Podcast appearances and mentions of Booker Prize

Sebastian Barry was born in Dublin in 1955. His plays include of Boss Grady's Boys, The Steward of Christendom, Our Lady of Sligo, The Pride Parnell Street, and Dallas Sweetman. His novels include The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty, Annie Dunne, A Long Long Way, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, The Secret Scripture, which was also shortlisted for the Booker Prize, On Canaan's Side, The Temporary Gentleman, Days Without End, A Thousand Moons, and Old God's Time. He has also published three collections of poetry. He is the recipient of the Irish-America Fund Literary Award, The Christopher Ewart-Biggs Prize, the London Critics Circle Award, The Kerry Group Irish Fiction Prize, and Costa Awards for Best Novel and Book of the Year. He lives in Wicklow with his family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Francis Spufford is the author of three novels and five works of non-fiction. His debut work of fiction was the historical novel Golden Hill, which won the Costa First Novel Award, the RSL Ondaatje Prize, the Desmond Elliott Prize, and was shortlisted for four others. His second novel, Light Perpetual, was awarded the Encore Award and longlisted for the Booker Prize. His third novel, the alternative history Cahokia Jazz, was recognised by the Science Fiction community when it was awarded the Sidewise Award in 2023. He teaches writing at Goldsmiths College, University of London. On this episode of Little Atoms he talks to Neil Denny about his latest novel Nonesuch. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Multiverse News, Your source for Information about all your favorite fictional universesTrailers For AllCapitalizing on a week somewhat bereft on big news, several studios offered new and first looks at their upcoming tentpoles, both movies and TV alike; so, let's talk about what stood out:Toy Story 5House of the Dragon Season 3Lee Cronin's The MummyBAFTA Reality, Ope, There Goes GravitySunday night's 79th BAFTA Film Awards saw Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another dominate with six wins including Best Film and Best Director. Sinners and Frankenstein each took three awards, while the night's biggest surprise came in Best Leading Actor, where Robert Aramayo beat out Timothée Chalamet and Leonardo DiCaprio. Marty Supreme walked away from 11 nominations completely empty-handed, tying the record for most losses in a single year. So, with all that in mind, who got BAF-Ted?Oops Sony Does it AgainSony Pictures confirmed the studio's Spider-Man villain spin-off universe is getting a full reboot with new people and fresh creative direction, following the back-to-back commercial and critical failures of Morbius, Madame Web, and Kraven the Hunter; the last of which topped out at just $62 million worldwide. On a related note, Sony is also moving forward with an animated Venom film, tapping Final Destination: Bloodlines directors Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein to helm the project, with Tom Hardy attached as a producer. No writer or script is in place yet, but a writers room is being assembled at Sony Pictures Animation. With a live-action reboot on the horizon and Venom going animated, is Sony finally ready to stick the landing with its corner of the Spider-Man universe?Coming up in the Lightning Round: The Live-Action Scooby Doo Series Casts Daphne, Ming-Na Wen Joins Percy Jackson's Third Season, Kristen Bell Boards Sonic 4 and more! Don't go anywhere!Spotify PollDo you want Severance spin-offs?Yes - 34%No - 65%Lightning RoundMckenna Grace is joining the “Scooby-Doo” live-action series at Netflix in the role of Daphne, Variety has learned from sources.Kirsten Bell has closed a deal to voice the character Amy Rose in Paramount's Sonic the Hedgehog 4.Ming-Na Wen, Jennifer Beals and Hubert Smielecki have been cast as the Greek gods Hera, Demeter, and Apollo respectively in Season 3 of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians" in guest star roles.Paramount has moved up the release date for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem 2 to August 13, 2027. It was previously slated for Sept. 17, 2027. Winona Ryder has been cast in a guest role in Netflix's Wednesday season 3. The move reunites the Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands star with Wednesday director and executive producer Tim Burton, as well as with her Beetlejuice Beetlejuice co-star Jenna Ortega.Ryan Coogler‘s reboot of “The X-Files” is officially moving forward with a pilot order at Hulu. Danielle Deadwyler is officially set to play one of the lead roles in the pilot, while the other lead role has yet to be cast.Netflix has debuted the first teaser trailer for the upcoming six part Pride and Prejudice adaptation series. The series is expected to debut sometime this fall.Tom Hanks will play President Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln in the Bardo, a live-action and stop-motion animation hybrid film based on George Saunders' 2017 Booker Prize-winning novel, marking the actor's first time portraying a U.S. president. The film, directed by Duke Johnson and currently in production in London, centers on Lincoln's relationship with his recently deceased 11-year-old son Willie and explores themes of love, empathy, and grief through an ensemble of living and dead characters.Ed Skrein has been cast as Baldur, the youngest son of Odin, in Prime Video's God of War live-action series currently in pre-production in VancouverMarvel announced the Wolverine game being developed by Insomniac will release September 15, 2026.

Sarah is the internationally best-selling author of novels including The Essex Serpent, Melmoth and Enlightenment – the latter of which was longlisted for the Booker Prize 2024. Her first full length nonfiction book, Death of an Ordinary Man, tells of how she cared for her father in law during his final days, reflecting on how death can be met and understood as part of life. It is the winner of the Nero Book Award for non-fiction and has been longlisted for the Women's Prize for Non-Fiction. Sarah is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and was appointed Chancellor of the University of Essex in 2023. She lives in Norwich.In this episode, Sarah talks about the seemingly innate ability to care for someone at the end of life, loving someone by preparing 'sadmin' and reducing the fear of death by talking about it.You can also watch a subtitled version of the conversation on YouTube.On the Marie Curie Couch aims to open up conversations about death, break down the taboo and encourage people to share their end of life plans.This podcast is made by Marie Curie – the UK's leading end of life charity. For more information about the vital work we do, head to mariecurie.org.ukOn the Marie Curie Couch is produced and edited by Marie Curie, with support from Ultimate Content. The music featured is Time Lapse by PanOceanic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Paul Beatty took the Booker Prize in 2015 with this satirical novel about a grieving man's attempts to put his small town back on the map. The book lampoons the notion of a post-racial America, touching the fourth rail of "political correctness" with outlandish scenes of segregation and slavery. It's a real high-wire act of a premise that he mostly pulls off??Head to MarleySpoon.com/offer/OVERDUE for up to 25 FREE meals!Our theme music was composed by Nick Lerangis.Follow @overduepod on Instagram and BlueskyAdvertise on OverdueSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Colm Tóibín is the author of eleven novels, three short story collections and several works of nonfiction. He has written countless articles, plays, an opera libretto and a collection of poetry, and been a finalist for the Booker Prize multiple times He is perhaps best known for his novel Brooklyn, which was made into a movie that was nominated for three Oscars. Set in the middle of the 20th century, Brooklyn is about Eilis Lacey who leaves her small town in Ireland for New York. After building a life there, she is drawn back home and has to choose where she wants to forge her future. Tóibín opens his lecture with the moment of his father's wake in his childhood home in which he hears, as a child, the real life story that would later inspire his character of Elis Lacey. From there, Tóibín's talk is a captivating story of all of his stories, and a kind of master class for writing a novel. He is a writer known for rendering the quiet intimacies between characters, revealing powerful emotional undercurrents and their deep longings.  He is a writer who makes you care about the tiny details of a life – the buttons on a coat or the emotional reverberations of a silence. In this talk, he illuminates his craft, and pulls the curtain back on how his own life shaped his most famous novels. Colm Tóibín is the author of eleven novels, including Long Island, an Oprah's Book Club Pick; The Magician, winner of the Rathbones Folio Prize; The Master, winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize; Brooklyn, winner of the Costa Book Award; and Nora Webster; as well as two story collections and several books of criticism. He is the Irene and Sidney B. Silverman Professor of the Humanities at Columbia University and was named the 2022–2024 Laureate for Irish Fiction by the Arts Council of Ireland. He was shortlisted three times for the Booker Prize. He was also awarded the Bodley Medal, the Würth Prize for European Literature, and the Prix Femina spécial for his body of work.

