Best Sydney Writers Festival Podcasts (2025)

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The moral problem of monstrous artists, with Anna Funder: Live from the Sydney Writers’ Festival 53:44

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1d ago53:44

53:44

It is a problem many people increasingly feel they can neither avoid nor ignore: we could characterise it as the problem of loving the art, but being unsettled by the behaviour or the beliefs of the artist who created it. This is a perfectly serviceable way of grasping the outline of the matter, but, on further reflection, it fails to get to its he…

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Sydney Writers' Festival: Top 100 Books launched with Alan Hollinghurst, Catherine Chidgey, Mariana Enriquez, Afra Atiq 55:06

14d ago55:06

55:06

Live from Sydney Writers' Festival, and with an introduction by Emirate poet Afra Atiq, we bring together guests Catherine Chidgey, Mariana Enriquez and Alan Hollinghurst to discuss the most influential works in both fiction and non-fiction. From gripping novels that have captured our imaginations to thought-provoking non-fiction that has reshaped …

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New fiction from Gail Jones, S A Cosby and Seán Hewitt 54:06

17h ago54:06

54:06

Fiction from all over the world, crossing genres, borders and ideas in American crime writer S A Cosby's King of Ashes, a gripping tale of family, smoke, and fire; Irish writer Sean Hewitt’s Open, Heaven, a beautifully woven story about longing, escape and memory; and, first up, The Name of the Sister, the latest from acclaimed Australian literary …

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The moral problem of monstrous artists, with Anna Funder: Live from the Sydney Writers’ Festival 53:44

14h ago53:44

53:44

It is a problem many people increasingly feel they can neither avoid nor ignore: we could characterise it as the problem of loving the art, but being unsettled by the behaviour or the beliefs of the artist who created it. This is a perfectly serviceable way of grasping the outline of the matter, but, on further reflection, it fails to get to its he…

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438. In Conversation with David Tennant 1:23:12

4d ago1:23:12

1:23:12

The Guilty Feminist 438. Intelligence Squared Deborah Frances-White in conversation with David Tennant Recorded 30 April 2025 at the Shaw Theatre in London. Released 2 June. The Guilty Feminist theme composed by Mark Hodge. Get Deborah’s new book with 30% off using the code SIXCONVERSATIONSPOD https://store.virago.co.uk/products/six-conversations-w…

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The Guilty Feminist watches And Just Like That - Season 3, Episode 1 with Jessica Fostekew 52:17

2d ago52:17

52:17

The Guilty Feminist watches And Just Like That Presented by Deborah Frances-White with Jessica Fostekew Season 3, Episode 1: “Outlook Good” More about Deborah Frances-White https://deborahfrances-white.com https://www.instagram.com/dfdubz https://www.virago.co.uk/titles/deborah-frances-white/six-conversations-were-scared-to-have/9780349015811 https…

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A vibrant gay coming-of-age story set in Geraldton 54:04

8d ago54:04

54:04

Kate and Cassie read W.A. writer Holden Sheppard's King of Dirt, a vibrant, gay coming-of-age story set in Geraldton. Plus, Australian author Jennifer Mills' new one, Salvage, in which we enter a very well drawn post apocalyptic Mad Max-ish world; and, Florence Knapp's The Names has been named one of the most anticipated fiction releases of the yea…

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“Progressive patriotism” — is it an idea whose time has come? 54:14

8d ago54:14

54:14

Fresh from a commanding victory at the federal election, Anthony Albanese began to bundle his campaign policy offerings together in a new package — not just to give these political commitments a kind of internal coherence, but also to stake out what could be distinctive about his premiership as a whole. The term he reached for to sum it all up is “…

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“Progressive patriotism” — is it an idea whose time has come? 54:14

8d ago54:14

54:14

Fresh from a commanding victory at the federal election, Anthony Albanese began to bundle his campaign policy offerings together in a new package — not just to give these political commitments a kind of internal coherence, but also to stake out what could be distinctive about his premiership as a whole. The term he reached for to sum it all up is “…

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Emergency Episode: Gaza nurse Alaa Al-ghoul 31:53

6d ago31:53

31:53

Deborah Frances-White in conversation with Gaza nurse Alaa Al-ghoul Recorded 24 May 2025. Released 28 May The Guilty Feminist theme composed by Mark Hodge. Support Alaa by visiting her Instagram page https://www.instagram.com/nurse_alaa_alghoul Thank you to our amazing Patreon supporters. To support the podcast yourself, go to https://www.patreon.c…

