Best Anna Baillie Podcasts (2024)

1
#192: Harlan Coben, novelist 1:00:44

7d ago1:00:44

1:00:44

Simon and Rachel speak to the novelist Harlan Coben. Harlan's suspense novels are published in 46 languages and have been number-one bestsellers in more than a dozen countries, with 80 million books in print worldwide. His Myron Bolitar series, centred on a basketball player turned agent, has earned the Edgar, Shamus and Anthony Awards. Several of …

1
#191: Anna Funder, non-fiction author and novelist 1:03:39

24d ago1:03:39

1:03:39

Rachel and Simon speak to the non-fiction author and novelist Anna Funder. After training as an international human-rights lawyer in Australia, Anna moved to Germany and published "Stasiland: Stories from Behind the Berlin Wall" in 2003; the book won the Samuel Johnson Prize (now known as the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction). Her debut novel,…

1
#190: Toby Mundy, literary agent and executive director of the Baillie Gifford Prize 1:00:13

1M ago1:00:13

1:00:13

In this episode Simon and Rachel speak with Toby Mundy, the CEO of the UK office of the international literary agency Aevitas Creative Management, and executive director of the Baillie Gifford Prize for non-fiction. Toby has worked in the publishing industry for more than three decades. After starting his career at HarperCollins he founded Atlantic…

1
Ep 266: Best Books of the Year So Far 28:30

2M ago28:30

28:30

Anna and Annie discuss the 2024 Women's Prize winners. We reveal our best books of 2024 so far. Our favourite reads are: THE ALTERNATIVES by Caoilinn Hughes HOME READING SERVICE by Fabio Morábito translated by Curtis Bauer NOT THE END OF THE WORLD by Hannah Ritchie THUNDERHEAD by Miranda Darling REAL AMERICANS by Rachel Khong THE SQUARE OF SEVENS b…

1
#189: Naomi Klein, non-fiction author 57:17

2M ago57:17

57:17

Rachel and Simon speak with the non-fiction author Naomi Klein. Her debut book, "No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies", sold more than 1m copies after its publication in 1999; her follow-up, "The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism" (2007), also reached the top of the New York Times bestseller charts. She has written extensively abo…

1
#188: Hugo Rifkind, journalist and novelist 1:00:41

2M ago1:00:41

1:00:41

Simon and Rachel speak with Hugo Rifkind, a journalist who has just published his second novel, "Rabbits". Born and raised in Edinburgh, Hugo studied philosophy at university. He has formerly been a columnist for the Spectator, GQ and the Herald, and is now a columnist, critic and leader writer for the Times and a presenter on Times Radio, as well …

1
#187: Pari Thomson, editorial director for picture books, Bloomsbury, and children’s author 1:02:55

3M ago1:02:55

1:02:55

Rachel and Simon speak with Pari Thomson, editorial director for picture books at Bloomsbury and also a children's author. After an international childhood, Paris studied English at university; she began her career with stints at a literary agency, as a bookseller at Waterstones and as a manuscript reader. She joined Bloomsbury in 2016 and now comm…

1
Ep 265: The Busy Body with Kemper Donovan 26:20

3M ago26:20

26:20

A special episode! Anna chats with author Kemper Donovan about his new crime novel THE BUSY BODY, the first in the Ghostwriter series. A contemporary murder mystery told in the spirit of the Golden Age by the host of the All About Agatha podcast, THE BUSY BODY has been described as Veep meets Agatha Christie and a 'witty and highly entertaining mys…

1
#186: Hisham Matar, novelist and non-fiction writer 51:51

3M ago51:51

51:51

Simon and Rachel speak with the novelist and non-fiction writer Hisham Matar. Born in New York to Libyan parents, Hisham spent his childhood in Tripoli and Cairo and has lived most of his life in London. He is the author of the novels "In the Country of Men", which was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, and "Anatomy of a Disappearance", as well …

