5 March 2023
Episode 381
30 minutes
Photo: Murdo Macleod
Celebrated New Zealand novelist Eleanor Catton sits down with Georgina Godwin. At 28, she became the winner of the Booker Prize for her acclaimed second novel, ‘The Luminaries’. After 10 years she is back with the action-packed psychological thriller ‘Birnam Wood’, about a guerilla gardening group whose ideals and ideologies are about to be tested.
5 March 2023
Share episode
DownloadWant more radio episodes like these in your inbox?
Sign up to Monocle’s email newsletters to stay on top of news and opinion, plus the latest from the magazine, radio, film and shop.
Meet the Writers - latest episodes
The women behind Charleston Literary Festival
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…
Julie Taymor: the pride of writing for film and stage
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…
Lindsey Hilsum’s world in poems
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…
Namita Gokhale
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…
2024 Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction 2024: Richard Flanagan
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…
The musical adventures of Mike Batt
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…
Yulia Mykytenko and her hope for Ukraine
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…
Jan Gradvall’s ties with Abba
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,…
Gabriel Gatehouse
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…
Peter Godwin
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…
Lee Mylne
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…
Evie Wyld
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…
The Afghan women writers who witnessed the fall of Kabul
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…
William Dalrymple
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…
Imogen Sutton, Richard Williams and their ‘Adventures in Animation’
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…
