Susan Harrow, an expert on Emile Zola, Kate Griffiths, a professor specializing in 19th-century French literature, and Edmund Birch, a lecturer at Cambridge, delve into Zola's powerful novel, Germinal. They discuss the bleak realities faced by miners, exploring themes of poverty, exploitation, and the struggle for humanity amidst industrialization. The conversation highlights Zola's immersive research, his sociological narrative style, and the novel's lasting legacy in literature and art. The guests reveal how Zola's work resonates with modern labor issues, making it ever relevant.
