Showing results by author "Holly Newson" in All Categories

His latest book, Black, Listed, is an exploration into 21st-century black identity, looking at why it's wrong to call someone a 'lighty', what a roadman really is, and why people think black guys are cool. It examines black identity through a list of insults and insights and everything in between. In this interview, Jeffrey told us what he learnt writing the book, why ‘black’ and ‘white’ are woefully inadequate and about the importance of teaching broad history and not getting stuck in old narratives.

Joining us at Audible Studios is Alex Bertie, YouTube vlogger of his transgender journey and author of Trans Mission: My Quest to a Beard. When Alex was born, doctors took one look and put an 'F' for female on the birth certificate, based on genitals. When Alex was 15 he realised he was a transgender man, through many years of struggling with identity. After coming out to family and friends, Alex battled the health-care system in order to take male hormones, have surgery, change his name and grow a beard.

Joining us at Audible Studios is English actress and model Dani Dyer, who won ITV2's Love Island in the summer of 2018. In her first book, What Would Dani Do?, Dani shares her experiences of growing up, going through bullying, relationships, insecurities...and being Danny Dyer's daughter! She gives advice to fans whilst showing how she’s still figuring it all out herself. We spoke to Dani about including Jack in the book, what she’s learnt from her dad and why hair removal cream should probably be kept away from your upper lip!

Joining us at Audible Studios is Oscar Duke, a doctor working for the NHS who regularly contributes to The Surgery on BBC Radio 1, has appeared on Channel 4's 24 Hours in A&E, and presented his own documentary about albinism for BBC2, Born Too White. Dr Oscar Duke has written a book, How to Be a Dad, which gives a 'Doctor' section and a 'Dad' section for each and every stage of pregnancy through to birth and after, with handy tips for mums along the way.

After Michelle Thomas suffered her first major depressive episode in 2013, she searched online for any information available on how to 'fix' herself. There was nothing. Nothing that wasn't dry as the Sahara desert. It was uncomfortably...depressing. And so, My Sh*t Therapist was born! In this interview, we spoke about her first experience of major depressive disorder; her fears, worries and ultimately positive experience of medication; and the other mental health books out there worth a listen.

The Beekeeper of Aleppo tells the story of Nuri, a beekeeper, and Afra an artist, who are warmly surrounded by friends and family in the beautiful city of Aleppo in Syria. Their world changes in an instant when war destroys everything they've known and loved and serves them unendurable heartbreak. In this interview we spoke about Lefteri's experiences in refugee camps in Athens, how these weighed on her, and thus her motivations for writing The Beekeeper of Aleppo. We also spoke about learning about beekeeping, PTSD and asylum.

Joining us at Audible Studios is Professor Richard Wiseman, Britain’s first Professor of the Public Understanding of Psychology. His newest book, Shoot for the Moon, gives listeners eight key principles on how to live their lives with the same mind-set of the Apollo mission crew, who put a man on the moon. He explains how pessimism is key to success and how you can transform fear into hope and tragedy into optimism.

Joining us at Audible Studios is Jon Parkin, affectionately termed ‘The Beast’ by his many fans and known for indulging in full English breakfasts before training sessions. Parkin has proved his goal-scoring abilities over the years and has played for 14 different clubs in the Football League. We spoke about his memoir, Feed the Beast, his football career and plans for the future, his cheeky pranks and the personal struggles he’s faced.

Joining us at Audible Studios is Temi Oh, who has a BSci in neuroscience and an MA in creative writing and who has recently released her debut novel, Do You Dream of Terra-Two? We spoke about how rewriting one book taught her to write novels, how she got to go in a human centrifuge and being a huge audiobook fan.

Joining us at Audible Studios is Rachel Reeves, British economist and Labor Party politician. We spoke about her new book, Women of Westminster, which details the stories of women MPs from 1919-2019. In the past century, a total of 491 women have been elected to parliament. However, it wasn’t until 2016 that the total number of women ever elected eventually surpassed the number of male MPs in a single parliament. We spoke about Rachel about interviewing Teresa May for the book and how being a woman MP has affected her career.

