9 March 2025
Episode 486
30 minutes
Photo: JanetDeNeefe
Janet de Neefe’s explorations of cooking and writing have seen her publish her hybrid memoir-cookbook ‘Fragrant Rice’ and open various restaurants and guesthouses in Bali, Indonesia. Speaking to Georgina Godwin in Ubud, De Neefe discusses her many businesses, including founding the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival, her Balinese cultural integration and spirituality, and further plans.
9 March 2025
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
Janet de Neefe’s cultural ventures in Bali
Janet de Neefe’s explorations of cooking and writing have seen her publish her hybrid memoir-cookbook ‘Fragrant Rice’ and open various restaurants and guesthouses in Bali, Indonesia. Speaking to Georgina Godwin in Ubud, De…
Tash Aw on writing the reality of Southeast Asia
Tash Aw’s writing puts the history and reality of Southeast Asia on the page. His latest novel, ‘The South’, is the first in a quartet series exploring family struggles amid climatic and economic change. Speaking to Geor…
Ram Murali at Galle Literary Festival 2025
Ram Murali’s pivot from law to filmmaking sparked his route into writing. His debut novel, ‘Death In the Air’, blends elements of an Agatha Christie whodunnit with the sumptuous setting of a world-class spa in the foothills…
Benjamin Moser at Jaipur Literature Festival 2025
Benjamin Moser joins Georgina Godwin to talk about his journey from growing up in Texas and writing his first book, ‘Why This World: A Biography of Clarice Lispector’, to winning a Pulitzer Prize for his biography of Susan…
Sandip Roy at the 2025 Kolkata Literary Meet
Sandip Roy’s writing career started when he pivoted from software engineering to broadcasting. Currently a columnist and podcaster, he’s been a longtime commentator on NPR’s ‘Morning Edition’, the most-listened-to radio…
Angelo Tijssens: from the silver screen to the short novel
Angelo Tijssens’ screenwriting credits include ‘Girl’ (2018), about a trans ballerina, and ‘Close’ (2022), an Oscar-nominated film that follows the friendship between a pair of 13-year-old boys. In Tijssens’ first foray…
Maggie Mackellar: the healing power of nature
For Maggie Mackellar, writing was never in her plans. She initially wanted to be a vet or mountain climber before eventually settling into a career as an academic. Mackellar’s love for writing came while studying a PhD in…
Caryl Phillips’s snapshot of the Windrush Generation
Booker Prize shortlisted writer Caryl Phillips is one of contemporary literature’s master stylists. His latest novel, ‘Another Man in the Street’, chronicles a West Indian man’s journey to England as part of the Windrush…
Charles Hecker: Russia’s zero-sum game
Charles Hecker’s 40-year career has seen him travelling and reporting from both the Soviet Union and Russia. He has worked as a journalist and a geopolitical risk consultant, and has lived in Miami, Moscow and now London…
This year’s highlight: Zeinab Badawi
“Education for girls is the family business,” says Sudanese-British broadcast journalist Zeinab Badawi. She tells us about her family and career, and what it’s like to interview the world’s most notable politicians on BBC’s…
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…
