On this episode, we were joined by Booker Prize-shortlisted author Elif Shafak to discuss There Are Rivers in the Sky, her centuries-spanning new novel that follows three historical characters connected by ancient bodies of water.
 
We cover matters great and small, from the idea of water as a holder of memory to whether Elif is the type of person who will dispose of a tea mug or article of clothing once there is visible damage to it. We explore her relationship with The British Museum, inevitably weighing in on the much-politicised Elgin Marbles debate, and whether cultural artefacts belong to a region’s government or its people.
 
Finally, we discuss Elif’s years of investigation by the Turkish government following the publication of The Bastard of Istanbul, with its depiction of the Armenian Genocide, and the surreal nature of seeing your fictional characters be put on trial in a court of law.

Hosted by Ryan Edgington and Matt Hennessey.

On this episode, we were joined by actor and writer Griffin Dunne to discuss The Friday Afternoon Club, his fascinating memoir of his famous family – among them writers Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunne – and his remarkable career in Hollywood starring in films like Martin Scorsese's After Hours and An American Werewolf in London. 

We also discuss his lifelong friendship with the late Carrie Fisher, and what it was like to watch his best friend and flatmate be propelled to unimaginable fame after she starred as Princess Leia in Star Wars. 

Finally, Griffin provides insights into how he navigated writing the great tragedy of his family history: the murder of his sister Dominique at 22-years-old, she too on the cusp of cinematic stardom. 

Signed copies of the book are available to purchase at our London Piccadilly location as well as on our website. 

On this episode, we were joined by one of the most acclaimed writers of her generation, Zadie Smith, who's latest novel, The Fraud, tells the story of the most notorious English trial of the 19th century, and rightfully places slavery at the invisible centre of the traditional Victorian novel.

In our conversation, Zadie explains how she brought this vivid world of real-life characters to being; among them a famous British novelist and a freed slave from a sugar plantation in Jamaica; and why the lives of these Victorians connect so deeply to the concerns of the present day.

Far from a typical interview, we also spoke about a range of interesting topics, including, but not limited to: Donald Trump; OJ Simpson; David Foster Wallace and the 90s literati; the attention economy and its effects on modern reading; and why she believes you can love things like English country houses and classic Hollywood movies and still acknowledge the dark histories that gave them their power.

On this episode, were were joined by celebrated British cultural biographer Roger Lewis, who's latest book, Erotic Vagrancy, is an extravagant, decade-in-the-making portrait of the ultimate love-hate relationship – the marriage of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.

In our conversation, Roger lays bare everything that made these two such an endless subject of fascination for the public; their cinematic successes and more legendary flops; Burton's place in the West End firmament; and of course, their legendary addictions, punch-ups, divorces, hospital bills, and stays in Rome, Paris, New York, London, where chaos followed wherever they went.

Roger also spoke to us about his lifelong obsession with British pop culture, having authored biographies of Peter Sellers, Peter O'Toole, and Charles Hawtrey, and why these subjects remain essential to understanding our shared cultural history – and his opinion, should probably be taught at Sixth Form.

On this episode, we were joined International Booker Prize shortlisted author Benjamín Labatut, who’s first novel written in English is The Maniac, a dark exploration of genius, telling three gripping stories about the consequences of scientific breakthroughs untethered by moral or ethical boundaries.

Benjamín spoke with us about his interest in humanity’s search for new forms of consciousness, be it through modern computers or the centuries old use of psychoactive drugs by the indigenous peoples of the Amazon.

He also explained that in matters of literature, something considered “morally good” should be not confused with being interesting.

With the book depicting 20th century breakthroughs like the creation of the atom bomb and the eventual rise of AI, we also raised the question about releasing this book in the year of Oppenheimer and ChatGPT. Needless to say, the ideas explore in his new novel – and relayed in our conversation – could not be more timely or relevant.

On this episode, we were joined by Anna Funder, acclaimed author of "Stasiland', to discuss her new book 'Wifedom,' which invites us into the mind of George Orwell's first wife Eileen O'Shaughnessy, who's talent, creative intelligence, and fascinating personal history were essential to the creation of 'Animal Farm' and '1984' – all without credit in Orwell's previous biographies.

In addition to discussing the marriage of Eileen and George Orwell, Anna also touches upon her own marriage; the difficulties of juggling the competing responsbilities of being a writer, mother, and wife, and the inevitable compromises that women make as a consequence of social structures which govern our society.

This episode was hosted by Ryan and his wife, Emily Rushton, a teacher and Doctoral Researcher at the University of Cambridge, who was finally given a public forum to take the piss out of her husband.

Warning: The following conversation includes discussions around sexual violence. This may be distressing for some listeners.

On this episode of The Hatchards Podcast we were joined by writer/director Wes Anderson - Parisian, Texan, filmmaker and cinephile - who spoke to Ryan & Matt about his latest film, 'Asteroid City', and the accompanying book, 'Do Not Detonate Without Presidential Approval,' edited by Jake Perlin.

