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Of Leprechauns & Lawyers

Posted: Tue, 14 May 2013 23:12:05 +0100

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More news and debate from the confluence of writing, publishing and the law. Presented by leading lawyer Donna Ballman with literary agent Peter Cox. Don't forget - you can post topics for Donna to discuss in the Comments section, below.

Links from this show:

The Singing Dentist

Posted: Fri, 10 May 2013 11:27:54 +0100

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What are you going to do about a bad - really bad - online review? This week's show features one dentist's (you read that right, folks) creative response - she owns the copyright in your review! Plus tons of other timely topics that writers need to know about, including:
Presented by leading lawyer Donna Ballman with literary agent Peter Cox.

The Listener in the Shadows

Posted: Tue, 07 May 2013 12:47:32 +0100

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It's not often we have a real-life spy as our special guest on LAD - but tonight, stepping out of the shadows and into our spotlight is special guest Major David Thorp - a man who has spent his entire life in signals intelligence (SIGINT)... from the Cold War to the Falklands, and everything in-between.

SIGINT is one of the least-known but most important aspects of battlefield and peacetime intelligence gathering. David's book, The Silent Listener - Falklands 1982: The Inside Story of British Electronic Surveillance and Intel Controversies, ignited a firestorm of controversy when it was published... and tonight we get our teeth into his insider's revelations about the sinking of the Belgrano and much more besides.

If you're an arm-chair historian or writer, this show is utterly unmissable. Presented by Peter Cox and Ian Winn.
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

Being English

Posted: Tue, 23 Apr 2013 10:22:52 +0100

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On this Saint George's Day, Garry welcomes Robin Tilbrook, chairman of The English Democrats, and poses the question - what exactly does it mean to be English?

And just how close is patriotism to nationalism - to racism? It's a minefield out there! As always, Garry dispenses with the niceties of Political Correctness in the pursuit of truth. And justice. And the English way.

A great, thought-provoking show - pass the link on!

And in the meantime, join in the discussion on the website.
Download the show as mp3 file
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Get Up, Stand Up: Stand Up For Your Rights!

Posted: Fri, 19 Apr 2013 21:30:32 +0100

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Here's whats important to writers, right now:
Presented by leading lawyer Donna Ballman with literary agent Peter Cox.

Bullets On The Brain

Posted: Wed, 17 Apr 2013 10:08:34 +0100

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Whether rubbishing a hip-hop band or infiltrating white supremacists, investigative reporter David Holthouse has faced and held a lot of guns.

From almost his first professional feature he's been shot at, threatened, taken into hiding by police, nearly abducted by right-wing militias and, in his most famous piece, Stalking the Boogeyman arrested after publishing a plot to murder his childhood abuser.

Consequently, David Holthouse is that rare thing: a gun-control advocate armed to the teeth. Today we feature the life and times of this remarkable and brave individual. The last of a rare breed of undercover journalists who risk their lives not only to get the story but to expose America's many monsters to the light of day. Lock and load-- it's time to get Gonzo!

Presented by Peter Cox, Ali Gardiner, Dave Bartram and Ian Winn.

Join us in the chat room for next week's live show!
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

Everything Is Under Control

Posted: Fri, 05 Apr 2013 10:28:52 +0100

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"The only people who call conspiracies 'theories'" says tonight's guest, Jay Weidner, "are the conspirators themselves."

But where do you stand on conspiracy theories? Some flatly deny there are any such things... in which case, how do you explain, oh - the assassination of Julius Caesar, Watergate, and the Gulf of Tonkin incident?

At the other extreme, others (Alex Jones, for example) appear to see every dog's bark as evidence of a cunningly-plotted New World Order agenda.

Jay's own work as an author, filmmaker and hermetic scholar involves a fair amount of highly controversial topics - he's the director of several controversial documentaries, including Kubrick's Odyssey, Infinity; The Ultimate Trip, and the forthcoming feature film, Shasta.

Hailed by Wired Magazine an “authority on the hermetic and alchemical traditions,” Jay's personal story is as interesting as the topics he covers. Join us for a provocative and thought-provoking conversation: you may just have a few preconceptions shattered!

Presented by Peter Cox, Ali Gardiner, Dave Bartram and Ian Winn.

Join us in the chat room for next week's live show!

NOTE: This was such an interesting show that we recorded an additional 20 minutes bonus content on the subject of Jay's close friend, Terence McKenna. To listen, simply subscribe (it's free) to our shows via RSS feed or iTunes.
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

Everything Is Under Control - Bonus Content!

Posted: Fri, 05 Apr 2013 10:32:37 +0100

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An additional 20 minutes bonus content on the subject of Terence McKenna.
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

The First Sale Doctrine

Posted: Tue, 02 Apr 2013 15:40:48 +0100

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Never heard of it? If you're a writer, you need to know what it is... because it's going to rock your world to its foundations.

Other items mentioned on this show:
Presented by leading lawyer Donna Ballman with literary agent Peter Cox.

The Love of Money

Posted: Sat, 30 Mar 2013 22:51:15 GMT

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British Prime Minister David Cameron and his Chancellor George Osborne are currently enforcing "savage" spending cuts that, in Cameron's own words, "will change our whole way of life".

Why?

What have the British people done to deserve this punishment?

Tonight's guest, Professor L. Randall Wray, has got some very revealing answers.

If you want to know how we got in this mess - listen to this show.

If you want to know what's going to happen next - listen to this show.

And if you want to know what we might be able to do about it... you know what to do.

This is one of our very best - and most important - shows. Please: tell all your friends about it.

Presented by Peter Cox, Ali Gardiner, Dave Bartram and Ian Winn.

Join us in the chat room for next week's live show!
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

Voulez Vous Cartoonez Avec Moi, Ce Soir?

Posted: Fri, 29 Mar 2013 22:54:57 GMT

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Our guest tonight, Matt Madden is a world-renowned cartoonist best known for the experimental work 99 Ways to Tell a Story: Exercises in Style - based on Raymond Queneau's Exercises in Style, which was originally itself derived from Aristophanes.

Matt teaches comics at the School of Visual Arts and Yale University, and is currently on an extended residency at La Maison des Auteurs in Angoulême, France. We don't over comics and graphic novels as much as we really ought to here on LAD... this is our chance to make amends - so comic aficionados - enjoy!

Presented by Peter Cox, Ali Gardiner, Dave Bartram and Ian Winn.

Picture by Art Freak

Join us in the chat room for next week's live show!
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

Sex and the Bipolar Explorer

Posted: Fri, 29 Mar 2013 13:39:20 GMT

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We've got a lovely Easter chocolate-box full of naughtiness for you this week! All tied up in a saucy bow. Choose from a tempting selection of fillings, including:
- How do Polar explorers have sex?
- The worst celebrity books of all time
- Jimmy Savile's Personal Grooming Tips
- How Barbara Cartland's face was held together by tape
- Why the Keeper of the Royal Stool should resign
- And our favourite chestnut... JK Rowling's breast size
The entirely wonderful, not to say intrepid, Kari Herbert is back with us: her new book Polar Wives tells the stories of the remarkable women behind the world's most daring explorers - a great read if the Easter weather takes a turn for the worse. And should you accidentally over-indulge yourself with holiday treats, don't panic - the hilarious and witty Jane Wenham-Jones is ready and waiting with 100 Ways to Fight the Flab – The Wannabe Guide to a Better Bottom.

Happy Easter, everyone - see you in a couple of weeks!

Join us in the chat room for next week's live show!
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

King of The Football Factory

Posted: Thu, 28 Mar 2013 12:20:31 GMT

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John King will forever be recognized for his debut novel The Football Factory - an instant word-of-mouth success. Heralded as a ‘state of the nation’ novel by some reviewers, others criticized its aversion to political correctness.

Football fans and the wider public made it a best-seller, with more than 250,000 copies sold in the UK to date. Filmed by director Nick Love, starring Danny Dyer and Dudley Sutton, the presence of a number of known Chelsea hooligans among the film's extras caused great excitement in the media.

Join us for a fascinating conversation between Garry and John, whose interests are far and wide... football (obviously), music (of course) but also John's publishing company, London Books, which is dedicated to both today's emerging authors and the marginalized fiction of London’s forgotten working-class writing.

And in the meantime, join in the discussion on the website.

The Slog: Exposing Weapons of Mass Distraction

Posted: Mon, 11 Mar 2013 11:01:09 GMT

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Our guest tonight is a former high-flying advertising maven who today runs one of the most wildly popular non-aligned political blogs on the 'net - The Slog. Blogger John Ward can give much of mainstream a run for their money: tackling subjects that are mostly off their radar, or too "sensitive" for them to even mention.

Long before traditional media had acknowledged the appalling Jimmy Saville scandal, John was uncovering endemic and institutional paedophilia - involving public officials and legal figures at the highest level.

What makes John tick? Tonight's show gets under the surface of one of the 'nets most interesting personalities.

Presented by Peter Cox, Ali Gardiner, Dave Bartram and Ian Winn.

Join us in the chat room for next week's live show!
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

The Causes of the First World War

Posted: Sun, 10 Mar 2013 14:15:43 GMT

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It was supposed to be "the war that will end war" - according to the misplaced optimism of British author H.G. Wells, and countless others like him who cheerfully expected "our boys" to be home by Christmas 1914. Involving all the world's great powers, more than 70 million combatants, and over 9 million fatalities, it became one of the largest wars in history.

And perhaps most tragically, those who died in the trenches, or on the shores of Gallipoli, had no inkling of the underlying causes, quarrels and agendas for which they were to sacrifice their lives. While its origins are still hotly debated by historians, this is no mere academic discussion. As you'll hear in tonight's totally engrossing show, the legacy of the Great War is still very much with us today - setting the agenda for many of the current events in the Middle East and beyond.

