35. Indian & Pakistani authors & poets talk to co-hosts Paul Waters & Jonathan Kennedy on the We'd Like A Word books & authors podcast at the Khushwant Singh Literary Festival London 2025 (which Paul also co-organises). We hear from Devike Rege on Indian politics, whether "home is a place where you can be comfortably racist" & her book Quarterlife; from Shueyb Gandapur on his book Coming Back - The Odyssey of a Pakistani Through India, on the unusual challenges of getting his book published in India, and on his Pakistani home Dera Ismail Khan & how Hindus and Sikhs who fled during partition preserve memories of the city in India, & on and the unusual challenges of getting his book published in India; from KSLF organiser Niloufer Bilimoria; from Saba Karim Khan on the Pakistan #itscomplicated essay collection she edited & contributed to, & how to get behind the cliches of potraying Pakistan; from Muhammed Ali Bandial on his contribution to Pakistan #itscomplicated & his complex relationship with his homeland; from Prabhu Guptara of Pippa Rann publishing, Global Resilience publishing & Salt Desert Media; from poet Tanya Rai who is @diversityofme on Instagram; & from poet Devi Chatterjee who has also helped develop the Poetry Archive's new online collection of south Asian poets reading their own work.And we also hear about the recent India-Pakistan conflict and ceasefire, Saraiki language & Pashtun culture, Lahore authors Awais Khan & Faiqa Mansab, Pakistani Olympic gold medallist javelin thrower, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji, the Marati language, poets Sudeep Sen and R Parthasarathy, the Rann of Kutch salt desert & the Great Indian Salt Hedge, Stephen Huyler's book Transformed by India - A Life, & poets Rabindranath Tagore, Bhanu Kapil & Sampurna Chatterji.WHO IS JONATHAN KENNEDY? Jonathan was Director of Arts in India for 5 years for the British Council. He's been everywhere in India and knows everyone there involved in culture. He was also for 12 years the Executive Director of Tara Arts, looking at the world through a South Asian lens. Jonathan is doing some India & South Asian episodes of We'd Like A Word with us every now & then. We'd Like A Word is a podcast & radio show from authors Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan. (And sometimes Jonathan Kennedy.) We talk with writers, readers, editors, agents, celebrities, talkers, poets, publishers, booksellers, & audiobook creators about books - fiction & non-fiction. We go out on various radio & podcast platforms. Our website is http://www.wedlikeaword.com for information on Paul, Steve & our guests. We're on Twitter @wedlikeaword & Facebook @wedlikeaword & our email is wedlikeaword@gmail.com Yes, we're embarrassed by the missing apostrophes. We like to hear from you - questions, thoughts, ideas, guest or book suggestions. Perhaps you'd like to come on We'd Like A Word to chat, review or read out passages from books.Paul is the author of a new Irish-Indian cosy crime series set in contemporary Delhi. The first in the series is Murder in Moonlit Square, which published by No Exit Press / Bedford Square Publishers in October 2025 - but you can pre-order it now. (Ah go on.) It'll also be published in India in paperback in October 2025 by Penguin India. Paul previously wrote the 1950s Irish border thriller Blackwatertown.We can also recommend Cockerings, the comic classic by Stevyn Colgan, and his hugely popular YouTube channel @Colganology
Catalan Crime in translation: We'd Like A Word hosts Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan hear from Barcelona-born author Teresa Solana; Peter Bush the translator of her crime thriller Black Storms - he's also Teresa's husband; and Marina Sofia the co-founder of Corylus publishers, which publishes crime fiction in translation from Catalan, Spanish, Romanian, Icelandic, Argentinian Spanish, and German.We also talk about authors and translators Ian Rankin, Gene Kerrigan, Jeffrey Archer, Frederick Forsyth, Tony Kent, Lisa Jewell, the Rev Richard Coles, Robert Thorogood, David Gullis, Fred Vargas, Petros Markaris, Rene Goscinny, Albert Uderzo, Anthea Bell, Derek Hockridge, Chico Buarque and Juan Goytisolo - plus the Chiltern Kills crime and Khushwant Singh London literary festivals.And more - including dead Catalan authors v dead Spanish authors; the author-translator power dynamic; Catalonia / Catalunya and Spain; Cornwall, folk culture and Cornish independence; Steve becoming a witch; Paul having a book out soon and some book launch events; snoring dogs; Biafra; whether La Sagrada Familia is a cathedral or a basilica; Asterix the Gaul; and the secret location where this podcast episode was part-recorded.We'd Like A Word is a podcast & radio show from authors Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan. (And sometimes Jonathan Kennedy.) We talk with writers, readers, editors, agents, celebrities, talkers, poets, publishers, booksellers, & audiobook creators about books - fiction & non-fiction. We go out on various radio & podcast platforms. Our website is http://www.wedlikeaword.com for information on Paul, Steve & our guests. We're on Twitter @wedlikeaword & Facebook @wedlikeaword & our email is wedlikeaword@gmail.com Yes, we're embarrassed by the missing apostrophes. We like to hear from you - questions, thoughts, ideas, guest or book suggestions. Perhaps you'd like to come on We'd Like A Word to chat, review or read out passages from books. Paul is the author of a new Irish-Indian cosy crime series set in contemporary Delhi. The first in the series is Murder in Moonlit Square, which published by No Exit Press / Bedford Square Publishers in October 2025 - but you can pre-order it now. (Ah go on.) It'll also be published in India in paperback in October 2025 by Penguin India. Paul previously wrote the 1950s Irish border thriller Blackwatertown. We can also recommend Cockerings, the comic classic by Stevyn Colgan, and his hugely popular YouTube channel @Colganology
