Podcast appearances and mentions of nora webster

Colm Tóibín is regarded as one of Ireland’s greatest authors — and for good reason. With a career spanning 30 years and 11 award-winning novels under his belt, Colm is beloved both at home and abroad. In his latest book, Long Island, Tóibín returns to familiar territory with a sequel to 2009’s best-selling Brooklyn. This week, he and Michael discuss what it means to write a sequel, the importance of James Baldwin’s writing, and, of course, Costco. Reading list: The Heather Blazing, Colm Tóibín, 1992 The Master, Colm Tóibín, 2004 Brooklyn, Colm Tóibín, 2009 Nora Webster, Colm Tóibín, 2014 Long Island, Colm Tóibín, 2024 You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store. Socials: Stay in touch with Read This on Instagram Guest: Colm TóibínSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Award-winning Irish writer Colm Toibin has long admired James Baldwin, ever since he read “Go Tell It on the Mountain" as a teenager, and has now written a book about him called simply “On James Baldwin.” When he picked “Go Tell It on the Mountain" from a shelf years ago, Toibin hadn't heard or read anything about the novel, one of Baldwin's most famous works. And without any pretense, he found himself immersed in the book's words and characters. Reading it later in life as an accomplished author and professor, Toibin's respect grew for Baldwin's skill at depicting the human experience defined by interiority rather than external events. Toibin shares his insights with host Razia Iqbal, and describes how Baldwin managed to satisfy so many different kinds of readers — giving them  a diversity of ideas and perspectives to take away from the pages.Toibin is the author of 11 novels, including “The Master,” “Brooklyn” and “Nora Webster.” He's also written essays, journalism and a book of poetry. His work's been shortlisted for the Booker Prize three times and he has won the Costa Novel Award and the Impact Award. He writes regularly for the New York Review of Books, the London Review of Books, the New York Times and many other publications. He is the Irene and Sidney B. Silverman Professor of the Humanities at Columbia University in New York, where we sat with him in his office, teeming with books, papers, and as you'll hear, a love for Baldwin.  Tell us what you think. We're @noteswithkai on Instagram and X (Twitter). Email us at notes@wnyc.org. Send us a voice message by recording yourself on your phone and emailing us, or record one here.Notes from America airs live on Sundays at 6 p.m. ET. The podcast episodes are lightly edited from our live broadcasts.

