Meet the Writers

Catherine Carr and the complexities of sibling dynamics

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 11:07:20 +0000

Georgina Godwin meets award-winning documentarian Catherine Carr to discuss the exploration into sibling dynamics that led to her new book, ‘Who’s the Favourite?’, which gives insight into birth order, roles, and the impact of estrangement and loss.

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Maria Semple on stoicism, rebellion and personal growth

Sun, 05 Apr 2026 11:00:40 +0000

Georgina Godwin meets Maria Semple, bestselling author of ‘Where’d You Go, Bernadette’, to discuss her new book, ‘Go Gentle’, which follows a divorced stoic philosopher’s mid-life transformation.

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Poet Sasha Debevec-McKenney on writing with joy

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 13:47:18 +0000

Georgina Godwin is joined by Sasha Debevec-McKenney to discuss the writer’s debut poetry collection “Joy is My Middle Name”, which is shortlisted for the 2026 Dylan Thomas Prize.

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Margaret Busby on publishing, power and representation

Sun, 29 Mar 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Georgina Godwin meets Margaret Busby, Britain’s first black publisher. They discuss her career, the landmark anthology ‘Daughters of Africa’ and new release ‘Part of the Story: Writings from Half a Century’.

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Fatima Bhutto at the Daunt Books Festival 2026

Sun, 22 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Following the release of her memoir, ‘The Hour of the Wolf’, Fatima Bhutto joins Georgina Godwin at the Daunt Books Festival 2026.

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Francis Spufford on faith, fantasy and the craft of fiction

Sun, 15 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Georgina Godwin is joined by renowned writer Francis Spufford. They discuss his early days at Chatto & Windus, his wrangles with sceptics and latest novel, ‘Nonesuch’, which is set in London during the Blitz.

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Luka Ivan Jukic on the enduring significance of Central Europe

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Georgina Godwin meets journalist and historian Luka Ivan Jukic, whose latest book, Central Europe: The Death of a Civilization and the Life of an Idea, explores the emergent rebirth of the region.

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Karen Dobres and pitch politics

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000

It’s International Women’s Day and Georgina Godwin is joined by a former model who helped transform Lewes FC into the world’s first equal-pay football club. She discusses ‘Pitch Invasion’, a story about sport, culture and Britain’s global soft power.

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Tom Freston on media, reinvention and change

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 12:20:00 +0000

Georgina Godwin meets Tom Freston to discuss his memoir, Unplugged. It traces his journey from launching MTV and shaping Comedy Central to how philanthropy reshaped his sense of purpose and reinvention.

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Maria Alyokhina on activism, Russia’s regime and hope for the motherland

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Georgina Godwin is joined by Maria Alyokhina, who shares insight into her latest memoir, Political Girl, and her hopes for the future of Russia.

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Bora Chung on the rise of Korean literature

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 12:13:56 +0000

Georgina Godwin speaks with author Bora Chung about her life and activism, the rise of South Korean literature and her short-story collection The Midnight Timetable, which explores speculative fiction and political themes.

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Andrey Kurkov on chronicling a nation at war

Sun, 08 Feb 2026 12:21:46 +0000

Georgina Godwin meets Ukrainian author Andrey Kurkov, who shares his experiences from four years of war, the impact of conflict on daily life and the role of culture in resistance.

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Damian Barr on Scottish art, memory and belonging

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 21:00:00 +0000

Damien Barr meets Georgina Godwin to reflect on childhood shaping his memoir and novel, examining class, his move from journalism to fiction and celebrating overlooked Scottish artists via writing, theatre and an exhibition.

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Alexander B Smalls on opera, food and African heritage

Sun, 01 Feb 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Georgina Godwin meets Alexander B Smalls, tracing his path from opera to food writing via his family roots, landmark restaurants and books championing African cuisine, community and cultural pride.

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Steve Crawshaw and confronting global impunity

Sun, 25 Jan 2026 12:04:58 +0000

Georgina Godwin speaks to Steve Crawshaw about his book Prosecuting the Powerful, including cases from Milošević and Putin to Netanyahu. Plus: the ICC, US hostility and why accountability matters in Gaza and Ukraine.

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Mary L Trump and how power destroys a nation

Sun, 18 Jan 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Georgina Godwin meets US psychologist and author Mary L Trump. They discuss her upbringing within the Trump family, pivoting from psychology to writing memoirs and what’s next for America and its politics.

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EA Hanks and retracing family ties

Sun, 11 Jan 2026 12:35:55 +0000

EA Hanks joins Georgina Godwin in the studio to discuss her debut memoir The 10, which recounts a solo journey, retracing family ties and the memory of her late mother.

