London Review Bookshop Podcast

4.2 (116)
BOOKS
UPDATED WEEKLY

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 https://lrb.me/bookshopeventspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1D AGO

Tariq Ali & Oliver Eagleton: You Can’t Please All

In You Can’t Please All (Verso), a sort of sequel to his seminal 1987 memoir Street-fighting Years, Tariq Ali continues the story of a life lived flamboyantly and magnificently on the Left. Pen portraits of friends and comrades such as Edward Said, Derek Jarman, Richard Ingrams, Benazir Bhutto, Mary-Kay Wilmers, E.P. Thompson, Perry Anderson and Robin Blackburn are combined with reflections on his work as a novelist, playwright and film-maker, and as an activist in the War on the War on Terror. Ali was in conversation about his life and work with Oliver Eagleton, associate editor of New Left Review and author of The Starmer Project.

59 min
JUL 2

Simon Critchley & James Butler: On Mysticism

From Jesus Christ to Krautrock via Julian of Norwich and T.S. Eliot, Simon Critchley’s On Mysticism (Profile) brilliantly displays the author’s playful, eclectic erudition in an evocation of the phenomenon he defines, after Evelyn Underhill, as ‘experience in its most intense form.’ Critchley was in conversation about mysticism East and West with the LRB’s James Butler. Find more events at the Bookshop: https://lrb.me/eventspod

1 hr
JUN 25

Patrick Cockburn & Duncan Campbell on Claud Cockburn

Campaigning journalist Claud Cockburn – defiantly anti-establishment and proudly Communist – had as his watchword ‘believe nothing until it is officially denied’, a saying borrowed by his son Patrick, himself a legendary foreign correspondent, for his biography of his maverick father. Described by schoolfriend Graham Greene as the greatest journalist of the twentieth century, Cockburn was born at the heart of the establishment it became his life’s work to satirise, lampoon and undermine, with reports from Berlin during the rise of Fascism and Spain during the Civil War, as well as New York, Washington and Chicago, where he once conducted an interview with Al Capone. Patrick Cockburn spoke at the shop about Believe Nothing Until It Is Officially Denied (Verso), and its lessons for journalism then, now and in the future, with journalist Duncan Campbell. Find more events at the Bookshop: https://lrb.me/eventspod Listen to Neal Ascherson discuss Claud Cockburn: https://lrb.me/aschersonpod Get the book: https://www.londonreviewbookshop.co.uk/stock/believe-nothing-until-it-is-officially-denied-claud-cockburn-and-the-invention-of-guerrilla-journalism-patrick-cockburn

53 min
JUN 18

Pankaj Mishra & Gareth Evans: The World After Gaza

Building on his seminal lecture ‘The Shoah After Gaza’ (LRB 21 March 2024) and his earlier books From the Ruins of Empire and The Age of Anger, novelist and essayist Pankaj Mishra’s latest work The World After Gaza (Fern Press) seeks to place the current crisis in Gaza and Palestine within the broader context of the troubled and tragic history of colonialism and anticolonialism. ‘A brilliant book,’ writes William Dalrymple, ‘as thoughtful, scholarly and subtle as it is brave and original. The World After Gaza does what great writing is meant to do: to remind us of what it is to be human, to help us feel another's pain, to reach out and make connections across the trenches of race, colour and religion.’ Mishra is in conversation with curator and producer Gareth Evans. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1h 12m
JUN 11

David Russell & Adam Phillips: On Marion Milner & Creativity

Marion Milner, across her long career as psychoanalyst, essayist and artist, thought deeply about creativity in all its forms, exploring fields as diverse as anthropology, folklore, education, literature, art, philosophy, mysticism, and psychology. In Marion Milner: On Creativity, David Russell, Professor of English at the University of California, uses these ideas as a starting-point for an exploration of Milner’s thought and its continuing relevance today. Russell was in conversation with psychoanalyst and essayist Adam Phillips, whose most recent book is On Giving Up (Hamish Hamilton, 2024). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

58 min
JUN 4

Rebecca Solnit & Carole Cadwalladr: No Straight Road Takes You There

Rebecca Solnit’s latest essay collection explores subjects as diverse as the climate crisis, toxic masculinity and the rise of the far right with her usual flair and capacity for radical hope: Merlin Sheldrake has described No Straight Road Takes You There as ‘a book of fierce and poetic thinking - and a guide for navigating a rapidly changing, non-linear, living world’. Solnit was joined in conversation by investigative journalist and campaigner Carole Cadwalladr. Find more events at the Bookshop: https://lrb.me/eventspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1h 16m
MAY 28

