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

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

Author: Penguin Books UK December 4, 2025 Duration: 50:39

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 remote islands in her latest thriller, The Blue Hour. She also helps us tackle your listener questions with a stack of gripping recommendations to guide you to your next great read.


Explore all the books mentioned on this episode: Click here


Paula Hawkins worked as a journalist for fifteen years before writing her first novel. Born and brought up in Zimbabwe, she moved to London in 1989. Her first thriller The Girl on the Train became a global phenomenon, selling over 23 million copies. Published in over fifty languages, it was a No.1 bestseller around the world and a box-office-hit film starring Emily Blunt.


Paula's subsequent thrillers have all been instant Sunday Times bestsellers. In 2021 A Slow Fire Burning was nominated for Thriller of the Year at the British Book Awards, and in 2025 The Blue Hour was voted the Good Housekeeping Good Books winner.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


Ever find yourself staring at a bookshelf, utterly paralysed by choice, or finishing a masterpiece only to feel that peculiar emptiness of not knowing where to go next? Ask Penguin is for that exact moment. Guided by host Rhianna Dhillon, this podcast from Penguin Books UK transforms those universal readerly dilemmas into lively conversation. Each episode tackles real questions from listeners-the quirky, the tricky, the desperately urgent-about what to read next. The answers don’t come from an algorithm, but from genuine dialogue with bestselling authors and the editors, designers, and passionate insiders who help bring books to life. You’ll find yourself revisiting beloved classics with fresh eyes and being introduced to hidden gems you might have otherwise missed. It’s a warm, insightful space that feels like having a brilliant friend in the publishing world, one who knows that a great book recommendation is about more than just plot; it’s about connection, mood, and the next perfect story waiting to crack open your world. Tune in for thoughtful discussions that celebrate the sheer breadth of literature, from page-turning fiction to groundbreaking non-fiction, all within the vibrant landscape of arts and culture. This is where curiosity meets its match, and your next favourite read is always just an episode away.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Ask Penguin
Podcast Episodes
Tom Crewe with Nihal Arthanayake [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:07
This week on the Penguin Podcast, Nihal is joined by one of Granta's Best of Young British novelists and recent recipient of the Orwell Prize for political fiction, novelists Tom Crewe.Tom Joins us to discuss his incredi…
Maxine Mei-Fung Chung with Isy Suttie [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:41
This week on the Penguin Podcast, Isy Suttie talks to author and psychoanalytic psychotherapist, Maxine Mei-Fung Chung. Maxine joins us to discuss her latest book, What Women Want, an intimate examination of female desir…
Sophie Mackintosh with Isy Suttie [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:05
This week on the Penguin Podcast, Isy Suttie is joined by Booker and Woman's Prize longlisted author and one of Granta's Best Young British Novelists, Sophie Mackintosh.Sophie joins us to discuss her latest novel, Cursed…
Chris van Tulleken with Isy Suttie [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:47
This week on the Penguin Podcast, Isy Suttie is joined by medical doctor, academic and science populariser and presenter, Chris van Tulleken.Chris joins us to discuss his latest book, Ultra Processed People: Why Do We Al…
Jyoti Patel with Nihal Arthanayake [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:50
This week on the Penguin Podcast, Nihal Arthanayake is joined by the second winner of Stormzy's Merky Books Prize, and she was also one of the Observer's best new novelists, it's Jyoti Patel.Jyoti joins us to discuss her…
Jonathan Kennedy with Isy Suttie [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:14
This week on the Penguin Podcast, Isy Suttie is joined by professor and writer, Jonathan Kennedy. Jonathan joins us to discuss his debut work of non-fiction, Pathogenesis, a look at the latest science of infectious disea…
Diana Evans with Isy Suttie [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:51
This week on the Penguin Podcast, Isy Suttie is joined by award-winning author, Diana EvansDiana joins us to discuss her latest novel, A House for Alice, the follow-up to the best-selling and critically acclaimed, Ordina…
Sarah Bakewell with Isy Suttie [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:21
This week on the Penguin Podcast, Isy Suttie is joined by award-winning author and professor, Sarah Bakewell.Sarah joins us to discuss her latest work of nonfiction, Humanly Possible: seven hundred years of humanist free…
Carlo Rovelli with Nihal Arthanayake [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:12
This week on the Penguin Podcast, Nihal is joined by writer, science populariser and theoretical, Carlo Rovelli. He joins us to talk about the new English translation of his first book, Anaximander.They all also discuss…
Julian Barnes with Nihal Arthanayake [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:19
This week on the Penguin Podcast, Nihal Arthanayake is joined by English writer and national treasure, Julian Barnes.He joins us to discuss the paperback publication of his most recent novel, Elizabeth Finch. Nihal and J…