The Author Archive Podcast

A Line in the Sand is a novel about two friends on an adventure in the Middle East based on an actual journey two real life friends took to Saudi Arabia and Damascus in 2006. 

One of the inspirations for the trip was T.E Lawrence - Lawrence of Arabia. The two authors Miles Spencer and Wells Jones had worked on a stage play based on the life of Lawrence and they decided to take a trip to see the landscape for themselves and meet the people Lawrence identified with.

This conversation with Wells Jones took place on 15th January 2025 when a cease fire had just been signed between Israel and Hamsas.

Line in the Sand explains some of the long history behind the conflict in the Middle East.

 

 

 

There is a new BBC TV history series by Simon Schama, The Story of Us.

In the first programme Simon highlights the huge impact that Alan Sillitoe's novel 'Saturday Night and Sunday Morning' had when it was published in 1958.

Alan Sillitoe spoke to David Freeman when his novel Birthday was published in 2001.

Birthday is the sequel to Saturday Night and Sunday Morning.

1958 to 2001 is a ling time to wait for a sequel.

So why did it take so long?

This glorious popular science books tells the story of how black holes that were  thought to be too ridiculous to exist in 1916 had by 1971  been proved to exist.

Einstein thought they were impossible but in 1971 Paul Murdin and Louise Webster discovered the very first black hole, Cygnus X-1

Marcus tells the story of these extraordinary people who discovered that black holes are centre stage in the cosmos. Indeed without black holes it is unlikely that we would exist.

Fasten your seat belts and prepare to be amazed.

A great book for the curious!!

 

 

 

Rebecca Beattie identifies as a witch.

A few days before Hallowe'en Rebecca tells David Freeman how the world looks to her through the lens of her pagan world view. 

The latest census information confirms that Rebecca's beliefs are gaining in popularity

 

Terry Pratchett was a great supporter of the move to legalise assisted dying. This was partly due to his early onset Alzheimer's Disease which was diagnosed when he was in his 50s. He described the condition as as an embuggerance.

Terry Pratchett died in 2015.

This is a conversation from the archive recorded at his home office in Wiltshire.

Terry started life writing when he was just a boy and in adult life became press officer for the nuclear power stations of the Central Electricity Board.

When the Pratchett books became hugely successful he gave up the day job and by 1996 he was the bestselling author in the UK.

In public he always wore a big hat, and in his Wiltshire studio he was an early adopter of a robot vacuum cleaner. When he wrote he worked on four computer screens simultaneously. 

Great guy!

This interview was recorded in 2001 and in the introduction recorded at the time I say that the story is no longer relevant as the Taliban are  no longer in charge.

This was true at the time but sadly the Taliban are back and the the story of The Breadwinner is all too relevant again. Did the UK let these people down?

 

Emeritus Professor Sir Barry Cunliffe is an academic archaeologist who writes enthusiastically and engagingly about his passions.

In this interview he talks to me about his book which tells the whole of African human history focussing on the Sahara.

Sir Barry takes the story of us from our evolution through to the present day. Is he optimistic about our survival?

Steve Kershaw has two personas .... he is Steve the musician and Dr Stephen the classics tutor.

He is involved in two new projects.

One is a magnificent illustrated childrens encyclopedia of gods, monsters and mortals from ancient Greece.

The other is a jazz trio recording. Steve is the Oxfordshire based bass player. The pianist and saxophonist Leonid and Nick Vintskevich are Russian .

As Steve tells me the wide geographical distribution sometimes make rehearsal tricky!

The record is called 'I'll Show You a Beautiful Country.

Taylor Swift attracts huge interest in her song lyrics. They are studied as poetry.

Rowland Bagnall is a different sort of poet. Near - Life Experience,  his new collection is just published

When I spoke to him we talked about his poetic motivation and the process of writing these concentrated nuggets of observation.

His replies are thoughtful and enlightening.

Tim Coulson talks about his book which tells the  amazing story of 13.8 billion years of history from the Big Bang to you!

It is a wonderful read - inspiring, gripping and fascinating.

And just a thought .... did a deity have a hand in the story?

Tim explains his view!