Best Adrian Hobart Podcasts (2024)

1
170: The Doctor and dyslexia - with Dr Luke Deckard 1:28:23

18h ago1:28:23

1:28:23

We had the pleasure back in February 2024 to appear on The Secret Circle podcast discussing the challenges of running a small publishing house in the current marketplace. This week, we have the pleasure of returning the invitation to the show's host, Dr Luke Deckard. Luke is an author with a deep passion for noir, both written and film, and is a cr…

1
169: Striving to make publishing sustainable - with Stuart Debar 1:25:04

4d ago1:25:04

1:25:04

There are so many challenges that publishers face as it is, so is it possible to also tackle the environmental impact of creating books too? Our guest this week, Stuart Debar of UK independent press, SRL Publishing, believes it is. In fact, he argues that publishers have a duty to publish in as sustainably as they can, from choice of paper stock fo…

1
168: Life as a micro publisher - with Joe Chadwick 1:16:45

14d ago1:16:45

1:16:45

Why become an independent publisher? It can't be the hours? Or the pay. So what motivates people to enter the industry? That's a question we put to our guest this week, Joe Chadwick, author and creator of Essex-based micro-publisher Crescent Swan Publishing. Joe set up the company in order to publish his first novel, The Briarmen in 2021, and with …

1
167: The professor will see you now - with C McGee 1:13:25

21d ago1:13:25

1:13:25

We're heading Stateside again this week on The Hobcast Book Show to meet our guest, C McGee. By day, he's Professor Caleb Husmann, teaching political science at William Peace University in North Carolina, and by night he's C McGee, author of satirical mystery, Owen O'Shea - Stay-At-Home Dad, Wannabe Detective. As Caleb explains to us, once his drea…

1
166: Marrying crime and humour - with Tim Maleeny 1:16:36

28d ago1:16:36

1:16:36

Would you ever consider writing a chapter from the perspective of an octopus? Our guest this week, New York-based author Tim Maleeny certainly has, but as he explains in this episode of The Hobcast Book Show, he'll consider anything if it entertains his readers. Tim is the author of the Cape Weathers Mysteries series; the latest novel Hanging the D…

1
165: Be careful what you wish for - with Stacey Murray 1:07:22

1M ago1:07:22

1:07:22

It's been something of a mad week for us at The Hobcast Book Show. We've been on the road with our annual visit to the London Book Fair at Olympia, and spent two days in Dorset discussing books with bestselling author Rachel Maclean. Somehow we've also found time to speak to Hobeck Books author Stacey Murray ahead of the release of her first novel …

1
164: 5 Novels, 3 Screenplays in 1 Year? No sweat - with JD Kirk 1:16:01

1M ago1:16:01

1:16:01

We're thrilled to be joined again by one of the true stars of the UK independent crime fiction scene - JD Kirk. In the past few years he's developed a huge following for his work, especially the best-selling DCI Logan crime thriller series - with 19 books to date. His year to come looks busy, to say the least, with 5 novels scheduled and three scre…

1
163: The Bard and the Beautiful - with Guy Hale 1:22:55

2M ago1:22:55

1:22:55

It's perhaps not a thought widely shared, but we think that William Shakespeare is one of the English language's original crime authors. You don't have to look far into his canon for murder mysteries, whodunnits, revenge thrillers or even the odd domestic noir. The Bard has certainly proved an inspiration for our guest this week, author Guy Hale wh…

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162: A storyteller's soul - with Paul Waters 1:19:15

2M ago1:19:15

1:19:15

Our guest this week on The Hobcast Book Show rarely takes no for an answer. Author, journalist and podcaster Paul Waters sees a 'no entry' sign as a challenge to be overcome rather than a deterrent. Take, for instance, how he produced the first live foreign radio show in communist Cuba by somehow smuggling in a satellite dish through the airport. A…

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161: Untold human stories - with Miriam Halahmy 1:10:59

2M ago1:10:59

1:10:59

The world seems ever more divided and fractured at present, with discordant voices drowning out appeals for reason and peace. Our guest this week, author Miriam Halahmy, is an ardent campaigner for peace, particularly in the Middle East. Miriam is a prolific author of middle-grade and young adult fiction tackling difficult subjects such as the Holo…

