Premium podcast company Novel announces two further senior hires as business expands

Former Head of Audio at The Guardian and Executive Producer at Whistledown Productions, Katherine Godfrey, joins as Executive Producer overseeing Novel’s BBC output which includes ‘Sideways’ with Matthew Syed for Radio 4.

Godfrey joins a senior team that also includes the recently appointed Willard Foxton as Head of Development. Foxton comes from a TV and journalism background, having developed series at Blakeway, Mosaic, and Sundog Pictures, as well as writing for the Daily Telegraph and others. Foxton has been tasked with building out Novel’s development slate, working up series to air with leading networks and broadcasters, and to launch as a slate of original podcasts.

Sean Glynn, Novel’s Founder said, ‘The new senior team are testament to the significant strides forward Novel has taken recently, and the quality and level of the work we’re developing and producing for ourselves and our partners. The future is thoroughly exciting.’

Katherine Godfrey said ‘It’s exciting to be joining Novel for the second series of Sideways in which Matthew Syed will tell a new set of thought provoking stories that ask us to consider the ideas that shape our lives with fresh eyes. I am delighted to be focussing on Novel’s work for the BBC, for whom I’ve produced much of my work throughout my career, concentrating on bringing narrative-driven journalism to a wide range of factual and arts subjects across strands, podcasts and documentaries. It’s a pleasure to be working with a talented team of producers to treat each story with care and craft.’

Willard Foxton said “it’s been incredibly exciting working with Novel as the business rockets upwards - and what’s most exciting of all, from a development perspective, is all that growth has come from putting great stories in front of the world’s biggest broadcasters and platforms. It turns out there’s a huge international appetite for great British storytelling, as our deal with iHeart shows. As well as working with partners, we’re also excited that we have a slate of Novel original podcasts which will start debuting soon.”

Novel also announced last week that former VICE UK CEO Matt O’Mara had joined as a partner and Chief Strategy & Operating Officer as the company ramps up its efforts in the US in particular.

About Novel

Novel is one of the UK’s leading independent podcasting companies. The team is made up of 18 members of full-time in-house staff.

Recent highlights include: The Bellingcat Podcast (Audio Production Award Gold winner, two-time ARIA winner, British Podcast Award winner, PSA Political Podcast Of The Year — Financial Times: “Extraordinary in detail, tenacity and execution;” Esquire: “Clear-eyed original reporting … dramatic”); Kim Noble’s Futile Attempts (At Surviving Tomorrow) (The Observer: “Wilder and more interesting than almost everything else out there;” The Sunday Times: “Brutal and deeply compelling;” Financial Times: “Unlike anything else you’ve heard;” The Guardian: “Darkly comic and beautiful”); The Political Butterfly Effect (Sunday Times: “Neatly, briskly, sharply produced” New Statesman: “Fun, forensic hypothesizing” Politico “Essential listening”) and Remembering Christopher Hitchens.

In 2021 Novel became the first production company in the UK to sign a multi-year slate deal with podcast network iHeartRadio, the biggest deal of its kind for a UK podcast company.

Visit their website for more information.