Full disclosure - Sathnam is a dear friend of mine. He was a guest on the first ever season of How To Fail and there’s a very good reason why I’m chatting to him again.
A lot has shifted in both our lives. Since he was last on here, Sathnam has written Empireland and more recently Empireworld, two bestselling books which have garnered him critical acclaim, ... Show More
Yesterday
Hanif Kureishi - ‘I Write To Stay Alive’
Hanif Kureishi is one of Britain’s most celebrated writers. His debut screenplay, My Beautiful Laundrette, was nominated for an Academy Award, and he went on to write novels including The Buddha of Suburbia and Intimacy, as well as screenplays for Venus and The Mother. But in 202 ... Show More
50m 27s
Oct 21
Bill Bailey - ‘Rejection Made Me A Better Performer’
Bill Bailey is a comedian, musician, writer, actor, director and presenter, known for his brilliant live tours and panel appearances on shows including Never Mind the Buzzcocks and QI. In this episode, Bill discusses being rejected from drama school, an Edinburgh Fringe show whic ... Show More
49m 11s
Oct 19
Bella Mackie - ‘I Will Never “Fix” My Mental Health’
Bella Mackie began her career as a journalist, writing for publications including the Guardian, Vice and Vogue, before writing her bestselling debut, Jog On. The book explored how running helped her rebuild her life after the end of her first marriage triggered debilitating anxie ... Show More
49m 41s
May 2024
How the Legacy of the British Empire Still Shapes Our World, with Sathnam Sanghera
Sathnam Sanghera is a writer and author of bestselling books exploring British identity, the latest of which is Empireworld: How British Imperialism Has Shaped the Globe. It follows Empireland, which looked at how the British Empire has shaped modern Britain. Sanghera has written ... Show More
38m 11s
Dec 2023
Sebastian Faulks with Nihal Arthanayake
<p>This week on the Penguin Podcast, Nihal Arthanayake is joined by national treasure and bestselling author, Sebastian Faulks.</p><br><p>Together they they discuss the tweet that helped inspire his latest book, The Seventh Son, his thoughts on imposter Syndrome and humility, the ... Show More
42m 34s
Jun 2024
#372 — Life & Work
<p>Sam Harris speaks with George Saunders about his creative process. They discuss George's involvement with Buddhism, the importance of kindness, psychedelics, writing as a practice, the work of Raymond Carver, the problem of social media, our current political moment, the role ... Show More
41m 32s
Oct 2025
PROFESSOR GREEN: Diagnosed With Autism Age 40 & Why Working Class Men Are Lost
Stephen Manderson aka Professor Green, in today’s episode really reminded me to listen. The most successful people are the ones who listen rather than talk, they learn rather than pretending to know it all. Although we come from totally different backgrounds, we’ve always connect ... Show More
1h 17m