Journalist Sarah Ditum discusses her book Toxic, exploring the treatment of famous women in the Noughties and the impact of her journalism on her career and personal life.
6 Sept 2024
John Niven: O Brother
This is an interview with John Niven about his writing career, particularly his latest book O Brother, which was shortlisted for the 2024 Gordon Burn Prize.
O Brother is about the suicide of his brother. While John was making his way in the music industry and then as a successful writer, starting with his novel Kill Your Friends, his brother remained in Scotland where his life was chaotic. He ultimately hanged himself in a hospital.
John tells the story of their lives, but also investigates why his brother was left alone to be able to kill himself despite being suicidal. In the interview we talk about his efforts to obtain a transcript of his brother's 999 call that led to his admission, as well as how it felt writing about it, the impact on living relatives, and the way writers become observers even at the most tragic moments.
We also talked about the nuts and bolts of any writing discussion, from his advance for Kill Your Friends, how he got his first book deals, how much he made from that first novel, his move into screenwriting, and the shift from fiction to nonfiction.
You can buy John's books here:
https://uk.bookshop.org/contributors/john-niven (https://uk.bookshop.org/contributors/john-niven)
John recommended Street-Level Superstar by Will Hodgkinson which you can buy here:
https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/street-level-superstar-a-year-with-lawrence-will-hodgkinson/7680905 (https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/street-level-superstar-a-year-with-lawrence-will-hodgkinson/7680905)
And you can buy my books here:
https://uk.bookshop.org/contributors/andrew-hankinson (https://uk.bookshop.org/contributors/andrew-hankinson)
Thanks for listening.
15 Jul 2024
Chris Mullin: Error of Judgement
This is an interview with Chris Mullin about his 1986 book Error of Judgement, which was an investigation into the conviction of six innocent men for the Birmingham pub bombings in 1974. The book documents his efforts to find the truth, culminating in finding one of the real bombers.
We speak about his career in journalism before the book, when he went to Vietnam in the 1970s to cover the war there, his work for television, his political career, his novel A Very British Coup, and his series of diaries which started with his experiences as an MP during New Labour.
You can buy Chris's books here:
https://uk.bookshop.org/contributors/chris-mullin (https://uk.bookshop.org/contributors/chris-mullin)
He recommended How They Broke Britain by James O'Brien which you can read here:
https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/how-they-broke-britain-james-o-brien/7546135 (https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/how-they-broke-britain-james-o-brien/7546135)
And you can buy my books here:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Could-Something-Amazing-Your-Raoul/dp/1911344323 (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Could-Something-Amazing-Your-Raoul/dp/1911344323)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/applaud-Either-laugh-Comedy-Cellar/dp/1911617680 (https://www.amazon.co.uk/applaud-Either-laugh-Comedy-Cellar/dp/1911617680)
Thanks for listening.
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