The Penguin Podcast

By Penguin Books UK

Society & Culture Arts

What's The Penguin Podcast about?

The Penguin Podcast is a fortnightly interview series where we speak to authors about what drives them: from where, how and why they write, to their inspirations, aspirations, and even the struggles they've faced along the way. Listen for lively conversations and plenty of book recommendations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Nadiya Hussein with Isy Suttie

01.25.2023

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 ...

The Penguin Podcast episodes:

01.25.2023 Nadiya Hussein with Isy Suttie 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 ...
01.11.2023 Jane Fallon with with Nihal Arthanayake 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 ...
12.28.2022 The Year in Review 2022 (Part 2) with Nihal Arthanayake 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 ...
12.14.2022 The Year in Review 2022 (Part 1) with Nihal Arthanayake 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 ...
11.30.2022 Malorie Blackman with Nihal Arthanayake 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 ...
11.16.2022 Ian McEwan with Nihal Arthanayake 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 ...
11.09.2022 Live Event - Greta Thunberg in Conversation with Samira Ahmed 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 ...
11.02.2022 Special episode - Demystifying Publishing 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 ...
10.19.2022 Salley Vickers with Isy Suttie This week on the Penguin Podcast, Isy Suttie talks to best-selling author, Salley Vickers. Salley joins us to talk about her latest novel, The Gardener. Isy and Salley also discuss psychoanalysis and its benefits, her affection towards children and their ...
10.05.2022 Yomi Sode with Derek Owusu This week on the Penguin Podcast, Derek Owusu talks to playwright and poet, Yomi Sode. Yomi joins us to discuss his debut poetry collection, Manorism. Derek and Yomi also discuss the influence of Caravaggio and the double standards of celebrating ...
09.21.2022 Gabrielle Zevin with Athena Kugblenu This week on the Penguin Podcast, our new host Athena Kugblenu talks to bestselling author and screenwriter, Gabrielle Zevin. Gabrielle joins us to discuss her latest novel, Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. They also discuss literature and gaming, why we ...
09.07.2022 Robert Harris with Nihal Arthanayake This week on the Penguin Podcast, Nihal Arthanayake talks to former journalist and best-selling novelist, Robert Harris. Robert joins us to discuss his latest work of epic historical fiction, Act of Oblivion, out now in hardback. He also discusses his ...
08.24.2022 Lisa Jewell with Isy Suttie This week on the penguin podcast, Isy Suttie is joined by bestselling author, Lisa Jewell. Lisa joins the Penguin Podcast to discuss her latest novel, The Family Remains, the long-awaited sequel to her New York Times best-seller, The Family Upstairs. ...
08.10.2022 Nadifa Mohamed with Derek Owusu This week on the penguin podcast, Derek Owusu is joined by Booker and Costa shortlisted novelist, Nadifa Mohamed. Nadifa joins us to discuss her latest novel, The Fortune Men, a fictional account of the life of Mahmood Hussein Mattan, who ...
07.27.2022 Darren McGarvey with Nihal Arthanayake This week, we bring you the live-streamed episode of the Penguin Podcast, featuring Nihal Arthanayake talking to writer, rapper and campaigner, Darren McGarvey about his most recent work, The Socal Distance Between Us. Clear and insightful, together they discuss the ...
07.13.2022 Jarvis Cocker with Isy Suttie This week on the Penguin Podcast, Isy Suttie is joined by author, radio presenter and pop legend, Jarvis Cocker. Jarvis talks to Issy about his first memoir, 'Good Pop, Bad Pop'. He also discusses why outer space and The Beetles ...
06.29.2022 Sinead Moriarty with Isy Suttie This week on the Penguin Podcast, Isy Suttie joined by Irish book award winner and best-selling author, Sinead Moriarty. Sinead talks to Issy about her latest novel, Your, Mind, Ours, a novel about what it takes to create a 'blended' ...
06.15.2022 Damon Galgut with Nihal Arthanayake This week on the Penguin Podcast, Nihal Arthanayake is joined by Booker Prize-winning novelist and playwright, Damon Galgut. Recording from the legendary literary festival at Hay, Nihal talks to Damon about his latest novel, The Promise, which was awarded the ...
06.01.2022 Alison Hammond with Derek Owusu This week on the Penguin Podcast, Derek Owusu is joined by presenter, TV personality, actress and children's author, Alison Hammond. Alison speaks to Derek about her brand new children's book, Black in Time: The Most Awesome Black Britons from Yesterday ...
