3 June 2024
Episode 660
27 minutes
Photo: Getty Images
On the centenary of his death, we reflect on the legacy of Czech writer Franz Kafka. Alongside writer and literary critic Chris Power, we celebrate Kafka by way of his unexpurgated diaries which have recently been translated into English for the first time. Then screenwriter and short-story author Charlie Kaufman discusses his story in his new collection, ‘A Cage Went in Search of a Bird’.
3 June 2024
Share episode
DownloadWant more radio episodes like these in your inbox?
Sign up to Monocle’s email newsletters to stay on top of news and opinion, plus the latest from the magazine, radio, film and shop.
Monocle on Culture - latest episodes
Steve McQueen and ‘Blitz’
Oscar-winning filmmaker Steve McQueen is known for his in-depth, human exploration of characters and history, which is executed with an artist’s eye. We speak to McQueen about the release of his new film, ‘Blitz’, which…
20 years of Nonclassical
We celebrate 20 years of music promoter, record label and events producer Nonclassical. Over the past two decades, the organisation has been at the forefront of classical, experimental and electronic music, leading the way…
‘Box Office Poison’
We sit down with Tim Robey, author of the new book ‘Box Office Poison: Hollywood’s Story in a Century of Flops’. This alternative history of cinema recounts the industry’s biggest bombs, including how they came to be made…
Walla Walla Foundry, a new Italian film and French pop star Zaho de Sagazan
We head to Rome to find out about a new film dedicated to the Women’s Liberation Movement in the 1970s before visiting one of the world’s largest contemporary art foundries in Walla Walla. Plus: an interview with French pop…
Gran Turismo Folgore: A Lucca Roadtrip
As this special episode pauses to consider elements of great design, it is important to not overcomplicate matters. Sometimes, all you need is four wheels and a beating heart. Monocle’s Italian odyssey concludes with a…
A new ballet based on the life and writing of Oscar Wilde
We find out about ‘Oscar’, a ballet based on the life and work of Oscar Wilde. Plus: artist Sophie Matisse tells us about designing chess sets, and writer and translator Bruna Dantas Lobato discusses her new book, ‘Blue…
Asymmetry and Heartland at Noma
We venture from Monocle’s Marylebone HQ to London’s Dalston to learn about an organisation looking east. Asymmetry is an unusual, forward-thinking foundation dedicated to developing cultural knowledge in and about Asia.…
The ghost and spirit of Mike Kelley
We explore the world of US artist Mike Kelley with the first UK exhibition of his work at the Tate Modern. ‘Ghost and Spirit’ shows Kelley’s influential and experimental practice ranging from drawings and collages to mul…
Public Service Broadcasting and concept albums
To celebrate the release of Public Service Broadcasting’s The Last Flight, we explore the world of concept albums. Robert Bound speaks to the band’s J Willgoose, Esq about the making of the album, which explores aviator…
Gran Cabrio Folgore: a Carrara roadtrip
Making a masterpiece begins with a vision. And where else to start than with the beloved Italian marque Maserati’s new powerful, all-electric sports car: the Gran Cabrio Folgore. As summer turns to autumn, we engage the…
‘The Goldman Case’ and ‘Sugarcane’
We discuss two new films in this week’s episode. ‘The Goldman Case’ dramatises the 1976 trial of revolutionary left-wing intellectual Pierre Goldman and is a thrilling retelling of a momentous event in French legal history…
Ukraine’s musical heritage, Agnes Varda and Marina Abramovic’s new London show
Monocle’s Andrew Mueller finds out about Soviet-era rock’n’roll in Ukraine ahead of the release of ‘Even The Forest Hums: Ukrainian Sonic Archives 1971-1996’. Plus: we discuss a new biography about filmmaker Agnes Varda and…
‘Street-Level Superstar, A Year With Lawrence’
Robert Bound is joined in the studio by writer and ‘Monocle on Culture’ regular Will Hodgkinson to discuss his new book, ‘Street-Level Superstar, A Year With Lawrence’ . The book tells the story of Lawrence, the founder of…
David Peace
Robert Bound is joined in the studio by writer David Peace to discuss his new book, ‘Munichs’. The novel tells the story of the 1958 Munich air disaster, in which 23 people – including eight Manchester United players and…
‘Sing Sing’
We explore the new film ‘Sing Sing’, which follows a group of incarcerated men taking part in the Rehabilitation Through the Arts theatre programme at a notorious prison. The film stars Colman Domingo alongside a cast…
