Ask Penguin

How do you adapt East of Eden for screen?

How do you begin breaking down a 600-page American epic to bring it to the screen? How did Florence Pugh capture the essence of the central character Cathy? How did John

How can I help someone fall in love with reading? with Nadia Shireen and Jonathan Douglas

Can you read a cookbook cover-to-cover like a thriller? Does your reading level predict a longer life? Why is a punk chef’s memoir the ultimate weapon for reluctant reade

Which books help us reconnect with nature? with Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris

Why do baby puffins prefer to be alone? Why don’t Cuckoo birds raise their own children? Has the decline of birds taken away the music of our landscapes? And what is the

What's wrong with reading to look smart? with Abir Mukherjee

Has modern forensics taken away the power of the murder mystery genre? How does a career in corporate finance prepare you to write about a killer? Is narrative voice more

Which debut novels should you be reading in 2026?

What are the best books get you out of a reading slump? How did Snakes on a Plane inspire a literary sensation? What did James Joyce and Pakistani rap teach one of our de

Which books emotionally wrecked you? With Dawn French

How does artist Kae Tempest inspire Dawn French? Do editors always know best? What is the impact of grief on those we love most? And what really happened when Dawn French

What are the best novels about infidelity? With Sophie Mackintosh

What’s the difference between flash fiction and the short story? Why are we drawn to literature’s most flawed characters? And what would be the ideal fictional world for

What is a must-read book to make me laugh? With Bryony Gordon 

How did Marian Keyes inspire Bryony Gordon’s writing? How do you write about family without falling into stereotypes? Which books capture the messy reality of life? And w

Why I wanted to adapt Wuthering Heights with Emerald Fennell

Is Wuthering Heights the perfect novel or the perfect work of art? Why do we fall in love with villains? Is all love doomed? And if Emerald Fennell could adapt another bo

What secrets does Jane Austen's house hold?

In this special bonus episode, and to mark Jane Austen’s 250th birthday, we step inside her home in Alton to uncover the life she lived there and the objects she treasure

What were the best books of 2025?

What were our favourite books of the year and what are we most excited to read in 2026? Join the team behind the Ask Penguin podcast to look back at standout titles, memo

What makes a setting feel so vivid it becomes a character? With Paula Hawkins

Which novels are truly unputdownable and what should you read on a dark winter's night? We’re joined by best-selling author, Paula Hawkins, who discusses art, love and re

What is the best translated fiction to read? With Karl Ove Knausgaard

What are the best new books in Korean fiction? What is the process of translating a book into English? And how do you evoke a sense of place you haven't visited? This we

Why are generations at war with each other? With Zadie Smith

Which multi-generational novels inspired White Teeth? Where does Zadie Smith turn for her next great read? And our Penguin team is back to solve your reading dilemmas - w

Is never growing up the secret to great storytelling? With Philip Pullman

What was the inspiration behind Philip Pullman’s Northern Lights series? How does he want readers to feel on Lyra’s final adventure in The Rose Field? Has his demon chang

Is Jane Austen's legacy more than just romantic love? With Andrew Hunter Murray and Gill Hornby

Why do we still love Jane Austen’s novels 250 years later? What makes her stories continue to inspire readers and creators today? And if Jane were alive now, which book w

Why do we still laugh when times are hard? With Ocean Vuong

I'm looking for a novel that reads like poetry - where should I start? Can you recommend a queer love story with a happy conclusion? What are the best books that explore

Which books shocked and shaped our society? With Simon Prosser and Jack Edwards

Outrageous, iconic and unforgettable - these are some of the books Penguin have been publishing over its 90-year history. As part of a special content series called 'The

Which books defined a generation? with Irvine Welsh and Derek Owusu

What would you recommend an inspiring writer to read? What is the best gateway book to get into reading? Who are the new and upcoming Scottish novelists working today to

How did penguin turn the UK into a nation of readers? with Kate Mosse

From the paperback revolution to the obscenity trial that made Lady Chatterley’s Lover famous, we explore how Penguin turned the UK into a nation of readers as we celebra