26 December 2017
Episode 1597
01 hour
In this special edition of ‘The Monocle Daily’, we look back at some of the year’s best ‘Meet the Writers’ interviews. Here we take you to Hay Festival Cartagena de Indias in Colombia to introduce one of the most talented post-Latin American Boom writers, Héctor Abad. He’s a journalist and novelist and now he’s written a memoir about his relationship with his father, including his shocking murder by paramilitaries.
26 December 2017
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 Monocle Daily - latest episodes
Ukraine assassinates Russian chemical weapons chief
Ukraine claims responsibility for the killing of Russian chemical-weapons chief, Igor Kirillov. We unpack what might happen next. Also in the programme: the European Commission takes the UK to court for the alleged failure…
Israel’s Golan Heights expansion plan and the latest from Sudan
As Israel doubles down on its incursion into the occupied Syrian territory of Golan Heights, we ask whether this is necessary or opportunistic. Also on the programme: we discuss the latest as Turkey’s prime minister, Recep…
Trouble for Spain’s prime minister and the future of Jumeirah
Ed Stocker and Simon Bouvier discuss France’s new prime minister, Francois Bayrou, and the Catalan separatists threatening to end support for Spain’s prime minister. Plus: Fiona Wilson joins to debate doggy-bag guidelines…
South Korea’s ongoing political crisis and does the ‘Time Magazine’ person of the year really matter?
The latest in South Korea’s ongoing political crisis and the implications for its soft-power prowess. Also in the programme: the UK’s changing attitudes toward relations with the European Union and Australia proposes new…
Scholz paves the way for an early election in Germany
Germany's chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has requested a confidence vote, setting in motion the process for the country to hold early elections next year. What happened to the EU's powerhouse? Plus: the fate of Syrian refugees…
How to deal with Syria’s new power
Tessa Szyszkowitz and Ben Kelly discuss how Western governments might deal with a Syria newly led by a former terrorist group, the controversy over the murder of UnitedHealthcare's CEO, the 'Los Angeles Times' bias debate…
How will the Assad regime’s collapse affect Europe?
Robin Brant and Giorgia Scaturro discuss how the collapse of the Assad regime will affect Europe. Also in the programme: a migration solution dubbed the ‘Musk bill‘, tensions over an EU-Mercosur trade deal and whether…
Romania’s presidential election gets cancelled and Mercer’s ranking of the best expat cities
We are joined by Bucharest-based journalist Alison Mutler as Romania’s top court annuls the results of the first round of its presidential election. Also in the programme, we unpack Mercer’s ranking of the best and worst…
When parliament takes charge
Guests Latika Burke and Theo Usherwood join Andrew Mueller to discuss the power of parliament. First, we head to France, where lawmakers passed a no-confidence motion to oust prime minister Michel Barnier, and then, South…
Can Russia afford another war in Syria?
Reports suggest that the recent rebel advance in Syria is still on the march. Will Russia have the resources to protect its interests in the nation? Also in the programme: the most recent trade dispute between the US and…
South Korea’s president declares emergency martial law
We get the latest from John Everard as South Korea’s president, Yook Suk Yeol, declares martial law after accusing anti-state elements of sympathising with North Korea. Also in the programme, Ukraine is high on the agenda…
President Biden issues a pardon for his son and France’s government on the brink of collapse
We unpack the latest as President Biden issues a ‘full and unconditional’ pardon for the charges facing his son, Hunter Biden. Also in the programme, France’s fragile government teeters on the brink of collapse following…
Georgian protesters take to the streets and a documentary on the Taliban
Protesters clash with police in Georgia after the government’s decision to pull out of EU accession talks. Then: we meet director Ibrahim Nash’at to talk about his new documentary, ‘Hollywoodgate’, which follows the Tali…
Is the EU readying for a reset of relations with the UK?
UK prime minister Keir Starmer has been invited to meet with EU leaders next year. Is this the beginning of a reset of relations with the bloc? Our guests Aliona Hlivco and Michael Binyon discuss this and other topics…
What does an Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire mean for Gaza?
We unpack the latest as the fresh ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah takes hold and discuss what this will mean for the conflict in Gaza. Also in the programme, a police report shows that Brazil’s former president was…