What if dying is not an ending, but a moment of radical clarity? In his new novel "Vigil," George Saunders conjures a strange and often comic world of bickering angels visiting a dying, deeply flawed man—debating and waiting to see whether he can face the truth about himself before it's too late.In this conversation, Steve Paulson talks with Saunders about the evolution of his ideas about death and the possibility of an afterlife. Dying, he says, may be “the ultimate experience of wonder,” and he believes ghost stories can open powerful imaginative spaces for novelists. Saunders reflects on his own Buddhist practice as he considers these life-and-death questions, and he tells us why he thinks fiction is uniquely suited to grappling with complex moral issues and why Tolstoy and Chekhov are his personal sources of inspiration.Saunders is the author of such celebrated books as “Tenth of December,” “Pastoralia,” and the Booker Prize-winning “Lincoln in the Bardo.”  His nonfiction book about the great Russian writers is “A Swim in a Pond in the Rain.”This interview was recorded at the Central Library in downtown Madison shortly before Saunders spoke at the Wisconsin Book Festival.— To the Best of Our Knowledge — On his short story collection “Tenth of December.  To the Best of Our Knowledge: Reflecting on “Lincoln in the Bardo.” Substack Story Club with George Saunders —00:00:00 Introduction and Reading from Vigil00:07:50 The Plane Crash and Death Obsession00:15:00 The Writing Process and Wonder00:24:30 Moral Accountability in Fiction00:32:20 Chekhov, Succession, and Accuracy00:40:00 Kindness, Criticism, and Final Thoughts Wonder Cabinet is hosted by Anne Strainchamps and Steve Paulson. Find out more about the show at https://wondercabinetproductions.com, where you can subscribe to the podcast and our newsletter.

In this special episode, we are honoured to be joined by Karen Jennings, a former Booker Prize longlist nominee, to discuss her powerful new novel, The First of December.Set in South Africa during the final days of November 1838, the book explores the fraught moment of full emancipation for the enslaved. We delve into the brutal reality of the "apprenticeship" system that followed the 1833 Abolition Act, the unique Asian roots of Cape slavery under the Dutch East India Company, and the cynical economics of a system where human beings were mortgaged like property.Karen shares the deeply personal and unsettling family history that inspired the novel—from ancestors who were French Huguenot settlers to a shocking discovery about a colonial forebear. We also discuss the enduring legacy of these injustices, connecting the dashed hopes of 1838 with the ongoing struggles for equality in South Africa today.It's a profound conversation about history, memory, and why the fight for liberation is never truly "happy ever after."The First of December will be available in March but here in the meantime is a selection of Karen's writingExplaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The novelist, essayist and critic Julian Barnes talks to John Wilson about his career and formative cultural influences. One of the most acclaimed and distinctive British writers of his generation, his early novels, including Metroland, A History Of The World In 10 and a Half Chapters, and Flaubert's Parrot, established his reputation for blending fiction, factual biography and philosophical reflection. Julian Barnes won the Booker Prize in 2011 for The Sense Of An Ending, and the same year won the prestigious David Cohen Prize for Literature, awarded for a body of work. A famous Francophile, he was given the title of Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters, one of France's highest cultural honours in 2004. He has said that his latest book, Departure(s) will be his final novel.Producer: Edwina Pitman

My guest today is Jillian Godsil, and when the title says - re-purposed life, it is certainly true for this remarkable lady. Her story has twists and turns that could fill a thousand books and there would still be more. Jillian is a writer, author of 18 books, multi-award winner, journalist, presenter, ran in the European Parliament and has faced huge adversity over the years. Her Spirit and resilience shine through this conversation and it was a pure joy to connect with her on the podcast this week. Jillian was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and still has the dream to win the Booker Prize in the near future, I believe She will. Enjoy this wonderful conversation of real life - home repossession, divorce, debt, love, joy, adventure and curiosity. I can't wait to see what Jillian does next. You can find out more about her through her website: https://jilliangodsil.com/about-jillian-godsil/Find her on: https://www.instagram.com/thejilliangodsil/https://www.facebook.com/JillianGodsilwriterhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jilliangodsil/About your host: Sharon Fitzmaurice is a Holistic Wellness Coach, Reiki Master Teacher & Practitioner, and Clinical Hypnotherapist. She hosts The Sharon Fitzmaurice Podcast, celebrating the resilience of the human spirit. She is the author of Someone Please Help Me, So I Did and Awaken Your Wellbeing, and founder of the Soulful Journeys Online Community.Sharon's work centres on supporting others in recovering from trauma, nurturing emotional resilience and reconnecting with their inner wisdom. She believes healing is personal, sacred and possible for everyone, and encourages others to become the most authentic version of themselves.https://sharonfitzmauricemindfulness.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sharonfitzmaurice.substack.com

Booker Prize-winner George Saunders takes us back to that space between life and death in his new novel, Vigil, leading to a fruitful conversation about providing comfort at the end of life, why repentance at the end might not make the difference and why he's always happiest raising questions and providing no answers.

When society, financial systems and human beings fall short, how can we repair the damage? Tom Sutcliffe hosts Radio 4's discussion programme which starts the week, exploring the social, moral and political contradictions of the world we face today, with US novelist George Saunders, Turkish writer Ece Temulkuran and investigative journalist Oliver Bullough, The Booker Prize winning novelist, George Saunders new book Vigil deals with the moral ambivalence of a greedy oil executive; the death bed reckoning of a man who resists facing his life and legacy. The Turkish writer, Ece Temulkuran's new book Nation of Strangers: Rebuilding a Home in the 21st Century explores the rising global displacement of people who will need to forge stronger connections amid political and social upheaval. In an investigation of money laundering, Oliver Bullough's Everybody Loves Our Dollars sets out the scale of the problem and why we are failing to tackle the global systems that allow illicit money to move freely using sites as varied as Bicester Shopping Village in Oxfordshire and a casino in Vancouver, Canada. Producer: Ruth Watts