​Bookwaves/Artwaves is produced and hosted by Richard Wolinsky. Links to assorted local theater & book venues    Colm Tóibín discusses his latest novel, “Long Island,” which follows characters from his earlier best-seller, “Brooklyn” twenty years later. Hosted by Richard Wolinsky. Colm Tóibín was born in Enniscorthy, Ireland, in 1955. He is the author of 11 novels including The Master, Brooklyn, The Testament of Mary, Nora Webster, House of Names and The Magician. His work has been shortlisted for The Booker Prize three times, has won the Costa Novel Award and the IMPAC Award. He has also published two collections of stories and many works of non-fiction. Special thanks to the folks at BookShop West Portal in San Francisco for their assistance. Complete Interview.   Ayodele Nzinga, the Poet Laureate of Oakland  and the director of the play “Pac and Biggie Are Dead” by Biko Eisen-Martin, which is running at BAM House in Oakland through June 30, 2024, in conversation with host Richard Wolinsky Ayodele Nzinga, known as “Wordslinger,” is the lead curator of BAM House (formerly the Flight Deck and Piano Fight Oakland), YBCA Creative Corps fellow, director of BAMD Fest, an international biennial arts festival in 2025, and creator and director of Lower Bottom Playaz, Inc. She has written a book of poetry, “Incandescent,” and is also an actor and playwright. “Pac and Biggie Are Dead” focuses on two deceased rap artists who were central to the art form, Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. in a place that might be heaven as they ponder their past and their present, in a non-linear work that attempts to put their art in the context of the African American experience.   Review of “Company” at the Orpheum Theater through June 23, 2024.   Book Interview/Events and Theatre Links Note: Shows may unexpectedly close early or be postponed due to actors' positive COVID tests. Check the venue for closures, ticket refunds, and vaccination and mask requirements before arrival. Dates are in-theater performances unless otherwise noted. Some venues operate Tuesday – Sunday; others Wednesday or Thursday through Sunday. All times Pacific Time. Closing dates are sometimes extended. Book Stores Bay Area Book Festival  See website for highlights from the 10th Annual Bay Area Book Festival, June 1-2, 2024. Book Passage.  Monthly Calendar. Mix of on-line and in-store events. Books Inc.  Mix of on-line and in-store events. The Booksmith.  Monthly Event Calendar. BookShop West Portal. Monthly Event Calendar. Center for Literary Arts, San Jose. See website for Book Club guests in upcoming months. Green Apple Books. Events calendar. Kepler's Books  On-line Refresh the Page program listings. Live Theater Companies Actor's Reading Collective (ARC).  Calendar of upcoming readings. African American Art & Culture Complex. See website for calendar. Alter Theatre. See website for upcoming productions. American Conservatory Theatre  The Lehman Trilogy by Stefano Massini . Adapted by Ben Power, directed by Sam Mandes, May 25-June 23, Toni Rembe Theater. Aurora Theatre  The Lifespan of a Fact by Jeremy Kareken & David Murrell and Gordon Farrell, June 21-July 21. Streaming:  July 16-21. Awesome Theatre Company. Por La Noche (By Night), October 11 – 26, 2924. See website for information. Berkeley Rep Galileo, World Premiere Musical, book by Danny Strong, with Raul Esparza, extended to June 23, Roda Theatre. Mother Road by Octavio Solis, June 14-July 21, Peets Theatre. Berkeley Shakespeare Company. See website for upcoming shows. Boxcar Theatre. The Speakeasy. Must close June 29, 2024 Brava Theatre Center: See calendar for current and upcoming productions. BroadwaySF: Company, June 5-23, Orpheum. Mrs. Doubtfire, July 2-28. Girl from the North Country, July 30-Aug 18, Golden Gate. See website for events at the Orpheum, Curran and Golden Gate. Broadway San Jose:  Peter Pan, June 25-30. California Shakespeare Theatre (Cal Shakes). As You Like it, September 12 – 29. Center Rep: Cabaret, May 26 – June 23, Lesher Center for the Arts. Central Works  Accused by Patricia Milton, July 13 – August 11. Cinnabar Theatre. La Boheme June 21 – July 5. Club Fugazi. Dear San Francisco ongoing. Check website for Music Mondays listings. Contra Costa Civic Theatre In Repertory: Hamlet and Rosencranz and Gildenstern Are Dead, September 7 – 22. Curran Theater: Sesame Street Live, Say Hello, June 7-8; The Cher Show, June 19-23. Custom Made Theatre. In hibernation. Cutting Ball Theatre. See website for upcoming shows. 42nd Street Moon. Bright Star postponed. Golden Thread  Conversations with Artists via Zoom and Howlround TV, through June 13, 2024. Hillbarn Theatre: Always…Patsy Cline, August 22 – September 15. Lorraine Hansberry Theatre. See website for upcoming productions. Lower Bottom Playaz  Pac and Biggie Are Dead by Biko Eisen-Martin, June 6 – 30, 2024, BAM House, Oakland. Magic Theatre. Garuda's Wing by Naomi Iizuka, June 5-23. Marin Theatre Company Yaga by by Kurt Sondler, October 10 – November 3, 2024. Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts Upcoming Events Page. New Conservatory Theatre Center (NCTC) tick..tick..BOOM by Jonathan Larson, through June 16, 2024. Ride the Cyclone by Jacob Richmond & Brooke Maxwell, September 20 – October 20. Oakland Theater Project.  Ghost of King Created by and featuring Michael Wayne Turner III June 6-23, 2024. Odd Salon: Upcoming events in San Francisco & New York, and streaming. Pear Theater. Chaplin and Keaton on the Set of Limelight  by Greg Lam, June 28 – July 21, 2024. Presidio Theatre. See website for complete schedule of events and performances. Ray of Light: Everybody's Talking About Jamie, June 1 – 23, 2024. See website for Spotlight Cabaret Series at Feinstein's at the Nikko. San Francisco Playhouse. The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, May 2 – June 15. SFBATCO I, Too, Sing America, Grace Cathedral, June 13-15. See website for upcoming streaming and in- theater shows. San Jose Stage Company: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.  June 5 – 30. Shotgun Players.  Best Available by Jonathan Spector. May 18 – June 16. Website also lists one night only events at the Ashby Stage. South Bay Musical Theatre: Mary Poppins, the Broadway Musical, May 18 – June 8. Saratoga Civic Theater. Stagebridge: Shady Manor, a musical play by Prescott Cole. June 14-16. 2501 Harrison St., Oakland. The Breath Project. Streaming archive. The Marsh: Calendar listings for Berkeley, San Francisco and Marshstream. Theatre Lunatico  See website for upcoming productions. Theatre Rhino  Four Play by Jake Brunger, June 13 – July 7, 2024. Streaming: Essential Services Project, conceived and performed by John Fisher, all weekly performances now available on demand. TheatreWorks Silicon Valley. Being Alive: A Sondheim Celebration June 5-20, Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts.. Word for Word.  See website for upcoming productions. Misc. Listings: BAM/PFA: On View calendar for BAM/PFA. Berkeley Symphony: See website for listings. Chamber Music San Francisco: Calendar, 2023 Season. Dance Mission Theatre. On stage events calendar. Oregon Shakespeare Festival: Calendar listings and upcoming shows. San Francisco Opera. Calendar listings. San Francisco Symphony. Calendar listings. Filmed Live Musicals: Searchable database of all filmed live musicals, podcast, blog. If you'd like to add your bookstore or theater venue to this list, please write Richard@kpfa.org The post Bookwaves/Artwaves – June 13, 2024: Colm Tóibín – Ayodele Nzinga appeared first on KPFA.

