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Rachel and Simon speak to the novelist and journalist Diana Evans. Born and brought up in London and Lagos, Diana started her career as a journalist. She has written for publications including the Guardian, Harper's Bazaar, the New York Review of Books, Time and Vogue. After she completed an MA in Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia, Diana published her debut novel, “26a”, in 2005; the book won the inaugural Orange Award for New Writers and was shortlisted for the Whitbread First Novel and the Commonwealth Best First Book. “The Wonder”, which drew on Diana's own experience as a dancer, followed in 2009. Diana's third novel, “Ordinary People” (2018), was widely feted: it won the South Bank Sky Arts Award for Literature and was shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction, the Rathbones Folio Prize and the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction. Her fourth book, “A House for Alice” (2023), was also shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction. We spoke to Diana about “I Want to Talk to You and Other Conversations”, a collection of her journalism, publishing “26a” and moving between fiction and non-fiction. We've made another update for those who support the podcast on the crowdfunding site Patreon. We've added 40 pages of new material to the package of successful article pitches that goes to anyone who supports the show with $5 per month or more, including new pitches to the New York Times, the Washington Post and the BBC. The whole compendium now runs to a whopping 160 pages. For Patreons who contribute $10/month we're now also releasing bonus mini-episodes. Thanks to our sponsor, Scrivener, the first ten new signs-ups at $10/month will receive a lifelong license to Scrivener worth £55/$59.99 (nine are left). This specialist word-processing software helps you organise long writing projects such as novels, academic papers and even scripts. Other Patreon rewards include signed copies of the podcast book and the opportunity to take part in a monthly call with Simon and Rachel.A new edition of “Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World's Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is available now. The updated version now includes insights from over 100 past guests on the podcast, with new contributions from Harlan Coben, Victoria Hislop, Lee Child, Megan Nolan, Jhumpa Lahiri, Philippa Gregory, Jo Nesbø, Paul Theroux, Hisham Matar and Bettany Hughes. You can order it via Amazon or Waterstones.You can find us online at alwaystakenotes.com, on Twitter @takenotesalways and on Instagram @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.
A few months ago, we dedicated an entire episode to the Booker Prize. In this episode we're giving other book awards their time to shine. Listen in as we discuss the winners of the National Book Awards, the Pen Faulkner Award, the Newbury Award, and the Women's Prize (formally known as both the Orange Award and the Bailey's Award). We also discuss the difference between the Nebula and Hugo awards. Autumn talks about her new favorite award – the Swoon Awards (or Swoonies for short). The Bookmark is your place to find your next great book. Each week, join regular readers Miranda Ericsson, Chris Blocker and Autumn Friedli along with other librarians as they discuss all the books you'll want to add to your reading list.
As part of Business Class News' spotlight to corporations that support education, our Publisher, Karl Woolfenden spoke to Peter Balyta, at Texas Instruments (TI), who is the President of their Education Technology side of their business.TI is committed to providing students opportunities and Peter spoke about the importance of STEM as being part of the educational process:"I [PETER BALYTA] believe STEM skills or survival skills, and the future depends on kids being STEM smart right now. We live in a technology centric world. And this requires a STEM literate population. For our kids, this means that they'll need to manage in a world that increasingly relies on technology, the current global public health crisis. We need for today's students to become tomorrow's problem solvers and leaders. So [that means] scientists, doctors, engineers, we need them to find and implement solutions to our planet's challenges. So STEM literacy is no longer optional. And coding isn't just for nerdy kids anymore, it's a skill that all kids will likely no matter what career they choose, and so I see coding as a third language, or a second language that all students should know."You can listen to the full interview on how TI is impacting the educational space with their commitment here. You can also listen to it on Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio and Google Podcasts, just search for Business Class News.About Peter BalytaPeter Balyta, is corporate vice president of academic engagement and president of the Education Technology business at Texas Instruments. He is responsible for leading global teams that focus on the mission of improving the teaching and learning of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) subjects. This includes several groups and programs that span TI, all of which aim to help students develop a strong educational foundation, setting them up for future success in a workforce that increasingly demands STEM skills.Balyta holds a Ph.D. in mathematics and technology education and a B.Ed in mathematics and physical education from McGill University; a master of science in mathematics education from Concordia University; and a master of business administration from the University of Texas at Dallas. Before starting his career at TI in 2000, Balyta was a mathematics educator and district supervisor for mathematics, science, health, and physical education. In 1996, he was recognized as a Teachers Teaching with Technology (T3) national instructor in the U.S. and Canada. In his roles at TI, he has brought his enthusiasm and experience from the classroom to support and drive TI’s education vision of equipping and inspiring future generations of leaders and engineers.Balyta is the recipient of the 2017 UT Dallas Green and Orange Award for his support and service to University of Texas at Dallas where he sits on the university’s Executive Board, a 2020 TI Founders Community Impact Award recipient for his volunteer efforts, a Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas 2020 Honor Pin recipient where he is a member of GSNETX's Executive Committee, serving as chair of the Strategic Planning Committee. Peter is the proud chair of McGill University’s Faculty of Education Advisory Board and a member of McGill’s Bicentennial Campaign Cabinet.
