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
‘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 the band Felt, and later, Denim. Is he the greatest pop star…
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 three officials – were fatally injured when their plane crashed. Peace’s…
‘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 largely made up of the programme’s former participants. Robert Bound sits down with director…
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the ‘Hafla’ exhibition at Sotheby’s
Natasha Tripney reports from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and selects the top theatre picks at the monthlong event. Plus, Robert Bound heads to ‘Hafla’, a celebration of Middle Eastern culture at the New Bond Street headquarters of Sotheby’s.
Review: ‘Tuesday’
Film critics Caspar Salmon and Leila Latif join Robert Bound in the studio to review A24’s latest film, ‘Tuesday’, directed by Daina O Pusić. Julia Louis-Dreyfus stars as a mother whose daughter, played by Lola Petticrew, has a terminal illness. A difficult situation becomes more painful – and far stranger…
Summer films: ‘Agent of Happiness’, ‘Daughters’ and ‘Kneecap’
In our summer film special, we find out about three great big-screen releases. We hear about a happiness agent in the Bhutanese Himalayas in ‘Agent of Happiness’, explore the moving new Netflix film ‘Daughters’ and jump into the chaotic world of an Irish-language rapping group in ‘Kneecap’.
Summer reading: John Niven’s ‘O Brother’ and Mariel Franklin’s ‘Bonding’
In our summer books special, we sit down with two brilliant writers. First we hear from Scottish author and screenwriter John Niven, whose moving 2023 memoir ‘O Brother’ is now out in paperback. Then we meet first-time novelist Mariel Franklin, whose debut, ‘Bonding’, is a smart, pertinent book about sex,…
Summer art special: Lonnie Holley, Ukrainian modernism and Les Rencontres d’Arles
We highlight three events that should be on your radar, starting with a trip to London’s Royal Academy of Arts to explore Ukrainian modernism. Then we head to the south of France for this year’s edition of a major summer photography festival, before hearing from US artist Lonnie Holley at…
Summer music: Cassandra Jenkins and a new documentary about Blur
New York-based artist and musician Cassandra Jenkins discusses her new album, ‘My Light, My Destroyer’. The spellbinding new record is a tangle of cranked guitars, close-mic confessionals and wonderfully melodic songwriting. Plus: we celebrate ‘To the End’, a new documentary about Blur, with the film’s director, Toby L.
Looking ahead to the summer in culture
Rhianna Dhillon, Ammar Kalia and Matt Wolf join Robert Bound to preview this summer’s best music, theatre and television. They discuss a TV show set in the murky waters of Baltimore, an upcoming album from one of the UK’s most revered producers and the Broadway debut of an actor fresh…
