Always Take Notes

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 fascinating shades, dyes and hues”; the book was a top-ten bestseller, a Radio 4 Book of the Week and has been translated into more than 20 languages. “The Golden Thread”, her second book, chronicled 30,000 years of textile history and was named a Book of the Year by the Sunday Times. Her latest book, “The Race to the Future”, revisits the Peking-Paris automobile race of 1907. We spoke to Kassia about getting started in journalism, writing “The Secret Lives of Colour” and changing direction for “The Race to the Future”. “Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World’s Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is published by Ithaka Press.

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, Hugh Trevor-Roper, and the espionage novelist John le Carré. A coda to his original biography of Le Carré, published in 2015, came out this year; it contains information he was unable to publish in the novelist's lifetime. Among Adam's other works are two volumes of letters by travel writer Patrick Leigh Fermor. We spoke to Adam about his new book - "The Secret Life of John le Carré" - his early career in publishing, and his move into writing biographies.  “Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World’s Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is published by Ithaka Press. You can order it via ⁠Amazon⁠, ⁠Bookshop.org⁠, ⁠Hatchards⁠ or ⁠Wat

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 worldwide; it was adapted into a 26-part Greek television series, which achieved record ratings in the country. Subsequent books, including “The Return” and “One August Night”, have also been bestsellers. We spoke to Victoria about the origins and development of her interest in Greece, moving from publishing to journalism to fiction-writing, and her latest novel, “The Figurine”. “Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World’s Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is published by Ithaka Press. You can order it via Amazon, Bookshop.org, Hatchards or Waterstones. You can find us online at ⁠⁠alwaystakenotes.com⁠⁠, on Twitter @takenotesalways

Simon and Rachel speak with Anjan Sundaram, an award-winning author, journalist and television presenter, whose war correspondence has won a Frontline Club Award and a Reuters prize. Anjan's previous books are "Bad News: Last Journalists in a Dictatorship" (an Amazon Book of the Year) and "Stringer: A Reporter’s Journey in the Congo" (a Royal African Society Book of the Year). He has reported from Central Africa for the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Guardian, the Observer, Granta, Foreign Policy, Politico and the Associated Press. His books have been featured by Christiane Amanpour and Fareed Zakaria on CNN; by Jon Stewart on The Daily Show; and on BBC Radio 4’s Book of the Week and Start the Week. We spoke to Anjan about working as a stringer in the Congo and elsewhere in Africa, juggling journalism and book writing, and his new book, "Breakup", on the personal costs of war reporting.  “Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World’s Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews

Rachel and Simon speak with Sarah Braybrooke, publishing director at Ithaka Press, an imprint of Bonnier Books UK. Sarah started her career in publicity, first at Profile, then at Scribe, an independent publishing house based in Australia. She stayed with Scribe for 12 years, becoming managing director of Scribe UK in 2017, and publisher in 2020. During her time there, Sarah worked on titles including "Gut", a bestselling science book about the digestive system, and "Billion Dollar Whale", an investigation into the 1MDB scandal. She moved to Ithaka in 2022. We spoke to Sarah about getting started in publishing, the differences between the Australian and British industries and setting up her list (which includes the new "Always Take Notes" book). Book tickets to our live recording in London on October 25th with Nicholas Shakespeare here.  “Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World’s Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is published by Ithaka Press. You can order it via Amazon

Simon and Rachel speak with the author and screenwriter Frank Cottrell-Boyce. "Millions", his debut children's novel, published in 2004, won the CILIP Carnegie Medal. He is also the author of "Noah's Gold", "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again", "Cosmic", "Framed", "The Astounding Broccoli Boy" and "Runaway Robot". His books have been shortlisted for numerous other prizes, including the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, the Whitbread Children's Fiction Award (now the Costa Book Award) and the Roald Dahl Funny Prize. Along with Danny Boyle, Frank also devised the Opening Ceremony for the London Olympics in 2012. He has written for the hit TV series "Dr Who" and was the screenwriter for films including "Goodbye Christopher Robin" and "Millions". We spoke to Frank about his career as a screenwriter - moving from soap operas to feature films - his work on the Olympic Opening Ceremony, and his new novel, "The Wonder Brothers". “Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World’s Greatest Writers” - a book drawing

