The Verso Podcast

In this debut episode of the Verso Book Club Podcast, Brett Christophers sits down with our host, Eleanor Penny, to discuss his new book, The Price is Wrong, which challenges conventional wisdom by proposing a fresh perspective on the intersection of markets and the environment. Christophers argues that the slow progress toward sustainability isn't due to the cost of renewable energy, but rather the lack of profitability in environmental preservation. As renewable technologies become more affordable, private investment hesitates to embrace green initiatives. Imagine being able to ask an author about their book: what motivated them, what hurdles they faced, and what's next on their agenda. With the Verso Book Club Podcast, this becomes a reality. Each month, Eleanor will facilitate conversations with a Verso Book Club author, who will be joining the show to answer listener questions about their work. Your questions will be read out on the show, bringing us one step closer to the books we love. Sign up to the Verso Book Club here tinyurl.com/5n67t9tr

On Friday July 26th Jeremy Corbyn MP joins Verso Books and The Dig podcast for a live conversation at London’s Union Chapel. TICKETS: https://unionchapel.org.uk/venue/whats-on/versothe-dig-live-podcast-with-jeremy-corbyn-laleh-khalili As we enter the era of polycrisis, from climate breakdown to deepening global inequality and the daily horrors unfolding in Palestine, Eleanor Penny (host of the Verso Podcast) and Daniel Denvir (host of The Dig) will sit down with former leader of the U.K Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn, and academic and author Laleh Khalili, for an urgent discussion on the future of international politics. How do we counteract the global rise of the far right? What can we learn from the global movement against the war on Palestine? And are there grounds for hope in these burgeoning forms of international solidarity? We’re also thrilled to welcome the Macrodose podcast for an opening act to this event. Guest host Dalia Gebrial will be joined by political scientist Thea Riofrancos, climate justice activist Asad Rehman and anthropologist Jason Hickel to discuss the decline of the unipolar world, the climate crisis and green colonialism, and the future of global capitalism. https://linktr.ee/macrodosepodcast

Beverley Best and Aaron Benanav discuss AI, surplus population, and the labor theory of value. They explore Marx's critique of capitalism, the impact of automation on labor, and the historical fears of job loss. The conversation delves into the intersection of capitalism, technology, and social transformation, emphasizing the need for collective action to create a more equitable future.

Legacy Russell and Fred Moten discuss the relationship between blackness and modern visual culture. They explore the impact of historical representation of blackness in film on contemporary media and the significance of Black culture, music, and historical archives. The conversation delves into critical fabulation, self-authorship, and the complexities of portraying Blackness in digital culture. They also touch on the dichotomy of witness and spectator, the intersection of digital and real-life experiences, and the role of resistance and refusal in cultural creation.

This week on The Verso Podcast we’ll be taking a close look at the political economy of climate breakdown. Along with our host, Eleanor Penny, Ann Pettifor and Hamza Hamouchene discuss climate justice, private equity, degrowth, and the false promise of techno-fixes. Grab Ann's Verso releases here: tinyurl.com/3n3nc6jn Sign up to the Verso Book Club to get involved with our new Book Club Podcast: tinyurl.com/fda34bzb. All book club members will receive a regular email with links to submit questions to our authors which will be answered on the show.

Hannah Proctor and Ajay Singh Chaudhary discuss the mental toll of revolutionary movements, balancing grief of political defeat with organizing and resistance. Topics include self-care, collective care, exhaustion as a political emotion, challenging traditional trauma notions, and redefining hope in climate activism.

This week on The Verso Podcast we’re putting landlordism under the microscope - how it turns peoples’ homes into poker chips, and the housing market into a casino. Nick Bano and Beth Stratford join our host, Eleanor Penny to discuss the depth and breadth of the housing crisis. Grab a copy of Nick's new book "Against Landlords: How to Solve the Housing Crisis" here tinyurl.com/yc5au7nz

On this episode of The Verso Podcast we’re going on a deep dive into the work of the psychiatrist, political theorist, and philosopher Frantz Fanon. Our wonderful host, Eleanor Penny, sat down with Matthew Beaumont and Annie Olaloku-Teriba to discuss Fanon’s expansive legacy - touching on everything from night walkers and revolutionaries, to radical humanism and afropessimism, to decolonial psychiatry and the spatial politics of urban life. Grab a copy of Matthew's new book "How We Walk: Frantz Fanon and the Politics of the Body" here tinyurl.com/43yptmm5

Delve into the turbulent era of the Protestant Reformation with Andrew Drummond and Eleanor Janega as they explore the radical theology of Thomas Müntzer and the German peasants' war. Uncover the intertwined politics and religious complexities of the Holy Roman Empire, the divergent path of Müntzer from Luther, and the role of the elect in preparing for the apocalypse. Discover the oppressive conditions faced by peasants, the asymmetric violence in peasant uprisings, and Luther's opposition to Müntzer. Unveil the complexities of the Reformation era and the radical possibilities of average people.

Authors Anton Jäger and Vincent Bevins reflect on the previous decade and mass political movements. They discuss the failure of these movements, the rise of populist movements, the decline of left-wing institutions, the complicated relationship between populism and socialism, the rise of acid inequalities and debt, and the challenges and failures of left populism.