London Review Bookshop Podcast

Poet and editor of Bad Betty Press Amy Acre reads from and talks about her debut collection Mothersong (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 C+nto (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 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 The Fraud and Adam Thirlwell’s The Future Future. 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 The Future Future.Buy The Fraud: lrb.me/thefraudBuy The Future Future: https://lrb.me/thefuturefutureFind more events at the Bookshop: lrb.me/eventspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Shattered Nation, 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 The Stones of London and Inheritance.Buy Shattered Nation from the Bookshop: lrb.me/shatterednationFind more events at the Bookshop: lrb.me/eventspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kehinde Andrews & Afua Hirsch discuss critical whiteness studies, the impact of black storytellers in mainstream narratives, navigating white spaces and the struggle for black identity, pleasure activism, the radical argument for black revolution, expectations on black people, the legacy of Mandela, and addressing discrimination within the NHS.

Terrance Hayes and Nick Laird read from and talk about their recent books So to Speak (Penguin) and Up Late (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, Up Late, from his new collection. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ian Nairn’s Modern Buildings in London 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 Guardian.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/eventspodBuy a copy of Modern Buildings in London: lrb.me/modernbuildingspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Helen Macdonald and Sin Blaché collaborate on a dazzling science fiction debut. They discuss the genesis of the book, exploring characters and collaboration, and the portrayal of LGBTQ+ characters. They talk about writing as a subversive act and the power of love in imagining the future.

Caret continues the adventures of the irrepressible John Cromer, begun in Pilcrow (2008) and continued in Cedilla (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 Caret: lrb.me/caretpodMore events at the Bookshop: lrb.me/eventspod Hosted on Acast. See 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 Art Monsters 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 for more information.

A holistic and revealing account of the inspirations, passions and practices of one of the country’s foremost contemporary artists, Art is Magic 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 Unfinished Business.Find more events at the London Review Bookshop: lrb.me/eventspodBuy a copy of Art is Magic: lrb.me/dellerpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.