Showing results by author "Holly Newson" in All Categories

Omar El Akkad joins us in the Audible Studios to discuss his debut novel, American War. Having spent 10 years as a journalist reporting on subjects such as the war in Afghanistan and military trials in Guantanamo Bay, Omar has turned his attentions to dystopian fiction in American War. Set in 2074, the novel portrays a world where climate change and political uprisings have transformed everything as we know it - and civil war has broken out in America.

Making his west end debut in 1985, Ball has been a constant in musical theatre, performing many parts in Les Misérables around the country over the years, appearing in The Phantom of the Opera, Hairspray and Sweeny Todd. Ball is no stranger to the charts either: after representing the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest, he has regularly released albums. Michael has now taken to writing and we will be talking about his debut novel, The Empire.

Kay’s books, looking back on his medical career, give an insight into the trials and tribulations of life as a junior doctor. His latest title, Undoctored, looks into Kay’s life as a medical student and how things have been since leaving the medical world. We chatted to Adam Kay about the one good thing Matt Hancock did, how mental health is regarded in medicine, and whether or not Adam would say he is a bad patient.

Joining us at Audible Studios is high profile human rights and civil liberties barrister Leslie Thomas QC. Thomas was called to the bar in 1988 and has represented some very high-profile cases, including families of the Hillsborough disaster, the family of Mark Duggan, whose death sparked the 2011 London riots, and more recently, the families of the victims of Grenfell Tower. It's clear that Thomas has a passion for supporting the voiceless and vulnerable, and is an expert in claims against the police and other public authorities.

Joining us at Audible Studios is scientist and broadcaster Adam Rutherford. Rutherford is the presenter of BBC Radio 4's Inside Science, as well as author of a number of books, including How to Argue with a Racist. Adam Rutherford spoke to us about his latest publication, How to Argue with a Racist, and we discussed the history of genetics, race being a social construct, his thoughts on ancestry testing kits and more.

My Life with Murderers is Wilson's account of his career, from being the youngest prison governor in the UK to gaining his professorship at Birmingham City University. His book is a study of the dark capabilities of human nature. In this interview, we spoke about the wide continuum of people that make up ‘murderers’, the decline of the prison systems and what sort of conversations he’s had with serial killers.

Author of tens of popular science books loved by adults and children alike, Chown has been explaining gravity, the universe and quantum theory to the masses for years. Following his science education at prestigious universities, Chown has made it his aim for people to be as engaged and fascinated by science as he is, whether through reading books, watching television shows or even listening to radio comedy. Marcus Chown talks to us about his latest book, why quantum theory is stranger than science fiction and the only book for which he’s ever left an Amazon review.

Louise Allen talks to us about the release of her first audiobook, Thrown Away Child, a memoir in which she revisits a childhood plagued with abuse and neglect from the very people who were supposed to protect her. Louise explains why she has set out to challenge the UK’s foster system. Hoping to improve the lives of the many foster children whose futures hang in the balance, Louise offers firsthand insight as to why we need to change our approach in dealing with vulnerable children and why she is now in a position to speak out.

Mike Brooks joins us in the Audible Studios to chat about his Keiko series and the latest instalment, Dark Deeds. He tells us how he juggles a full-time job with writing and what we can expect of protagonist Captain Ichabod Drift and paints us a picture of the world in the books - set in space in the future.

Max Brooks, the New York Times best-selling author of The Zombie Survival Guide and World War Z, talks to Audible about his latest release, Minecraft: The Island. As a true fan of the world of Minecraft, Brooks discusses his creative journey and the highlights of writing this highly inventive take on a classic and hugely celebrated game.

Joining us at Audible Studios is the actor of one of the most familiar droids known to man and aliens alike: Anthony Daniels, best known for his role as C-3PO in Star Wars. Daniels dropped out of law school to pursue amateur dramatics and spent time working at BBC Radio and the National Theatre. His agent recommended he go visit George Lucas, who was casting for Star Wars. Daniels wasn't interested in the role but was persuaded to go along. It was a meeting that changed the course of his life.

Joining us at Audible Studios is comedian and writer, Josie Long. Having performed stand-up comedy since the age of fourteen, Long is a familiar with the comedy circuit. We'll be talking to Josie Long about her newest venture, a collection of short stories titled Because I Don't Know What You Mean and What You Don't. We'll find out if Josie is a cat lover, why rubbish housing pops up a lot in her stories, and what impact her ADHD diagnosis has had on understanding her writing process.

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.

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 discuss her latest book, Impossible Things Before Breakfast, is award-winning actress, writer and comedian Rebecca Front. Known for her work in both television and radio, including comedies such as The Thick of It, Nighty Night and The Day Today and dramas such as Lewis, War and Peace and Death Comes to Pemberley, Rebecca Front follows on from her 2014 book, Curious: True Stories and Loose Connections, with another collection of personal essays in Impossible Things Before Breakfast.

Joining us in the Audible Studios to discuss her latest book, You Me Everything, is author Catherine Isaac. With nine Sunday Times best-selling novels under her belt as Jane Costello, including her well received debut, Bridesmaids, her next novel, You Me Everything, is the first book under the pseudonym Catherine Isaac. Catherine talks to us about her new direction in writing, how her own life inspires her work and what we can expect from her new novel.

Best-selling author, scriptwriter and former journalist James Swallow joins us to discuss his explosive new action thriller, Ghost. The highly anticipated third instalment in the Marc Dane Trilogy, Ghost sees Dane take on his most terrifying case yet as a terrible threat emerges from the depths of the dark net and a devastating betrayal is uncovered at the heart of a covert strike force. In this interview, we talk to James about writing the beloved MI6 field agent Marc Dane, how audio differs from words on a page, and his award-winning career writing video games, tie-ins, audio dramas and more.

Award-winning author Nina Stibbe talks to Audible about the release of her latest audiobook, An Almost Perfect Christmas. Heartwarming, hilarious and poignant, Nina tells us all about her audiobook in this exclusive interview, also offering life-altering tips on how to enjoy (and survive) a hectic family Christmas.

Best-selling author and filmmaker Damien Lewis joins the Audible Studios to discuss his latest book, SAS Ghost Patrol, a compelling true story of the special Allied forces' most audacious top secret mission during 1942, and why we need to hear it. With an insight into war that most of us could only imagine, Damien looks at how his experiences have shaped him and how he combines fact with storytelling so succinctly.

Known for his impeccable style and acerbic wit, Tom Allen is a regular feature on our televisions, previously presenting Bake Off: The Professionals and Bake Off: An Extra Slice, as well as his own show on Channel 4, Quiziness. Allen trained with the National Youth Theatre and has appeared in films such as Starter for Ten and Tamara Drewe, and began his stand-up career winning the So You Think You're Funny award in 2005.