The Guardian Children's Books podcast

Cecelia Ahern explains how she was moved to write her first YA novel, Flawed, by her dismay at society’s increasingly finger-pointing culture. Guardian children’s books site members Harriet, Amy and Rebecca grill her on the book, which is set in a powerfully realised society in which perfection is valued above humanity

Jacqueline Wilson speaks to Michelle Pauli as she launches her creative writing competition for 7 – 12 year olds, where the prize is to have the winning story published in one of her books! Here she gives you tips about getting started, inventing characters and what the judges will be looking for Find out more about the competition and enter here! Plus check out the first chapter of Jacqueline Wilson’s newest book, Rent a Bridesmaid

Harrowing second world war tale Anna and the Swallow Man has taken teen readers by storm. Teen site members Lottie is Dottie and Ayesha got to ask the author about the mythologisation of the Holocaust, deep and dark things, stories without end and the meaning of life Also read Remembering the people of the Holocaust

Get a fascinating insight into the world of teen/YA fantasy in this podcast with four amazing fantasy authors. Samantha Shannon, Sally Green, Lucy Saxon and Alwyn Hamilton talk world building, feminism, sex and why we need to stop comparing all female characters to Katniss Everdeen – however wonderful she is! Enter our signed fantasy books giveaway!

Political commentator Owen Jones is grilled by teen site members CaraErica, Patrick and TheBookAddictedGirl on the writers who inspired his democratic socialist politics, the advice he’d give his 16-year-old self, and how young people should get involved in politics – and why… The Establishment is our current Teen book club read – find out what else is happening here

Find out what Jeff Kinney’s favourite Diary of a Wimpy Kid book is, why he really did wrap himself in toilet paper in Middle School and how he ALWAYS has writer’s block in this fabulous interview by the Eye Boggling Blurbs book group Win signed copies of the complete set of 10 Diary of a Wimpy Kid books

Sandi Toksvig reads from and talks about her latest book, A Slice of the Moon, an action-packed story of one family's journey across the world as they leave behind their home in Ireland during the potato famine and travel to America

Eoin Colfer, author of the bestselling Artemis Fowl novels, and award-winning picture book creator Oliver Jeffers have paired up to create a book about imaginary friends, Imaginary Fred. Find out how they met by chance, collaborated across continents by skype, and, of course, whether they have their own imaginary friends Buy Imaginary Fred at the Guardian bookshop

Prepare to be thrilled as Joseph Coelho performs poems from his prize-winning collection, Werewolf Club Rules, and offers his suggestions for your own poetry writing

The author of My Sister Lives on The Mantelpiece talks to site member The Dormouse about her new book, Silence is Goldfish, which she wrote for all the limelight-avoiding introverts out there

On the 10th anniversary of her first book I Coriander, Sally Gardner talks to site member Patrick about writing historical novels, the power of fairy tales, dyslexia and why the school system needs a big shake up

The best-selling Gallagher Girls author spills the beans on All Fall Down, the first in her thrilling new Embassy Row series – and answers questions on her life and books from teen site members • Plus we have five signed copies of All Fall Down to give away! See below for details

Mother and daughter writing duo Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer talk to Michelle Pauli about the premise behind their funny YA romance, Off the Page, in which a fairytale prince leaves his storybook to experience life and love in high school, and describe the ups and downs of co-writing with the person who knows you - and sometimes annoys you - best

Site member Tashtastic caught up with Chronicles of Ixia creator Maria V Snyder, when the US novelist was on a rare visit to the UK – listen in to their conversation here!

The bestselling author talks to site member Muchbooks about Hold Me Closer, his new novel written in musical form starring Tiny Cooper, a book companion to Will Grayson, Will Grayson which David wrote with John Green. Read the first chapter of Hold Me Closer

Find out everything you would ever, ever need to know about sustainable, self-restrainable Guillemot, who uses its bill a lot, in this immortal poem by John Hegley

Judith Kerr reads from her award-winning book, When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, about her escape from Nazi Germany during the second world war • Judith answers questions from our group site members and shares the real life stories behind her books and paintings in this interview

The winner of Costa children’s books award 2014 talks to site members Noggin and Sailing46 about her sequel to E Nesbit’s Five Children and It, set in the first world war

James Frey is giving $3 million of his own money as a prize for those who can solve the puzzles that run through his new trilogy Endgame. Here he tells site member JBOO1698 all about his crazy, magical idea – and his obsession with hidden history

Listen to John Agard read his well known poem Half Caste and talk about how his Guyanan upbringing helped him become the writer he is today

RJ Palacio reads from Wonder, and talks to Michelle Pauli about writing about a boy that has to face a world every day that can't face him back

Julian Rhind-Tutt reads from Terry Pratchett's new book Dragons at Crumbling Castle • Meet the cast of Dragons At Crumbling Castle – gallery • Take the Terry Pratchett quiz • Find out how Terry Pratchett wrote his first stories as a cub reporter

Site member Katiedoglovesbooks gets to ask Kes Gray just why he ate lollies off the floor when he was a child and about his latest book Daisy and the Trouble with Sports Day

Michael Morpurgo explains to site members Orli and Fernando why he writes about war. Plus hear Michael read a moving contribution from Raymond Briggs for his WW1 anthology Only Remembered

John Klassen talks us through the process of creating I Want My Hat Back and his collaboration with Lemony Snicket: The Dark

Ansel Elgort, star of the film of The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, answers questions from the Guardian teens' book community about reading, making TFIOS movie and how the one thing he wants people to take away from watching it is hope

The Norwegian thriller writer talks about his obsession with farting, why he loves writing his Doctor Proctor books for children plus gives a lesson on how to pronounce his name this interview by children's reading group The Book Bunch

Young Samurai author Chris Bradford is grabbed by site member Freddy to talk about how he writes his Bodyguard series. Also hear a thrilling extract from Chris's latest book Bodyguard: Ransom

Lauren reads from Fire Storm, the third book in her One Dollar Horse series. She answers questions from site member Cookonthebrightside on her books and her belief in animal rights

Non Pratt reads from her first book Trouble about a teenage pregnancy and then answers questions from site member Merle Nunnely Keep up to date with the rest of the club, including Non's top ten teens in trouble, her introductory blog and site members' reviews

Oksa Pollock is a best-selling French teen book series about a girl with magical powers – it's being called the French Harry Potter. The series of six is finally being translated into English, with the second book The Forest of Lost Souls just out after the success The Last Hope. Authors Anne Pichota and Cendrine Wolf talk to Michelle Pauli about their remarkable journey from librarians to best-selling novelists

Laura Dockrill, author of Darcy Burdock and Hi So Much, performance artist and shortlistee for the Waterstones children's book prize 2014, reads her hilarious and profound poem What Makes You You, gives tips on growing up, pet lambs and dealing with tangly hair – plus admits that Darcy, the heroine of her new series of books is 100 per cent based on her as a child. Read Laura Dockrill's five top tips for creative writing

John Hegley has been at the Imagine Festival at the Southbank centre in London, reading poems and singing songs. He stopped off to talk to children's site member KrazyKesh

Michael Rosen reads a story from Ten of the Best: School Stories with a Difference. This is the last in a series of five stories shared on Guardian children's books in connection with the Imagine children's festival at the Southbank Centre in London

Cressida Cowell reads her book about Vikings and dragons from her series How to Train your Dragon. This is part four of five stories shared on Guardian children's books in connection with the Imagine children's festival at London's Southbank Centre

Luke Kelly, grandson of Roald Dahl, begins the 50th anniversary year of Charlie and the Chocolate factory, by reading a passage from this classic story. This is part three of a series of five stories shared on Guardian children's books in connection with the Imagine children's festival at London's Southbank centre

Francesca Simon reads one of her Horrid Henry stories, Horrid Henry's Nightmare. This is part two of a series of five stories shared on Guardian children's books in connection with the Imagine children's festival at London's Southbank Centre

Jacqueline Wilson reads a cat and dog story from her new anthology Paws and Whiskers. This is part one of a series of five stories shared on Guardian children's books in connection with the Imagine children's festival at London's Southbank Centre

Susan Cooper, author of The Dark Is Rising series, reads from her new book Ghost Hawk about two boys living at the time of the first European settlement of the USA. She talks about it to Michelle Pauli

Author Jonathan Stroud teamed up with Guardian children's books site members to create a brand new scary story. Listen if you dare …

New York author Rebecca Stead has won the 2013 Guardian Children's fiction prize for her novel Liar & Spy. She answers questions from readers Charlotte Walden and Ginger Galey about the story, school life and being a writer

Marcus Sedgwick reads from his latest adventure story She Is Not Invisible and discusses it with Henry Partridge, a blind teenager from a group that advised Marcus on the story.

SF Said, author of the award-winning book about a cat called Varjak Paw, talks to Michelle Pauli at the Edinburgh Book festival about his new story Phoenix, about an intergalactic battle between humans and aliens If you want to see more about this epic quest across unexplored territories of the galaxy, watch the trailer filmed by illustrator Dave McKean

Morris Gleitzman talks to Michelle Pauli about the last book in his series about a Jewish boy surviving in second world war Germany and answers questions from site members

Eoin Colfer talks to Michelle Pauli at the Edinburgh international book festival about the first book in his new series WARP: The Reluctant Assasin. It's his first since he ended the Artemis Fowl series and involves time travel, FBI shenanigans and a superbly evil magician villain

Lauren Oliver talks to Michelle Pauli about the third and last book in her Delirium trilogy, Requiem. It is set in a world in which "love is a contagious disease".

Saci Lloyd reads from her latest book, Quantum Drop, and answers questions about stories, characters, science and politics Read an extract from Quantum Drop, discover Saci Lloyd's top 10 political books for teens and find out more about the Teen book club

John Green reads aloud The Fault In Our Stars and answers questions from Guardian teenage readers about the book and his life and writing. This love story for teens about young cancer sufferers does contain some strong language

Annabel Pitcher talks to Michelle Pauli about her new novel for teenagers, Ketchup Clouds, and reads from the opening

Michael Grant, author of the Gone series, in which every person over 14 disappears, leaving a small community of kids in California trapped in a dome-shaped force field, and the BZRK trilogy, about a conspiracy to take over the world using nanotechnology, chats to site member Patrick about how he writes and how he reads Read Patrick's review of Michael Grant's event at the Edinburgh festival