The Libreria Podcast

Lloyd Sowerbutts is joined by Danish prize-winning author Tine Høeg and translator Misha Hoekstra, to discuss Tine's free verse novel "New Passengers", published by Lolli Editions.

Kristen Roupenian came to prominence with the publication of her story ‘Cat Person’ in the New Yorker magazine back in 2017. Having caused quite a storm it is described as the first short story to go viral. Editor of Ladybeard magazine Madeleine Dunnigan caught up with the author down the line in the US.

Today’s guest won major plaudits for his 2009 novel Let The Great World Spin winning the National Book Award in the US. He’s also been nominated for an Oscar and was awarded the prestigious Chevalier arts prize in France. But today Paddy Butler caught up with Colum McCann down the line in New York to discuss Apeirogon, a breathtaking new work.

Today’s guest is a leading light in the vanguard of experimental fiction - announcing her credentials with her 2014 novel Dept. of Speculation, this year Jenny Offill followed up with a marvellously rich and comic tour de force. Her new novel Weather etches with droll precision the thinking, breathing mind of its central character, Lizzie.

Covering anthropology, literature, art, history and our propensity to use science to dominate space and place David Farrier describes some of the binding ideas behind his new work, Footprints - In Search of Future Fossils.

Paddy Butler interviews cultural critic Uwe Schütte (down the line in Berlin), on his layered little book, Kraftwerk, Future Music from Germany. They discussed the concepts behind such killer albums as Trans Europe Express and Computer World.

Superstar curator Hans Ulrich Obrist and the enigmatic auteur, David Lynch discuss painting, unrealised projects and the uncompromising pursuit of artistic endeavour.

We go off site for this episode to enter the world of sculptor Conrad Shawcross – At his studio of wonders the artist walked us through the evolution of his ideas.

Author of Adventures in the Anthropocene and the first woman to have been awarded the Royal Society’s prize for science writing Gaia Vince, discusses her new book.

Paddy Butler catches-up with the ever engaging and brilliant linguist David Adger to discuss his much praised new book, Language Unlimited: The Science Behind Our Most Creative Power.

Curator Madeleine Dunnigan is joined by tarot card reader Shy Charles, poet Nisha Ramayya and performance artist Joseph Morgan Schofield to discuss magic in contemporary culture.

Back in October we celebrated Black History Month at Libreria welcoming authors Inua Ellams, Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi and founder of Libreria Ghana, Sylvia Arthur. For this podcast co-founder of Literanda Alessandra Bassey discussed African literary history with Jennifer and Sylvia.

Three Women by Lisa Taddeo is really making waves at present and, because of its subject matter, has opened up further important points of discussion about abusive relationships and vulnerability. Clémence Billoud of Second Home caught up with the author for a fascinating discussion.

Author of Multitudes, Lucy Caldwell and Dana Czapnik (The Falconer) were at Libreria for our New Nostalgias event back in September and we made a live recording of their chat. They discussed women writing about sport, John Updike and the last analogue generation.

For this extended episode we travelled to Marseille University to catch-up with physicist and author of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics Carlo Rovelli.

For this special edition filmmaker Posy Dixon and experimental musician Glenn Copeland discuss Copeland’s extraordinary creative philosophy. At 75, and on his first tour, Copeland’s pioneering ambient music of the late 70s early 80s is finally getting the recognition it thoroughly deserves.

Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Ian Urbina cumulatively spent three years at sea documenting global injustices including trafficking, slavery and illegal fishing – the heroic author discusses his incredible book, The Outlaw Ocean.

How does our relationship with water play out in literature and what does this tell us about ourselves? Madeleine Dunnigan is joined by Sophie Mackintosh (author of The Water Cure), Lou Stoppard (writer & curator) and Edinburgh University research fellow Alexandra Campbell for the first edition of The Libreria Room.

Nell Zink, the incomparable author of Wallcreeper discusses generational discord and the effectiveness of punk as a form of protest.

Author of Let Me Not Be Mad, AK Benjamin, challenges our often narrow assumptions regarding mental health – and how institutions invariably fall short when dealing with employee welfare.

Curator Madeleine Dunnigan talks to author of Queer Intentions, Amelia Abraham and the author of Good as You, Paul Flynn about the importance of queer spaces in shaping their individual selves within the LGBTQ community

What does it mean to be human and how do we think about this in our digital age of turbo-charged capitalism? Paddy Butler speaks with the brilliantly forthright author of Clear Bright Future.

The punchiest of prose stylists talks to Paddy Butler about influences and his 2019 Booker long listed novel, Night Boat to Tangier.

Author and conceptual artist, James Bridle, joins Paddy Butler to discuss some of the luminous ideas from his magisterial, New Dark Age.