Hafsa Zayyan, co-winner of Stormzy’s #Merky Books New Writer’s Prize, chats to Nihal about her debut novel ‘We Are All Birds Of Uganda’.She chats to Nihal about completing the book in six months and why a sense of belonging and home is so important no matter where you live. Hafsa also brings along some of the objects which inspire her, including letters from her late Nigerian grandfather #PenguinPodcast‘We Are All Birds Of Uganda' is available to buy as an audiobook now - https://apple.co/39MMI3SWIN a year’s supply of audiobooks! To be in with a chance to win, tap the link and tell us what you think about the Penguin Podcast. https://bit.ly/PodcastSurvey2020 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Owen Jones, Guardian columnist and Labour party activist chats to Nihal about the tumultuous rise and fall of Corbynism via his new book ‘This Land’. Owen explains why he doesn’t like writing and brings objects that help him get past that, including music from The Boxer Rebellion and his cats Kier and Rickman. #PenguinPodcast‘This Land: The Story of a Movement’ is available to buy as an audiobook now - https://apple.co/38pSVSy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the second part of this special edition Nihal Arthanayake chooses some more clips from a selection of his favourite episodes. This includes why Nigella Lawson has to travel with tea bags, how Jonathan Coe became a warm-up act on a cruise ship, and why Andrew Hunter Murray was inspired by a dog at Slough Railway Station.#PenguinPodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Author Alex Wheatle MBE, aka the 'Brixton Bard', has just been the subject of one of Steve McQueen's 'Small Axe' films on BBC1. In this episode, he chats to Nihal about his latest YA book ‘Cane Warriors’, based on the true story of Tacky, a slave who led an uprising on the plantations of Jamaica in the 18th Century.Alex also talks to Nihal about his experiences growing up in a children’s home, how a prison cell-mate encouraged him to write and how reggae music, amongst other things, inspires him. #PenguinPodcast'Cane Warriors' is available to buy as an audiobook now - https://apple.co/3miQ8iTWIN a year’s supply of audiobooks! To be in with a chance to win, tap the link and tell us what you think about the Penguin Podcast. https://bit.ly/PodcastSurvey2020 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special edition, Nihal Arthanayake chooses some of his favourite bits from previous episodes which include the likes of Sir Paul McCartney on doubting his own talent, a surprising music choice from Elif Shafak and how Howard Jacobson was insulted by Kylie Minogue. #PenguinPodcastWIN a year’s supply of audiobooks! To be in with a chance to win, tap the link and tell us what you think about the Penguin Podcast. https://bit.ly/PodcastSurvey2020 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Iconic 80’s pop band Bananarama join Nihal Arthanayake to chat about their memoir ‘Really Saying Something’.They chat about the pressures of the band, how they ended up living in the Sex Pistols' old rehearsal room and discuss some of the objects that have inspired them creatively, including a Moomins book. #PenguinPodcast‘Really Saying Something’ is available to buy as an audiobook now: https://apple.co/2KcwGHs Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dolly Alderton, author, journalist and co-host of The High Low podcast chats to Sue Perkins about her first novel, ‘Ghosts’.Both Sue and Dolly open up about relationships and Dolly reveals the objects that have inspired her work, including a lukewarm glass of white wine and a song by George Michael. #PenguinPodcast ‘Ghosts’ is now available to buy as an audiobook: https://apple.co/325yw2J Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Richard Dawkins - British evolutionary biologist and populist science writer - chats to Nihal about his latest book ‘Outgrowing God’He also talks about objects which have inspired him creatively which include a framed photo of Prince Phillip and the Flounder fish. ‘Outgrowing God’ is available to buy as an audiobook now - https://apple.co/3obexsT Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TV presenter and co-creator of the TV quiz show ‘Pointless’, Richard Osman chats to Nihal about his debut novel ‘The Thursday Murder Club’ - a story about four friends living in a retirement village who become amateur detectives.  He chats to Nihal about some objects that have inspired him which include the dating app Tinder and candles. Richard also reveals why he didn’t tell anyone he was writing a novel. #Penguinpodcast  ‘The Thursday Murder Club’ is available to buy as an audiobook now - https://apple.co/3llVb2f  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Author and historian Ben Macintyre talks to Nihal about his new book ‘Agent Sonya’ - the story of the greatest female spy of the 20th Century. Ben chats to Nihal about how ‘Sonya’s’ gender helped her stay under deep cover for so many years. Ben’s inspirational objects include a jar of chutney given to him from M15 and the jaw-dropping story of his great uncle’s pocketbook (which literally saved his life). #PenguinPodcast‘Agent Sonya’ is available to buy as an audiobook now - https://apple.co/32NX94J  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.