
Monocle on Culture
Robert Bound and guests explore what’s new in art, film, books, and media. Expect lively discussions, in-depth interviews, and expert insights.
Latest Episodes

‘Stop Making Sense’ and the enduring appeal of the concert movie
We celebrate the 40th anniversary of ‘Stop Making Sense’ – Jonathan Demme’s film with Talking Heads – which is often regarded as the greatest concert movie of all time. Robert Bound is joined in the…

Feist, São Paulo’s art scene and ‘Fremont’
This week we take a spin around the Americas. Sheena Rossiter speaks to indie-pop singer Feist at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival. Then we head to Brazil to explore São Paulo’s art scene and…

Review: ‘The Fraud’, Zadie Smith
In more than two decades since Zadie Smith burst onto the literary scene with her debut novel, ‘White Teeth’, her books, essays and short stories have continued to enjoy commercial and critical success. Her…

Look ahead to autumn: TV, books, art
Robert Bound is joined in the studio by Scott Bryan, Holly Black and Chris Power to share the TV, art exhibitions and books to watch, see and read this season.

Summer blockbusters: How did they fare?
As summer comes to an end, we look back at the season’s biggest blockbusters. Robert Bound is joined in the studio by Alex Ritman of ‘The Hollywood Reporter’ to discuss how the films fared…

Colson Whitehead
Over the years, the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, Colson Whitehead, has turned his hand to non-fiction, zombie thrillers and historical fiction. His new book, ‘Crook Manifesto’, is the second in his Harlem Trilogy, which…

John Carroll Kirby and Sylvan Esso
While John Carroll Kirby is celebrated for the catalogue of stars with whom he has played or collaborated (a list including Solange, Frank Ocean and Harry Styles), he is also renowned for his solo work.…

‘Talk to Me’
Critics Christina Newland and Karen Krizanovich join Robert Bound to review new Australian horror film ‘Talk to Me’.

Summer sounds
Robert Bound is joined in the studio by Natty Kasambala and Kate Hutchinson to discuss the songs that encapsulate the sound of summer 2023, which of this year’s festivals guarantee a good time and…

Christopher Nolan
Acclaimed writer-director Christopher Nolan is known for his spectacular and layered storytelling and preference for analogue cinematic methods. Robert Bound sits down with the filmmaker to discuss his new film ‘Oppenheimer’, which tells the story of…