1
How to be an HR hero, create social value and LOVE your volunteers with Diane Offers, YWCA Yorkshire 27:19

2M ago27:19

27:19

YWCA Yorkshire supports over 250 young women, children and families to build better futures. They may be homeless, escaping abuse, or in financial or other difficulties. It runs programmes to assist them in living happy, fulfilled and independent lives. A charity, it has operated locally since the 1940s. This Valentine's Day it launched a campaign …

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160: How clear is your writing? - with Tim Franks 1:23:04

2M ago1:23:04

1:23:04

As authors, it's sometimes easy to lose track of how accessible our writing actually is. We often assume that whatever we write, as long as it makes sense and is grammatically correct, it will be easy to follow and enjoy. Our guest this week, author Tim Franks, begs to differ. As a former teacher working with the phonics system of teaching children…

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159: Under the cover of crime fiction - with Roger A Price 1:15:32

3M ago1:15:32

1:15:32

Since we began The Hobcast Book Show just over three years ago, we've spoken to a number of former police officers turned authors. All of them have fascinating stories to share, and valuable insights into how to mix the reality of policing with the need to tell a good story. Our interview with thriller author Roger A. Price follows that tradition. …

1
158: Making dreams come true - with Daniella Blechner 1:05:26

3M ago1:05:26

1:05:26

We first met our guest on this week's Hobcast Book Show at the London Book Fair in 2022, and we're delighted to have the chance to speak at length to Daniella Blechner, author and founder of Conscious Dreams Publishing. Daniella has dedicated the past few years to enabling a huge range of authors to bring their stories and ideas to print. For insta…

1
157: Austen: The Next Generation - with Linda O'Byrne 1:22:43

3M ago1:22:43

1:22:43

The appeal of the works of Jane Austen never diminishes. As each new TV or film adaptation comes out, so a new generation discovers the enduring magic of Austen's world, even two centuries after her death. Austen wrote six novels, with Pride and Prejudice her most celebrated. Our guest this week, Linda O'Byrne, has written six novels that take Aust…

1
156: Publishing Trends and Goals for 2024 53:35

3M ago53:35

53:35

In a departure this week, Rebecca and Adrian discuss a recent article from Written Word Media predicting the 10 trends for publishing in 2024. It's set to be the year that generative AI takes a firm grip on the industry, creating fresh opportunities and challenges for everyone involved in the creative industries. Will reader tastes change as a resu…

1
Nurturing community assets into sustainable and impactful enterprises with Helen Allen, Community Catalysts and Harry Clarkson, Speakup 57:56

3M ago57:56

57:56

Welcome to episode 393 of Business Live, for purpose-driven entrepreneurs and social entrepreneurs. When Rotherham wanted to transform its adult social care offer for people with learning disabilities and autistic people and offer personalised services that people wanted, local social and micro-enterprises proved crucial. Helen Allen and Harry Clar…

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155: New Year - Will publishing change for the better? - with Derek Thompson 1:29:07

4M ago1:29:07

1:29:07

It's tempting to approach every new year with refreshed focus and aspirations, and we're no different here at The Hobcast Book Show. But let's be realistic. 2023 was a year of major upheaval in the creative industries with the growing impact of generative AI, combined with a cost of living crisis, and rising production costs. So can we look forward…

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154: New Year's Police Procedural Special - with Rachel Sargeant, Brian Price and Harry Fisher 1:18:18

4M ago1:18:18

1:18:18

Happy New Year from The Hobcast Book Show team. This week we pool the collective talents of three Hobeck Books authors to look in depth at police procedurals. Why do they remain enduringly popular? What are the challenges of remaining on top of the latest investigatory techniques and science? How do you ensure your writing remains credible but also…

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153: 2023 Xmas Special - Humour and Crime Fiction - with Ali Morgan, Sue Shepherd and Jennie Ensor 58:43

4M ago58:43

58:43

To mark Christmas, we've brought together three wonderful Hobeck authors for a special festive edition of The Hobcast Book Show to discuss how humour and crime fiction can work together. Joining us are A B Morgan, Sue Shepherd, and Jennie Ensor, who've all wrestled with the conundrum of how to marry humour and murder together. What line do you have…