Disobedience is the debut novel by British author Naomi Alderman. First published in the UK in March 2006, the novel has since been translated into ten languages. Disobedience follows a rabbi's bisexual daughter as she returns from New York to her Orthodox Jewish community in Hendon, London. Although the subject matter was considered somewhat controversial, the novel was well received and earned Alderman the 2006 Orange Award for New Writers and the 2007 Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award.
Lauren Groff is the author of three New York Times bestselling novels – Fates and Furies (named by Barack Obama as his favourite book of 2015), The Monsters of Templeton and Arcadia – as well as the story collection Delicate Edible Birds. She graduated from Amherst College and has an MFA in fiction from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Groff’s fiction has won the Pushcart Prize and the PEN/O. Henry Award, among others, and has been shortlisted for the Orange Award for New Writers and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. In 2017, she was named one of Granta’s Best of Young American Novelists. Her stories have appeared in publications including The New Yorker, the Atlantic, One Story and Ploughshares, and in several of the annual The Best New American Stories anthologies. Her latest story collection is Florida. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
In the inhospitable lands of the Utah Territory, during the winter of 1888, thirty-seven-year-old Deborah Tyler waits for her husband, Samuel, to return home from his travels as a wheelwright. It is now the depths of winter, Samuel is weeks overdue, and Deborah is getting worried. Deborah lives in Junction, a tiny town of seven Mormon families scattered along the floor of a canyon, and she earns her living by tending orchards and making work gloves. Isolated by the red-rock cliffs that surround the town, she and her neighbors live apart from the outside world, regarded with suspicion by the Mormon faithful who question the depth of their belief. When a desperate stranger who is pursued by a Federal Marshal shows up on her doorstep seeking refuge, it sets in motion a chain of events that will turn her life upside down. But all is not what it seems, and when the Marshal is critically injured, Deborah and her husband’s best friend, Nels Anderson, are faced with life and death decisions that question their faith, humanity, and both of their futures. Ann is the author of three historical novels. Her third novel, The Glovemaker, published in February 2019, is set in Utah’s deep canyon country during the winter of 1888. Ann’s second novel, The Promise, takes place in 1900 on Galveston Island at the time of America’s worst natural disaster. It was shortlisted for the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction, was the finalist for the Spur Award for Best Western Historical Fiction, and was a finalist for the Ohioana Book Award for Fiction. Her first novel, The Personal History of Rachel DuPree, is set in the South Dakota Badlands in 1917. It was nominated for England’s 2009 Orange Prize and for the 2009 Orange Award for New Writers. In the United States, The Personal History of Rachel DuPree won the Stephen Turner Award for New Fiction and the Langum Prize for American Historical Fiction. It was shortlisted for the Ohioana Book Award for Fiction and was a Barnes and Noble Discover New Writer. Ann was born and raised in Kettering, Ohio, a suburb of Dayton. She graduated from Wright State University in Dayton with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work and earned a Master of Arts in Sociology from the University of Houston. She has been a social worker in psychiatric and nursing home facilities and taught sociology at Wharton County Junior College in Texas. She was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters. In addition to Ohio and Texas, Ann has lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Des Moines, Iowa. She currently lives in Galveston, Texas. She and her husband, Rob, are fans of America’s national parks and visit at least one park a year. Ann is also an Astros baseball fan and keeps score when she attends games. For more information on Ann, visit annweisgarber.com. Follow Pamela Fagan Hutchins, Author and Wine Women & Writing Radio for more real women, kicking ass and writing books, or visit pamelafaganhutchins.com and pick up a copy of her women's fiction mysteries. This is a copyrighted podcast solely owned by the Authors on the Air Global Radio Network. authorsontheair.com. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/wine-women-writing/support
Welcome to Ctrl Alt Delete! My guest today is one of my favourite authors, the incredibly inspiring force of nature that is Naomi Alderman! She is the multi-award-winning novelist of Disobedience and The Power. Disobedience has been adapted into a film directed by Sebastián Lelio, based on the novel of the same name by Naomi and stars both Rachael McAdams and Rachel Weiz. It is out in cinemas now. And The Power is one of Obama's favourite books! No big deal.Speaking of cinemas: I'm excited that this episode is in partnership with Curzon Cinemas. http://bit.ly/2P1WwKZFor nearly a century, Curzon has been pioneering ways to bring audiences exclusive access to a brilliant selection of award winning, classic and contemporary independent films from around the world. I'm excited to tell you about Curzon Home Cinema. By registering you get access to a selection of the latest cinema releases available now to watch from the comfort of