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: Lexi Stadlen
Georgina Godwin speaks to anthropologist and ethnographer Lexi Stadlen about her new book ‘Nine Paths: A Year in the Life of an Indian Village’. Lexi spent 18 months living in a small community off eastern India, immersing herself in the community. The result is an intimate account of the lives…
Louisa Young
Louisa Young is a best-selling novelist, journalist, songwriter and biographer. She speaks to Georgina Godwin about her book, ‘Twelve Months and a Day’. Young’s newest novel is heartbreaking and thought-provoking, following the love stories of Rasmus and Jay, Róisín and Nico through life and death.
Monocle Reads: Dreaming the Impossible
Georgina Godwin speaks to British-Indian journalist and author Mihir Bose about his latest book, ‘Dreaming the Impossible: the Battle to Create a Non-Racial Sports World’.
Arthur Snell
Arthur Snell is a former British diplomat who has held postings around the world. He speaks to Georgina Godwin about his new book, ‘How Britain Broke the World: War, Greed and Blunders from Kosovo to Afghanistan, 1997-2021’. It draws on extensive research and personal experiences to map out how British…
Monocle Reads: How to Be a Writer
Marcus Berkmann has been a freelance journalist for over 30 years. He sits down with Georgina Godwin to talk about his latest book ‘How to Be a Writer’ which offers a candid, humorous and unfiltered view into the often glamorised, but tough lives of writers today.
Ruth Ozeki
The winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2022 speaks to Georgina Godwin. Ozeki, who is also a film-maker and Zen Buddhist priest, talks about ‘The Book of Form and Emptiness’, which tells the story of a grieving teenager who finds solace in reading.
Monocle Reads: The Evening Standard Stories Festival 2022
In the run-up to the Evening Standard Stories Festival 2022, its organisers are launching a writing competition called What’s Your Story? Georgina Godwin speaks to one of the judges, author and journalist Lotte Jeffs, about the competition. They also discuss her latest book, ‘How to Be a Gentlewoman’, as well…
John Walsh
The journalist and author tells Georgina Godwin about his latest book ‘Circus of Dreams’, a memoir on the UK literary scene in the 1980s. Walsh worked as literary editor for the ‘Evening Standard’ and ‘The Sunday Times’ and spent 20 years at ‘The Independent’. He brought his lifelong passion for…
Monocle Reads: Before We Were Trans
Kit Heyam is a trans awareness trainer, writer, activist and historian, as well as a lecturer in medieval early modern studies at Queen Mary, University of London. They speak to Georgina Godwin about their new book ‘Before We Were Trans’ which looks at people around the world and throughout history…
Stephanie Merritt
Georgina Godwin meets the author, journalist and critic, also known by her pen name SJ Parris. She’s penned a historical thriller series and a memoir about her experience of living with depression, and also writes for ‘The Guardian’ and ‘The Observer’ newspapers. Her latest novel is ‘Storm’, a psychological thriller…
