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
How do you fall asleep?
We explore what makes us fall asleep, from bedtime stories at the Ace Hotel to a retreat for insomniacs in rural England. We discuss how sleep affects creativity or whether being in possession of a creative mind affects your sleep.
What does an editor do?
We gain an insight in to the role of the editor – whether creating a novel, a magazine or a movie – through the eyes of Faber and Faber’s senior editor Walter Donohue, film editor Pete Beaudreau and Monocle’s very own editor Andrew Tuck.
How do you make a myth?
Myths are like history only they’re not real. But they’re reasonable, kind of. To answer the question “How do you make a myth?” we talk to classicist Natalie Haynes about their enduring appeal. We also ask art historian Christopher Dell where paintings would be without myth and discuss how a…
How do you appreciate sound art?
Robert Bound speaks to artists, curators, the uninitiated and the professionals to get a handle on sound art – will it ever be as easy to love as a painting or as in vogue as performance art? How do you make it and where is it housed? We head to…
Summer art
This week’s show is a summery summary of the season’s best art exhibitions. Robert Bound is joined in the studio by Ossian Ward who has the lowdown on the top fairs, festivals and biennales to head to. Plus: we send our reporters to Porto, Vienna and Washington DC for their…
Summer reading list
Arifa Akbar, literary editor of ‘The Independent’, and John Mitchinson, founder of Unbound publishers, join Robert Bound in the studio to discuss the titles they are most looking forward to getting stuck in to on their summer holidays. Plus: we round up some of the best magazines to enjoy poolside,…
Summer Blockbusters
Tim Robey, film critic for ‘The Daily Telegraph’ and David Jenkins, editor of ‘Little White Lies’ magazine join Robert Bound in the studio to review what’s on the silver screen over the coming months, from big-budget blockbusters to the most engaging documentaries. Plus we find out where the best outdoor…
Monocle’s Summer Festival Guide
In the first of a series of summer culture guides we speak to Luke Turner, associate editor at the Quietus and Fiona Stewart, director of Green Man Festival about what makes a good festival, which countries are doing them best and the ones we should keep an eye out for…
Can documentaries change the world?
We talk to Joshua Oppenheimer about his candid films, ‘The Act of Killing’ and ‘The Look of Silence’, which deal with the Indonesian genocide of the mid-1960s. Plus we head to the Bertha DocHouse in London – the only documentary cinema in Great Britain – where Elizabeth Wood tells us…
Do albums need notes to help us understand them?
We speak to Ashley Kahn who won the 2015 Grammy award for his liner notes in John Coltrane’s ‘Offering: Live at Temple University’. We also investigate the golden age of album-sleeve note writing with ‘The Times’ rock and pop critic Will Hodgkinson and discuss the art of the album cover…
