
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

‘The Souvenir’
‘The Souvenir’ is the fourth film by British director Joanna Hogg. It stars Honor Swinton-Byrne in her first acting role and is based on the film-maker’s time as a student. Robert Bound sits down…

‘The Offing’ by Benjamin Myers
Robert Bound, John Mitchinson and Susannah Butter crack the spine of ‘The Offing’, the new novel by Benjamin Myers, whose last book ‘The Gallows Pole’ was a big hit.

‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’
Last week saw the UK release of what is supposedly Quentin Tarantino’s penultimate film: ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’. Robert Bound, Simran Hans and Tim Robey discuss the counter-culture, cowboys and controversies surrounding…

Olafur Eliasson at the Tate Modern
We review Olafur Eliasson’s show ‘In Real Life’ – an immersive retrospective of the artist’s career to date. Tom Edwards is joined by Francesca Gavin and Jane Morris to discuss what’s behind the smoke…

‘Old Town Road’
We take a deep dive into Lil Nas X’s US record-breaking number-one single, “Old Town Road”. Baylen Leonard and Leonie Cooper join Robert Bound to discuss genre, sexuality, remixes and what it takes to…

‘Queer Eye’
We assess how ‘Queer Eye’ has transformed the makeover genre – and what it has done for queer TV in general. Ben Rylan is joined by critics Scott Bryan and Toby Earle, who also…

‘Apollo 11’
As we celebrate 50 years since Neil Armstrong took that notorious first step on the moon, we watch this thrilling and moving documentary of one of the greatest feats of humankind. Robert Bound is…

‘Sweet Sorrow’ by David Nicholls
This summer’s ultimate poolside read, ‘Sweet Sorrow’ is the latest novel by award-winning author and screenwriter David Nicholls. Robert Bound, Georgina Godwin and John Mitchinson talk love stories and 1990s nostalgia.

Cindy Sherman
The art world’s master of disguise has a retrospective at the National Portrait Gallery; we try to get to the bottom of the wit and wigs that have made her one of the greatest…

Summer lookahead 2019
Robert Bound is joined by Leonie Cooper, Susannah Butter and Scott Bryan to round up our cultural checklist for the summer. Find out what you’ll be reading, watching and dancing to this season.