PODCAST · arts
Leigh Turner writing
by Leigh Turner
Former ambassador and writer Leigh Turner reads his books and explores the art of writing.
Episodes
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78. How to ace interviews
How did I get into the British diplomatic service after one of the most disastrous interviews of all time? I really made a mess of it! For more about real-life diplomacy and the nuts and bolts of what diplomats and ambassadors really do, check out my book "Lessons in Diplomacy: Politics, Power…
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77. Don't let jobs destroy you
"Don't let jobs destroy you" looks at the case of a former colleague of mine whose health was damaged by overwork. What could she have done differently? Was the problem a bad boss? Discrimination? I look at why you shouldn't jump to conclusions. In particular, don't assume there's nothing you can...
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76. How to learn languages
One of my most popular TikTok videos is called "How to learn languages". Maybe people like it because I reveal how difficult I myself find learning them! My book "Lessons in Diplomacy" contains several stories showing how hopeless I've always been at learning grammar for e.g. German or Turkish.…
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75. Anyone can be a diplomat - true or false?
When I published a video on my Instagram saying "Anyone can be a diplomat", I got a lot of support - and a lot of pushback. Some people found the idea that anyone could be a diplomat empowering. Others said "it's just not true. You have to know the right people." Which is true? For more about...
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74. Costa Rica: Turtles, beaches, jungles and gold
Costa Rica is home to some of the most spectacular natural beauty on the planet, as well as teeming with wildlife and world-class beaches. The Pre-Columbian Gold Museum in San Jose is a marvel of design and beauty. On the Pacific Coast, you can watch both mother turtles laying their eggs and baby...
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74. What's Leigh Turner really like?
Don and Mike recently interviewed me on their "Vintage FM" channel using a "Desert Island Discs"-type format. It's a brilliant format because it prompts lots of really personal stuff. You can hear the results here. All FM is a fabulous local radio station in Manchester. Hosts Don Berry and Mike...
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73. Colombia: tragic and hopeful
Colombia at last! Who knows the main sights of Colombia, a country as large as Germany, France and the Netherlands combined? I visited Medellin, with its tragic history and story of hope; and Cartagena, with its Caribbean beat, mighty castles and exquisite food and drink. You can find many…
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72. Ecuador: The Galapagos, Cotopaxi and more
From an icy climb up the Cotopaxi volcano to a boat trip around the Galapagos, Ecuador is breathtaking. Explore the highest active volcano in the world, spectacular Quito, and the world-famous fascination of the Galapagos Islands. Pictures and text to accompany this blog post are here on my...
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71. Peru: Machu Picchu and The Sacred Valley
Peru is home to some of the greatest treasures in Latin America, including Machu Picchu. But there's much, much more to explore, from the ancient Inca capital of Cusco, the astonishing fortress of Saqsayhuaman, the Sacred Valley, Ollantaytambo, and Lima on the arid Pacific coast. Pictures and…
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70. Chile: Glaciers, Volcanoes and Deserts
Chile is one of the world's most spectacular countries. Join a life-changing exploration of everything from the glaciers, fjords and vanished peoples of Patagonia in the south to Moon Valley, geysers and the Atacama Desert in the north. In between we visit the Lake District; ascend the perfect...
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69. "Luxury Spa": an Austrian Hotel Story
“Luxury Spa” is the thirteenth in Leigh Turner's "Hotel Story" series, and the first set in Austria. Ms N is the world’s most glamorous, brilliant and mischievous hotel manager. She loves to solve problems – especially when they are caused by men. She and her colleague Tatiana travel to the…
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68. Salonica, City of Ghosts
"Salonica - City of Ghosts" is an eery, elegiac portrait of a city that - in many respects - had a completely different identity to modern Thessaloniki. " This podcast is based on my review of Mark Mazower's book of the same name about Greece's second city and its tragic history, including the...
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67. Lessons in Diplomacy: Germans and other stereotypes
"German punctuality is a myth that German diplomats work hard to dispel. I... regularly attended meetings of European Union ambassadors where our German colleagues seemed to make it a point of honour to be the last to arrive." From Chapter 10 of Lessons in Diplomacy: Politics, Power and...
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66. Lessons in Diplomacy: The Dangers of Power
Being the most powerful country in the world may sound appealing. But there are big downsides. "Many people couldn't believe that the US was as vulnerable as 9/11 seemed to suggest. But another factor was at play, too: reflex anti-Americanism." From Chapter 15 of Lessons in Diplomacy…
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65. Lessons in Diplomacy: Why did the US bomb Iran?
Why did the US bomb Iran? We can learn much from the failed US intervention in Somalia in the early 1990s, culminating in the Battle of Mogadishu. This podcast is adapted from part of Chapter 15 of Lessons in Diplomacy: Politics, Power and Parties: "How to make diplomacy reflect our...