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437. Comedy and Freedom of Speech with Jen Brister 1:18:05

11d ago1:18:05

1:18:05

The Guilty Feminist 437. Comedy and Freedom of Speech Deborah Frances-White in conversation with Jen Brister Recorded 5 April 2025 at Brighton Komedia. Released 26 May. The Guilty Feminist theme composed by Mark Hodge. Get Deborah’s new book with 30% off using the code SIXCONVERSATIONSPOD https://store.virago.co.uk/products/six-conversations-were-s…

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Why is our response to humanitarian crises so complicated — and inconsistent? 52:49

15d ago52:49

52:49

Over the last two years, many in Australia and around the world have watched in horror as Sudan, Gaza and other zones of mass violence descend into humanitarian crises of devastating proportions. And while the cause of each crisis is unique, the consequences tend to share common characteristics — for especially civilians: millions of people are dis…

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Why is our response to humanitarian crises so complicated — and inconsistent? 52:49

15d ago52:49

52:49

Over the last two years, many in Australia and around the world have watched in horror as Sudan, Gaza and other zones of mass violence descend into humanitarian crises of devastating proportions. And while the cause of each crisis is unique, the consequences tend to share common characteristics — for especially civilians: millions of people are dis…

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The Guilty Feminist Redux: Choose Your Own Adventure with Shaparak Khorsandi and Leila Navabi 1:11:55

18d ago1:11:55

1:11:55

The Guilty Feminist Redux: Cancel Culture Choose Your Own Adventure Presented by Deborah Frances-White and Shaparak Khorsandi with special guest Leila Navabi Recorded 4 November 2023 at Soho Theatre. First released 13 November. The Guilty Feminist theme composed by Mark Hodge. Get Deborah’s new book with 30% off using the code SIXCONVERSATIONSPOD h…

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On stage at Melbourne Writers' Festival with Hannah Kent and Beejay Silcox 54:06

22d ago54:06

54:06

A live recording from Melbourne Writers' Festival as Hannah Kent and Beejay Silcox sit down with Kate Evans and Jonathan Green to discuss the latest fiction releases they’re enjoying, loving and being challenged by. BOOKS- Hannah Kent, Always Home, Always Homesick, Picador- Eimear McBride, The City Changes its Face, Faber- Susan Choi, Flashlight, J…

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Is it only “joy” when it’s shared? 54:03

22d ago54:03

54:03

“Joy” is a strange kind of word. It describes a feeling that we all know, but do not know exactly how to value. It’s not happiness — which can, after all, be interior, quiet and express itself as a kind of contentment — nor is it merely pleasure (even though, in many languages, “pleasure” and “joy” are etymologically related). Joy is not only more …

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Is it only “joy” when it’s shared? 54:03

22d ago54:03

54:03

“Joy” is a strange kind of word. It describes a feeling that we all know, but do not know exactly how to value. It’s not happiness — which can, after all, be interior, quiet and express itself as a kind of contentment — nor is it merely pleasure (even though, in many languages, “pleasure” and “joy” are etymologically related). Joy is not only more …

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436. Cancel Culture with Josie Long 1:32:11

25d ago1:32:11

1:32:11

The Guilty Feminist 436. Cancel Culture Deborah Frances-White in conversation with Josie Long Recorded 2 April 2025 at Glasgow Glee. Released 12 May. The Guilty Feminist theme composed by Mark Hodge. Get Deborah’s new book with 30% off using the code SIXCONVERSATIONSPOD https://store.virago.co.uk/products/six-conversations-were-scared-to-have More …

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A woman falls through the cracks of time in the first of Solvej Balle's seven-novel-series 54:04

29d ago54:04

54:04

One day lived over and over again with humour, despair and self-improvement is what we’re up against in Danish novelist Solvej Balle’s On The Calculation of Volume, a fictional work in seven volumes, the first volume (the one we’re talking about in this episode), has been shortlisted for the International Booker Prize. Plus, The Emperor of Gladness…

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Australian voters have spoken — do we know what they said? 54:29

29d ago54:29

54:29

After any election, a narrative of sorts must be woven out of the disparate threads of the votes of so many individuals in so many seats. Which is to say, there has to be an act of discernment to hear what “the people” are trying to communicate — to make their will legible, as it were. Despite a relatively modest increase in Labor’s primary vote, t…

