Showing results by author "Holly Newson" in All Categories

BBC North America Editor Jon Sopel visits the Audible Studios to discuss his latest title, If Only They Didn't Speak English: Notes From Trump's America. With a career as a BBC correspondent spanning across 30 years, Jon explains to us why now is the time to discuss America and what we can expect to see in the years to come.

Award-winning TV, radio and news presenter Jeremy Vine chats to us about his latest audiobook, What I Learnt: What My Listeners Say - and Why We Should Take Notice. Having hosted the most popular BBC Radio 2 show since 2003, Jeremy has attracted more than seven million listeners and taken over 25,000 calls. In this funny and engaging exclusive interview, he tells us about the hoax calls he fell for, the moments people bare their souls on air and how Eddie from Somerset goes about debunking some research on obesity.

The combined talents of Rob Grant and Andrew Marshall have had a large influence on British television. With Grant being the cocreator of Red Dwarf and former head writer of Spitting Image and Marshall responsible for 2point4children, Dad and Health & Efficiency, it seems only natural that they would team up for a radio series and novel collaboration with The Quanderhorn Xperimentations, a period sci-fi fantasy published in 2018. Rob Grant and Andrew Marshall talk to us about their latest novel spin-off, the inspiration behind it and what it’s like to write in partnership.

A familiar face to many, playing Mr Brown in the Paddington films, and Lord Grantham in Downton Abbey, Hugh Bonneville has been on our screens and stages since the late '80s. His love of acting came from the National Youth Theatre, where his hobby turned into a career path. Ranging from Shakespeare to Mr Stink, Bonneville has playing an incredible range of characters. Looking back at his life so far, Hugh has written his memoir, Playing Under the Piano, giving us an insight into one of Britain’s best-loved actor’s life behind the scenes.

Joining us in the Audible studios today is former Women's Arsenal captain and broadcaster, Alex Scott. Scott's memoir, How (Not) to Be Strong, shows a different side of Scott altogether. It delves into her childhood, exploring her vulnerable and softer side, and builds a picture of how she became who she is today.

Joining us in the Audible Studios to talk about his latest book, Me and the Table, is former professional snooker player and current commentator for the BBC and ITV Stephen Hendry. Best known for dominating snooker in the 1990s. He won the World Championship seven times, became the youngest professional snooker player aged 16 in 1985 and, in 1990, was the youngest-ever world champion at the age of 21. His autobiography, Me and the Table, was published in September 2018.

Known for hosting live TV coverage of international events such as the Six Nations rugby, the World Cup and the Olympic Games, Logan is one of Britain's best loved broadcasters. Starting out on Sky Sports, then working for BBC and ITV, as well as hosting shows on BBC Radio, Logan's career has been illustrious. Being a woman in the arena of sports broadcasting hasn't always been an easy ride, but Logan has not let it hold her back, and has changed the face of women in sport, receiving an MBE for her Services to Sports Broadcasting and the Promotion of Women in Sport.

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.

Joining us at Audible Studios is performance artist, writer and theatre maker, Travis Alabanza. Following the incredible success of their award-winning debut work, Burgerz, Alabanza has continued to create performance and discourse about trans and black identities. Their theatre show Overflow, which premiered at The Bush theatre, was shortlisted for the George Devine Award, and has been met with critical acclaim. Their writing appears in The Guardian and Vice, and has been published in anthologies such as Black and Gay in the UK.

Gaining international recognition for her role as Ginny Weasley in the Harry Potter series, Wright has gone on to star on stage, as well as found her own production company, BonBonLumiere, and direct critically acclaimed short films. Wright is now using her platform to inspire and motivate others to reduce waste, change habits, and become more environmentally friendly. She is an ambassador for the charities Greenpeace and Lumos, and has written her own guide on becoming more sustainable titled Go Gently.

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.

Joining us at Audible Studios is actor and writer Obioma Ugoala. Ugoala trained at and graduated from the Drama Centre, London, and spent the beginning of his career touring and performing with the Royal Shakespeare Company. He has played the role of Kristoff in London's West End Frozen show, Smokey Robinson in Motown: The Musical, and George Washington in Hamilton. Ugoala also provides workshops and outreach programmes to BAME students in Greater London, and has most recently written a book, The Problem With My Normal Penis.

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.

Robert Peston is the presenter of ITV's politics show, Peston, and has been ITV News' political editor since 2015, having previously worked as BBC's business editor for a decade. We spoke with Peston about his latest venture, a novel titled The Whistleblower, his first work of fiction. Holly Newson asked him about this foray into fiction and his everlasting interest in the world of politics, and heard which parts of the book are based on his own life.

Joining us at Audible Studios is Rosie Jones, British stand-up comedian, screen writer and children’s author. Having begun her career as a junior researcher for comedy panel shows, Jones realised she wanted to be the one telling the jokes, not just writing them. A couple of years on, and Jones is a regular on shows such as The Last Leg, 8 Out of 10 Cats, and across BBC Radio 4. Jones writes for sitcoms such as Netflix's Sex Education and launched her own podcast called Daddy Look at Me.

Magid, born in Somalia, came to Britain as a refugee in 1994. He grew up in Sheffield and completed a travelling gap year before studying at the University of Hull, where his foray into politics began, being elected as Students Union president. Entering the world of work, Magid was elected as a Green Party councillor on Sheffield City Council in 2016, and from 2018-2019 he served as lord mayor.

Thurlow was born and raised in Scotland and is a former Miss Edinburgh winner. After attending university in England and leaving with a First, Thurlow worked for four years with the Halo Trust in Explosive Ordnance Disposal: locating, de-arming and removing landmines that put lives and livelihoods at risk in former war zones. Thurlow found the work began to take a toll on her health and took a step back. At which point, she was approached to be a contestant on the reality TV show Love Island.

Joining us from home is post-doctoral research scientist Dr Tim Gregory, whose book Meteorite brings us not just the story of our planet, but the origins of the solar system in a comprehensible form. Dr Tim Gregory grew up in Yorkshire and has always had a fascination with science, mainly space and rocks.

Tyce, born and raised in Edinburgh, attended Oxford University to study English literature. She then completed a law conversion course at City University, going on to work as a criminal barrister for almost 10 years. After having difficulties juggling childcare for her young children alongside her demanding work life, Tyce decided to leave her job as a barrister. Tyce's desire to write was growing stronger as time passed, and with a manuscript or two on the go, she applied for an MA in creative writing at the University of East Anglia.

Blue is a Ghanaian Londoner, currently residing in Essex, with a past working in therapy. Her first publication, Psychotherapy, is a collection of poetry exploring the conscious, subconscious and unconscious processes of an ex-therapist trying to leave that world behind. Bad Love, Blue’s novel debut, focuses on Ekuah’s experiences of love, success and the difficult navigation of choices between the two. We chatted to Maame Blue about writing Bad Love, her inclusion in the #TwentyIn2020 initiative and finding her voice as a writer.