Michael Fuller, author of Kill the Black One First, recounts his childhood in care and then his policing career, from the highs of promotion and justice to the lows of institutional racism, prejudice and family struggles. In the book, he gives details on his involvement in Operation Trident and how he overcome discrimination and stayed strong in the face of adversity. When he joined us in studio, we spoke to Michael about his first time on the beat, the advice he’d give to others experiencing bullying and what it was like to get access to his foster files.

Joining us at Audible Studios is Tade Thompson, one of science fiction’s most exciting new voices, and author of Rosewater. Thompson is releasing The Wormwood trilogy which documents an alien biodome in Nigeria and the city built around it, desperate for the biodome’s rumored healing powers. Book one of the series, Rosewater, received multiple award nominations and book two, The Rosewater Insurrection has been much anticipated. Thompson writes alongside his work as a hospital psychiatrist.

Audible Studios welcomes back Dr Julia Shaw to discuss her latest non-fiction book on psychology and the mind - Making Evil: The Science Behind Humanity’s Dark Side. Julia talks about why humans are fascinated with evil, what research she’s done on the topic, how this links with her study of memory, and her personal feelings on the term evil. In Making Evil: The Science Behind Humanity’s Dark Side, Dr Julia Shaw uses psychology, science and philosophy to look at why humans do the evil things they do.

What makes someone an adult? Lucy Tobin and Kat Poole have the answer. In their practical yet entertaining guide, Being an Adult: The Ultimate Guide to Moving Out, Getting a Job and Getting Your Act Together, they explore a number of experiences that people go through in adult life, from renting a flat to work tips and more. Lucy and Kat visit the Audible Studios together to discuss when they first knew they were adults, to share a few top tips, and the experience of writing this book together.

Lumsden has 30 plus years of acting experience as well as a talent for playing musical instruments, composing and scriptwriting. He now turns his experience as a scriptwriter to novels. In The Six Loves of Billy Binns, listeners will follow 117-year-old Billy Binns as he relives his past loves, with the audiobook narrated by Richard Lumsden himself. In this interview Richard talks about giving up music to write, needing to be a bit older to find Billy’s view of love, and how he adds emotion to the story.

Joining us at Audible Studios are journalists and creators of the Not Plant Based blog, Laura Dennison and Eve Simmons. In this interview, Laura and Eve discuss their blog and new book. They share their thoughts on Instagram, the positives of meeting like-minded people and what is most rewarding about what they do. We also hear how their collaboration came about.

Joining us at Audible Studios is Ransom Riggs, the author of the Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children series, to speak to us about the newest installment in the series: A Map of Days. This book, the fourth in the series, tells of Jacob and his friends back in Florida, exploring the legacy of Abe, Jacob’s grandfather. Their adventures begin with a subterranean bunker and delve deeply into the peculiar unlike anything they’ve experienced before.

Joining us in the Audible Studios to talk about her book Wally Funk’s Race for Space is science writer and broadcaster Sue Nelson. Wally Funk was one of the 13 members of the 1961 Women in Space Programme. The female aviation pioneer also became the first female air safety investigator for the NTSB and the first civilian flight instructor at Fort Sill, with over 19,000 flight hours. Sue Nelson, former BBC science correspondent and Radio 4 presenter, documents Wally’s extraordinary life in her new book, Wally Funk’s Race for Space, published in 2018.

Author of the New York Times best-selling Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy and National Book Award finalist Laini Taylor is a master of young adult fantasy. Following on from Strange the Dreamer, Laini has now published its sequel, Muse of Nightmares, released in October 2018. Laini Taylor talks to us about the protagonists in her new book, how much emphasis she puts on world building and whether or not she actually enjoys writing.

Joining us in the Audible Studios to talk about his narration of the classic Charles Dickens novel Martin Chuzzlewit is lauded British actor and stage director Derek Jacobi. With a commanding stage presence, Jacobi has had a hugely successful stage and screen career, which includes his appearance in productions such as Hamlet and Oedipus the King. Twice awarded the Laurence Olivier Award, a Primetime Emmy Award and a Tony Award, Derek Jacobi now narrates the audio version of Charles Dickens’ Martin Chuzzlewit.