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Australian voters have spoken — do we know what they said? 54:29

29d ago54:29

54:29

After any election, a narrative of sorts must be woven out of the disparate threads of the votes of so many individuals in so many seats. Which is to say, there has to be an act of discernment to hear what “the people” are trying to communicate — to make their will legible, as it were. Despite a relatively modest increase in Labor’s primary vote, t…

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435. Does History Have a Right Side with Jessica Fostekew 1:18:36

1M ago1:18:36

1:18:36

The Guilty Feminist 435. Does History Have a Right Side? Deborah Frances-White in conversation with Jessica Fostekew Recorded 1 April 2025 at Leeds Old Woollen. Released 5 May. The Guilty Feminist theme composed by Mark Hodge. Get Deborah’s new book with 30% off using the code SIXCONVERSATIONSPOD https://store.virago.co.uk/products/six-conversation…

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A beach holiday told four ways in Luke Horton's Time Together 54:04

1M ago54:04

54:04

Old friends gather together on the coast in Australian writer Luke Horton’s Time Together, Kate and Cassie take a look. Plus, Jo Harkin’s The Pretender, set during the time of the Tudors' ascent it tells the story of a little-known real-life figure; and Laura Elvery’s Nightingale, a re-imagining of the life of Florence Nightingale. BOOKS Luke Horto…

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Is disillusionment a feature of democratic politics, not a bug? 53:40

1M ago53:40

53:40

Democracy is often lauded as a peculiarly just and effective form of government — one that enjoys the benefits that flow from twin virtues of popular engagement and political accountability. And yet the effectiveness and resilience of democratic politics depends on the trust voters have in political institutions. When those institutions are felt no…

1
Is disillusionment a feature of democratic politics, not a bug? 53:40

1M ago53:40

53:40

Democracy is often lauded as a peculiarly just and effective form of government — one that enjoys the benefits that flow from twin virtues of popular engagement and political accountability. And yet the effectiveness and resilience of democratic politics depends on the trust voters have in political institutions. When those institutions are felt no…

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434. Alison Bechdel in Conversation 44:26

1M ago44:26

44:26

The Guilty Feminist 434. Alison Bechdel in Conversation Presented by Deborah Frances-White with special guest Alison Bechdel Recorded 21 April 2025 via Riverside. Released 28 April. The Guilty Feminist theme composed by Mark Hodge. Get Deborah’s new book with 30% off using the code SIXCONVERSATIONSPOD https://store.virago.co.uk/products/six-convers…

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James Bradley's Landfall reveals a flooded, baked and dilapidated city 54:06

1M ago54:06

54:06

Cities that are both flooded and on alert for the next storm in James Bradley’s Landfall. The body of a saint, dreamily and weirdly listening to everyone around her in Western Australia, in Josephine Rowe’s Little World. And from Malaysia, Tash Aw's The South, in which a family has left the city to head to a failing orchard, a story of longing, pro…

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What are we doing when we vote? 53:52

1M ago53:52

53:52

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the first federal election to be held in Australia after the passage of Senator Herbert Payne’s private member’s bill, which made voting compulsory. In 1922, only 57.95 per cent of registered voters turned out. Payne’s home state of Tasmania had the poorest showing (45.93 per cent), whereas Queensland — wher…

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What are we doing when we vote? 53:52

1M ago53:52

53:52

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the first federal election to be held in Australia after the passage of Senator Herbert Payne’s private member’s bill, which made voting compulsory. In 1922, only 57.95 per cent of registered voters turned out. Payne’s home state of Tasmania had the poorest showing (45.93 per cent), whereas Queensland — wher…

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433. The Road to Gilead with Dan Schreiber, Mara Clarke, Dr Felicia Yeung and Neil Datta 1:49:11

2M ago1:49:11

1:49:11

433. The Road to Gilead with Dan Schreiber, Mara Clarke, Dr Felicia Yeung and Neil Datta The Guilty Feminist 433. The Road to Gilead Presented by Deborah Frances-White with special gusts Dan Schreiber, Mara Clarke, Dr Felicia Yeung and Neil Datta Recorded 9 April 2025 at The Bath Komedia. Released 21 April. The Guilty Feminist theme composed by Mar…