05.18.2022 Benjamin Zephaniah with Derek Owusu This week on the Penguin Podcast, new host Derek Owusu is joined by Poet, activist, musician, actor, presenter and children's author, Benjamin Zephaniah! Benjamin speaks to Derek about his journey into poetry and spoken word, the excitement at receiving a ...
05.04.2022 Asma Khan with Isy Suttie This week on the Penguin Podcast, Isy Suttie is joined by restaurateur and author, Asma Khan. Asma speaks to Isy about her most recent work, her cookbook/memoir, Ammu. They also discuss food and its connection to memory, how revelatory the ...
04.20.2022 Hanif Abdurraqib with Nihal Arthanayake This week on the Penguin Podcast, Nihal Arthanayake is joined by award-winning writer and poet, Hanif Abdurraqib Hanif speaks to Nihal about his most recent work of nonfiction, A little Devil in America, which won the 2021 Gorden Burn Prize. ...
04.06.2022 Bonnie Garmus with Isy Suttie This week on the Penguin Podcast, Isy Suttie is joined by debut novelist Bonnie Garmus. She speaks to Isy about her debut novel, Lessons in Chemistry, and also discusses her reluctance to change any keyboard she's grown used to, often ...
03.23.2022 Michael Rosen with Isy Suttie This week on the Penguin Podcast, Isy Suttie is joined by national treasure, poet and children’s author, Michael Rosen. He speaks to Isy about his experiences before and after contracting Covid, how to create more impactful life writing, what he ...
03.09.2022 Michio Kaku with Nihal Arthanayake This week on the penguin podcast, Nihal Arthanayake is joined by theoretical physicist, futurist, and popularizer of science, Michio Kaku. Together they discuss string theory, the unifying threads of different religious beliefs, human curiosity and the barriers to scientific thinking. ...
02.23.2022 Pankaj Mishra with Nihal Arthanayake This week on the Penguin Podcast, Nihal Arthanayake is joined by renowned essayist and novelist, Pankaj Mishra, to discuss his new novel, Run and Hide. Together they discuss the meaning of art and the novel, the Tibetan landscape and the ...
02.09.2022 Claire Fuller with Nihal Arthanayake Claire Fuller, who recently won the Costa Novel of the Year for her latest book, Unsettled Ground, joins Nihal Arthanayake on the podcast this week. Together they discuss the importance of music in her creative process, what she doesn't like ...
01.26.2022 New Non-Fiction Writers to Look Out For in 2022 with Nihal Arthanayake Last time we brought you some of the most exciting debut novelists to look out for in 2022, so this week we're introducing you to some of the best new non-fiction writers to add to your reading list this year. ...
01.12.2022 Debut Novelists to Look Out For in 2022 with Isy Suttie A new year = new books, and there are plenty of brilliant new stories to look out for this year. To get your 2022 reading list started, we've brought together five of this year's most exciting debut novelists. Speaking to ...
12.22.2021 The Year in Review (Part 2) with Nihal Arthanayake As we approach the end of 2021, we're revisiting some of the most memorable moments on the Penguin Podcast this year. Conn Iggulden takes his writing research extremely (and we mean, extremely) seriously, Emma Dabiri gives us a tour of ...
12.08.2021 The Year in Review (Part 1) with Nihal Arthanayake As we approach the end of 2021, we're revisiting some of our favourite moments on the Penguin Podcast this year. Zadie Smith and Nick Laird tell us about the unexpectedly colourful spectrum of noise that helps them work, Adam Kay ...
11.24.2021 Richard Powers with Nihal Arthanayake The Pulitzer Prize-winning author Richard Powers joins Nihal Arthanayake to discuss his thirteenth novel, ‘Bewilderment’. Using objects like Bach’s Goldberg Variation 18, an unsmoked hickory nut, and a petrified piece of redwood, Powers transport us to his home in the ...
11.10.2021 Stanley Tucci Live at The London Palladium with Dolly Alderton In this special live recording at The London Palladium, Dolly Alderton speaks to award-winning actor and writer Stanley Tucci to discuss his new food memoir, Taste: My Life Through Food. Stanley speaks passionately about food, and shares with Dolly the ...
10.27.2021 Elizabeth Strout with Isy Suttie The Pulitzer Prize-winning author Elizabeth Strout joins Isy Suttie to discuss the third book in her Lucy Barton series, ‘Oh, William!’. Using objects like a ring gifted to her by a great aunt and a postcard of the writer F. ...
10.13.2021 Jade LB with Nihal Arthanayake The writer that penned an early-noughties viral phenomenon aged just 13, Jade LB, speaks to Nihal Arthanayake about ‘Keisha The Sket’. Having lived on the phones and websites of fans for the past two decades, it’s now been formally published ...