33. Sherlock Holmes in Turkey (part 1): Author & foreign correspondent Andrew Finkel talks to We'd Like A Word hosts Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan, about his book The Adventure of the Second Wife - The Strange Case of Sherlock Holmes and the Ottoman Sultan.We also talk about how to decide where to start a complex, multi-layered novel (& if it really matters), Arthur Conan Doyle, the most romantic way to enter Istanbul, how to get in trouble in Turkey and how to avoid it, Kemal Tahir - the translator & then fabricator of Mickey Spillane novels, the Ottoman sultan Abdul Hamid II (big Sherlock & Conan Doyle fan, aid donor to Irish people during the 1840s famine, block on Russian expansion, tyrant to Bulgarians according to Gladstone), playing basketball with Orhan Pamuk, quirky Turkey, some Persian phrases, the Cottingley Fairies, and a good place for coffee in Istanbul - the Kıraathane - Istanbul Literature House. We'd Like A Word is a podcast & radio show from authors Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan. (And sometimes Jonathan Kennedy.) We talk with writers, readers, editors, agents, celebrities, talkers, poets, publishers, booksellers, & audiobook creators about books - fiction & non-fiction. We go out on various radio & podcast platforms. Our website is http://www.wedlikeaword.com for information on Paul, Steve & our guests. We're on Twitter @wedlikeaword & Facebook @wedlikeaword & our email is wedlikeaword@gmail.com Yes, we're embarrassed by the missing apostrophes. We like to hear from you - questions, thoughts, ideas, guest or book suggestions. Perhaps you'd like to come on We'd Like A Word to chat, review or read out passages from books. Paul is the author of a new Irish-Indian cosy crime series set in contemporary Delhi. The first in the series is Murder in Moonlit Square, which published by No Exit Press / Bedford Square Publishers in October 2025 - but you can pre-order it now. (Ah go on.) It'll also be published in India in paperback in January 2026 by Penguin India. Paul previously wrote the 1950s Irish border thriller Blackwatertown. We can also recommend Cockerings, the comic classic by Stevyn Colgan, and his hugely popular YouTube channel @Colganology
32. Sherlock Holmes in Turkey (part 2): Author & foreign correspondent Andrew Finkel talks to We'd Like A Word hosts Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan, about his book The Adventure of the Second Wife - The Strange Case of Sherlock Holmes and the Ottoman Sultan.We also talk about how to decide where to start a complex, multi-layered novel (& if it really matters), Arthur Conan Doyle, the most romantic way to enter Istanbul, how to get in trouble in Turkey and how to avoid it, Kemal Tahir - the translator & then fabricator of Mickey Spillane novels, the Ottoman sultan Abdul Hamid II (big Sherlock & Conan Doyle fan, aid donor to Irish people during the 1840s famine, block on Russian expansion, tyrant to Bulgarians according to Gladstone), playing basketball with Orhan Pamuk, quirky Turkey, some Persian phrases, the Cottingley Fairies, and a good place for coffee in Istanbul - the Kıraathane - Istanbul Literature House. We'd Like A Word is a podcast & radio show from authors Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan. (And sometimes Jonathan Kennedy.) We talk with writers, readers, editors, agents, celebrities, talkers, poets, publishers, booksellers, & audiobook creators about books - fiction & non-fiction. We go out on various radio & podcast platforms. Our website is http://www.wedlikeaword.com for information on Paul, Steve & our guests. We're on Twitter @wedlikeaword & Facebook @wedlikeaword & our email is wedlikeaword@gmail.com Yes, we're embarrassed by the missing apostrophes. We like to hear from you - questions, thoughts, ideas, guest or book suggestions. Perhaps you'd like to come on We'd Like A Word to chat, review or read out passages from books. Paul is the author of a new Irish-Indian cosy crime series set in contemporary Delhi. The first in the series is Murder in Moonlit Square, which published by No Exit Press / Bedford Square Publishers in October 2025 - but you can pre-order it now. (Ah go on.) It'll also be published in India in paperback in January 2026 by Penguin India. Paul previously wrote the 1950s Irish border thriller Blackwatertown. We can also recommend Cockerings, the comic classic by Stevyn Colgan, and his hugely popular YouTube channel @Colganology
31. Sherlock Holmes in Turkey (part 3): Author & foreign correspondent Andrew Finkel talks to We'd Like A Word hosts Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan, about his book The Adventure of the Second Wife - The Strange Case of Sherlock Holmes and the Ottoman Sultan.We also talk about how to decide where to start a complex, multi-layered novel (& if it really matters), Arthur Conan Doyle, the most romantic way to enter Istanbul, how to get in trouble in Turkey and how to avoid it, Kemal Tahir - the translator & then fabricator of Mickey Spillane novels, the Ottoman sultan Abdul Hamid II (big Sherlock & Conan Doyle fan, aid donor to Irish people during the 1840s famine, block on Russian expansion, tyrant to Bulgarians according to Gladstone), playing basketball with Orhan Pamuk, quirky Turkey, some Persian phrases, the Cottingley Fairies, and a good place for coffee in Istanbul - the Kıraathane - Istanbul Literature House. We'd Like A Word is a podcast & radio show from authors Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan. (And sometimes Jonathan Kennedy.) We talk with writers, readers, editors, agents, celebrities, talkers, poets, publishers, booksellers, & audiobook creators about books - fiction & non-fiction. We go out on various radio & podcast platforms. Our website is http://www.wedlikeaword.com for information on Paul, Steve & our guests. We're on Twitter @wedlikeaword & Facebook @wedlikeaword & our email is wedlikeaword@gmail.com Yes, we're embarrassed by the missing apostrophes. We like to hear from you - questions, thoughts, ideas, guest or book suggestions. Perhaps you'd like to come on We'd Like A Word to chat, review or read out passages from books. Paul is the author of a new Irish-Indian cosy crime series set in contemporary Delhi. The first in the series is Murder in Moonlit Square, which published by No Exit Press / Bedford Square Publishers in October 2025 - but you can pre-order it now. (Ah go on.) It'll also be published in India in paperback in January 2026 by Penguin India. Paul previously wrote the 1950s Irish border thriller Blackwatertown. We can also recommend Cockerings, the comic classic by Stevyn Colgan, and his hugely popular YouTube channel @Colganology