1
Ep 264: Thunderhead by Miranda Darling 21:48

3M ago21:48

21:48

Anna and Annie discuss the 2024 Stella Prize winner and the Women's Prize for Fiction shortlist. Our book of the week is Thunderhead by Miranda Darling. A black comedy, set in suburbia, about one woman's struggle to be free, it has been described as a 'feminist triumph and homage to Virginia Woolf' (Australian Book Review). We love a short novel an…

1
Ep 263: Question 7 by Richard Flanagan 23:15

4M ago23:15

23:15

Anna and Annie find some book recommendations to read along with Taylor Swift's new album The Tortured Poets Department. Our book of the week is Question 7 by Richard Flanagan. This memoir encompasses H. G. Wells, nuclear physics and the atomic bomb and ends in Tasmania, Australia. Memories, encounters and fictional vignettes are woven together int…

1
#185: Bettany Hughes, historian 57:04

4M ago57:04

57:04

Rachel and Simon speak with the historian Bettany Hughes. A specialist in ancient and medieval history, Bettany is the author of five books: “Helen of Troy: Goddess, Princess, Whore”, “The Hemlock Cup, Socrates, Athens and the Search for the Good Life”, “Istanbul: A Tale of Three Cities”, “Venus & Aphrodite” and “The Seven Wonders of the Ancient Wo…

1
Ep 262: Butter by Asako Yuzuki translated by Polly Barton 25:37

4M ago25:37

25:37

Anna and Annie discuss the 2024 Stella Prize shortlist. Our book of the week is Butter by Asako Yuzuki translated by Polly Barton. Described as 'a novel of food and murder' this follows Riko, a journalist, who investigates serial killer Manako Kajii. Kajii allegedly seduced rich men with her cooking before killing them, and she encourages Riko to c…

1
#184: Paul Theroux, novelist and travel writer 1:01:16

4M ago1:01:16

1:01:16

Rachel and Simon speak with the novelist and travel writer Paul Theroux. Born in Massachusetts, as a young man he worked as a Peace Corps volunteer in Malawi and taught at universities in Uganda and Singapore. He published his first novel, "Waldo", in 1967, and since then has written numerous works of fiction and non-fiction, including "The Great R…

1
Ep 261: Crime Book Recommendations 28:46

4M ago28:46

28:46

Anna and Annie discuss the 2024 Stella Prize Shortlist. We reveal our favourite recent crime reads. Our recommendations are: The Many Lies of Veronica Hawkins by Kristina Perez Death of a Lesser God by Vaseem Khan The Sleeping Nymph by Ilaria Tutti translated by Ekin Oklap To Love and Be Wise by Josephine Tey The Fugitives by Jamal Mahjoub Everyone…

1
#183: Madhumita Murgia, journalist and author 59:42

5M ago59:42

59:42

Simon and Rachel speak with the journalist and author Madhumita Murgia. She is currently the Financial Times' first Artificial Intelligence Editor, where she covers developments in AI globally and broader issues including surveillance, data privacy and tech regulation. Before she joined the FT, she was head of technology at the Daily Telegraph, and…

1
Ep 260: Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead with Jenny Hollander 21:48

5M ago21:48

21:48

A special episode: we chat with author Jenny Hollander about her debut crime novel EVERYONE WHO CAN FORGIVE ME IS DEAD. Charlie Colbert is an editor at a major magazine and engaged to a publishing heir. But she witnessed a tragedy at her elite journalism school and lied to the police 9 years ago. Now a classmate is making a film about the events, w…

1
#182: Nicholas Shakespeare, novelist and biographer 1:01:07

5M ago1:01:07

1:01:07

Simon and Rachel speak with the novelist and biographer Nicholas Shakespeare. He began his career as a journalist, working for the Times and the Telegraph, before turning to book-writing in the 1980s. His debut novel, "The Vision of Elena Silves" (1989), won the Somerset Maugham Award; "The Dancer Upstairs" was named the best novel of 1995 by the A…

