Showing results by publisher "Audible Sessions" in Literature & Fiction

Joining us at Audible Studios is Esme Young, English fashion designer and judge on the BBC's The Great British Sewing Bee. Beginning her career in the 1970s, Young established her brand 'Swanky Modes', opening a shop in Camden Town. Her designs were sought after, and appeared in ID and Nova. She has also designed costumes for films such as Bridget Jones's Diary and Trainspotting, including the iconic bunny outfit for Renée Zellweger.   Esme Young has now written Behind the Seams, her memoir looking back over her life and time in fashion.

Making his west end debut in 1985, Ball has been a constant in musical theatre, performing many parts in Les Misérables around the country over the years, appearing in The Phantom of the Opera, Hairspray and Sweeny Todd. Ball is no stranger to the charts either: after representing the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest, he has regularly released albums. Michael has now taken to writing and we will be talking about his debut novel, The Empire.

When Covid struck and the country entered lockdown, Widdicombe and Beckett were stuck at home and the reality of parenting young children without the escape of work hit hard. They decided to start a podcast, Lockdown Parenting Hell, which meant they could go upstairs, leave the children for a while, and moan about the difficulties of being a dad, which over 2 million people a month started listening to! With the success of the podcast, Beckett and Widdicombe decided there was plenty they hadn’t covered that would make a great audiobook.

Born in London and trained at Lamda, Joseph's acting career began in the Royal Shakespeare Company. He has appeared regularly on television in shows such as Peep Show, Timeless and BBC drama Vigil, and on the big screen in movies such as Æon Flux and The Beach. Joseph wrote and performed in a one man play, titled Sancho: An Act of Remembrance. Now, he has been looking more deeply at the life of Charles Ignatius Sancho, the first Black person to vote in Britain, publishing a novel about his life.

Joining us at the Audible studios is Sir Lenny Henry, actor, writer, presenter and comedian. Henry has spent decades in the British public eye on television, on our radios, big screens and as a stand-up comedian, often touring internationally. He co-founded Comic Relief in 1985 and has taken part in almost every year’s show since then, the charity raising over £1 billion so far! Henry has documented his career in his books, and most recently penned Rising to the Surface, which takes a look at his hectic life during the ‘80s and ‘90s.

A familiar face to many, playing Mr Brown in the Paddington films, and Lord Grantham in Downton Abbey, Hugh Bonneville has been on our screens and stages since the late '80s. His love of acting came from the National Youth Theatre, where his hobby turned into a career path. Ranging from Shakespeare to Mr Stink, Bonneville has playing an incredible range of characters. Looking back at his life so far, Hugh has written his memoir, Playing Under the Piano, giving us an insight into one of Britain’s best-loved actor’s life behind the scenes.

Joining us in the Audible studios today is former Women's Arsenal captain and broadcaster, Alex Scott. Scott's memoir, How (Not) to Be Strong, shows a different side of Scott altogether. It delves into her childhood, exploring her vulnerable and softer side, and builds a picture of how she became who she is today.

Kay’s books, looking back on his medical career, give an insight into the trials and tribulations of life as a junior doctor. His latest title, Undoctored, looks into Kay’s life as a medical student and how things have been since leaving the medical world. We chatted to Adam Kay about the one good thing Matt Hancock did, how mental health is regarded in medicine, and whether or not Adam would say he is a bad patient.

Author of Do No Harm and a memoir titled Admissions, both of which became Sunday Times best sellers, Marsh has documented his career as a neurosurgeon. He spent two decades as senior consultant at St George’s hospital in London, one of the countries largest specialist units for neurosurgery, as well as travelling to Ukraine, Nepal and the United States of America to perform surgeries. Since retiring from full-time work at the NHS, Marsh has been undergoing treatment after receiving a diagnosis of advanced prostate cancer.  

Magician and presenter Stephen Mulhern joined us at Audible Studios to chat about his latest magical foray—Max Magic—which is his first children’s novel. We’ll be talking to Stephen about why he wanted to share his story, why it was important he made the book accessible for all, and having a good laugh about struggling with spicy food and being mistaken for Bradley Walsh.