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The Bookshelf Easter Special: Irish writer Niall Williams 54:00

2M ago54:00

54:00

Irish writer Niall Williams with Kate Evans at the 2025 Adelaide Writers Week — with a focus on his Faha novels, History of the Rain, This is Happiness and (his latest) Time of the Child. Williams is also a screenwriter, playwright and travel writer — and his first novel, Four Letters of Love, has just been released as a film. He also appeared onst…

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A love triangle set against the beauty of Montana in Eric Puchner's Dream State 54:07

2M ago54:07

54:07

Families, secrets, mysteries, war...Kate and Cassie read Eric Puchner’s Dream State, an American saga that spans fifty years and is set against the expansive beauty of Montana; mysterious encounters and marital strife between an actor and an art critic in New York in Katie Kitamura’s Audition, and a World War II story set in an apartment block in B…

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Can Australia’s federal election escape the shadow of Donald Trump? 53:56

2M ago53:56

53:56

If there is ever a time when politicians should be able to expect a fair share of the public’s attention, it’s during an election campaign. After all, this triennial event is when they can demonstrate to the Australian public that they’ve been attentive to their aspirations and concerns for the future, and have developed a series of policies able t…

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Can Australia’s federal election escape the shadow of Donald Trump? 53:56

2M ago53:56

53:56

If there is ever a time when politicians should be able to expect a fair share of the public’s attention, it’s during an election campaign. After all, this triennial event is when they can demonstrate to the Australian public that they’ve been attentive to their aspirations and concerns for the future, and have developed a series of policies able t…

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432. Why We Can’t Have Conversations Any More with Susan Wokoma 1:16:36

2M ago1:16:36

1:16:36

432. Why We Can’t Have Conversations Any More with Susan Wokoma The Guilty Feminist 432. Why We Can’t Have Conversations Any More Deborah Frances-White in conversation with Susan Wokoma Recorded 30 March 2025 at The Bath Komedia. Released 14 April. The Guilty Feminist theme composed by Mark Hodge. Get Deborah’s new book with 30% off using the code …

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Folk horror, dreams under surveillance, lonely in Guatemala 1:13:09

2M ago1:13:09

1:13:09

Cassie McCullagh is on leave this week, so Kate Evans and guests read Lucy Rose’s The Lamb, Laila Lalami’s The Dream Hotel, and Rachel Morton’s The Sun was Electric Light (with interview extracts from Lucy Rose on body horror and Cumbrian folk traditions, and from Rachel Morton on her move from poetry to prose). BOOKS Rachel Morton, The Sun was Ele…

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AI in education — is it a technology to be feared, or a tool to be taught? 58:00

2M ago58:00

58:00

This is the second of two episodes recorded in front of a live audience as part of a special “Week with Students”, a collaboration between Radio National and ABC Education. Over a short period of time, AI has become pervasive. Immensely powerful platforms have placed artificial intelligence at our fingertips, and more than two-thirds of Australian …

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AI in education — is it a technology to be feared, or a tool to be taught? 58:00

2M ago58:00

58:00

This is the second of two episodes recorded in front of a live audience as part of a special “Week with Students”, a collaboration between Radio National and ABC Education. Over a short period of time, AI has become pervasive. Immensely powerful platforms have placed artificial intelligence at our fingertips, and more than two-thirds of Australian …

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431. Six Conversations We're Scared to Have with Cariad Lloyd 1:35:37

2M ago1:35:37

1:35:37

The Guilty Feminist 431. Six Conversations We’re Scared to Have Deborah Frances-White in conversation with Cariad Lloyd. Recorded 29 March 2025 at The Glee Club in Birmingham. Released 7 April. The Guilty Feminist theme composed by Mark Hodge. Get Deborah’s new book with 30% off using the code SIXCONVERSATIONSPOD https://store.virago.co.uk/products…

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Are we on the brink of a world without books? On Ray Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451” 1:00:43

2M ago1:00:43

1:00:43

This is the first of two episodes recorded in front of a live audience as part of a special “Week with Students”, a collaboration between Radio National and ABC Education. Of the three great dystopian novels published on either side of the Second World War — Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World” (1931), George Orwell’s “Nineteen Eighty-Four” (1949) and…

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Are we on the brink of a world without books? On Ray Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451” 1:00:43