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Manni Coe on roots, ruins and reinvention

Sun, 04 Jan 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Georgina Godwin speaks with writer-guide Manni Coe about his memoir Little Ruins, tracing his Yorkshire roots, music, struggles and plans for new books and tours.

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India Knight on finding Home

Sun, 28 Dec 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Georgina Godwin speaks to British journalist and author India Knight on what makes a home worth living in her latest novel "Home"

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John Lloyd and ‘The Meaning of Liff’

Sun, 21 Dec 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Georgina Godwin meets John Lloyd, one of the men behind ‘The Meaning of Liff’. He shares insight on working with Douglas Adams and the impact of the humorous dictionary on its 42nd anniversary.

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Sir Michael Palin on his travels, decades-long career and finding laughter

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Georgina Godwin sits down with Sir Michael Palin, who shares insight into his upbringing, his start in comedy with Monty Python and his latest venture, ‘Michael Palin in Venezuela’.

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Mitchell Kaplan, the founder of Miami Book Fair

Sun, 07 Dec 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Georgina Godwin speaks with Mitchell Kaplan, the founder of Miami Book Fair. They discuss his switch in career to becoming a bookseller, influencing the city’s literary culture and adapting to new reading trends.

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Harlan Greene at the 2025 Charleston Literary Festival

Sun, 30 Nov 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Georgina Godwin meets American writer and historian Harlan Greene at the 2025 Charleston Literary Festival to discuss the playwright Dorothy Heyward, who is the subject of Greene’s book ‘Porgy’s Ghost’.

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The winner of the 2025 Booker Prize: David Szalay

Sun, 23 Nov 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Georgina Godwin meets David Szalay, winner of the 2025 Booker Prize, at Charleston Literary Festival. They discuss his winning novel, Flesh, his connection to the UK, his multicultural upbringing and the prize’s impact.

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Kiran Desai on loneliness, legacy and the curse of rewriting

Sun, 16 Nov 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Georgina Godwin is joined by Kiran Desai, whose novel ‘The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny’ was shortlisted for the 2025 Booker Prize. She discusses her New Delhi childhood, political unrest and the influence of her mother, Anita Desai.

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The Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction 2025 winner: Helen Garner

Sun, 09 Nov 2025 11:57:57 +0000

Georgina Godwin is joined by Helen Garner, the 2025 winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction, who shares insight into How to End a Story: Collected Diaries.

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Richard Armitage and the power of storytelling

Sun, 02 Nov 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Richard Armitage discusses moving from acting to writing with ‘The Cut’, which explores trauma and memory. Reflecting on his Leicestershire roots, immersive roles and empathy, Armitage seeks a balance between storytelling on stage and page.

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Richard Lloyd Parry and the journeys within stories

Sun, 26 Oct 2025 10:38:07 +0000

Richard Lloyd Parry, Asia editor for The Times and Sunday Times, shares memories of his upbringing in Southport and his Blockbusters prize trip to Japan, which sparked a desire to cover the continent during his career.

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Olivier Norek on courage, conflict and history

Sun, 19 Oct 2025 11:00:00 +0000

French author Olivier Norek presents ‘The Winter Warriors’, his first historical novel, on the 1939 Soviet invasion of Finland. He joins Georgina Godwin to discuss his research and why this story deserves global recognition.

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Sam Sussman on the possibility of family ties

Sun, 12 Oct 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Writer Sam Sussman joins Georgina Godwin to discuss his US upbringing, relationship with his mother and the op-ed that developed into his debut novel, ‘Boy from the North Country’.

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Juhea Kim on stories woven from silence

Sun, 05 Oct 2025 11:01:21 +0000

Georgina Godwin speaks to Juhea Kim about her path from ballet to bestsellers, the inspirations behind her work, her passion for conservation and the television adaptation of her debut novel, ‘Beasts of a Little Land’.

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Priyanka Mattoo on the search for home

Sun, 28 Sep 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Writer and filmmaker Priyanka Mattoo joins Georgina Godwin following the release of her memoir, ‘Bird Milk & Mosquito Bones’, which details a journey of self-discovery and finding home in an ever-changing world.

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Michael Wolff on chaos, power and America’s reckoning

Sun, 21 Sep 2025 10:58:11 +0000

Journalist Michael Wolff joins Georgina Godwin to discuss his career and his perception of Donald Trump, leading to his ‘Fire and Fury’ series. Plus: he shares his view on the political landscape in the media.

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R James Breiding on what small nations teach the world

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 18:30:00 +0000

R James Breiding, Naissance Capital founder and author, recounts his path from Catholic school to finance. He champions small nations’ strengths, praises Singapore’s healthcare and highlights lessons from Nordic countries.