Joining us at Audible Studios is author Kit de Waal. Growing up in poverty in Birmingham, de Waal was exposed to many challenges as a child. Being British, Irish and Caribbean, she experienced many aspects of racism, and her chaotic home life was both a comfort and a difficulty. We'll be talking with Kit de Waal about her newest book, a memoir titled Without Warning and Only Sometimes, and asking why she turned the lens on herself, how her love of reading began, and how it felt to have Armageddon hanging over her as a child.

Selling out the Edinburgh Fringe in 2006 with Asylum Speaker was where Shaparak Khorsandi made a name for herself and she has gone on to perform worldwide. She has appeared as a regular panelist on shows. Her writing career began with her bestselling memoir, A Beginners Guide to Acting English which looks at her childhood as her family fled Iran. Since then she has written a novel, Nina Is Not Okay, and young adult fiction, Kissing Emma. We'll be chatting to Sharapak Khorsandi about her new memoir, Scatter Brain, which takes us through her life with lens of now knowing that she has ADHD.

Choosing to pursue a career in journalism (rather than being a footballer) has paid off for Dan Walker. Having previously released his book Remarkable People, Walker is following it up with Standing on the Shoulders, another collection full of inspiring people: the heroes that he doesn't want history to forget. We'll be talking to Dan Walker about the stories he tells, what inspires him, and how difficult it is to have a last minute toilet break on Strictly Come Dancing.

Starting out as a double act with Stewart Lee, Herring appeared in This Morning with Richard Not Judy, and Fist of Fun, and became known for his comedy drama You Can Choose Your Friends. His podcasts and interview style have wonderful charm, and his Richard Herring Leicester Square Theatre Podcast (or RHLSTP as it is affectionately known) gives insight into celebs such as Stephen Fry and Jeremy Paxman.

Joining us in the Audible Studios is radio and telly presenter, Nick Grimshaw. Known to us affectionately as Grimmy, he has been a part of our daily lives since reaching his childhood dream of presenting on BBC Radio 1 in 2007. Having hosted the Radio 1 Breakfast show, taken over the Drive Time slot, and appeared on our screens in The X Factor and Gogglebox, Nick Grimshaw has become a household name.

Known for hosting live TV coverage of international events such as the Six Nations rugby, the World Cup and the Olympic Games, Logan is one of Britain's best loved broadcasters. Starting out on Sky Sports, then working for BBC and ITV, as well as hosting shows on BBC Radio, Logan's career has been illustrious. Being a woman in the arena of sports broadcasting hasn't always been an easy ride, but Logan has not let it hold her back, and has changed the face of women in sport, receiving an MBE for her Services to Sports Broadcasting and the Promotion of Women in Sport.

Rinder was called to the Bar in 2001, beginning a pupillage at 2 Paper Buildings before moving to 2 Hare Court as a criminal barrister. Rinder has worked on cases from fraud to murder, and money laundering to political corruption. Having approached ITV with a television script, written in his spare time, he was asked instead to be the face of a British Judge Judy-esque show, thus Judge Rinder was born.

In 2008, Cain began playing football for Coventry City but in 2012 he had to give up football after an injury put an end to his career. Cain then pursued reality TV, and appeared in shows such as Ex on the Beach, The Challenge and, more recently, SAS: Who Dares Wins. In 2020, life changed for Cain. His 8-week-old daughter, Azaylia, was diagnosed with cancer and passed away aged 8 months. Cain has done his utmost to raise awareness of childhood cancers and raise money, putting himself through grueling physical challenges.

Joining us at Audible Studios is comedian and writer, Josie Long. Having performed stand-up comedy since the age of fourteen, Long is a familiar with the comedy circuit. We'll be talking to Josie Long about her newest venture, a collection of short stories titled Because I Don't Know What You Mean and What You Don't. We'll find out if Josie is a cat lover, why rubbish housing pops up a lot in her stories, and what impact her ADHD diagnosis has had on understanding her writing process.

Rising to fame as a pop star as part of The Communards, Richard Coles has had a very varied career - he has worked as a vicar for several parishes after finding religion later in life, has appeared on many panel shows. He shared his life through his memoirs, including details of his civil partnership and grief following the death of his partner. Coles has begun writing fiction – the Canon Clement Mystery series – starting with Murder Before Evensong, and is with us to talk about the second in the series, A Death in the Parish.