THE WORDS celebrates its first year.

In January 2018 Simon & Schuster UK launched its monthly literary podcast, dedicated to the world of books, authors, culture and society.

In our first year we have covered some of the key issues and themes of the day and interviewed some of the book world’s most influential and entertaining writers, from Hollywood Star Sally Field to prizewinning poet Benjamin Zephaniah.

In our December episode, our presenter Rosie Goldsmith takes us back over the past year to hear some of the highlights from 32 wonderful guests and lively debates on topics ranging from Sexism, Mental Health, Crime, Poetry to Epic Journeys.

This programme is your opportunity to listen again to the best of The Words and - if you are joining us for the first time – welcome!

In our latest episode of The Words Podcast we celebrate the lives of the often unsung individuals who displayed remarkable courage in adversity and whose experiences on the battle field, in the air, on the home front and behind enemy lines, have made the pages of the books we discuss today.

As we commemorated the end of World War One and the centenary of the Armistice, war still rages across the globe.

Today we still rely daily on the bravery and sacrifice of military forces, the journalists who bring these stories to our attention, the paramedics and humanitarian organisations who fight to save life on the ground and the civilians who risk everything to help others in times of conflict.

Joining our panel discussion are; John Nichol, ex Royal Air Force Navigator, Flight Lieutenant, Gulf war veteran and author of Spitfire, talks about the iconic fighter planes and those who flew them. Rick Stroud, author of Lonely Courage, shares portraits of the incrdible women in the Special Operations Executive established by Churchill to fight alonside the French resistance and Duncan Barrett, historian and authority on second world war Britain, explains Channel Island life, and rebelion, under Nazi rule as depicted in his new book Hitler’s British Isles.

In a special interview we speak to Warrant Officer Kim Hughes GC who was awarded the George Cross by The Queen after his first tour of duty in Afghanistan, when he defused a record 119 IEDs saving hundereds of lives including many women and children. His frank and page-turning memoir, Painting The Sand, details his numerous encounters with the Taliban and about the dark truths of life in bomb disposal.

To conclude Duncan Barrett has written an exclusive essay about Bob Le Sueur, one of Jersey’s most notorious residents who was awarded an MBE for his efforts in assisting escaped Russian prisoners, in Jersey. In his fascinating reading, Barrett details how Le Sueur was able to move about due to his work as an insurance agent and how he acted as relay in a network of people sheltering escapees, forging documents and resisting at every civilian level the Nazi occupaton.

Inspiring, shocking and deeply moving, this is an episode not to be missed.

This week's episode of The Words Podcast is dedicated to the Hollywood legend, Sally Field.

For over five decades Sally has captivated television and film audiences. Her shelves are laden with awards, among them two Oscars, three Emmys and two Golden Globes. She is successful, popular and immensely talented.

Sally has been directed by many of the world’s greatest film-makers including Steven Spielberg, Martin Ritt and Chris Columbus. She has played alongside acting legends such as Kirk Douglas, Robert Mitchum, Daniel Day-Lewis, Shirley MacLaine, Tom Hanks and Robin Williams.

But her life has also been challenging. In her memoir, In Pieces, Sally opens up for the first time about her difficult and lonely childhood, how she found her voice through acting and the strength and inspiration to take on her other leading roles – as daughter, mother and grandmother.

In the episode, Sally discusses her life and career, starting out in TV sitcoms and fighting her way, tooth and nail, into film. She speaks about her loves, her family and her losses, and touches upon new theatre projects and her advocacy of women's rights.

It is a fascinating and revealing interview which celebrates an incredible life and an outstanding book.

Chris Bonington, Robin Knox-Johnston, Alice Morrison and Jonathan Gornall join us to discuss their tales of adventure, courage and death-defying endurance.

We’re devoting this programme to Epic Journeys. And we don’t use the word ‘epic’ lightly: you’ll hear about Mount Everest and Timbuktu, cycling, sailing, running and climbing at the lowest - and highest - temperatures on Earth.

This week's guests are some of the world’s greatest living, breathing, true-life adventurers and travel writers.

Chris Bonington has conquered Everest four times, and is Britain’s best-known, best-loved mountaineer, TV presenter and prolific author.

He's joined by the world’s greatest living sailor, Robin Knox-Johnston, who is celebrating the 50th anniversary of his epic solo, non-stop navigation around the world.

