London Review Bookshop Podcast
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Lara Pawson discusses her new book with Jennifer Hodgson. Find out more about London Review Bookshop events: www.londonreviewbookshop.co.uk/ https://www.londonreviewbookshop.co.uk/ * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
Paul Muldoon reads from and talks about his collection . Find out more about London Review Bookshop events: www.londonreviewbookshop.co.uk/events https://www.londonreviewbookshop.co.uk/events * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
‘Our history of giving up – that is to say, our attitude towards it, our obsession with it, our disavowal of its significance – may be a clue to something we should really call our histories and not our selves’, wrote Adam Phillips in a 2022 piece, ‘On Giving Up’. Now developed and expanded into a book of the same title, Phillips illuminates both the gaps and the connections between the many ways of giving up, and helps us to address the central question: what must we give up in order to feel more alive? Phillips was joined in conversation by Dame Hermione Lee. Find more events at the Bookshop: lrb.me/eventspod https://lrb.me/eventspod Buy : lrb.me/givinguppod https://lrb.me/givinguppod * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
Lavinia Greenlaw’s new book is a collection of ‘exploded essays’, about light and image, sight and the unseen, covering wide territories with the scientific precision and ease of access which characterises her poetry. She was joined by Jennifer Higgie, author of . Find more events at the Bookshop: lrb.me/eventspod https://lrb.me/eventspod Get : lrb.me/thevastextentpod https://lrb.me/thevastextentpod * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
Seán Hewitt’s new poetry collection follows hard on the heels of – the winner of the 2021 Laurel Prize – and the bestselling memoir . Like its predecessors, the collection confronts dark and difficult subject matter in startlingly beautiful lyric language, ‘exquisitely calm’ in the words of Max Porter. Hewitt read from the collection and was in conversation with Sarah Perry, author of and , whose long-awaited new novel is coming out in May. * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
Emily Wilson’s translation of the , published in 2017, the first into English by a woman, was hailed as a ‘revelation’ by the and a ‘cultural landmark’ by the . With her translation ofthe , ten years in the making, she has given us a complete Homer for a new generation. Emily Wilson, professor of classical studies at the University of Pennsylvania, is a regular contributor to the and the host of one of our Close Readings https://lrb.supportingcast.fm/ series of podcasts, Among the Ancients. Wilson was joined in conversation by Edith Hall, professor at Durham University and the author of many acclaimed books on Ancient Greek culture and its influence on modernity. The event was chaired by Wilson’s Close Readings co-host, Thomas Jones, and passages from Wilson’s were read by acclaimed actors Juliet Stevenson and Tobias Menzies. Buy the book: lrb.me/wilsoniliad https://lrb.me/wilsoniliad Find more events at the Bookshop: lrb.me/eventspod https://lrb.me/eventspod Subscribe to Close Readings: Directly in Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3pJoFPq https://lrb.me/ataapple In other podcast apps: lrb.me/closereadings https://lrb.me/atasignuppod * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mary Jean Chan reads from their new collection, https://www.londonreviewbookshop.co.uk/stock/bright-fear-mary-jean-chan, and discuss it with Andrew McMillan. Chan’s debut, https://www.londonreviewbookshop.co.uk/stock/fleche-mary-jean-chan, won the Costa Book Award for Poetry in 2019. Bright Fear extends and develops that collection’s themes of identity, multilingualism and postcolonial legacy, while remaining deeply attuned to moments of tenderness, beauty and grace. Andrew McMillan’s most recent collection is https://www.londonreviewbookshop.co.uk/stock/pandemonium-andrew-mcmillan (Cape, 2021); a novel, , is forthcoming in 2024. Together with Chan, he edited the landmark anthology https://www.londonreviewbookshop.co.uk/stock/100-queer-poems-andrew-mcmillan(Penguin). * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
Who would you invite to a dinner party? In a delicious collection of great food writing from past and present, talented writer-chefs Kate Young and Ella Risbridger will introduce you to Samuel Pepys on the glories of parmesan, Shirley Jackson on washing up, Katherine Mansfield on party food, Nigella Lawson on mayonnaise, Michelle Zauner on kimchi and a great deal else besides. Buy the book: lrb.me/dinnertablepod https://lrb.me/dinnertablepod Find more events at the Bookshop: lrb.me/eventspod https://lrb.me/eventspod * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
Part script, part novel, part manual, (Prototype) is the latest unclassifiable book written in collaboration between the artist and writer Ed Atkins and the poet and critic Steven Zultanski – a gentle, contemplative work about the pleasures of conversation, being with others, and being alone. ‘Unlike many narratives, does not put crisis and conflict at the centre of the story’, write Atkins and Zultanski, describing their theme as ‘the intractability of reality – both its resistance to clear meaning and its sweetness, weirdness.’ Atkins and Zultanski were in conversation with the art writer and journalist Emily LaBarge. * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