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152: Giving a voice to the voiceless - with Helen Matthews 1:27:00

4M ago1:27:00

1:27:00

Among all the noise in the media and politics about the impact of mass migration, it's perhaps easy to lose sight of the human aspects of the situation. Our guest this week, Helen Matthews, writes psychological suspense novels which deal with the darker side of human nature. Her first novel, recently republished as Girl Out of Sight, explores the i…

1
Profitable, Productive and Pioneering: why Social Enterprise is 'Mission Critical' with Dean Hochlaf PLUS lots of new funding 25:57

5M ago25:57

25:57

Social enterprises ploughed over a billion pounds into their social and environmental objectives last year. They make a vital contribution to the UK's economy, society and natural environment, as Dean Hochlaf describes today. An estimated 131,000 social enterprises in the UK collectively turn over £78 billion, representing over 3% of GDP. Many oper…

1
151: Fulfilling a dream - with Natalie Chandler 1:11:13

5M ago1:11:13

1:11:13

On this week's show, we meet Natalie Chandler, the author of two bestselling psychological thrillers, Believe Me Not and What We Did for Headline Accent. Natalie shares with us her author journey, from re-writing Roald Dahl stories as a child through to using the opportunity of lockdown to finally finish and polish her first novel. Natalie credits …

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150: The continuing adventures of an accidental hero - with A J Aberford 1:11:20

5M ago1:11:20

1:11:20

Last week, Hobeck Books had the honour of publishing the fifth novel in the George Zammit series, The Last Bird of Paradise by A J Aberford. Set in Malta and the wider Mediterranean area, the books have built a strong following for the adventures of the humble Maltese police officer who finds himself at the centre of epic adventures and intrigue th…

1
Open Access Factory is Makers' Paradise: Arnaud Nichols and Al Parra, BLOQS 47:42

5M ago47:42

47:42

When I heard about the UK's first open-access factory, offering "pay-as-you go accessibility" so entrepreneurs and makers can access state-of-the-art light industrial equipment I was intrigued. Originally established in 2012, its co-founders call it the "missing link for solopreneurs and SMEs seeking to bridge the gap between start-up and producing…

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149: How to write a novel in just 20 minutes a day - with Stephen Ronson 1:17:22

5M ago1:17:22

1:17:22

It's fair to say that the COVID crisis and the attendant lock downs had one unexpected silver lining for many people - the space and opportunity to finally fulfil a life-long dream to write a book. That's certainly the case for our guest this week, Stephen Ronson, whose debut novel The Last Line was recently published by Hodder and Stoughton. Set i…

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148: Bringing history to life for children - with Jacqueline King 1:19:24

5M ago1:19:24

1:19:24

It's fair to say that as presenters of The Hobcast Book Show we often hark back to our childhood experiences of reading adventure fiction and being inspired by those books to seek adventures of our own. That's certainly the spirit that our guest this week, Jacqueline King, evokes in her children's book, Cake for the Gestapo. Set in occupied Jersey …

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How to power-up your video content with Joe Palmer – plus new funding for businesses, social enterprises and universities and a new LGBTQIA+ networking event 19:05

5M ago19:05

19:05

Many businesses make the same basic mistake when they want to make video content, says today's guest Joseph Palmer of Open House Pictures. His simple tip will help anyone wanting to use films to communicate, whether you want to work with a professional filmmaker, a local freelancer or even try to shoot them yourself. It's been a few years since Joe…

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147: Staging the perfect murder mystery - with Jamie West 1:16:28

5M ago1:16:28

1:16:28

What is it about The Hobcast Book Show and Brighton? Or more accurately, what is it about Brighton that lends itself as a setting for murder mysteries? Our guest this week, Jamie West, transports his readers back to the Palace Pier Theatre in 1933 and introduces them to his hero, playwright-come-amateur-sleuth Bertie Caroll. Jamie's debut novel, De…

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146: The state of British Crime - with Donna Morfatt 1:14:27