30. How to write & perform stand up comedy (part 1): Comedians Ian Stone & Phoebe Haywood talk to We'd Like A Word hosts Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan, about Ian's new book To Be Someone about his love affair with The Jam & surviving the 1970s. We also talk about comic timing, how to write a joke, taboo topics, physical comedy, making it personal, Mods, racists, Nazis, Sham 69, skinheads, being Jewish, never reading a book until your 20s, having ADHD, making money from comedy, the difference between writing for performance & writing to be read, Worcestershire ales, the comedy circuit in and beyond London, heckling, great stand up comedians & illustrations by Phil Jupitus. The Empire in Belfast and the Hellfire Club in High Wycombe also get mentioned. We'd Like A Word is a podcast & radio show from authors Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan. (And sometimes Jonathan Kennedy.) We talk with writers, readers, editors, agents, celebrities, talkers, poets, publishers, booksellers, & audiobook creators about books - fiction & non-fiction. We go out on various radio & podcast platforms. Our website is http://www.wedlikeaword.com for information on Paul, Steve & our guests. We're on Twitter @wedlikeaword & Facebook @wedlikeaword & our email is wedlikeaword@gmail.com Yes, we're embarrassed by the missing apostrophes. We like to hear from you - questions, thoughts, ideas, guest or book suggestions. Perhaps you'd like to come on We'd Like A Word to chat, review or read out passages from books. Paul is the author of a new cosy mystery series set in contemporary Delhi. The first in the series is Murder in Moonlit Square, which will be published by Bedford Square publishers in 2025. He previously wrote a thriller set on the 1950s Irish border called Blackwatertown. We can also recommend Cockerings, the comic classic by Stevyn Colgan.
29. How to write & perform stand up comedy (part 2): Comedians Ian Stone & Phoebe Haywood talk to We'd Like A Word hosts Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan, about Ian's new book To Be Someone about his love affair with The Jam & surviving the 1970s. We also talk about comic timing, how to write a joke, taboo topics, physical comedy, making it personal, Mods, racists, Nazis, Sham 69, skinheads, being Jewish, never reading a book until your 20s, having ADHD, making money from comedy, the difference between writing for performance & writing to be read, Worcestershire ales, the comedy circuit in and beyond London, heckling, great stand up comedians & illustrations by Phil Jupitus. The Empire in Belfast and the Hellfire Club in High Wycombe also get mentioned. We'd Like A Word is a podcast & radio show from authors Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan. (And sometimes Jonathan Kennedy.) We talk with writers, readers, editors, agents, celebrities, talkers, poets, publishers, booksellers, & audiobook creators about books - fiction & non-fiction. We go out on various radio & podcast platforms. Our website is http://www.wedlikeaword.com for information on Paul, Steve & our guests. We're on Twitter @wedlikeaword & Facebook @wedlikeaword & our email is wedlikeaword@gmail.com Yes, we're embarrassed by the missing apostrophes. We like to hear from you - questions, thoughts, ideas, guest or book suggestions. Perhaps you'd like to come on We'd Like A Word to chat, review or read out passages from books. Paul is the author of a new cosy mystery series set in contemporary Delhi. The first in the series is Murder in Moonlit Square, which will be published by Bedford Square publishers in 2025. He previously wrote a thriller set on the 1950s Irish border called Blackwatertown. We can also recommend Cockerings, the comic classic by Stevyn Colgan.
28. How to write & perform stand up comedy (part 3): Comedians Ian Stone & Phoebe Haywood talk to We'd Like A Word hosts Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan, about Ian's new book To Be Someone about his love affair with The Jam & surviving the 1970s. We also talk about comic timing, how to write a joke, taboo topics, physical comedy, making it personal, Mods, racists, Nazis, Sham 69, skinheads, being Jewish, never reading a book until your 20s, having ADHD, making money from comedy, the difference between writing for performance & writing to be read, Worcestershire ales, the comedy circuit in and beyond London, heckling, great stand up comedians & illustrations by Phil Jupitus. The Empire in Belfast and the Hellfire Club in High Wycombe also get mentioned. We'd Like A Word is a podcast & radio show from authors Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan. (And sometimes Jonathan Kennedy.) We talk with writers, readers, editors, agents, celebrities, talkers, poets, publishers, booksellers, & audiobook creators about books - fiction & non-fiction. We go out on various radio & podcast platforms. Our website is http://www.wedlikeaword.com for information on Paul, Steve & our guests. We're on Twitter @wedlikeaword & Facebook @wedlikeaword & our email is wedlikeaword@gmail.com Yes, we're embarrassed by the missing apostrophes. We like to hear from you - questions, thoughts, ideas, guest or book suggestions. Perhaps you'd like to come on We'd Like A Word to chat, review or read out passages from books. Paul is the author of a new cosy mystery series set in contemporary Delhi. The first in the series is Murder in Moonlit Square, which will be published by Bedford Square publishers in 2025. He previously wrote a thriller set on the 1950s Irish border called Blackwatertown. We can also recommend Cockerings, the comic classic by Stevyn Colgan.
