This week André Aciman toasts the genius of Marcel Proust, a century after his death; and Richard Lea on the mesmerising multiverses of John Banville.
The works of Marcel Proust
‘The Singularities’ by John Banville
Produced by Charlotte Pardy
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Sam Leith on Roald Dahl’s life of plane crashes, bunk-ups, secret agenting – and children’s writing
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This week, we learn about the final years of the Napoleonic era, poke around the exclusive gentlemen’s watering holes of Pall Mall, and discover how Roy Orbison ended up meeting his wife in Batley Variety Club.
’Napoleon: The decline and fall of an Empire, 1811-1821’ by Michael Broers
’Napoleon at Peace: How to end a revolution’ by William Doyle
‘Behind Close Doors: The secret life of London’s private members’ clubs’ by Seth Alexander Thévoz
‘Clubland: How the working men's club shaped Britain’ by Pete Brown
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Laura Thompson on the much-married daughter of Barbara Cartland who became Lady Diana’s stepmother
https://www.the-tls.co.uk/articles/three-times-a-countess-tina-gaudoin-book-review-laura-thompson/
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This week, Toby Lichtig interviews the new Booker laureate, Shehan Karunatilaka, and discovers why he killed off his protagonist; and we explore the latest developments in a Chaucerian controversy.
‘The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida’ by Shehan Karunatilaka
Mary C Flannery on Chaucer
Produced by Charlotte Pardy
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Michele Pridmore-Brown considers our quest for godlike immortality
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Richard Dunn joins Alex and Lucy to discuss how humanity began to measure the world around it; and Lauren Elkin illuminates the immense artistic contribution of Annie Ernaux, this winner of this year’s Nobel Prize in Literature.
‘Beyond Measure: The Hidden History of Measurement’ by James Vincent
The work of Annie Ernaux, Nobel Prize laureate 2022
Produced by Charlotte Pardy
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Bill McKibben considers the future of farming in a rapidly warming world
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Sofia Chelyak joins us to preview this weekend’s Lviv International Book Forum, in which guests including Margaret Atwood and Henry Marsh will join Ukrainian writers and thinkers in an online extravaganza; plus highlights of our live podcast on narrative arcs in fiction, history and politics and how to support a literary fundraiser for those affected by floods in Pakistan.
Lviv International BookForum, 7-9 October 2022
https://airauctioneer.com/books-for-pakistan
Produced by Charlotte Pardy
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Charles Foster considers the extraordinary variety of animals’ sensory worlds
https://www.the-tls.co.uk/articles/an-immense-world-ed-yong-book-review-charles-foster/
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This week, Dennis Zhou joins us to illuminate the activism, anarchism and agility of the poet Gary Snyder; and Hannah Skoda reports from the Globe on a bold reinterpretation of the life of Joan of Arc.
'Collected Poems' by Gary Snyder, edited by Jack Shoemaker and Anthony Hunt
'I, Joan' by Charlie Josephine
Produced by Charlotte Pardy.
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This week, we talk to Jonathan Spector about the European premiere of his play at the Old Vic; and Dimitra Fimi unpacks what's behind the new tv series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
Eureka Day, The Old Vic, London, until October 31
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Amazon Prime
Produced by Charlotte Pardy
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This week, Miranda France explores a suite of books about motherhood; and we survey the pick of this autumn’s fiction with Toby Lichtig.
‘Don’t Forget to Scream: Unspoken Truths About Motherhood’ by Marianne Levy
‘Motherhood: Feminism’s Unfinished Business’ by Eliane Glaser
‘Motherload: Modern Motherhood and How to Survive It’ by Ingrid Wassenaar
The Baby on the Fire Escape: Creativity, Motherhood, and the Mind-Baby Problem’ by Julie Phillips
’Still Born’ by Guadelupe Nettel, translated by Rosalind Harvey
‘Abolish the Family: A Manifesto for Care and Liberation’ by Sophie Lewis
’The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida’ by Shehan Karunatilaka
’The Trees’ by Percival Everett
‘Haven’ by Emma Donoghue
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Emily Wilson considers how we address our final days
Book reviewed: The Mortal Coil: A history of death by Andrew Doig
The Inevitable: Dispatches on the right to die by Katie Engelhart
All the Living and the Dead: A personal investigation into the death trade by Hayley Campbell
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This week, Thea Lenarduzzi joins us to explain how she captured the stories of her Italian grandmother; and Edmund Gordon admires how Ian McEwan’s new novel juxtaposes an individual life with memorable social and political events.
‘Dandelions’ by Thea Lenarduzzi
‘Lessons’ by Ian McEwan
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Nat Segnit explores the strange world of the modern rich
Book reviewed: Serious Money: Walking plutocratic London by Caroline Knowles
A Class of Their Own: Adventures in tutoring the super-rich by Matt Knott
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Alex Clark and Lucy Dallas are joined by Rohan Maitzen to discuss the new novel by Maggie O’Farrell, an ingenious and daring Browning version; and Sarah Hill charts musician Vashti Bunyan’s epic walk from London to Scotland in search of freedom.
‘The Marriage Portrait’ by Maggie O’Farrell
‘Wayward: Just Another Life to Live’ by Vashti Bunyan
‘Stories I Might Regret Telling You: A Memoir’ by Martha Wainwright
‘This Woman’s Work: Essays on Music’ edited by Sinéad Gleeson and Kim Gordon
Produced by Charlotte Pardy
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In the last of our August highlights programmes, Alex Clark and Lucy Dallas talk self-improvement with Kathryn Hughes and step into the mire of Westminster with Edward Docx. And we revisit a magical Hay Festival moment courtesy of correspondents Lyse Doucet and Sana Safi.
Produced by Charlotte Pardy.
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This week, Alex Clark and Lucy Dallas look back at a riveting and prescient conversation with climate writer David Wallace-Wells; plus Margaret Drabble on the allure of roses, and Jeremy Mynott on our affinity with birds.
Produced by Charlotte Pardy.
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