Cunoscuta scriitoare și activistă indiană Arundhati Roy a publicat în 2025 volumul de memorii „Mother Mary Comes to Me”. Cartea apare deja și în limba română, în traducerea Alexandrei Coliban, la Humanitas Fiction, cu titlul „Refugiul meu, furtuna mea”. În centrul poveștii este figura formidabilă a mamei lui Arundhati Roy, Mary Roy, profesoară celebră în India, fondatoarea unei școli, renumită și pentru că a cîștigat drepturi la moștenire egală pentru femeile creștine din Kerala. Dar și o figură întunecată – pentru fiica ei a fost „teroare și minune deopotrivă”, personajul cel mai fascinant al literaturii pe care a ajuns să o scrie. Nu doar un refugiu, ci și o furtună. „Cînd am crescut, o scotea din pepeni simpla mea existență” spune Arundhati Roy. Dar cu elevii săi se purta exemplar iar ei o adorau. „De multe ori mi-am dorit să-i fi fost elevă, nu fiică”, mărturisește autoarea. În ciuda episoadelor traumatice pe care le relatează, a tensiunilor și violențelor din lumea descrisă, cartea are mult umor. Arundhati Roy este ironică adesea – cu teribila ei mamă, cu fratele ei, cu rudele, cu ea însăși. Am vorbit cu traducătoarea cărții, Alexandra Coliban, despre „Refugiul meu, furtuna mea”, despre titlul original și cel din limba română, despre personalitatea formidabilă a lui Mary Roy precum și despre personalitatea fascinantă a scriitoarei înseși, despre India post-colonială, căreia autoarea îi face un portret complex. Din opera lui Arundhati Roy au mai apărut în limba română romanele sale, „Dumnezeul lucrurilor mărunte” (trad. Luana Stoica), pentru care a primit Booker Prize, și „Ministerul fericirii supreme” (trad. Alexandra Coliban), ambele la Editura Humanitas Fiction. Cum se raportează Arundhati Roy la mama ei, la această femeie teribilă, Mary Roy?Alexandra Coliban: „O spune de mai multe ori pe parcursul cărții: pare că s-a format prin această relație cu mama, în foarte multe aspecte. Chiar și curajul de a se duce în junglă sau de a se alătura gherilelor naxalite, de a trăi alături de ei și a-și scrie partea cealaltă de literatură, cea militantă, eseurile, pare că acest curaj și asumarea ei vizavi de toate nedreptățile care se întîmplă în India contemporană vin din relația cu mama, care a fost o femeie extrem de curajoasă, dincolo de cum a fost ca mamă. Ca femeie ea a fost o inspirație atît pentru Arundhati, cît și pentru multe alte femei din generația sa. (...) Sînt o mulțime de cicatrici în cartea asta, chiar și fizice. Arundhati, cînd era mică, își plimba mîna peste cicatricea bunicii ei, care luase un vas de alamă în cap de la soțul ei. Imaginea asta evocă, de fapt, cît de multe cicatrici sufletești sînt acolo, cicatrici pe care femeile acestea le poartă, și cîtă durere, și cîtă fugă, și cîtă izolare au avut de îndurat în lumea asta exclusiv patriarhală.”Cum de are loc umorul în această poveste, cu atîtea umbre, cu atîta durere și violență?Alexandra Coliban: „E mult umor și în «Dumnezeu lucrurilor mărunte» și în celălalt roman al ei, «Ministerul fericirii supreme». Aici, în carte, mi se pare că umorul e un colac de salvare, ca de multe ori. Recurge la umor acolo unde n-ar putea decît să urle sau să devină la rîndul ei violentă.”  Apasă PLAY pentru a asculta întreaga discuție!O emisiune de Adela GreceanuUn produs Radio România Cultural

Ben Markovits is the author of several acclaimed novels, including his most recent release The Rest of Our Lives, which explores marriage, infidelity, empty nesting, and mortality. The book, which was short-listed for the Booker Prize, focuses on a 55-year-old law professor's midlife crisis and transformative road trip after his children leave home. You might say it examines the sources of happiness in our lives as we age. Ben's writing has appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, and The Guardian. He spoke with me from his home in England. Please ⁠rate and review⁠ ⁠⁠Reasonably Happy⁠⁠ (DO IT!)    Read ⁠Paul's ⁠⁠Substack newsletter⁠⁠⁠   Read Ben's book ⁠NYT essay  

David Szalay won the Booker Prize for his sixth novel Flesh in 2025. In this tense, spare, frictionless work of fiction, he drip feeds us the story of the laconic male protagonist Istvan, who spends his youth in a juvenile facility in Hungary before eventually finding his way into a fractured family situated among the upper echelons of London's wealthiest elites, where his fortunes soon unravel.Flesh was celebrated as a return of the male gaze to modern literature, and to masculinity as a subject worthy of more sympathetic and complex consideration than the last decade arguably would suggest.For this episode, David chose to speak to Jack about The Information, a titanic Amis work in which a literary rivalry between the main characters Richard Tull and Gwyn Barry ripples out to the peripheries of middle class London life and conscripts the city's criminal fringes to help settle the score.David tells Jack why, especially after winning the Booker, he considers The Information literature's greatest tonic for writerly vanity. He recounts his discovery of Amis's work as a young man, and explains why Tull and Barry, though both excruciating to witness in their insecurities for the reader, are nevertheless relatable to writers who know the misery that ultimately binds them together.FOLLOW US ON TWITTER/ X: @mymartinamisFIND US ON YOUTUBE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Entretien mené par Olivia Gesbert Interprète : Marguerite Capelle István, adolescent isolé dans une petite ville de Hongrie, vit une relation sexuelle avec sa voisine quadragénaire mariée, qui s'achève brutalement. Après un passage en centre de détention pour mineurs, il s'engage dans l'armée et combat en Irak. Plus tard, installé en Angleterre, il travaille comme chauffeur pour l'élite et tente de réussir dans l'immobilier. Malgré cette ascension sociale, István reste un homme passif, déconnecté de lui-même et des autres. À travers lui, David Szalay explore la crise de la masculinité dans un monde dominé par la performance, la marchandisation et les inégalités. L'implacable anatomie de l'homme contemporain. Le livre sera disponible à la vente en avant-première, accompagné d'une session de dédicaces de l'auteur. À lire – David Szalay, Chair, trad. de l'anglais par Benoît Philippe, Albin Michel, 2026, Booker Prize 2025

George Saunders is an author known for his inventive short stories and the Booker Prize–winning novel Lincoln in the Bardo. His works include the collections Tenth of December and Liberation Day and the craft book A Swim in a Pond in the Rain. Named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people, he has received numerous honors, from a MacArthur Fellowship to the National Book Foundation's 2025 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. Saunders teaches in the creative writing program at Syracuse University, where he has mentored generations of emerging authors. ------ Thank you to the sponsors that fuel our podcast and our team: AG1 https://drinkag1.com/tetra ------ Athletic Nicotine https://www.athleticnicotine.com/tetra Use code 'TETRA' ------ LMNT Electrolytes https://drinklmnt.com/tetra Use code 'TETRA' ------ Squarespace https://squarespace.com/tetra Use code 'TETRA' ------ Sign up to receive Tetragrammaton Transmissions https://www.tetragrammaton.com/join-newsletter