Rachel and Simon speak with the nature writer and novelist Helen Macdonald. "H is for Hawk", a memoir of grief and falconry published in 2014, won several prizes including the Costa Book of the Year and the Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction. "Vesper Flights", a collection of essays, was a Sunday Times bestseller in 2020. "Prophet", her latest book, is a sci-fi novel co-written with Sin Blaché. Helen is currently working on a project about Midway Atoll, an island in the North Pacific Ocean. We spoke to Helen about her huge success with "H is for Hawk", writing about the natural world in poetry, journalism and non-fiction, and about "Prophet". This episode of Always Take Notes is sponsored by Curtis Brown Creative. Go to www.curtisbrowncreative.co.uk to find out more about their creative writing courses. Use code ATN20 for £20 off the full price of any four-, five, six- or ten-week online course. “Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World’s Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast intervi

Simon and Rachel speak with the novelist Lee Child, one of the world’s leading thriller writers. Lee - real name James Grant - was born in Coventry in 1954, raised in Birmingham, and now lives in the United States. He began his writing career after he was made redundant from Granada Television in the 1990s. Today the novels featuring his hero, former military policeman Jack Reacher, consistently achieve the number-one slot on bestseller lists around the world and have sold over 100m copies. Lee is the recipient of many awards, most recently Author of the Year at the British Book Awards in 2019. We spoke to him about starting the Jack Reacher novels after losing his job in television, film and TV adaptations from Tom Cruise and Amazon, and handing the franchise over to his brother Andrew.  https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/lee-child-author-jack-wyoming-ranch-country-fg3tddwxw https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/my-childhood-cold-war-fears-are-back/ This episode of Always Take Notes is sponsored by Curtis B

In this episode Rachel and Simon speak with the novelist and journalist Megan Nolan. Her essays and reviews have been published by the Guardian and the New York Times, among other publications. Her debut novel, "Acts of Desperation", was published in 2021 and received a Betty Trask Award, was shortlisted for the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year award and longlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize. Her second novel, "Ordinary Human Failings", was published in July. We spoke to Megan about getting started in journalism in her early twenties, balancing essay-writing with fiction-writing and about "Ordinary Human Failings". You can find us online at ⁠alwaystakenotes.com⁠, on Twitter @takenotesalways and on Instagram @alwaystakenotes. Our crowdfunding page is ⁠patreon.com/alwaystakenotes⁠. Always Take Notes is presented by Simon Akam and Rachel Lloyd, and produced by Artemis Irvine. Our music is by Jessica Dannheisser and our logo was designed by James Edgar. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoice

Simon and Rachel speak to James Daunt, who runs both Barnes & Noble, the world’s largest retail bookseller, and Waterstones, the largest retail bookseller in the United Kingdom. James currently oversees approximately 600 Barnes & Noble shops in the United States and 293 Waterstones locations across the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands and Belgium. After an early career as an investment banker, James opened his own bookstore, Daunt Books, in London in 1990. In 2011 James was appointed managing director of Waterstones when the struggling bookseller was bought by a Russian businessman, Alexander Mamut; Waterstones was subsequently restored to profitability. In 2019 he additionally became chief executive of Barnes & Noble. We spoke to James about setting up his own independent bookstore in the 1990s, being brought in to save Waterstones two decades later, and subsequently taking on the top role at Barnes & Noble.  This episode of Always Take Notes is sponsored by Curtis Brown Creative. Go to www.curtisbrowncreative.

Rachel and Simon speak to Francesca Main, publisher of Phoenix Books, an imprint of the Orion Publishing Group which in turn is part of Hachette. She started her career at Penguin, first in the rights department and then as an editorial assistant at Hamish Hamilton; she then spent four years as a commissioning editor at Simon & Schuster. She joined Picador as editorial director in 2011 and launched the careers of writers including Adam Kay, Cathy Rentzenbrink and Jessie Burton. In 2015 Francesca was named Editor of the Year at the Bookseller Industry Awards. In 2020 she moved to Orion to launch her own imprint, Phoenix, which she has said will be a destination "for books you can't put down and can't forget". We spoke to Francesca about her experience working at Penguin, Simon & Schuster and Picador, about publishing smash hits such as "The Miniaturist" and "This Is Going to Hurt", and about setting up Phoenix Books. This episode of Always Take Notes is sponsored by Curtis Brown Creative. Go to www.curtisbrow