1
#181: Juliet Mabey, co-founder and publisher, Oneworld Publications 58:26

5M ago58:26

58:26

Rachel and Simon speak to Juliet Mabey, co-founder and publisher of Oneworld Publications. She established the company in 1986 with her husband, Novin Doostdar, as an independent publishing house focusing on non-fiction. Its books have covered a broad range of subjects, including biography, history, politics and science, and have won prizes includi…

1
Ep 259: The Vulnerables by Sigrid Nunez 20:19

6M ago20:19

20:19

Anna and Annie discuss the inaugural Women's Prize for Non-Fiction longlist, including Anna Funder's Wifedom. Our book of the week is THE VULNERABLES by Sigrid Nunez. This is the third in a loose trilogy after THE FRIEND and WHAT ARE YOU GOING THROUGH. A writer, a college drop-out and a talking parrot share an apartment in New York during the Covid…

1
#180: Jo Nesbø, novelist 53:36

6M ago53:36

53:36

Simon and Rachel speak with Jo Nesbø, one of the world's bestselling crime writers. Jo's writing career began when he was commissioned to produce a memoir about life on the road with his band, Di Derre, and he instead came up with the plot for his first Harry Hole crime novel, "The Bat". His books - including "The Leopard", "Phantom", "Police", "Th…

1
Ep 258: Home Reading Service with Shawn Mooney 26:29

6M ago26:29

26:29

It's the Shawn and Anna Book Club! Our first book is Home Reading Service by Fabio Morábito translated by Curtis Bauer. Eduardo is sentenced to a year of community service reading aloud to the elderly and disabled. Set in Mexico, this novel is witty and poignant. It even inspired us to discuss poetry! And the fine line between whacky and eccentric.…

1
#179: Jhumpa Lahiri, novelist and short-story writer 57:24

6M ago57:24

57:24

Rachel and Simon speak with the novelist and short-story writer Jhumpa Lahiri. Her bestselling debut story collection, “Interpreter of Maladies”, won the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction in 2000 and was translated into more than 30 languages. Her debut novel, “The Namesake”, was published to acclaim in 2003 and adapted into a film in 2006; “The Lowland” (…

1
#178: Adam Thirlwell, novelist 54:06

7M ago54:06

54:06

Simon and Rachel and Simon speak with the novelist Adam Thirlwell. The author of four novels - the first of which, "Politics", was published in 2003 when he was 24, and the latest of which is "The Future Future" - Adam's work has been translated into 30 languages. His essays appear in the New York Review of Books and the London Review of Books, and…

1
#177: Philippa Gregory, novelist and historian 57:32

7M ago57:32

57:32

Rachel and Simon speak with the novelist and historian Philippa Gregory. She began her career in journalism and worked at BBC Radio before publishing her first historical novel, "Wideacre", in 1987 while she was completing a PhD in 18th-century literature. Other bestselling novels followed, including "The Other Boleyn Girl" - which was adapted into…

1
#176: Henry Jeffreys, drinks writer 54:45

8M ago54:45

54:45

Simon and Rachel speak to the drinks writer Henry Jeffreys, who won Fortnum & Mason Drink Writer of the Year for 2022/23. Henry is the author of four books on alcohol: "Empire of Booze", a history of Britain and its empire told through the origin stories of various drinks; "The Home Bar"; "The Cocktail Dictionary"; and, most recently, "Vines in a C…

1
Ep 257: Holiday Reading Recommendations 18:55

8M ago18:55

18:55

Anna and Annie reveal our book recommendations for the holiday season. Our favourite holiday reads this year are: THE CLUB by Ellery Lloyd NOW YOU SEE US by Balli Kaur Jaswal WEST HEART KILL by Dann McDorman FLIGHT by Lynn Steger Strong THE LIBRARIANIST by Patrick deWitt ROMANTIC COMEDY by Curtis Sittenfeld Follow us! Email: booksonthegopodcast @ g…