27. Peter James & Tina Payne at the Chiltern Kills crime writing festival 2024: We'd Like A Word hosts Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan hear from Peter James, the bestselling author of the Roy Grace detective series, and also from new crime fiction sensation Tina Payne aka TM Payne. And lots more from the 2024 Chiltern Kills festival in Gerrards Cross, just 20 minutes from London Marylebone. The next Chiltern Kills will be on Saturday 4th October 2025, with all ticket sales in aid of the Centrepoint charity combatting youth homelessness. Please join us. Peter James talks about his latest instalment, One Of Us Is Dead - number 20! - in the DS Roy Grace series - also a multi-season successful ITV series. Also about how he's written such a long running series; the dangers of bad TV adaptations; how being the writer behind a TV series can feel like being God; how actor John Simm now influences the development of the fictional Roy Grace; and how police forces now approach him to spread the word on their new crime fighting innovations. Tina Payne talks about her Detective Sheridan Holler series, including Long Time Dead, This Ends Now, and Play With Fire. She also reveals how, after 18 years in the Norfolk police, she keeps her books authentic; and that though she didn't start the fire (Your Honour), she does have an intimate knowledge of the lyrics and plans to deploy them at the Chiltern Kills How To Murder A Song karaoke. Also discussed in this one-part episode: writing and singing stars Mark Edwards and Ed James, thriller author and Chiltern Kills co-organiser Tony Kent, Frederick Forsyth, Victoria Christian, Jeffrey Archer, Murder in Moonlit Square, Leye Adenle, Eve Smith, Greg Mosse, Ajay Chowdhury, climate change in crime fiction, Aneysha Minocha of Quantaco, Louise Minchin, the Secret barrister, Lisa Maxwell from the Bill, comedians Phoebe Haywood and Ian Stone, witches, biscuits, Ciarán O'Keeffe, Derek Acorah, ghosts, wiccan, Celtic calendar, neo-pagan, Mark Page, Phil Jupitus, Paul Weller, Jeremy Vine, the Writers' Room, MJ Arlidge, Steph Broadribb, Julia Crouch, Lisa Hall, Hastings Green Man Festival, Morris dancing, Boss Morris and The Wad. We'd Like A Word is a podcast & radio show from authors Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan. (And sometimes Jonathan Kennedy.) We talk with writers, readers, editors, agents, celebrities, talkers, poets, publishers, booksellers, & audiobook creators about books - fiction & non-fiction. We go out on various radio & podcast platforms. Our website is http://www.wedlikeaword.com for information on Paul, Steve & our guests. We're on Twitter @wedlikeaword & Facebook @wedlikeaword & our email is wedlikeaword@gmail.com Yes, we're embarrassed by the missing apostrophes. We like to hear from you - questions, thoughts, ideas, guest or book suggestions. Perhaps you'd like to come on We'd Like A Word to chat, review or read out passages from books. Paul is writing a new cosy mystery series set in contemporary Delhi. The first in the series is Murder in Moonlit Square, which will be published by Bedford Square publishers in 2025. He previously wrote a thriller set on the 1950s Irish border called Blackwatertown. We can also recommend Cockerings, the comic classic by Stevyn Colgan.
26. History & lies (part 1): We'd Like A Word hosts Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan chat & laugh with Subhadra Das, writer, historian, broadcaster, comedian & curator, about her book, Uncivilised: Ten Lies That Made The West. Subhadra looks at the relationship between science & society. She specialises in the history & philosophy of science, particularly the history of scientific racism & eugenics, & what those histories mean for our lives today. For nine years, she was Curator of the Science Collections at University College London where she was also Researcher in Critical Eugenics at the Sarah Parker Remond Centre for the Study of Racism & Racialisation. She's written & presented podcasts, curated museum exhibitions, done stand-up comedy & been on radio & tv. In this 3-part episode we talk about racist Gandhi, mispronouncing Bangla names, white supremacy baked into our idea of western civilisation, science not being neutral, comforting lies, Francis Galton, eugenics, the inventor of the questionnaire, spoiling things for white people, why female comics like Victoria Wood Dawn French & Jennifer Saunders avoided the QI TV show, the Defiance TV show on Channel 4, Hamza Yousef, Paul McCartney's song Blackbird & reply guy, "empty places" v "emptied" places, the presence of writing as a measure of civilisation, rich eejit Erich von Däniken, fake Tibetan monk Lobsang Rampa aka Cyril Henry Hoskin, cuddly Columbo, Golden Age detective fiction as "the mental equivalent of pottering", Magna Carta & Forest Charter, swan upping, US federal government & the Iroquois nation's Haudenosaunee, Abraham Maslow & his hierarchy of needs, which he learned from the Blackfoot Nation, Ryan Heavyhead, the UK citizenship test, & editor Harriet Poland. We'd Like A Word is a podcast & radio show from authors Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan. (And sometimes Jonathan Kennedy.) We talk with writers, readers, editors, agents, celebrities, talkers, poets, publishers, booksellers, & audiobook creators about books - fiction & non-fiction. We go out on various radio & podcast platforms. Our website is http://www.wedlikeaword.com for information on Paul, Steve & our guests. We're on Twitter @wedlikeaword & Facebook @wedlikeaword & our email is wedlikeaword@gmail.com Yes, we're embarrassed by the missing apostrophes. We like to hear from you - questions, thoughts, ideas, guest or book suggestions. Perhaps you'd like to come on We'd Like A Word to chat, review or read out passages from books. Paul is writing a new cosy mystery series set in contemporary Delhi - more on that anon. And if you're still stuck for something to read now, may we recommend Blackwatertown, the thriller by Paul Waters or Cockerings, the comic classic by Stevyn Colgan.