Simon and Rachel speak with Albert Read, who runs magazine publisher Condé Nast in the UK and recently published a book called "The Imagination Muscle", about the genesis of ideas. Albert has launched and led businesses for Condé Nast in the UK, and across Europe and Asia, overseeing titles such as Vogue, GQ, Wired, Condé Nast Traveller and Vanity Fair. A former journalist, he has written for the Spectator, the TLS, the Times and the Telegraph. He initially studied classics at university before later completing an MBA. We spoke to Albert about moving from editorial to the business side of journalism, his career at Condé Nast, including launching new editions of Vogue in India and China, and about "The Imagination Muscle," his new book.  You can find us online at alwaystakenotes.com, on Twitter @takenotesalways and on Instagram @alwaystakenotes. Our crowdfunding page is patreon.com/alwaystakenotes. Always Take Notes is presented by Simon Akam and Rachel Lloyd, and produced by Artemis Irvine. Our music is by J

Rachel and Simon speak with the literary agent and novelist Abigail Bergstrom. She started her career at the publisher Simon & Schuster in 2011; by 2014 she had been promoted to commissioning editor. She was then headhunted to set up and launch the literary arm of Gleam Futures, a talent-management agency, and oversaw the publication of several bestselling books. In 2020 Abigail was nominated for Literary Agent of the Year 2020 at the British Book Awards and in 2021 she launched her own company, Bergstrom Studio, a literary agency and publishing consultancy. Abigail is also a writer in her own right: her debut novel, “What a Shame”, was published by Hodder and Stoughton in 2022 and has been optioned for television. Her second novel is due to be published in 2024. We spoke to Abigail about starting out in publishing, setting up her own business and her experience of writing novels. You can find us online at alwaystakenotes.com, on Twitter @takenotesalways and on Instagram @alwaystakenotes. Our crowdfunding pa

Simon and Rachel speak with Nels Abbey, a British-Nigerian writer, media executive and satirist who co-founded the Black Writers Guild in 2020 in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd. A former banker, Nels's first book, "Think Like a White Man", was published in 2019. Penned under the alter-ego ‘Professor Boulé Whytelaw III’, the book is a satire of modern racial discourse and politics in the corporate world. Nels is now working on "Hip Hop MBA - What the Empires, Moguls, and Business of Rap Can Teach the World", an examination of how rap music has come to influence and dominate the fields of art, commerce, and culture the world over. Canongate will publish "Hip Hop MBA" in 2024. Nels has also written for publications including the Guardian, Metro and the Voice. We spoke to Nels about leaving the corporate world for creative pursuits, "Think Like a White Man", and the development of the Black Writers Guild over the past three years.  This episode of Always Take Notes is sponsored by Curtis Brown Cr

Rachel and Simon speak with the literary agent Sophie Lambert. After working as a bookseller and a book buyer in London for several years, Sophie moved to New York and spent three years there as an assistant at Janklow & Nesbit. She moved back to London and started her own list at Tibor Jones and Associates before joining C&W in 2013. She became a director and later managing director; in 2019 Sophie was shortlisted for Agent of the Year. She represents authors who have been nominated for or won numerous awards, including the Booker Prize, British Book of the Year, the Baillie Gifford, the Dylan Thomas Prize and the Ondaatje Prize. We spoke to Sophie about moving from bookselling to agenting, her current role at C&W and her experience of instigating projects herself.  This episode of Always Take Notes is sponsored by Curtis Brown Creative. Go to www.curtisbrowncreative.co.uk to find out more about their creative writing courses. Use code ATN20 for £20 off the full price of any four-, five, six- or ten-week

