London Review Bookshop Podcast
Books & Literature
About
Listen to the latest literary events recorded at the London Review Bookshop, covering fiction, poetry, politics, music and much more. Find out about our upcoming events here More from the Bookshop: Discover our author of the month, book of the week and more: https://lrb.me/bkshppod From the LRB: Subscribe to the LRB: https://lrb.me/subsbkshppod Close Readings podcast: https://lrb.me/crbkshppod LRB Audiobooks: https://lrb.me/audiobooksbkshppod Bags, binders and more at the LRB Store: https://lrb.me/storebkshppod Get in touch: podcasts@lrb.co.uk
Episodes
- Julia Blackburn & Sarah Clegg: Remedies
Julia Blackburn and Sarah Clegg discuss remedies and the historical use of images, amulets, and incantations for healing. They explore the connection between mind and body.
- Chiara Barzini & Olivia Laing: Aqua
Chiara Barzini's book "Aqua" delves into the Los Angeles Aqueduct, examining its role in the city's development and the intertwined themes of water, film, and the California landscape. She joined Olivia Laing in conversation about the book.
- Lena Khalaf Tuffaha and So Mayer: Something About Living
Lena Khalaf Tuffaha and So Mayer discuss the poetry collection "Something About Living." The poems explore Palestinian heritage, immigration, and themes of violence and resilience.
- Lynne Tillman & Brian Dillon: Thrilled to Death
Lynne Tillman discusses "Thrilled to Death," a selection of her short fictions, with Brian Dillon. This episode features Tillman reading from her work and a conversation with Dillon.
- Georgi Gospodinov & Chris Power: Death and the Gardener
Georgi Gospodinov and Chris Power discuss the novel Death and the Gardener. The book by Georgi Gospodinov focuses on loss, featuring a father, a son, and an orphaned garden.
- Sarah Perry & Amy Key: Death of an Ordinary Man
Sarah Perry and Amy Key discuss Perry's new memoir, "Death of an Ordinary Man." The conversation takes place on the London Review Bookshop Podcast.
- Patricia Lockwood & Joe Dunthorne: Will There Ever Be Another You
Patricia Lockwood and Joe Dunthorne discuss Lockwood's novel "Will There Ever Be Another You." The novel explores a young woman's internal disarray amidst unprecedented times.
- Sarah Howe & Sandeep Parmar: Foretokens
Sarah Howe, winner of the T.S. Eliot prize, discusses her new poetry collection with Sandeep Parmar. This episode features a conversation between the two poets.
- Christopher Clark & Marina Warner: A Scandal in Königsberg
Christopher Clark and Marina Warner discuss the 1830 Königsberg scandal, a historical event involving religious conflict, erotic currents, and betrayals of trust. Clark's book, "A Scandal in Königsberg," delves into this forgotten piece of…
- Ian Patterson & Ali Smith: Books – A Manifesto
In this episode, Ian Patterson discusses his book "Books: A Manifesto" with Ali Smith, reflecting on the importance of reading and libraries. He shares insights on how books have shaped his life and makes a case for their radical importanc…
- Stephen Grosz & Helen MacDonald: Love’s Labour
Stephen Grosz discusses his book "Love's Labour," focusing on the challenges of falling in love and sustaining relationships. He shares insights from his forty years of experience with patients, in conversation with Helen Macdonald.
- Ruby Tandoh & Olivia Sudjic: All Consuming
Ruby Tandoh and Olivia Sudjic discuss modern food culture in the book "All Consuming." They explore topics such as social media's influence on eating, restaurant critics, dinner parties, and the rise of bubble tea.
- Lorna Goodison & Fawzia Muradali Kane: Dante’s Inferno
Lorna Goodison and Fawzia Muradali Kane discuss Goodison's latest work, "Dante's Inferno." This version reimagines the classic with a Caribbean setting, featuring figures from the island's past and local patois. Louise 'Miss Lou' Bennett-C…
- Michael Symmons Roberts & Hannah Westland on John Burnside
Michael Symmons Roberts and Hannah Westland pay tribute to John Burnside, discussing his final collection, The Empire of Forgetting, and reissued memoirs. Burnside, who passed away last May, is described as a "titan of literature."
- Miriam Toews & Octavia Bright: A Truce That Is Not Peace
Miriam Toews's new non-fiction book A Truce That Is Not Peace explores grief, guilt, futility, and creativity. She discusses the book and her writing process with Octavia Bright.
