

Ask Penguin
Penguin Books UK
What should I read next? Ask Penguin is the podcast where your quirkiest, trickiest, and most urgent book questions get answered. Hosted by Rhianna Dhillon, we bring bestselling authors and Penguin insiders to explore some of your favourite books and discover new ones that you are yet to read. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 2, 2022 • 30min
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 the process of finding an agent, acquiring a book, editing, and everything in between.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.

Oct 19, 2022 • 33min
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 curiosity towards the mysteries of life, the power and different layers of silence, and how gardening during lockdown helped with the writing of her latest book. 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.

Oct 5, 2022 • 51min
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 the art and the artist, the power of stillness to create reflection, how pop culture influences poetry, and cultural appropriation and the ways in which we perpetuate and endorse it.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.

Sep 21, 2022 • 30min
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 need to merge our online selves with our real-life selves, the importance of love in friendships, how our identities shift depending on where we are and who we're talking to, and the importance of failure when it comes to creativity. 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.

Sep 7, 2022 • 42min
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 observations on the static nature of history and humanity, how journalism informs his ability to write fiction, the potential of a simple idea to inform an entire novel, the irrationality of politics, and the UK’s shifting perspectives on the monarchy.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.

Aug 24, 2022 • 57min
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. They also discuss Lisa’s development from writing relationship novels to psychological thrillers, why a nameplate from outside her childhood bedroom is so important, her experiences in an abusive relationship, and how liberation helped her decide to be a writer. 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.

Aug 10, 2022 • 31min
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 was wrongly convicted and executed in 1952. They also discuss Nadifa's love for travelling, her interest in cars and which model she gifted herself, how fact informs her fiction and the importance of including flaws in characters.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.

Jul 27, 2022 • 45min
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 roles of anger and optimism in positive social change, the power of emotional range in persuasiveness, how beneficial real life conversation is for cooperative dialogue, the class and equality issues in the U.K, and the distance that tone and inflections of speech can create. 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.

Jul 13, 2022 • 57min
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 were so influential to him, why he thinks everyone is creative, what he needs for his creativity, and what he wanted for Pulp as a revolutionary force. 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.

Jun 29, 2022 • 48min
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' family.They also discuss why families are the primary focus within her novels, the importance of the first draft, the special note she has pinned above her work desk, and her inability to throw away her fluffy socks. 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.