Always Take Notes is a fortnightly podcast from London for and about writers and writing. Hosts Simon Akam and Rachel Lloyd speak to a diverse range of people in the industry on a variety of topics, from the mysteries of slush piles and per-word rates, to how data are changing the ways newspapers do business and how to pitch a book. patreon.com/alwaystakenotes
Always Take Notes
Claim This Podcastby Always Take Notes
4.7(57 reviews)
239 episodes
Updated Daily
Accepts GuestsHas SponsorsLocation 🇬🇧
74
Podcast Authority
BetaGoodBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more
Quality91
Social94
YouTube0
Engagement98
Podcast Overview
Always Take Notes is a fortnightly podcast from London for and about writers and writing. Hosts Simon Akam and Rachel Lloyd speak to a diverse range of people in the industry on a variety of topics, from the mysteries of slush piles and per-word rates, to how data are changing the ways newspapers do business and how to pitch a book. patreon.com/alwaystakenotes
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
4/2/2017
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74
Podcast Authority
BetaGoodBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more
Quality91
Social94
YouTube0
Engagement98
8
Excellent Areas
2
Good Performance
9
Growth Opportunities
excellent
Episode Length
59 minutes
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good
Publishing Consistency
Every 14 days
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Recent Episodes
May 26, 2026
Kathryn Stockett on the success (and controversy) of "The Help" and taking 17 years to publish a follow-up novel, "The Calamity Club"
Host Rachel and Simon interview novelist Kathryn Stockett about the success of "The Help" and her long journey to publishing "The Calamity Club".
May 12, 2026
Michael Morpurgo on how his novel about a horse in the First World War gained a spectacular second life on stage and screen
Children's author Michael Morpurgo shares with hosts Simon and Rachel the surprising journey of "War Horse" from novel to stage and screen.
April 28, 2026
Lauren Groff on book bans, artificial intelligence and what novels set in the past reveal about the present
Rachel and Simon speak with the novelist and short-story writer Lauren Groff. Lauren is the bestselling author of the novels "The Monsters of Templeton", "Arcadia", "Fates and Furies", "Matrix" and "The Vaster Wilds", and the short-story collections "Delicate Edible Birds" and "Florida". "Fates and Furies", "Florida" and "Matrix" were all finalists for the National Book Award in the United States. In 2024 Lauren and her husband opened a bookshop, The Lynx, in Florida, which has an emphasis on books that are currently challenged or banned in the state. We spoke to Lauren about the position of short stories in the literary marketplace, working as a bookseller as well as an author, and her latest collection of stories, "Brawler". In addition to the standard audio format, the podcast is now available in video. You can check us out on YouTube under Always Take Notes. We’ve also made (yet) another update for those who support the podcast on the crowdfunding site Patreon. We’ve added a further 70 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 Yorker, Bloomberg Businessweek, and the Guardian Long Read. The whole compendium now runs to a magisterial 230 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 (two 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 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
239 total episodes available with 3 transcripts
Recent guests on Always Take Notes
Guests from recent episodes — sign up to see every guest that has ever appeared on this show.
Kathryn Stockett
Guest
Michael Morpurgo
Guest
Viet Thanh Nguyen
Guest
Jojo Moyes
Guest
Ben Macintyre
Guest
Diana Evans
Guest
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Frequently asked questions
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- What is Always Take Notes?
- How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates daily.
- Where can I listen to this podcast?
This podcast is available on 10 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
- Does this podcast accept guests?
Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
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