Colm Tóibín discusses his latest novel, “Long Island,” which follows characters from his earlier best-seller, “Brooklyn” twenty years later. Hosted by Richard Wolinsky. Colm Tóibín was born in Enniscorthy, Ireland, in 1955. He is the author of 11 novels including The Master, Brooklyn, The Testament of Mary, Nora Webster, House of Names and The Magician. His work has been shortlisted for The Booker Prize three times, has won the Costa Novel Award and the IMPAC Award. He has also published two collections of stories and many works of non-fiction. Special thanks to the folks at BookShop West Portal in San Francisco for their assistance. The post Colm Tóibín, “Long Island,” 2024 appeared first on KPFA.

Der große Seelenkenner Colm Tóibín ist zurück und knüpft mit "Long Island" großartig an seinen Welterfolg "Brooklyn" an! „Long Island“ von Colm Tóibín ist bei Hanser erschienen. Ditte und Giovanni Bandini haben die 316 Seiten aus dem Englischen übersetzt. Das Hardcover kostet 26 €. Link zur Leseprobe: https://www.bic-media.com/mobile/mobileWidget-jqm1.4.html?isbn=9783446282315&launcher=no&showExtraFullScreenButton=no&showLanguageButton=no&showSocial=no&showExtraDownloadButton=no&metadata=no&showSettings=no&help=no&template=shops&shopsFilter=hanser&fullscreen=yes&jump2=-9 Mehr zum Vorgänger „Brooklyn“ könnt ihr bei Feiste Bücher in Folge 28. Leider löschen Spotify und ApplePodcast ältere Folgen, aber bei Podcast.de oder auf SoundCloud.com werdet ihr weiter kostenlos fündig. „Brooklyn“ und "Nora Webster" von Colm Tóibín sind als Hardcover bei Hanser erschienen und als Taschenbuch bei dtv. Ditte und Giovanni Bandini haben auch die beiden übersetzt. Die Taschenbuch-Ausgaben kosten 12 € bzw. 14 €. Den Link zum Gespräch auf YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6roZguCYlQ Folge direkt herunterladen

Colm Tóibín's Long Island features family secrets and complicated choices in the sequel to his beloved novel, Brooklyn. Tóibín joins us to talk about choosing to continue this story, creating his characters and themes of identity and community with Miwa Messer, host of Poured Over. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Miwa Messer and mixed by Harry Liang.                    New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app.      Featured Books (Episode): Long Island by Colm Tóibín Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy Victory by Joseph Conrad The Golden Bowl by Henry James The Blackwater Lightship by Colm Tóibín Nora Webster by Colm Tóibín

This week, Irish novelist Colm Toibin discusses his short story collection, Mothers and Sons, which explores the unspoken and shifting dynamics in these relationships. Toibin is the author of Brooklyn, which was made into an Oscar-nominated feature film starring Saoirse Ronan, as well as Nora Webster, The Magician and more. His latest novel, Long Island, is the sequel to Brooklyn.