In Lynne Segal, Anniversary Professor of Psychology and Gender Studies in the Department of Psychosocial Studies at Birkbeck, continues the radical exploration of how the personal and the political interact. As Baroness Helena Kennedy KC writes, ‘Both memoir and manifesto, this wonderful book charts a personal history of feminist socialism - and, with her usual humane wisdom, our author points the way to a better politics.’ She was joined in conversation by Amelia Horgan, author of Get a copy of : lrb.me/lynnesegalpod https://lrb.me/lynnesegalpod Find more events at the Bookshop: lrb.me/eventspod https://lrb.me/eventspod * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
In Tom Stevenson, a contributing editor at the , dispels the potent myth of Britain as a global player punching above its weight on the world stage, arguing instead that its foreign policy has for a long time been in thrall to the wishes and interests of the United States. He talks about his book with writer, filmmaker, publisher and activist Tariq Ali. * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mathias Enard’s latest novel, takes us to the marshlands of South West France in a Rabelaisian celebration of life, love and death. Juan Gabriel Vasquez writes of him ‘Every novel by Mathias Enard reminds me of the reasons why I read fiction. He is ambitious, erudite, full of life, and a wonderful stylist to boot. He is one of the great novelists of our time.' He reads from his book and talks about it with Chris Power. * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
In her most personal book to date, (Verso) McKenzie Wark writes with her characteristic acuity about gender transition, communism, history, art, memory and the journey of discovering who one really wants to be.Wark talks about that journey with Lauren John Joseph, author of * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
‘Reading Waidner is like plugging into an electric socket of language and ideas’ wrote Jude Cook in the Guardian, praising Isabel Waidner’s . Waidner reads from their latest novel , and talks about it with academic, performer and activist Diarmuid Hester, whose forthcoming book Waidner has described as ‘insightful, delightful, and enlightening: an essential entrant into the queer canon.’ * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
Poet and editor of Bad Betty Press Amy Acre reads from and talks about her debut collection (Bloomsbury). Poignant and powerful, her work explores motherhood, grief, trauma, recovery and what it means to be a female artist. She's in conversation with Joelle Taylor, author of the prize-winning poetry collection (Telegram), who has written of Mothersong: ‘Amy Acre is one of the best poets of her generation. Pure cinema, raw heart, and unparalleled technique. Read this.’ * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
Historical fiction is having a moment, and at the forefront are two of 2023’s most hotly anticipated novels: Zadie Smith’s and Adam Thirlwell’s . Smith and Thirlwell discussed their approaches to fiction and the ways in which prose can ‘sandblast the dust off history’, as Polly Stenham writes about . Buy : lrb.me/thefraud https://lrb.me/thefraud Buy : https://lrb.me/thefuturefuture https://lrb.me/thefuturefuture Find more events at the Bookshop: lrb.me/eventspod https://lrb.me/eventspod * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
In , Oxford Professor of Geography Danny Dorling meticulously documents how Britain over the last 40 years has been transformed by incompetence, avarice and short-termism from one of the world’s leading economies, with widely admired public services, into Europe’s most unequal society, afflicted by staggering levels of deprivation and social division. Dorling was joined in conversation by Leo Hollis, author of and . Buy from the Bookshop: lrb.me/shatterednation https://lrb.me/shatterednation Find more events at the Bookshop: lrb.me/eventspod https://lrb.me/eventspod * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
Kehinde Andrews continues the work he began in with (Allen Lane), a wry and piercing guide to retaining sanity in a racist world, which Ron Ramdin has described as ‘a remarkable and enriching work which shines a light on many dark places’. He discussed the book with journalist and writer Afua Hirsch, whose own is forthcoming from Square Peg in October. * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
Terrance Hayes and Nick Laird read from and talk about their recent books (Penguin) and (Faber). Hayes, describing Laird, praises his ‘truth-telling that’s political, existential and above all, emotional’; Laird writing about Hayes notes that his invention ‘allows his poetry to house almost anything, from the political to the sensual, from a magic goat to a talking cat’. Join us to celebrate two of the year’s most hotly anticipated collections. The episode starts with Laird reading the title poem, , from his new collection. * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ian Nairn’s was first published in 1964 and now appears, 40 years after his death, in a new edition from Notting Hill with an introduction by Travis Elborough, ‘one of Britain’s finest pop culture historians’ according to the . Elborough was joined by architectural historian Gillian Darley and architect Charles Holland to discuss Nairn’s life, work and enduring legacy. For more events at the Bookshop: lrb.me/eventspod https://lrb.me/eventspod Buy a copy of : lrb.me/modernbuildingspod https://lrb.me/modernbuildingspod * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
Helen Macdonald () has collaborated with musician and writer Sin Blaché to write a dazzling science fiction debut. Author Paraic O’Donnell describes (Jonathan Cape) as ‘a hyperkinetic headrush of a novel that proves its organic bona fides by getting you drunk with ideas before casually and cataclysmically breaking your heart.’ Macdonald and Blaché were at the shop to reading from and talking about their book with Isabel Waidner. * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
