Podcast

'The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society' is out now in cinemas. On this podcast the book's co-author Annie Barrows tells us how she felt seeing her beloved characters come to life, and why she cares more about the reviews in Guernsey than anything else.

Journalist and broadcaster Lucy Siegle discusses her book 'Turning the Tide on Plastic'. With the crisis in the world's oceans growing by the day, Lucy outlines some simple steps everyone can take to reduce their plastic footprint, and looks to a future without single use plastic.

Professor Edward Chaney shares some memories of his 'genius friend', the great Guernsey novelist G.B. Edwards, and explains how he helped bring Edwards's masterwork The Book of Ebenezer Le Page to publication.

"To boldly go where no one has gone before..."  Author, historian and Star Trek enthusiast Duncan Barrett explains what the franchise in its many forms tells us about being human. Plus, the surprising connection between Star Trek and the Occupation of the Channel Islands.

Ruth Hogan's debut novel, 'The Keeper of Lost Things', was one of the bestselling books of 2017. Here she tells us why she likes her books being described as 'Up Lit', and how a spell of ill health changed her life and got her writing.

Author Anne Allen discusses her escapist fiction series The Guernsey Novels. She explains her connection to the island, how she can still picture it clearly despite not living there, and why she always wanted to write about the subject of her latest book: Victor Hugo.

'I Let You Go' author Clare Mackintosh discusses her previous career in the police force and how it affects her writing, how the success of her debut novel changed her life, and the lengths she had to go to in order to avoid the dreaded 'second book syndrome'.

Lara Dearman talks about her debut novel 'The Devil's Claw', set on the island she still thinks of as home. She tells us why she always wanted to set the book in Guernsey, why the island makes the perfect location for a crime novel, and how difficult it was to explain 'euchre' and 'gâche' to her editor...

For his new book 'Islander', Guardian writer Patrick Barkham visited 11 small islands around Britain, from Rathlin to Barra to Alderney. Speaking at the Guernsey Literary Festival, he tells us more about his adventures, the literary feud that inspired the journey, and what remains so unusual, and so special, about island life in the 21st Century.

Historian Duncan Barrett discusses his new book 'Hitler's British Isles', a new perspective on the occupied Channel Islands. He talks about his interviews with islanders who lived through the Occupation, and his surprise at the continued depth of emotion around the 'jerry-bag' phenomenon.

The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society has been an extraordinary success all over the world. On this podcast from 2016 Annie Barrows, the book's co-author, explains how her aunt, Mary Ann Shaffer, became interested in the Occupation, and how she feels about the response to the book, both around the world and in Guernsey.

Storyteller Alec Williams is on a mission - to get more children reading. Here he discusses the power of stories and the magic of reading, and offers advice to parents on how to bring stories to life.

Author, historian and proud Guernsey boy Huw Lewis-Jones discusses growing up in Guernsey, his life as a 'part-time explorer', and his latest work 'Explorers' Sketchbooks', capturing the experiences of explorers like Edmund Hillary, Charles Darwin, and Apollo astronaut Alan Bean.

Historian David Bellos discusses his new book on Victor Hugo: his tumultuous life, his time in Guernsey, and how he came to write his most famous novel, Les Miserables.

When Paul Torday (author of Salmon Fishing in the Yemen) passed away in 2013, he left behind a half-finished manuscript. On this podcast his son Piers, already a prize-winning children's author, explains how he took on the challenge of completing it.

Illustrator Chris Riddell, the UK's Children's Laureate, discusses the power of libraries, the joy of doodling, and the fun he has on social media.

As Director-General of MI5, Stella Rimington was the inspiration for Judi Dench's M. Now a bestselling novelist, she talks to us about her two careers, and why they're actually more similar than you might think.

Historical novelist Simon Scarrow, author of the bestselling Cato & Macro series, explains why he's so drawn to ancient Rome, and why writing historical fiction is a complicated business. Because what is history, anyway?

