15 April 2018
Episode 81
30 minutes
The Nigerian novelist known for critically acclaimed titles such as ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ and ‘Americanah’ joins Monocle foreign editor Megan Gibson to talk about being black in America, becoming a global feminist icon, Nigerian fashion and the challenges facing the Left.
15 April 2018
Share episode
DownloadWant more radio episodes like these in your inbox?
Sign up to Monocle's email newsletters to stay on top of news and opinion, plus the latest from the magazine, radio, film and shop.
The Big Interview - latest episodes
Steve McQueen
For our season finale, we sit down with the British Turner prize-winning artist and Oscar-winning director of ‘12 Years a Slave’, ‘Shame’ and ‘Hunger’. He talks to Robert Bound about his latest film ‘Widows’ and focusing…
Christine and the Queens
The French singer’s first album ‘Chaleur Humaine’ launched in 2015 and topped the charts in France and beyond. Since then, Christine and the Queens has travelled the world, performed with Elton John and famously got spanked…
Barry Jenkins
The director of ‘Moonlight’, which won the Oscar for best picture in 2017, has been on an extraordinary journey to Hollywood. In conversation with Monocle’s Ben Rylan, he talks about everything from getting into filmmaking…
Jane Mayer
Investigative journalist Mayer became the first female Washington correspondent for ‘The Wall Street Journal’ in 1984 and had been a staff writer at ‘The New Yorker’ since 1995; she has also published numerous non-fiction…
Mary-Kay Wilmers
Wilmers has been the editor of the ‘London Review of Books’, Europe’s legendary literary journal, since 1992. She’s also the author of non-fiction work ‘The Eitingons: A Twentieth-Century Story’ and, more recently, ‘Human…
Sally Field
She won an Oscar for best actress in ‘Norma Rae’ in 1980 and another in 1985 for ‘Places in the Heart’. She appeared in numerous sitcoms and Hollywood box-office hits: ‘Smokey and the Bandit’, ‘Forrest Gump’, ‘Mrs Doubtf…
Esa-Pekka Salonen
The lauded Finnish composer and conductor, currently principal conductor for London’s Philharmonia and conductor laureate for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, has spent his career tearing down the elitist labels associated…
Agnès Varda
French film director Agnès Varda was a key protagonist in the new wave of French cinema in the 1960s. Her signature films include ‘Cleo from 5-7’, ‘Vagabond’ and ‘The Gleaners and I’. At age 90, ‘Faces Places’ is her latest…
Mary Robinson
The former president of Ireland and ex-UN high commissioner for human rights devoted her life to standing up for gender equality and social justice around the world. Today, she is an outspoken climate-change campaigner. In…
Kerry James Marshall
The celebrated Chicago-based artist, known for his figurative paintings depicting black figures using his signature black paint, sits down with Augustin Macellari to reflect on his early passion for painting, the influence…
David Sedaris
The American humorist and bestselling author joins Georgina Godwin to discuss his latest book, ‘Calypso’. He muses over everything from family dynamics and awkward social situations to the boundaries of humour and the role…
Ian Bremmer
For our season finale we sit down with Bremmer, president and founder of Eurasia Group. He is one of the world’s leading political-risk experts, specialising in US foreign policy, states in transition and global political…
The chefs
Ahead of the publication of Monocle’s inaugural ‘Drinking & Dining Directory’, we hear from some of the great chefs and restaurateurs who have featured on past episodes of ‘The Big Interview’. Join Tom Edwards for a tasty…
Robert Harris
The author of numerous bestsellers, including ‘Fatherland’, ‘The Fear Index’ and ‘An Officer and a Spy’, sits down with Robert Bound to talk about his new novel ‘Munich’, as well as themes ranging from ancient Rome to…
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
The Nigerian novelist known for critically acclaimed titles such as ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ and ‘Americanah’ joins Monocle foreign editor Megan Gibson to talk about being black in America, becoming a global feminist icon,…