Our special guest is acclaimed historian Professor Sean McMeekin, whose radical and assiduous scholarship has shed much new light on this much-misunderstood conflict. Sean's books include The Berlin-Baghdad Express: The Ottoman Empire and Germany's Bid for World Power, The Russian Origins of the First World War, and the forthcoming July 1914: Countdown to War.

Presented by Neill Denny and Peter Cox.

Join us in the chat room for next week's live show!
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

The Game's Afoot!

Posted: Sat, 09 Mar 2013 21:14:49 GMT

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Who owns Sherlock Holmes? Patricia Cornwell wins bigtime! Conrad Black stalks Random House... and our favorite plagiarist, Jonah Lehrer!

Presented by leading lawyer Donna Ballman with literary agent Peter Cox.

Litvinenko: Murder Most Foul

Posted: Tue, 05 Mar 2013 22:20:09 GMT

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At the age of 43, a few weeks after he secured British citizenship, former KGB and FSB officer Alexander Litvinenko was murdered: the world's first victim of polonium 210 poisoning. The Litvinenko killing revealed that London has quietly become not only the single greatest centre of Russian capital outside Moscow, but also a turbulent seat of Russian opposition.

Our special guest tonight is Alan Cowell, senior correspondent for the New York Times, based in London and Paris. Few people know more about this extraordinary subject than Alan; his book “The Terminal Spy” is the definitive work on the topic, and he continues to report on the story as it unfolds for NYTimes.com.

Alan typifies old-school journalism at its best. He was the last Reuters correspondent to file dispatches by carrier pigeon, and has covered stories in over 90 countries. He won a George Polk Award for his coverage of the broadening turmoil in South Africa that led to the end of apartheid. He was expelled from the country by the government of P.W. Botha in early 1987.

Since then, he has headed The New York Times’s bureaus in Greece, Egypt, Italy, Germany and London, where he the Nathaniel Nash Award.

Alan has written three other books: an African memoir, “Killing the Wizards”; and two novels, “A Walking Guide” and its sequel, “The Paris Correspondent”, which deals in part with the challenges of the new digital era in news gathering and reporting.

Join us in the chat room for next week's live show!
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

Death To All Hobbits!

Posted: Wed, 20 Feb 2013 15:18:27 GMT

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Multi-award-winning author Mal Peet joins us for this special show: Mal's off to New Zealand to teach a three-month creative writing workshop at the University of Wellington: before he visits the Land Of The Long White Cloud, he's here to share his thoughts about this week's topics... and also about hobbits (warning: Tolkien fans take cover!).

Presented by leading lawyer Donna Ballman with literary agent Peter Cox.

Fighting For Libraries

Posted: Mon, 18 Feb 2013 10:35:59 GMT

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This week, bestselling children's writer Terry Deary - author of the mega-million-selling Horrible Histories series - condemned libraries to the scrapheap of, er, history.

Libraries "have been around too long", he believes, and are "no longer relevant". Deary is the seventh most-borrowed children's writer in UK libraries - so presumably he knows what he's talking about.

Or does he? Challenging his view that "the concept behind libraries is no longer relevant" is fellow children's author and libraries campaigner Alan Gibbons. Also appearing on this special edition of LAD is Chair of The Library Campaign Laura Swaffield.

This is a vital, timely show for everyone who cares about the dwindling provision of public library services in the UK and beyond. Because make no mistake: there is a political dimension to this. With 212 UK libraries closed last year, and 300 more on the chopping block this year, we have to act now. Or never.

And a sobering reminder. According to a March 2012 report, 'The Economic and Social Cost of Illiteracy' published by the World Literacy Foundation:

"22% of the UK's population is estimated to be functionally illiterate, meaning they may have difficulty with basic tasks such as applying for a job, writing a letter to their MP or reading their child's school report. Illiteracy is estimated to cost the UK economy approximately $127 billion a year (£81 billion)."

The cost of maintaining the UK Library Service is approximately £900 p.a.

Presented by Peter Cox, Ali Gardiner and Ian Winn.

Join us in the chat room for next week's live show!
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

Rhett Butler: Giving A Danum

Posted: Thu, 14 Feb 2013 23:14:24 GMT

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He's been charged by elephants, black-listed by the Malaysian government, caught-up in tribal warfare in New Guinea and been bitten, stung and infected by creatures still unknown to science. Tonight, Rhett Butler (yes, that really is his name and no, we're not afraid to go there) talks to us.

Rhett is the founder of mongabay.com, one of the web's most popular and influential environmental websites. It receives over two million hits per year, funding Rhett's impressive travels through banner ads, consultancy work and selling his stunning nature photography on-line.

His passion is protecting endemic wildlife in the places where it's most diverse. However, because those places are shrinking under the pressure of an expanding global marketplace, these days people like Rhett no longer talk about protecting the jungles of Borneo (or the rainforests of Eastern Madagascar). They talk about protecting the Danum Valley (or the Masoala peninsula).

Inspiring stuff. Join us.

Presented by Peter Cox, Ali Gardiner, Dave Bartram and Ian Winn.

Join us in the chat room for next week's live show!
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

Russell Norman: Book of the Year

Posted: Wed, 13 Feb 2013 09:45:44 GMT

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He's London's hottest and hippest restaurateur. After creating The Club at the Ivy - home to the most powerful and the most glamorous of London's theatreland - tonight's guest Russell Norman left to create a series of his own wildly successful restaurants.

As if that weren't enough, Russell has just beaten shortlisters Hilary Mantel, Artemis Cooper, Robert Macfarlane and Simon Garfield to win the coveted Waterstone's Book of the Year award, with his radical and innovative book about food, Polpo.

So be our guest and join us for a relaxed and witty, elbows-on-the-virtual-table session with Peter, Russell, Ali, Dave and Ian... it's good to be back!
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

One-on-One with Geoff Dyer

Posted: Thu, 31 Jan 2013 13:39:04 GMT

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Geoff Dyer is the consummate writer’s writer: winner of the Somerset Maugham Prize, the US National Book Critics Circle Award the E. M. Forster Award, and more. The Daily Telegraph newspaper has called him “the best living writer in Britain”. Zadie Smith believes he is “a national treasure.”

This is a specially extended Litopia After Dark - we hope you enjoy this opportunity to get to know one of the finest writers in the world today.
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

Condé Turns Nasty

Posted: Wed, 30 Jan 2013 11:12:57 GMT

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A colossal rights grab by a major publisher; another consumer fraud case against an author; a big-name Hollywood director defending a plagiarism claim; a creative fundraising drive by a cartoonist gone bad; and another publisher sued for using copyrighted photos.

Presented by leading lawyer Donna Ballman with literary agent Peter Cox.

Don't forget - you can post topics for Donna to discuss in Donna's Domain inside the Colony.

Lance The Boil

Posted: Mon, 28 Jan 2013 18:18:51 GMT

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A bestselling author sues her financial management firm for millions; a multimillion dollar suit over photo copyright; why you probably shouldn’t sue for libel if the allegations are true; whether veggie bias is defamation; why a publisher cancelled a Scientology book; who is left standing in the DOJ antitrust suit against publishers; an author sued for return of a book advance while on his death bed; a lawyer who beats a state out for the naming rights to his blog; and a suit over an article an author says he didn’t write.

Presented by leading lawyer Donna Ballman with literary agent Peter Cox.

Don't forget - you can post topics for Donna to discuss in Donna's Domain inside the Colony.

One-on-One: Jane Austen Special

Posted: Mon, 28 Jan 2013 14:29:52 GMT

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To mark the 200th anniversary of the first publication of Pride and Prejudice, Peter took tea with Claire Harman, author of the acclaimed biography Jane's Fame: How Jane Austen Conquered the World. If you share E. M. Forster's passion - "I am a Jane Austenite, and therefore slightly imbecile about Jane Austen" - then do join us for a wonderful conversation!
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

50 Shades Of Whatever

Posted: Mon, 14 Jan 2013 22:50:49 GMT

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This week, we talk about a major publisher cracking down on porn; an employer makes a grab for a former officer's book; why you may be able to reclaim your book rights from your publisher in 2013; a proposed UK law that would let government regulate newspapers; a legal claim you might be able to make if someone steals your idea; and why you might be arrested for your Facebook comments.

Presented by leading lawyer Donna Ballman with literary agent Peter Cox.

Don't forget - you can post topics for Donna to discuss in Donna's Domain inside the Colony.

Litopia's Xmas Office Party with Professor Elemental

Posted: Tue, 11 Dec 2012 17:54:05 GMT

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Join us for our biggest, wildest, craziest and funniest virtual office party ever... featuring the prodigious talents of Professor Elemental and Brian Clegg, together with Ian Winn, Ali Gardner & the combined talents of the chatroom, Dave Bartram, and ringmaster Peter Cox. "What I don’t like about office Christmas parties", observed Phyllis Diller, "is looking for a job the next day." Yes, Phyllis, we know!
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

Lawyers Are From Mordor

Posted: Fri, 30 Nov 2012 20:38:41 GMT

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Imagine: you've just spent months compiling an exhaustive day-by-day chronology of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. Suddenly, lawyers for the vastly wealthy Tolkien estate makes it clear that they believe your book violates their copyright - and they're going to sue.

That was the situation author and Middle Earth fan Michael W. Perry found himself in - listen to this week's show to hear what happened!

Presented by leading lawyer Donna Ballman with literary agent Peter Cox.

Don't forget - you can post topics for Donna to discuss in Donna's Domain inside the Colony.

Celebrate The Apocalypse with Pippa Middleton!

Posted: Mon, 26 Nov 2012 10:02:42 GMT

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In a breathtaking world first for Litopia, we're honoured and privileged to be the first radio show to bring you exclusive new details about HRH Pippa Middleton's latest and greatest new party book! Scooping Hello! magazine as well as Splosh! not to mention Girls and Corpses, this edition of Litopia After Dark proves we can hold our own with Cheese Reporter and maybe even Sheep! Signs and portents of the end of the world? You decide...

