Welcome to the Waterstones Podcast, a chance to hear authors going beyond the book to talk about the themes and ideas that obsess us all. This is a books podcast with a difference, drawing on the regular appearances of authors nationwide in our events and the more intimate conversations recorded in the studio, each episode will take a different theme and see where it takes us. As Dylan Thomas said, we shall begin at the beginning, with David Nicholls joining our podcast team to chat about his beginnings as a Waterstones bookseller, as an actor and then as a writer. ‘Beginnings’ will also feature Michael Palin on those first steps to any journey and Tomi Adeyemi on realising the power of being seen in encouraging new writers to put their words to the page. So join us over the next few weeks as season one takes us through friendship, family, success, sex and perfection. We’ll be hearing from Arundhati Roy, Sebastian Faulks, Jeanette Winterson, Tash Aw, Angie Thomas, Elizabeth Day and many, many more.

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.