25. History & lies (part 2): We'd Like A Word hosts Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan chat & laugh with Subhadra Das, writer, historian, broadcaster, comedian & curator, about her book, Uncivilised: Ten Lies That Made The West. Subhadra looks at the relationship between science & society. She specialises in the history & philosophy of science, particularly the history of scientific racism & eugenics, & what those histories mean for our lives today. For nine years, she was Curator of the Science Collections at University College London where she was also Researcher in Critical Eugenics at the Sarah Parker Remond Centre for the Study of Racism & Racialisation. She's written & presented podcasts, curated museum exhibitions, done stand-up comedy & been on radio & tv. In this 3-part episode we talk about racist Gandhi, mispronouncing Bangla names, white supremacy baked into our idea of western civilisation, science not being neutral, comforting lies, Francis Galton, eugenics, the inventor of the questionnaire, spoiling things for white people, why female comics like Victoria Wood Dawn French & Jennifer Saunders avoided the QI TV show, the Defiance TV show on Channel 4, Hamza Yousef, Paul McCartney's song Blackbird & reply guy, "empty places" v "emptied" places, the presence of writing as a measure of civilisation, rich eejit Erich von Däniken, fake Tibetan monk Lobsang Rampa aka Cyril Henry Hoskin, cuddly Columbo, Golden Age detective fiction as "the mental equivalent of pottering", Magna Carta & Forest Charter, swan upping, US federal government & the Iroquois nation's Haudenosaunee, Abraham Maslow & his hierarchy of needs, which he learned from the Blackfoot Nation, Ryan Heavyhead, the UK citizenship test, & editor Harriet Poland. We'd Like A Word is a podcast & radio show from authors Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan. (And sometimes Jonathan Kennedy.) We talk with writers, readers, editors, agents, celebrities, talkers, poets, publishers, booksellers, & audiobook creators about books - fiction & non-fiction. We go out on various radio & podcast platforms. Our website is http://www.wedlikeaword.com for information on Paul, Steve & our guests. We're on Twitter @wedlikeaword & Facebook @wedlikeaword & our email is wedlikeaword@gmail.com Yes, we're embarrassed by the missing apostrophes. We like to hear from you - questions, thoughts, ideas, guest or book suggestions. Perhaps you'd like to come on We'd Like A Word to chat, review or read out passages from books. Paul is writing a new cosy mystery series set in contemporary Delhi - more on that anon. And if you're still stuck for something to read now, may we recommend Blackwatertown, the thriller by Paul Waters or Cockerings, the comic classic by Stevyn Colgan.
24. History & lies (part 3): We'd Like A Word hosts Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan chat & laugh with Subhadra Das, writer, historian, broadcaster, comedian & curator, about her book, Uncivilised: Ten Lies That Made The West. Subhadra looks at the relationship between science & society. She specialises in the history & philosophy of science, particularly the history of scientific racism & eugenics, & what those histories mean for our lives today. For nine years, she was Curator of the Science Collections at University College London where she was also Researcher in Critical Eugenics at the Sarah Parker Remond Centre for the Study of Racism & Racialisation. She's written & presented podcasts, curated museum exhibitions, done stand-up comedy & been on radio & tv. In this 3-part episode we talk about racist Gandhi, mispronouncing Bangla names, white supremacy baked into our idea of western civilisation, science not being neutral, comforting lies, Francis Galton, eugenics, the inventor of the questionnaire, spoiling things for white people, why female comics like Victoria Wood Dawn French & Jennifer Saunders avoided the QI TV show, the Defiance TV show on Channel 4, Hamza Yousef, Paul McCartney's song Blackbird & reply guy, "empty places" v "emptied" places, the presence of writing as a measure of civilisation, rich eejit Erich von Däniken, fake Tibetan monk Lobsang Rampa aka Cyril Henry Hoskin, cuddly Columbo, Golden Age detective fiction as "the mental equivalent of pottering", Magna Carta & Forest Charter, swan upping, US federal government & the Iroquois nation's Haudenosaunee, Abraham Maslow & his hierarchy of needs, which he learned from the Blackfoot Nation, Ryan Heavyhead, the UK citizenship test, & editor Harriet Poland. We'd Like A Word is a podcast & radio show from authors Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan. (And sometimes Jonathan Kennedy.) We talk with writers, readers, editors, agents, celebrities, talkers, poets, publishers, booksellers, & audiobook creators about books - fiction & non-fiction. We go out on various radio & podcast platforms. Our website is http://www.wedlikeaword.com for information on Paul, Steve & our guests. We're on Twitter @wedlikeaword & Facebook @wedlikeaword & our email is wedlikeaword@gmail.com Yes, we're embarrassed by the missing apostrophes. We like to hear from you - questions, thoughts, ideas, guest or book suggestions. Perhaps you'd like to come on We'd Like A Word to chat, review or read out passages from books. Paul is writing a new cosy mystery series set in contemporary Delhi - more on that anon. And if you're still stuck for something to read now, may we recommend Blackwatertown, the thriller by Paul Waters or Cockerings, the comic classic by Stevyn Colgan.