George Saunders returns to the Shakespeare and Company Podcast to talk with host Adam Biles about Vigil, his long-awaited new novel. Set on the threshold between life and death, Vigil follows a dying oil executive and the ghost tasked with comforting him, unfolding as a darkly comic, morally urgent meditation on guilt, responsibility, and free will in the age of climate collapse.Saunders discusses his fascination with liminal spaces and afterlives, the technical challenges of writing beyond realism, and how revision allows fiction to think more deeply than polemic ever could. Drawing on his own past in the oil industry, he reflects on writing characters implicated in environmental harm with both empathy and moral seriousness. The conversation ranges across Dickens, Tolstoy, Buddhism, and the novel's central question: whether redemption is possible when action is no longer an option. As ever, Saunders brings humor, generosity, and intellectual daring to a discussion that embraces complexity rather than easy answers.*George Saunders is the author of thirteen books, including the novel Lincoln in the Bardo, which won the Booker Prize in 2017, and five collections of stories including Tenth of December, which was a finalist for the National Book Award, and the recent collection Liberation Day (selected by former President Obama has one of his ten favourite books of 2021). Three of Saunders' books –Pastoralia, Tenth of December, and Lincoln in the Bardo – were chosen for the New York Times' list of the 100 Best Books of the 21st Century. Saunders hosts the popular Story Club on Substack, which grew out of his book on the Russian short story, A Swim in a Pond in the Rain. In 2013, he was named one of the world's 100 Most Influential People by Time magazine. He teaches in the creative writing program at Syracuse University.Adam Biles is Literary Director at Shakespeare and Company.Listen to Alex Freiman's latest EP, In The Beginning: https://open.spotify.com/album/5iZYPMCUnG7xiCtsFCBlVa?si=h5x3FK1URq6SwH9Kb_SO3w Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Colm Tóibín is a celebrated Irish writer, but as a child words didn't come easily. Navigating grief as a boy when his father died, he developed a stammer. Instead of talking, Colm watched and listened, collecting stories that wove their way into his novels. He's won a string of awards and been nominated for the prestigious Booker Prize three times. His novel Brooklyn was made into a movie starring Saoirse Ronan and was up for several Oscars. He finds it hilarious that although he was invited to the event he had to be ushered in through a back door – the red carpet is apparently not for novelists. Beyond his writing, Colm was a vocal campaigner for the legalisation of same-sex marriage in Ireland. He's also breaking taboos by speaking openly about testicular cancer and highlighting some of the comedy moments from those bleak times. His latest book is called A Long Winter.Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Andrea KennedyLives Less Ordinary is a podcast from the BBC World Service that brings you the most incredible true stories from around the world. Each episode a guest shares their most dramatic, moving, personal story. Listen for unbelievable twists, mysteries uncovered, and inspiring journeys - spanning the entire human experience. Step into someone else's life and expect the unexpected.   Got a story to tell? Send an email to liveslessordinary@bbc.co.uk or message us via WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784   You can read our privacy notice here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5YD3hBqmw26B8WMHt6GkQxG/lives-less-ordinary-privacy-notice

Host Piya Chattopadhyay speaks with The New Yorker's Emily Witt and Ted Hesson of Reuters about how backlash to immigration enforcement in Minnesota is affecting the Trump administration's strategyBooker-Prize winning author George Saunders discusses his new novel, Vigil, and how its themes resonate with the United States' tumultuous political landscapeJournalist Kenneth Rosen shares his experience travelling in the Arctic to explore the forces tilting the region toward conflictOur monthly challenge That's Puzzling! returns with special guest Anastasia Bucsis, a former speed skater and co-host of CBC's primetime coverage of the Milan-Cortina OlympicsDiscover more at https://www.cbc.ca/sunday

George Saunders is the author of thirteen books, including the novel Lincoln in the Bardo, which won the Booker Prize in 2017, and five collections of stories including Tenth of December, which was a finalist for the National Book Award, and the recent collection Liberation Day (selected by former President Obama has one of his ten favourite books of 2021). Three of Saunders' books - Pastoralia, Tenth of December, and Lincoln in the Bardo - were chosen for the New York Times' list of the 100 Best Books of the 21st Century. Saunders hosts the popular Story Club on Substack, which grew out of his book on the Russian short story, A Swim in a Pond in the Rain. In 2013, he was named one of the world's 100 Most Influential People by Time magazine. He teaches in the creative writing program at Syracuse University. On this episode of Little Atoms he talks to Neil Denny about his latest novel Vigil. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is the best way to tell a climate story? This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi speaks with Booker Prize-winning novelist George Saunders. His new novel Vigil is an exploration of guilt, told on the deathbed of an oil executive haunted by ghosts. Rathi asks Saunders what he learned about climate change, his thoughts on whether AI complements or compromises human creativity, and why literature still matters in the era of TikTok. Explore further: In ‘Vigil,’ George Saunders Asks: Can An Oil CEO Repent? — Bloomberg The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable — Amitav Ghosh Other episodes in the Imagine series: Building Monuments to the End of Oil — Kuwaiti artist Monira Al Qadiri Abundance or Adequacy? Search for Better Climate Solutions — Sci-fi bestseller Kim Stanley Robinson Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to Gautam Naik, Sommer Saadi, Mohsis Andam, Sharon Chen and Laura Millan. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to our favorite literary reviewer, Bethanne Patrick, these are the seven books that “will really matter” in 2026:* Land by Maggie O'Farrell — The Hamnet author returns with a luminous novel set in 1865 Ireland, two decades after the Great Famine. A father and son survey their region for the British—mapping the land in English when their hearts speak Gaelic. O'Farrell explores post-famine trauma, colonialism, and the mysterious pull of place, weaving in neolithic history and Irish wolfhounds that feel almost magical. As some characters emigrate to the New World, the novel asks what it means when land becomes identity, when a nation is defined not by commerce but by the places that feed our souls.* The Fire Agent by David Baerwald — A stunning debut from the Grammy-winning songwriter behind Sheryl Crow's Tuesday Night Music Club. This 600-page thriller is based on Baerwald's own family history: his grandfather Ernst was sent to Tokyo as the purported sales director for IG Farben, the company complicit in the Holocaust. The novel spans continents and decades, from a 1920s throuple to Wild Bill Donovan's OSS becoming the CIA, complete with family photographs. Patrick calls it “a knockout”—not a potboiler, but a wild, scary ride where almost everything actually happened.* A Tender Age by Chang-rae Lee — The Pulitzer finalist delivers what his publisher calls “a spellbinding exploration of American masculinity and family dynamics.” Through an unforgettable Asian-American protagonist, Lee examines what it means to grow up with “double consciousness”—always aware of how the dominant culture perceives you, your family, your chances. Patrick places him alongside Jesmyn Ward as one of America's finest novelists.* Witness and Respair by Jesmyn Ward — The two-time National Book Award winner collects her nonfiction, including the devastating Vanity Fair essay about her husband's death from COVID at 33. “Respair” is Ward's resurrection of an archaic word: the repair that comes after despair. These crystalline essays on the American South, racism, and grief reveal the deep thought behind her remarkable fiction. Patrick sees it as essential reading for 2026—a creative grappling with everything America must face.* Backtalker by Kimberlé Crenshaw — A memoir from the architect of “intersectionality” and “critical race theory,” now under attack in the current administration. Structured in three parts—raising a back talker, becoming a back talker, being a back talker—it begins with young Kimberlé desperate to play Thornrose in a classroom fairy tale, passed over week after week. When she's finally chosen on the last day and the bell rings, her mother marches back to school and demands justice. That's where Crenshaw learned to speak truth to power.* American Struggle edited by Jon Meacham — For the 250th anniversary, the historian assembles primary documents proving that struggle is constant and non-linear in American history. Abolitionists spoke out in the nineteenth century; civil rights activists had to speak out again in the twentieth. From Abigail Adams's “remember the ladies” letter to Fannie Lou Hamer's testimony at the 1964 Democratic Convention, Meacham—no fan of the current administration—shows that the fight never stays won. Patrick sees it as essential for librarians, teachers, and younger readers.* John of John by Douglas Stuart — Patrick's sneaky seventh pick (I originally only allowed her six). The Booker Prize-winning author of Shuggie Bain returns to Scotland, this time the Isle of Harris, where men weave Harris Tweed on licensed looms. John McLeod is a fire-and-brimstone church elder; his son Cal returns from Glasgow art college with dyed hair and queer identity. What looks like prodigal son territory becomes something richer—father and son have more in common than either knows. Stuart captures a community tied to sheep farming and craft practices that feel centuries old, even as modernity crashes against the shore.Enjoy!Keen On America is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

Booker Prize-winning writer George Saunders returns with his first novel since Lincoln in the Bardo. Vigil follows an oil CEO on his death bed, and the spirit of a woman who had descended to help guide him through death. Saunders discusses the novel, out now.

