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.Don't forget to follow the show so you never miss an episode, and do leave us a review as it really does help. To find out more about the #PenguinPodcast, visit https://www.penguin.co.uk/podcasts.html. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Himalayas, nostalgia, and wood-panelled train compartments. Don't forget to follow the show so you never miss an episode, and do leave us a review as it really does help. To find out more about the #PenguinPodcast, visit https://www.penguin.co.uk/podcasts.html. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 about being a novelist and how a book by Miranda July might just have kickstarted her writing career.Don't forget to follow the show so you never miss an episode, and do leave us a review as it really does help. To find out more about the #PenguinPodcast, visit https://www.penguin.co.uk/podcasts.html. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. It's a veritable treasure chest of books, from a comic memoir to ornithology, mental health, family and cultural history, and an exploration of how the Earth, as we know it, came to be.In this episode, we hear from: CJ Hauser, author of The Crane Wife, Mya-Rose Craig, author of Birdgirl, Teresa Lim, author of The Interpreter's Daughter, Thomas Halliday, author of OtherlandsDon't forget to follow the show so you never miss an episode, and please do leave us a review as it really does help. To find out more about the #PenguinPodcast, visit https://www.penguin.co.uk/podcasts.html. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Isy Suttie, they introduce us to themselves and their books, and give us some insight into their inspirations and aspirations. From a darkly comic dystopia to sumptuous historical fiction to a subversive take on modern womanhood and more – there's something for everyone amongst our pick of 2022's must-read debuts.In this episode, we hear from:Jessamine Chan, author of The School for Good Mothers, Nikki May, author of Wahala, Susan Stokes-Chapman, author of Pandora, Claire Alexander, author of Meredith, Alone, Ayanna Lloyd Banwo, author of When We Were BirdsDon't forget to follow the show so you never miss an episode, and please do leave us a review as it really does help. Finally, to find out more about the #PenguinPodcast, visit https://www.penguin.co.uk/podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 her bookshelves, Owen Jones tells us exactly which Keir he named his feline friend after, Hafsa Zayyan's shares why her grandfather sends her letters back to her, Gyles Brandreth reveals his enduring fondness for teddy bears and Ali Smith treasures advice from a favourite writer.Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode, and please do leave us a review – it really does help us. And finally, to find out more about the #PenguinPodcast, visit https://www.penguin.co.uk/podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 reveals the best way to avoid being distracted by social media while trying to write a book, Ashley Audrain discusses the song that had a huge influence on her debut novel, former director of the British Museum Neil MacGregor shows us what a rhino doesn't actually look like, Shon Faye explains how a shared culture can bring us together, and Barack Obama tells Marcus Rashford about rummaging through a bin for books at a jumble sale.Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode, and please do leave us a review – it really does help us. And finally, to find out more about the #PenguinPodcast, visit https://www.penguin.co.uk/podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Great Smoky Mountains, musing on the importance of sense as an entranceway to curiosity, writing as a resistance of habituation, and the centrifugal feeling that connects the work of the artist and the scientist; that of bewilderment. ‘Bewilderment’ is available to order on audiobook now: https://apple.co/3cFCDYf Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 ways in which it’s been inextricably intertwined with his life. He recalls early memories of TV chefs, tells us some favourite recipes, and explains how surviving throat cancer has renewed his appreciation for the simple joy of taste. #PenguinPodcastThe audiobook version of Taste: My Life through Food is available here: https://apple.co/3oeQfzeThe paperback of Dolly Alderton’s latest novel, Ghosts, is out now: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/316664/ghosts/9780241988688.html Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elizabeth Strout, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author famous for the Lucy Barton series, joins comedian Isy Suttie for a captivating discussion. They explore the mystical process of character creation, spurred by objects like a ring from her great aunt. Strout reflects on class dynamics and the accompanying shame, and even shares insights from her experiences on the comedy stage. Additionally, they delve into F. Scott Fitzgerald's influence on writing and the spontaneous, instinctual methods that shape the craft of storytelling.