Anthony McGowan is one of the UK's leading authors of Young Adult fiction. Here he explains how writing for teenagers differs from writing for adults, why so many people underestimate what teenagers can handle in the books they read, and the surprising link between writing and cricket.

Historical author Elizabeth Chadwick tells us the extraordinary story of 12th-century queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, sets out why she's so drawn to the medieval period in her writing, and explains how she brings the past to life through re-enactments.

Stephen Foster's new book 'Zoffany's Daughter' details a forgotten episode in Guernsey history, an 1825 child custody battle in the Royal Court that caused a sensation on the island. Here he explains how he came across the story, why he finds it so fascinating, and what this seemingly minor incident can tell us about history and the writing of history.

Speaking at the Alderney Literary Festival, historian Anne Sebba discusses her book 'That Woman', about Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor. Eighty years after the Abdication Crisis, Wallis remains a deeply controversial figure - is it time to reasses her legacy?

Writer, broadcaster and all-round science guy Simon Singh talks about the Enigma machine, which the Germans used to encrypt their communications during World War II, and which was famously broken by Alan Turing and co at Bletchley Park. How did Enigma work? How was it broken? And why did the story remain secret for decades?

Literature teacher Fay Shaefer discusses how women were portrayed in Victorian novels. Writers like Anne Bronte broke new ground - but what kind of reaction did they receive? And do their books still have resonance today?

Historian Duncan Barrett is writing a new book on the Occupation of the Channel Islands. He shares with us some of the memories he's heard from islanders, and explains why the Occupation is such an important story in the bigger picture of the war.

Children's librarian Jan Foss talks us through her role as a judge for the prestigious CILIP Carnegie & Greenaway Medals, and suggests there's never been a better time to be a teenage book-lover.

Anna Mazzola's acclaimed debut novel focuses on a real murder case in London in 1837. She tells us why she became fascinated with the case, why writing about real historical figures is tricky, and what happened when a descendant of the murderer messaged her on Twitter.

Author Jason Monaghan's new book, Glint of Light on Broken Glass, is a historical novel set in Guernsey during the First World War. He tells us what inspired him to write the book, and discusses the many ways the conflict impacted on the island.

Writer on The Thick Of It and Veep, Will Smith's first novel is set in Jersey, where he grew up. On this podcast he discusses the challenge of moving from screenwriting to fiction, and why he's so nostalgic for his Channel Island childhood.

Film critic Wynter Tyson discusses movie adaptations of books. From Harry Potter to Lord of the Rings, One Day to The Girl on the Train - what are the challenges moving from the page to the screen?

Comedian and children's author David O'Doherty discusses the power of books, why he hates literary snobs, and the link between comedy and children's writing.

Author of the wildly successful 'The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry', Rachel Joyce is one of the biggest names in contemporary fiction. Speaking at the Guernsey Literary Festival, she talks to us about the origins of Harold Fry, her new novel 'The Music Shop', her previous life as an actor, and the problem, for a writer, of doubt.

Alderney resident Rachel Abbott, author of four bestselling thrillers, talks about her writing process and explains how she became a self-publishing sensation.

Desmond Bagley was one of the most prominent thriller writers of the 1960s and 70s. He also had a strong connection to Guernsey, settling in the island towards the end of his life. On this podcast literary researcher Philip Eastwood talks about the impact Bagley's work has had on his own life, and why he's so keen to keep bringing his novels to new audiences.

Children's author Ann Bryant, the new Patron Of Reading for Guernsey primary schools, tells us why reading for pleasure is so important for children.

Amanda Bennett, author of two books on Guernsey history, talks Victor Hugo, the Torrey Canyon oil spill, and how Guernsey was transformed from two islands into one.

Adam talks to Festival Director Claire Allen about the 2017 Guernsey Literary Festival. What's in store this year? And what's it like organising a big literary event on a small Channel Island?

Outreach Librarian Cornelia James discusses her work taking the library service out into the community, including to Guernsey's prison. What role can the prison library play in reforming and rehabilitating prisoners?