Simon and Rachel speak with the screenwriter and novelist Jed Mercurio. A former hospital doctor and Royal Air Force officer, Jed made his entry into television after he answered an advert in the British Medical Journal seeking advisors for a hospital drama. Although he had limited experience, he was soon scripting the BBC series "Cardiac Arrest". Jed's subsequent television credits include "Bodies", "Lady Chatterley’s Lover", "Critical", "Strike Back", and "The Grimleys", and his most recent creations, police dramas "Line of Duty" and "Bodyguard", both topped the ratings for UK television drama. Jed's screenwriting work has achieved award wins or nominations at the Emmys, Golden Globes and BAFTAs, and he has also published several novels, including "Ascent" in 2007 which focuses on a Soviet fighter pilot turned cosmonaut. We spoke to Jed about moving from the air force and medicine into writing, working on novels as well as screenplays, and creating "Line of Duty". You can find us online at alwaystakenote

Rachel and Simon speak with the literary agent Carrie Plitt. She began her career in publishing in the rights department at Penguin, before moving to the literary agency Conville and Walsh in 2011. In 2016 she joined Felicity Bryan Associates and the authors she now represents include Reni Eddo-Lodge, Catherine Belton and Natasha Lunn. In 2018 Carrie was included on the Bookseller's list of rising stars of the book trade and in 2020 she was shortlisted for Agent of the Year at the British Book Awards. She is also the co-host of "Literary Friction", a podcast about books and ideas. We spoke to Carrie about life as an American in London and building her list of clients, representing Reni Eddo-Lodge as her book, "Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race", became a huge hit, and her advice for young writers looking to secure representation.  You can find us online at alwaystakenotes.com, on Twitter @takenotesalways and on Instagram @alwaystakenotes. Our crowdfunding page is patreon.com/alwaystakeno

Simon and Rachel speak to David Wolf, who runs the Long Read section of the Guardian newspaper, publishing in-depth reporting, profiles and essays. David has worked at the Long Read since the section was founded in 2014 – first as commissioning editor, then overall editor. During that time, the Long Read has published over 1,000 pieces and David has personally edited articles on a wide variety of subjects, from profiles of the French President and Britain's most successful estate agent, to stories about Leni Riefenstahl, Hindu Supremacism and "proper" binmen. Before he joined the Guardian, David was arts & books editor of Prospect magazine. He has also written for the Guardian, Observer, Prospect, Slate and the New Republic. We spoke to David about how studying French and philosophy at university shaped his approach to editing, the history of the Long Read section, and the sometimes extended process of bringing a story idea to fruition.  You can find us online at alwaystakenotes.com, on Twitter @takenotesalw

Rachel and Simon speak to the journalist and author Sally Hayden, who won the Orwell Prize for Political Writing in 2022 for her book "My Fourth Time, We Drowned". Currently the Africa correspondent for the Irish Times, she has also worked with the BBC, the Financial Times, Foreign Policy, the Guardian, the New York Times and the Washington Post. In 2019 she was included on Forbes's "30 Under 30" list of young media stars in Europe. Sally's reporting focuses on migration and human rights; that led to "My Fourth Time, We Drowned", an investigation into the migrant crisis across North Africa. Alongside winning the Orwell Prize, the book was shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize and the Moore Prize for Human Rights Writing. We spoke to Sally about entering the world of journalism, reporting from countries across Africa and the Middle East, and the genesis of her book. You can find us online at alwaystakenotes.com, on Twitter @takenotesalways and on Instagram @alwaystakenotes. Our crowdfunding page is patr

Simon and Rachel speak with Fraser Nelson, who has edited the Spectator magazine since 2009. Previously a financial journalist with the Times and political editor of the Scotsman, during his tenure at the Spectator Fraser has overseen a near doubling of the magazine’s sales. He is also a columnist with the Daily Telegraph, sits on the board of the Centre for Social Justice, a centre-right think tank, and has presented two Channel Four documentaries on the subject of inequality. We spoke to Fraser about the process of running a weekly magazine, his earlier career in newspapers, and adapting a print title to the digital age. You can find us online at alwaystakenotes.com, on Twitter @takenotesalways and on Instagram @alwaystakenotes. Our crowdfunding page is patreon.com/alwaystakenotes. Always Take Notes is presented by Simon Akam and Rachel Lloyd, and produced by Artemis Irvine. Our music is by Jessica Dannheisser and our logo was designed by James Edgar. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices