S3 E10- The Ghostwriters Handbook | Imogen Edward-Jones
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Imogen Edwards-Jones (born June 1968) is a British author, journalist, and broadcaster best known for her sharp, witty exposés of hidden worlds and her bestselling Babylon series.
Born in Birmingham, Edwards-Jones grew up in the Midlands and was educated at Malvern Girls’ College before going on to study Russian at the University of Bristol. Her fascination with language and culture led her to spend time in Russia, an experience that would later inspire her first book, The Taming of Eagles: Exploring the New Russia, an account of life in the early post-Soviet years. She later trained in journalism at City University, London, setting the stage for a career that would combine reportage with a flair for storytelling.
Edwards-Jones first gained recognition as a novelist with works such as My Canapé Hell, Shagpile, and Tuscany for Beginners. But it was the Babylon series that made her a household name. Beginning with Hotel Babylon in 2004, the books offered an insider’s view into glamorous but tightly guarded industries—from aviation to fashion, restaurants, hospitals, and even weddings. Written with a blend of humour and scandal, and often based on real insider testimony, the series sold over a million and a half copies in the UK alone and was translated into dozens of languages. Hotel Babylon went on to be adapted into a BBC1 drama, bringing her work to an even wider audience.
Her writing has also taken a more personal turn. The Stork Club is a candid and moving account of her own experiences with IVF treatment, while The Witches of St Petersburg draws on her love of Russian history and culture, re-imagining the story of two aristocratic sisters in the court of Tsar Nicholas II.
Alongside her books, Edwards-Jones has written widely as a journalist, contributed to newspapers and magazines, and appeared frequently as a broadcaster. Her style—part investigative, part satirical—makes her a distinctive voice in contemporary British writing.
She lives in London with her husband, television producer Kenton Allen, and their daughter, whose godmother is the Sex and the City author Candace Bushnell. Outside her professional work, she has a long-standing interest in the esoteric, counting herself as a member of London’s College of Psychic Studies, and she jokingly describes herself as an “honorary Cossack.”
With a career spanning more than two decades, Imogen Edwards-Jones has carved out a niche as a storyteller who thrives on lifting the lid on closed worlds, whether glamorous, absurd, or deeply personal.
The secret of a 27 year successful marriage.
*Why ghostwriting is a learning curve each time.
*How she can "spend months" working on a project for someone and they would not recognise her!
*An odd hotel fact!
*Some delicious naughty stories!
*Some unfortunate things that happen on flights.
*How she studied Russia and loved the contrast and starkness of it.
*How she feels about Russia now.
*How narcissism does not really exist in Russia.
*How she was interviewed on Wogan.
*More on a happy marriage and red flags to watch for.
*A fascinating anecdote about Marylyn Monroe.
All her books are on Amazon, and her website is here: www.imogenedwardsjones.com
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38 episodes