Irish author Colm Tóibín is among the world's most celebrated contemporary writers. His works includes novels such as Nora Webster and The Blackwater Lightship, but also journalism, criticism, drama and more. His book Brooklyn was adapted into an Oscar-nominated film starring Saoirse Ronan, and his writing has been translated into over 30 languages. Alongside the release of his debut collection of poems, Vinegar Hill, Colm gives fellow Irish writer Helen Cullen an insight into how he works, taking her through his writing process, how he gathers his ideas and his approach to refining his work.

5x15 welcomes Colm Tóibín, novelist, critic, essayist and one of the most highly acclaimed writers of our time. In his new essay collection A Guest at the Feast, Tóibín traverses life in all its complexity, capturing moments that are both melancholy and amusing, rich and strange. Travelling between the streets of Buenos Aires and a deserted Venice, and the works of writers such as John McGahern and Marilynne Robinson, these essays uncover the places where life and fiction overlap. Don't miss the chance to hear this most erudite and important storyteller, live in conversation with award-winning poet and author Seán Hewitt. Praise for Colm Tóibín and A Guest at the Feast 'The clarity of the novelist's descriptive ability shines through essays on topics ranging from his treatment for cancer to the joys of an empty Venice . . . On every subject, Tóibín's writing is what people these days inevitably describe as nuanced, a word that has become a kind of shorthand for expressing a person's rare ability to understand . . . the foibles of others' - Rachel Cooke, Observer, Book of the Day 'I love everything Colm Tóibín has written' - Nicola Sturgeon, New Statesman 'I wanted to read out loud, to fully savour writing that is so careful and so lyrical' - Laura Hackett, Sunday Times Colm Tóibín was born in Enniscorthy in 1955. He is the author of ten novels, including 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; The Testament of Mary; 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 has been named as the Laureate for Irish Fiction for 2022–2024 by the Arts Council of Ireland. Three times shortlisted for the Booker Prize, Tóibín lives in Dublin and New York. Seán Hewitt is the author of the memoir All Down Darkness Wide, winner of the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature (2022), and the poetry collection Tongues of Fire, winner of the Laurel Prize (2021). He lives in Dublin, where he teaches at Trinity College. With thanks for your support for 5x15 online! Learn more about 5x15 events: 5x15stories.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/5x15stories Facebook: www.facebook.com/5x15stories Instagram: www.instagram.com/5x15stories