“Things are more dangerous now than during the Cold War.” The world is breaking up into mutually suspicious power blocs, Trump is trying to destroy NATO and Putin has learned that aggression pays off. Is a major war coming or can we prevent it? In an enthralling conversation, defence commentator Peter Apps – author of The Next World War – explains the forces and self-deceptions that are driving the world towards conflict, the key danger points, and what Britain can do to avert disaster. • Buy The Next World War through our affiliate bookshop and you'll help fund Oh God, What Now? by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org's fees help support independent bookshops too. ESCAPE ROUTES • Peter has been reading Kingmaker, Sonia Purnell's biography of Pamela Churchill Harriman • Alex recommends Booker Prize winner Flesh by David Szalay.  • Seth was delighted to find Mask Or Face: Reflections in an Actor's Mirror by Michael Redgrave in a charity shop.  www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Seth Thévoz and Alex von Tunzelmann. Audio Production by Robin Leeburn. Art direction: James Parrett. Theme tune by Cornershop. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. www.podmasters.co.uk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

British author Natasha Brown on her Booker longlisted second novel, a witty social and political satire, that examines what truth is in the modern age.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 24, 2026 is: garner • GAHR-ner • verb Garner means "to acquire by effort; earn" or "to accumulate or collect." // The new research findings have garnered the attention of medical experts. // The group has garnered support from community organizations. See the entry > Examples: "The novel was already a favourite among literary critics but it's sure to garner wider, more mainstream appeal following the Booker Prize win." — Daisy Lester, The Independent (United Kingdom), 11 Nov. 2025 Did you know? What do you call a building in which grain is stored? These days, English speakers are most likely to call it a granary, but there was a time when garner was also a good candidate. That noun made its way into the language in the 12th century (ultimately from Latin granum, "grain"); the verb garner followed three centuries later with a closely related meaning: "to gather into a granary." Today the verb has largely abandoned its agrarian roots—it usually means "to earn" or "to accumulate." Meanwhile the noun garner is rare in contemporary use. It's found mostly in older literary contexts, such as these lines from Sir Walter Scott's The Bride of Lammermoor: "Or, from the garner-door, on ether borne, / The chaff flies devious from the winnow'd corn."

durée : 00:03:30 - Le Regard culturel - par : Lucile Commeaux - Le plus prestigieux prix littéraire britannique est revenu il y a quelques mois à l'écrivain d'origine hongroise David Szalay pour un roman sec et nerveux, qui raconte l'histoire d'un homme étranger à sa propre existence.

Booker Prize-winner Julian Barnes has a bibliography that would keep a reader happy for many months, even years, but with mention that his latest book, Departure(s), might be his last, we were determined to speak with him about his approach to fiction, the passage of time, and the very special relationship between writer and reader.

durée : 00:03:30 - Le Regard culturel - par : Lucile Commeaux - Le plus prestigieux prix littéraire britannique est revenu il y a quelques mois à l'écrivain d'origine hongroise David Szalay pour un roman sec et nerveux, qui raconte l'histoire d'un homme étranger à sa propre existence.

Anna and Geoff discuss the cancellation of Adelaide Writers' Week 2026 amid the controversy after the Adelaide Festival Board disinvited Palestinian-Australian writer Dr Randa Abdel-Fatteh.  Among the authors who withdrew from Writers' Week was Richard Flanagan, who wrote this article (sorry for the paywall).  Director Louise Adler resigned with this letter to the Guardian. Since we recorded this episode, the new Board has retracted the decision and apologised to Dr Abdel-Fatteh.   In other book news, Random House has dropped David Walliams, as discussed on this episode of The Rest is Entertainment podcast.   Our book of the week is THE SAFEKEEP by Yael van der Wouden, a debut novel set in 1960s Netherlands which was shortlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize and won the 2025 Women's Prize.   Coming up: SEASCRAPER by Benjamin Wood. Follow us! Email: Booksonthegopodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @abailliekaras  Substack: Books On The Go Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz

Der britische Booker Prize zählt zu den renommiertesten Literaturauszeichnungen weltweit. Erhalten hat ihn vor Kurzem David Szalay für seinen Roman "Flesh", der auf Deutsch unter dem Titel "Was nicht gesagt werden kann" erschienen ist. Iris Radisch und Adam Soboczynski sprechen in der neuen Folge des Bücherpodcasts "Was liest du gerade?" über dieses hinreißende Werk. Es handelt von István, der mit seiner Mutter in einer ungarischen Plattenbausiedlung aufwächst – und auf verschlungenen Wegen in die höchsten Kreise Londons gerät. Gelingt ihm der soziale Aufstieg? Was bedeutet es heute, männlich zu sein? Ist er ein Mörder? Und wenn ja, trotzdem ein guter Mensch? Szalay führt uns in die Abgründe menschlicher Existenz. Was man auch über Bodo Kirchhoffs umfangreichen Liebesroman "Nahaufnahmen einer Frau, die sich entfernt" sagen kann: Terese reist ihrem Mann nach Indien hinterher, um ihn mit seiner Geliebten zu erwischen. Kann das gut gehen? Unser Klassiker ist diesmal Herman Melvilles berühmte Erzählung "Bartleby der Schreiber". Sie handelt vom großen Neinsager der Literatur: Sich im Bürojob jeder Tätigkeit zu verweigern, wird hier zum Lebensmotto der Moderne schlechthin. Unser Zitat des Monats kommt aus dem Erzählungsband "Stories 2" der amerikanischen Schriftstellerin Joy Williams. Das Team von "Was liest du gerade?" erreichen Sie unter buecher@zeit.de.  Literaturangaben: - David Szalay: "Was nicht gesagt werden kann". Roman. A. d. Engl. v. Henning Ahrens. Claassen Verlag, Berlin 2025, 384 Seiten, 25,00 EUR - Bodo Kirchhoff: "Nahaufnahmen einer Frau, die sich entfernt". Roman. dtv, München 2026, 576 Seiten, 28,00 EUR - Herman Melville: "Bartleby, der Schreiber". A. d. Engl. v. Jürgen Krug. Insel Verlag, Berlin 2019, 88 Seiten, 14,00 EUR - Joy Williams: "Stories 2". A.d. Engl. v. Julia Wolf. dtv, München 2025, 320 Seiten, 26,00 EUR [ANZEIGE] Mehr über die Angebote unserer Werbepartnerinnen und -partner finden Sie HIER. [ANZEIGE] Mehr hören? Dann testen Sie unser Podcast-Abo mit Zugriff auf alle Dokupodcasts und unser Podcast-Archiv. Jetzt 4 Wochen kostenlos testen. Und falls Sie uns nicht nur hören, sondern auch lesen möchten, testen Sie jetzt 4 Wochen kostenlos DIE ZEIT. Hier geht's zum Angebot. 