A collection of essays, articles and stories that inspired the movie, Do Not Detonate features pieces from some of the twentieth century’s most revered journalists and critics (Lilian Ross, Pauline Kael), contemporary writers on film and culture (Matt Zoller Seitz, K. Austin Collins), novelists (Georges Simenon), actors (Bob Balaban) and directors (Francois Truffaut) - and concludes with 'Wild to the Wild', a short story by Sam Shepard, whose life and work had a profound influence on the movie.

Wes spoke to us about the art of film criticism, his favourite film literature, the joy of rewatching movies and the wide array of influences - including mid-century American theatre, noir and science fiction - that fed into the making of his latest masterpiece, 'Asteroid City.'

The film was released in the U.K. on June 23 and the book is available from Hatchards' bookshops in Piccadilly, St. Pancras and Cheltenham, as well as Hatchards.co.uk.

With thanks to Wes, Focus Features, and Adam at Pushkin for arranging this interview.

On this episode, we were joined by David Grann, author of the The Wager, the gripping story of a doomed 18th-century imperial expedition to South America which culminated in shipwreck, mutiny, and near-impossible survival.

Grann is a New Yorker staff writer and bestselling author of the contemporary non-fiction classics The Lost City Z and Killers of the Flower Moon, now a major motion picture from Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio premiering this week at the Cannes Festival.

He spoke to us about piecing together a story from several competing narratives; his love of sea tales and adventure stories; why his books lend themselves so well to the screen; and how stories such as these expose the ugly contradictions at the centre of colonial Europe.

We also hear about his own dangerous boat journey to Wager Island, where no amount of anti-motion sickness medicine could lessen the impact of the storm-wracked seas.

On this episode, we were joined by Ian Dunt, political journalist and broadcaster, Twitter personality, and author of the new bestseller, "How Westminster Works... and Why It Doesn't."

Breaking down Westminster institution-by-institution, Dunt's impressively detailed book is a marvel of non-fiction storytelling, filled with humour, righteous indignation, and an overwhelming desire to wrestle British politics back from the brink.

Ian spoke to us about how exactly we got into this mess; the 'chicken or egg' effect of Brexit; the corrosive effects of 'machismo'; and why the political class loathes non-partisanship and expertise.

What emerges from our conversation is his refreshingly funny and optimistic approach to a subject of deep moral seriousness, and the occasional audio appearance of his tiny dachsund.

On this episode, we were joined by Alice Winn, author of the Hatchards Fiction Book of the Month, 'In Memoriam,' her highly-acclaimed debut.

Beginning at the onset of WWI, Winn's novel follows lifelong friends Gaunt and Ellwood from the confines of their cloistered English boarding school to the horrors of trench warfare, as a forbidden romance of fits-and-stars slowly blossoms between them.

Alice spoke to us about the parallels in attitude felt by young people during that time period and the present; taking ideas from the life of Siegfried Sassoon; and the dangers of complacency within a peacetime society.

We also learn how inspiration for the novel came from reading archival newspapers published by her alma mater, Marlborough, regularly listing the wounded and dead amongst former students throughout the war.

Finally, her cat makes a most welcome appearance on mic; a first for The Hatchards Podcast.

If you're a fan of the show, please remember to subscribe and rate us 5-stars on Apple and Spotify.

In the latest episode of the Hatchards podcast our guest was the historian Sarah Watling, author of Tomorrow Perhaps the Future, an enthralling group biography of a handful of female writers and rebels who aided the Republican side in the Spanish Civil War during the 1930s.

Nancy Cunard, Sylvia Townsend Warner, Martha Gellhorn, Gerda Taro and Josephine Herbst – among others – all felt compelled, to varying degrees, to aid the spirited but ultimately doomed defence against Franco’s fascist regime. But what was it about this particular conflict – more so than most others in history – that prompted such widespread and fierce solidarity from the outside? And what kind of legacy did the war leave on these women who travelled to a war zone and risked their lives for a cause they felt morally compelled to support?

We spoke to Sarah about the role of the writer in war; explored some of the fascinating personalities featured within her book – most notably the pioneering American journalist Martha Gellhorn; the Spanish Civil War in the popular imagination, and why it is so stubbornly synonymous with just a handful of famous men; parallels between the war in Spain and contemporary causes such as the Ukraine war and Black Lives Matter; and whether or not Nancy Cunard would be an entertaining or insufferable presence on Twitter.

Tomorrow Perhaps the Future was published by Vintage on February 9 and is available from Hatchards.co.uk as well as our shops on Piccadilly, at St. Pancras Station and in Cheltenham.

Bret Easton Ellis – one time enfant terrible of American literature, a precociously talented writer who published his first novel when he was barely into his twenties, and author of the classic piece of provocation and perversion American Psycho – is now, at the age of 58, looking back on the era in which he came of age.

Set in 1981, his new novel The Shards is a bravura work of auto-fiction steeped in the milieu of Ellis’ seminal early novels, and features many of the hallmarks that first made him famous, notorious and wildly successful: obscenely privileged youth; indulgence and excess; drugs; sex; pop music; and a touch of the old ultra-violence.

It is written largely in the same inimitable style (“numbness as feeling”) as those earlier works – including Less Than Zero, which we see the ‘Bret’ of the novel himself trying to perfect.

