Southbank Centre

What does it take to get 82 bands and performers onto six stages over the course of only ten days? In this episode, journalist and Think Aloud presenter Harriet Fitch Little goes behind the scenes at the 25th edition of the Southbank Centre's prestigious Meltdown festival, which this year is curated by lead singer of The Cure - and all-round musical legend - Robert Smith. Harriet is joined in conv...

In January 2017, legendary physicist Stephen Hawking shared his thoughts about the most rewarding achievements of his career, in an exclusive broadcast, marking his 75th birthday for Southbank Centre. He talked about some of his proudest accomplishments as a theoretical mathematician and physicist. "Every new day became a bonus and I began to appreciate everything I had; where there is life, there...

*WARNING: This podcast contains references and language that some may find offensive.* Hear Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie talk to Reni Eddo-Lodge about today’s most pressing cultural issues. "There's a sense that, when being asked to talk about race, after you've written a book, you're supposed to have the answers, you're supposed to have the solution; and while you're having the solution, you're suppo...

*WARNING: This podcast contains references and language that some may find offensive.* In this podcast, Ruby Wax talks about her book How to be Human: The Manual written with insights from a Monk and a neuroscientist, it’s a new and very original take on mindfulness. "Wind and worry feel the same to me, so I don't know whether to call the police or go to the toilet." RUBY WAX You can hear more tal...

*WARNING: This podcast contains references and language that some may find offensive.* Nina Brochmann and Ellen Støkken Dahl, Oslo-based medical students, educators in sexual health and founders of the blog The Genital Area explore everything from female erections (yes - it’s a thing) and tips for the top orgasm You can hear more talks, see photos and watch video from other events at this year's W...

Terry Gilliam​: screenwriter, film director, animator, comedian, actor and member of the Monty Python comedy troupe appeared at London Literature Festival in October 2015 where he was interviewed by BBC Arts Editor Will Gompertz. He discussed his life, career and his memoir, Gilliamesque: A Pre-Posthumous Memoir. “For me it was like coming to this country and finding an audience that I couldn’t fi...

Hear from Man Booker Prize-winning author Alan Hollinghurst as he discusses his latest novel, The Sparsholt Affair and reflects candidly on the new-found freedom and openness in the gay scene in recent decades, and what obstacles still need to be overcome. "I remember when I was an undergraduate getting hold of a copy of Gay Times which said that the back bar of the Black Horse in Cirencester was...

Join award-winning comedian, author and lifelong male Robert Webb for a frank and funny conversation about not living by the rules of masculinity. "Would it surprise you to hear that I'm a virgin?' she said 'I won't say I'm surprised, I won't say I'm unsurprised but you'll catch them up.' So yeah, that was a good chat. Then we carried on watching Dallas." ROBERT WEBB Why are boys not supposed to c...

Kevin Powell is one of the most acclaimed political, cultural, literary and hip-hop voices in America today. He is the author or editor of 13 books, including his critically-acclaimed autobiography, The Education of Kevin Powell: A Boy’s Journey into Manhood. "We cannot get to the route of this situation, this crisis, of what it is to be a man, if we're not willing to take a hard look in the mirro...

William Boyd takes to the stage alone to talk about his life as a creator of many fictions, beginning with the publication of his first novel, A Good Man In Africa in 1981, and ending with the story of his fictional artist that fooled many, Nat Tate... "The key factor in fiction is to make your readers believe in the truth of the story." WILLIAM BOYD This podcast is part of London Literature Festi...

Goldie is an iconic figure whose contributions to the UK rave scene in the 1990s defined jungle. Now releasing a hard-hitting and intimate new memoir, Goldie talks candidly about his tumultuous life and career. "It's victimitus - playing the victim. Tiny violin. I'd rather an orchestra because that's what life's about, finding the orchestra in your own life." GOLDIE In his new book, Goldie charts...

Find out why Philip Pullman has returned to the realm of his trilogy, His Dark Materials. In this exclusive London launch of the highly anticipated La Belle Sauvage: The Book of Dust Volume One, Pullman reveals why he has come back to much-loved character Lyra Belacqua’s world 22 years after the first book. "I do actually believe in ghosts, fairies, hobgoblins; nature's spirits of every kind, beca...

Southbank Centre's London Literature Festival presents Hillary Rodham Clinton, the first woman nominated for US president by a major party. In this candid interview with James Naughtie, she discusses her most personal memoir to date, What Happened, which depicts a tumultuous election that had the world on tenterhooks, filled with breathtaking highs and lows, stranger-than-fiction twists and allega...

Well known for novels such as Cat’s Eye, Alias Grace, the MaddAddam Trilogy, and the Booker Prize-winning The Blind Assassin, Margaret Atwood has been in the news recently due to the appearance of her international bestseller The Handmaid’s Tale as a television series – some say, just in time for the age of Trump. In this one-time London appearance, Margaret Atwood reads from her work; then, in co...

Iconic fashion designer and activist Vivienne Westwood spoke about her love of great literature in this keynote talk. "Every book you read is connected in some way." VIVIENNE WESTWOOD This talk explores Westwood’s life in culture and her involvement with arts, politics and the environment. This podcast is part of London Literature Festival 2017 at Southbank Centre southbankcentre.co.uk/londonlitfe...

Acclaimed author and photographer Teju Cole came to Southbank Centre to talk about his new book: Blind Spot. In this, he explores unexpected connections between the visual world and written word, and offers a guide to seeing in our troubled times. "Each person is a highly specialised library that cannot be replaced." TEJU COLE

Internationally acclaimed journalist, activist and bestselling author Naomi Klein, delivers a keynote talk on the surreal political upheavals of recent months and discussed the art of resistance in a time of Trump. "This panopticon state; all seeing and all knowing, cannot see the most basic of human needs." NAOMI KLEIN

Zadie Smith: one of the most influential authors of the 21st century came to Southbank Centre to talk about her new novel 'Swing Time', the inspiration behind her characters and reflected on the thought process of being a writer. "I think a certain amount of humiliation is a good thing: to accept that you can never be in this role of righteousness." ZADIE SMITH Zadie Smith is in conversation with...

Angela Davis is known internationally for her ongoing work to combat all forms of oppression in the USA and beyond. A writer, scholar, teacher and activist/organiser, Davis is a living witness to the historical struggles of the contemporary era. She is the author of many books, including Angela Davis: An Autobiography; Women, Race, and Class; and Blues Legacies and Black Feminism: Gertrude "Ma" Ra...

Two world-renowned authors: Nobel prize winning Kazuo Ishiguro and novelist, David Mitchell appear together for the first time in an intimate exploration of the writing process.