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Michelle de Kretser on literature and belonging

Sun, 14 Sep 2025 11:09:48 +0000

Georgina Godwin interviews Michelle de Kretser on her Sri Lankan roots, family influences, migration to Australia and her novel ‘Theory & Practice’, which explores desire, jealousy and identity.

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Iain Sinclair on London, literature and hidden journeys

Sun, 07 Sep 2025 11:03:03 +0000

Georgina Godwin is joined by the chronicler of London’s psychogeographies, Iain Sinclair. His latest novel, ‘Pariah Genius’, traces the footsteps of photographer John Deakin.

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Nick Berg on revolutions, exile and the stories that we inherit

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 15:45:00 +0000

Nick Berg joins Georgina Godwin to discuss ‘Shadows of Tehran’, a novel mirroring the author’s life in Iran before and after the revolution. He reflects on activism, escape, military service and Iran’s future.

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Iris Wolff on weaving memory into words

Sun, 31 Aug 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Georgina Godwin is joined by Iris Wolff to discuss her childhood in Romania, emigrating to Germany in the 1980s and the use of language and creative processes in the writing of her novel ‘Blurred’.

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Andrei Soldatov & Irina Borogan: Exiled voices on Russia

Sun, 24 Aug 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Russian journalists Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan, exiled in London, discuss ‘Our Dear Friends in Moscow’. The conversation ranges from post-Soviet transformations and censorship to their ongoing investigative reporting on Russian intelligence.

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Karin Slaughter on banned books and the fight for truth

Sun, 17 Aug 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Karin Slaughter joins Georgina Godwin to reflect on her upbringing and her latest novel, ‘We Are All Guilty Here’. Plus: she shares her criticisms of book banning and censorship in the US.

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The women redefining literary festivals

Wed, 13 Aug 2025 18:50:09 +0000

Georgina Godwin speaks with women directing major literary festivals worldwide, from Edinburgh and Auckland to Sydney and Dubai. She explores their histories, audiences, themes and reach, highlighting diverse programming, cultural impact and international connections.

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Nick Harkaway and the legacy of Le Carré

Sun, 10 Aug 2025 10:59:42 +0000

Nick Harkaway joins Georgina Godwin to discuss life with John le Carré as a father and carrying on his legacy with the latest installment in the George Smiley series: ‘Karla’s Choice’.

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Jean McNeil on bearing witness to a disappearing world

Sun, 03 Aug 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Canadian author Jean McNeil reflects on her journey from Cape Breton Island to Antarctica in a conversation that explores grief, climate change and honouring the earth through her latest novel, ‘Latitudes’.

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Guadalupe Nettel on human nature in fiction

Sun, 27 Jul 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Georgina Godwin speaks to Guadalupe Nettel about her award-winning writing, life between Mexico and France, partial blindness and how human and animal behaviour inspires the themes in her latest work, ‘The Accidentals’.

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C K Stead at the 2025 Auckland Writers Festival

Wed, 23 Jul 2025 14:19:24 +0000

New Zealand literary giant C K Stead joins Georgina Godwin to discuss aging, mortality and his early fascination with poetry. He also reflects on his influential role in shaping New Zealand’s literature.

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Karim Kattan on writing between languages and landscapes

Sun, 20 Jul 2025 10:58:33 +0000

Karim Kattan joins Georgina Godwin to discuss his upbringing in Bethlehem, putting Palestine in his own words and writing ‘The Palace on the Higher Hill’.

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Michael and Matariki Bennett at the 2025 Auckland Writers Festival

Wed, 16 Jul 2025 15:53:27 +0000

Georgina Godwin speaks with Michael and Matariki Bennett, co-curators of the Auckland Writers Festival, about their Māori heritage, the kōhanga reo movement and addressing sociopolitical issues through art.

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Damian Le Bas on writing between worlds

Sun, 13 Jul 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Damian Le Bas joins Georgina Godwin to discuss his latest work, ‘The Drowned Places’, which delves into the myth of Atlantis and the sunken worlds beneath the ocean’s surface.

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Agustina Bazterrica at Hay Festival 2025

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 15:18:16 +0000

Georgina Godwin speaks to Argentine author Agustina Bazterrica about her shift from opera to writing, literary influences and her novels exploring oppression, capitalism and control.

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Esther Freud on family, fiction and healing

Sun, 06 Jul 2025 10:55:00 +0000

Esther Freud reflects on her childhood and literary journey to ‘My Sister and Other Lovers’, which follows two sisters facing secrets and heartbreak.

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Damien Wilkins at the 2025 Auckland Writers Festival

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 12:27:53 +0000

Georgina Godwin meets Damien Wilkins, the 2025 Ockham New Zealand Book Award winner for fiction with his novel ‘Delirious’. Wilkins reflects on his early literary influences, past work and transitioning to songwriting.

