Meet the Writers
Georgina Godwin in conversation with top authors. Explore their inspirations, writing processes, and the stories behind their books.
Latest Episodes
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…
Monocle Reads: ‘Every Family Has a Story’
On ‘Monocle Reads’ this week, we give you a highlight from the Hay Festival, where Georgina Godwin spoke to bestselling author and psychotherapist Julia Samuel about her latest book, ‘Every Family Has a Story’. Diving deep into eight case studies, she reveals how deeply we are influenced by our families…
Waheed Arian
Born in Afghanistan, Waheed Arian has lived in a refugee camp, sheltered in cellars from a civil war, and endured malaria, TB and malnutrition. After being incarcerated in Britain as an illegal immigrant, he went on to become a doctor and now runs a global telemedicine charity, working with clinicians…
Monocle Reads: ‘The Premonitions Bureau’
Sam Knight is a staff writer at ‘The New Yorker’ and a renowned longform journalist. He speaks to Georgina Godwin about his new book, ‘The Premonitions Bureau’, which is based on a 2019 article he wrote for the magazine entitled, “The Psychiatrist Who Believed People Could Tell the Future”. It…
Adam Hochschild
Description: The award-winning author, historian and journalist chats to Georgina Godwin. He is possibly best known for his book ‘Kings Leopold’s Ghost’, an account of the exploitation of people in colonial Congo and a personal biography of King Leopold of Belgium. In a far-ranging interview, he discusses his extraordinary life…
Monocle Reads visits Hay Castle
On Monocle Reads this week Georgina Godwin visits Hay Castle. Once a great mediaeval stronghold, the castle stands in the heart of Hay-on-Wye which is known as the Town of Books as well as the site of the Hay Festival of Literature and the Arts. Building on this creative tradition,…
Jonathan Dimbleby
The veteran broadcaster, biographer and historian talks to Georgina Godwin about his latest book ‘Barbarossa: How Hitler Lost the War’. It gives a detailed account of the Nazis’ calamitous invasion of the Soviet Union and the political and military decision-making that shaped it.
Monocle Reads: ‘No Escape’
Nury Turkel is a Uyghur-American lawyer, human rights advocate and foreign policy expert. He speaks to Georgina Godwin about his new book, ‘No Escape: The True Story of China’s Genocide of the Uyghurs’. The publication is a shocking account of the Chinese government’s persecution of the Muslim minority.
