was for him that the big screen adaptation of Brooklyn was filmed in his hometown of Enniscorthy. #PenguinPodcast

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Howard Jacobson joins Richard E. Grant in the Penguin studio to talk about his new novel Shylock Is My Name, a retelling of Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. A self-proclaimed reverer of Shakespeare, Howard explains how he rose to the challenge of adapting one of the bard’s more controversial plays, and questions how much has really changed for Jews since Shakespeare first created the part of Shylock. Howard’s objects include a table tennis bat and a photograph of his grandmother, and he talks about his inspirational primary school teacher. #PenguinPodcast

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The author of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin joins Richard E. Grant in the Penguin Studio to talk about his major new novel, The Dust That Falls From Dreams. Louis brings his great grandmother’s diaries and a handmade ‘guitar-lute’ into the Penguin studio and tells Richard how, for him, music wards off insanity.#PenguinPodcast

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Phil Redmond, the creator of Brookside, Hollyoaks and Grange Hill, turns his hand from TV scripts to his first novel, Highbridge. Phil brings with him an assortment of objects that inspired the book, including an Army ration pack and a 'pay and throw’ phone and he discusses a variety of topics including how writing a novel differs from script writing, the impact of technology on society and the war on drugs.#PenguinPodcast

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Michael Acton Smith, founder of Mind Candy who created Moshi Monsters demystifies mindfulness and talks to Richard about how it can be used to rewire our brains, change the way we see the world and help us unlock our true potential. Michael reveals what lead him to write ‘Calm’ and how mindfulness changed his life.

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Neil Gaiman discusses his friendship with the late Terry Pratchett and how they worked together to create Good Omens, a story of the impending apocalypse. Neil reveals how they relied on an answerphone to write the book and how Terry helped him with writers block.#PenguinPodcast

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