Ask Penguin

How do you begin breaking down a 600-page American epic to bring it to the screen? How did Florence Pugh capture the essence of the central character Cathy? How did John Steinbeck’s secret writing journals help the screenwriters? And what should you read next if you loved reading - or watching - East of Eden?We kick off our next series of Ask Penguin with a special episode dedicated to Netflix’s lavish new period drama, East of Eden, adapted from John Steinbeck’s epic American family saga. Rhianna Dhillon is joined by co-showrunner, writer and executive producer Zoe Kazan, and co-showrunner and executive producer Jeb Stuart, to discuss their vision for bringing the book to life on screen.East of Eden is now available on NetflixAudiobook is extracted from: HereDiscover all the books mentioned in this episode hereAbout the guestsZoe Kazan is an American actress and writer. She has acted in films such as The Savages, Revolutionary Road, and It's Complicated.She also starred in the HBO miniseries Olive Kitteridge, for which she was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie.Jeb Stuart is an American screenwriter, film director, and producer, known for writing blockbuster action films such as Die Hard (1988) and The Fugitive (1993), and creating the Netflix television series Vikings: Valhalla. For more information about the National Year of Reading, click here https://goallin.org.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What would you recommend an inspiring writer to read? What is the best gateway book to get into reading? Who are the new and upcoming Scottish novelists working today to watch out for? Recorded live at Latitude Festival, Irvine Welsh sits down with host Rhianna Dhillon to delve into his new novel Men in Love, the eagerly awaited sequel to Trainspotting, which explores the vibrant landscape of youth culture through the decades and the nuances of defining a generation through the arts. Plus, award-winning author and Penguin colleague Derek Owusu joins the panel, providing personalised book recommendations to audience members. We also speak to readers at the festival and ask them: what is the book that defined your youth?  Find all the books mentioned in this episode and more at by clicking this link: The Penguin Podcast: Latitude specialFollow our dedicated Broadcast channel on Instagram for exclusive content and giveaways: @PenguinUKBooks Send us a question: [email protected]: www.penguin.co.uk/podcastIrvine Welsh was born and raised in Edinburgh. His first novel, Trainspotting, has sold over one million copies in the UK and was adapted into an era-defining film. He has written fourteen further novels, including the number one Sunday Times bestseller Dead Men’s Trousers, four books of shorter fiction and numerous plays and screenplays. Irvine Welsh currently lives between London, Edinburgh and Miami. Derek Owusu is a writer, poet and podcaster from north London. He discovered his passion for literature at the age of twenty-three while studying exercise science at university. Unable to afford a change of degree, Derek began reading voraciously and sneaking into English Literature lectures at the University of Manchester. Derek first book That Reminds Me, won the Desmond Elliott Prize 2020 and his new novel Recovery House will be published in 2026. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What are the books that give you all the Summer feels? Can you recommend the perfect thrillers to take on holiday? And which books evoke the song Summertime Sadness by Lana Del Rey? We put your questions to our panel of Penguin experts and speak with Marble Hall Murders author Anthony Horowitz about his final book in the Magpie Murders series. Explore the full list of books discussed on this episode and read the transcript by visiting: Season 2, Episode 6: Summer ReadsWant to have your say on what's next for Ask Penguin? Click here!Send us a question: [email protected]: www.penguin.co.uk/podcastBestselling author Anthony Horowitz has written two highly acclaimed Sherlock Holmes novels, The House of Silk and Moriarty; three James Bond novels, Trigger Mortis, Forever and a Day and With a Mind to Kill; the acclaimed bestselling mystery novels Magpie Murders, Moonflower Murders and Marble Hall Murders; and the Detective Hawthorne novels, The Word is Murder, The Sentence is Death, A Line To Kill, The Twist of a Knife and Close to Death.He is also the author of the teen spy Alex Rider series, and ris esponsible for creating and writing some of the UK’s most loved and successful TV series, including Midsomer Murders and Foyle’s War. In January 2022 he was awarded a CBE for his services to literature. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Whether you are in a book club or fancy starting your own, we have the book recommendations and conversation starters to make it a success! Plus we talk to Merky books author Yrsa Daley-Ward about her first novel The Catch.Explore the full list of books discussed on this episode and read the transcript by visiting: Season 2, Episode 4: Book Club BooksSend us a question: [email protected]: www.penguin.co.uk/podcastYrsa's Substack: the utter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.