your own home. I love going to the cinema but I also love staying in (especially during this dark winter months). So wherever you are in the UK and Ireland, you can watch new films at home! So the choice is yours: watch your films at the cinema, or instantly at home, Curzon offers you both choices. Why not try out watching Disobedience at home?So, a bit more about the iconic Naomi Alderman. Her literary début came in 2006 called Disobedience, a well-received yet slightly controversial novel about a North London rabbi's lesbian daughter living in New York, which won her the 2006 Orange Award for New Writers, the 2007 Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award, and a feature as one of the Waterstones 25 Writers for the Future.Her other novel, The Power, won the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction in 2017. The Power was THE book of the year last year, an incredible sci-fi/dystopian novel about gendered violence and the fetishisation of power. The premise of the book is that women are more powerful than men. God becomes a “she”; and men are frightened to walk alone at night.We discuss life as a polymath, what it's like having Rachel Weisz ring you up and want to turn your book into a film and how to know whether something is a good or bad idea when it comes to creating stuff. Thank you, Naomi. Such an inspiring episode. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Lauren Groff is the author of three New York Times bestselling novels – Fates and Furies (named by Barack Obama as his favourite book of 2015), The Monsters of Templeton and Arcadia – as well as the story collection Delicate Edible Birds. She graduated from Amherst College and has an MFA in fiction from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Groff’s fiction has won the Pushcart Prize and the PEN/O. Henry Award, among others, and has been shortlisted for the Orange Award for New Writers and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. In 2017, she was named one of Granta’s Best of Young American Novelists. Her stories have appeared in publications including The New Yorker, the Atlantic, One Story and Ploughshares, and in several of the annual The Best New American Stories anthologies. Her latest story collection is Florida. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Naomi Alderman grew up in London and attended Oxford University and UEA. Her first novel, Disobedience, was published in ten languages; like her second novel, The Lessons, it was read on BBC radio's Book at Bedtime. In 2006 she won the Orange Award for New Writers. In 2007, she was named Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year, and one of Waterstones' 25 Writers for the Future. Her prize-winning short fiction has appeared in Prospect, on BBC Radio 4 and in a number of anthologies. In 2009 she was shortlisted for the BBC National Short Story Award. Naomi broadcasts regularly, has guest-presented Front Row on BBC Radio 4 and writes regularly for Prospect and the Guardian. Her third novel, The Liars' Gospel, was published by Penguin in August 2012. This episode of Little Atoms was first broadcast in February 2013. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Naomi Alderman is the author of four novels. In 2006 she won the Orange Award for New Writers, and in 2007 she was named Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year, as well as being selected as one of Waterstones' 25 Writers for the Future. All of her novels have been broadcast on BBC Radio 4's Book at Bedtime. In 2013 she was selected for the prestigious Granta Best of Young British Writers. Naomi's latest novel is The Power. Petina Gappah is a Zimbabwean writer with law degrees from Cambridge, Graz University and the University of Zimbabwe. Her debut story collection, An Elegy for Easterly, won the Guardian First Book Prize in 2009. She is the author of a novel, The Book of Memory, and now a second short story collection Rotten Row. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
On this week’s Little Atoms podcast, Neil Denny talks to Theoretical physicist Lisa Randall about her new book Dark Matter and The Dinosaurs, and then Francesca Kay on her latest novel The Long Room. Lisa Randall is one of the world's leading theoretical physicists and the Frank B. Baird, Jr. Professor of Science at Harvard University. She has received numerous awards and honours and is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, an Honorary Member of the Royal Irish Academy and an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Physics. She is the author of numerous books including Warped Passages: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Universe's Hidden Dimensions, and Knocking On Heaven's Door: How Physics and Scientific Thinking Illuminate our Universe. Her latest book is Dark Matter and The Dinosaurs: The Astounding Interconnectedness of the Universe. Francesca Kay's first novel, An Equal Stillness, won the Orange Award for New Writers... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
With James Naughtie. Naomi Alderman, listed as one of Granta's Best Young Novelists 2013, responds to readers' questions about her first novel Disobedience. Alderman, herself a product of London's Jewish community, tells the story of Ronit, a young woman who's escaped her Orthodox upbringing for independence in New York. Ronit is forced to face her past when she returns home after her father, a pre-eminent Rabbi, dies. Disobedience won the 2006 Orange Award for New Writers. Producer: Dymphna Flynn April's Bookclub choice : The Sea (2005) by John Banville.