POPULARITY
Alex Garland's latest film Warfare, which is co-directed by US military veteran Ray Mendoza turns back the clock back nearly twenty years to reconstruct a real-life surveillance mission in Iraq. Film critic Tim Robey and journalist Zing Tsjeng give their verdict on the analysis of the theatre of war, which unfolds in real time. They've also been to see Shanghai Dolls at London's Kiln Theatre - which spans six decades of Chinese history, focusing on the life of an actress who was to personify the terrifying face of the cultural revolution, Madame Mao. Literary critic Boyd Tonkin reflects on the legacy of Nobel prize-winning Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa who has died at the age of 89. Samira and her guests have also been reading Katie Kitamura's new book Audition, about an actress who agrees to have dinner with a young man who seems fixated on her, and includes a 'sliding doors' alternative reality. And as the actress Cate Blanchett announces her intention to retire, Radio 4 listeners have a chance to hear her star in her first major radio drama The Fever, in which she plays a privileged woman who travels to a war-torn country and reflects on her comfortable life amidst the poverty of others. Presenter: Samira Ahmed Producer: Paula McGrath
Thomas Guthrie and “The Alehouse Boys” bring the music of Schubert to pubs with their new album Schubert's Die schöne Müllerin. Their arrangements of Schubert's song cycle intend to break free from the formality of established lieder recitals, returning to its original improvisational form. In the last of our Booker shortlist series this week, Samira interviews Canadian 2023 Giller Prize-winning novelist Sarah Bernstein. Her second novel, Study for Obedience, explores the inner thoughts of its unnamed protagonist who moves to a new area to stay with her brother and quickly becomes a feared stranger. And the critic Boyd Tonkin discusses the remarkable literary output of the author, critic and poet AS Byatt who has died aged 87.
Boyd Tonkin visits Complicité's audacious adaptation of Olga Tokarczuk's Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead; and Barnaby Phillips on two Victorian explorers at daggers drawn'Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead', staged by Complicité, based on the novel by Olga Tokarczuk‘River of the Gods: Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile' by Candice Millard Producer: Lucy Dichmont Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week, Thea Lenarduzzi and Lucy Dallas are joined by the novelist Margaret Drabble to consider the ‘curiously free-floating reputation' of Russell Hoban, whose adult novels, including ‘Riddley Walker', now appear as Penguin Modern Classics; as twin exhibitions mark the centenary of the birth of the English sculptor, painter, writer, designer and illustrator Michael Ayrton, the critic Boyd Tonkin delves into the myth-laden maze of the artist's thought‘From Oprah to Medusa: The endlessly various world of Russell Hoban' by Margaret Drabble: www.the-tls.co.uk‘Michael Ayrton: A singular obsession', Fry Art Gallery Too, Saffron Walden, until October 31st‘Michael Ayrton Centenary: Ideas, images, reflections', edited by Justine Hopkins‘Celebrating Michael Ayrton: A centenary exhibition', the Lightbox, Woking, until August 8thA special subscription offer for TLS podcast listeners: www.the-tls.co.uk/buy/podProducer: Ben Mitchell See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
We talk to humorist Karl Sharro about the origins story of his Twitter alter-ego Karl ReMarks and about finding the ideal online nemesis. Marcia takes issue with a new book listing the “hundred best novels in translation.” Show notes Karl Sharro spoke about Karl ReMarks' new book, And then God Created the Middle East and Said ‘Let There Be Breaking News' (and Analysis). The book is forthcoming July 9. Boyd Tonkin's The 100 Best Novels in Translation was released June 21. The two Arabic novels that made the list were Tayeb Salih's Season of Migration to the North, translated by Denys Johnson-Davies, and Naguib Mahfouz's Cairo Trilogy, translated by William Maynard Hutchins, Olive E. Kenny, Lorne M. Kenny, and Angele Botros Samaan. The translation was overseen by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, along with Martha Levin, and their notes on the manuscript can be found at the Lilly Library Manuscript Collections. You can read the Amazon press release online about how the mega-corporation has (finally) launched some 12,000 Arabic ebooks into the Kindle system. You can find and purchase them on Amazon.com.
