Meet the Writers
Georgina Godwin in conversation with top authors. Explore their inspirations, writing processes, and the stories behind their books.
Latest Episodes
Monocle Reads: ‘Neptune’s Projects’
Poet Rishi Dastidar joins Georgina Godwin to discuss his latest collection, ‘Neptune’s Projects’, a comedic reshaping of mythology that looks at the climate crisis from the point of view of the god Neptune.
Monica Macias
Born in Equatorial Guinea, Monica Macias grew up in Pyongyang, North Korea, under the guardianship of the communist country’s then-leader Kim Il Sung. Kim was a close friend of her father, who later became the dictator president of a newly independent Equatorial Guinea. ‘Black Girl from Pyongyang’ is Monica’s remarkable…
Monocle Reads: ‘Agents of Influence’
Mark Hollingsworth is an investigative journalist, historian, and author of 10 books, including ‘Londongrad: From Russia With Cash: The Inside Story of the Oligarchs’. He speaks to Georgina Godwin about his new book, ‘Agents of Influence’, a journalistic window into Russia’s political warfare and its long history of espionage and…
Lydia Sandgren
The Swedish psychologist and author spent 10 years writing her debut novel, which won the prestigious August Prize in 2020 and sold more than 100,000 copies. She joins Georgina Godwin to mark the publication in English of ‘Collected Works’, an epic family drama about a man dealing with the tragic…
Monocle Reads: ‘Surrounded by Narcissists’
Swedish behavioural expert, lecturer and bestselling author Thomas Erikson speaks to Georgina Godwin about his latest book, ‘Surrounded by Narcissists: Or, How to Stop Other People’s Egos Ruining Your Life’. The book is an insightful, thought-provoking guide to pursuing a more fulfilling life.
Adam Gopnik
Adam Gopnik is best known for his savvy pieces published in ‘The New Yorker’ but the essayist is a true multi-hyphenate. An author, lyricist and lecturer, you might say Gopnik has mastered the art of literature. His latest book, ‘The Real Work: On the Mystery of Mastery’, questions the fundamentals…
Sarah Bakewell
The award-winning UK author tells Georgina Godwin about a childhood family road trip through south Asia, the US and Australia, working in a tea factory and her new book ‘Humanly Possible: 700 years of Humanist Freethinking, Inquiry and Hope’.
Monocle Reads: ‘The Company‘
JM Varese is a US novelist and literary historian. He sits down with Georgina Godwin to discuss his new gothic thriller ‘The Company’, which is based on the true story of arsenic-laced wallpaper.
Gary Younge
Gary Younge is an author, an academic and one of the UK’s most celebrated journalists. He joins Georgina Godwin to discuss his remarkable career in international reporting, his teenage years as a Trotskyist, reporting on the elections of Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama, and his new book, ‘Dispatches from the…
Monocle Reads: ‘Dog Hearted’
Georgina Godwin speaks to Rowan Hisayo Buchanan and Jessica J Lee, the editors of a heart-warming anthology of essays about our relationships with dogs, ‘Dog Hearted: Essays on our Fierce and Familiar Companions’.