Our next guest, Alice Morrison, is a marathon runner and cyclist, journalist and TV presenter - who has ‘conquered Morocco’ by setting up home there and running ultimate marathons across the Sahara and the Atlas.

Sailor, journalist and Middle East expert Jonathan Gornall completes our adventurous panel. He has attempted to row across the Atlantic in a small open-top boat and recently completed his novel, How To Build A Boat.

So why are these explorers prepared to risk life, love and limb to undertake their epic journeys?

All will be revealed in this week's episode of The Words.

Melvyn Bragg, Elizabeth Day, Stephen Fry, Simon Oldfield and Eliza Bonham Carter feature in an episode dedicated to art and literature.

In this programme, we explore how the interaction between art and literature both enhances and reflects our lives.

We’ve told stories and created art since human civilisation began. Art and literature can touch us deeply, galvanise us into action, elicit big ideas and, sometimes, horrific acts.

Our studio guests in this programme are very special: they have made the creative partnership of art and literature their lives and professions.

Melvyn Bragg is an author, broadcaster and champion of the arts. He is joined by Eliza Bonham Carter from the Royal Academy of Arts. Completing our panel are the co-founders of Pin Drop, former gallery owner Simon Oldfield and acclaimed author Elizabeth Day.

The programme also features Stephen Fry reading Bethan Roberts' short story, Ms. Featherstone and The Beast, winner of the Pin Drop Short Story Award in collaboration with the Royal Academy of Arts.

Listen to Melvyn Bragg,  Eliza Bonham Carter, Simon Oldfield and Elizabeth Day discuss art and literature

Elizabeth Day reads an extract from her short story, On Heat

Broadcasting legend Melvyn Bragg discusses In Our Time

Welcome to The Words.

Downton Abbey star Catherine Steadman joins us for a special episode on the power of Audiobooks as the nation celebrates Love Audio Week.

The actor and author talks us through the process of writing and narrating her spectacular new thriller, Something in the Water. Meanwhile, audio expert and publisher Fionnuala Barrett joins us to discuss the medium, the genres, what works and what doesn't when it comes to the spoken word.

And if you're still deciding what Audiobook to listen to next, we've got some breathtaking extracts read by the world's best storytellers.

Click below to listen to more extracts from this summer's hottest Audiobooks.

 

You by Caroline Kepnes

You is the riveting and hypnotic story of Joe Goldberg, an obsessive yet brilliant New York bookseller, who exploits today’s technology to win the heart of Beck amid the growing suspicions of her best friend Peach.

Joe transforms himself from stalker to boyfriend while doing whatever it takes to eliminate all obstacles standing in his way — even if it means murder. Set in today’s 24/7 hyper-connected world, YOU explores how vulnerable we all are to stalking and manipulation online and in real life.

This best-selling novel published in 2014 to rave reviews including Stephen King, will this autumn be a Netflix Original series starring Penn Badgley, Elizabeth Lail, Luca Padovan, Zach Cherry and Shay Mitchell.

 

No Nonsense by Joey Barton

So, you think you know Joey Barton. Think again. No Nonsense is a game-changing autobiography which will redefine the most fascinating figure in British football. It is the raw yet redemptive story of a man shaped by rejection and the consequences of his mistakes. He has represented England, and been a pivotal player for Manchester City, Newcastle United, Queens Park Rangers, Marseille, Burnley and Glasgow Rangers, but his career has featured recurring controversy. The low point of being sent to prison for assault in 2008 proved to be the catalyst for the re-evaluation of his life.   

No Nonsense reflects Barton’s character – it is candid, challenging, entertaining and intelligent. He does not spare himself, in revealing the formative influences of a tough upbringing in Liverpool, and gives a survivor’s insight into a game which, to use his phrase, 'eats people alive'. The book is emotionally driven, and explains how he has redirected his energies since the birth of his children. In addition to dealing with his past, he expands on his plans for the future.

 

 

The Outcasts of Time by Ian Mortimer

From the author of the bestselling The Time Traveller's Guide to Restoration Britain, this is a stunningly high-concept historical novel that is both as daring as it is gripping.

December 1348: With the country in the grip of the Black Death, brothers John and William fear that they will shortly die and go to Hell. But as the end draws near, they are given an unexpected choice: either to go home and spend their last six days in their familiar world, or to search for salvation across the forthcoming centuries – living each one of their remaining days ninety-nine years after the last.