Presented by Peter Cox, Dave Bartram Ali Gardner and Ian Winn.
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

Tart Carts, Godivas and TCPs

Posted: Wed, 21 Nov 2012 13:02:13 GMT

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For our special Thanksgiving present to all our listeners, we're dropping the usual mixture of lawsuits and literature, and instead chatting to Charlie Croker, author of the hugely entertaining new book Terms of Employment.

Has your doctor ever prescribed you bug-juice? Or sent you to the rheumaholiday department? Have you ever read an article full of anecdata or reviewphemisms? Do you think you work in an adhocracy for a seagull manager? Charlie has has patrolled hospital corridors, hung out by office water-coolers and lingered in shops to listen in on the conversations that transpire only in work situations, gathering together the jargon we all use, often without thinking. if you want to know where Rose Cottage is, fancy some Smurf juice or simply want to be tootled with vigor - join us for this hilarious show! And - happy Thanksgiving!

Presented by leading lawyer Donna Ballman with literary agent Peter Cox.

Don't forget - you can post topics for Donna to discuss in Donna's Domain inside the Colony.

Lonesome Tonight?

Posted: Mon, 12 Nov 2012 19:26:10 GMT

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Writers are almost by definition outliers - unusual people. They see the world a little differently, and their work is by its nature solitary and isolating. Not surprising, then, to find that many writers suffer from something that's still stigmatised by society: loneliness.

Tonight's guest is bestselling author Emily White. "Somewhere in the midst of all this scribbling", she says, "my loneliness became overwhelming, and I realized that I needed to be writing about my own isolation. Once I made the decision to document my loneliness, my life completely changed...I devoted myself to the full-time study of loneliness."

Murakami once wondered, "was the earth put here just to nourish human loneliness?" Many writers will be able to understand that sentiment. Tonight's show sheds some light on this important topic - and offers hope, too.

Presented by Peter Cox, Dave Bartram and Ali Gardner.
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

Machete? Machete!

Posted: Wed, 07 Nov 2012 16:43:27 GMT

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This week we talk about two publishers that merge to create a giant, politics and plagiarism, huge copyright issues in the courts, identity theft at a huge bookstore chain, how much trouble can you get into for quoting someone, with attribution, the criminalization of speech and Donna’s favorite writer is sued - by his lawyer!

Presented by leading lawyer Donna Ballman with literary agent Peter Cox.

Don't forget - you can post topics for Donna to discuss in Donna's Domain inside the Colony.

Born To Mock

Posted: Wed, 07 Nov 2012 16:06:16 GMT

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This week we talk about big news in the Google book scanning case, a publisher who sues scads of authors to recover advances paid years ago, why you should be careful what you say in the Philippines, whether liking someone can be libel, why you might get sued if you’re born to rock, and we update you on some stories we’ve covered in the past.

Presented by leading lawyer Donna Ballman with literary agent Peter Cox.

Don't forget - you can post topics for Donna to discuss in Donna's Domain inside the Colony.

The Last Refuge of a Scoundrel

Posted: Mon, 05 Nov 2012 18:30:25 GMT

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It was an unguarded, off-the-cuff remark by British Prime Minister David Cameron, no doubt immediately and bitterly regretted, that gave tonight's guest Colin Brown the idea.

Talking about the "special" relationship between the USA and Britain, Cameron was under no illusion as to his relative importance. "The fact is", he said, "we are a very effective partner of the US - but we are the junior partner. We were the junior partner in 1940", he blundered on, "when we were fighting the Nazis."

What?

The Americans didn't enter the war until December the following year. 1940 was the year of Dunkirk, the year when Britain really did stand alone in Europe, and most importantly, the year of the Battle of Britain - of which Churchill's memorable line can still stir the blood - never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.

The British Prime Minister's lamentable grasp of recent history inspired Colin to ask the question... when was Britain's finest year?

It's a discussion that touches on a great many contentious issues, and there's no better guide than Colin, former chair of the British Parliamentary Lobby, and a veritable mine of both historical information and present-day political gossip! His latest book, Real Britannia: Our Ten Proudest Years - The Glory and the Spin has just been published by OneWorld.

Presented by Peter Cox, Ali Gardner and Ian Winn.
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

Pitching An Agent

Posted: Tue, 30 Oct 2012 15:21:16 GMT

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This week we talk about censorship by riot, an eBook settlement offer for Apple in Europe, sex and managers in the city, and an author who doesn’t deal well with rejection. Plus we talk about some censorship that occurred just in time for Banned Books Week, and update you on some stories we’ve covered in the past.

Presented by leading lawyer Donna Ballman with literary agent Peter Cox.

Don't forget - you can post topics for Donna to discuss in Donna's Domain inside the Colony.

The Secret Desires of Women

Posted: Mon, 29 Oct 2012 19:56:05 GMT

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Evie Blake is the name, Valentina is her scorching new mega-erotic novel - eat your heart out E.L. James, this is an author who can write!

Based on the iconic character created by the Italian artist Guido Crepax, Valentina takes a male-created fantasy figure and gives her a real woman's heart and soul ("she's a libertine", says Evie - "but not a slut"). There's more... but you should listen to Evie reading an extract from the book on the show... or even better, buy a copy for yourself.

If you've ever wanted to learn more about erotica - the fastest-selling genre in publishing today - there's no better introduction than tonight's blistering show.

Presented by Peter Cox and Dave Bartram.
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

Child's Play

Posted: Mon, 29 Oct 2012 14:56:40 GMT

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In the flurry of e-book and print books sales stats, we know for certain that the children’s market does not conform to the wider market’s results. Still a predominantly print-based market it is the only one of the four major BookScan categories to have year-on-year growth.

Yet digital is having a big impact on the children’s entertainment space. Children have access to mobile phones, games consoles, TVs and tablets and they are being stimulated and distracted like never before. On The Naked Book we asked two children's publishing experts for a drill-down.

Is ePub3 the way forward for illustrated children's books? Or should publishers focus on re-imagining their books as apps?

Lindsey Mooney, UK vendor manager for Kobo, talked about the company's exclusive research based on Kobo customers: specifically how parents and children were reading digitally.

Eric Huang, director, new business & IP acquisitions at Penguin Books, talked e-books, apps, and how Penguin was redefining what it means to be a book publisher.

Presented by Philip Jones, Editor of The Bookseller, assisted by Sam Missingham.
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All Hallows' Eve

Posted: Wed, 24 Oct 2012 20:15:19 +0100

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The embers of Beltane are long dead, and now Samhain (the Gaelic word meaning summer's end) heralds the triumph of darkness over light... a suitable time of year for us to swap supernatural stories and to reflect on matters mortal and macabre.

From Charles Fort ("it's raining frogs!") to the Ouija-board-channelling Pearl Curran ("I see dead authors!") by way of Mothman, the Jersey Devil and Joseph Smith ("God lives on a planet near the star Kolob") to Richard Dawkins ("a prick") we're dispensing a ton of random wisdom tonight. Or something like that.

Guest panelist Brian Clegg is a famed British science writer whose many books have shed light on things like, er - light... and gravity... and time... and so on. Quite the rationalist, then... or is he?

Our other guest panelist is author Charles Cassady Jr. whose three books on American regional ghost stories and paranormal lore address Great Lakes maritime weirdness and strange tales and folklore along the Mississippi River. Creepy!

Presented by Peter Cox, Ian Winn and the sophic Ali Gardiner in the chat room.
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

The Zelig of American History

Posted: Mon, 15 Oct 2012 11:14:29 +0100

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How do you go about writing a book about one of the most powerful dynasties on earth?
That's the challenge special guest Russ Baker faced when he first considered writing about the Bush family; one which encompasses two U.S. Senators, one Supreme Court Justice, two Governors, two Presidents and innumerable bankers and businessmen. The book took five years to write and is a meticulous piece of research (there are over a thousand footnotes).
According to the late Gore Vidal, Family of Secrets is "one of the most important books of the past ten years". Dan Rather - who you can hear right here on Radio Litopia's Debriefer show - called it "a tour de force. " "It's made me rethink", he says, "even those events I witnessed with my own eyes".
Presented by Peter Cox, Dave Bartram and the supremely equable Ali Gardiner in the chat room.
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

The Spirit Molecule

Posted: Sat, 13 Oct 2012 21:07:52 +0100

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"You're at the top of the rollercoaster: it's like that moment before orgasm... you know it's going to happen, and there's nothing you can do to stop it - and you go down the other side. And those five, ten, twelve minutes that you're gone, all time is suspended. And you are in a different place."
So says Ian Winn, author of The Techno Pagan Octopus Messiah, of DMT... dimethyltryptamine... the primary psychoactive substance in ayahuasca, a shamanistic brew used for divinatory and healing purposes. "DMT is not so much of a drug, more a vehicle that gets you to a place", says Ian. "At the moment of death, the pineal gland contracts, and that's what mediates the human soul leaving the body. That's what DMT does."
Joining Ian on tonight's reality-hacking show is Greg Kuhn, author of Why Quantum Physicists Don't Get Fat. "What you create from the quantum filed is what you expect", says Greg. How can you use that to lose weight? Well, listen and find out!
Presented by Peter Cox and the flawlessly-rational Ali Gardiner in the chat room.
* Please note: DMT is classified in the United Kingdom as a Class A drug.
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

Tête à tête with Faber's Stephen Page

Posted: Fri, 05 Oct 2012 21:43:05 +0100

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Having scaled the walls of Faber's well-manicured garden eleven years ago, Faber chief executive Stephen Page found himself in the broadcast hot-seat, sandwiched between Naked Bookers Philip Jones and Sam Missingham. This show is the first in an occasional series of tête à têtes, devoted to the illuminati of the book business.
Page, who joined Faber via feisty indie Fourth Estate and HarperCollins, admitted that even back then, he never expected "an environment such as we have now". E-books on the march, "Cats" a distant memory, and Faber a publisher of poetry -- as an app. Page talks about the 20p e-book, library e-book lending, why he loathes the term enhanced e-book, and how to put the 'P' into publishing. Page also revealed what keeps him awake at night - and no, it isn't The Naked Book. Not yet anyway.
As one listener tweeted:
Chris McVeigh ‏@4fifty1
Hard not to like @stephenpub aint it? #NakedBook
Presented by Philip Jones, Editor of The Bookseller..
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Buccaneers