Margaret Atwood and Sarah Howe: Paper Boat

Before she became a well-known novelist, Margaret Atwood was an award-winning poet. She has been publishing poetry for more than 60 years, from the self-published, hand-set Double Persephone in 1961 to its follow up The Circle Game which won the Governor General’s Award, to her latest, critically-acclaimed collection Dearly in 2020. Paper Boat (Chatto & Windus) draws on that impressive body of work, and expands on it with poems previously uncollected, revealing an artist who has somehow always managed to be at the height of her powers, and to have her finger on every pulse. Atwood appeared at Conway Hall to discuss her work with poet, editor and critic Sarah Howe. They were joined by poets Amy Key and Rachel Long who read poems from Paper Boat throughout the evening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1h 16m
MAY 21

Solvej Balle & Chris Power: On the Calculation of Volume

‘Every morning, she wakes up to the 18th of November. She no longer expects to wake up to the 19th of November, and she no longer remembers the 17th of November as if it were yesterday.’ Solvej Balle’s septology On the Calculation of Volume (Faber), thirty years in the making, was published in Danish by the author’s own press to huge and universal acclaim: ‘Absolutely, absolutely incredible’ (Karl Ove Knausgaard); ‘Unforgettable’ (Hernan Díaz); ‘A total explosion’ (Nicole Krauss). Now Faber has brought the first two volumes of her masterpiece to an anglophone readership in a vibrant translation by Barbara J. Haveland, the first of which has been nominated for this year’s International Booker Prize. Balle was joined in conversation by novelist and critic Chris Power. Get the books: https://www.londonreviewbookshop.co.uk/stock/on-the-calculation-of-volume-i-absolutely-absolutely-incredible.-knausgard-solvej-balle Find more events at the Bookshop: https://lrb.me/eventspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

56 min

See All (613)

TRAILER

Massimo Montanari and Rachel Roddy: A Short History of Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce

What could be simpler than a dish of pasta with tomato sauce? According to food historian Massimo Montanari’s latest book A Short History of Spaghetti With Tomato Sauce (Europa), quite a lot. Montanari was in discussion with food writer Rachel Roddy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

12/02/2021

•

54 min

Close Readings is a new multi-series podcast subscription from the London Review of Books. Two contributors explore areas of literature through a selection of key works, providing an introductory grounding like no other. Listen to some episodes for free here, and extracts from our ongoing subscriber-only series. How To Subscribe In Apple Podcasts, click 'subscribe' at the top of this podcast feed to unlock the full episodes. Or for other podcast apps, sign up here: https://lrb.me/closereadings RUNNING IN 2025: 'Conversations in Philosophy' with Jonathan Rée and James Wood 'Fiction and the Fantastic' with Marina Warner, Anna Della Subin, Adam Thirlwell and Chloe Aridjis 'Love and Death' with Seamus Perry and Mark Ford 'Novel Approaches' with Clare Bucknell, Thomas Jones and other guests ALSO INCLUDED IN THE CLOSE READINGS SUBSCRIPTION: 'Among the Ancients' with Emily Wilson and Thomas Jones 'Medieval Beginnings' with Irina Dumitrescu and Mary Wellesley 'The Long and Short' with Mark Ford and Seamus Perry 'Modern-ish Poets: Series 1' with Mark Ford and Seamus Perry 'Among the Ancients II' with Emily Wilson and Thomas Jones 'On Satire' with Colin Burrow and Clare Bucknell 'Human Conditions' with Adam Shatz, Judith Butler, Pankaj Mishra and Brent Hayes Edwards 'Political Poems' with Mark Ford and Seamus Perry 'Medieval LOLs' with Irina Dumitrescu and Mary Wellesley Get in touch: podcasts@lrb.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4.5 (55)

BOOKS
Emily Wilson, Professor of Classical Studies at the University of Pennsylvania and translator of both the 'Odyssey' and the 'Iliad', joins Thomas Jones, an editor at the London Review of Books, for a tour through some of the greatest works of Ancient Greek and Roman literature, from Homer to Horace. Among the Ancients is part of the Close Readings podcasts collection from the London Review of Books. To listen to the full series, and all our other Close Readings series (including a second series of Among the Ancients), subsribe: Directly in Apple Podcast, at the top of this feed or here: https://apple.co/3pJoFPq In other podcast apps: lrb.me/closereadings Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4.5 (2)