Bret spoke to us about what it was like to revisit this formative period of his youth; the irresistible pull of the music and fashions and sense of freedom he remembers from 1981; blending more traditional “auto-fiction” with the genre trappings of a horror story; his indifference to reviews; and whether he cares about being called “controversial”.

California cadres Bret & Ryan also spoke about their respective experiences growing up in the San Fernando Valley while Matt – whose hometown has hitherto not been memorialised in fiction – nodded in silent unrecognition.

The Shards was published on January 17 and is available from our three branches in Piccadilly, St. Pancras and Cheltenham, as well as at Hatchards.co.uk.

On this episode, we were joined by author Lauren to discuss her hypnotising debut novel, 'Scaffolding', which charts the lives of two couples, both living in the same Paris apartment almost fifty years apart.

Lauren spoke to us about the decades-long journey towards bringing this novel to life, and how her career as a translator and non-fiction writer allowed her to freedom to craft this book in precisely the way she envisioned it. 

We also spoke about monogamy and relationships, and how the novel was crafted 'in the key of Eric Rohmer,' the idiosyncratic 20th-century filmmaker who told Paris-set stories following the romantic and moral conflicts of glamorous young people. 

For our final episode of 2022, one of our most loyal customers dropped in for a festive chat: the sharp-suited national treasure, bookshop-haunter, and newly-Golden Globe-nominated actor, Bill Nighy.

Bill kindly took time out for a busy schedule promoting his new film, 'Living,' to talk to us about working with Kazuo Ishiguro; his teenage dreams of literary stardom; his feelings about being known as "Mr. Christmas" following the success of 'Love Actually'; and his enduring affection for Hatchards.

Thank you for listening to us throughout the year, happy holidays, and look out for much more from The Hatchards Podcast in 2023.

According to former lorry driver turned Pulitzer Prize-winning art critic, Jerry Saltz, art represents "the greatest operating system our species has ever devised to explore consciousness." That is, of course, until they invented the podcast.

On this episode, Ryan and Lydia Porter had the distinct pleasure of talking all things visual with America's most famous, and in some corners of the internet, infamous, art critic.

In his new book, "Art Is Life", Saltz draws on two decades of work to offer a real-time survey of contemporary art as a barometer of our times. Chronicling a period punctuated by dramatic turning points - from the cultural reset of 9/11 to the rolling social crises of today - Saltz traces how visionary artists have both documented and challenged the culture.

Art Is Life offers Saltz's eye-opening appraisals of trailblazers like Kara Walker, Hilma af Klint and Jasper Johns; provocateurs like Jeff Koons, Richard Prince and Marina Abramovic; and visionaries like Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning. With his signature blend of candour and conviction, Jerry Saltz argues in Art Is Life for the importance of the fearless artist. The result is an openhearted and irresistibly readable appraisal by one of our most important cultural observers.

Jerry spoke to us about everything from Tracey Emin to Dolly Parton, to the bankrupt FTX billionaire currently making headlines. We debated the merits of the art market, to whether or not we British are capable of transcending our literary roots to paint what he calls, "the bullsh*t American sublime."

While rarely succinct, he is never boring, and full of tremendous curiosity, intelligence, and an enthusiasm for art and artists that cannot be ignored.

The Hatchards Podcast has always been about hard graft.

In this episode, resident workaholics Ryan Edgington and Matt Hennessey discuss the life & times of two other (arguably less celebrated) grafters, Charles Dickens and Prince, alongside our special guest, the bestselling novelist and screenwriter, Nick Hornby.

Hornby’s excellent new book – Dickens & Prince: A Particular Kind of Genius – uses the example of these two giants to explore the nature of creativity and asks what drove them both to such extremes of productivity. How, exactly, did they get so much done? Is this drive innate or manufactured by experience? Is it better to be perfect or prolific? And is there ever such a thing as ‘wasted talent’?

We also asked Nick about his own creative process; the importance of pop culture (especially music) in his work; whether there is a modern equivalent of “the pram in the hall” distracting artists from their toil; and the likelihood of there ever being a Fever Pitch 2.

In this episode we spoke to Melissa Newman – daughter of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward – about her father’s posthumous memoir, 'Paul Newman: The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man.'

Created from transcripts of recordings originally made by Paul in the 1980s, these candid, reflective and deeply personal reminiscences are interspersed with excerpts of interviews from friends, family and colleagues – among them directors John Huston, Robert Altman and Elia Kazan; fellow actors Tom Cruise, Eva Marie Saint and Robert Wagner; and of course, Joanne Woodward herself – who was married to Newman from 1958 until his death in 2008. The result is a unique insight into one of the most iconic film actors of the twentieth century.

In our conversation, Melissa spoke about her father’s complex personality; the sometimes painful, sometimes funny experience of excavating her parents’ past; the knottier truth hidden beneath the ostensibly perfect family exterior; Ethan Hawke’s recent documentary about her parents, The Last Movie Stars; as well as Paul’s insecurities as an actor and his conflicted relationship with fame.

She was as open, charming, frank and funny as her father, rightly emphasising his many virtues while also unafraid to acknowledge his flaws.

On the latest episode of The Hatchards Podcast, Ryan and Matt make their (triumphant?) return to interview the illustrious music journalist David Hepworth on the occasion of the release of his new book, "Abbey Road: The Inside Story of the World's Most Famous Recording Studio."

