Southbank Centre's Book Podcast

Epizode

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  Teaser: So, Hear Me Out – the classical music podcast - So, Hear Me Out – the classical music podcast 04.10.2025

  Can classical music be protest? Can it make you laugh? Or is it just one big remix?In So Hear Me Out, hosts Gillian Moore and Linton Stephens dig into the big questions, uncovering unexpected stories, surprising connections, and the hidden humour behind the music you thought you knew.This is classical music without the clichés — and with plenty to say about the world today.👉 Subscribe now to So Hear Me Out and don’t miss an episode.Get in touch:📩 Send your classical questions to [email protected] updates on Instagram @southbankcentreFollow us on TikTok @southbank.centreSubscribe to The Tonic newsletter for all of our articles, video and audioAnd don’t forget to subscribe and comment, wherever you get your podcasts
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  Southbank Centre’s Book Podcast: Hilary Mantel – The Mirror and the Light 13.03.2020 1h 15min

  British author Hilary Mantel reveals the eagerly awaited third novel in her thrilling Thomas Cromwell trilogy, The Mirror and the Light. The book offers a defining portrait of predator and prey, of a ferocious contest between present and past, between royal will and a common man’s vision. It’s the story of a modern nation making itself through conflict, passion and courage. In this podcast, chaired by journalist and broadcaster Alex Clark, Mantel reflects on the finale of one of the most compelling and celebrated trilogies of modern times, ending with a special reading of The Mirror and the Light.
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  Will Self: a life in writing 28.02.2020 35min

  In this podcast, recorded live at Southbank Centre, author and journalist Will Self joins Alex Bilmes, to discuss his newly released, and typically funny and frenzied memoir, Will. In an entertaining half hour, Self discusses why he wrote Will, the challenges of memoir writing and how it can lead to criticism that is much more ad hominem. Will, perhaps inevitably, is also a book about drugs and drug use, a subject which Self expands upon to talk about the evolution of drug culture and why stories of drug use often draw in people who would never entertain the idea of drug-use themselves.
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  Richard Dawkins: an argument for Atheism 28.01.2020 27min

  Ethologist, evolutionary biologist and author Richard Dawkins joins David Freeman to discuss his latest book Outgrowing God: A Beginner’s Guide. In this podcast recorded as part of our 2019 autumn literature season, the pair take Dawkins’ book as a cue to discuss a broad range of topics including the ‘tribalism’ of religion, Dawkins preference for truth over symbolism and whether you can be good without a God.
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  Phoebe Waller-Bridge - Fleabag: The Scriptures 08.01.2020 36min

  At the 2013 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Phoebe Waller-Bridge stepped on stage to debut her new one-woman show, Fleabag. Now, six years on, that character has grown into a full-on phenomenon, with a sell-out runs in London’s West End and off-Broadway, and two critically acclaimed award-winning television series. In this podcast, Waller-Bridge joins host of The Guilty Feminist, Deborah Frances-White, on stage at Southbank Centre to discuss all things Fleabag. Listen to the pair discuss the how the camera came to represent outside pressure to deliver a performance; combatting loneliness by trying to find connections through sex and family relationships, and how the character of the priest became ‘Hot Priest’. Waller-Bridge also explains how Fleabag evolved from a ten minute monologue written to try and make her friend laugh and cry, and how one drunk woman’s feedback propelled it to the current phenomenon it is.
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  Malcolm Gladwell: Talking to Strangers 06.12.2019 36min

  Malcolm Gladwell is the author of five international bestsellers and was named one of the 100 most influential people by Time magazine. In this podcast, recorded from a London exclusive live appearance here at Southbank Centre, Gladwell discusses his latest book, Talking to Strangers, with broadcaster and former barrister Afua Hirsch. In this fascinating and entertaining talk, the author examines the misinterpretations and misunderstandings at the heart of the tragic case of Sandra Bland. He also asks, why are human beings so bad at detecting lies? And discusses taking risks in his writing. But there is also a lighter side to this podcast as Hirsch and Gladwell discuss how most rich people are really terrible at being rich, why no-one wants to fight a naked pensioner, and suggest that if we are to have meaningful televised political debates, they should not be between politicians, but between their former spouses.
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  Anthony Daniels: My Life as C-3PO 20.11.2019 33min