Posted: Mon, 01 Oct 2012 18:02:54 +0100

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"Wars are very easy to get into", says flying ace Robert J. ("Bob") Moriarty, and very hard to get out of". He should know. With 42 Air Medals and three Distinguished Flying Crosses in Vietnam, to say nothing of numerous civilian air trophies and records, Bob is a flying legend. Oh - and in-between adventures, he became the first pilot to fly under the Eiffel Tower... and the first to fly all the way across the Atlantic with a wing-walker on top! If that's not a definition of a buccaneer, we don't know what is. "We've forgotten the lessons of Vietnam", he says. "We are engaged in a series of stupid wars - and the end result can only be World War Three."
Loz Kaye of the UK Pirate Party is also (obviously) quite a buccaneer, too. Loz is developing the party's manifesto to make it more than a single-issue campaign, and they'll be fielding more candidates than ever in the forthcoming elections... but they've not forgotten that, hey - they're still a party! This is Litopia After Dark at its unique best - covering issues other media rarely touch, with fascinating guests that intrigue and inform. You can find Bob's gold website here.
Presented by Peter Cox with Dave Bartram and the refulgent Ali Gardiner in the chat room.
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

Teledildonics

Posted: Wed, 26 Sep 2012 16:40:05 +0100

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Internet legend Frank Edward Nora joins us for tonight's show; for nearly a decade, Frank has been the C21st Samuel Pepys of the 'net. Patiently and wittily chronicling the life of homo sapiens commuticus, Frank's audio diaries extend to more than 4300 recordings that would take over 5 months to listen to. It's a legacy, he believes, for future historians. "This is the most interesting time in history ever", he says.
YA author Colin Mulhern has had a great week - his second book, Arabesque, has just been published to glittering reviews - but why did he suddenly self-censor, at the eleventh hour?
We probe! Presented by Peter Cox with Dave Bartram and the refulgent Ali Gardiner in the chat room.
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

Kickstart A Book For A Buck

Posted: Wed, 19 Sep 2012 18:23:42 +0100

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We're back from our Summer vacation, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed - with a host of topics to talk about and the inestimable Ross Pruden: Renaissance man, seer and heterodox harlequin. What more could you possibly want - The Pay-Per-View Royal Family Channel? Well you're in luck, 'cos we've got that, too!
Presented by Peter Cox with Dave Bartram and the 24-karat Ali Gardiner in the chat room.
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

All Your iTunes Belong To Bruce Willis

Posted: Mon, 17 Sep 2012 11:05:11 +0100

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This week we talk about how the US government is thinking about censoring and suing a national hero; a battle over ownership of your Tweets, why you really don’t want to tick off someone who buys ink by the barrel; the truth about the Bruce Willis iTunes kerfuffle; and we’ll update you on some stories we’ve previously covered. Plus, Donna tells you why you shouldn’t have the lawyers in your story sign an agreement limiting their ability to work for a competitor.

Presented by leading lawyer Donna Ballman with literary agent Peter Cox.

Don't forget - you can post topics for Donna to discuss in Donna's Domain inside the Colony.

There's A Hole In My Sock Puppet

Posted: Thu, 13 Sep 2012 12:53:39 +0100

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Sock puppets of the world look on. This week The Naked Book interviewed puppet hunter extraordinaire the thriller writer Jeremy Duns. Duns exposed crime-writer R J Ellory last week, and he has been seeking the truth about Stephen Leather's anonymous accounts and activities since Harrogate. But who is he? And why does he do it? Most importantly, how does he find the time?
Also in the studio was Cathy Rentzenbrink, fresh from ten years of bookselling at Waterstones, and now Project Director at Quick Reads. Cathy has called for an amnesty for all sock puppets. "We could all agree that it is wrong, promise not to do it again and draw a line under it."
Assisted by the regulars Sam Missingham and in the chat-room Catherine Neilan, The Naked Book is happy to confirm that no sock puppets came to any harm during the recording.
Presented by Philip Jones, Editor of The Bookseller.
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Dirty (Prince) Harry

Posted: Thu, 13 Sep 2012 12:31:47 +0100

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This week we talk about naked censorship in the British royal family, how an Oklahoma school punished its valedictorian for using a word it didn’t like, why low ratings may trump a copyright violation, how hyperlinks might have saved some alleged plagiarists, why a publisher has pulled the plug on a book by a guy who thinks the United States was founded on Christian biblical principles, why you should never accuse Elton John of avoiding taxes, and why the prince of pop’s estate sued his mom. But we had you with the naked prince story, didn’t we?

Presented by leading lawyer Donna Ballman with literary agent Peter Cox.

Don't forget - you can post topics for Donna to discuss in Donna's Domain inside the Colony.

Spermatofolie

Posted: Mon, 20 Aug 2012 12:20:48 +0100

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This week we talk about a bizarre censorship protest, whether liking someone is free speech, why it’s not all flowers and heaving bosoms at a major romance publisher, how joking on Twitter is a little safer. . . for now, why you should be careful before you write a book accusing someone of murder, and updates on the Apple antitrust suit and other lawsuits in the writing and publishing industry.

Presented by leading lawyer Donna Ballman with literary agent Peter Cox.

Don't forget - you can post topics for Donna to discuss in Donna's Domain inside the Colony.

In The Land Of The E, The Glassy-Eyed Are King

Posted: Mon, 13 Aug 2012 11:05:08 +0100

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Imagine if you will the final moments of Bugsy Malone, as reinvented for radio. That was this week's Naked Book with authors Ewan Morrison and Barry Eisler slinging pies across Skype, as they sought to articulate a future for authors with or without publishers.
Attempting to bat them out of the park was cricketer and agent Piers Blofeld; while host Philip Jones, played umpire. "If you all talk at once no-one will hear you scream." The subject, as if it mattered, was whether the e-self-publishing bubble was about to burst, drenching everyone in its sticky frothy sputum. A view Morrison has expounded in two widely-read Guardian blogs.
For Scotsman Morrison though this has quickly become an "ideological battle" to preserve the status of our publishers, against a "predatory American monopoly", that is being expounded by "glassy-eyed" neo-cons, such as Eisler.
Could we stick the topic? asked Jones.
Amazon is a huge shark, threatening everyone, googlied Blofeld.
And Eisler, just a beamer from Bezos?
"It's just ridiculum," countered the American, accusing Morrison of using straw-men arguments, a view backed by co-host Sam Missingham.
It's just not cricket, wailed Catherine Neilan from the chat-room on the boundary. Just pick up a pie, and fling it, advised Jones.
"Out" shouted show supporter Porter Anderson.
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The E-Book In The Library

Posted: Wed, 01 Aug 2012 20:44:09 +0100

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It's the debate that is well overdue. The issue over how libraries should loan e- books is generating noise all over. The discussion has laid bare the real allegiances across the trade, as it impacts on all parts—-booksellers, publishers, authors, and of course librarians. Consensus has broken down, with some calling for librarians to simply circumvent publishers and digitize books direct. It’s a mess: a job for The Naked Book. With host Philip Jones were...
* Peter Brantley, director at the not-for-profit library The Internet Archive. Brantley has advised libraries to go direct to authors. with a campaign slogan “Say yes to your library!”.
* CILIP president Phil Bradley, whose blood has been up recently over the suggestion that libraries could charge for e-book loan.
* Stephanie Duncan, digital director of the Bloomsbury Group, who is responsible for Public Library Online: an initiative that gets around some of these issues by using a licensing model.
* And finally, Tim Coates, founder of Bilbary (or 'library' mispelt), who is offering an alternative solution, that could see libraries or patrons pay for each book rented.
We also have a special report from Sweden, where the Library Association recently bought a full page ad in the main national newspaper, showing a big fat guy in a suit smoking a cigar that read "Say hello to your next librarian". Intrigued? Well you can borrow this podcast for free, here.
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Litopia's Greatest Hits

Posted: Mon, 23 Jul 2012 12:21:50 +0100

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Allegedly, it's Summer time in England... time for our annual leave of absence while we plan next season's shows.
This show is a retrospective, looking back on some of the highlights of our year so far, including Jeffrey Archer, Craig Murray, Kari Herbert and Dr. Huw Lewis-Jones, Nigel West, Bert Coules, Peter Englund, Dan Rather and the inestimable R.J. Ellory.
There you are - quite a shopping list to pack for your holiday listening! Luckily, they're all easily available to download via our RSS feed, fully explained here.
We're back on Sunday 26th August - and yes, we'll miss you as much as you miss us!
Presented by Peter Cox with Dave Bartram and sadly missing the hyper real Ali Gardiner in the chat room.
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

Debriefer Special with Dan Rather

Posted: Thu, 19 Jul 2012 12:35:14 +0100

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"I wanted to know what went on -what really went on - inside Viacom/CBS... about the collaboration between very big business and very big government." So says television legend Dan Rather in this special edition of The Debriefer. "I knew that a lot had gone on behind the scenes [in CBS News] that wasn't right. As a reporter, I tried to dig into that story."

The scandal that Dan and his team at CBS had unearthed concerned no less a person than George W. Bush, the 43rd President of the United States. At the time of the Viet Nam war, Bush's father had used his influence to get him a posting in the Texas Air National Guard, thus ensuing he would never risk active service in the battlefield. "That's a fact", says Dan. "The president didn't deny it: he's never denied it."

Even more scandalously, after being posted to this "champagne unit" for the sons of privileged and well-connected people, Bush countermanded orders and disappeared for a year! "[Those facts] were true when we reported them", says Dan. "And they're true now."