Many people will recognise the famous zebra crossing. Some visitors may have graffitied their name on its hallowed outer walls. Others might even have managed to penetrate the iron gates. But what draws in these thousands of fans here, year after year? What is it that really happens behind the doors of the most celebrated recording studio in the world? It may have begun life as an affluent suburban house, but it soon became a creative hub renowned around the world as a place where great music, ground-breaking sounds and unforgettable tunes were forged - nothing less than a witness to, and a key participant in, the history of popular music itself. What has been going on there for over ninety years has called for skills that are musical, creative, technical, mechanical, interpersonal, logistical, managerial, chemical and, romantics might be tempted to add, close to magic.

David spoke to us about The Beatles' creative relationship with the studio, how its engineers defined the sound of pop music for a generation, and why Ryan is wrong about the legacy of David Bowie.

On this special episode, male-identifying hosts Matt Hennessey and Ryan Edgington have been excommunicated from the programme in favour of guest hosts Lydia Porter and Alessia Arcuri who spoke to Katy Hessel about her new book, "The Story of Art Without Men."

How many women artists do you know? Who makes art history? Did women even work as artists before the twentieth century? And what is the Baroque anyway?

Discover the glittering Sofonisba Anguissola of the Renaissance, the radical work of Harriet Powers in the nineteenth-century USA, and the artist who really invented the Readymade. Explore the Dutch Golden Age, the astonishing work of post-War artists in Latin America, and the women artists defining art in the 2020s. Have your sense of art history overturned, and your eyes opened to many art forms often overlooked or dismissed. From the Cornish coast to Manhattan, Nigeria to Japan this is the history of art as it's never been told before.

...And lest you had previously considered this show to be too male-dominated, this quasi-tokenistic act of self-immolation on the part of Matt and Ryan now permits us to never again address any future criticisms you may have about this fine programme. Especially if they are warranted.

As always, we will continue to accept flattery and well wishes, as well as the occasional pint.

This is The Hatchards Podcast... without men.

The latest installment of the Hatchards Podcast is a global affair, recorded variously in Los Angeles, Paris, and North London and featuring our guest Tess Gunty, author of the phenomenal debut novel, The Rabbit Hutch.

Set over three sweltering July days in the fictional town of Vacca Vale in the American rust belt, the novel revolves around the residents of ‘The Rabbit Hutch’, a dilapidated housing complex that is home to a motley mix of the Midwest's forgotten and forlorn: damaged teens struggling to deal with the legacy of foster home abuse; an elderly couple besieged by falling rodents; a lonely online obituary editor; and Blandine Watkins, the heroine of the story and its unforgettable central character, upon whom a shocking act of violence is both the beginning and the culmination of this novel.

We spoke to Tess about the inspiration for the spellbinding Blandine; the influence of the German mystic, Hildegard of Bingen; the plight of real-life midwestern towns abandoned by the political class; and her own background in the Vacca Vale-esque South Bend, Indiana. Ryan also squeezed in the obligatory film reference in the form of a question about Harmony Korine.

In this episode, we spoke to the inimitable Geoff Dyer, author of books including Out of Sheer Rage, Zona, But Beautiful, The Ongoing Moment, and Broadsword Calling Danny Boy.

His new book, The Last Days of Roger Federer and Other Endings, was published by Canongate earlier this month. Ingeniously structured – separated into three sections of sixty chapters, with its 86,400 words representing each second in a day – it is both witty and wise, and examines the late careers of artists as varied as J. M. W. Turner, Nietzsche, D. H. Lawrence, Bob Dylan and the eponymous Federer on its way to asking the question: "Could it be that our deepest desire is for it all to be over?"

Less elaborately structured, our freestyle conversation with Geoff is one we reluctantly ended with a reference to a shampoo scam. Before that? The difficulty of retaining what you read; Geoff’s capacity for building atomic weaponry; the case for reading Middlemarch; artist James Turrell's pharaonic Roden Crater project in the Arizona desert; and the genius of Larry McMurtry – all in a mere 2,844 seconds.

For initiates and the uninitiated alike, our conversation is a perfect window into the boundlessly curious and original mind of one of Britain's greatest wits.

Dear listener, we strongly recommend that you pour yourself a tall glass of Bordeaux before you listen to the latest episode of The Hatchards Podcast, lest you want to feel like the only sober person in the room.

As 'Waiter in Paris' memoirist Edward Chisholm is a trained expert in what he describes as the holy trinity of French cuisine - bread, cheese, and wine - Matt and Ryan considered it the perfect opportunity (nay, excuse) to try and impress their guest with an elaborate display of expensive wines and pungent cheeses. Unsurprisingly, their lively conversation is often punctuated with the popping of corks, pouring of glasses, and the breaking of bread. Mercifully, Matt left his accordion at home.

'A Waiter in Paris,' our Hatchards Book of the Month, is an insightful journey into the underbelly of the City of Light, revealing what it really takes to work as a waiter in Paris, navigating everything from raging chefs and pompous management to disdainful customers and cut-throat colleagues, all in the name of putting food on your table.