6M ago1:14:27

1:14:27

On this week's episode we ask - how healthy is British crime fiction? Who better to ask than prolific reviewer and crime festival organiser, Donna Morfett, who returns to The Hobcast Book Show for a second time. A week after hosting her event, The Dark Side of Brighton, which featured some of the biggest names in UK crime fiction, Donna explains th…

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145: Sport, Fiction and Speech Writing - with Sanjeev Shetty 1:19:30

6M ago1:19:30

1:19:30

This week's show is a departure for The Hobcast Book Show, as we're joined by one of Adrian's old BBC colleagues, Sanjeev Shetty. Sanj was a BBC Sport producer and presenter for many years, before taking a job as a speech-writer for the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan. He's also the author of five books - two fiction and three non-fiction, with his lat…

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144: A spirit of adventure - with Geoff Major 1:11:08

6M ago1:11:08

1:11:08

This week we have a first on The Hobcast Book Show. Our guest, Geoff Major, is our first to have trekked to the North Pole. Not only that, but he's walked in the Sahara too, and over the years has raised thousands of pounds for charity. But our focus in this interview is on a more recent challenge for Geoff - writing crime fiction. His first novel …

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143: In remembrance of times past - with J.G. Kelly 1:23:29

6M ago1:23:29

1:23:29

We love historical thrillers on The Hobcast Book Show. There's something beguiling about asking the question - "what if...?" - and applying it to a famous historical setting and story. That's certainly the approach taken by our guest this week, the brilliant J.G. Kelly, whose latest novel The White Lie asks if the fabled heroic failure of Captain S…

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142: Noir from Nagoya - with Stephen J. Golds 1:15:39

7M ago1:15:39

1:15:39

We're joined this week by British author Stephen J. Golds from his home in Nagoya, Japan. Regular listeners to the show will know that we are big fans of Japanese culture, so it was a real pleasure to speak to Stephen about his experiences of living and working in Japan for the past 17 years. Originally from London, Stephen is the author a series o…

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141: Mudlarking and middle-grade fiction - with Kate Wiseman 1:02:48

7M ago1:02:48

1:02:48

Our guest this week, Kate Wiseman, had a late start to her author career. Attending university at 38 gave her the confidence to pursue writing, and she's now established herself as an accomplished author of Middle-Grade and Young Adult fiction. For her most recent series, Kate has drawn on her passion for mudlarking - exploring the foreshore of the…

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140: Small publishers of the world, unite - with Elaine Bousfield 1:33:34

7M ago1:33:34

1:33:34

This week, Rebecca attended the Independent Publisher's Guild Autumn conference in London, where the impact of AI was the number one topic of debate among delegates. It's also where she bumped into our guest this week, Elaine Bousfield MBE, who runs Zuntold, a small independent publisher based in Manchester. Zuntold publish fiction to support menta…

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139: Exploring darker times - with Stacey Thomas 1:29:06

7M ago1:29:06

1:29:06

We admit, at The Hobcast Book Show, that we can be a little obsessed with the modern phenomenon of "cancel culture" - and how rumour, innuendo and group think has the potential to destroy lives. It has echoes of another period of English history, the Civil War, where witch-finding became an obsession for a society riven along political and religiou…

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138: Chasing times past - with Mark Wightman 58:38

8M ago58:38

58:38

We're delighted to be publishing Chasing the Dragon by Mark Wightman this week at Hobeck Books. It's the second instalment of the Betancourt series set in Singapore in 1940. Mark's first novel, Waking the Tiger was hugely successful, securing shortlistings for four major prizes. It's been two years between the publication of the two books, and Mark…

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137: Creating a new author voice - with Antonia Lassa and Dr Jacky Collins 1:18:00

8M ago1:18:00

1:18:00

We're all familiar with the concept of pen names. There are dozens of reasons why an author might adopt one, and some of our own Hobeck authors write under aliases. But what if you want to take that concept a stage further, and create a complete alter-ego to go with that name, and write from a completely different perspective to your own? That's th…

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136: Time to get cosy - with Greg Mosse 1:16:09