BOOKS
Close Readings is a new multi-series podcast subscription from the London Review of Books exploring different periods of literature through selections of key works. A new episode will appear every month from each of our Close Readings series running this year. This feed is identical to the 'free' version of Close Readings, which contains free extracts for non-subscribers. Subscribers can listen to all the full episodes in both feeds: https://podcasts.apple.com/ug/podcast/close-readings/id1669485143 RUNNING IN 2025: 'Conversations in Philosophy' with Jonathan Rée and James Wood 'Fiction and the Fantastic' with Marina Warner, Anna Della Subin, Adam Thirlwell and Chloe Aridjis 'Love and Death' with Seamus Perry and Mark Ford 'Novel Approaches' with Clare Bucknell, Thomas Jones and other guests ALSO INCLUDED IN YOUR CLOSE READINGS SUBSCRIPTION: 'Among the Ancients' with Emily Wilson and Thomas Jones 'Medieval Beginnings' with Irina Dumitrescu and Mary Wellesley 'The Long and Short' with Mark Ford and Seamus Perry 'Modern-ish Poets: Series 1' with Mark Ford and Seamus Perry 'Among the Ancients II' with Emily Wilson and Thomas Jones 'On Satire' with Colin Burrow and Clare Bucknell 'Human Conditions' with Adam Shatz, Judith Butler, Pankaj Mishra and Brent Hayes Edwards 'Political Poems' with Mark Ford and Seamus Perry 'Medieval LOLs' with Irina Dumitrescu and Mary Wellesley Get in touch: podcasts@lrb.co.uk

4.9 (48)

BOOKS
In their first Close Readings series, Seamus Perry and Mark Ford considers the lives and works of Modernist and almost-Modernist poets, from A. E. Housman to Seamus Heaney. Modern-ish Poets is part of the Close Readings podcasts collection from the London Review of Books. Subscribe here or on the London Review of Books channel and access all our Close Readings series in full. Find our channel page here: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/channel/london-review-of-books/id6450677311

5.0 (2)

BOOKS
Mark Ford and Seamus Perry folllow on from their ‘revolutionary ☆☆☆☆☆’ (The Times) series on 'Modern-ish Poets' , to look at long poems and the short stories in 19th- and 20th-century literature. Episodes will appear on the 24th of each month. Mark Ford is Professor of English at University College, London, and Seamus Perry is Professor of English Literature at Balliol College, Oxford. The Long and Short is part of the Close Readings podcasts collection from the London Review of Books. Subscribe here or on the London Review of Books channel and access all our Close Readings series in full. Find our channel page here: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/channel/london-review-of-books/id6450677311

0.0 (0)

BOOKS
Adam Shatz talks separately to three guests – Judith Butler, Pankaj Mishra and Brent Hayes Edwards – about some of the most revolutionary thought of the 20th century. Judith, Pankaj and Brent will each discuss four texts over four episodes, as they uncover the inner life of the 20th century through works that have sought to find freedom in different ways and remake the world around them. They explore, among other things, the development of arguments against racism and colonialism, the experience of artistic expression in oppressive conditions and how language has been used in politically substantive ways. Authors covered: Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Frantz Fanon, Hannah Arendt, V. S. Naipaul, Ashis Nandy, Doris Lessing, Nadezhda Mandelstam, W. E. B. Du Bois, Aimé Césaire, Amiri Baraka and Audre Lorde. Episodes will appear once a month throughout 2024, on the 10th of each month. Human Conditions is part of the Close Readings podcasts collection from the London Review of Books. To listen to the full episodes, subscribe to Close Readings: Directly in Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3pJoFPq In other podcast apps: lrb.me/closereadings Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

5.0 (3)

BOOKS

View Subscription FAQs

4.2

out of 5

116 Ratings

Hit hit miss

10/26/2019

colineverest

This is pretty great but when it’s bad woah!
Just Lovely

Jun 17

RobCrowe

Arthur Dent should have been worried about the London Review and its bookshop rather than the Guardian but the Review had not started when the Hitchhiker first appeared on the planet. It is a towel.
The first 12 minutes of Astra Taylor on Democracy

11/07/2021

Briseis27

Is more dense with insight on democratic theory than any text that I’ve read in recent memory.
When it’s good, it’s good...

11/29/2019

Lorna Simes

The content is usually interesting but the sound quality is consistently awful!

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 https://lrb.me/bookshopeventspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.