Tash Aw est un écrivain malaisien de langue anglaise. Il est notamment l'auteur du «Tristement Célèbre Johnny Lim» et d'«Un milliardaire cinq étoiles», qui ont figuré dans la sélection du Booker Prize, ainsi que de «Nous, les survivants» et «Étrangers sur la grève», finalistes du Los Angeles Times Book Prize. Ses livres ont été traduits en vingt-trois langues. Son nouveau roman traduit en français sous le titre «Le Sud» est une fiction très personnelle, inspirée de son adolescence en Malaisie. Traduit de l'anglais par : Johan-Frédérik Hel Guedj. «Malaisie, fin des années 1990. À la mort de son grand-père, le jeune Jay se rend dans le sud du pays avec sa famille pour passer l'été dans la propriété dont ils viennent d'hériter : une ferme autrefois florissante, qu'ils retrouvent délabrée. Les arbres sont malades, les sols appauvris par la sécheresse, les récoltes misérables. Malgré tout, le père de Jay l'envoie travailler dans les vergers, notamment aux côtés de Chuan, le fils du gérant du domaine. Le temps d'une saison brûlante, au rythme des baignades et des virées en scooter, l'attirance entre les deux garçons ne cesse de croître, tandis que, dans cette ferme isolée où tout semble voué à l'obsolescence, l'équilibre familial menace de vaciller. Secrets et regrets ressurgissent alors que, comme la terre, tous subissent, impuissants, le passage du temps» (Présentation des éditions Flammarion).

Live from the GPO for a special event marking 100 years of public broadcasting in Ireland. Rick is joined by Booker Prize winner Paul Lynch, novelist Christine Dwyer Hickey, filmmaker Colm Bairéad, Executive Director of the Abbey Mark O'Brien, and actor Bríd Ní Neachtain. Plus, music from piper Louise Mulcahy and Pilgrim.

2026 reading has started off strong. This week on You Are What You Read, we are thrilled to host Ben Markovitz with his novel, THE REST OF OUR LIVES, which has been one of the biggest novels this January. THE REST OF OUR LIVES was a finalist for the Booker Prize, a Barnes & Noble Book Club Pick, a Late Show Book Club Pick, and a national best seller. Ben Markovits is the author of eleven novels, including Fathers and Daughters, You Don't Have to Live Like This, and The Sidekick. He has also published essays, stories, poetry, and reviews in The Guardian, Granta, The Paris Review, and The New York Times, among others. THE REST OF OUR LIVES is all the buzz this winter, and we can't wait to talk about it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Description:What happens after the dream you built your life around ends? In today's tender and searching conversation, Jen and Amy sit down with acclaimed novelist Ben Markovits to talk about his forthcoming book, The Rest of Our Lives—a story that lingers in the quiet spaces of midlife, marriage, parenting, friendship, and the quiet reckonings that arrive when the future you imagined no longer fits. The book is so spectacular, it has been shortlisted as a finalist for the illustrious Booker Prize. Together, the trio explores what happens when the life you worked toward doesn't quite deliver what you expected—and how that reckoning ripples through family, intimacy, and identity. Ben speaks honestly about ambition, and the grief of letting go of former selves, while also naming the surprising beauty found in showing up for the people you love in ordinary, unglamorous moments. He and Jen talk about the similarities between the fictional story that he wrote and the real-life account that Jen penned in Awake.  This episode is for anyone standing in the middle of their life, caring for children or parents (or both), wondering how to hold disappointment without becoming hardened—and how to love the life in front of you without pretending it's easy. It's a conversation about endurance, tenderness, and the brave, ongoing work of choosing one another as the years keep unfolding. If you've ever asked yourself, Is this really it?—and then quietly hoped the answer might still be no, not yet—this one is for you. Thought-provoking Quotes: “The author of Anatomy of a Murder said that writing a novel is like driving on a mountain road late at night. You should know where you're trying to get to, and you should be able to see 30 yards in advance.  I guess I have some sense of where I want to get to and then I spend a lot of time watching the next 30 yards.” – Ben Markovits “I like to write about characters who feel like the place they have made for themselves in the world doesn't totally express their sense of who they are.” – Ben Markovits I love the way you write all the backstories of everything because I'm someone who wants to ask 20 questions about what was the furniture in the in-laws beach house like and how did that shape the family dynamic that he married into? Which if you, if you ask all those questions, you sound a little crazy. But actually, you answered all of my questions as I was reading. – Amy Hardin “At a certain point in marriage, you have your fingerprints all over each other.” – Ben Markovits “I love when characters are human, flawed, curious, confused, just really working out their own story. I'm drawn to stories like that that aren't necessarily tidy.” – Jen Hatmaker Resources Mentioned in This Episode: The Rest of Our Lives: A Novel by Ben Markovits – https://amzn.to/4qanlhM The Booker Prizes | Ben Markovits – https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/authors/ben-markovits Anatomy of a Murder by Robert Traver – https://amzn.to/3YAUTKc Awake: A Memoir by Jen Hatmaker – https://amzn.to/4qaARlw Phineas Redux by Anthony Trollope – https://amzn.to/4qiOPSN Starting Out by Ben Markovits – https://www.faber.co.uk/journal/faber-announces-the-acquisition-of-a-new-novel-by-ben-markovits/#:~:text=It%20will%20be%20published%20in,' New York Times – out 12/21 Atlantic Excerpt –  The Rest of Our Lives Book Tour – https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Rest-of-Our-Lives/Ben-Markovits/9781668231562 Guest's Links: Website - https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Ben-Markovits/250699726 Connect with Jen!Jen's Website - https://jenhatmaker.com/ Jen's Instagram - https://instagram.com/jenhatmakerJen's Twitter - https://twitter.com/jenHatmaker/ Jen's Facebook - https://facebook.com/jenhatmakerJen's YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/JenHatmaker The For the Love Podcast is presented by Audacy.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Margaret Atwood is a Canadian writer. She has published more than sixty books spanning novels, poetry, short stories, non-fiction, children's literature, and graphic novels, and has been called “one of the sharpest and most imaginative novelists writing in English”. She is one of only four writers to have won the Booker Prize twice: for The Blind Assassin in 2000 and for her 2019 follow-up to The Handmaid's Tale, The Testaments.Margaret was born in Ottawa in November 1939, shortly after the outbreak of World War II, the second of three children to Carl Atwood, an entomologist. During her early life, she would spend the warmer months in the remote forests of northern Quebec and Ontario where her father tracked insect infestations, and the winters in the city (first Ottawa, later Toronto). She didn't attend school for a full year until the age of twelve.Her childhood scribblings – a “novel” about an ant called Annie, a volume of rhyming poems about cats, and a play about a giant – turned into a more serious ambition to become a writer when Margaret was sixteen. After studying English at the University of Toronto, where she began publishing poems in the college magazine, her first novel, The Edible Woman, came out in 1969, following five collections of poetry. Her most famous work, The Handmaid's Tale, was published in 1985 and depicted a dystopian vision of the United States as a patriarchal and totalitarian place called Gilead. Although it was written during the Reagan era, it has become eerily relevant again in the wake of the election of Donald Trump. Margaret lost her life partner, the writer Graeme Gibson, in 2019. She lives in Toronto.DISC ONE: Anchors Aweigh - US Navy Band DISC TWO: Hearts of Stone - The Charms DISC THREE: Offenbach: Les contes d'Hoffmann, Giulietta Act: Barcarolle. Belle nuit, ô nuit d'amour. Performed by Joan Sutherland (soprano) Huguette Tourangeau (soprano), Plácido Domingo (tenor), Andre Neury (bass), Pro Arte Choir, Lausanne, Choeur Du Brassus, Choeur de la Radio Suisse Romande, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, conducted by Richard Bonynge DISC FOUR: Four Strong Winds - Ian & Sylvia DISC FIVE: Barrett's Privateers - Stan Rogers DISC SIX: The Handmaid's Tale, Act I Scene 6: The Doctor. Composed by Poul Ruders and performed by Marianne Rorholm, Hanne Fischer (Mezzo-sopranos), Royal Danish Opera Chorus and Royal Danish Orchestra, conducted by Michael Schønwandt DISC SEVEN: We Praise the Tiny Perfect Moles - Orville Stoeber DISC EIGHT: Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 "Pastoral": II. Scene am Bach. Andante molto moto. Composed by Beethoven and performed by Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by Otto Klemperer BOOK CHOICE: How to Survive on a Desert Island by Samantha Bell LUXURY ITEM: A knife and matchbox CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Hearts of Stone - The Charms Presenter: Lauren Laverne Producer: Sarah Taylor