Pages 507 - 515 │ Oxen of the Sun, part II │ Read by Colm TóibínColm Tóibín is the author of ten novels, including The Magician, his most recent novel and the winner of the Rathbones Folio Prize; The Master, winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize; Brooklyn, winner of the Costa Book Award; The Testament of Mary; 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 has been named as the laureate for Irish fiction for 2022–2025 by the Arts Council of Ireland. Three times shortlisted for the Booker Prize, Tóibín lives in Dublin and New York.Buy The Magician here: https://shakespeareandcompany.com/I/9780241970584/the-magician-winner-of-the-rathbones-folio-prize*Looking for our author interview podcast? Listen here: https://podfollow.com/shakespeare-and-companySUBSCRIBE NOW FOR EARLY EPISODES AND BONUS FEATURESAll episodes of our Ulysses podcast are free and available to everyone. However, if you want to be the first to hear the recordings, by subscribing, you can now get early access to recordings of complete sections.Subscribe on Apple Podcasts here: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/channel/shakespeare-and-company/id6442697026Subscribe on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/sandcoIn addition a subscription gets you access to regular bonus episodes of our author interview podcast. All money raised goes to supporting “Friends of Shakespeare and Company” the bookshop's non-profit.*Discover more about Shakespeare and Company here: https://shakespeareandcompany.comBuy the Penguin Classics official partner edition of Ulysses here: https://shakespeareandcompany.com/d/9780241552636/ulyssesFind out more about Hay Festival here: https://www.hayfestival.com/homeAdam Biles is Literary Director at Shakespeare and Company. Find out more about him here: https://www.adambiles.netBuy a signed copy of his novel FEEDING TIME here: https://shakespeareandcompany.com/S/9781910296684/feeding-timeDr. Lex Paulson is Executive Director of the School of Collective Intelligence at Université Mohammed VI Polytechnique in Morocco.Original music & sound design by Alex Freiman.Hear more from Alex Freiman here: https://open.spotify.com/album/4gfkDcG32HYlXnBqI0xgQX?si=mf0Vw-kuRS-ai15aL9kLNA&dl_branch=1Follow Alex Freiman on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/alex.guitarfreiman/Featuring Flora Hibberd on vocals.Hear more of Flora Hibberd here: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5EFG7rqfVfdyaXiRZbRkpSVisit Flora Hibberd's website: This is my website:florahibberd.com and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/florahibberd/ Music production by Adrien Chicot.Hear more from Adrien Chicot here: https://bbact.lnk.to/utco90/Follow Adrien Chicot on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/adrienchicot/Photograph of Colm Tóibín by Reynaldo Rivera See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Irish author Colm Tóibín is among the world's most celebrated contemporary writers. His works includes novels such as Nora Webster and The Blackwater Lightship, but also journalism, criticism, drama and more. His book Brooklyn was adapted into an Oscar-nominated film starring Saoirse Ronan, and his writing has been translated into over thirty languages. Colm has explored the experiences of other novelists and creative thinkers in his writing. His recent title, The Magician, traced the life of German writer Thomas Mann, and his book The Master, an international literary sensation, told the story of the novelist Henry James. Alongside the release of his debut collection of poems, Vinegar Hill, Colm gives fellow Irish writer Helen Cullen an insight into how he works, taking her through his writing process, how he gathers his ideas and his approach to refining his work. They explore the differences and similarities in techniques of writing prose and poetry, and how influence can be drawn from outside the literary world. Helen discovers what it is like to immerse oneself in the creative of mind of figures such as Henry James, and how it shaped Colm as a writer. Presenter: Helen Cullen Readings: Matthew Durkan Producer: Sam Peach Executive Producer: Rebecca Armstrong for the BBC World Service

This morning we talk to Colm Tóibín in New York about his debut poetry collection, Vinegar Hill.From the best-selling author of Brooklyn, Nora Webster, The Master, and the recent The Magician Colm Tóibín's first collection of poetry explores sexuality, religion, and belonging through a modern lens.‘Fans of Colm Tóibín's novels will relish the opportunity to re-encounter Tóibín in verse. Vinegar Hill explores the liminal space between private experiences and public events as Tóibín examines a wide range of subjects—politics, queer love, reflections on literary and artistic greats, living through COVID, and facing mortality. The poems reflect a life well-traveled and well-lived; from growing up in the town of Enniscorthy, wandering the streets of Dublin, and crossing the bridges of Venice to visiting the White House, readers will travel through familiar locations and new destinations through Tóibín's unique lens.Within this rich collection of poems written over the course of several decades, shot through with keen observation, emotion, and humor, Tóibín offers us lines and verses to provoke, ponder, and cherish.' (Penguin Random House)Intro/outro music: Colm Mac Con Iomaire, ‘Thou Shalt Not Carry' from The Hare's Corner, 2008, with thanks to Colm for permission to use it.Artwork by Freya SirrTo subscribe to Books for Breakfast go to your podcast provider of choice (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google etc) and search for the podcast then hit subscribe or follow, or simply click the appropriate button above. Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/books4breakfast)