- Camilla Grudova & Jennifer Hodgson: Ágota Kristóf’s ‘I Don’t Care’
In this episode, Camilla Grudova and Jennifer Hodgson discuss Ágota Kristóf’s work, focusing on her short stories compiled in ‘I Don’t Care.’ Kristóf, a Hungarian writer who wrote in French after leaving her home country, is known for her…
- Lauren Elkin & Lou Stoppard on Simone de Beauvoir
Lauren Elkin and Lou Stoppard discuss Simone de Beauvoir's life and works, referencing her novel "The Image of Her" and travel diary "America Day by Day." They explore her legacy as a feminist icon.
- Ariel at 60: Victoria Adukwei Bulley, Lavinia Greenlaw & Richard Scott
This episode features poets Victoria Adukwei Bulley and Richard Scott reading from Sylvia Plath's "Ariel" and their own work. They examine the legacy of "Ariel" on its 60th anniversary, with Lavinia Greenlaw chairing the discussion.
- Edna Bonhomme & Rachel Connolly: A History of the World in Six Plagues
Edna Bonhomme and Rachel Connolly delve into Edna Bonhomme's "A History of the World in Six Plagues," examining how pandemics such as cholera, HIV/AIDS, and COVID-19 are inherently political. The discussion highlights the need to envision…
- Andy Beckett & Melissa Benn: Can the Left Save Labour?
Andy Beckett and Melissa Benn discuss the history of the Labour left, its impact on the party, and its relationship with the current Starmer government. They explore past divisions and the potential for the left and right to work together.
- Peter Gizzi & Anthony Joseph: Fierce Elegy
Peter Gizzi reads from his work, Fierce Elegy, and is in conversation with Anthony Joseph, chair of the T.S. Eliot Prize judges. They discuss Fierce Elegy, which was described as redeclaring 'the elegy as the undying practice of the living…
- Alexander Baron’s The Lowlife
In this episode, Iain Sinclair, Susie Thomas, and Ken Worpole discuss Alexander Baron's cult classic novel, The Lowlife. The conversation covers the book's setting in post-WW2 Hackney and its portrayal of gamblers and gangsters.
- Marina Warner & James Butler: Sanctuary
Marina Warner and James Butler discuss Warner's book "Sanctuary," which examines hospitality, myth, and the right to safety. Warner draws on her work with refugees and engagement with literature and history to explore these themes.
- Samuel Fisher & Helen Charman: Migraine
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- Kim Hyesoon & Will Harris: Autobiography of Death
This episode features Kim Hyesoon, one of South Korea’s foremost poets, discussing her work, "Autobiography of Death". She is joined by Will Harris. The discussion celebrates the UK publication of her book.
- Nell Stevens & Olivia Laing: The Original
Nell Stevens and Olivia Laing discuss Stevens's novel, "The Original," which reconfigures the trope of the returning stranger into a meditation on forgery and authenticity in life, art, and love.
- Liliane Lijn & Jennifer Higgie: Liquid Reflections
Liliane Lijn and Jennifer Higgie discuss Lijn's memoir, "Liquid Reflections," covering her journey as an artist, her groundbreaking practice, and interactions with various cultural figures. The conversation delves into her pioneering work…
- Kathryn Scanlan & Emily LaBarge: Aug 9 – Fog
Kathryn Scanlan discusses her book 'Aug 9 – Fog,' which originated from a diary she acquired at an auction. Emily LaBarge joins her in conversation.
- Jeremy Atherton Lin & Diarmuid Hester: Deep House
Jeremy Atherton Lin discusses his book "Deep House", which tells the story of an American and a British man forming a relationship amidst the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996. He is in conversation with Diarmuid Hester, author of "Nothing E…
- Akshi Singh & Anouchka Grose: In Defence of Leisure
Akshi Singh and Anouchka Grose discuss "In Defence of Leisure," a book by Akshi Singh that examines Marion Milner's approach to free time, rest, and creativity. The conversation explores how these elements contribute to discovering true de…
- Geoff Dyer & Gareth Evans: Homework
In this episode, Geoff Dyer and Gareth Evans discuss Dyer's memoir, "Homework," which chronicles his childhood and adolescence in provincial England during the 1960s and 70s. The book explores the opportunities of the postwar settlement.
- Francesca Wade & Lara Pawson: On Gertrude Stein
Francesca Wade and Lara Pawson discuss Wade's biography, "Gertrude Stein: An Afterlife." The book provides a portrait of Gertrude Stein, a prominent figure in 20th-century modernism.
- Vittles Issue 1 Launch: Robin Craig, Amy Key & Waithera Sebatindira
This episode features the launch of Vittles Issue 1, where contributors Robin Craig, Amy Key, and Waithera Sebatindira discuss food writing with Vittles editor Odhran O’Donoghue. The discussion took place at the London Review Bookshop.