In the waning moments of 2025, Julia, Dana, and Steve say goodbye to the year that was with a beloved annual end-of-year tradition… our listener call-in show! And you delivered some great queries, dear listeners.  The hosts tackle questions about everything ranging from under-dramatized historical eras to Wuthering Heights to wedding registry etiquette. They also zoom out to grapple with a fundamental philosophical question underlying this whole show's existence and take a cue from Las Culturistas Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers for some Schimpfen und Toben. No endorsements this week. But for listeners in the New York area, don't miss Steve when he joins Booker Prize-finalist Ben Markovitz for a conversation about his new novel The Rest of Our Lives on January 5, 2026 at the Upper West Side Barnes & Noble. For Slate Plus subscribers, the hosts delight in answering an additional listener question in an exclusive bonus episode. They share their ideal cultural outings with their co-hosts. --- Email us your thoughts at culturefest@slate.com.  Podcast production by Benjamin Frisch. Production assistance by Daniel Hirsch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the waning moments of 2025, Julia, Dana, and Steve say goodbye to the year that was with a beloved annual end-of-year tradition… our listener call-in show! And you delivered some great queries, dear listeners.  The hosts tackle questions about everything ranging from under-dramatized historical eras to Wuthering Heights to wedding registry etiquette. They also zoom out to grapple with a fundamental philosophical question underlying this whole show's existence and take a cue from Las Culturistas Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers for some Schimpfen und Toben. No endorsements this week. But for listeners in the New York area, don't miss Steve when he joins Booker Prize-finalist Ben Markovitz for a conversation about his new novel The Rest of Our Lives on January 5, 2026 at the Upper West Side Barnes & Noble. For Slate Plus subscribers, the hosts delight in answering an additional listener question in an exclusive bonus episode. They share their ideal cultural outings with their co-hosts. --- Email us your thoughts at culturefest@slate.com.  Podcast production by Benjamin Frisch. Production assistance by Daniel Hirsch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

[REBROADCAST FROM Oct. 2, 2025] The novel The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize and is a Kirkus Prize finalist. Author Kiran Desai discusses the novel, which tells the story of one couple throughout their lives in India and New York City.

I fully agree with the Booker Prize judges that FLESH is "singular" and "extraordinary." I can see why it won! I do, though, have a few arguments to make.

After thinking it was lost to the sands of internet time, our team uncovered a 2013 gem from the archives. In the “The Abstract Noun Edition,”  your favorite Gabfesters talk about how we talk. Steve, Dana, and Julia discuss the elements of language: vocabulary, conversation, and voice. In paroxysms of polysyllables, they invoke their favorite writers—and their least favorite linguistic tics—to probe the best and worst of the English language. Why should you eschew the word “eschew”? What does “shibboleth” really mean? And where is the line between a strong voice and self-parody? Speaking of self-parody, check out these very on-brand 2013 Endorsements: Dana: The Sounding Joy, a CD collection of folk carols, collected by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings and performed by Elizabeth Mitchell. (Now available on streaming.) Julia: Creating an iTunes playlist of all songs you've played more than 10 times and then shuffling them. You'll rediscover old gems like “The Size of Our Love” by Sleater Kinney. Steve: The mind-bending “Monty Hall problem,” as originally described by Marilyn vos Savant in Parade Magazine. If you're in New York on January 5, don't miss some real life vocabulary, conversation, and voice when Steve joins Booker Prize-finalist Ben Markcovits for a conversation about The Rest of Our Lives — details here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After thinking it was lost to the sands of internet time, our team uncovered a 2013 gem from the archives. In the “The Abstract Noun Edition,”  your favorite Gabfesters talk about how we talk. Steve, Dana, and Julia discuss the elements of language: vocabulary, conversation, and voice. In paroxysms of polysyllables, they invoke their favorite writers—and their least favorite linguistic tics—to probe the best and worst of the English language. Why should you eschew the word “eschew”? What does “shibboleth” really mean? And where is the line between a strong voice and self-parody? Speaking of self-parody, check out these very on-brand 2013 Endorsements: Dana: The Sounding Joy, a CD collection of folk carols, collected by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings and performed by Elizabeth Mitchell. (Now available on streaming.) Julia: Creating an iTunes playlist of all songs you've played more than 10 times and then shuffling them. You'll rediscover old gems like “The Size of Our Love” by Sleater Kinney. Steve: The mind-bending “Monty Hall problem,” as originally described by Marilyn vos Savant in Parade Magazine. If you're in New York on January 5, don't miss some real life vocabulary, conversation, and voice when Steve joins Booker Prize-finalist Ben Markcovits for a conversation about The Rest of Our Lives — details here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sir Salman Rushdie is a writer who has written over 20 books, seven of which have been nominated for the Booker Prize. In 1981 he won with his novel Midnight's Children which also topped the polls for the 25th and 40th anniversaries of the prize, making it the most lauded novel in Booker history.He was born in Bombay in 1947 and educated at Rugby School in Warwickshire. After studying history at the University of Cambridge he worked as a copywriter at various advertising agencies before publishing his first novel Grimus in 1975. His breakthrough came with Midnight's Children and he was one of 20 writers named on Granta magazine's inaugural list of Best Young British novelists alongside writers including Martin Amis and AN Wilson.He attracted considerable controversy with his fourth novel the Satanic Verses which won the Whitbread Award and was shortlisted for the Booker. Some Muslims considered the subject matter blasphemous and Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling for the death of Salman and the publishers of the book. Salman spent the following decade in hiding under police protection.In 2022 he was stabbed multiple times while on stage at the Chautauqua Institution in upstate New York. He had been invited there to talk about keeping writers safe from harm. He survived devasting injuries – including the loss of his right eye – and wrote about the attack and its aftermath in his memoir Knife.That same year he was awarded a Companion of Honour for services to literature.Salman is married to the poet and novelist Rachel Eliza Griffiths and they live in New York. He has two grown up sons and two grandchildren.DISC ONE: Walk on the Wild Side - Lou Reed DISC TWO: Yeh Hai Bombay Meri Jaan - Mohammed Rafi and Geeta Dutt DISC THREE: Blowin' in the Wind - Bob Dylan DISC FOUR: (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction - The Rolling Stones DISC FIVE: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) - Whitney Houston DISC SIX: Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard - Paul Simon DISC SEVEN: Isn't She Lovely – Stevie Wonder DISC EIGHT: For the Love of You, Pts. 1 & 2 - The Isley Brothers BOOK CHOICE: Homer's Odyssey (Translated by Emily Wilson) LUXURY ITEM: A bed with a mosquito net CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: For the Love of You, Pts. 1 & 2 - The Isley Brothers Presenter Lauren Laverne Producer Paula McGinley