Deutschlands „königliche Familie“ nannte Literaturpapst Marcel Reich-Ranicki die Manns einmal. Zu den „Windsors der Deutschen“ erhob der „Spiegel“ den Nobelpreisträger-Clan um den aristokratisch anmutenden Patriarchen Thomas, der tagtäglich, egal was die bewegte Weltgeschichte des 20. Jahrhunderts so vorhatte, an seinem Schreibtisch saß und seine international bald millionenfach verkauften Bücher schrieb. Tony und Hanno Buddenbrook, Gustav von Aschenbach, Hans Castorp, Zeitblom und Leverkühn oder Felix Krull verdanken wir einem Leben im Arbeitszimmer, das weder für anteilige Kindererziehung noch für ernstliche außereheliche Interessen an betörenden jungen Männern viel Platz ließ. Dennoch ist die Geschichte von Thomas Mann eine, die uns aus der Kaiserzeit bis in die Nachkriegsrepublik führt – und eine äußerst transatlantische noch dazu. Um den neben Einstein berühmtesten Flüchtling vor den Nazis, der in seiner heute von der Bundesregierung in eine Stiftung umgewandelten modernistischen Villa hoch über Los Angeles dem Sturz Hitlers entgegensehnte, und seine einmalig exzentrische Familie geht es im Gespräch mit einem ebenfalls weltberühmten Autor: Colm Tóibín gewann für Bücher wie The Master, Brooklyn, The Testament of Mary oder Nora Webster bereits den International Dublin Literary Award, den Preis für die Los Angeles Times Novel of the Year, den Lambda Literary Award, den Holbrooke Award des Dayton Literary Peace Prize oder den Bob Hughes Lifetime Achievement Award. Toíbín stand dreimal auf der Shortlist für den Booker Prize und gilt selbst als Finalist für den Literaturnobelpreis. Er ist Sidney B. Silverman Professor of the Humanities an der New Yorker Columbia University. Sein druckfrischer Roman The Magician (Der Zauberer) erzählt das unglaubliche Leben des verschlossenen Lübeckers Thomas Mann, der in den USA der 1940er Jahre zum Superstar avancierte und dem Berliner Terrorregime sein „Wo ich bin, ist Deutschland“ entgegenschleuderte. Mit Bettina Schulte, der führenden Literaturkritikerin der Badischen Zeitung, spüren wir dann dem nach, was die Deutschen selbst heute über die Manns denken. Shownotes: "Der Zauberer" von Colm Tóibín Moderation & Redaktion: René Freudenthal Produktion & Mitarbeit: Hanna Langreder Original-Logo zum Podcast: Simon Krause Original-Musik zum Podcast: Edward Fernbach

Would he condemn Hitler? That's the question novelist Thomas Mann was continually asked, after winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1929 following novels such as Buddenbrooks and The Magic Mountain. Colm Toibin's new novel The Magician details the differences of opinion between Mann and his brother, and the way his children were part of a bold and experimental younger generation of writers. Anne McElvoy brings Colm Toibin, Sean Williams and Dr Erica Wickerson together for a discussion about Mann's life and writing and the pressure put upon writers to make a public stand on topical issues. Colm Toibin is the author of ten novels including Brooklyn, Nora Webster and The Testament of Mary. His latest book, The Magician, is out now. Sean Williams is a BBC Radio 3 AHRC New Generation Thinker and Senior Lecturer in German and European Cultural History in the School of Languages and Cultures at the University of Sheffield. Erica Wickerson, is the author of The Architecture of Narrative Time: Thomas Mann and the Problems of Modern Narrative, she's a British Academy Rising Star and recent holder of a research fellowship at St John's College, Cambridge. Producer: Ruth Watts Image: Colm Toibin Credit: Reynaldo Rivera You can find Colm Toibin in a Free Thinking discussion about women's voices in the Classical world recorded at Hay Festival https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08rsrlt and talking about his novels at the 2012 Free Thinking Festival at Sage Gateshead https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01p2shp You can find Free Thinking discussions about German culture including Neil McGregor and crime writer Volker Kutscherhttps://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b079mcgf New Angles on Post-War Germany and Austria with Sophie Hardach and Florian Huber https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0006sjx Mocking Power past and present with Daniel Kelhmann, Karen Leeder https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000dzww Anne McElvoy talks to Susan Neimann, Christopher Hampton and Ursula Owen about tolerance, censorship and free speech and lessons from German history https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0008hvz

Kate Molleson talks to some of today's greatest writers about how music shapes their work and explores the ineffable intersection between words and music. Featuring Colm Tóibín, Elif Shafak, Ishmael Reed, Simon Armitage and Lavinia Greenlaw. Best-selling Irish author Colm Tóibín's writing is infused with sound and music. His latest book is a fictional account of the life of Thomas Mann and is steeped in Mahler and Schoenberg. He discusses the powerful role music plays in his fiction and reads from his book ‘Nora Webster', in which the main character finds resilience through music after the death of her husband. Turkish-British writer Elif Shafak talks about the sound of Istanbul, the social implications of sound and silence and how her books can give voice to those in society who are otherwise voiceless. She reads from her acclaimed book ‘10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World' and talks about the influence of heavy metal on her writing. US writer Ishmael Reed explores the role of improvisation and rhythm in his work, including his 1972 classic ‘Mumbo Jumbo' and a new collection of poetry called ‘Why the Black Hole Sings the Blues'. Poet Laureate Simon Armitage discusses how music and words mix in the poetry he writes for his band LYR and the volatility of language when set to music. And poet and novelist Lavinia Greenlaw explores the fundamental way in which music has shaped her writing throughout her life, as well as the interconnectedness of music, memory and emotion.

