The Book Alchemist

Heather Suttie
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The Book Alchemist

Life is too short for shit books! The Book Alchemist celebrates the magic of reading and the joy of great storytelling. Our guests are from all walks of life and each one shares the books which have shaped their lives or the ones which they have penned. Some are authors, and well known names, some are people who love reading. They all have a story or two to share about the books they love. And why...

  1. 06/06/2024

    The Book Alchemist with Heather Suttie and Helen Fields

    Sunday Times Best Seller, million copy and twice long-listed for the McIllvanney Scottish Crime Book of the Year and an author whose books have been translated across the globe, Helen Fields consistently produces high impact, compelling novels that readers love. A former criminal and family law barrister, Helen has the expertise and experience to make the characters and plots scorch with authenticity.  With a background as both a prosecutor and defence counsel, Helen Fields has a depth of knowledge about crime that lends a fierceness to her writing. From Courts Martials to care proceedings, the Coroner Courts to the Crown Court, Fields draws on her professional years for the extraordinary colour and texture that makes her writing jump off the page. The 'Perfect' series, set in Edinburgh, introduced the world to DI Luc Callanach. This year saw the release of Degrees of Guilt, her first psychological thriller in the name HS Chandler, a book as shockingly realistic as it is darkly entertaining.  ​Helens' latest character creation is Dr Connie Woolwine, an American forensic psychologist and profiler, based on a real FBI Agent who consulted on the first book. You can find Connie in The Shadow Man, One For Sorrow and The Institution. And look out for her latest propulsive thriller Profile K. ​.

    27 min

  2. 05/30/2024

    The Book Alchemist with Heather Suttie and Helen Fitzgerald

    57 year-old author Helen Fitzgerald has written more than a dozen best selling novels. She has worked as a criminal justice social worker for over ten years. Helen grew up in Victoria, Australia and now lives in Glasgow with her screenwriter husband and family. We discuss her own books including Dead Lovely, The Cry and its BAFTA winning screen adaptation plus the inspiration for her latest novel Halfway House.

    29 min

  3. 05/23/2024

    The Book Alchemist with Heather Suttie and Reece Donnelly

    Reece Donnelly is the brilliant, 27 year-old founder of Theatre School of Scotland. He was also a competitor on The Apprentice. Reading is a big part of the work he does with children and it fuels his professional ambitions. He shares insights into The Apprentice and what he's learned about himself as a result of that experience. We discuss great stories and the titles he loves which include: The Secret by Rhonda ByrneUnlimited Power by Anthony RobbinsThe Third Door by Alex BanayanLaura Whitmore's No One Can Change Your Life Except For YouBecoming Mollie MaeLord Sugar's What You See is What You Get

    28 min

  4. 05/16/2024

    The Book Alchemist with Heather Suttie and Sarah Frame

    Sarah Frame is a grandmother and the award winning founder of The Book Nook, a community bookshop in Stewarton, Ayrshire in Scotland. The Book Nook scooped Scotland's independent bookshop of the year in 2024. We discuss books and authors she loves including John Boyne's Water, Earth, Fire and Air ( to be released ), Douglas Skelton, John Niven, Caro Ramsay, Denzyl Meyrick, Donna Ashworth, Len Penny, The Force by Paul Hardisty, Valerie Perrin's Fresh Water for Flowers and more.

    33 min

  5. 05/09/2024

    The Book Alchemist with Heather Suttie and Dr Lesley McDowell

    Dr Lesley McDowell is a novelist and writer of non-fiction, she was a lecturer in English Literature at St Andrews University, then became a full-time freelance literary critic, writing for publications like The Herald, The Scotsman, The Guardian, The Times Literary Supplement and others. Her first novel, The Picnic, was published in 2007, and her second –Unfashioned Creatures - about Mary Shelley’s Scottish childhood friend, was published in 2013. We discuss the books she loves and her latest novel, Clairmont.

    33 min

  6. 05/02/2024

    The Book Alchemist with Heather Suttie and Seb McKay

    Seb McKay is probably Oscar Wilde's biggest fan, he loves reading and words are his life. Seb is a self confessed nerd; he loves Japanese culture, shares the bookshops he loves and how a year of reading dangerously changed the way he reads. We discuss the books and authors which have great meaning for him: Blurb Your Enthusiasm by Louise WilderClaire Keegan's So Late in the DayWhite Teeth by Zadie SmithGirl, Woman, Other by Bernardine EvaristoThe Travelling Cat Chronicles Hiro ArikawaOther People's Beds by Anna Punsoda Paradise Rot by Jenny HvalEarthlings by Sayaka MurataConvenience Store Woman by Sayaka MurataPriestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood The Portrait of Dorian Gray Weird F***s by Lynne Tillman

    32 min

  7. 04/25/2024

    The Book Alchemist with Heather Suttie and Donna Ashworth

    Donna Ashworth is a Sunday Times bestselling author, poet and lover of words who found fame with her work in her 40s. She originally self-published her work. Celebrity fans include Fearne Cotton, Tess Daly, Elizabeth Day, Mark Owen, Davina McCall, Susannah Constantine and many more. Donna's current book Wild Hope is a #1 bestseller since its release in 2023. We discuss her journey and finding hope and comfort during life's most challenging times. We discuss Louise Hay, Bryony Gordon and The Goddess Path by Kirsty Gallacher.

    34 min

  8. 04/18/2024

    The Book Alchemist with Heather Suttie and Mike Kernan

    Mike Kernan is an avid reader and has written a few books himself. We discuss his journey to becoming a self-published author of The Fenian and Stopping to Rain, plus the books he loves including the works of John Boyne, and William McIlvanney and we discover who the best editor in his life is.

    28 min
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About

Life is too short for shit books! The Book Alchemist celebrates the magic of reading and the joy of great storytelling. Our guests are from all walks of life and each one shares the books which have shaped their lives or the ones which they have penned. Some are authors, and well known names, some are people who love reading. They all have a story or two to share about the books they love. And why...

Information

  • Creator
    Heather Suttie
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2024
  • Episodes
    31
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2024 Heather Suttie
  • Show Website
    The Book Alchemist

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