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64. "Blood Summit": Chapters 2 and 3
Listen to Chapters 2 and 3 of my Berlin thriller "Blood Summit", with diplomat action hero Helen Gale. The Prologue and Chapter 1 are in the previous podcast. You can find "Blood Summit" on Amazon. #writing #writingtips #thrillers #thriller #international #books #book #booktok #Berlin #Germany
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63. "Blood Summit" - Prologue and Chapter 1
Listen to the Prologue and Chapter 1 of my Berlin thriller "Blood Summit", with diplomat action hero Helen Gale. Chapters 2 and 3 will be in a future podcast. You can find "Blood Summit" on Amazon. #writing #writingtips #thrillers #thriller #international #books #book #booktok #Berlin #Germany
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62. Lessons in Diplomacy: How to understand Putin's war on Ukraine
"President Putin's unprovoked invasions of Ukraine in 2014 and 2022 turned diplomacy on its head. In response, countries supporting Ukraine must show strategic patience... and explore how the Russian leader got his decision so wrong." From Chapter 5 of Lessons in Diplomacy: Politics, Power and...
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61. Lessons in Diplomacy: How (not) to introduce democracy
"The fact that many ordinary Russians fear that the alternative to authoritarianism is chaos in part reflects their grim experience of the 1990s." From Chapter 4 of Lessons in Diplomacy: Politics, Power and Parties: "How (not) to introduce democracy". #diplomacy #ambassador #ambassadors...
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60. Lessons in Diplomacy: How to Fail at Geopolitical Change: Brexit
"I was surprised to find a political adviser telling off a senior cabinet minister in this way. I was even more surprised when [Boris] Johnson ate humble pie, apologising profusely even though it was not his fault." From Chapter 3 of "Lessons in Diplomacy: Politics, Power and Parties": "How…
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59. Lessons in Diplomacy: How to Tackle Terrorism
"Should you ever get a chance to take part in a counter-terrorism exercise, step forward... but never volunteer to be a hostage." From Chapter 2 of "Lessons in Diplomacy: Politics, Power and Parties": "How to Tackle Terrorism". #diplomacy #ambassador #ambassadors #diplomat #diplomats…
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58. Lessons in Diplomacy: How to Survive a Crisis
"A bomb has exploded in Ankara. A big one. City centre." My colleague from the British embassy in the capital of Turkey, five hours' drive to the east, sounded shaken. "Should we declare a crisis?" From Chapter 1 of "Lessons in Diplomacy: Politics, Power and Parties": "How to Survive a Crisis"....
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57. Lessons in Diplomacy: Prologue
Meet Ray: "a shambling, swarthy, sunken-eyed bear of a man... the first thing I saw when I peered into the cab was his butcher's arms: broad and sheened with sweat". One of a host of fascinating characters who taught me the lessons in the book "Lessons in Diplomacy: Politics, Power and Parties"....
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56. A complete short story: "The Two Rooms"
"The Two Rooms" is one of my "Hotel Stories". It features Ms N, the most brilliant and occasionally homicidal hotel managers in the world, and her beautiful, smart but naive colleague, Tatiana. I'm afraid I'm not brilliant at accents - particularly US accents! But I hope you enjoy the story. Any...
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55. Lessons in Diplomacy: How to be invited to the King's Birthday Party
How do get invited to the King's Birthday Party in a British Embassy overseas? Find out more in my new book Lessons in Diplomacy. It might be easier than you think! I hope you enjoy the book. #diplomacy #ambassador #ambassadors #diplomat #diplomats #diplomat #booksfordiplomacy #diplomacybook...
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54. Lessons in Diplomacy: How to become an ambassador
How do you become an ambassador? My new book Lessons in Diplomacy explores what diplomacy can teach us all. Here is a run-through of the main chapters and sections, from "How to become an ambassador" through "How to survive a crisis", "How to handle politicians" and "How to drink wine and know...
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53. The Tunnel Under the World
Are the conspiracy theories right? What if the entire world, as we perceive it, is controlled by shadowy forces? A 1955 short story helped begin a strong tradition of tales exploring alternative realities. You can find the story on which this podcast is based on my blog, here. Other blog posts...
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52. Lessons in Diplomacy: When leaders think they're invincible
Why did Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin allow Vladimir Putin to kill him after Prigozhin's mutiny in 2023? Prigozhin might have taken more care if he'd seen the classic early 1990s Russian movie Burnt by the Sun. More about this in my book Lessons in Diplomacy. #diplomacy #ambassador...
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51. Lessons in Diplomacy: The Perfect Pimm's
From my book "Lessons in Diplomacy": How to make the perfect Pimm's. Watch the video of Antonio making a mouthwatering Pimms at https://rleighturner.com/perfect-pimms/. #diplomacy #ambassador #ambassadors #diplomat #diplomats #diplomat #booksfordiplomacy #diplomacybook #booksaboutdiplomacy #pimms...
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50. The Three-Body Problem
"The Three-Body Problem" is out on Netflix. Some Chinese critics are reportedly angered by the series' depiction of China. I can see why. Let's look at the book, and how the Netflix version compares. You can read the blog post on which this podcast is based on my rleighturner.com website.
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49. Lessons in Diplomacy: The Welsh Secret Service
I don’t usually reveal top secret information in these podcasts. But here, exclusively, I want to talk about the Welsh Secret Service. More about the WSS in my book Lessons in Diplomacy: Politics, Power and Parties. #Wales #Welsh #diplomacy #ambassador #ambassadors #diplomat #diplomats #diplomat...
