Laura Northedge – BBC Audio Planning
- A new role as they’ve had some recent changes – Laura’s role is kind of like Alison Finch’s previous role and she decides which guests go to which BBC programme. Laura is the person to go to if you have a guest author!
- There is an internal database which Laura can access and uses, AI takes this from publicist’s emails and inserts into the internal database.
- One guest can go on one BBC station once – one bite of the cherry for book promo!
- Laura is still in charge of fiction for Woman’s Hour
- Using the internal database, they look at what popular themes are emerging in arts and culture
- Need to email bbc audio planning to get on the database: bbc-audio-planning@bbc.co.ukIn the email it needs dates, name of project/author and press release. Can be word or PDF doc – the AI will pick it up
- Programmes that Laura covers at BBC: The Media Show, Woman’s Hour, the Verb (poetry), Outlook (memoirs), Arts Hour (international arts coverage), Front Row (daily arts), Loose Ends, Saturday Live, Books programme, Start the week (culture, science, politics)
- Saturday Live is filmed in Cardiff now
- Loose Ends is moving around the country – Salford, Belfast, London, Durham, Birmingham – creates opportunities for local authors or if they have paperbacks and have a regional connection. Relatively ad hoc on the decision of where they will be so can’t see their locations in advance, but submit as usual
- Front Row – Glasgow on Wednesdays and coming from Edinburgh festival
- The Verb is in Salford
- Doing less interviews via Zoom and guests need to be in the studio for interview – international guests on tour they welcome but difficult to do pre-records
- Don’t often cover paperbacks on BBC R4
- Lead times: Increase lead time for booksnow (at least 2-3 months to get books to the presenters in advance, before used to be around 4-6 weeks)
- Producers like to receive books – crucially needs press release via email first to BBC planning unit before posting books. Copies ot go to 7028 planning unit at Broadcasting House – addressed to Laura.
- Do contact individual planners for different shows if you know them although there’s a lot of rapid change – Olivia Skinner at Woman’s Hour, Tim Prosser at Front Row
- Loves meeting up with publicists! Realistically from September onwards – but do chase her up as she’s just settling in
- Literature in Translation – depends on how well the author speaks fluently. They might need to pre-record – so less likely for them ton book but could happen especially on BBC world service, Outlook
- BBC planning meetings are Thursdays at 2pm! Currently looking at October books for their Thursday meeting this week
Tom Gatti – Literary Editor, The Observer
- Previously at The New Statesman and editted the books pages and acting editor of NS
- Observer now publishing under Tortoise media
- Tom works on new review section and edits books pages – new review team includes Tim Adams, Anna Leviski (double check contact name with Tom), part-time writers including Olivia Ovenden (features), and Killian Fox (Radar and upfront Q&A features)
- Books aren’t just constrained to books pages but runs throughout the magazine – essayed features, interviews, extracts – lots of opportunities for books coverage and good writers
- Regular features outside books pages:
- New Review is the same structure as before – a new refresh across the whole Observer coming in late autumn. Main function is for their digital platforms/ app – a new digital strategy and a little refresh is coming in print as well
- Two Q&A slots – one front of the section and then a books Q&A – they are running for the foreseeable. Big names are great and they like to keep the calibre of contributors high but writers with interesting points, non-fiction writers, or authors having a ‘moment’
- On My Radar – cultural highlights slot (front of supplement)
- Some of these slots they can follow other outlets coverage and can do paperbacks not just first releases
- Not super keen on following Guardian and Sunday Times super closely afterwards
- Authored essays and book related essays like Kitty Empire did a big piece on Oasis books
- a regular science slot – microplastics and psychodelics – Tim Adams is the best contact
- Run short stories/fiction extracts – in the past had Deborah Levy and Sarah Hall. No exact plan how regularly these run
- Want to bring more poetry into the New Review but review poetry regularly
- Tonally like big ideas, human stories, eccentric – recently done pieces on fascist yoga, pioneering scottish photographers – well read features
- Book review pages: you may see fewer pieces but more extended reads, for more in depth coverage
- Re-reading features – have done pieces on classics and reissues – Sylvia Plath
- Sending books in: short on physical space in the office but fine to send in – more targetted on what you send. Administrator Lynne Brennan (lynne.brannan@observer.co.uk) is the best person to check if they have received copies. Don’t need multiple copies of things – they share between their team.
- Less interested in commercial fiction and although they cover thrillers and children’s books less so than other genres
- Press days: go to press on Thurs evening. Tom in Mon-Thurs in the office and WFH on Friday. Meetings are great on Monday and Tuesdays. He’s keen to meet publicists for coffees and catalogue chat throughs!
- Likes emails best – pitching for something specific have that at top of your email i.e for any slots/essays and include regular press release
- Authored essays: great to come with 2-3 ideas to pitch – pitch to Tim Adams and Tom Gatti
- 3 children’s reviewers for Observer so send children’s books directly to them and not office: Kitty Empire (middle-grade), Imogen Carter (picture books), Fiona Noble (YA). No kids review copies to Tom
- New debuts novelists piece in January (annual feature) – email now for 2026!!!
- Literature in translation interested in covering – strong coverage in the past but woven into regular fiction category
- Lead times: 6 weeks as a benchmark but can turn things around quickly if needed. Will organise big things 3 months in advance. They are currently focused on October – extracts, interviews, essays.
- Events they are doing – The Observer book club – run by Lily Cheslaw (double check contact name with Tom) – 2 events a month, led by authors in conversation (chaired by Observer staff), free and ticketed in person in the offices in Fitszrovia, 100 people and well attended. Signings afterwards. They are live-streamed and can be turned into podcasts dependent on if the author is happy for this. Further in advance when pitching 3-4 months, currently booking December! Works with a bookseller for the events and done by Observer bookshop. Focus generally non-fiction but they are keen to expand fiction offering, especially if it links with a cultural topic. Tickets to the public are are listed online and Observer & Tortoise newsletter lists.