Mr. Chisholm spoke to us about his experiences in Paris as a young British ex-pat, where his vain hopes of finding gainful employment in the arts or humanities rapidly emptied his bank account. As a consequence, he sought a role as a waiter in an archetypal French Bistrot where any romantic notions he may have held about this profession were quickly shattered within minutes of beginning his first shift.

If you think you've got party stories, wait until you hear from Edward Chisholm.

In this episode, 'This is Shakespeare' author Emma Smith joins us to discuss her latest book, 'Portable Magic,' an iconoclastic new story of the book in human hands, exploring when, why, and how it acquired its particular hold over us. Gathering together a millennium's worth of pivotal encounters with volumes big and small, Smith reveals that, as much as their contents, it is books' physical form - their 'bookhood' - that lends them their distinctive and sometimes dangerous magic.

Emma spoke to us about why she feels it is important not to overly romanticise the book form, as historically books have been at the center of powerful authoritarian movements such as Hitler's 'Mein Kampf' or Mao's 'Red Book.'

While that description may lead you to think that our conversation has a contrarian streak, in reality, you have never heard three people speak more enthusiastically, or indeed more exhaustively, about books. Trust us when we say we have left no page unturned.

This is truly The Hatchards Podcast at its most unabridged. For book lovers, is there anything better?

On this episode, we were joined by Booker Prize-winning author Richard Flanagan to discuss his fascinating new memoir, 'Question 7', a meditation on the decisions that we make and the reverberating effects that these choices can have on the course of history.

Richard spoke to us about why he feels that books must exist outside the moral grammar, and why good readers are as important as good writers.

He shared amusing anecdotes about a life spent on the road promoting his work, and his dissatisfaction with living in cities – where value is placed on the man-made over the natural world. 

Finally, he contemplates the difficult question of whether he would even be sitting across from us had the atom bomb not been dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, freeing his father after years of back-breaking work in a Japanese POW camp.

'Question 7' has been chosen as the Hatchards Non-Fiction Book of the Month for June. Signed copies can be purchased across our three shops as well as on our website.

In this episode, we spoke to debut novelist Ben Hinshaw about his new book, "Exactly What You Mean," a series of 11 interconnected short stories revolving around the island of Guernsey.

Characters appear and reappear throughout the book, ricocheting through each other's lives in ways that can be either funny or tragic and altogether unexpected. In this way, Hinshaw reminds us of the ways that we are all connected, and the impact we make on those around us, for better or worse.

Hinshaw spoke to us about his memories coming-of-age on the island throughout the 80s and 90s, his years spent as a London bookseller, his later years in America, and his unique journey towards becoming a novelist.

With echoes of Raymond Carver, Alice Munro, and the ensemble films of Paul Thomas Anderson, Hinshaw's book marks the arrival of a major new literary voice.

What is a butler?

In his new book "Butler to the World," Oliver Bullough describes a butler as a person that was educated at all the right schools, cultivated all the right connections, and relies on centuries of learned experience in the service of wealthy individuals.

Sound familiar? Through its offshore territories, endless loopholes, and hands-off approach to its financial sector, Bullough powerfully argues that Britain has spent the better part of a century occupying the role of Jeeves, only not to Bertie Wooster, but to global criminal organisations ranging from the drug cartel to the Putin regime.

In this vital conversation, Bullough poses what is perhaps the most pertinent question facing the nation since the collapse of the empire: if we were to leave the butlering business once and for all, what would our new role be?

To keep things light, we also contemplate all of the good P.G. Wodehouse's Jeeves could have done in the world had he not wasted his talents on being a fixer for half-wits and drunken aristocrats.

In this episode, Matt and Ryan were afforded the immense pleasure of speaking to one of the greatest living novelists of our time, Colm Tóibín. Tóibín joined us on the occasion of his latest novel, 'The Magician', being released in paperback.

The novel traces the life of 20th-century German writer Thomas Mann, author of 'The Magic Mountain', 'Death in Venice', and 'Buddenbrooks.' Thomas lived a life of profound contradictions and complexity. He was a homosexual man happily married to a woman who bore him six highly eccentric children. He was a German nationalist who became a fierce critic of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime. Above all, Thomas was a person most comfortable in his study, working confidently on his books, away from the fray. Due to the broad sweep of German history during the first half of the 20th-century, this position becomes untenable, and Thomas is forced by circumstance to become a man of action and consequence.

As you will hear from the conversation, Tóibín has become something of an expert on Thomas Mann, and speaks about his life in a way that grabs you from the first moment of the conversation. We could not be more thrilled to have spoken to him about this truly remarkable novel, perhaps the finest book Tóibín has written to date.

Hosted by Ryan Edgington and Matt Hennessey.

In this episode, we're taking listeners back to the Cold War, covering everything from '80s pop culture to perestroika.

We were joined from Berlin by The Guardian's bureau chief, Philip Oltermann, to discuss his fascinating new book, 'The Stasi Poetry Circle.' This unique Cold War story charts the history of East Germany's brutal secret police through their unlikely monthly poetry club. What sounds like a Monty Python sketch is revealed to be a complex and elaborate scheme likely designed to equip spies with the necessary tools to decode works of East German literature for material that ran counter to the prevailing Marxist-Leninist ideology. We also discuss Oltermann's experiences tracking down these men today to see what has become of their lives since the wall came down.