Listen to this Debriefer special as Dan tells us what happened next to him and his team: it will shock you. If you enjoyed this show, buy Dan's new book, Rather Outspoken: My Life in the News, just out from Grand Central Publishing.

Presented by leading lawyer Donna Ballman with literary agent Peter Cox.

Don't forget - you can post topics for Donna to discuss in Donna's Domain inside the Colony.

Fifty Shades of Real

Posted: Thu, 19 Jul 2012 12:30:56 +0100

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Winner of the Orange Prize for New Writers, tonight's guest Joanna Kavenna exemplifies much that's best about new British authors: smart, savvy, sassy and scintillating. "With her pale skin and angular features", observed one critic, " she even looks like Virginia Woolf"!

Joanna's latest book, Come To the Edge, is a caustic satire of the British passion for second homes... for the 1%, that is. But our conversation touches on the wilder shores of Ultima Thule, the tastelessness of childbirth, and the McDonalds® Military-Industrial® Olympics®.

Yes, we just used the "O" word without authorization. So sue us, suckers.

Join us live every Sunday for unauthorized banter and unlicensed wit - you know you want to.

Presented by Peter Cox with Dave Bartram and featuring the unreal Ali Gardiner in the chat room.

Join us in the chat room for next week's live show!
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

The Great Amazon Debate

Posted: Fri, 13 Jul 2012 17:19:35 +0100

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In 1994, Jeffrey Preston Bezos left his Wall Street job to found an internet based company in his garage. The 'bookseller' known as Amazon sold its first book one year later. Amazon may have marketed itself as "the world's largest bookstore", but its logo--an arrow leading from A to Z--was a clear indicator that its goal was to sell every product on the planet. It is now a $50bn business.

According to the Financial Times this week, Bezos' not so secret plan is to "colonise the entire infrastructure of consumption". To borrow from George Orwell, "If you want a picture of the future, imagine Jeff Bezos face, and his big wide smile." Yikes!

Amazon is the subject of the 'great debate' on The Naked Book this week, with Melville House publisher Dennis Johnson, publishing consultant Sheila Bounford, Rob Nichols of independent UK publisher Constable & Robinson, and Financial Times journalist Barney Jopson throwing the rotten fruit. Jopson has been writing about Amazon all week for the Financial Times, and he explained that it was not now just an e-commerce platform, but had evolved into "an infrastructure services company". Not evil, then?

That wasn't the view of Johnson who accused Bezos of devaluing "the book", using prices points like $9.99 or $1.99 as stakes through the print-based heart of the book. "That’s the worst thing I think it’s done to the culture."

But for Nichols what Amazon has done well is sell books: lots of them. "We've been able to unlock our backlist." And of course there are those e-book sales, up 600% at Constable & Robinson.

For Bounford, Amazon has shown how to behave in a digital world, something publishers can use and learn from. "I don't want them to go away," admitted Johnson, whose own buy-buttons on Amazon have been restored after a recent contretemps, "I just wish they'd behave!"

Hosted by Philip Jones, with Sam Missingham serving the beer.

Whatever next? Tune in in two weeks' time to find out! Click here to pop it in your diary!
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The Tour de France - To The Bitter End

Posted: Mon, 09 Jul 2012 15:33:25 +0100

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It's an ultra-sporty show tonight, featuring The Guardian's Richard Nelsson who has just edited a new book about cycling's most extreme test of endurance, "The Tour de France: To The Bitter End". Lance Armstrong looms large in our discussions, of course - but so do Federer, Murray and the wider context of sport as social engineering - beneficial or otherwise? It's our usual heady mixture of profundity and profanity - enjoy!

Presented by Peter Cox with Dave Bartram and featuring the Lycra-clad Ali Gardiner in the chat room.

Join us in the chat room for next week's live show!
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

The Broadcast Takeover

Posted: Wed, 04 Jul 2012 17:43:41 +0100

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Television is an increasingly important area for writers and the publishing industry generally. As the book market becomes ever more competitive, the writer's platform has to grow in as many ways as possible... and one of the biggest platforms out there is TV.

That's why tonight's show is so important. The Broadcast Takeover is a special edition of The Naked Book, looking at the publishing world through the eyes of the television industry. Hosted by Broadcast editor Lisa Campbell, our guests include:

* Distinguished BBC drama executive Lisa Osborne, producer of Little Dorrit, South Riding, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, The Last Days of Lehman Brothers - and many other widely-acclaimed shows;

* Anne Elletson, producer of The Booker Prize Live and currently producer at BSkyB's The Book Show;

* And independent producer Barry Ryan, executive producer of Martina Cole's Lady Killers, Super Sleuths, and a two decades of quality shows through his production company, Free@LastTV.

Our expert panel offer essential advice for authors, publishers and agents hoping to get their books on TV - another unmissable Naked Book! Tonight's show is co-hosted by Catherine Neilan, with our regular host Philip Jones reporting from the chat room. Whatever next? Tune in in two weeks' time to find out!

Click here to pop it in your diary!
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200th Show Special - Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk with Ben Fountain

Posted: Tue, 03 Jul 2012 12:14:35 +0100

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Once every generation or two, a book comes along that incarnates our collective experience of war. Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front was one such: Heller's Catch-22 was another, and Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five was one more.

To this distinguished list must be added Ben Fountain's first novel, Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk. Reviews have been stellar: using superlatives rarely found in the literary pages. Ben Fountain has been hailed a genius, by no less a sage than Malcom Gladwell, who devoted a major article in the New Yorker to Ben's relatively late blooming.

We're delighted to host Ben Fountain for this, the two hundredth episode of Litopia After Dark. It's a special show - we hope you enjoy it.

Presented by Peter Cox with Dave Bartram and featuring the preternaturally-young Ali Gardiner in the chat room.

Join us in the chat room for next week's live show!
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

Face The Bafflement And Do It Anyway

Posted: Thu, 21 Jun 2012 11:00:04 +0100

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Six months into 2012 and the publishing world is a confused and scary place. Pottermore has just about disintermediated all of us, while the Seattle wildebeest has everyone from James Daunt to James Bond in its thrall. Agents from the Justice League have publishing executives under surveillance, while Mssrs Barnes and Noble are still looking for their passports so they can travel outside their Nook. Bafflement is the new norm.
The book market is traveling fast, and no we cannot get off. On The Naked Book this week we were joined by three wise heads making sense from the morass.
Blogger Eoin Purcell said the industry was being reshaped by these new players. We must adapt or die. The one thing NOT to do, advised Eoin, was to piss off your readers, as the agency model did. That's ok for Eoin, he is from Ireland. Where things are happening more slowly, allowing everyone to 'watch and learn' what is happening everywhere else. Cheating, surely?
In the UK, the lessons are already already clear for bookshops, said Philip Downer, former chief executive of Borders UK. The chains are in real trouble, the indies might survive as specialists.
Joining from Manhattan, a world at least six months ahead of the rest, was PaidContent's Laura Owen. "I'm a little baffled by the Waterstones deal with Amazon," she admitted. Aren't we all. As Downer conceded. "The challenge with all the topics this evening is that this is a world in flux."
Sounds like a job for The Naked Book. Hosted by Philip Jones, and Catherine Neilan in the chat-room: answers on a postcard? Why don't you join us live for the next show? Click here to pop it in your diary!
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Welcome to Hotel Chernobyl

Posted: Mon, 18 Jun 2012 09:30:27 +0100

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Pollution Tourism is the next big thing for adventurous travelers, says tonight's guest Andrew Blackwell.

His book Visit Sunny Chernobyl is an account of his vacations in some of the world’s most damaged environments. From India’s most polluted city to the Pacific Ocean's Great Garbage Patch (an area twice the size of France where marine currents accumulate the world’s discarded and degraded plastic rubbish) Andrew finds something mystifyingly beautiful in them all.

Decadent first-world voyeurism? Or love letter to our biosphere’s most degraded ecosystems? You decide in tonight's spirited debate!

Presented by Peter Cox with Dave Bartram and featuring the radioactive Ali Gardiner in the chat room!

Join us in the chat room for next week's live show!
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

R.J.Ellory - A Quiet Belief In 'What-If...'

Posted: Tue, 12 Jun 2012 12:22:30 +0100

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You'll recognize him as one of Britain's leading thriller writers, author of the multi-million seller A Quiet Belief In Angels and ten other award-winner novels. But you may not know much about the extraordinary personal story of tonight's guest R.J. Ellory - a life that is just as thrilling and moving as anything in his bestsellers.

Inspiring, revealing and searingly honest... we think tonight's show is quite simply one of our best.

Presented by Peter Cox with Dave Bartram and featuring the bunting-clad Ali Gardiner in the chat room.

Join us in the chat room for next week's live show!
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

Mexican Pork Cloud

Posted: Mon, 04 Jun 2012 13:58:11 +0100

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This week we have breaking news on the Google book scanning case. We also talk about why blogging about your story plot might get the attention of the CIA; the latest on the antitrust suit against Apple and publishers; how Verizon is protecting your right to piracy; censorship gone wild in Malaysia; good news for professors who want to copy your book for their classes; a publisher’s dispute with Amazon is resolved; and whether YA books should be given ratings. Plus we tell you why the lawyers in your story should never offer to dismiss a case to get out of hot water.

The Debriefer is off the air for a few weeks while we have our summer break: make sure you subscribe to our show via iTunes (see below for instructions) and you'll automatically receive the next show as soon as we're back!

Presented by leading lawyer Donna Ballman with literary agent Peter Cox.

Don't forget - you can post topics for Donna to discuss in Donna's Domain inside the Colony.