If you have not yet read Colm Toibin, you are in for a treat. Not long ago, I reviewed his magnificent novel, Brooklyn, and today I want to talk to you about another stunning novel, Nora Webster. This is a novel that closely describes the inner mind of a woman, Nora, who, widowed in her late forties, is sole responsible for her home and her four children, only two of whom still live at home.In my experience as a reader, I rarely find male authors who create believable women characters. Toibin goes much further; he describes in great detail and in first person narrative the stream of consciousness of a woman struggling to recreate herself as an independent woman. Nora is an intensely private person, but given the small Irish town in which she lives, it is difficult to maintain even a modicum of privacy since everyone wants and expects to know other’s business.“You must be fed up of them. Will they never stop coming?” Tom O’Connor, her neighbor, stood at her front door and looked at her, waiting for a response.Nora replies that they mean well. “Night after night,” he said. “I don’t know how you put up with it.”She wondered if she could get back into the house without having to answer him again. He was using a tone with her, a tone he would never have tried before. He was speaking as though he had some authority over her.And her neighbor is not the only person who speaks to her in this new way. She finds she must return to a job she never liked, and work for a man who seems to assume this paternal tone is quite justified. Once more she noted the hectoring tone, as though she were a child, unable to make proper decisions. She had tried since the funeral to ignore this tone, or to tolerate it. She had tried to understand that it was shorthand for kindness.And further:In future, once the boys went to bed, she might have the house to herself more often. She would learn to spend these hours. In the peace of these winter evenings, she would work out how she was going to live.And what a fine job of it she does. She takes her family, including the two older girls who are out of the family home, on an inexpensive caravan holiday, and slowly her children come to see the inner strength Nora has, and that they can rely on her. Of course, the process is slow and often so lonely and painful, but she begins to find the joyful person she once was as she goes through the motions of working and dealing with others. The hardest part is knowing what to say to friends, how to socialize, when in the past she had left most of that to Maurice, her much more talkative and social husband. At the moment the only topic she could discuss was herself. And everyone, she felt, had heard enough about a her. They believed it was time that she stop brooding and think of other things. But here were no other things. There was only what had happened. It was as though she lived underwater and had given up the struggle to swim towards air. It would be too much. Being released into the world of others seemed impossible; it was something she did not even want. How could she explain this to anyone who sought to know how she was or asked if she was getting over what had happened?The profundity of this novel is not due to some sudden existential moment, some cosmic insight. Instead it is in the detailed description of how Nora copes and how she literally creates herself. After years of not being musical, she returns to singing, and that is an important step for her in becoming. She finds a singing teacher who urges her to sing in a choir. The teacher, Laurie, comments:“You know I sang for Nadia Boulanager,” Laurie continued, “and one thing she said was that singing is not something you do, it is something you live. Wasn’t that wise?”And while Nora does not know how to respond to this at the time, she does come to live her singing, and that along with the growing strength she feels in helping her children and making a home for them allow her to emerge as a self-made person.I will not provide more of the meticulous description Toibin uses to describe this coming to fruition of a strong and independent woman, but I hope you will pick up the novel yourself and marvel at both Nora and Toibin. The novel is a rather long one, and there is little dramatic action or crescendo, but I found the book lovely and deeply insightful. I recommend it to you along with his other finely crafted books.

Colm Toibin, Bettany Hughes and Paul Cartledge join New Generation Thinker Catherine Fletcher for a discussion recorded at Hay. Colm Toibin's new novel House of Names explores the story of Clytemnestra and the murder of her husband Agamemnon. His other novels include The Testament of Mary, Brooklyn and Nora Webster. Paul Cartledge is A.G. Leventis Professor of Greek Culture Emeritus at the University of Cambridge and the author of many books which look at the classical world including Ancient Greece: A Very Short Introduction, Ancient Greece: A History in Eleven Cities and Democracy: A Life Bettany Hughes has presented many TV and Radio programmes exploring the classical world including Divine Women, Genius of the Ancient World, Banishing Eve and The Ideas That Make Us. Her books include Helen of Troy: Goddess, Princess, Whore, The Hemlock Cup and Istanbul: A Tale of Three CitiesCatherine Fletcher is a New Generation Thinker who has presented Essays and documentaries for BBC Radio 3. She is the author of The Black Prince of Florence The Spectacular Life and Treacherous World of Alessandro de' Medici Producer: Zahid WarleyPart of Radio 3's week-long residency at Hay Festival, with Lunchtime Concert, In Tune, Free Thinking, The Verb and The Listening Service all broadcasting from the festival.

