7 November 2019
14 minutes
Some of Alwyn Turner’s finest books are a series of in-depth looks into modern British history, where he explores the social, political and cultural issues of each decade. ‘A Classless Society: Britain in the 1990s’ is his most recent effort, exploring everything from Tony Blair to Britpop.
7 November 2019
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
Sylvia Whitman
Georgina Godwin is in conversation with Sylvia Whitman, who spends her days surrounded by words but is not the one putting pen to paper. She is the proprietor of the Shakespeare & Company bookshop in Paris, a legendary…
Monocle Reads: Russell Jones
Russell Jones is a sensory consultant who is fascinated by how our senses change how we feel, think and act every day. He speaks to Georgina Godwin about his new book ‘The Power of your Senses’, which details his “sensory…
Agnes Poirier
Agnes Poirier is a journalist, author and political commentator. Georgina Godwin speaks to her about her latest book, ‘Notre-Dame: The Soul of France’, which explores the magnificent history and uncertain future of one of…
Monocle Reads: the Cheltenham Festival team
On ‘Monocle Reads’ this week Georgina Godwin visits the team behind the Cheltenham Festival, including head of programming Nicola Tuxworth, for an insight into the process behind the world's oldest literature festival. This…
Annie Macmanus
Annie Macmanus is a household name, though not necessarily as a writer. As Annie Mac, she has had a long and incredibly successful career as a DJ and broadcaster, having hosted programmes for 17 years on BBC Radio 1 until…
Monocle Reads: Martin Bailey
Martin Bailey co-curated Tate Britain’s 2019 exhibition ‘Van Gogh and Britain’. He is the author of several books on the artist and writes the weekly newsletter ‘Adventures with Van Gogh’ for ‘The Art Newspaper’. Bailey…
Robert McCrum
Acclaimed writer, journalist and broadcaster Robert McCrum has had a distinguished career, including stints as editor in chief of Faber & Faber and literary editor of ‘The Observer’. Throughout, William Shakespeare has…
Monocle Reads: Deborah Feldman
Georgina Godwin speaks to German-American writer Deborah Feldman. Born into a strict Hasidic community in New York, Feldman longed for more and in 2012 she released her autobiography ‘Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection…
Sebastian Faulks
Sebastian Faulks has been an indomitable force of the British literary scene since his first novel was published in 1984. His 1993 novel ‘Birdsong’ sold more than 2 million copies in the UK and regularly features as one of…
Monocle Reads: Tom Chivers
Tom Chivers is a poet and publisher who has long been fascinated by London, the city he grew up in and continues to call home. His fascination is not with the landmarks and monuments that are easy to spot but with what lies…
Will Storr
Georgina Godwin talks to Will Storr. His critically acclaimed books are about everything from ghosts to selfies, but at the heart of his work is a desire to look deep into the human experience and explore just why we think…
Monocle Reads: Susanna Clarke
The Women’s Prize for Fiction is one of the greatest annual, international celebrations of female creativity. It is now in its 26th year and it honours outstanding, ambitious, original fiction written in English by women…
Christopher Clarey
Writing for ‘The New York Times’, Christopher Clarey has captured the drama of sport for more than 25 years. He speaks to Georgina Godwin about his new book ‘The Master’, which tells the story of the greatest player in…
Anuradha Roy and Christopher MacLehose
Georgina Godwin meets publisher Christopher MacLehose and acclaimed Indian author Anuradha Roy. MacLehose, a leader in translated literature in the UK, is reported to have brought works into English from 34 languages. He…
Phil Manzanera
This edition of ‘Meet The Writers’ takes a slightly different direction as Georgina Godwin speaks to Phil Manzanera. He is a writer – but one who uses notes and staves rather than words. Manzanera shot to fame in the 1970s…