Hang On A Minute That's My Work You Are Talking About

Posted: Thu, 31 May 2012 11:34:57 +0100

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It was the clash of the old and new on The Naked Book, with Richard Mollet, chief executive of the Publishers Association, having a proper playground scrap with two "new media" folk over copyright.
Mollet has recently turned on 'copyright eroders', such as The Pirate Party and the Open Rights Group, accusing them of briefings riddled with “inaccuracies and falsehoods”.
Mollet told The Naked Book: "These people are making a habit, if not a living, exciting people into believing they can take stuff without paying for it."
Offended? Some have been. Loz Kaye, leader of the UK Pirate Party, said: "We've all been stunned by Richard's remarks quite frankly".
"Good," retorted Richard. "I want to antagonise you and the Open Rights Group."
Meanwhile, on Planet Techdirt, founder Mike Masnick accused Mollet of guaranteeing that the PA was "seen as obsolete and out of touch for the entire next generation". The younglings don't "buy the mythical story that locking up works is good for anyone".
It's not about eroding copyright, it's about common sense, chorused Masnick and Kaye. It's clear what publishers wants, and a lot of people reject it. "We are not concerned about the impact on a particular narrow band of industry players," said Kaye.
When will the real world catch up with the internet then? "It's happening much much faster than some people expect," warned Masnick, "technologies change faster than old industries accept."
Some BRILLIANT debating on the #nakedbook, said ‏@FeliceTherese on Twitter. "Is Richard the English bloke? Because he's owning it."
What's that background noise? The sound of Richard digging his heels in. Watch out pirates
Refereed by host Philip Jones, deputy editor of The Bookseller, and chat-room overseer Catherine Neilan.
Even Daniel Defoe got a mention.
Why don't you join us live for the next show? Click here to pop it in your diary!
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Eyes Stop Moving

Posted: Mon, 28 May 2012 09:59:42 +0100

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They're putting people into MRI scanners to find out which parts of their brains are stimulated by reading.

Nothing new to LAD listeners - we covered this in 2010 and to some extent with David Eagleman in 2009 (always on the leading edge, us). But tonight, Dr. Susan O'Doherty tells us where this research is heading... prepared to be freaked, folks.

With her feet in the fridge and her head in the stars, newcomer Kate Milford is both delightfully cool and fully financed, via the rather wonderful KickStarter... hear how she did it!

If anyone knows the link to Dave's YouTube "50 Shades" clip, please tweet it to us... but do watch your bodily functions...

Presented by Peter Cox with Dave Bartram and featuring the chilled-out Ali Gardiner in the chat room.

Join us in the chat room for next week's live show!
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

Something Innovative This Way Comes

Posted: Fri, 25 May 2012 09:04:35 +0100

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It was start-up night on The Naked Book with three of the hottest new innovators explaining how their bookish brews will charm the money, entice the publisher, and beguile the reader. Oh, and make a billion.
Representing Small Demons was Richard Nash: officially charged with saving the "book biz", Nash is getting into his stride. Small Demons, quoth he, will "restore books to the center of the cultural universe". Nothing less will surely do.
Unbound was John Mitchinson, formerly marketing director at Waterstones, former legacy publisher with Cassell, turned writer for QI. His inverted publishing model, where the reader pays upfront, is working out well for authors. But the money men were less easy to win over. He's found himself loving angels instead.
Flooved founder Hamish Brocklebank had no such worries. He's raised £500,000 for his text-book start-up. But then he had British Bull Dog spirit and a sprinkling of semantic wizardry to aid his persuasions. But what about that name? A Latin mash-up, said Brocklebank. Convinced yet?
Helping ignite the discussion were the regulars Sam Missingham and Catherine Neilan. Drinking was not mandatory. Ambition was.
Presented by Philip Jones, deputy editor of The Bookseller.
Why don't you join us live for the next show? Click here to pop it in your diary!
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China Takes The Biscuit (And Everything Else)

Posted: Mon, 21 May 2012 09:09:09 +0100

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What the heck happened? We are now living through - and suffering from - the greatest financial crisis since the 19th century. But it wasn't supposed to be like this. Our guest tonight, City Editor of the Daily Mail, Alex Brummer, has written a book which traces our gradual descent into this mess.

Way back in the days of Margaret Thatcher, Britain was the first country to adopt wholesale neo-Liberalism as an economic and political philosophy. Deregulation and the free markets triumphed: we all became shareholders and lived happily ever after... at least, that was supposed to be the idea.

Today, our industry is largely owned by faceless companies located in far-off tax havens... the middle classes are being squeezed into irrelevance... and the Chinese own vast swathes of our industry, apparently soon to include our nuclear reactors. That wasn't what was intended - was it?

Alex's book "Britain For Sale" cogently explains how all this happened, and he's got our vote to be the next Chancellor.

Presented by Peter Cox with Dave Bartram and featuring the tax-efficient Ali Gardiner in the chat room.

Join us in the chat room for next week's live show!
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

Vigilante Justice, YouTube Style

Posted: Sun, 20 May 2012 22:44:07 +0100

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This week we talk about states jumping on the bandwagon to sue for eBook price fixing; a book that’s been banned in multiple states; a blogger who demands what’s due him; piracy running rampant as eBook sales increase; how Facebook may be censoring your comments; and how the UK plans to reform libel laws.

Presented by leading lawyer Donna Ballman with literary agent Peter Cox.

Don't forget - you can post topics for Donna to discuss in Donna's Domain inside the Colony.

Something Innovative This Way Comes

Posted: Sat, 05 May 2012 22:49:55 +0100

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It was start-up night on The Naked Book with three of the hottest new innovators explaining how their bookish brews will charm the money, entice the publisher, and beguile the reader. Oh, and make a billion.
Representing Small Demons was Richard Nash: officially charged with saving the "book biz", Nash is getting into his stride. Small Demons, quoth he, will "restore books to the center of the cultural universe". Nothing less will surely do.
Unbound was John Mitchinson, formerly marketing director at Waterstones, former legacy publisher with Cassell, turned writer for QI. His inverted publishing model, where the reader pays upfront, is working out well for authors. But the money men were less easy to win over. He's found himself loving angels instead.
Flooved founder Hamish Brocklebank had no such worries. He's raised £500,000 for his text-book start-up. But then he had British Bull Dog spirit and a sprinkling of semantic wizardry to aid his persuasions. But what about that name? A Latin mash-up, said Brocklebank. Convinced yet?
Helping ignite the discussion were the regulars Sam Missingham and Catherine Neilan. Drinking was not mandatory. Ambition was.
Presented by Philip Jones, deputy editor of The Bookseller.
Why don't you join us live for the next show? Click here to pop it in your diary!
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A Defining Moment

Posted: Fri, 06 Apr 2012 19:23:52 +0100

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In this show: why the publishing industry is angry that the Pulitzers snubbed fiction. And quite possibly the biggest story we have ever covered - the U.S. Justice Department lawsuit against publishers for "conspiring to end e-book retailers' freedom to compete on price". Truly momentous times for the publishing business.

Presented by leading lawyer Donna Ballman with literary agent Peter Cox.

Don't forget - you can post topics for Donna to discuss in Donna's Domain inside the Colony.

Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow

Posted: Mon, 14 May 2012 09:57:56 +0100

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How do you feel about the future? Fifty years ago, most views would probably have been rosily optimistic: our faith in science to solve the most pressing problems was mostly untarnished, and our belief in politicians to take wise and beneficent decisions not quite threadbare. Today, the clouds of doubt assail us from every quarter.

Not, though, as far as Bálint Szent-Miklósy is concerned. An unreconstructed optimist, tonight's guest is a distinguished futurist; formerly president of the World Future Society, and the founder of Futurific Leading Indicators Magazine. His forecasts are upbeat but, he says, never wrong - listen and judge for yourself!

Presented by Peter Cox with Dave Bartram and featuring the beguiling Ali Gardiner in the chat room.

Join us in the chat room for next week's live show!
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

Nigel West - Spies, Lies & Chocolate

Posted: Tue, 08 May 2012 09:52:24 +0100

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This special video edition of Litopia After Dark features acclaimed espionage writer and expert, Nigel West. "His information is so precise" writes The Sunday Times "that many people believe he is the unofficial historian of the secret services."

Nigel's controversial books invariably hit the headlines. His greatest coup was tracking down the wartime double agent GARBO, who was reported to have died in Africa in 1949. In fact, Nigel traced him to Venezuela, and they then collaborated on the bestseller GARBO.

Topics covered include the Profumo affair, the bizarre death of MI6 employee Gareth Williams, the KGB and the GRU, the Maastricht treaty, UKIP, Venona, JBS Haldane, Robert Maxwell and "Have I Got News For You". Nigel was awarded the US Association of Former Intelligence Officers' first Lifetime Literature Achievement Award, and you can find more information on all his titles at his website, nigelwest.com

Presented by Peter Cox and featuring the tantalizing Ali Gardiner in the chat room.

Join us in the chat room for next week's live show!
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

The Porn Supremacy

Posted: Sat, 05 May 2012 22:49:55 +0100

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In the week that Microsoft bought a fifth of Barnes & Noble’s digital businesses, and we learned that e-books sales grew 360% in the UK last year, we thought at The Naked Book we’d ignore all that - and focus on 'mummy porn'.
Why? Well, it was the public wot did it. Four pence in every pound spent on a book last week went on the adventures of Anastasia Steele and the manipulative billionaire Christian Grey: whose dangerous couplings take place in E L James' Twilight-inspired trilogy Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker, and Fifty Shades Freed. The erotic hits are revitalizing a genre gone flaccid, and prompting publishers to unsheathe their erotic back-list.
Scott Pack, publisher at HarperCollins imprint The Friday Project, was so excited he decided to 'do' the show naked. Dr Brooke Magnanti, formerly known as the blogger and call-girl Belle de Jour, suggested playing a drinking game. Needless to say the innuendos, along with the liquor flowed freely.
The discussion, ably assisted by regulars Sam Missingham and Catherine Neilan was, ahem, deep. Hopefully most of the smut will get past the censors. Maybe some of the insight too. The big Question from the show - we don't like "mummy porn". What shall we call it instead?
Presented by Philip Jones, deputy editor of The Bookseller.
Why don't you join us live for the next show? Click here to pop it in your diary!
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Said The Cabbie To Jeremy Hunt...