8M ago1:16:09

1:16:09

We don't make a habit of inviting guests back so soon on The Hobcast Book Show, but we've made an exception for Greg Mosse, who joined us on Episode 94. This week we discuss Greg's foray into cosy crime with recent release, Murder At Church Lodge. Drawing on his own experiences growing up in rural Sussex, Greg takes us into the world of his protago…

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135: The freedom to write - with Tony Mott 1:22:22

8M ago1:22:22

1:22:22

Imagine falling in love with the crime fiction genre, but facing a perpetual shortage of books to read. That was the situation our guest Tony Mott faced growing up in Romania under the Communist regime of Nicolae Ceausescu. Classic western European authors like Agatha Christie were widely available in translation as they were regarded as politicall…

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134: Bringing it home - domestic noir with Caroline England 1:12:56

9M ago1:12:56

1:12:56

If there's ever a career that could prepare you to become an author of domestic noir and psychological thrillers, then being a divorce lawyer must be pretty high on the list. You'll witness all aspects of human behaviour, and watch as dark domestic secrets emerge. So perhaps it was natural for our guest, Caroline England, to specialise in these gen…

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How to get a job in the games industry with Eva Kioseoglou and Ruth Dickens 24:43

9M ago24:43

24:43

"I ended up being offered a permanent role as a junior programmer which is a dream come true – and I worked on an awesome game which is actually my favourite of all the current projects at Sumo." Many people would love to work in the games industry but don't know where to start. Today's guests Eva Kioseoglou and Ruth Dickens have both secured full-…

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133: From real life P.I to crime author - with Linda Mather 1:02:24

9M ago1:02:24

1:02:24

"Write what you know." It's probably the most over-used piece of advice to aspiring authors. That said, if what you know is being a private investigator, that's not a bad piece of advice for a potential crime fiction author. Our guest this week, Linda Mather, drew on her experience to create her main character, Jo Hughes, a PI who uses astrology to…

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132: Inside Icelandic Noir - with Quentin Bates 1:06:45

9M ago1:06:45

1:06:45

What does it take to translate fiction? That's the question for our guest this week on The Hobcast Book Show, Quentin Bates, who in recent years has built a career as a translator of Icelandic fiction into English, working with some of the best authors from the island. Quentin tells us it's not as straightforward as translating each book word for w…

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131: "And we've got Gareth Gates..." - with Liz Mistry 1:05:27

9M ago1:05:27

1:05:27

It's that time of the year - Harrogate! This week the show comes from the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, the UK's premier event celebrating the genre. Joining us at The Old Swan Hotel is Liz Mistry, the prolific Bradford-based author and creator of two hugely popular crime series. We discuss the influence Bradford has had on her wr…

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130: Asking your way to a great story - with Alison Stockham 1:07:26

9M ago1:07:26

1:07:26

What if? Two simple words that can unlock a world of stories. Throw in a few more questions, examine your ideas from different angles, and you can really come up with a compelling story. That's certainly the approach taken by our guest this week, Alison Stockham, a Cambridge-based author of psychological fiction. Her debut novel, The Cuckoo Sister,…

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129: Books and the Blues - with Guy Hale 1:09:30

10M ago1:09:30

1:09:30

We've often said on The Hobcast Book Show that are more than a few similarities between the book trade and the music business. True, it's not often that an author fills a stadium with screaming fans, but there's no doubt that the two industries share common challenges and risks. No matter how hard you work creatively, you never know if your next no…

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Leadership and culture lessons from status-quo smashing CEO Naomi Hulston 26:49

10M ago26:49

26:49

Naomi Hulston has experienced "pretty much every role" in her 21 years working for Catch22. The social business has been around for 200 years. It delivers more than 120 public services that meet local needs and support individuals within our communities. "We consider ourselves a business with the heart of a charity and a business' mindset." Those s…

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128: Teacher to thriller writer - with Louise Mumford 1:08:50

10M ago1:08:50

1:08:50

It's one thing to teach English for a living, it's another to practice what you preach. Our guest this week, Louise Mumford, after years at the front of the classroom, has now established herself as one of the rising stars of the UK thriller scene, but her big break came by chance at an arts festival in Suffolk. Being the organised person she is, L…

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Adrian Hobart Podcasts

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