In a live discussion, members of the Studio discuss the lovely and spare novel, Nora Webster, by Colm Toibin. From a review of the book, to an analysis of scenes. The goal of the conversation is to better understand Toibin's craft decisions and improve as writers.

The Irish novelist gives an intimate account of how he wrote his most autobiographical novel, to the Guardian book club at a live event recorded in London

The Irish novelist gives an intimate account of how he wrote his most autobiographical novel, to the Guardian book club at a live event recorded in London

Kirsty Young's castaway is the writer Colm Toibin.Best-known for his novels "Brooklyn" - now made into a film - "Nora Webster" and "The Master," he has been nominated for the Booker Prize three times.Born in 1955 in Enniscorthy, County Wexford, the second youngest of five children, Colm's life changed suddenly when his father died after a long illness when he was twelve. He says he has been dealing with the trauma which resulted in his writing ever since. After attending St Peter's College in Wexford and University College Dublin, he spent three years in Barcelona teaching English before returning to Ireland. He worked as a journalist until his books began to get published. He once told a class he was teaching that "you have to be a terrible monster to write. I said, 'Someone might have told you something they shouldn't have told you, and you have to be prepared to use it because it will make a great story. You have to use it even though the person is identifiable. If you can't do it then writing isn't for you. You've no right to be here. If there is any way I can help you get into law school then I will. Your morality will be more useful in a courtroom.'"Producer: Christine Pawlowsky.

Kirsty Young's castaway is the writer Colm Toibin. Best-known for his novels "Brooklyn" - now made into a film - "Nora Webster" and "The Master," he has been nominated for the Booker Prize three times. Born in 1955 in Enniscorthy, County Wexford, the second youngest of five children, Colm's life changed suddenly when his father died after a long illness when he was twelve. He says he has been dealing with the trauma which resulted in his writing ever since. After attending St Peter's College in Wexford and University College Dublin, he spent three years in Barcelona teaching English before returning to Ireland. He worked as a journalist until his books began to get published. He once told a class he was teaching that "you have to be a terrible monster to write. I said, 'Someone might have told you something they shouldn't have told you, and you have to be prepared to use it because it will make a great story. You have to use it even though the person is identifiable. If you can't do it then writing isn't for you. You've no right to be here. If there is any way I can help you get into law school then I will. Your morality will be more useful in a courtroom.'" Producer: Christine Pawlowsky.

Colm Tóibín discusses his deeply personal story of a provincial Irishwoman who sets aside motherhood to grapple with grief. 

From Madame Bovary to Hedda Gabler, some of literature’s most passionate heroines find themselves under the fire of their times. In Tóibín’s The Testament of Mary, the Irish novelist took on nothing less than the mother of Christ. In his masterful new novel, Nora Webster, he portrays a fiercely compelling young Irish widow and mother of four navigating grief and fear and struggling for hope. Rachel Kushner (The Flamethrowers) joins Tóibín for a discussion about creating characters that erupt off the page, in novels where the political and the personal are locked in a deep and fascinating embrace.*Click HERE to see photos from the program!

Mariella Frostrup is joined by award-winning Irish writer, Colm Toibin, to discuss his new novel, Nora Webster, and to look back over a career that spans a quarter of a century.

Colm Toibin is one of Ireland's finest writers, whose books explore issues such as Catholicism, immigration and homosexuality. This month he has published Nora Webster - a novel set in Ireland in the late 1960s which features a cameo appearance from one of his characters in Brooklyn. In 2012 he published a re-imagining of the life of the Virgin Mary - The Testament of Mary. As booking opens this week for this year's Free Thinking Festival at Sage Gateshead, hear the conversation he recorded with Philip Dodd at the 2012 festival. First broadcast on 6th December 2012.