On this week's show, Dana and Steve are joined by guest host Rebecca Onion for a Gabfest first: a segment about something from the sprawling Taylor Sheridan television universe. They strap on their cowboy boots and hop in the pickup for a conversation on season 2 of Landman which stars a rangy and world-weary Billy Bob Thornton as an oil industry fixer. Next, they turn north of the border for some good, old fashioned, Canadian gay hockey romance. They discuss HBO's surprise—and surprisingly graphic—hit Heated Rivalry. The series sure is steamy, but does it feature enough hockey?  Finally, they mourn the passing of legendary filmmaker and Hollywood omnipresence Rob Reiner. They share their favorite moments from his films. Given those films include Stand By Me, When Harry Met Sally, Misery, The Princess Bride, and many more indelible classics, there's much to share. Endorsements Rebecca: The podcast Posting Through It featuring hosts Jared Holt and Michael Edison Hayden discussing the ins and outs of rightwing infighting and the recipe Holiday Rocky Road by Sohla el-Waylly in New York Times Cooking. Steve: For more melancholic Christmas music, Duke Ellington's Nutcracker Suite. Also, the Booker Prize short-listed novel The Rest of Our Lives by Ben Markovits, who Steve will be in conversation with at an event on January 5, 2026 at the Upper West Side Barnes & Noble— details here. Dana: The Rob Reiner-directed documentary Defending My Life about his childhood friend Albert Brooks and this brilliant clip of Rob Reiner at his 2000 Friar's Club Roast reading from Roger Ebert's legendary pan of Reiner's film North . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fashion icon Bella Freud on abandoning psychics, learning to trust herself and realising that what happens next is entirely up to her. Freud is a designer and creative whose clothes have adorned the likes of Zadie Smith, Kate Moss, Little Simz and…well…me. She's also a cult podcaster with her hit show, Fashion Neurosis, where guests are invited to examine what clothes mean to them. She's lived a fascinating life: the daughter of Lucian Freud, the great-granddaughter of psychoanalyst Sigmund and the sister of novelist Esther who wrote the novel Hideous Kinky about their childhood. Now in her 60s, she joins me to explore why she's always late, why she regrets never joining the circus and what it's really like carrying the weight of such an instantly recognisable family name. Plus: why she no longer goes to psychics. Bella is so smart, considered and stylish. This free-ranging conversation will make you think, laugh and feel unexpectedly hopeful about getting older. ✨ IN THIS EPISODE: 00:00 Introduction 04:04 The Power of Fashion and Design 06:47 Challenges in the Fashion Industry 11:52 The Significance of Punctuality 17:02 Childhood Memories and Their Impact 22:18 Therapy and Family Loss 26:13 Reflecting on a Peaceful Passing 27:43 Family Dynamics 30:04 The Circus Job That Never Was 32:33 Sibling Relationships and Childhood Roles 36:06 The Legacy of the Freud Name 41:23 Embracing Failures and Life Lessons 46:28 Living Authentically and Joyfully

On this week's show, Dana and Steve are joined by guest host Rebecca Onion for a Gabfest first: a segment about something from the sprawling Taylor Sheridan television universe. They strap on their cowboy boots and hop in the pickup for a conversation on season 2 of Landman which stars a rangy and world-weary Billy Bob Thornton as an oil industry fixer. Next, they turn north of the border for some good, old fashioned, Canadian gay hockey romance. They discuss HBO's surprise—and surprisingly graphic—hit Heated Rivalry. The series sure is steamy, but does it feature enough hockey?  Finally, they mourn the passing of legendary filmmaker and Hollywood omnipresence Rob Reiner. They share their favorite moments from his films. Given those films include Stand By Me, When Harry Met Sally, Misery, The Princess Bride, and many more indelible classics, there's much to share. Endorsements Rebecca: The podcast Posting Through It featuring hosts Jared Holt and Michael Edison Hayden discussing the ins and outs of rightwing infighting and the recipe Holiday Rocky Road by Sohla el-Waylly in New York Times Cooking. Steve: For more melancholic Christmas music, Duke Ellington's Nutcracker Suite. Also, the Booker Prize short-listed novel The Rest of Our Lives by Ben Markovits, who Steve will be in conversation with at an event on January 5, 2026 at the Upper West Side Barnes & Noble— details here. Dana: The Rob Reiner-directed documentary Defending My Life about his childhood friend Albert Brooks and this brilliant clip of Rob Reiner at his 2000 Friar's Club Roast reading from Roger Ebert's legendary pan of Reiner's film North . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Literature isn't a horse race. Taste is subjective, and artistic value can't be measured in terms of “winners" and “losers.”That doesn't mean it's not fun to try.The book world's awards season officially kicked off on Oct. 9, when the Hungarian novelist Laszlo Krasznahorkai won the 2025 Nobel Prize, and continued this month when the Booker Prize in England went to the novel “Flesh,” by the British writer David Szalay (also of Hungarian descent, as it happens). Then this week, five National Book Award winners were crowned in various categories at a ceremony in New York.On this episode of the podcast, the host MJ Franklin talks with his fellow Book Review editors Emily Eakin, Joumana Khatib and Dave Kim about the finalists, the winners and what this year's big book awards might tell us about the state of literature in 2025.We would love to hear your thoughts about this episode, and about the Book Review's podcast in general. You can send them to books@nytimes.com. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.

The US says Syria is joining the international coalition to combat the Islamic State group, and Damascus is resuming diplomatic relations with Washington. The announcement came hours after Donald Trump met the Syrian president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, at the White House, describing him as a strong leader. President Trump said he wanted Syria to be a "big part" of his plan for a wider Middle East peace. Also: The Indian capital, Delhi, is on high alert after a deadly explosion. The woman known as the "Chinese Cryptoqueen" is due to be sentenced for stealing billions of dollars from investors. And the novel "Flesh", by David Szalay wins the Booker Prize, Britain's most prestigious award for literary fiction. The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk