Meet the Writers
Georgina Godwin in conversation with top authors. Explore their inspirations, writing processes, and the stories behind their books.
Latest Episodes
Polly Toynbee
Journalist, author and broadcaster Polly Toynbee, joins Georgina Godwin on the show this week. She is a Guardian columnist and previously worked as social affairs editor for the BBC, as well as ‘The Independent’. Early on in her career, she spent eight months experiencing manual work ‘undercover’ with stints as…
Thomas Harding
Georgina Godwin sits down with bestselling author, journalist and documentary-maker Thomas Harding. They discuss his new book, ‘The Maverick: George Weidenfeld and the Golden Age of Publishing’, which tells the story of the legendary publisher after moving to London just before the Second World War as a penniless Austrian-Jewish refugee,…
Neil Blackmore
British author Neil Blackmore’s third novel, ‘The Intoxicating Mr Lavelle’, was shortlisted for the Polari Prize for LGBT+ fiction, while his 2021 novel, ‘The Dangerous Kingdom of Love’, was included in ‘The Times’ list of the best historical fiction. He speaks to Georgina Godwin about ‘Radical Love’, published earlier this…
Naomi Klein
The award-winning Canadian author, activist and filmmaker Naomi Klein speaks to Georgina Godwin about her latest book, ‘Doppelganger: A Trip Into the Mirror World’. Since publishing her debut book, ‘No Logo’, in 1999, she has become one of the world’s foremost public intellectuals, regularly featuring on lists of the most…
Lisa Jewell
This week, Georgina Godwin meets bestselling British novelist Lisa Jewell. The Londoner started out working in the pattern room at fashion chain Warehouse but, after taking creative-writing classes, she realised that she wanted to be an author. It was a bet with a friend while on holiday in Malta that…
Mark Vanhoenacker
Belgian-American pilot, author and writer, Mark Vanhoenacker, joins Georgina Godwin at Monocle’s studio in London to discuss his third book ‘Imagine a City: a Pilot’s Love Letter to the World’s Greatest Cities’. The book chronicles his journey from dreaming of glittering metropolises as a child in Massachusetts to exploring the…
Antoine Laurain
The French novelist, screenwriter, journalist and director Antoine Laurain joins Georgina Godwin at Monocle’s London studios to discuss his tenth novel, ‘An Astronomer in Love’. He takes inspiration from the true story of Louis XV’s astronomer and combines it with a beautiful, modern Parisian love story. Laurain also talks about…
Amanda Craig
Sitting down with Georgina Godwin this week is the hugely acclaimed novelist, short-story writer and critic Amanda Craig. She returns to the show with her latest novel, ‘The Three Graces’. Set in contemporary Tuscany, the book examines the current state of Europe and explores difficult themes such as migration, racial…
Calder Walton
Georgina is joined by Calder Walton, a historian of intelligence and global security at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. He is a world-leading expert in intelligence history, great-power conflict, espionage and grand strategy. He also regularly contributes to the ‘BBC’, ‘Foreign Policy’ and ‘The Washington Post’. His new book…
Damian Lanigan
Joining Georgina Godwin in the studio this week is author and playwright Damian Lanigan. In his latest book, ‘The Ghost Variations’, protagonist Declan Byrnie’s career as a sought-after concert pianist is brought to a halt when tragedy strikes. Despite Lanigan having never played an instrument, he beautifully translates music to…
