In this episode, Rob chats to novelist and Orange Prize winner, Joanna Kavenna about the individual experience of reality, Baudelaire, George Osbourne, the British Class system and her latest work, The Field Guide to Reality. Rob and Kate Feld also argue about all things literary (and otherwise). Kate tells us what the UNESCO City of Literature designation means for Manchester and Rob forces the Times Literary Supplement Twenty Questions on her. Apologies in advance to The New Statesman.

Here is the Times Literary Supplement interview with Nicola Barker mentioned in the podcast.

(Interview with Joanna begins at 30:45)

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Namechecks:

Jerome de Groot, Martin Kratz, Mair Bosworth, Kit de Waal, Rodge Glass, Kapka Kassabova, Nicola Barker, Hilary Lawson, Roger Penrose, David Chalmers, Mary Midgley

In this episode, Rob speaks to lecturer, novelist and short story writer Gregory Norminton about Linguistic diversity loss, Immortality, Star Trek, Social liberalism, Patriotism, The 6th great extinction and, oh yeah, his Omnium Gatherium of short stories as well as his upcoming (totally bonkers, but amazing sounding) upcoming novel.

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Namechecks:

Will Self, Andrew Miller, Helen Garnons-Williams, Jim Hinks, 4th Estate, Comma Press, Hilary Mantel, George Monbiot

In part 2 of TEOAT’s two part Christmas special, Rob talks to Costa First Novel Award nominee, Kit de Waal about working class stories (a favourite of this podcast), adoption, a fascination with the minutiae of life, the 80s, and of course, her rather incredible novel, My Name is Leon. The conversation took place before her keynote speech for the Graduate Writers day put on by Comma Press.

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In this episode, Rob talks to lovely purveyor of Savidge Reads and youtube sensation, Simon Savidge about Daphne Du Maurier, Liverpool, northern female writers, the fact that we are bizarro twins and(rather selfishly) podcasting. They also talk about ‘merica, Leonard Cohen and Simon recommends a book about the earth slowing down to Rob. Freakishly apt when you consider it was recorded over a month ago.

Rob (sigh) gets a bit sweary about Donald Trump. Interview starts at 12:59(ish).

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Namechecks:

Jenn Ashworth, Emma Jane Unsworth, Daphne Du Maurier, Garth Greenwell (again), EM Forster, Margaret Atwood, Leonard Cohen, Donald Trump, Armistead Maupin, Charlotte Wood, Val McDermid, Evie Wyld, Carys Bray, Caroline Smailes, Karen Thompson Walker, Andrew McMillan

In this episode, Rob takes to the Wilderness festival to chat with Emma Jane Unsworth about physics, frostbite and murderous cats. Emma also talks about the movie being made from her novel, Animals, and Rob begs to be in it. Emma also reads from her brand new and yet unnamed novel.

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Links mentioned in the podcast:
The world’s smallest movie: A boy and his atom
Roisin and Chiara “Wild at Heart”

Namechecks:

Sarah Brocklehurst, Wyl Menmuir, Sophie Hyde, Jenn Ashworth, Margaret Atwood, Jo Bell, Caitlin Moran, Garth Greenwell, Edinburgh Book Festival, Literary Friction podcast, Lord Piddick, Camilla Elworthy and Roisin and Chiara

In this mini-episode, Rob talks to Kate Feld about the Manchester Literature Festival. In addition to MLFing it out, they talk about Good Immigrants, they try to figure out what “working class” means and of course, chat about the end of the world. Rob has a bit of a sweary whinge (what else is new?) about the Olympics.

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Namechecks:

Ian McMillan, Andrew McMillan, Simon Savidge, Nikesh Shukla, Selena Godden, Hollie McNish, Dead Ink Books, Olivia Laing, Garth Greenwell, Yuval Noah Harari, Margaret Atwood, Richard Hines, Lionel Shriver, Dr Katy Shaw, Andrew Michael Hurley, Jenn Ashworth, Gillian Slovo, Lemn Sissay, Jenny Murray, Rose Tremain, Jonathan Safran Foer, Jeanette Winterson, Anne Enright, Vivienne Westwood, Susan Calman, Margaret Drabble, Jane Rogers, Johnny Marr, Kamila Shamsie, Deborah Levy, Jo Bell, Michael Symmons Roberts, David Gaffney, Eimer McBride

In this episode, Rob talks to poets Amy McCauley and Robert Harper about Lit mags, Oedipus, the origins of poetry and using a PhD to make fat stacks (not really). They also talk about (ahem) Europe and the fear of not being in it.

Warning: This one is properly sweary.

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Namechecks:

Society of Authors, Bloodaxe, Andrew McMillan, Dan O’Brien, Rebecca Goss, Bare Fiction, The New Welsh Review, Helen Mort, David Gaffney, Courttia Newland, Annette C Boehm, Zelda Chappel, Carcanet, PN Review, Peter Greenaway, Aki Shilz

In this episode, Rob talks to the winner of the last ever Guardian First Book Award, Andrew McMillan, on “modern male anxieties” as the Guardian puts it, working out in gyms, writing poetry like Jon McGregor writes prose, Creative Writing MAs (again), Horror as a gateway drug (again), and what it’s like growing up Gay in Barnsley.

NOTE: This was recorded before the terrible homophobic nightclub shooting in Orlando, which is why we don’t talk about it in the interview and why I don’t mention it in the intro. But let me say something about it now: Fuck these terrorist shitbags.

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Namechecks:

Jon McGregor, Sara Howe, Rebecca Perry, The Guardian, Fenton Aldeburgh prize, Colin Barrett, Dylan Thomas Award, Max Porter, Jonathan Cape, New Writing North, Sharon Olds, Mark Doty, Geoff Hattersley, Chicago Rock Cafe and Robin Robertson

In this episode, you get two interviews for the price of one. In the first, Rob talks to Steve Dearden, writer, producer and director of The Writing Squad. We talk about Creative Writing MAs, Manchester United, the rise of genre and YA fiction and the best time ever to be a writer(hint:now). In the second, Rob talks to Writing Squad alum Lenni Sanders and Jasmine Chatfield about Manchester lit nights, Putting a show on in Edinburgh and (my favourite) Post-apocalysm.

At the end, Steve reads his short story, No Caller ID. She’s a long one, this, so get comfortable.

0:30 – Intro
13:05 – Interview with Steve Dearden
58:12 – Interview with Lenni Sanders and Jasmine Chatfield
1:26:40 – Outro
1:30:13 – Steve reads his short story No Caller ID

’tis sweary.

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Namechecks:

Steve interview: The Writing Squad, Jane Rogers, Jenn Ashworth, Stevie Ronnie, Mark Catley, John Griffin, Catherine Williams, Ronnie Smith, NAWE, Jamal Gerald, Harry Jelly, David Gaffney, Gemma Saltzer

Lenni and Jas interview: Flim Nite, Stirred poetry, Rebecca Audra, Anna Percy, iOrganic, Harry Jelly (again), Wonder Women, Claire Pollard, Manchester Art Gallery, Instigate Arts, Dead Lads, Harriet Williamson, PBH, The Laughing Horse, Edinburgh Free Fringe, Bad Language, First Draft, Cheethams Library