Always Take Notes

Rachel and Simon speak with Jonny Geller, one of the best known literary agents in London. Jonny joined Curtis Brown in 1993 as an assistant after a short career as an actor. He became a literary agent in 1995 after discovering a novel on the unsolicited pile which went on to sell rights worldwide. He became CEO of the agency in 2012 and is now also CEO of the overall Curtis Brown Group. Jonny's clients include novelists William Boyd, Monica Ali, Tracy Chevalier, David Mitchell and Elif Shafak, as well as former British prime minister Gordon Brown and the musician Bono. He represented David Cornwell, aka John le Carré, until his death last year and now represents his estate, as well as that of James Bond creator Ian Fleming. We spoke to Jonny about his unusual entry into the world of literary agenting, his approach to selling books, and how he combines the role of CEO with handling his authors. Jonny's agent's manifesto is available here and his Tedx Talk is here. This episode of Always Take Notes is sponsored by Curtis Brown Creative. Go to www.curtisbrowncreative.co.uk to find out more about their creative writing courses. Use code ATN20 for £20 off the price of any four-week, six-week or ten-week online course. You can find us online at alwaystakenotes.com, on Twitter @takenotesalways, and on Facebook at facebook.com/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 with journalist and novelist Leaf Arbuthnot. She has written for publications including the TLS, the Sunday Times and the New Statesman and she is currently the film critic and acting features editor at Tatler. Her first novel, “Looking for Eliza”, about the unlikely friendship between two lonely women in Oxford, was published by Orion in 2020. She has also written “The Birthday Party”, a serialised novel, and is working on a play about the Magnitsky Act. We spoke to Leaf about student journalism, writing engaging reviews and releasing her debut book in lockdown. You can find us online at alwaystakenotes.com, on Twitter @takenotesalways, and on Facebook at facebook.com/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 with Simon Sebag Montefiore, a historian and novelist whose books have been published in 48 languages. His history books include "Catherine the Great and Potemkin", which was shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson and Duff Cooper Prizes, "Young Stalin", which won the Costa Biography Award (UK) and "Jerusalem: The Biography" which won the Wen Jin Prize in China. His Moscow trilogy of novels comprises "Sashenka", "Red Sky at Noon" and "One Night in Winter." We spoke with Sebag, as he likes to be known, about interviewing Margaret Thatcher as a schoolboy, his adventures in the Russian archives, and combining history and writing novels. You can find us online at alwaystakenotes.com, on Twitter @takenotesalways, and on Facebook at facebook.com/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 with Rosie Nixon, editor-in-chief of Hello! and novelist. Rosie has worked in the magazine industry for more than 20 years and has previously held senior roles at Grazia, Glamour and Red. In 2017 Rosie was named Editor of the Year by the British Society of Magazine Editors in the entertainment and celebrity category. She is also the author of three novels, “The Stylist”, “Amber Green takes Manhattan” and “Just Between Friends”. Her first non-fiction book, “Kindness Counts”, will be released in November. We spoke to Rosie about her early jobs at teen magazines, covering the royal family and the compulsion to write novels. You can find us online at alwaystakenotes.com, on Twitter @takenotesalways, and on Facebook at facebook.com/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 an episode with a difference Rachel interviews her Always Take Notes co-cost Simon to mark the publication of his book "The Changing of the Guard,"  which tells the story of the British Army since 9/11. After a complicated gestation the book was published last month and has generated extensive debate on the review pages, along with excerpts in the FT magazine, the Atlantic and GQ. Rachel also asks Simon about his magazine journalism and balancing time as a freelancer. You can find us online at alwaystakenotes.com, on Twitter @takenotesalways, and on Facebook at facebook.com/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 with Samira Shackle, a freelance writer and author. Her first book, “Karachi Vice”, is a modern history of Pakistan’s largest city through the testimony of five ordinary citizens. It was chosen as a Radio 4 Book of the Week in February. She is the editor of the New Humanist magazine, a quarterly journal of ideas, science and culture, and a regular contributor to the Guardian Long Read. We spoke to Samira about the research and reporting of “Karachi Vice”, writing narrative non-fiction and the mysterious case of the Gatwick drone. You can find us online at alwaystakenotes.com, on Twitter @takenotesalways, and on Facebook at facebook.com/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 with Jack Thorne, a writer of film, television and theatre. Jack has won five BAFTAs for his television work; his latest credits include "National Treasure", "The Virtues" and the BBC’s adaptation of Philip Pullman’s "His Dark Materials". In film, his credits include "Wonder", "The Aeronauts" and "Enola Holmes". In theatre, his play "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" won multiple Olivier Awards including Best New Play and multiple Tony awards including Best Play. We spoke with Jack about his early plays, breaking into screenwriting with "Skins", and his work with the BBC, HBO and Netflix. You can find us online at alwaystakenotes.com, on Twitter @takenotesalways, and on Facebook at facebook.com/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 with Natalie Haynes. Following an education as a classicist and a career as a stand-up comedian, Natalie has written three novels—“The Amber Fury”, “The Children of Jocasta” and “A Thousand Ships” (which was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction in 2020)—as well as two non-fiction books, “The Ancient Guide to Modern Life” and “Pandora’s Jar”. Natalie has also written for publications including the Times, the Independent, the New Humanist, the Guardian and the Observer on a variety of subjects. We discussed the value of classical languages, reinterpreting myths and the performative nature of writing. You can find us online at alwaystakenotes.com, on Twitter @takenotesalways, and on Facebook at facebook.com/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 with business journalist and author James Ashton. James was city editor and executive editor of the Evening Standard and Independent titles and before that city editor of the Sunday Times. He has also written for the Telegraph, Times, Daily Mail, Scotsman, Business AM and Reuters. His book “The Nine Types of Leader” chronicles the different categories of CEO he has encountered in over twenty years of journalism. We spoke to James about the art of the CEO interview, his book, and what it's like to move from working at a newspaper to working freelance. You can find us online at alwaystakenotes.com, on Twitter @takenotesalways, and on Facebook at facebook.com/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 with feature writer Sirin Kale. After a stint in lobbying, Sirin turned to journalism and worked at Dazed & Confused and Vice UK. Now freelance, she contributes to publications including the Guardian, where she writes the widely read “Lost to the Virus” series, Observer, Vogue, Wired, GQ and 1843 Magazine. We talked to Sirin about her decision to change careers, the importance of time management and reporting sensitive stories. You can find us online at alwaystakenotes.com, on Twitter @takenotesalways, and on Facebook at facebook.com/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.