23. Announcing the new IGF Archer-Amish Award for Literature: We'd Like A Word hosts Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan hear from bestselling authors and prize judges Jeffrey Archer & Amish Tripathi about the new IGF (India Global Forum) Archer-Amish Award for Literature. The prize is $25,000 & it's not just for Indians - but listen carefully to hear the rules & entry criteria! This prize is for books excelling in storytelling rather than writing. Want to know what that means? Listen to Jeffrey & Amish explain. This episode also welcomes new listeners on the Jiosaavn podcast platform & congratulates India on winning the T20 Cricket World Cup. What a final innings! And we'll also tell you about some of the fabulous guests from around the world who we've had on past episodes. We hope you'll be tempted to try some earlier episodes after you hear this one - some of them are 3-parters. Both Amish & Jeffrey have their own episodes - highly recommended listening. And we update you a little on what co-hosts & authors Paul & Stevyn are up to. Some of Steve's stuff is really strange. Thank you to the India Global Forum 2024 for welcoming We'd Like A Word to their very enlightening, eclectic & cutting edge gathering in London & Windsor. You too, dear listener, might also enjoy their future events. Also - you'll notice that Stevyn is back. Thank you to Jonathan Kennedy for co-hosting in Steve's absence. (Jonathan was Director of Arts in India for 5 years for the British Council & has been everywhere in India & knows everyone there involved in culture.) Jonathan will be back-ack-ack. We hope. Apologies for the dip in sophistication until then. We'd Like A Word is a podcast & radio show from authors Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan. We talk with writers, readers, editors, agents, celebrities, talkers, poets, publishers, booksellers, & audiobook creators about books - fiction & non-fiction. We go out on various radio & podcast platforms. Our website is http://www.wedlikeaword.com for information on Paul, Steve & our guests. We're on Twitter @wedlikeaword & Facebook @wedlikeaword & our email is wedlikeaword@gmail.com Yes, we're embarrassed by the missing apostrophes. We like to hear from you - questions, thoughts, ideas, guest or book suggestions. Perhaps you'd like to come on We'd Like A Word to chat, review or read out passages from books. Paul is writing a new cosy mystery series set in contemporary Delhi - more on that anon. And if you're still stuck for something to read now, may we recommend Blackwatertown, the thriller by Paul Waters or Cockerings, the comic classic by Stevyn Colgan.
22. We'd Like A Word hosts Paul Waters & Jonathan Kennedy interview stars of Indian & Irish literature and film making at the 2024 Jaipur Literature Festival at the British Library in London. (It's possible that Paul repeatedly referred to it as the Jaipur Literary Festival, but let's not quibble.) We hear from the man who is at every Indian gathering worth attending, JLF organiser Sanjoy Roy; Nazia Erum author of Mothering A Muslim; Dr Sunny Singh and Yasser Usman on the captivating appeal of Bollywood & Hindi films; diplomat Vikas Swarup, author of Q & A - which became the movie Slumdog Millionaire - and other novels; Irish author Liz Nugent who's novel Strange Sally Diamond has been topping book charts; & Indian film director Shekhar Kapoor whose movies include Elizabeth, Bandit Queen & the iconic Mr India. Brace yourself for startling revelations. WHO IS JONATHAN KENNEDY? WHY IS HE HERE? AND WHERE IS STEVYN COLGAN? Jonathan was Director of Arts in India for 5 years for the British Council. He's been everywhere in India and knows everyone there involved in culture. He was also for 12 years the Executive Director of Tara Arts, looking at the world through a South Asian lens. Jonathan is doing some India & South Asian episodes of We'd Like A Word with us. We'll drop them in every now & then. Normal service will be resumed with Steve & Paul shortly. We'd Like A Word is a podcast & radio show from authors Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan. We talk with writers, readers, editors, agents, celebrities, talkers, poets, publishers, booksellers, & audiobook creators about books - fiction & non-fiction. We go out on various radio & podcast platforms. Our website is http://www.wedlikeaword.com for information on Paul, Steve & our guests. We're on Twitter @wedlikeaword & Facebook @wedlikeaword & our email is wedlikeaword@gmail.com Yes, we're embarrassed by the missing apostrophes. We like to hear from you - questions, thoughts, ideas, guest or book suggestions. Perhaps you'd like to come on We'd Like A Word to chat, review or read out passages from books. Paul is writing a new cosy mystery series set in contemporary Delhi - more on that anon. And if you're still stuck for something to read now, may we recommend Blackwatertown, the thriller by Paul Waters or Cockerings, the comic classic by Stevyn Colgan.