Mr. Gorbachev, turn up this podcast.

Hosted by Ryan Edgington and Matt Hennessey.

There is something of a Francis Bacon season going on here at Hatchards, with 'Bacon in Moscow' chosen as our non-fiction Book of the Month, multiple new releases across various genres covering the artist's work, and a new exhibition entitled 'Man and Beast' across the road at the Royal Academy.

In this episode, we invited author Max Porter ('Lanny,' 'Grief is the Thing With Feathers') and the author and art curator James Birch ('Bacon in Moscow') to discuss the life and works of the famed 20th-century figurative artist.

Mr. Birch first met Bacon when he was a little boy, and maintained a close relationship with him until the end of his life. In July of 1986, he successfully curated an exhibition of the artist's work in the former USSR, allowing more than 400,000 Soviet citizens to view Bacon's work for the first time.

Mr. Porter's devotion to Bacon's work began when he was a teenager, and he spent the better part of the 2020 national lockdown writing an imagined memoir about the last days of the artist's life. The resulting novella, 'The Death of Francis Bacon,' is an extraordinary series of six "written pictures" transmuting Bacon's unsettling imagery into the written word.

Both of these authors' fascinating new books can be purchased in signed, exclusive editions in the shop and on our website.

Hosted by Ryan Edgington and Matt Hennessey.

On this episode, we were joined via Zoom by the delightful Caleb Azumah Nelson, author of the acclaimed debut novel "Open Water." In this conversation, Caleb spoke to us about his unique background, his inspirations, his love of music and photography, and his cultural touchstones like Zadie Smith and the 2016 feature film, Moonlight. He also waxes lyrical about the myriad pleasures of deepest Southeast London, perhaps a city unto itself.

Additionally, Matt and I do an extended ramble in the introduction about our favourite debut novels from the recent past (and not-so-recent past). However, if you are just here to listen to a brilliant author speak, the conversation with him begins at 7:32.

In this episode, we spoke to Roger Katz, the former manager of Hatchards, about selling his library of over 500 signed first editions, as well as working in the book trade throughout the 1990s, an era that he dubs the "Golden Age of Bookselling." He relates to us some brilliant stories about his encounters with artists and celebrities such as Steve Martin, Cher, and Arthur Miller, and makes a compelling case not just for Hatchards, but for the significance of the bookshop experience as a whole.

Hosted by Ryan Edgington and Matt Hennessey.

On this episode, we were joined by Natasha Brown, author of the breakout debut novel of 2021, Assembly. Brown spoke to us about her journey towards becoming an author and developing a prose style to match the icy, transactional nature of the novel's universe. She provided insights into pitching a debut novel in the publishing world, and how the book's reception has influenced her understanding of its meaning.

Hosted by Ryan Edgington and Matt Hennessey.

In this special Advent Calendar mini-episode, we were joined by two veritable icons of British entertainment, Joanna Lumley and Gyles Brandreth. Both authors (and longtime friends) have published new books on the royal family, A Queen for All Seasons and Philip respectively, which attempt to shed new light on Queen Elizabeth II and her beloved late husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Additionally, Mr. Brandreth has published a riotous new memoir entitled Odd Boy Out. All three of these books can be purchased in exclusive signed editions on our website. We hope you enjoy another wine-infused conversation from our bustling Christmas Evening at Hatchards. Happy Christmas!

Hosted by Ryan Edgington and Matt Hennessey.

In this special Advent Calendar mini-episode, we were joined by Dominic Sandbrook to discuss his new series of Children's History books entitled "Adventures in Time." The first four books in this ongoing series covers Alexander the Great, Henry VIII and the Wives of Windsor, as well as the two World Wars. Sandbrook spoke to us about the challenges of adapting these complex, wide-ranging histories into books that would be exciting and accessible to young readers. We hope you enjoy another wine-infused conversation from our bustling Christmas Evening at Hatchards. Happy Christmas!

Hosted by Ryan Edgington and Matt Hennessey.

On this episode, we were joined by Rachel Khong, author of the New York Times bestseller Real Americans – a multigenerational story about a Chinese American family that is three great novels wrapped into one. 

The novel begins in New York City just before the attacks on September 11th when an unpaid intern with immigrant parents meets and falls in love with a blue-blooded stranger who is heir to a vast pharmaceutical empire. As the story moves back and forth in time – from China’s cultural revolution of the 1960s to Silicon Valley in 2030 – our perspective shifts between the members of the family, with their stories exploring themes of race, class, and cultural identity. 

Rachel spoke with us about her journey towards writing this epic novel; Western ignorance towards the legacy of the Chinese dictator Mao Zedong, a literary phenomenon known as the 'The Gosling Effect'; and the differences in family relationships between the East and West.

In this special Advent Calendar mini-episode, we were joined by Henry Eliot, author of The Penguin Modern Classics Book, a beautifully detailed history of this iconic collection of modern literature, where names like Woolf and Proust stand alongside rediscovered gems and rarities. Eliot spoke to us about assembling this era-defining companion and why it makes such an ideal Christmas present. We also got him to admit on record what books from the series he has still yet to read. Eliot's book can be purchased in an exclusive signed edition on our website. We hope you enjoy another wine-infused conversation from our bustling Christmas Evening at Hatchards. Happy Christmas!