09.29.2021 Shon Faye with Nihal Arthanayake The author, podcaster and stand-up comedian Shon Faye joins Nihal Arthanayake to discuss her first book, The Transgender Issue: An Argument for Justice. Using iconic queer artefacts like the film ‘The Wizard of Oz’, starring Judy Garland, alongside Lady Gaga’s ...
09.15.2021 Gyles Brandreth with Nihal Arthanayake Author, broadcaster, entertainer and former politician Gyles Brandreth talks to Nihal Arthanayake about his upcoming memoir, Odd Boy Out. In this episode, Gyles Brandreth considers how delving into his own childhood has challenged his usual aversion to being introspective, and ...
09.01.2021 Derren Brown with Isy Suttie “Time is just the medium through which life unfolds.” This week, mentalist, illusionist, painter and author Derren Brown talks to Isy Suttie about his latest book, ‘A Book of Secrets: Finding Solace in a Stubborn World’. In this episode, Derren ...
08.18.2021 Paula Hawkins with Nihal Arthanayake World-renowned author Paula Hawkins talks to Nihal Arthanayake about her latest thriller, A Slow Fire Burning. In this episode, Paula Hawkins reflects on the disparity between commercial success and her confidence as a writer, particularly in the face of criticism. ...
08.04.2021 Conn Iggulden with Nihal Arthanayake Bestselling historical fiction author Conn Iggulden talks to Nihal Arthanayake about Protector, the latest book in his Athenian series. In this episode, Conn Iggulden recalls the wondrous stories which ignited his imagination as a child and inspired him to begin ...
07.21.2021 Alexander McCall Smith with Nihal Arthanayake Prolific author Alexander McCall Smith joins Nihal Arthanayake to share tales from behind his impressive body of work. In this episode, the ever-curious Alexander McCall Smith tells of his affection for Botswana, and its important role as the backdrop to ...
07.07.2021 The Penguin Podcast's Best of the Booker Prize To celebrate this year’s upcoming Booker Prize nominations, we've delved back into the archives and cherry-picked highlights from eight very special interviews. Hear about the inspirations, frustrations, and secrets behind the winners of the most prestigious prize in literature. What’s ...
06.23.2021 Avni Doshi with Nihal Arthanayake “There’s a way in which memory can press up against the present”: this week, American author Avni Doshi talks to Nihal Arthanayake about her wildly successful debut novel, ’Burnt Sugar’, which was shortlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize. In this ...
06.09.2021 Ed Miliband with Nihal Arthanayake Labour MP, podcast host and now author Ed Miliband talks to Nihal Arthanayake about his debut book, ‘Go Big: How To Fix Our World’. Using a scene from ’The West Wing’ and a Robert Kennedy speech as jump off points, ...
05.28.2021 Barack Obama and Marcus Rashford in conversation Tune in to an exclusive conversation between President Barack Obama and England and Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford as they meet for the first time. In this special bonus episode of the #PenguinPodcast, moderated by June Sarpong, Barack Obama and ...
05.26.2021 Taylor Jenkins Reid with Nihal Arthanayake Bestselling author Taylor Jenkins Reid talks to Nihal Arthanayake about her latest book, ’Malibu Rising’. Much of Taylor’s fiction focuses on the world of celebrity and fame - she talks to Nihal about why a cultural fascination with celebrities exists, ...
05.12.2021 Emma Dabiri with Nihal Arthanayake Author, social historian and broadcaster Emma Dabiri talks to Nihal Arthanayake about her latest book, 'What White People Can Do Next: From Allyship to Coalition’. Emma picks objects, including a bookshelf and an incense holder, which instigate a fascinating conversation ...
04.28.2021 Zadie Smith and Nick Laird with Nihal Arthanayake Literary power couple Zadie Smith and Nick Laird chat to Nihal Arthanayake about their collaborative project, ‘Weirdo’, a children’s book about the quiet power of being different, featuring exquisite illustrations from Magenta Fox. In this episode, Zadie and Nick discuss ...
04.14.2021 Yaa Gyasi with Nihal Arthanayake Ghanaian-American novelist Yaa Gyasi talks to Nihal Arthanayake about her second novel, ’Transcendent Kingdom’. Using objects like a photo of a mouse and a SZA song, the author of the award-winning ‘Homegoing’ chats to Nihal about her Ghanaian heritage, liking ...
03.31.2021 Ashley Audrain with Nihal Arthanayake Author and ex-publicity director Ashley Audrain talks to Nihal Arthanayake about her wildly successful debut novel, ’The Push’. Using objects like a popular Canadian children’s book and a Brandi Carlile song, Ashley chats to Nihal about the contradictions of motherhood, ...

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