21. Khushwant Singh Lit Fest: Indian, Pakistani & Bangladeshi authors - In this special We'd Like A Word India episode at the Khushwant Singh Literary Festival, co-hosts Paul Waters & Jonathan Kennedy (standing in for Stevyn Colgan) hear ideas from top authors of fiction, non-fiction, memoir & poetry & other experts. WARNING - one of our interviewees (Farrukh Dhondy) gets a bit sweary. WHO IS JONATHAN KENNEDY? WHY IS HE HERE? AND WHERE IS STEVYN COLGAN? Jonathan was Director of Arts in India for 5 years for the British Council. He's been everywhere in India and knows everyone there involved in culture. He was also for 12 years the Executive Director of Tara Arts, looking at the world through a South Asian lens. Jonathan is doing some India & South Asian episodes of We'd Like A Word with us. We'll drop them in every now & then. Normal service will be resumed with Steve & Paul shortly. Our guests on this WLAW KSLF episode include Harinder Singh, who with The Singh Twins & Gopinder Kaur has created the book Jewels of Sikh Wisdom; Pinky Lilani, cook, networker extraordinaire, founder of Asian Women of Achievement, & author of Some Kind of Wonderful; Nadia Kabir Barb of The Whole Kahani south Asian women's writers' collective & author of the short story collection, Truth or Dare; Farrukh Dhondy, author, playwright, media executive & activist - who writes about his bookish relationship with the notorious serial killer Charles Sobraj; Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi & her debut novel, The Centre; sisters Shirin & Marina Wheeler who write separately about their parents - Shirin on her father, the iconic journalist Charles Wheeler - Witness to the Twentieth Century, & Marina on her mother, Dip - The Lost Homestead - My Mother, Partition and the Punjab; poet Imtiaz Dharker on her latest collection, Shadow Reader; Aneysha Minocha, founder & CEO of Quantaco, the green tech, clean tech carbon-reducing start-up that grabbing attention; & Akshat rathi, author of Climate Capitalism, also senior reporter for Bloomberg news & host of the Zero podcast on climate change. Phew - that's loads! What is the Khushwant Singh Literary Festival? The Indian version happens in breathtakingly spectacular surroundings inside the military cantonment in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh, in the foothills of the Himalayas. Paul's been there. This recording is at the London spin-off at the Brunei Gallery at SOAS - the School of Oriental and African Studies. Khushwant Singh was one of India's most prolific authors, a scholar, journalist, iconoclast & dubbed "the most honest man in India." The festival is keen to promote closer ties between India & Pakistan; equal opportunities for women worldwide; & disseminating the values of democracy, tolerance, compassion in a world that is increasingly more polarised. We'd Like A Word is a podcast & radio show from authors Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan. We talk with writers, readers, editors, agents, celebrities, talkers, poets, publishers, booksellers, & audiobook creators about books - fiction & non-fiction. We go out on various radio & podcast platforms. Our website is http://www.wedlikeaword.com for information on Paul, Steve & our guests. We're on Twitter @wedlikeaword & Facebook @wedlikeaword & our email is wedlikeaword@gmail.com Yes, we're embarrassed by the missing apostrophes. We like to hear from you - questions, thoughts, ideas, guest or book suggestions. Perhaps you'd like to come on We'd Like A Word to chat, review or read out passages from books. Paul is writing a new cosy mystery series set in contemporary Delhi - more on that anon. And if you're still stuck for something to read now, may we recommend Blackwatertown, the thriller by Paul Waters or Cockerings, the comic classic by Stevyn Colgan.
20. John Hegley at Milton's Cottage: The BBC radio & Edinburgh Fringe favourite, British national treasure, poet, musician & comedian, John Hegley joins We'd Like A Word hosts Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan to perform & chat in front of an intimate live audience inside Milton's Cottage in Chalfont St Giles, where John Milton wrote his epic poem Paradise Lost, published in 1667. John Hegley is supported by the poet, musician and children's TV producer/editor Clare Elstow. Brace yourself for an eclectic mix of London & Luton literary & football memories, John Keats & John Milton, William & Henry Lawes, French language & music (Rameau), goldfish, a quick striptease, profound audience questions, & some rude & funny poetry. We'd Like A Word is a podcast & radio show from authors Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan. We talk with writers, readers, editors, agents, celebrities, talkers, poets, publishers, booksellers, & audiobook creators about books - fiction & non-fiction. We go out on various radio & podcast platforms. Our website is http://www.wedlikeaword.com for information on Paul, Steve & our guests. We're on Twitter @wedlikeaword & Facebook @wedlikeaword & our email is wedlikeaword@gmail.com Yes, we're embarrassed by the missing apostrophes. We like to hear from you - questions, thoughts, ideas, guest or book suggestions. Perhaps you'd like to come on We'd Like A Word to chat, review or read out passages from books. Paul is writing a new cosy mystery series set in contemporary Delhi - more on that anon. And if you're still stuck for something to read now, may we recommend Blackwatertown, the thriller by Paul Waters or Cockerings, the comic classic by Stevyn Colgan.
19. Mark Ecob on book cover design (part 1): The award-winning book cover designer, Mark Ecob, aka Mecob, tells We'd Like A Word hosts Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan how he does it. We also talk about in this 3 part episode: Ben Okri & Tiger Work, Alexander McCall Smith, Piers Torday, sustainable publishing & the Society of Authors, Roald Dahl, Amazon thumbnails, Will Dean & his book Dark Pines & the great cover by Mark Swan / Kid Ethic, Paul Kingsnorth & the challenge of having a good book cover name, genre fiction tropes, Blackwatertown by Paul Waters, Books by Stevyn Colgan, Ben Tallon's podcast - The Creative Condition, the threat of AI, author Ajay Chowdhury & cover designer Dan Mogford, & Lego. We'd Like A Word is a podcast & radio show from authors Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan. We talk with writers, readers, editors, agents, celebrities, talkers, poets, publishers, booksellers, & audiobook creators about books - fiction & non-fiction. We go out on various radio & podcast platforms. Our website is http://www.wedlikeaword.com for information on Paul, Steve & our guests. We're on Twitter @wedlikeaword & Facebook @wedlikeaword & our email is wedlikeaword@gmail.com Yes, we're embarrassed by the missing apostrophes. We like to hear from you - questions, thoughts, ideas, guest or book suggestions. Perhaps you'd like to come on We'd Like A Word to chat, review or read out passages from books. Paul is writing a new cosy mystery series set in contemporary Delhi - more on that anon. And if you're still stuck for something to read now, may we recommend Blackwatertown, the thriller by Paul Waters or Cockerings, the comic classic by Stevyn Colgan.
