In this episode we welcome Colum McCann, the National Book Award-winning author of Let the Great World Spin, and the Booker Prize-nominated Apeirogon, to discuss his first non-fiction book, American Mother. which tells the story of Diane Foley – mother of beheaded journalist James Foley – who has come face-to-face with her son’s killer and continues to campaign for the safety of journalists and revised government hostage policy.    Colum McCann’s seven novels and three collections of short...

In this episode we are listening to Benjamin Moser and Lauren Elkin discuss Ben’s recent publication The Upside-Down World: Meetings with the Dutch Masters, which was recorded in October 2023, live in the bookshop. With the company of some of the finest artists known, Benjamin Moser discusses art, life, and death, with the passion of a knowledgeable guide who dismantles the hierarchical barrier that art can invoke in many of us.  Benjamin Moser is a biographer and translator. His work...

In this episode we are listening to Marie Darrieussecq and Brian Dillon discuss Marie’s recent publication Sleepless, which was recorded in October 2023, live in the bookshop. Plagued by insomnia for twenty years, Marie Darrieussecq recounts her own experiences alongside those of fellow insomniacs, mostly fellow writers like Ovid, Marcel Proust, Virginia Woolf, Marguerite Duras, Franz Kafka, and Georges Perec. With inimitable humour, which ranges between autobiography, clinical observation...

In this episode we are listening to Lars Iyer and Jon Day discuss Lars’ recent novel My Weil, which was recorded live in the bookshop in September 2023.  My Weil is the third in a loose trilogy of novels, where significant continental thinkers are brought into contemporary academic scenarios that skewer academia, and the parochial ways of British life. Bordering on the unruly and brimming with satire – Lars’ novels are the work of a distinctive voice in British literature.  Libreria wishes...

In this episode Libreria welcomes Pulitzer Prize winner, MacArthur Fellow and esteemed sociologist, Matthew Desmond. Matthew is the author of Poverty, by America, and Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City.  Libreria wishes to thank Allen Lane publishers of the Penguin Random House group for the opportunity to host a live discussion with Matthew Desmond at Libreria bookshop.

In this episode the microphone is passed on to Libreria bookseller Buitumelo, who has invited debut author Santanu Bhattacharya, to chat about his recent novel One Small Voice, which was published by Fig Tree.  Santanu Bhattacharya’s debut novel One Small Voice introduces us to the epic tale of a young man's life and journey through India, starting in the early 90s. We bear witness to Shubhankar’s life from a boy - who witnesses a hate crime that no one around him addresses or wants to...

In this episode Libreria welcomes Turkish writer and political thinker Ece Temelkuran, whose recent publications Together: A Manifesto Against a Heartless World and How To Lose A Country: The 7 Steps From Democracy to Dictatorship focus on fascism, rising populism, and morals in the 21st century. In this discussion, Ece and Lloyd talk about witnessing political changes, her desire to tell the global story of the rise in populism, and the choices we can make together to overcome these...

In this episode I welcome John Grindrod, author of Concretopia and Outskirts. Together with Iconicon these books form a loose trilogy about how the British have planned, built, lived and worked over the last 80 years. During the conversation John mentions the following books and authors: The City and The City - China Miéville Capital - John Lanchester City of the Mind - Penelope Lively

In this episode Libreria welcomes established writer and poet JJ Bola ahead of the publication of his new novel, The Selfless Act of Breathing. In this wide-ranging and candid conversation, we jump off from JJ’s recent work to discuss masculinity, purpose, searching, discovery and failure.

In this episode Libreria welcomes writer, translator and lecturer Dennis Duncan. In his new book “Index, A History of the” Dennis enthuses about how the book index came to be, its uses and abuses - featuring the classic anecdote about Norman Mailer’s vanity - and the influence of the index on the internet and Google.

In this episode Libreria welcomes two legends in psychedelic research, the award-winning author Michael Pollan and the brilliant ethnopharmacologist Dennis McKenna, as we discuss how psychoactive plants impact our brain and culture.

In this episode Libreria welcomes Brazilian writer and editor Emilio Fraia and translator Zoe Perry. Emilio has been selected by Granta magazine as one of the best Brazilian writers of his generation, and is the first Brazilian writer to be translated into English for the New Yorker magazine. Zoe Perry’s translation of Emilio’s Sevastopol has been published by Lolli Editions. Zoe’s translations of contemporary Portuguese-language writers have appeared in The New Yorker, Granta and Words...

Libreria is privileged to be joined by Franco Stevens, founder of Curve magazine, which was created to offer greater visibility of the queer and lesbian community. We chatted briefly about her life, work and legacy, which is the subject of the documentary, “Ahead of the Curve”. To learn more about The Curve Foundation’s work visit thecurvefoundation.org

Libreria is joined by Veronica O’Keane, Professor of Psychiatry and practicing Consultant Psychiatrist at Trinity College Dublin. Her book The Rag and Bone Shop distils a lifetime of practice and her understanding of memory, offering insights into psychiatry, neuroscience and literature.

Collective, the double Oscar-nominated documentary by Alexander Nanau follows a team of investigative journalists whose tireless work uncovers a shocking fraud, revealing the price of corruption and ultimately, the price of truth. Libreria and Second Home are joined by the director and Roger and James Deakins to discuss Alexander's film and its intentions. Made possible by Magnolia Pictures, Participant and Dogwoof.

Koa Beck, former editor-in-chief of Jezebel, is joined by Katrine Marçal to discuss how capitalism’s focus on the individual is inhibiting feminism’s progress towards true equality for the collective.

Lloyd Sowerbutts is joined by Danish prize-winning author Tine Høeg and translator Misha Hoekstra, to discuss Tine's free verse novel "New Passengers", published by Lolli Editions.

Kristen Roupenian came to prominence with the publication of her story ‘Cat Person’ in the New Yorker magazine back in 2017. Having caused quite a storm it is described as the first short story to go viral. Editor of Ladybeard magazine Madeleine Dunnigan caught up with the author down the line in the US.

Today’s guest won major plaudits for his 2009 novel Let The Great World Spin winning the National Book Award in the US. He’s also been nominated for an Oscar and was awarded the prestigious Chevalier arts prize in France. But today Paddy Butler caught up with Colum McCann down the line in New York to discuss Apeirogon, a breathtaking new work.

Today’s guest is a leading light in the vanguard of experimental fiction - announcing her credentials with her 2014 novel Dept. of Speculation, this year Jenny Offill followed up with a marvellously rich and comic tour de force. Her new novel Weather etches with droll precision the thinking, breathing mind of its central character, Lizzie.

Covering anthropology, literature, art, history and our propensity to use science to dominate space and place David Farrier describes some of the binding ideas behind his new work, Footprints - In Search of Future Fossils.

In this episode, Paddy Butler interviews cultural critic Uwe Schütte, on his layered little book, Kraftwerk, Future Music from Germany. They discussed the concepts behind such killer albums as Trans Europe Express and Computer World.

Superstar curator Hans Ulrich Obrist and the enigmatic auteur, David Lynch discuss painting, unrealised projects and the uncompromising pursuit of artistic endeavour.

We go off site for this episode to enter the world of sculptor Conrad Shawcross – At his studio of wonders the artist walked us through the evolution of his ideas.