- Zarina Muhammad & Lola Olufemi on bell hooks’s Art on My Mind
Zarina Muhammad and Lola Olufemi discuss bell hooks's Art on My Mind to celebrate its reissue. This episode is from the London Review Bookshop Podcast.
- Danny Dorling & Arianne Shahvisi: The Next Crisis
In this episode, Danny Dorling and Arianne Shahvisi discuss anxieties of the 21st century, including pandemics, climate change, and global instability. They delve into data to identify what concerns are justified and what actions can be ta…
- Lamorna Ash & James Butler: Don’t Forget We’re Here Forever
Lamorna Ash and James Butler discuss Ash's book "Don't Forget We're Here Forever," which explores young people's embrace of Christianity through interviews and personal reflections. Ash visits various religious communities to research the…
- Jamieson Webster & Katherine Angel: On Breathing
Jamieson Webster, author of "On Breathing," discusses her book with Katherine Angel. Webster reflects on experiences as an asthmatic teenager, deep-sea diver, palliative psychologist, and new mother to explore how breathing undermines the…
- Laleh Khalili & David Wearing: Extractive Capitalism
Laleh Khalili and David Wearing discuss extractive capitalism. Khalili's book, "Extractive Capitalism," explores the hidden aspects of late capitalism, from abandoned seafarers to consultancy firms and cronyism. Wearing's book, "AngloArabi…
- Sheila Fitzpatrick & Owen Hatherley: The Death of Stalin
Sheila Fitzpatrick and Owen Hatherley discuss the death of Stalin in 1953. Fitzpatrick, a Soviet Union expert, offers a detailed account of the day Stalin died, an event for which Russia and the world were unprepared.
- Laura Beatty & Edmund de Waal: Pear Trees
Laura Beatty and Edmund de Waal discuss Beatty's short story, "Pear Trees." The story is set in an Albanian mountain village and blends folklore and ecology, exploring humanity's relationship with the living world.
- T.S. Eliot at Faber
This episode discusses T.S. Eliot's appointment at Faber & Gwyer in 1925 and his significant impact on 20th-century poetry through his work as a talent scout and editor. It covers his role in the careers of poets like W.H. Auden and Ezra P…
- Philip Hoare & Olivia Laing: William Blake and The Sea Monsters of Love
Philip Hoare and Olivia Laing discuss Hoare's book, "William Blake and The Sea Monsters of Love". The conversation centers on William Blake's genius and influence. Hoare is the author of "Leviathan" and "Albert and the Whale".
- Sasha Debevec-McKenney & Jack Underwood: Joy is My Middle Name
Sasha Debevec-McKenney discusses her debut collection, "Joy Is My Middle Name," with Jack Underwood. The collection covers diverse themes including humor, heartbreak, politics, and consumerism, prompting critical acclaim for its unique ble…
- Jenny Uglow & Fiona Stafford on Gilbert White
Jenny Uglow and Fiona Stafford explore the work of Gilbert White, the father of British natural history. They discuss his book, The Natural History of Selborne, which has been continuously in print since 1789.
- Emily LaBarge & Olivia Laing: Dog Days
Emily LaBarge and Olivia Laing discuss LaBarge's book "Dog Days." The book explores writing, art, and imagination, analyzing narrative forms and the concept of a "Good Story." Only facts present in the input.
- Wendy Erskine & Sheena Patel: The Benefactors
Wendy Erskine discusses her new novel, The Benefactors, with Sheena Patel. Erskine is recognized for her short story collections, Sweet Home and Dance Move.
- Ali Smith & Sarah Wood: Gliff in the Spruce Forest
This episode features Ali Smith and filmmaker Sarah Wood discussing Smith's dystopian parable 'Gliff in the Spruce Forest'. They also talk about the essay 'So in the Spruce Forest', which was originally written for an Edvard Munch exhibiti…
- Ed Atkins & Holly Pester: Flower
Ed Atkins and Holly Pester discuss Atkins' non-fiction book "Flower," which explores themes of junk food, invented memories, and confessional anti-confessionalism. Atkins read from his work and was joined in conversation by poet and noveli…
- Owen Hatherley & Michael Hofmann: The Alienation Effect
Owen Hatherley and Michael Hofmann discuss "The Alienation Effect," a book by Owen Hatherley. The book examines how European modernism and British moderation reshaped imaginations through the experiences of central European refugees seekin…
- Ken Worpole & Melissa Benn: Brightening from the East
Ken Worpole and Melissa Benn discuss Worpole's essay collection "Brightening from the East." The book explores the natural and built landscapes of the Thames and East Anglian coast, including stories of radical communities.