2M ago1:00:43

1:00:43

This is the first of two episodes recorded in front of a live audience as part of a special “Week with Students”, a collaboration between Radio National and ABC Education. Of the three great dystopian novels published on either side of the Second World War — Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World” (1931), George Orwell’s “Nineteen Eighty-Four” (1949) and…

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Andrea Goldsmith's The Buried Life - and a train steaming towards disaster . . . 54:06

2M ago54:06

54:06

Kate and Cassie read three new works of fiction, with the help of two guest reviewers: a novel of ideas, death, love and music, in Australian writer Andrea Goldsmith's The Buried Life; a real train derailment from the 1890s hurtles together rail workers, coffee sellers, anarcho-feminism, art and typewriters in Irish-Canadian writer Emma Donoghue's …

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Deborah Frances-White on The News Meeting 2:01

2M ago2:01

2:01

One of the largest earthquakes in decades has wrecked parts of Myanmar, but how does a country still grappling with civil war and military rule handle a natural disaster of this scale? The Guardian investigates why senior Tory Lords and MPs are lobbying to thwart the renters’ reform bill. What does Prince Harry’s bullying allegations, brought forwa…

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430. Versions of Us with Fran Lusty, Rosie Hewlett and Dia Day 1:10:24

2M ago1:10:24

1:10:24

The Guilty Feminist 430. Versions of Us – part two Presented by Deborah Frances-White with special guests Fran Lusty, Rosie Hewlett and Dia Day. Recorded 19 March 2025 at The Old Queen’s Head in London. Released 31 March. The Guilty Feminist theme composed by Mark Hodge. Get Deborah’s new book with 30% off using the code SIXCONVERSATIONSPOD https:/…

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Curtis Sittenfeld's Show Don't Tell + Tim Rogers and Zan Rowe on two new debuts 54:36

2M ago54:36

54:36

Kate and Cassie discuss bestselling American writer Curtis Sittenfeld’s sharp and observant collection of short stories Show Don’t Tell; You Am I frontman Tim Rogers reads First Name Second Name, an excellent debut from Queensland novelist Steve MinOn, and the ABC’s own Zan Rowe (of Triple J, Double J and Take 5 fame) shares her thoughts on Scottis…

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Ramadan: Is hope a flimsy emotion, or can it grow from devastation? 54:22

2M ago54:22

54:22

We arrive, at last, at the end of our Ramadan series — and the second of our pair of positive responses to radical disappointment with the world. For some, hope is untrustworthy, amounting to little more than dreaming or wish-fulfilment. For others, hope can turn into kind of bad faith demand, leading to dishonest politics (in the name of being up-…

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Ramadan: Is hope a flimsy emotion, or can it grow from devastation? 54:22

2M ago54:22

54:22

We arrive, at last, at the end of our Ramadan series — and the second of our pair of positive responses to radical disappointment with the world. For some, hope is untrustworthy, amounting to little more than dreaming or wish-fulfilment. For others, hope can turn into kind of bad faith demand, leading to dishonest politics (in the name of being up-…

1
429. Versions of Us with Christine Charitonos, Doella and Georgie Jones 1:02:34

2M ago1:02:34

1:02:34

The Guilty Feminist 429. Versions of Us – part one Presented by Deborah Frances-White with special guests Christine Charitonos, Doella and Georgie Jones. Recorded 19 March 2025 at The Old Queen’s Head in London. Released 24 March. The Guilty Feminist theme composed by Mark Hodge. Get Deborah’s new book with 30% off using the code SIXCONVERSATIONSPO…

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This week’s novels takes us to Zanzibar, Budapest and Renaissance Florence 54:05

3M ago54:05

54:05

This week’s novels takes us to Zanzibar, Budapest and Renaissance Florence with Nobel Prize-winning English-Tanzanian writer Abdulrazak Gurnah’s Theft; while guest reviewers Tim Ayliffe reads Laurent Binet’s Perspectives; and Siang Lu reads David Szalay’s Flesh. BOOKS Abdulrazak Gurnah, Theft, Bloomsbury Laurent Binet, Perspectives (translated from…

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Ramadan: Is optimism a virtue, or a form of moral evasion? 53:37

3M ago53:37

53:37

For the last two episodes, we’ve been discussing what might be called negative or aversive responses to radical disappointment with the world — even though, as we’ve seen, both despair and fear have characteristics which commend them. In the next two episodes, we’re turning to rather more positive responses. There is little doubt that pessimism enj…