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Eliza Reid on crafting her first mystery

Sun, 29 Jun 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Eliza Reid speaks to Georgina Godwin about growing up in Ottawa, her time as Iceland’s first lady and her debut whodunit, ‘Death of a Diplomat’.

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Meike Ziervogel on her humanitarian and literary drive

Sun, 22 Jun 2025 11:01:18 +0000

Meike Ziervogel joins Georgina Godwin to discuss her literary and humanitarian journey, and her new novel, Shams.

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The Winners of the 2025 Women’s Prize for Fiction and Non-Fiction

Sun, 15 Jun 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Georgina Godwin meets Yael Van Der Wouden and Rachel Clarke, the winners of the 2025 Women’s Prize for Fiction and Non-Fiction for their works ‘The Safekeep’ and ‘The Story of A Heart’.

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Miranda Cowley Heller on what lies beneath art and memory

Sun, 08 Jun 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Author Miranda Cowley Heller speaks to Georgina Godwin at Adelaide Festival about the personal and literary crucible of her upbringing in a bohemian family of artists and writers.

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Ewan Morrison on AI and its side effects

Sun, 01 Jun 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Ewan Morrison joins Georgina Godwin to discuss the inspiration behind his ninth book, For Emma. His first science-fiction novel follows a grieving father in search of answers after the death of his daughter.

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Tiffany Watt Smith on female friendships

Sun, 25 May 2025 10:55:00 +0000

Tiffany Watt Smith joins Georgina Godwin to discuss her new release, ‘Bad Friend’, which explores the dynamics of female friendships with personal insights from Smith’s own life.

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Jeremy Vine: Broadcasting and the stories that matter

Sun, 18 May 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Broadcaster Jeremy Vine sits down with Georgina Godwin to share details about his upbringing in Surrey, his entry into reporting as a political correspondent and writing a cosy mystery novel, Murder on Line One.

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Ahmed Alnaouq: the voices of Gaza beyond the headlines

Sun, 11 May 2025 11:08:55 +0000

Gazan journalist Ahmed Alnaouq joins Georgina Godwin to discuss his upbringing, losing family in a 2014 Israeli bombing and co-founding We Are Not Numbers, a network dedicated to sharing Palestinian stories beyond the headlines.

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Lynda La Plante and the art of crime writing

Sun, 04 May 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Lynda La Plante speaks to Georgina Godwin about the latest addition to her Detective Jack Warr series, ‘Crucified’, as well as her research methods, personal challenges and experiences with psychics.

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Jenny Mustard on writing literary fiction

Sun, 27 Apr 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Georgina Godwin is joined by Jenny Mustard to discuss her upbringing in Sweden, new novel ‘What A Time To Be Alive’ and the challenges of writing literary fiction.

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AC Grayling and making peace in the culture wars

Sun, 20 Apr 2025 11:00:00 +0000

AC Grayling has written theses and philosophies about society and the world for decades. His latest work, ‘Discriminations: Making Peace in the Culture Wars’, proffers the argument that discrimination is a human rights issue and if fully respected, there would be no discrimination. Speaking to Georgina Godwin, Grayling shares insights into his upbringing, starting his own university and the issues behind the culture wars.

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Rachel Shabi and the complexities of antisemitism

Sun, 13 Apr 2025 11:00:00 +0000

As an award-winning journalist, Rachel Shabi has reported for ‘The Times’, ‘The Guardian’, Al Jazeera English and many more besides. Her coverage of the Middle East, in particular the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the resurgence of antisemitism, led to ‘Off White: The Truth About Antisemitism’. The book addresses the need to understand and confront antisemitism at a time when it is being downplayed and exploited. Shabi speaks to Georgina Godwin about her upbringing, the fluidity of Jewish identity and the historical context of antisemitism.

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Stephen May’s reimagination of Victor Grayson

Sun, 06 Apr 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Stephen May has a penchant for reimagining the lives of historical figures and his new novel, ‘Green Ink’, is a case in point. May evocatively explores what could have happened on firebrand politician Victor Grayson’s last day. The former socialist MP suspiciously disappeared one night in September 1920. May joins Georgina Godwin to share insights on writing, creativity and his role at Arts Council England.

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Natasha Brown on the effect of language

Sun, 30 Mar 2025 11:19:45 +0000

Natasha Brown’s 2021 debut ‘Assembly’ was met with critical acclaim, shortlisted for several awards including the Folio Prize, the Goldsmiths Prize and the Orwell Prize for Fiction, and translated into 17 languages. Her second novel ‘Universality’ is another extension of her talent, exploring the effect of language and applying to certain narratives affecting society today. She speaks to Georgina Godwin about the success of ‘Assembly’, exploring journalism as a genre and the idea of writing with objectivity.

