Showing results by author "Holly Newson" in All Categories

Magician and presenter Stephen Mulhern joined us at Audible Studios to chat about his latest magical foray—Max Magic—which is his first children’s novel. We’ll be talking to Stephen about why he wanted to share his story, why it was important he made the book accessible for all, and having a good laugh about struggling with spicy food and being mistaken for Bradley Walsh.

Joining us at Audible Studios is author Kit de Waal. Growing up in poverty in Birmingham, de Waal was exposed to many challenges as a child. Being British, Irish and Caribbean, she experienced many aspects of racism, and her chaotic home life was both a comfort and a difficulty. We'll be talking with Kit de Waal about her newest book, a memoir titled Without Warning and Only Sometimes, and asking why she turned the lens on herself, how her love of reading began, and how it felt to have Armageddon hanging over her as a child.

Joining us at Audible Studios is performance artist, writer and theatre maker, Travis Alabanza. Following the incredible success of their award-winning debut work, Burgerz, Alabanza has continued to create performance and discourse about trans and black identities. Their theatre show Overflow, which premiered at The Bush theatre, was shortlisted for the George Devine Award, and has been met with critical acclaim. Their writing appears in The Guardian and Vice, and has been published in anthologies such as Black and Gay in the UK.

Beginning her professional career as a fashion journalist and stylist, Scanlon has gone on to become a household name at the BBC, fronting documentaries on BBC Three, and presenting Your Home Made Perfect. Scanlon has not stopped there: she has also presented a BBC Radio 2 show and often presents The One Show too. Scanlon has hosted her own podcast since 2019 titled Thanks A Million which has proved to be hugely popular, currently on its fifth series, and her book Joyrider is now on the (virtual and physical) shelves.

Morgan is a prolific writer, and after a career spanning over 20 years, she shows little signs of slowing. Known for her television works such as The Split and The Hour, as well as the films The Iron Lady, Shame and Suffragette, Morgan's plays are regularly performed in theatres around the country. Now her name will be found on bookshelves too: Morgan's book, This Is Not a Pity Memoir, documents the havoc wreaked on her life over the last few years with her husband in a coma and her own treatment for breast cancer.

Kaur has always had a passion for education and social justice. She has an academic background in history and gender studies, and has worked as a secondary school teacher across London. She’s known for using her poetry to tackle tough topics such as gender discrimination, mental health and other taboo issues within the South Asian community. We'll be talking to Jaspreet Kaur about her latest venture, her debut non-fiction book Brown Girl Like Me. We'll discuss microaggressions, menstruation and mental health, as well as how to build a foundation of self-love.

Launching to fame after the infamous 2013 'Blurred Lines' music video, Emily Ratajkowski has made a name for herself as a formidable fashion model, walking for Marc Jacobs, Miu Miu and Versace, to name but a few. She has regularly been listed as 'sexiest female', 'woman of the year' and 'hottest sex symbol', but Ratajkowski is far more than her appearance. She is a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood, and a political activist, endorsing Bernie Sanders. She has also starred in several feature films, such as Entourage, Welcome Home, and Gone Girl.

Robert Peston is the presenter of ITV's politics show, Peston, and has been ITV News' political editor since 2015, having previously worked as BBC's business editor for a decade. We spoke with Peston about his latest venture, a novel titled The Whistleblower, his first work of fiction. Holly Newson asked him about this foray into fiction and his everlasting interest in the world of politics, and heard which parts of the book are based on his own life.

Joining us at Audible Studios is author, journalist and screenwriter Sarfraz Manzoor. Manzoor was born in Pakistan and grew up in Luton, UK. Being raised in a Muslim family while attending a mainly white school, Manzoor was more than aware of his differences and was told that white people would never accept him.

Joining us at Audible Studios is Rosie Jones, British stand-up comedian, screen writer and children’s author. Having begun her career as a junior researcher for comedy panel shows, Jones realised she wanted to be the one telling the jokes, not just writing them. A couple of years on, and Jones is a regular on shows such as The Last Leg, 8 Out of 10 Cats, and across BBC Radio 4. Jones writes for sitcoms such as Netflix's Sex Education and launched her own podcast called Daddy Look at Me.

Cameron's global film making spans art, fashion, music, female empowerment and global warming and has worked with major international brands such as Nike, Adidas, Converse and YouTube. Growing up in the notorious cult, Children of God, has clearly not held her back. In fact, after leaving the cult, Cameron travelled across America to investigate other cults, ultimately leading to her memoir, Cult Following, which delves into her childhood in the Children of God and details Cameron’s road trips as she attempts to confront the trauma she faced as a child.

Joining us at Audible is Hollie McNish, the Ted Hughes Award-winning author and poet. Her latest collection, Slug, covers topics from birth to death, sex to sexism and many other everyday challenges we face in the 21st century. We'll be talking to Hollie McNish about her approach to poetry, what she’s most looking forward to about her next gig, and how she has come to feel comfortable discussing things that no one else does.

Buchanan’s first fiction book, Insatiable, was just about to release at the time of recording this interview, and we discussed her fearless command of the sexually explicit, the books and authors she loves reading, how her Catholic upbringing affected her writing, and being self-absorbed in your 20s.

Gordon began her career in journalism, working for papers such as The Daily Telegraph. Alongside her journalistic career, Bryony has written several books which document her struggles with depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and addiction. Speaking out about mental health has given Gordon a new perspective and drive on the matter, prompting her to run the London marathon two years in a row for mental health charities and start a support group, 'Mental Health Mates'.

Joining us at Audible is Alastair Campbell, British journalist, broadcaster and former political aide. Campbell's latest book, Living Better, takes an in-depth look at his lifelong battle with depression.

Magid, born in Somalia, came to Britain as a refugee in 1994. He grew up in Sheffield and completed a travelling gap year before studying at the University of Hull, where his foray into politics began, being elected as Students Union president. Entering the world of work, Magid was elected as a Green Party councillor on Sheffield City Council in 2016, and from 2018-2019 he served as lord mayor.

Thurlow was born and raised in Scotland and is a former Miss Edinburgh winner. After attending university in England and leaving with a First, Thurlow worked for four years with the Halo Trust in Explosive Ordnance Disposal: locating, de-arming and removing landmines that put lives and livelihoods at risk in former war zones. Thurlow found the work began to take a toll on her health and took a step back. At which point, she was approached to be a contestant on the reality TV show Love Island.

Born in Dublin, Dolan studied English at Trinity College, followed by a master's in Victorian literature at Oxford. Excerpts of Exciting Times have appeared in The Dublin Review and The Stinging Fly, but the book, which follows protagonist Ava and her relationships with Julian and Edith, can now be read and listened to in full - to great effect!

Joining us at Audible Studios is British political activist Sophie Walker, who was the founding leader of the Women's Equality Party in the United Kingdom. Her book, Five Rules for Rebellion, gives us advice on how to incorporate activism into our lives. Walker has appeared on UK media broadcasts, was listed as one of BBC's '100 Women' and named by The Evening Standard as one of the 'New Suffragettes'.

Goldsmith is mixed-race and was raised in London in the 1950s by a single white mother. Goldsmith was the first female - and only ever woman of colour - to be elected to the University of Leicester students' union. She founded Anona Development Consultancy in 1995, for which she works as an energiser, motivator and strategist in the not-for-profit sector. Goldsmith has worked with more than 100 different groups and organisations over five continents.