John and William choose the future and find themselves in 1447, ignorant of almost everything going on around them. The year 1546 brings no more comfort, and 1645 challenges them still further. It is not just that technology is changing: things they have taken for granted all their lives prove to be short-lived.

As they find themselves in stranger and stranger times, the reader travels with them, seeing the world through their eyes as it shifts through disease, progress, enlightenment and war. But their time is running out – can they do something to redeem themselves before the six d...

Santa Montefiore, Stephen McGann, Catherine Isaac and Juliet Ashton join The Words podcast to discuss the secrets, lies, chaos and comforts of family life.

The Temptation of Gracie is Santa Montefiore's thrilling new book, which spans five generations and follows an English grandmother on a mission to reconnect with her 'secretive past' in Tuscany – much to her family’s surprise. She'll be joining the panel to discuss the importance of family in her writing and life.

Listen: Santa discusses the impact of family on her books

Our second guest is Catherine Isaac, whose harrowing and moving story You Me Everything sees a single mother try to track down her son’s father, while her family battles a debilitating illness.

Listen: Catherine tells her mother's life-affirming story

Completing our panel is Juliet Ashton, whose latest book, The Sunday Lunch Club, revolves around a very modern - and rather large - family, whose many stories hold mirrors up to our own lives.

Actor Stephen McGann – himself part of a very large acting family – also joins us to discuss his family history and autobiography Flesh and Blood – a book which is much, much more than a memoir.

Listen: Stephen McGann on his family history

England cricketer Graeme Fowler joins Poorna Bell, Will Williams and Susan Elliot Wright for a frank and illuminating discussion about stress, depression, suicide and stigma ahead of Mental Health Awareness week.

Approximately 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year, and 1 in 3 adults will experience a serious mental health problem at some point in their life.

Despite high profile advocates such as Prince William raising awareness about the importance of mental health, the subject remains taboo and millions still suffer in silence.

Suicide is the biggest killer of men under 45 in the UK, and in the US men are four times more likely to commit suicide than women. In this episode we discuss the stigma surrounding mental health with award-winning journalist Poorna Bell and former England cricketer Graeme Fowler, who talks candidly about his fight to overcome depression in his autobiography Absolutely Foxed.

Author Susan Elliot Wright joins us to discuss her forthcoming novel The Flight of Cornelia Blackwood, which deals with a very rare form of psychosis affecting new mothers.

Also taking part in our discussion is meditation teacher Will Williams, who tells us how he uses ancient Vedic techniques to manage anger, anxiety and stress.

Finally, bestselling author and meditation guru Bob Roth will read an extract from his latest book, Strength in Stillness: The Power of Transcendental Meditation.

Benjamin Zephaniah, Ben Holden, Rupi Kaur and Rachel Spence explore the transformative power of poetry in this episode of The Words.

And to top that off, bestselling poet Rupi Kaur will read a poem taken from her latest book, the sun and her flowers.

In a time of great divide and uncertainty, more and more people are turning to poetry to find comfort. More than a million poetry books were sold last year in the UK alone, the highest number on record. Gone are the days when the poetry canon was ruled by dead white males. We'll be discussing the new poetry mediums adopted by our guests in this episode alongside some beautiful and arresting recitals.

Chris Carter, Louise Candlish, Lisa Cutts and Andrew Wilson join Craig Robertson and Rosie Goldsmith for an investigation into the art of writing thrillers.

The crime fiction genre used to be just that, fiction, and its authors mainly inventors; today the genre reflects real-life crime and its authors resemble real detectives.

Detective Constable Lisa Cutts, criminologist Chris Carter and crime scene journalist Craig Robertson tell Rosie Goldsmith why the best thriller writers share an impeccable sense of observation and a deep understanding of forensic evidence.

Listen to Lisa, Chris and Craig's discussion

In part two, Rosie talks to Louise Candlish about her new thriller, Our House: an absolutely riveting modern thriller about a scarily credible crime.

Louise Candlish on a very modern crime crime

And finally, in The Words, we hear about crime fiction old-style with an exclusive reading by Andrew Wilson, author of the A Talent For Murder series, starring none other than the original queen of crime, Agatha Christie.

Andrew on the Mistress of Misdirection, Agatha Christie