The Hobcast Book Show

"Write what you know." It's probably the most over-used piece of advice to aspiring authors. That said, if what you know is being a private investigator, that's not a bad piece of advice for a potent…

What does it take to translate fiction? That's the question for our guest this week on The Hobcast Book Show, Quentin Bates, who in recent years has built a career as a translator of Icelandic fictio…

It's that time of the year - Harrogate! This week the show comes from the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, the UK's premier event celebrating the genre. Joining us at The Old Swan Hote…

What if? Two simple words that can unlock a world of stories. Throw in a few more questions, examine your ideas from different angles, and you can really come up with a compelling story. That's certa…

We've often said on The Hobcast Book Show that are more than a few similarities between the book trade and the music business. True, it's not often that an author fills a stadium with screaming fans,…

It's one thing to teach English for a living, it's another to practice what you preach. Our guest this week, Louise Mumford, after years at the front of the classroom, has now established herself as …

This week's Hobcast Book Show is a departure from our usual subject areas. We're joined by the co-authors of Vitalising Purpose, Jonathan Bland and Jamie Veitch. Drawing on their years of experience …

What's behind the enduring popularity of the 'locked room' mystery? Agatha Christie was without question the queen of the genre, but they remain a mainstay of crime publishing. Our guest this week, H…

You might imagine we've lost our minds here at The Hobcast Book Show with an episode title like this, but, believe it or not, it's a common Icelandic phrase, such is the power and popularity of liter…

In a departure for The Hobcast Book Show we're bringing you a special episode celebrating the launch of one of our latest Hobeck titles, The Bad Neighbour by Jennie Ensor which has raced to number on…

We all know how a crime is investigated don't we? After all, we've read enough books, watched enough TV cop shows and read the papers. Interviewing a suspect? We'd all give it a fair go wouldn't we? …

There's no doubt that editing can make a huge difference to any finished work of fiction or non-fiction. Our guest this week, Abbie Rutherford, describes her move from social worker to copy editor an…

We've linked up with Japan this week to speak to our guest, sci-fi author Jude Austin. As Jude tells us, her dreams of becoming an actress ended when a bad knee injury forced her to abandon her train…

It's always a delight to share launch week with a debut novelist on The Hobcast Book Show. Rachel Corsini once dreamed of Broadway and ballet success, especially during her teenage years as a student…

Crowdfunding is becoming a  growing factor in independent publishing. You have a book you would like to publish, but need funds to cover the editing, production and promotion. The solution? Ask your …

It's one of the sadder realities of modern publishing: the traditional market for well-told short stories is drying up with the closure of magazines all over the world. That's certainly the case in t…

We're all storytellers at heart in the fiction publishing world, right? Our guest this week, thriller author Amer Anwar's personal story though is truly astonishing. Brought up in Southall in West Lo…

Our guest this week is no stranger to awards recognition. Heleen Kist is the author of three published psychological thrillers, the first two of which were shortlisted for a host of major internation…

If there's one genre that has dominated the mystery and suspense market in recent years, it is psychological suspense and thrillers. Our guest this week, Louise Mangos, has built a strong reputation …

It's probably the number one piece of advice handed out to all aspirant authors - "write what you know." Our guest this week has perhaps drawn on this advice in two key regards: write where you know,…