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Abdulrazak Gurnah and Zanzibar’s multicultural history

Sun, 23 Mar 2025 12:00:00 +0000

The history of Zanzibar is prevalent in the work of Nobel laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah, including his new release, ‘Theft’, which is set in the 1990s and explores themes of injustice, class and personal growth. Abdulrazak speaks to Georgina Godwin about his upbringing in Britain following the revolution in his home country, his PhD on West African fiction and his transition from academia to fiction.

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Lauren Markham at the Lannan Literary Festival

Sun, 16 Mar 2025 12:00:00 +0000

As a fiction writer, essayist and journalist, Lauren Markham’s work most often concerns issues related to youth, migration, the environment and her home state of California. ‘A Map of Future Ruins’ explores the global immigration crisis’s historical, contemporary and, of course, future implications. Speaking with Georgina Godwin during the Lannan Literary Festival at Georgetown University, Lauren shares stories of her Greek upbringing, working with refugee communities and her future work.

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Janet de Neefe’s cultural ventures in Bali

Sun, 09 Mar 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Janet de Neefe’s explorations of cooking and writing have seen her publish her hybrid memoir-cookbook ‘Fragrant Rice’ and open various restaurants and guesthouses in Bali, Indonesia. Speaking to Georgina Godwin in Ubud, De Neefe discusses her many businesses, including founding the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival, her Balinese cultural integration and spirituality, and further plans.

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Tash Aw on writing the reality of Southeast Asia

Sun, 02 Mar 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Tash Aw’s writing puts the history and reality of Southeast Asia on the page. His latest novel, ‘The South’, is the first in a quartet series exploring family struggles amid climatic and economic change. Speaking to Georgina Godwin, Aw discusses his upbringing, his influences, his relationship with Malaysia and the reality behind the glossy image of Southeast Asia.

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Ram Murali at Galle Literary Festival 2025

Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Ram Murali’s pivot from law to filmmaking sparked his route into writing. His debut novel, ‘Death In the Air’, blends elements of an Agatha Christie whodunnit with the sumptuous setting of a world-class spa in the foothills of the Indian Himalayas. He speaks to Georgina Godwin at the 2025 Galle Literary Festival about his diverse career background and the importance of India’s cultural community at literary events.

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Benjamin Moser at Jaipur Literature Festival 2025

Sun, 16 Feb 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Benjamin Moser joins Georgina Godwin to talk about his journey from growing up in Texas and writing his first book, ‘Why This World: A Biography of Clarice Lispector’, to winning a Pulitzer Prize for his biography of Susan Sontag, titled ‘Sontag: Her Life and Work’. Moser also reflects on culture, class, writing and hints at his next project, a political history of Jews who oppose Zionism.

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Sandip Roy at the 2025 Kolkata Literary Meet

Sun, 09 Feb 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Sandip Roy’s writing career started when he pivoted from software engineering to broadcasting. Currently a columnist and podcaster, he’s been a longtime commentator on NPR’s ‘Morning Edition’, the most-listened-to radio programme in the US, and an editor with Pacific News Service and New America Media in San Francisco. After returning to India over the span of 10 years, Roy also sent more than 500 weekly dispatches from Kolkata for public radio station KALW in San Francisco. His debut novel, ‘Don’t Let Him Know’, won a Likho Award in India and was honour title for the Asian Pacific American Literature Award in the US. It was also longlisted for the DSC South Asia Prize and the Green Carnation Prize. Roy speaks to Georgina Godwin at the 2025 Kolkata Literary Meet and discusses his early days in the post-9/11 US media, his award-winning novel and the evolution of Indian literature.

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Angelo Tijssens: from the silver screen to the short novel

Sun, 02 Feb 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Angelo Tijssens’ screenwriting credits include ‘Girl’ (2018), about a trans ballerina, and ‘Close’ (2022), an Oscar-nominated film that follows the friendship between a pair of 13-year-old boys. In Tijssens’ first foray into literary fiction, ‘The Edges’, an unnamed narrator returns to his hometown to settle his mother’s affairs following her death. While there he finds comfort in the arms of a former lover. It’s a tale of young love and deep emotion sharply contrasted with an abusive childhood and an adulthood lived on the edges. Told in searing prose that grips with the tender assuredness of a seasoned stylist, ‘The Edges’ is no ordinary debut. Tijssens speaks with Georgina Godwin about his career and the catharsis of writing literary fiction.

