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The Penguin Podcast
The podcast for author interviews and book recommendations
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1. What is a must-read book to make me laugh? With Bryony Gordon
46:55||Season 4, Ep. 1How did Marian Keyes inspire Bryony Gordon’s writing? How do you write about family without falling into stereotypes? Which books capture the messy reality of life? And what is your favourite habit to fit reading into your life? The Ask Penguin team returns with a shelf-load of must-read book recommendations - and this week, we're joined by bestselling author, journalist, and podcaster Bryony Gordon to discuss her debut novel, People Pleaser. The novel follows Olivia Greenwood, a self-confessed people pleaser who, after one chaotic night out, decides it’s time to start living life on her own terms. Bryony Gordon is a columnist, author, and host of the podcast The Life of Bryony. She is the author of several bestselling books, including Mad Girl and You Got This, both Sunday Times No.1 bestsellers and British Book Award nominees, and is a passionate advocate for mental health, founding Mental Health Mates, a global peer support network. People Pleaser is her first novel. Discover all the books mentioned in this episode hereFor more information about the National Year of Reading click here https://goallin.org.uk
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Why I wanted to adapt Wuthering Heights with Emerald Fennell
01:07:54|Is Wuthering Heights the perfect novel or the perfect work of art? Why do we fall in love with villains? Is all love doomed? And if Emerald Fennell could adapt another book to film, what would she choose? In this special episode of Ask Penguin, we speak to the director of Wuthering Heights' latest adaptation, Emerald Fennell, about her relationship to Emily Brontë's novel, how she went about interpreting such a complex classic, and what she wants audiences to take away from her vision. Also joining us in the studio are authors Henry Eliott and Harriet Evans, as we deep-dive into the book, the film, and the life of the Brontës. Discover more about this episode and all the books by clicking hereWatch Emerald Fennell's interview on YouTube
What secrets does Jane Austen's house hold?
26:15||Season 3In this special bonus episode, and to mark Jane Austen’s 250th birthday, we step inside her home in Alton to uncover the life she lived there and the objects she treasured most. From first editions to her own annotated books which formed her personal library, we explore how her surroundings and daily routines shaped her writing - and how walking through her rooms brings her world vividly to life.Discover all our episode transcripts and book recommendations at Penguin.co.uk Love everything Jane Austen? Visit all our features and beautiful editions of all her works by clicking: Jane Austen Follow in our footsteps and find out more aout her home and plan your visit by clicking: Jane Austen's House Ask Penguin will be back in the New Year. Until then, Happy Reading!
7. What were the best books of 2025?
40:40||Season 3, Ep. 7What were our favourite books of the year and what are we most excited to read in 2026? Join the team behind the Ask Penguin podcast to look back at standout titles, memorable podcast moments, and the reading intentions we’re taking into the New Year.Explore all the books mentioned on this episode: Click hereAsk Penguin will be back in 2026. Find us on Insatgram @PenguinUKBooks and follow our Broadcast channel for exclusive content, giveaways and your chance to put your questions to your favourite authors!
6. What makes a setting feel so vivid it becomes a character? With Paula Hawkins
50:39||Season 3, Ep. 6Which novels are truly unputdownable and what should you read on a dark winter's night? We’re joined by best-selling author, Paula Hawkins, who discusses art, love and remote islands in her latest thriller, The Blue Hour. She also helps us tackle your listener questions with a stack of gripping recommendations to guide you to your next great read. Explore all the books mentioned on this episode: Click herePaula Hawkins worked as a journalist for fifteen years before writing her first novel. Born and brought up in Zimbabwe, she moved to London in 1989. Her first thriller The Girl on the Train became a global phenomenon, selling over 23 million copies. Published in over fifty languages, it was a No.1 bestseller around the world and a box-office-hit film starring Emily Blunt.Paula's subsequent thrillers have all been instant Sunday Times bestsellers. In 2021 A Slow Fire Burning was nominated for Thriller of the Year at the British Book Awards, and in 2025 The Blue Hour was voted the Good Housekeeping Good Books winner.
5. What is the best translated fiction to read? With Karl Ove Knausgaard
51:30||Season 3, Ep. 5What are the best new books in Korean fiction? What is the process of translating a book into English? And how do you evoke a sense of place you haven't visited?This week we sat down with award-winning and internationally best-selling author, Karl Ove Knausgaard to discuss his latest novel, The School of Night.The School of Night is a Faustian-inspired meditation on art and creativity, the 4th novel in The Morning Star series, and the first in the sequence that can be read as a standalone novel. Discover all the books mentioned on this episode: Click hereKarl Ove Knausgaard's My Struggle cycle has been heralded as a masterpiece all over the world. From A Death in the Family to The End, the novels move through childhood into adulthood and, together, form an enthralling portrait of human life. Knausgaard has been awarded the Norwegian Critics Prize for Literature, the Brage Prize and the Jerusalem Prize. His work, which also includes the Seasons Quartet and the Morning Star sequence (The Morning Star, The Wolves of Eternity, The Third Realm and The School of Night) is published in thirty-six languages.
4. Why are generations at war with each other? With Zadie Smith
56:01||Season 3, Ep. 4Which multi-generational novels inspired White Teeth? Where does Zadie Smith turn for her next great read? And our Penguin team is back to solve your reading dilemmas - whether you're after fascinating memoirs, this year's pick of prize-winning books, or stories perfect for Autumn. Discover all the books mentioned on this episode: Click hereZadie Smtih is one of the most distinctive, exciting and widely loved writers of her generation: she’s the twice shortlisted, once winner of the Women's Prize, also shortlisted for the Booker and has been twice named among Granta’s Best Young British Novelists. Her debut, White Teeth, blazed onto the best-seller lists, and established her as a defining generational voice. Her follow-up work includes the critically and commercially acclaimed NW, On Beauty, and Swing Time. Zadie Smith’s latest work is Dead and Alive: the keenly awaited new collection of essays, in which she brings her unique skills and observations to bear across a dazzling range of subjects.