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
Commercial photography – or fine art?
This week we look through the viewfinder at the world of photography and explore whether the fields of commercial and art photography are beginning to merge. We speak to Matthew Beaman, Monocle’s photography director; stop by London agency East’s gallery space, 10 14; and catch up with photographer Mark Mahaney.
Espionage, Black History Month and ‘Natasha’
We explore the relationship between British espionage and male homosexuality with writer, author, and artist Huw Lemmey. Plus: dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson and artist Ben F Jones reflect on their relationship with art and activism in celebration of Black History Month and we learn about the seventh edition of…
The music press: how it started and where it’s going
We look at the past, present and future of the music press. Robert Bound meets Paul Gorman, whose new book, ‘Totally Wired: The Rise and Fall of the Music Press’ details the ‘glory days’ of the industry. Plus: Laura Snapes and Natty Kasambala on where the digital press is heading…
Autumn preview
We look ahead to the autumn’s unmissable small-screen programming and highlights from galleries and museums. From new TV series to an exhibition by a celebrated photographer, we have you covered for the season’s cultural picks.
The Technicolor world of David Bowie
Fifty years after the release of ‘The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars’, we look at David Bowie’s legacy and what the evolution of his visual world tells us. We speak to ‘Moonage Daydream’ director Brett Morgen and Mark Paytress, author of ‘Glam! When Superstars…
‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’
Elves and orcs return to our screens in Amazon’s ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’, purportedly the most expensive TV show ever made. We speak to the series’ showrunners, JD Payne and Patrick McKay, and our own ‘Lord of the Rings’ authority, John Mitchinson, to find out…
‘Official Competition’
Penélope Cruz and Antonio Banderas star in ‘Official Competition’, a new satirical film poking fun at the movie industry and the art of acting. Critics Caspar Salmon and Hannah Strong join Robert Bound in the studio to ask whether it is a winner and to dwell more widely upon the…
Mohsin Hamid
International best-selling novelist Mohsin Hamid has been nominated for the Booker prize twice and is perhaps best known for his work ‘The Reluctant Fundamentalist’. He joins Robert Bound in the studio to discuss his new novel, ‘The Last White Man’. Modelled on Kafka’s ‘The Metamorphosis’, it asks powerful questions about…
‘Nope’
Acclaimed writer and director Jordan Peele is back with another ambitious and eerie cinematic extravaganza: ‘Nope’. Critics Leila Latif and Tim Robey join Robert Bound in the studio to discuss their thoughts on the film and examine its abundance of cinematic references.
‘The Passengers’ by Will Ashon
Writer Will Ashon joins us in the studio to discuss his new book, ‘The Passengers’, which brings together 180 anonymous voices whose only link to each other is a connection to the British Isles. This unique work of nonfiction tells the story of what it feels like to be alive…
