Meet the Writers
Georgina Godwin in conversation with top authors.Explore their inspirations, writing processes, and the stories behind their books.
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Latest Episodes
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…
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…