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Maggie Mackellar: the healing power of nature

Sun, 26 Jan 2025 12:00:00 +0000

For Maggie Mackellar, writing was never in her plans. She initially wanted to be a vet or mountain climber before eventually settling into a career as an academic. Mackellar’s love for writing came while studying a PhD in history at the University of Sydney. Now, as a writer and historian living on the east coast of Tasmania, Maggie writes the much-loved newsletter The Sit Spot and is the author of five books, including ‘Graft’, which was shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards and longlisted for the Stella Prize in 2024. Joining Georgina Godwin during Adelaide Writer’s Week 2024, she speaks about her upbringing, motherhood and her career so far.

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Caryl Phillips’s snapshot of the Windrush Generation

Sun, 19 Jan 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Booker Prize shortlisted writer Caryl Phillips is one of contemporary literature’s master stylists. His latest novel, ‘Another Man in the Street’, chronicles a West Indian man’s journey to England as part of the Windrush Generation and his struggles therein. As we follow this engrossing emigre from Saint Kitts to London with dreams of becoming a journalist, Phillips paints a gritty landscape of 1960s Notting Hill and a vivid portrait of exile, resistance and belonging. He speaks to Georgina Godwin on his upbringing in Leeds, his connections to Saint Kitts and his thoughts on the treatment of the Windrush Generation.

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Charles Hecker: Russia’s zero-sum game

Sun, 12 Jan 2025 10:28:20 +0000

Charles Hecker’s 40-year career has seen him travelling and reporting from both the Soviet Union and Russia. He has worked as a journalist and a geopolitical risk consultant, and has lived in Miami, Moscow and now London. His new book, ‘Zero Sum: The Arc of International Business in Russia’, charts the rollercoaster story of Western capitalists and their misadventures in post-communist Russia. He sits down with Georgina Godwin to share details of his upbringing, reading at the University of Pennsylvania and his foray into geopolitics.

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This year’s highlight: Zeinab Badawi

Sun, 05 Jan 2025 12:00:00 +0000

“Education for girls is the family business,” says Sudanese-British broadcast journalist Zeinab Badawi. She tells us about her family and career, and what it’s like to interview the world’s most notable politicians on BBC’s ‘Hard Talk’. Badawi explains how her groundbreaking TV series, ‘The History of Africa’, for which she visited 34 African countries over seven years, led her to write her debut book ‘An African History of Africa’.

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The women behind Charleston Literary Festival

Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:05:00 +0000

We look back at the Charleston Literary Festival in South Carolina. Its roots lie in Charleston House in the UK, home of radical writers, artists and thinkers. Georgina Godwin speaks to executive director Sarah Moriarty and artistic director Diana Reich about the origin of the festival. Plus: development director Suzanne Pollak, co-founder of the Charleston Academy of Domestic Pursuits, shares her thoughts on the reading community in the US.

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Julie Taymor: the pride of writing for film and stage

Sun, 22 Dec 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Julie Taymor is a tour de force when it comes to penning scripts for theatre, film and opera. Her 1997 stage adaptation of Disney’s ‘The Lion King’ secured 11 Tony Award nominations, including a win for best direction. It is now the third-longest-running show on Broadway of all time and is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Her 1999 directorial debut, ‘Titus’, earned her an Oscar nomination for best costume design, while her 2002 film, ‘Frida’, led to five nominations. Here she joins Georgina Godwin to speak about her stellar career, working with international theatre companies and her upbringing in 1960s America.

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Lindsey Hilsum’s world in poems

Sun, 15 Dec 2024 12:00:00 +0000

As Channel 4’s international editor, Lindsey Hilsum has seen war in six continents across more than two decades. As a witness to the catastrophic effects of conflict, Lindsey would carry works of poetry with her to try and make sense of the world. She speaks to Georgina Godwin about her book, ‘I Brought the War with Me”, which collates her favourite poems alongside memories of her own work, whether speaking to child soldiers in Uganda, soldiers in Ukraine or giving testimonies of the Rwandan genocide.

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Namita Gokhale

Sun, 08 Dec 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Namita Gokhale is the author of 25 works of fiction and non-fiction. Her oeuvre spans various genres including novels, short stories, Himalayan studies, mythology, anthologies, books for young readers and a play. She speaks to Georgina Godwin about her childhood, illustrious career and being the recipient of many awards.

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2024 Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction 2024: Richard Flanagan

Sun, 01 Dec 2024 12:00:00 +0000

After winning the 2024 Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction, Richard Flanagan joins Georgina Godwin to discuss ‘Question 7’, his life and career, and his plans after winning the prize. Described by Peter Carey as maybe just being “the most significant work of Australian art in the last 100 years”, ‘Question 7’ is a love letter to his island home, his parents and the terrible past that delivered him to that place.