continues the adventures of the irrepressible John Cromer, begun in (2008) and continued in (2011) – part of Adam Mars-Jones’ ‘semi-infinite’ novel series, praised by one reviewer as ‘a genuine, almost miraculous oddity’. Mars-Jones was in conversation with the journalist and critic Leo Robson. Buy : lrb.me/caretpod https://lrb.me/caretpod More events at the Bookshop: lrb.me/eventspod https://lrb.me/eventspod * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
For decades, feminist artists have confronted the problem of how to tell the truth about their experiences as bodies. Queer bodies, sick bodies, racialised bodies, female bodies, what is their language, what are the materials we need to transcribe it? Exploring the ways in which feminist artists have taken up this challenge, Lauren Elkin's https://www.londonreviewbookshop.co.uk/stock/art-monsters-unruly-bodies-in-feminist-art-lauren-elkin is a landmark intervention in how we think about art and the body, calling attention to a radical heritage of feminist work that not only reacts against patriarchy but redefines its own aesthetic aims. Elkin talks about it with Vanessa Peterson, Associate Editor, frieze magazine. * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
A holistic and revealing account of the inspirations, passions and practices of one of the country’s foremost contemporary artists, finds Jeremy Deller reflecting on the entirety of his career, his life and his art. Deller was joined in conversation with writer Michael Bracewell, author of . Find more events at the London Review Bookshop: lrb.me/eventspod https://rb.me/eventspod Buy a copy of : lrb.me/dellerpod https://lrb.me/dellerpod * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
In Tessa Hadley’s new collection, (Jonathan Cape), small events have huge consequences. As psychologically astute as they are emotionally dense, these stories illuminate the enduring conflicts between responsibility and freedom, power and desire, convention and subversion, reality and dreams. Hadley was in conversation with Geoff Dyer. * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
Four Faber poets will join us to read from their recent collections. Describing Declan Ryan's long-awaited debut, https://www.londonreviewbookshop.co.uk/stock/crisis-actor-declan-ryan, Liz Berry called it ‘elegant and heartaching’. Maggie Millner‘s https://www.londonreviewbookshop.co.uk/stock/couplets-maggie-millner, also a debut, is a novel in verse, a unique repurposing of the 18th century rhyming couplet into a thrilling story of queer desire. Hannah Sullivan’s follow-up to her T.S. Eliot Prize-winning https://www.londonreviewbookshop.co.uk/stock/three-poems-hannah-sullivan, https://www.londonreviewbookshop.co.uk/stock/was-it-for-this-hannah-sullivan, also consists of three long poems, on subjects ranging from London and the Grenfell fire to new motherhood. The title poem of Nick Laird’s new collection, https://www.londonreviewbookshop.co.uk/stock/up-late-nick-laird, won the Forward Prize for Best Single Poem. Terrance Hayes has characterised his work as containing 'a truth-telling that’s political, existential, and above all, emotional'. Find more events at the Bookshop: lrb.me/eventspod /lrb.me/eventspod * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
Olivia Laing, Ken Worpole and Jon Day discuss Colin Ward and David Crouch's 1988 classic of social and oral history, long out of print but finally reissued by the indefatigable Little Toller Books. Upcoming events at the bookshop: lrb.me/eventspod https://lrb.me/eventspod * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
Two of Britain’s most exciting short story writers joined in conversation to celebrate the release of their highly-acclaimed debuts in paperback. Faber author Jem Calder and Edge Hill Prize winner Saba Sams read from and discussed their stories with Tom Conaghan, publisher of Scratch Books. Find more events at the Bookshop: lrb.me/eventspod https://lrb.me/eventspod Buy : lrb.me/rewardsystem https://lrb.me/rewardsystem Buy : lrb.me/sendnudes https://lrb.me/sendnudes * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
, the latest book-length essay by Amber Husain (following on from 2021’s ), explores how meat-eating has become irretrievably enmeshed with capitalist desire, in what Sophie Lewis has described as ‘an exquisitely-crafted little hand grenade lobbed at the gentrification of the carnivorous mind’. She is in conversation with Rebecca May Johnson, whose (Pushkin, 2022) touches on many of the same revolutionary themes. Johnson is an essayist and critic, and senior editor at the online magazine Vittles. * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
Melodrama, biography, cold war thriller, drug memoir, essay in fragments, mystery – is cult critic Ian Penman’s long awaited first original book, a kaleidoscopic study of the late West German film maker Rainer Werner Fassbinder (1945–1982). Written quickly under a self-imposed deadline in the spirit of Fassbinder himself, who would often get films made in a matter of weeks or months, presents the filmmaker as a pivotal figure in the late 1970s moment between late modernism and the advent of postmodernism and the digital revolution. Penman was joined in conversation by Adam Mars-Jones. Buy a copy of : lrb.me/fassbinder https://lrb.me/fassbinder Find more events at the Bookshop: lrb.me/eventspod https://lrb.me/eventspod * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