1
#175: Kassia St. Clair, journalist and author 1:04:57

8M ago1:04:57

1:04:57

Rachel and Simon speak to the journalist, author and former co-host of Always Take Notes, Kassia St. Clair. She has written for Architectural Digest, The Economist, the Times Literary Supplement and Wired, and had a column in Elle Decoration for many years. Her first book, “The Secret Lives of Colour”, recounted the “unusual stories of the 75 most …

1
Ep 256: Best Books of 2023 24:42

8M ago24:42

24:42

Anna and Annie discuss the Booker Prize 2023 winner, PROPHET SONG by Paul Lynch. We reveal the best books we read in 2023. In no particular order, they are: Collected Works by Lydia Sandgren translated by Agnes Broomé Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver Seven Days in the Art World by Sarah Thornton Girl in a Pink Dress by Kylie Needham The Gobli…

1
#174: Adam Sisman, biographer 51:20

9M ago51:20

51:20

Simon and Rachel speak with the biographer Adam Sisman. After an initial career in publishing, Adam's first book, a biography of historian A.J.P. Taylor, appeared in 1994. His second, "Boswell's Presumptuous Task" (2000), won the US National Book Critics Circle Award for Biography, and he has subsequently written biographies of another historian, H…

1
#173: Victoria Hislop, novelist 59:07

9M ago59:07

59:07

Rachel and Simon speak with the novelist Victoria Hislop. After studying English at university, Victoria worked in book publishing, PR and journalism. She turned to fiction in 2005 with “The Island”, a love story set on Spinalonga, Greece’s former leprosy colony. The novel was translated into 40 languages and sold more than six million copies world…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Anna Baillie Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

1
Books On The Go

Anna Baillie-Karas, Annie Waters and Amanda Hayes

51
Always Take Notes

Always Take Notes

1
#192: Harlan Coben, novelist 1:00:44

1
#191: Anna Funder, non-fiction author and novelist 1:03:39

1
#190: Toby Mundy, literary agent and executive director of the Baillie Gifford Prize 1:00:13

1
Ep 266: Best Books of the Year So Far 28:30

1
#189: Naomi Klein, non-fiction author 57:17

1
#188: Hugo Rifkind, journalist and novelist 1:00:41

1
#187: Pari Thomson, editorial director for picture books, Bloomsbury, and children’s author 1:02:55

1
Ep 265: The Busy Body with Kemper Donovan 26:20

1
#186: Hisham Matar, novelist and non-fiction writer 51:51

1
Ep 264: Thunderhead by Miranda Darling 21:48

1
Ep 263: Question 7 by Richard Flanagan 23:15

1
#185: Bettany Hughes, historian 57:04

1
Ep 262: Butter by Asako Yuzuki translated by Polly Barton 25:37

1
#184: Paul Theroux, novelist and travel writer 1:01:16

1
Ep 261: Crime Book Recommendations 28:46

1
#183: Madhumita Murgia, journalist and author 59:42

1
Ep 260: Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead with Jenny Hollander 21:48

1
#182: Nicholas Shakespeare, novelist and biographer 1:01:07

1
#181: Juliet Mabey, co-founder and publisher, Oneworld Publications 58:26

1
Ep 259: The Vulnerables by Sigrid Nunez 20:19

1
#180: Jo Nesbø, novelist 53:36

1
Ep 258: Home Reading Service with Shawn Mooney 26:29

1
#179: Jhumpa Lahiri, novelist and short-story writer 57:24

1
#178: Adam Thirlwell, novelist 54:06

1
#177: Philippa Gregory, novelist and historian 57:32

1
#176: Henry Jeffreys, drinks writer 54:45

1
Ep 257: Holiday Reading Recommendations 18:55

1
#175: Kassia St. Clair, journalist and author 1:04:57

1
Ep 256: Best Books of 2023 24:42

1
#174: Adam Sisman, biographer 51:20

1
#173: Victoria Hislop, novelist 59:07

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