Explore every episode of the podcast The Secret World of Books

In our first episode, we discuss the question, 'How does a book actually happen?'. We chat with the one and only Sir Ian Rankin and his editor and general publishing director at Orion, Emad Akhtar, about how best sellers are made, and the care and passion that goes into making each book - from the editors, translators, pressers, designers, publishers and booksellers. We ask readers' most burning questions about the writing process, with both Sir Ian and Emad telling us all about their careers, how they started, and offering sagely advice to all aspiring authors who wish to pursue their own creative journeys.