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48. Does Duolingo work? How to learn languages
"Yes, but." A former diplomat assesses Duolingo against other methods. Since I recorded this, Duolingo has introduced a much meaner regime for non-paying users, making it more or less impossible to use without a subscription. #languages #learning #Duolingo #languageapps
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47. Cocktails for Women
How women handle cocktails - and men. Stand by for fireworks in this interview with Ms N, hotel manager extraordinary, alongside the narrator of the "Hotel Stories" Tatiana, and bartender Amanda. #cocktails #martini #martinis #women #feminist
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46. Ukraine Fatigue
Is the world suffering from "Ukraine fatigue"? It is, and it matters immensely. The security of all of us is at stake - wherever in the world you live. You can read the post on which this podcast is based, and related material about Russia's war against Ukraine, on my website at:...
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45. How to Write 10 Books
How do you get started writing a book - or 10? Here are a few tips. You can read the post on which this podcast is based here: How to write a book - or ten. #writing #writingtips #thrillers #thriller #international #books #book #booktok #stories #story
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44. Fighting terrorism
What MI5 taught me about "fighting terrorism".
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43. What an author does
What is this author doing right now? A snapshot of every iron in the fire.
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42. Retirement - what went wrong
What’s full-time writing like? What are the pitfalls? How do you make the most of it? And what did I do wrong? Here is the blog on which this podcast is based, with links and pictures.
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41. How I wrote "The Hitchhiker's Guide to Diplomacy"
Writing “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Diplomacy” was fascinating and demanding. It will be published in German on 12 April 2023, by Czernin Verlag, Vienna. How did this happen? You can read more about the book at my website, here. To buy the book - which is in German - go to your local bookshop; to...
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40. "The Hitchhiker's Guide to Diplomacy - Wie Diplomatie die Welt erklärt"
A podcast in German. Ein Podcast auf Deutsch. Mein neues Buch “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Diplomacy – Wie Diplomatie die Welt erklärt” (Czernin Verlag, Wien) erscheint am 12. April 2023. Sie können das Buch vormerken (oder nach dem 12.4.23 kaufen) bei Czernin Verlag oder bei Amazon.de. Mehr...
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39. "Britches" - the beginning of the very first "Hotel Story".
In the first scene from the first Hotel Story, "Britches", the hotel's owner threatens the beautiful but naive Tatiana. Will Ms N, the world's greatest and deadliest hotel manager, rescue her before it is too late? You can find all Leigh Turner's books, and where to buy them, here.
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38. Russia-Ukraine ceasefire: why not?
Any sane person wants to end wars. Many people have argued that a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war might help reduce suffering. Others say that supplying arms to Ukraine simply prolongs the war. Here's why they are wrong. The situation is grim: but both a ceasefire or reducing arms supplies...
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37. John Savage in therapy: an interview
"John Savage, formerly First Secretary, British Embassy Moscow: Transcript of trauma counselling, session 12". Why is John Savage, the hero of my Istanbul thriller, "Palladium", such a damaged character? Have a listen to this interview between him and his psychotherapist, Dr Bergbaum, about…
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36. Writing Resources
Resources to help writers. We look at how to write articles and blogs; how to write a novel; dealing with rejections; a selection of writing courses - and much more. Have a listen to some friendly advice. For all the links, see my blog here: Resources for Writers.
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35. Russia-Ukraine War explainer July 2022
A summer 2022 update on what is happening in Russia's war on Ukraine. Why it matters - and why what we must do next won't be easy. The picture shows Sverdlovsk, in eastern Ukraine, when I visited in 2010. It has been occupied by Russia since 2014. Links and further background at this blog.
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34. Dr Wortle's School - a study in taboos
Were the people of 19th Century England obnoxious moralists? What if they were no worse than we are today? Also available as a blog post.
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33. Does the "Palladium" exist? An interview with an archaeology professor
Top journalist Misty Anderson interviews Turkish archaeology professor Elif Mutlu about the mysterious Palladium. Why, Misty asks, do many people believe it protects Istanbul, while others argue it does not exist? What do you think? Also available as a blog.
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32. Russia/Ukraine: When deception is official policy
What three things must you always bear in mind when you hear Russian official statements about Ukraine? Also available as a blog.
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31. Goldfinger - is this vile book worth reading?
Ian Fleming's "Goldfinger", written in 1959, is full of vile sexism, homophobia and prejudice. Is it still worth reading? Also available as a blog.
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30. How you can help Ukraine - long term - by drinking vodka
Why is Ukrainian vodka the best in the world? What else makes it unique? You may be surprised to learn how "Horilka" could become as famous as Scotch or Champagne. Also available as a blog.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Leigh Turner writing have?
Leigh Turner writing currently has 50 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Leigh Turner writing about?
Former ambassador and writer Leigh Turner reads his books and explores the art of writing.
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Leigh Turner writing has 50 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
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Leigh Turner writing is created and hosted by Leigh Turner.
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