Posted: Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:53:55 +0100

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What with Leveson, Hunt, Murdoch... to say nothing of a double-dip recession... there's way too much bad news around... so enough already! When life gets excessively glum - it's time for us to dig out Litopia's infamous Ant Game... which is exactly what we've done tonight, for your aural bliss.

We're delighted to be joined by Anna Raverat, whose first book Signs of Life is impressing everyone... and Simon Cheshire, too - author of the bestselling Saxby Smart private detective series, and the just-published and highly-recommended You've Got To Read This: A Beginner's Guide To Great Writers And The History Of Books.

Presented by Peter Cox with Dave Bartram and featuring the beguiling Ali Gardiner in the chat room.

Join us in the chat room for next week's live show!
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

Philip Reeve: Spike & Spook Go To The Moon

Posted: Sat, 28 Apr 2012 18:18:41 +0100

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Philip Reeve is one of the godfathers of steampunk (although today he's somewhat allergic to that word) with his massively successful Mortal Engines series. One of the most enduringly popular of all YA authors, Philip's fans are everywhere - especially in our chat room tonight, as they bombard him with questions! His most recent book, Goblins, has just been published - and has been snapped up by Hollywood. If you love Philip's books or love steampunk, sci-fi or indeed write it - this show is a classic.

Presented by Peter Cox with Dave Bartram and featuring the beguiling Ali Gardiner in the chat room.

Join us in the chat room for next week's live show!
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

Our Man In The Cold

Posted: Mon, 09 Apr 2012 19:20:49 +0100

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Tonight's show is a real-life thriller: featuring espionage, double-dealing, murder and even a dash of Hollywood. And a British ambassador who sees things he shouldn't - and decides to tell the world. Sounds like the plot of a movie? Craig Murray's amazing story has already been optioned by producers - if you can't wait to see the big-screen version, you can hear him on Litopia After Dark - you'll be riveted!

Presented by Peter Cox with Dave Bartram and featuring the beguiling Ali Gardiner in the chat room.

Join us in the chat room for next week's live show!
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

The Narcissistic Personality Disorder of Facebook

Posted: Fri, 06 Apr 2012 19:23:52 +0100

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This week we talk about why you shouldn’t expect a check for your Huffington Post blog; why you may never be able to write a cookbook, use your checkbook or book a flight again; why you might be hanged if you’re too uppity on Facebook; how to lose $1 million and still keep your job; a disappearing contract in a publishing suit; and why you should think twice before suing over a bad review. Plus, we’ll be talking about a TV show that hit close to home for Donna and how they got the real-life legal issues wrong.

Presented by leading lawyer Donna Ballman with literary agent Peter Cox.

Don't forget - you can post topics for Donna to discuss in Donna's Domain inside the Colony.

Papyrus to Pixels

Posted: Tue, 03 Apr 2012 09:47:58 +0100

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We love to talk about story here on Litopia After Dark - and in particular, the impact that new media is having on its development, production and consumption. Are we entering a Promised Land full of storytelling richness, fuelled by ubiquitous multimedia devices - or is this merely the beginning of a new Dark Age, when story - and therefore authors - are devalued?

Someone who's taken the bull by the horns on this issue is Andrea Buchanan, no stranger to listeners of Litopia After Dark, whose new work Gift is a feast of storytelling sumptuousness - including not just words, but music and songs, characters' diaries and comics, too. Is this the way of the future? Listen, and decide for yourself!

Presented by Peter Cox with Dave Bartram and featuring the immortal Ali Gardiner in the chat room.

Join us in the chat room for next week's live show!
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

A Severe, Prolonged Misunderstanding

Posted: Tue, 27 Mar 2012 11:38:28 +0100

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She's a scholar of Latin and ancient Greek, and admits to being a recovering stickler. He's a lexicographer and dictionary editor; a profession which ranks as one of the sexiest on Earth (that's what the chat room says, and who are we to disagree?).

Together, Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett host one of the 'net's most venerable public radio shows, A Way With Words - fifty minutes of sheer verbal bliss for anyone who's curious about the language we use.

A Way With Words has recently started to run on Radio Litopia and we think once you've met Martha and Grant, you'll be back for more!

Presented by Peter Cox with Dave Bartram and featuring the return of the awesome Ali Gardiner in the chat room.

Join us in the chat room for next week's live show!
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

Smaug The Dragon Sues Hobbit

Posted: Fri, 23 Mar 2012 18:23:17 +0100

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This week we’ll be talking about an agency that has agreed to stop discriminating against older writers; a big company that has dropped attempts at censorship; a TV show that has copyright issues; allegations of censorship at the London Book Fair; whether Twitter might run afoul of UK libel law; a TV show that a writer claims is stolen; contraband book smuggling; a writer striking back at a big studio; and a legal fight over a Middle-earth pub.

Presented by leading lawyer Donna Ballman with literary agent Peter Cox.

Don't forget - you can post topics for Donna to discuss in Donna's Domain inside the Colony.

Jeffrey Archer: The Archer Still Has Two Fingers

Posted: Mon, 19 Mar 2012 15:47:23 +0100

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With 270 million copies of his books in circulation, Jeffrey Archer can justly claim to be one of the world's all-time bestselling novelists. From his first book way back in 1976 - rejected by fifteen publishers - to his current worldwide hit The Sins Of The Father - his writer's journey has been a wild ride of extremes. This absorbing in-depth interview, during which Jeffrey fields questions both from our panel and from the live audience in the chat room, is utterly unmissable. No topic is off-limits. Candid, witty and very much the consummate pro, Jeffrey packs a lifetime of advice into sixty spellbinding minutes. If you've ever wanted to attend a masterclass in how to become a bestselling novelist - start listening now.

Presented by Peter Cox with Dave Bartram and featuring the return of the awesome Ali Gardiner in the chat room.

Join us in the chat room for next week's live show!
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

When Good Lawyers Go Bad

Posted: Sun, 11 Mar 2012 21:59:56 +0100

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This week we talk about how the world is about to change for ebooks in a big way and why we need to be worried, a presidential candidate who thinks he can use your work without paying, a suit over bogus takedown notices, copyright versus patent lawyers in a major showdown, something you need to do right now if your books are published in France, a new libel superinjunction, and Paypal gets into the censorship game.

Plus - why lawyers who get suspended in your stories should not be celebrating their vacation.

Presented by leading lawyer Donna Ballman with literary agent Peter Cox.

Don't forget - you can post topics for Donna to discuss in Donna's Domain inside the Colony.

Green Chilblain Shrews

Posted: Mon, 27 Feb 2012 14:02:46 GMT

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He's worked with Bjorn and Benny from ABBA, orchestrated the music for Inspector Morse, conducted some of the world’s greatest orchestras and his dance music has been played by the likes of Sasha, John Digweed, Paul Oakenfold and Nick Warren. Matthew Slater is a professional composer, and in tonight's fascinating show, he takes us for an intimate look behind the scenes of a sister creative industry to the writing and publishing world. There are many similarities, and indeed, many believe that the music industry is about five years ahead of the publishing business; if you want to know what the future looks like, here it is.

Presented by Peter Cox with Dave Bartram and featuring the return of the awesome Ali Gardiner in the chat room.

Join us in the chat room for next week's live show!
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

Donna Is Sheriff For A Day

Posted: Mon, 27 Feb 2012 12:08:53 +0100

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This week we talk about Amazon taking its name a little too seriously, why Paramount wants a Mario Puzo screenplay to sleep with the fishes, a trademark battle over an ape man, putting pirates out of business, and why a new version of Sherlock Holmes is anything but elementary. Plus, we talk about why your police officer characters should never drop their guns.

Presented by leading lawyer Donna Ballman with literary agent Peter Cox.

Don't forget - you can post topics for Donna to discuss in Donna's Domain inside the Colony.

Million Dollar Voice

Posted: Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:04:57 +0100

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BJ Harrison is doing what many authors dream of doing; he's made a huge success out of recording and selling audiobooks on the net. What's even more amazing - the texts he reads and sells are public domain and out of copyright. With seven million downloads, he's obviously doing something right. BJ's reading of The Mark of Zorro will start running soon on radio Litopia; prior to that, we're delighted to have him as our guest on tonight's show - there's a lot authors can learn from him.

Back with a bang is Litopia After Dark's very own Donald Trump - Martyn Daniels, to give us a succinct update of the current state of play in the publishing business... where it's old guard versus new guard... and, despite what some may say, how Amazon's deep understanding of the publishing business is paying off...

Presented by Peter Cox with Dave Bartram and featuring the return of the awesome Ali Gardiner in the chat room. Join us in the chat room for next week's live show!
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

Who Killed Hilda Murrell?

Posted: Tue, 14 Feb 2012 21:53:01 +0100

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It was an iconic murder - pre-dating the mysterious death of British biological warfare expert David Kelly, but bearing uncanny similarities, too. Rose grower, naturalist, diarist and campaigner against nuclear energy and weapons, Hilda Murrell's murder in 1984 entered the national consciousness and has never left (for Americans - think of her as Britain's Karen Silkwood).

Tonight's show features an in-depth interview with her nephew, former Royal Navy Commander Robert Green. You will find it compelling listening. Robert's book is available here.

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The Man Behind Sherlock Holmes

Posted: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 21:27:50 +0100

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What with Benedict Cumberbatch’s radical new television interpretation of Sherlock Holmes, and the recent big-screen Guy Ritchie / Robert Downey / Jude Law action movies, the Baker Street seven per-center is enjoying a major revival of interest.

How appropriate, then, that the master scriptwriter of the entire Holmes canon should join us for tonight's Litopia After Dark. Bert Coules is nearly as legendary as his protagonist in Holmesian circles. He’s a man who’s had more experience of Sherlock Holmes than almost anyone else, apart from Conan Doyle. Not only was he head writer on the BBC’s project to dramatise the entire Holmes canon, but he then went on to write The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – original plots based on passing references from Conan Doyle’s oeuvre.

Bert has also adapted several Ellis Peters’ Brother Cadfael novels, starring Philip Madoc as Cadfael, and has dramatised works by Ian Rankin, Val McDermid, Isaac Asimov and other best-selling genre authors.

Whether you're a Holmes fan, an aspiring scriptwriter, or simply interested in great drama, you'll love this show - pass it on to your friends!

Presented by Peter Cox with Dave Bartram without the awesome Ali in the chat room - she'll be back next week. Join us in the chat room for next week's live show!
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

Acting Up Over ACTA, Dicing With DRM

Posted: Thu, 29 Dec 2011 14:20:14 +0100

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This week we talk about why some works you thought were public domain might be back in copyright; why Wikipedia went dark; how a copyright law that did pass may affect you; school-book censorship; whether Amazon has gone all Capt. Jack Sparrow on us; why some publishing insiders are abandoning DRM; and a law that may stop some authors from writing for schools. Plus, we talk about why using twin stand-ins in your stories may not be a good idea.

Presented by leading lawyer Donna Ballman with literary agent Peter Cox.

Don't forget - you can post topics for Donna to discuss in Donna's Domain inside the Colony.

What Facebook Really Thinks About You

Posted: Thu, 29 Dec 2011 14:20:14 +0100

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This week we talk about trademark-eating zombies, how signing a check may cost you your copyright, why you might already be a public figure, which famous writer’s heirs’ reign of terror is over, a publisher claiming copyright on rights that didn’t exist, whether agents should have ethics, and how writing a memoir might cost you your job. Plus, Donna makes her predictions for publishing for 2012.

Presented by leading lawyer Donna Ballman with literary agent Peter Cox.

Don't forget - you can post topics for Donna to discuss in Donna's Domain inside the Colony.

Rumors Of The End Of The World

Posted: Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:30:54 GMT

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Canadian writer Margaret Atwood once noted that "the Colonies" (i.e. former British posessions) were not places where great literature was supposed to happen. That myopic view is well and truly demolished by tonight's guest: Australian writer Chris Womersley.

Chris's fiction has appeared in Granta, and his second novel Bereft has just been published in the UK by Quercus. Garnering massive praise, it won the Australian Book Industry Award for Literary Fiction, and was short-listed for the Miles Franklin Literary Award, The Age Book of the Year and the Australian Society of Literature Gold Medal. Chris's first book, The Low Road, won the 2008 Ned Kelly Award for Best First Fiction for his novel. We love introducing our listeners to brilliant new talent, and Chris is certainly that - a name to watch in years to come.

Presented by Peter Cox with Dave Bartram without the awesome Ali in the chat room - she'll be back next week. Join us in the chat room for next week's live show!
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

Snow Business

Posted: Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:30:54 +0100

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One hundred years ago, on January 17th, 1912, Captain Robert Falcon Scott's five-man team reached the South Pole: only to find Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen had beaten them to it more than a month earlier. Scott's ill-fated expedition is the stuff of legend.

This week's Litopia After Dark has two legendary guests: Dr. Huw Lewis-Jones, formerly Curator of Art at the Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge, and Kari Herbert, daughter of polar explorer, Sir Wally Herbert. Kari spent the first few years of her life living on a remote island in the Arctic with the Polar Inuit of Northwest Greenland. Her first language was Inuktun, the local dialect of Greenlandic. At the age of four Herbert accompanied her parents on a journey that took them through winter blizzards in a caravan to spend time with the Sami of Lapland. She has continued to travel extensively ever since.

Kari's forthcoming book (available for pre-order on Amazon) is Polar Wives: The Remarkable Wives Behind the World's Most Daring Explorers.

Kari and Huw have jointly written In Search of the South Pole, which is available now. All this plus Litopia's very own Nic Alderton - it's one cool show...!

Presented by Peter Cox with Dave Bartram and the awesome Ali in the chat room. Join us in the chat room for next week's live show - it's neoannual!
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

Apple Pwns Education

Posted: Thu, 19 Jan 2012 23:27:46 GMT

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Today, Apple made a grab at the education market.
Not at part of it.
No.
All of it.
As authors, we've become quite accustomed to extremely large companies appropriating things. Think about Google unilaterally grabbing eBook rights. Or consider Amazon giving away our eBooks. You get the picture.
Apple, however, are going beyond all that with their educational product launch today. They're aiming to own education.
In this special edition of Litopia After Dark, we've assembled a word-beating team of panellists to cut through the hype. Industry professionals all, they will clearly explain exactly what's happened today - and even more importantly, how it will affect you... and indeed, how you might be able to benefit.
Our crack team comprises:
Philip Jones - deputy editor of The Bookseller and founder of FutureBook. Follow Philip on Twitter
John Pettigrew - Senior Managing Editor, International Education, Cambridge University Press
Alison Jones, Director of Digital Development, Palgrave Macmillan
Martyn Daniels - publishing industry consultant and blogger for the Booksellers' Association
MJ Rose - legendary New York author, publicity guru & publishing commentator
Huw Alexander - Rights & Digital Sales Manager for SAGE Publications
hank you to everyone who contributed, both on the panel and in the chat room... you all made this a very special show, and spread great knowledge and enlightenment!
Join us in the chat room for next week's live show - it's neoannual!
If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation.

I Wish I'd Written It

Posted: Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:25:22 GMT

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The new year is a time to make dreams come true... and if you could make one authorial wish come true, what might it be? Perhaps you'd like the ultimate rave review from a legendary author such as Stephen King, along these lines: "this one gets the writer's ultimate bit of praise: I wish I had written it".
That's exactly what happened to our guest Erin Kelly tonight; her first novel The Poison Tree found its way onto Mr. King's desk, and that is what the great master wrote. With an endorsement like that, who needs reviews?
Jill Wolfson's latest YA book, the deeply emotional Cold Hands, Warm Heart is inspiring a similar degree of passion amongst its readers - or should we say, fans. Set in the life-and-death world of organ transplants, and meticulously researched by Jill, the book is a fabulous story about young people who are learning - in extreme circumstances - what's most important in life: love, work, a sense of purpose and community.
Philip Jones, deputy editor of The Bookseller and founder of FutureBook, is here to give us an eagle-eyed overview of the state of the publishing business. There are so many contradictory views, so much noise, and so many axes being ground that it's increasingly hard to determine exactly what happening and what's likely to happen this year. Philip is one of the industry's leading commentators, and you'll find his insights both clear and astonishing... it's a must-listen!
Presented by Peter Cox with Dave Bartram and the awesome Ali in the chat room.
Join us in the chat room for next week's live show - it's neoannual!

Peter Englund: The Beauty and the Sorrow

Posted: Tue, 03 Jan 2012 11:42:25 GMT

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His origins were humble; a working-class boy from a small military town in northern Sweden, not far from the Arctic Circle. Today, he is one of the most influential figures in the world of literature, because Peter Englund is Permanent Secretary to the Swedish Academy, the body that awards the Nobel Prize in Literature.
For someone who has within his power the making or breaking of international writing careers, Peter, as you'll hear, is remarkably unassuming. Perhaps one reason for this is that he's still a writer himself; he understands the writing process profoundly, and his own books have been both bestsellers and widely acclaimed. His most recent, just launched in London, is a stunning new approach to the history of the First World War. Subtitled "an intimate history", The Beauty and the Sorrow explores the personal aspects of war: not the grand strategies concocted in the cabinets of Europe, but the experiences of "ordinary" people from around the world, all now unknown - were it not for Peter's deeply moving book.

This extended and intimate interview with Peter England reveals a wise and thoughtful author, unaffected by success, still driven to pursue his writing journey to its ultimate destination.

Sam Leith: You Talkin' To Me?

Posted: Mon, 02 Jan 2012 19:49:09 GMT

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What's it like to receive 300 books to review for a major national newspaper - every week? That is but one of the more-or-less impossible tasks that befalls a typical literary editor - which is what Sam Leith did as Literary Editor of the Daily Telegraph.
Highly regarded in the publishing business, Sam talks with us today about good reviews and bad reviews, about publishing and publishers, and about the future of the newspaper business. In fact, Sam is the scion of a newspaper dynasty. Grandson of Sir John Junor (editor of the Sunday Express for 32 years) and son of journalist and author Penny Junor, Sam rose through the ranks to become Literary Editor: until, that is, things suddenly changed.
Today, he's crossed the floor to become an author (an interesting experience for a former literary editor). The author of two previous non-fiction titles, Dead Pets and Sod's Law and one novel, The Coincidence Engine, Sam has now written a book about rhetoric, You Talkin' To Me?- a witty and elegant enquiry into the art of persuasion.
Sam is a fascinating conversationalist - you'll enjoy this romp of a discussion that ranges from Barak Obama to Kerry Katona... by way of Plato and Kate Moss. And a dash of Evelyn Waugh, too!

John Simopoulos: A Tiger Burning Bright

Posted: Sun, 01 Jan 2012 12:47:33 GMT

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When we asked John Simopoulos, Founding Fellow and Dean of Degrees at St Catherine’s College, Oxford, to read Coleridge's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner last year, we had an overwhelming response from listeners wanting to hear more from him.

We're thrilled to welcome John back to present this special new year's "mixed bag of prose, poetry and century" that is certain to delight and inspire you... happy new year!

John reads and discusses:
- Meditation 17 by John Donne
- "The Little Black Boy" by William Blake
- "The Tiger" by William Blake
- Samuel Johnson's letter to Lord Chesterfield
- "Those Winter Sundays" By Robert Hayden
- "Heraclitus" by William Johnson Cory
- "On The Coast Of Coromandel" by Osbert Sitwell
- "The Owl And The Pussy Cat" by Edward Lear
Music in the programme is available for purchase from magnatune.com

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