Ken Follett is a man who doesn’t really need much introduction, but introduce him I will anyway.
Thirty-eight books written. 197 million copies sold in 80 countries and in 40 languages. Very popular across the world — and even in China and Brazil, according to the man himself.
Subscribe to the Country Life Podcast
You would think that might be enough to retire on, but Ken is not interested in retirement. Rather he would like to talk about his latest book Circle of Days, which is about the building of Stonehenge and is out on September 23 (but is very much available to pre-order now).
Ken has long been the master of historical fiction, with his bestseller Pillars of the Earth adoring most bookshelves up and down the country. He joins the podcast to discuss his writing process, and how he combines his painstaking research with fiction to create his much-loved tales.
We also chat about cathedrals, the revival of Notre Dame, whether he’s played his own video game, a fictional dinner with Shakespeare, and his favourite place in the UK (the answer to which might just surprise you).
Episode credits
Host: James Fisher
Guest: Ken Follett
Editor and producer: Toby Keel
Music: JuliusH via Pixabay
-
'Each of my active ancestors had the good sense and taste to purchase or commission the outstanding work of their time': Meet the collecting dynastiesWhether it is adding contemporary paintings to a gallery of Old Masters or branching out into territories as diverse as Modernist chairs, Iranian tiles or Churchill memorabilia, the passion for collecting seems to run in some families.
-
Belmont House: The 'jewel in Kent’s celebrated crown', created by a decorated soldier who was sent to prison and premature death by false accusationsBelmont House in Kent is a Georgian creation rich in military associations, now run by a trust. Steven Brindle looks at its history and the remarkable architect responsible for its design; photographs by Will Pryce for Country Life.
-
The new rat-pack: the Gen-Z team saving shearwaters and killing invasive species on a remote island in the Irish seaMeet the twenty-somethings trading clubbing and pub quizzes for bird ringing and hard graft on the Calf of Man.
-
Sophia Money-Coutts: 'Strictly Come Dancing' is back and I hate it. Do I have to pretend otherwise for the next three months?Spoiler alert: Yes, you do have to pretend to like it.
-
James Robinson: A fifth-generation farmer on the ups and downs of 'the most glorious job in the world'Life can be beautiful for farmers, and often is — but it can also be hard and bleak. James Robinson joined the Country Life Podcast to talk about the extraordinary ups and downs of the job he loves, and how Nature helps out when things get tough.
-
Hollywood star Audrey Hepburn, whose early career was formed in London, is to be honoured with a prestigious Blue PlaqueThe 'Breakfast at Tiffany’s' star’s time in the capital will be celebrated with a plaque in Mayfair on the walls of her former home, and a film screening.
-
Martin Brudnizki, the face behind almost every five-star hotel interior, on his consuming passionsGrilled feta with honey, The Rest is History and a bit of Bossa Nova on a Friday night — Lotte Brundle asks what drives the Swedish designer.
-
'Jammers blocking phone signals are, sadly, illegal in the UK': Sophia Money-Coutts on what to do when your mobile goes off in a theatre
Can you ever show your face again?
-
Flying helicopters, rampaging elephants and painting Ronnie Wood: Hannah Shergold on the Country Life PodcastThe artist — and former Army helicopter pilot — Hannah Shergold joins James Fisher on the Country Life Podcast.
-
'I’m here to say: We’re driving. We’re buying. And we’re not going anywhere': Meet the new gatekeepers of the motoring worldFrom the racetrack to the boardroom to the private garage, women are taking the inside line into automotive spaces that were once off-limits