  Star Wars actor Anthony Daniels joins puppeteer and actor Brian Herring to reflect on his time playing one of the most famous droids in cinematic history. Recorded at London Literature Festival, this podcast sees Daniels discuss his new book I Am C-3PO - The Inside Story, a memoir of both himself and his best known role. Daniels talks of his approach to writing the book and his childhood want to be an actor, before going on to discuss his role in the Star Wars films. Hear about the difficulties of honing the character of a droid whose expression never changed, the challenges of working with non-speaking robot co-stars, and incredibly enthusiastic directors alike, and how he feels about the potential end of Star Wars.
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  Hillary Rodham Clinton & Chelsea Clinton 12.11.2019 32min

  Hillary Rodham Clinton and Chelsea Clinton join the scholar Mary Beard to discuss their new book The Book of Gutsy Women: Favourite Stories of Courage and Resilience. In this UK-exclusive event, introduced by Southbank Centre Chief Executive, Elaine Bedell, the pair discuss how and why they chose to write this book. In this podcast recorded from their talk you’ll hear the stories of some of the women featured in The Book of Gutsy Women, including Juliette Gordon Low, founder of Girl Scouts of the USA, young Ruby Nell Bridges Hall, the first African-American child to desegregate an all-white Elementary School in Louisiana. The Clintons also discuss the challenges that women continue to face today, particularly in politics.
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  Nikki Giovanni at Poetry International 30.10.2019 36min

  The poet and activist Nikki Giovanni discusses the power of literature as she joins us for Poetry International and London Literature Festival. An undeniable cultural icon, Giovanni is the winner of numerous awards, including the Langston Hughes Medal and NAACP Image Award, as well as a Grammy Award nomination for her album The Nikki Giovanni Poetry Collection. She appears here at Southbank Centre in conversation with the British Ghanaian writer, Bridget Minamore.
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  Lenny Henry in conversation 14.10.2019 35min

  The much-loved comedian, actor and writer Sir Lenny Henry joins comedian Romesh Ranganathan in this special edition of our Book Podcast, as the two talk about Henry’s remarkable career and his new memoir Who Am I, Again? Henry explains why and how he chose to write a truthful book about his life, rather than a ‘lying book’, and details his experiences growing up, from his mum’s infamous ‘Saturday Soup’ and an epic fight with his sister, to finding himself working alongside pioneering black actors including Norman Beaton, Carmen Munroe and Rudolph Walker. A great champion of marginalised voices, Henry also highlights the need for greater BAME representation not just on screen, but crucially among those who choose what gets to be seen on screen.
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  Louis Theroux in conversation 30.09.2019 29min

  Documentary-maker Louis Theroux joins his schoolfriend Adam Buxton to discuss his new book Gotta Get Theroux This and his two decades of investigating the weirder, more outlandish sides of human life. In this live discussion, Theroux and Buxton discuss the value of puns, Theroux's distinctive interview techniques and styles, and the worth of silence, as well as revisiting some of his most notable documentaries.
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  Sara Pascoe: Sex, Power, Money 23.09.2019 21min

  Comedian Sara Pascoe joins Deborah Frances-White in conversation to discuss her new book Sex, Power, Money. In this live discussion, Pascoe examines blind spots in relationships and skewers sexual inequalities, taking a comedic and educational hopscotch over anatomy, the history of sexual representation and the sticky way all human interactions are underwritten by wealth.
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  Malorie Blackman in conversation 12.09.2019 26min

  Former Children’s Laureate Malorie Blackman joins Tobi Kyeremateng in conversation to discuss 'Crossfire', the latest novel in her popular Noughts & Crosses series. Enjoy highlights of their Queen Elizabeth Hall discussion, and a reading from the novel, in this exclusive podcast, recorded live at the event on 8 September 2019.
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  Richard Ayoade in conversation with Adam Buxton 09.09.2019 25min