The journalist and the critic nominate favourite books
This 1962 novel is being reappraised by critics and fans as a creeping meditation on 1950s housewives, agoraphobia, and good old-fashioned New England persecution. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: We Have Always Lived in the Castle Additional Resources: We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson – a house of ordinary horror The Witchcraft of Shirley Jackson Flavorwire Author Club: Shirley Jackson’s Haunting Final Novel, ‘We Have Always Lived in the Castle’ SILVER, M. (2013). Is It Real? On Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Southern Review, 49(4), 665–667. Savoy, E. (2017). Between as if and is : On Shirley Jackson. Women’s Studies, 46(8), 827. BOYD TONKIN. (2015, July 29). Her dark materials: how Shirley Jackson became the ‘sorceress at the sink.’ Independent (UK). Shirley Jackson. (2020). Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition, 1. We Have Always Lived in the Castle: A Prelude to a Myth How 'We Have Always Lived In The Castle' By Shirley Jackson Novel Made Me Love Horror — Even Though I Hate Being Scared The Haunted Mind of Shirley Jackson
On this week’s show, we discuss the 2019 shortlist for the best fiction in translation with Boyd Tonkin, and speak to Nicole Flattery about her short story collection, Show Them a Good Time. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/bookspod
Capernaum was filmed on the streets of Lebanon, using non-professional actors including the child lead. It has gone on to win the Palme d'Or winner and is hotly tipped for the Foreign Language Oscar Shipwreck is American plawright Ann Washburn's latest play to premiere at London's Almeida Theatre. It's vehemently anti-Trump, but does the polemic get in the way for our reviewers? Nico Walker's novel Cherry tells his own - thinly disguised - life story. Born in Cleveland served in the US military in Iraq and returned home suffering from PTSD. developed heroin addiction, robbed banks to support his habit and ended up in jail. And that's where Walker is right now, serving out the last 2 years of his 11 year sentence for armed robbery. Is it grim, gripping or ghastly? The National Portrait Gallery in London is staging an exhibition of Elizabethan miniatures. Exquisite small portaits of figures of the day; bring a magnifying glass! Papanno's Greatest Arias: the director of London's Royal Opera House explores the attraction and technique involved in these vocal set pieces Tom Sutcliffe's guests are Kathryn Hughes, Barb Jungr and Boyd Tonkin. The producer is Oliver Jones Podcast choices: Barb recommends And Breath Normally on Netflix and Antti Tuomainen Boyd recommends Harald Sohlberg at The Dulwich Picture Gallery Tom recommends Great News on Netflix Kathryn recommends tidying up
Boyd Tonkin states the case – never overstated – for literature in translation, and reviews a commendable recent effort "to grasp, and to survey, the entire planet of words"; Andrew Scull considers the travails of social psychology and the egos and experiments that professed to tell us something essential about human nature by setting fire to forests or electrocuting dogs... Books Found in Translation: 100 of the finest short stories ever translated, edited by Frank WynneThe Lost Boys: Inside Muzafer Sherif’s Robbers Cave experiment by Gina Perry The Hope Circuit: A psychologist’s journey from helplessness to optimism by Martin Seligman See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Karl Sharro spoke about Karl ReMarks’ new book, And then God Created the Middle East and Said ‘Let There Be Breaking News’ (and Analysis). The book is forthcoming July 9.Boyd Tonkin’s The 100 Best Novels in Translation was released June 21. The two Arabic novels that made the list were Tayeb Salih’s Season of Migration to the North, translated by Denys Johnson-Davies, and Naguib Mahfouz’s Cairo Trilogy, translated by William Maynard Hutchins, Olive E. Kenny, Lorne M. Kenny, and Angele Botros Samaan. The translation was overseen by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, along with Martha Levin, and their notes on the manuscript can be found at the Lilly Library Manuscript Collections.You can read the Amazon press release online about how the mega-corporation has (finally) launched some 12,000 Arabic ebooks into the Kindle system. You can find and purchase them on Amazon.com.