18. Mark Ecob on book cover design (part 2): The award-winning book cover designer, Mark Ecob, aka Mecob, tells We'd Like A Word hosts Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan how he does it. We also talk about in this 3 part episode: Ben Okri & Tiger Work, Alexander McCall Smith, Piers Torday, sustainable publishing & the Society of Authors, Roald Dahl, Amazon thumbnails, Will Dean & his book Dark Pines & the great cover by Mark Swan / Kid Ethic, Paul Kingsnorth & the challenge of having a good book cover name, genre fiction tropes, Blackwatertown by Paul Waters, Books by Stevyn Colgan, Ben Tallon's podcast - The Creative Condition, the threat of AI, author Ajay Chowdhury & cover designer Dan Mogford, & Lego. We'd Like A Word is a podcast & radio show from authors Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan. We talk with writers, readers, editors, agents, celebrities, talkers, poets, publishers, booksellers, & audiobook creators about books - fiction & non-fiction. We go out on various radio & podcast platforms. Our website is http://www.wedlikeaword.com for information on Paul, Steve & our guests. We're on Twitter @wedlikeaword & Facebook @wedlikeaword & our email is wedlikeaword@gmail.com Yes, we're embarrassed by the missing apostrophes. We like to hear from you - questions, thoughts, ideas, guest or book suggestions. Perhaps you'd like to come on We'd Like A Word to chat, review or read out passages from books. Paul is writing a new cosy mystery series set in contemporary Delhi - more on that anon. And if you're still stuck for something to read now, may we recommend Blackwatertown, the thriller by Paul Waters or Cockerings, the comic classic by Stevyn Colgan.
17. Mark Ecob on book cover design (part 3): The award-winning book cover designer, Mark Ecob, aka Mecob, tells We'd Like A Word hosts Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan how he does it. We also talk about in this 3 part episode: Ben Okri & Tiger Work, Alexander McCall Smith, Piers Torday, sustainable publishing & the Society of Authors, Roald Dahl, Amazon thumbnails, Will Dean & his book Dark Pines & the great cover by Mark Swan / Kid Ethic, Paul Kingsnorth & the challenge of having a good book cover name, genre fiction tropes, Blackwatertown by Paul Waters, Books by Stevyn Colgan, Ben Tallon's podcast - The Creative Condition, the threat of AI, author Ajay Chowdhury & cover designer Dan Mogford, & Lego. We'd Like A Word is a podcast & radio show from authors Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan. We talk with writers, readers, editors, agents, celebrities, talkers, poets, publishers, booksellers, & audiobook creators about books - fiction & non-fiction. We go out on various radio & podcast platforms. Our website is http://www.wedlikeaword.com for information on Paul, Steve & our guests. We're on Twitter @wedlikeaword & Facebook @wedlikeaword & our email is wedlikeaword@gmail.com Yes, we're embarrassed by the missing apostrophes. We like to hear from you - questions, thoughts, ideas, guest or book suggestions. Perhaps you'd like to come on We'd Like A Word to chat, review or read out passages from books. Paul is writing a new cosy mystery series set in contemporary Delhi - more on that anon. And if you're still stuck for something to read now, may we recommend Blackwatertown, the thriller by Paul Waters or Cockerings, the comic classic by Stevyn Colgan.
16. Chiltern Kills crime writing festival with Frederick Forsyth & many more top authors: Thriller writing icon Frederick Forsyth tells We'd Like A Word hosts Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan about his legacy & his first ever appearance at a literary festival in this one-part episode. It was recorded (mostly) live at the Chiltern Kills festival in Gerrards Cross in October 2023. All ticket sales went to the Centrepoint charity combating youth homelessness. The Chiltern Kills festival is organised by Paul Waters & fellow author Tony Kent - who also features in this episode. & whose next thriller, The Shadow Network, is out in February 2024. We also hear from crime authors Rachel Ward, Derek Farrell, SJ Bennett, JL Blackhurst, Laura Marshall, Leye Adenle (twice), Cate Quinn, Susi Holliday & BBC and Bestsellers Pod presenters Phil Williams & Natalie Jamieson. AND exclusive news on who is appearing at Chiltern Kills 2024 on 5th October 2024. Plus Sue Dorman, Marguerite Fletcher, Laurie Stone & others. And with thanks to Centrepoint, Sacla UK, Cipriani Bellinis, Chorleywood and Gerrards Cross Bookshops, Milton's Cottage Museum in Chalfont St Giles & Vision Care for Homeless People. By the way - if you'd like to be a book reviewer for this podcast, get in touch via our email or socials, listed below. We'd Like A Word is a podcast & radio show from authors Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan. We talk with writers, readers, editors, agents, celebrities, talkers, poets, publishers, booksellers, & audiobook creators about books - fiction & non-fiction. We go out on various radio & podcast platforms. Our website is http://www.wedlikeaword.com for information on Paul, Steve & our guests. We're on Twitter @wedlikeaword & Facebook @wedlikeaword & our email is wedlikeaword@gmail.com Yes, we're embarrassed by the missing apostrophes. We like to hear from you - questions, thoughts, ideas, guest or book suggestions. Perhaps you'd like to come on We'd Like A Word to chat, review or read out passages from books. Paul is writing a new cosy mystery series set in contemporary Delhi - more on that anon. And if you're still stuck for something to read now, may we recommend Blackwatertown, the thriller by Paul Waters or One Step Ahead: Notes from the Problem Solving Unit, the policing classic by Stevyn Colgan.