Hosted by Ryan Edgington and Matt Hennessey.

In this special Advent Calendar mini-episode, we were joined by William Sieghart, author of the bestselling series, The Poetry Pharmacy. Sieghart spoke to us about adapting 100 poems from this collection into a new illustrated book for children entitled, Everyone Sang: A Poem for Every Feeling. The book is part of his decades-long effort to make poetry more accessible to a wider range of individuals. He explained to us how this latest work might help children to better make sense of their complex emotions surrounding the COVID-19 global pandemic. It can be purchased in an exclusive signed edition on our website. We hope you enjoy another wine-infused conversation from our bustling Christmas Evening at Hatchards. Happy Christmas!

Hosted by Ryan Edgington and Matt Hennessey.

In this special Advent Calendar mini-episode, we were joined by Clare Jackson, author of Devil Land, an epic chronicle of England during its bloody 17th century, perhaps the most turbulent time in its history. Jackson spoke to us gleefully about the negative perceptions of England held throughout the world during this period, and whether parallels could be drawn between this country in the 17th century and our current state of affairs today. Devil Land can be purchased in an exclusive signed edition on our website. We hope you enjoy another wine-infused conversation from our bustling Christmas Evening at Hatchards. Happy Christmas!

Hosted by Ryan Edgington and Matt Hennessey.

In this special Advent Calendar mini-episode, we were joined by the art historian Philip Hook, who has spent much of his career as an impressionist and modern art expert at Sotheby's. Hook has sold many of the major paintings from that period including Edvard Munch's The Scream. His new book, ART OF THE EXTREME, takes place in the years running up to the First World War, where all of the major "-isms" (i.e. Fauvism, Cubism, Expressionism) began to take shape. He examines these movements against the popular art of the day, making a powerful case for the importance of ignoring conventional thought and forging new paths forward. We hope you enjoy another wine-infused conversation from our bustling Christmas Evening at Hatchards. Happy Christmas!

Hosted by Ryan Edgington and Matt Hennessey.

In this episode, we were visited by one of Britain's greatest living novelists, William Boyd. Boyd's latest book "Trio" follows three characters on the set of a swinging sixties film set in Brighton in 1968. This zany film and its wafer-thin premise are rendered instantly obsolete by the spirit of the times. Boyd spoke to us about his retrospective feelings regarding the 60s, his career as a screenwriter, his thoughts on chasing the zeitgeist, and a little bit about James Bond! We hope you enjoy this spirited chat with a remarkable literary talent.

Hosted by Ryan Edgington and Matt Hennessey.

We were delighted to welcome icon of British comedy, John Cleese, as our guest on the inaugural Hatchards Podcast.

He discussed his recent book Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide – a brisk, insightful challenge to the idea that creativity is an inherent trait that cannot be learned or finessed.

Drawing on personal experience from his long and illustrious career, and peppered with anecdotes about his own (and others) creative process, the book is an unpretentious, accessible, breezily companionable primer for anybody who has ever wondered about the mysterious nature of inspiration, or how ideas are formed, shaped and turned into art of any kind. His practical, unfussy advice should give solace to anyone who has ever struggled over a blank piece of paper or wondered just how their heroes do it.

Hosted by Ryan Edgington and Matt Hennessey.

On this episode, we were joined by author Percival Everett — Booker Prize finalist and poet of “pathological irony,” — to discuss his landmark new book, James, a retelling of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the point of view of Jim. 

Following the retirement of his longtime editor in 2021, this novel casts Everett into the centre of the literary ‘moment’ with the book climbing the UK’s bestseller lists despite it sacrificing none of the madcap invention or gallows humour that has cemented his cult reputation. 

It also comes in the wake of his 2001 novel, Erasure, being adapted into the Oscar-winning film, American Fiction, itself a satire of a writer entering the literary mainstream. 

Percival spoke to us about why his book is neither homage nor take down of Twain’s iconic novel; why ‘distractions’ like fishing and tennis are essential to his process; and finally, that thorny American issue — in his view the only American issue — addressing the legacy of slavery. 

Hosted by Ryan Edgington and Lily Woods (Hatchards.co.uk manager).

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On this episode, we were joined by author Andrew O’Hagan to discuss his truly exciting new novel, Caledonian Road, which has been selected as the Hatchards Fiction Book of the Month for April.

Wedged between two epochal events that have shaped our age — the global pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — the story follows Campbell Flynn, art historian, TV presenter, London resident, and man in free fall, as a web of crime and conspiracy eviscerates his sense of self-identity and redefines what it means to be a “good liberal” at a time where nothing is above scrutiny.

Andrew spoke us to about taking inspiration from classic Victorian novels; how his time spent with figures like Julian Assange and South London gangs informs the book’s characters; why novelists should write without fear; and as Andrew is Glaswegian, we cover the city’s ill-fated “Willy Wonka Experience” that grabbed global headlines back in March.

Signed copies of the book are now available to be purchased in-store or on our website. 

Hosted by Ryan Edgington and Matt Hennessey.