  In this episode of Southbank Centre’s Book Podcast we have an excerpt from writer and director Richard Ayoade in conversation with Adam Buxton, as he reflects on his award-winning films and comedy. As well as reading extracts from his latest book 'Ayoade on Top', the author explains how he drew inspiration from the unlikely source of cabin crew rom-com 'View From the Top' starring Gwyneth Paltrow.
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  Angie Thomas: On the Come Up 02.04.2019 1h 10min

  The bestselling author of The Hate U Give presented an homage to hip-hop and the power of storytelling in a discussion of her second novel, with Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff. She talked about On the Come Up, the story of fighting for your dreams, even as the odds are stacked against you; of the struggle to become who you are and not who everyone expects you to be; and of the desperate realities faced by poor and working-class black families. "It took me a couple years to decide to write that story but it came from a place of anger, hurt and frustration but also from a place of hope and hopefully a way to celebrate when the world doesn't do it for us." ANGIE THOMAS
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  Roxane Gay and women on the page 13.02.2019 32min

  In December, US writer Roxane Gay made her first ever appearance in the UK at Southbank Centre. Author of the New York Times bestselling Bad Feminist, as well as An Untamed State, the short story collection Ayiti and the Marvel comic series Black Panther: World of Wakanda. Roxane was in conversation with editor-in-chief of gal-dem, Liv Little, as well as having a meet and greet with Octavia Poetry Collective. In this podcast, Literature Programmer Bea Colley speaks to Amaal Said and Destiny Adeyemi, members of the Octavia collective, about their experiences of meeting Roxane, the label of 'women's writing' and the idea of empathy. "If just one person feels not alone, then it's worked."
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  TS Eliot Poetry Prize featuring Hannah Sullivan, Zaffar Kunial and Richard Scott 16.01.2019 46min

  In this special episode, Southbank Centre literature team's Ted Hodgkinson and Debo Amon turn their focus to the TS Eliot Prize, one of the most prestigious awards in the poetry calendar. Listen to extracts from the nominated poets’ collections read by the nominees, and, fresh from the 2019 ceremony, Debo shares reaction from the event, including an interview with the winner, Hannah Sullivan. Plus the pair discuss the themes and the nerves of this year’s competition as well as asking if 2019 is the year of the debut collection? 'Very often collections have an overarching narrative, or approach a particular subject… however this is a very uncategorisable series of poems, because it really does encompass universal and gigantic themes which have run across literature'. 'Very often collections have an overarching narrative, or approach a particular subject… however this is a very uncategorisable series of poems, because it really does encompass universal and gigantic themes which have run across literature'. Ted Hodgkinson on Hannah Sullivan’s Three Poems
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  Mohsin Hamid and Riz Ahmed: Migration and Magic 09.01.2019 1h 13min

  Author Mohsin Hamid and actor, writer and musician Riz Ahmed reflect on why stories of migration have captivated our imaginations. From the Ancient Greeks to Hamid's most recent novel, Exit West, stories of migration and displacement, love and hope are necessary in dark times. Ahmed, who starred in the film adaptation of Hamid's novel The Reluctant Fundamentalist, joins the author to discuss how art and the novel can reflect a rapidly changing world.
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  Sue Perkins 20.11.2018 1h 2min

  Sue Perkins made a rare appearance at Southbank Centre's London Literature Festival. The evening was packed full of crackling wit and dubious puns. She was interviewed by her partner, Anna Richardson.
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  American Dreams in the time of Trump 06.11.2018 34min

  Ted Hodgkinson examines the different ways in which literature has interpreted the past, dissected the present and shaped the future of American politics. Guests feature authors Salman Rushdie and Marilynne Robinson, poet Terrence Hayes and academic Sarah Churchwell. "The thing that is weirdest about this book is that, when I started writing it, nobody was thinking about Trump. And then when things started - the phenomenon of Trump. I realised that I had a character, who was a corrupt billionaire; who had made his name in the real-estate business; who liked to have his name on buildings; and had a much younger, eastern European trophy wife. I thought, what?!" SALMAN RUSHDIE