In Lord of all the Dead, Javier Cercas plunges back into his family history, revisiting Ibahernando, his parents' village in southern Spain, to discover the truth about his ancestor Manuel Mena, who died fighting on the Francoist side at the Battle of the Ebro. He talks about it here with Gaby Wood.
Five Dials 57, ‘To Leave and to Be Left Behind’, explores the imaginative space of the journey – where it can take us and how it can change us. Guest-edited by Sophie Mackintosh, it brings together a range of playful, intimate and risk-taking voices from across contemporary fiction and poetry. To celebrate the launch of this special issue, Sophie was joined in conversation by three of the magazine’s contributors – Rachael Allen, Bridget Minamore and Yara Rodrigues Fowler.
To celebrate the publication of Why Didn't You Just Do What You Were Told?, a new collection of Jenny Diski’s LRB essays, chosen and introduced by Mary-Kay Wilmers, Deborah Friedell talked to Jenny Diski’s daughter, journalist Chloe Diski, about the writer’s life and work.
Writing on Lorna Goodison’s poetry, Derek Walcott asks ‘What is the rare quality that has gone out of poetry that these marvellous poems restore? Joy.’ She reads from her poetry and talks to Linton Kwesi Johnson in this event recorded on 6 March 2020.
Writer Fred D'Aguiar and historians David Olusoga and Catherine Fletcher joined Nandini Das, director of TIDE, to explore the challenge of using fiction to recover the lost voices in history.
Nancy Fraser talks to Ann Pettifor about her book, Capitalism: A Conversation in Critical Theory (Polity), co-authored with Rahel Jaeggi, which seeks to expand our understanding of capitalism.
In this event recorded in 2016, Danny Dorling talks about his book, A Better Politics: How Government Can Make Us Happier with Rupa Huq, Labour MP for Ealing Central and Acton, and Richard Wilkinson, co-author of The Spirit Level.
Laleh Khalili talks to Rafeef Ziadah about her new book, Sinews of War and Trade, which explores the vital importance of ports and shipping in defining the new battlegrounds of the 21st century.
Nikita Lalwani talks about her latest novel, You People, with Mary Mount, in a specially recorded conversation to replace their cancelled event.
Adam Mars-Jones talks to Richard Scott about his latest novel, Box Hill, which won the 2019 Fitzcarraldo Editions Novel Prize.
Danny Dorling talks to Zoe Williams about his book, Slowdown.
Mick Herron presents his sixth Jackson Lamb novel, Joe Country, in conversation with Miranda Carter.
Shiromi Pinto talks to Owen Hatherley and Olivia Sudjic about her novel, Plastic Emotions, based on the life of Minnette de Silva.
In Day Sleeper (MACK) artist Sam Contis presents a new way of looking at the work of iconic American photographer Dorothea Lange. She talks about it here with Joanna Biggs.
Lars Iyer, author of the Spurious trilogy and Wittgenstein Jr. revisits philosophy in his latest novel Nietzsche and the Burbs. He talks about it to Jon Day.