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On this episode, we were joined by authors Robert P. Kolker and Nathan Abrams to discuss Kubrick: An Odyssey, their authoritative new biography on the life and work of the legendary filmmaker behind The Shining, Dr. Strangelove, and 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Robert and Nathan spoke to us about the process of rendering the mythology of Kubrick into flesh and blood; the rogues gallery of famous personalities that provided conflicting firsthand accounts; Kubrick's creative and personal life in the UK; and of course, the films, which according to our guests, represent the most rigorous body of work in the history of cinema.

Hosted by Ryan Edgington and Matt Hennessey.

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On this episode, we were joined by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Hisham Matar to discuss his brilliant new novel ‘My Friends,’ which tells the story of three exiled Libyan friends living in London over the course of four decades, each marked by an act of real political violence which occurred at the Libyan embassy in St. James’s Square in 1984.

The author is himself an exile, having fled the country as a child due his father’s vocal criticism of the Qaddafi regime, ultimately settling in London, where he has lived for many years.

Hisham spoke to us about the long journey towards completing this highly personal novel; why he believes that authors are rarely in control of their own work; and the challenges of attempting to live freely as an exile, all the while knowing that your compatriots are struggling back home.

The novel is full of warmth, brilliant storytelling, and great style, all attributes which can also be used to describe this episode's guest.

On this episode, we were joined by acclaimed journalist and writer Dolly Alderton, who's latest novel, Good Material, follows a standup comedian in his mid-30s navigating “The Madness” that follows an unexpected breakup with his longtime girlfriend, Jen.

As Andy attempts to discover the flaw in himself that points to where it all went wrong, Dolly puts through him a series of alternatively hilarious and heartbreaking set pieces — a brief sojourn living on a houseboat; an album in his phone called ‘bald’ where he takes a picture of his receding hairline each day; and a disastrous karaoke date with a holier-than-thou Gen-Z hipster.

In our conversation, Dolly spoke to us about charting the course of Andy’s breakup from a male point-of-view; her interest in the world of comedians; how she’s been both Andy and Jen in relationships; as well as her fascination with generations, and why she feels that millennials have never been given their due.

Spoiler warning - the final minutes of this episode include a discussion about the book's last chapter. Proceed with caution if you don't wish to know how it ends!

On this episode, we were joined by Booker Prize-winning author Alan Hollinghurst to discuss his new novel, Our Evenings, releasing 3 October.

Immersing us in the revolutionary world of British theatre in the 1960s, the novel follows Dave Winn, an English actor of Burmese descent, through his experiences of success and failure, love and heartbreak, acceptance and hatred, and a final coda that reshapes our entire understanding of this extraordinary story.

Alan shares insights from his decades-long career of portraying queer life in Britain across the 20th and 21st centuries, highlighting how cultural and political shifts have influenced his storytelling.

He also offers us a sense of both the attraction and repulsion that draws him toward a world of wealth and privilege, leaving his characters—and perhaps himself—on the outside, looking in.

Hosts: Ryan Edgington and Matt Hennessey Producer: Lily Woods

On this episode, we were joined by the iconic actor, writer, and filmmaker Richard Ayoade to discuss his latest comic novel, The Unfinished Harauld Hughes, a fictional accounting of his quest to canonise the most significant British playwright of the 20th century (who also happens to be entirely made up). 

Richard spoke to us about the figures that influenced the invention of Hughes–among them Harold Pinter and Orson Welles–and the ill-fated film Hughes authored, "O Bedlam, O Bedlam", which stopped the prolific playwright from ever writing again. 

He expressed scepticism about the myths and exaggerations that create "great lost works" and literary recluses and discussed why it is important to approach comic writing from the inside out rather than trying to make fun of your characters. 

For good measure, we also discuss his deep love of "Spinal Tap", Joan Didion, and the time he spent acting in Wes Anderson's "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar." 

On this episode, we were joined by the legendary British actor, Sir Simon Russell Beale CBE, to discuss his first memoir from a life on the stage, A Piece of Work: Playing Shakespeare & Other Stories. 

Often described as the "best stage actor of his generation," Simon shares insights into the whopping 18 Shakespeare characters he has played throughout his career with the RSC and the National Theatre. 

He generously invites us into his process as an actor and explains why the personal and working relationships he has formed with collaborators like Sam Mendes and Nicholas Hytner are essential to his extraordinary success. 

Lastly, we discuss encounters with performing legends such as Stephen Sondheim and Lauren Bacall and an example of what it means to recieve a "bad note" from a director. 

In this episode, we were joined by Karl Ove Knausgaard, author of one of the key literary phenomenons of the 2010s, My Struggle, to discuss his latest novel, The Third Realm, the latest instalment in the riveting Morning Star series.

Karl Ove spoke to us about his journey toward becoming more at ease in literary interviews, his relationship with his work in translation, and how music informs one’s sense of identity—contrasting, for instance, his youthful love of punk and R.E.M. with his daughter’s of Ariana Grande. We also discuss “artistic preciousness” and how he has evolved from seeing writing as “sacrosanct” to being able to work at the kitchen table despite constant interruptions.

Hosted by Ryan Edgington and Matt Hennessey. Produced by Lily Woods.