Showing results by author "Holly Newson" in All Categories

Known for his roles in Coming Of Age and Hollyoaks, as well as regularly appearing in pantomimes across the country, Tracini is well loved. When Coronavirus and lockdown hit, Tracini began making videos documenting his journey with Borderline Personality Disorder. Using comedy to portray the difficulties he suffers has enabled him to reach a wide audience with his message. And the main issue he addressed? How to not kill himself. Suicidal thoughts are something Tracini lives with every day, and so, on to the next way of ensuring he stays alive: write a book about it!

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.

Growing up in Dublin, Biala focused on science, completing an undergraduate and master's degree in Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance and Regulation. However, in 2019, she left her job as a professional scientist to take part in reality television series Love Island. Following her departure from the show, Biala became a social media influencer and published articles discussing racial re-naming and the damage it causes. The huge interest in this article led her to write her first book, Reclaiming, which discusses everything from microaggressions, to career choices.

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.

Selling out the Edinburgh Fringe in 2006 with Asylum Speaker was where Shaparak Khorsandi made a name for herself and she has gone on to perform worldwide. She has appeared as a regular panelist on shows. Her writing career began with her bestselling memoir, A Beginners Guide to Acting English which looks at her childhood as her family fled Iran. Since then she has written a novel, Nina Is Not Okay, and young adult fiction, Kissing Emma. We'll be chatting to Sharapak Khorsandi about her new memoir, Scatter Brain, which takes us through her life with lens of now knowing that she has ADHD.

In 2008, Cain began playing football for Coventry City but in 2012 he had to give up football after an injury put an end to his career. Cain then pursued reality TV, and appeared in shows such as Ex on the Beach, The Challenge and, more recently, SAS: Who Dares Wins. In 2020, life changed for Cain. His 8-week-old daughter, Azaylia, was diagnosed with cancer and passed away aged 8 months. Cain has done his utmost to raise awareness of childhood cancers and raise money, putting himself through grueling physical challenges.

Choosing to pursue a career in journalism (rather than being a footballer) has paid off for Dan Walker. Having previously released his book Remarkable People, Walker is following it up with Standing on the Shoulders, another collection full of inspiring people: the heroes that he doesn't want history to forget. We'll be talking to Dan Walker about the stories he tells, what inspires him, and how difficult it is to have a last minute toilet break on Strictly Come Dancing.

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.

Joining us in the Audible Studios is radio and telly presenter, Nick Grimshaw. Known to us affectionately as Grimmy, he has been a part of our daily lives since reaching his childhood dream of presenting on BBC Radio 1 in 2007. Having hosted the Radio 1 Breakfast show, taken over the Drive Time slot, and appeared on our screens in The X Factor and Gogglebox, Nick Grimshaw has become a household name.

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.

Rising to fame as a pop star as part of The Communards, Richard Coles has had a very varied career - he has worked as a vicar for several parishes after finding religion later in life, has appeared on many panel shows. He shared his life through his memoirs, including details of his civil partnership and grief following the death of his partner. Coles has begun writing fiction – the Canon Clement Mystery series – starting with Murder Before Evensong, and is with us to talk about the second in the series, A Death in the Parish.

Karen Yates has been a journalist for over ten years; she writes regularly on immigration, politics, housing and culture and has written for publications including The Guardian, The Independent and VICE. Yates has been nominated for accolades such as Culture Writer of the Year, and has contributed to award-winning titles such as The Good Immigrant. We'll be chatting to Kieran Yates about her first solo book, All the Houses I've Ever Lived In, finding out what home means to her, how Britain's housing crisis came about, and how we can fight against it.

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. 

Bardugo is best known for creating the Grishaverse, a world in which several of her book series are set, the Shadow and Bone trilogy and the duology, Six of Crows among others. Bardugo has also written short stories, and her first adult fiction title was The Ninth House, which tells of the secret societies in Yale, the university Bardugo herself attended to gain her English degree. Bardugo's novel Hell Bent is the second book based at Yale university, and again follows protagonist Alex Stern, who gained her place at Yale with the help of a mysterious benefactor.

Lloyd is well known for her comedy, regularly appearing on panel shows such as QI, Would I Lie To You and 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, and acting in Give Out Girls and Peep Show among many others. She is prolific in her radio work, including The Cariad Radio Show, and Here Be Dragons. Lloyd is now equally well known for her conversations on grief. And now, You Are Not Alone, Lloyd's first book, which shares her experiences of death at a young age, and how we deal (or don't) with grief.

After appearing in three seasons of Made in Chelsea, Dunlop decided it was time to leave, and she moved to LA to pursue a career as a singer. Dunlop was struggling with anxiety and depression around this time and the behaviours she had learned when she was younger were no longer serving her to become who she wanted to be. She decided to start a podcast, Saturn Returns, with astrologist Noura Bourni, in which they look at the transitions a person in their late twenties can face when Saturn returns to the position it was in when they were born.