With Boyd Tonkin, former chair of the International Booker and author of the forthcoming The 100 Best Novels in Translation, and Frank Wynne, nominated in the International Booker shortlist for his translation of Virginie Despentes. Presented by Sam Leith.
Greta Gerwig's latest film stars Saoirse Ronan. Lady Bird has been Oscar-nominated but will it impress our panel of reviewers? Alfred Döblin's 1929 novel Berlin Alexanderplatz is considered one of the finest novels ever written. How does a brand new translation improve it? For more than 35 years, Kettle's Yard in Cambridge was the home of Jim and Helen Ede and they opened it to the public allowing everyone to enjoy their art collection. Following 2 years of closure and a multi-million pound programme of improvements it has reopened Howard Brenton's play, The Shadow Factory is the opening production for a new arts centre in Southampton. Set during The Battle of Britain - when Southampton was heavily bombed - it tells the story of a government initiative to make more spitfires using the facilities and technologies of many small industries throughout the city Troy; Fall of a City is a new swords and sandals series on on BBC1 based on Ancient Greek tales Tom Sutcliffe's guests are Deborah Moggach, Meg Rosoff and Boyd Tonkin. The producer is Oliver Jones.
With James Forsyth, Alex Massie, Boyd Tonkin, Sam Leith, Simon Barnes and Guy Shorrock. Presented by Lara Prendergast.
Ben Elton has a new sitcom on BBC2; Upstart Crow starring David Mitchell as The Bard of Avon. Could it be a return to his golden form of Blackadder? A Midsummer Night's Dream is the first production by Emma Rice, the new Artistic Director at London's Globe Theatre. Does it auger well for her residency? Terrence Malick is a much-admired film director whose recent work has received very mixed critical responses. Will his latest, Knight of Cups, be admired or reviled? Novelist Louise Erdrich is of North American Indian descent and her work reflects this. Her newest - LaRose - is set in the world of the Ojibwe tribe Mona Hatoum has a retrospective of her work at Tate Modern - how well does or can it chronicle her conceptual art? Tom Sutcliffe's guests are Elif Shafak, Denise Mina and Boyd Tonkin. The producer is Oliver Jones.
In the very first of two special Man Booker International Prize 2016 podcasts, we celebrate the 2016 shortlist that takes readers around the globe and to the frontier of fiction. Host Joe Haddow delves into this year's shortlisted books with two members of the judging panel - writer, journalist and the 2016 chair Boyd Tonkin and author Tahmima Anam. Joe also talks to Catherine Taylor, Deputy Director at English PEN and Walter Iuzzolino from Channel 4's Walter Presents about the rise in foreign fiction on our screens and the impact this is having on translated fiction. Then we head to Paris for an exciting event from Shakespeare & Company and hear singer- songwriter Lail Arad's song 'The Onion' which reminds Boyd of whittling down the submissions with his fellow judges. Join in the conversation about the shortlist and let us know your winner predictions @ManBookerPrize #FinestFiction
Join members of the Man Booker International Prize panel just days after the announcement of the shortlist of the competition that celebrates the best in international fiction. We’re on brand new territory tonight as, for the first time, the £50,000 prize will be awarded for a single work of translated fiction. The event will feature prize administrator Fiammetta Rocco, chair of judges Boyd Tonkin and judge Daniel Medin. It will be chaired by Lucie Campos and will be introduced by a musical performance by superb singer-songwriter Lail Arad, to coincide with the release of her second record and her book of lyrics The Onion, with exclusive text from Lail and photographs by Flo Kohl.
Translation threads its way into so much of our lives that we sometimes forget to notice it. In this event at Free Word Centre, Asymptote, the international journal of literary translation, celebrate their third anniversary with a lively discussion of the way that language and translation work together. Award-winning translator Ros Schwartz chairs panellists Aamer Hussein, George Szirtes and Boyd Tonkin.
A few days after the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, Ma Jian discussed his Tiananmen novel Beijing Coma with the Independent's literary editor Boyd Tonkin, interspersed with extracts from the novel read by his translator Flora Drew. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.