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The musical adventures of Mike Batt

Sun, 24 Nov 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Mike Batt is known for raising the popularity of one of the most well-known British novelty pop acts of the 1970s, The Wombles. Batt wrote and composed the theme song to the children’s TV series, which led to the rising popularity of ‘The Wombling Song’. Batt has also worked with artists such as Katie Melua and others on his Dramatico Label, and co-wrote 'The Phantom of The Opera’. He sits down with Georgina Godwin to discuss his memoir, ‘The Closest Thing to Crazy: My Life of Musical Adventures’.

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Yulia Mykytenko and her hope for Ukraine

Sun, 17 Nov 2024 11:55:00 +0000

As the first female commander in the Ukrainian military, Yulia Mykytenko has seen the horrors of war. Yulia is both a squadron leader and a role model for women wanting to fight for their country on the frontlines and in the background. Telling Lara Marlowe of her entry into Ukraine’s forces, ‘How Good It Is I Have No Fear of Dying’ recounts her student days giving out flyers for an independent Ukraine up to her current military service in the face of Russia’s invasion. Yulia and Lara speak to Georgina Godwin about their collaborative writing process, the uses of poetry, hope for Ukraine’s future and Volodymyr Zelensky’s great plan to win the war.

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Jan Gradvall’s ties with Abba

Sun, 10 Nov 2024 12:00:00 +0000

As one of Sweden’s most prominent music journalists, Jan Gradvall has a close and fond relationship with his nation’s top musical export, Abba. In ‘The Book of Abba: Melancholy Undercover’, Gradvall explores the love, heartbreak and connections between each member of the pop group, from Eurovision to beyond. He sits down with Georgina Godwin to discuss his journalistic career, his former role as head of the Swedish Music Hall of Fame and the possibility of the pop group coming back again.

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Gabriel Gatehouse

Sun, 03 Nov 2024 12:00:00 +0000

We look at conspiracy theories that have emerged through US politics with Gabriel Gatehouse, author of ‘The Coming Storm’. The podcaster and former international editor of the BBC’s ‘Newsnight’ joins Georgina Godwin to discuss his career so far, his thoughts about the two major presidential candidates and the underbelly of the internet, which is host to fringe forums such as 4chan and QAnon.

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Peter Godwin

Sun, 27 Oct 2024 11:55:00 +0000

Writing a fourth memoir is somewhat unheard of but for Peter Godwin it’s an even more personal note. Not a grief memoir so much as an exploration in memory of the passing of his mother, the end of his marriage and moving on, Peter shares the poignant moments of his life so far in ‘Exit Wounds’. He joins Georgina Godwin – his sibling – to discuss childhood memories of their mother, the process of his latest work and writing multiple autobiographies of his life so far.

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Lee Mylne

Sun, 20 Oct 2024 09:26:59 +0000

Known as the “Queensland Expert” for ‘The Telegraph’, Lee Mylne’s journalism is enjoyed around the world thanks to her expertise in travel and tourism. As a writer of many travel books including ‘Explore Australia’ and ‘Frommer’s Portable Australia’s Great Barrier Reef’, she shares the vast knowledge which has gained her many national awards. She joins Georgina Godwin in Brisbane, Australia, to discuss her career so far, where travel writing sits within journalism and her dream locations to cover.

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Evie Wyld

Sun, 13 Oct 2024 13:50:47 +0000

Multi-prize winner Evie Wyld is no stranger to writing intricate, thought-provoking novels to challenge readers globally. Her latest novel, “The Echoes”, proves that. It’s a story about an everyday couple living in London but embedded within secrecy, with one looking on from the afterlife. Evie joins Georgina Godwin to discuss her work, her upbringing from New South Wales, Australia, to Peckham, South London, and running her own independent bookshop, Review.

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The Afghan women writers who witnessed the fall of Kabul

Sun, 06 Oct 2024 11:00:00 +0000

The resurgence of the Taliban in August 2021 sent shockwaves throughout the world. Images from Afghanistan showed fear, panic and unrest looming. With the country back under Taliban rule, a group of Afghan women writers feared the worst. They kept in touch with the Untold Narratives, a development programme dedicated to writers from marginalised communities or conflict zones. It was a group of messages from these writers detailing their lives that the collective curated into a diary ‘My Dear Kabul’. Georgina Godwin speaks to the director, Lucy Hannah, and co-editor, Sunila Galappatti, about the process of recording the diary entries. We’ll also hear from one writer about life in Kabul today.

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William Dalrymple

Sun, 29 Sep 2024 09:39:48 +0000

One of the UK’s greatest historians, William Dalrymple is no stranger to researching the treasures of India. Dalrymple sits down with Georgina Godwin to discuss his latest work, “The Golden Road”, which outlines ancient Indian cultures, ideas and inventions and how they influenced the western world.

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Imogen Sutton, Richard Williams and their ‘Adventures in Animation’

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 10:55:23 +0000

Richard Williams, one of the most revered animators in modern times, leaves a lasting creative impression from ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ to ‘The Pink Panther’. ‘Adventures in Animation: How I Learned Who I Learned From and What I Did with It’ follows the life and career of Williams in animated features; from the moment when, aged five, he saw ‘Snow White’, and through his career of more than sixty years.

Following his passing, his wife and collaborator, Imogen Sutton, completed ‘Adventures in Animation’, which in its finished publication is an ode to animated art and to Richard himself.

Speaking to Georgina Godwin, Sutton shares insights into their work dynamic, Richard’s relationships with Art Babbitt and Ken Harris, plus his influences across the industry.

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Rabih Alameddine

Sun, 15 Sep 2024 11:00:00 +0000

As the author of six critically acclaimed novels, including the 2022 PEN/Faulkner award winning ‘The Wrong End of the Telescope’, Rabih Alameddine is no stranger to the living art of storytelling. His work explores worlds that may seem beyond words, everything from civil war to exile and epidemics, and yet finds the words we need to hear. Now teaching literature at Georgetown University, Alameddine delves into the next generation of writers. He speaks with Georgina Godwin on his writing career, his upbringing and future plans for his art.

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Sam Leith

Sun, 08 Sep 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Literary editor of ‘The Spectator’ Sam Leith is surrounded by books of various genres every day. His latest non-fiction work ‘The Haunted Wood’ takes an exploratory look into childhood reading from Aesop’s fables to Malorie Blackman. He speaks to Georgina Godwin about the world of children’s literature, the first book he read as a child and the authors who created the stories we know today.

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Magda Szubanski AO

Sun, 01 Sep 2024 11:15:00 +0000

Magda Szubanski is known as Sharon Strzelecki in the comedy series ‘Kath and Kim’ in Australia and globally for the role of Esme Hoggett in the ‘Babe’ film series. The comedy actress won the 2016 Douglas Stewart Prize for her memoir, ‘Reckoning’, which describes her journey of self-discovery from a suburban childhood that was haunted by the demons of her father’s espionage activities in wartime Poland. She speaks to Georgina Godwin about her career so far, the creative scene in Melbourne and her future writing plans.

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Nathan Thrall

Sun, 25 Aug 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Life for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank is often stalked by violence, heightened by the events following 7 October. When US journalist Nathan Thrall decided to write about their experience, he wanted to unveil the sheer catastrophe that they live through daily. The Pulitzer Prize-winning book, ‘A Day in the Life of Abed Salama’, focuses on Abed whose son died in a bus crash in 2012, and the other individuals linked to the tragedy. Speaking to Georgina Godwin, Thrall shares the relationships he has with Salama and others, the reaction to their story and the Israel-Hamas war.

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Novuyo Rosa Tshuma

Sun, 18 Aug 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Novuyo Rosa Tshuma is a Zimbabwe-born writer who spent her time writing instead of studying at university during one of the most turbulent times in the country’s history. She talks to Georgina Godwin about her childhood, the start of her writing career and her latest novel, “Digging Stars”, which probes the emotional universes of love, friendship, family and nationhood.

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Elif Shafak

Sun, 11 Aug 2024 09:08:58 +0000

Best-selling author Elif Shafak is the most widely read female author in Turkey and her work has been translated into a staggering 57 languages. Her 2019 novel ‘10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World’ was nominated for the Booker Prize and her novels have been shortlisted in the Costa Award, the British Book Awards and the Women’s Prize for Fiction. Shafak returns to Midori House to speak to Georgina Godwin about her new novel, ‘There are Rivers in the Sky’, a timeless story that follows three lives spanning centuries, continents and two great rivers connected through a single drop of water.

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John Brown, Australian politician

Sun, 04 Aug 2024 11:00:00 +0000

The Australian politician who popularised koalas in the 1980s and created the “throw another shrimp on the barbie” tourism ad joins Georgina Godwin in Sydney to talk about his new book, ‘Brownie: The Minister for Good Times’. John Brown, the first in his family to achieve school qualifications, went on to serve as an MP in the Federal House of Representatives for 13 years, and held several ministerial posts in the Hawke government where he transformed the face of tourism and sport in Australia.

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Gabby Hutchinson Crouch

Sun, 28 Jul 2024 11:00:00 +0000

For years, author and satirist Gabby Hutchinson Crouch has scoured the week’s news for material to use on the programmes in BBC Radio 4’s Friday-night topical slot, ‘Dead Ringers’ and ‘Newzoids’. She has also written for ‘Horrible Histories’, the Bafta-winning children’s series inspired by ‘Blackadder’ and ‘Monty Python’. Today she discusses her latest book, the first in a new ‘historical romantasy’ series, and is quizzed by a ‘Horrible Histories’ enthusiast.

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