The TLS Podcast

As February draws to a close, we’re taking a listen back at some of the conversations we’ve had over the past month on The TLS Podcast. We listen back to Nick Enfield exploring the benefits of playing games, Mary Hitchman on the history of humanity's fascination with the moon, Peter Filkins, winner of the inaugural Freudenheim Translation Prize, joins us with chair of the judges Boyd Tonkin and Da...

This week, novelist Francis Spufford explains why the Blitz proved fertile territory for fantasy and the occult; and Darra Goldstein on the hidden properties of kimchi and sourdough.  'Nonesuch', by Francis Spufford 'Adventures in Fermentation: From ancient origins to culinary frontiers, an exploration of the microbes that shape the world we live in', by Johnny Drain 'Ferment: The life-changi...

This week, Peter Filkins, winner of the inaugural Freudenheim Translation Prize, joins us with chair of the judges Boyd Tonkin to talk about the mercurial genius of Elias Canetti; and a poem in praise of Tuesdays by Jamie McKendrick. 'The Book Against Death', by Elias Canetti, translated by Peter Filkins 'Mardi Gras', by Jamie McKendrick Produced by Charlotte Pardy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/p...

This week, Mary Beard dons her VR set to experience a Roman cataclysm; and Mary Hitchman on the history of humanity's fascination with the moon. 'The Last Days of Pompeii: The immersive exhibition', Immerse LDN, Excel, London, until March 15 'The Medieval Moon', by Ayoush Lazikani Produced by Charlotte Pardy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Nick Enfield explores the benefits of playing games - whether or not you keep score; and Mike Jakeman on how the football World Cup has got bigger and bigger. 'The Score: How to stop playing someone else's game', by C Thi Nguyen 'World Cup Fever: A footballing journey in nine tournaments', by Simon Kuper 'The Power and the Glory: A new history of the World Cup', by Jonathan Wilson Produ...

As January draws to a close, we take a look back through some of the conversations we have had so far in 2026.  First, publisher Alessandro Gallenzi joined us to reveal how he turned literary detective and uncovered Dylan Thomas's youthful plagiarism, then Joanna Kavenna explains why she invented a game to write her new novel, Tristram Fane Saunders surveys the poetic landscape and Maria Scot...

This week, Maria Scott on recently discovered photographs of Jeanne Duval, muse and lover of Charles Baudelaire; and Pratinav Anil weighs up the case for and against reparations. 'Reparations: Slavery and the tyranny of imaginary guilt', by Nigel Biggar 'The big payback: The case for reparations for slavery and how they would work', by Lenny Henry and Marcus Ryder Produced by Charlotte Pardy Hoste...

This week, Tristram Fane Saunders surveys the poetic landscape; and Toby Lichtig on a rediscovered slice of life in 1930s Berlin. 'A History of England in 25 Poems', by Catherine Clarke 'Rhyme and Reason: A short history of poetry and people (for people who don't usually read poetry)', by Mark Forsyth 'Endless Present: Selected articles, reviews and dispatches, 2010-23', by Rory Waterman 'The Priv...

This week, Joanna Kavenna explains why she invented a game to write her new novel; how to survive life online; and a new poem. 'Seven', by Joanna Kavenna 'This Is for Everyone', by Tim Berners-Lee with Stephen Witt 'Enshittification: Why everything suddenly got worse and what to do about it', by Cory Doctorow 'How to Save the Internet: The threat to global connection in the age of AI and political...

This week, publisher Alessandro Gallenzi reveals how he turned literary detective and uncovered Dylan Thomas's youthful plagiarism; and Norma Clarke on the stunning work of two 18th-century women portrait artists. 'Mrs Kauffman and Madame Le Brun: The entwined lives of two great eighteenth-century women artists' by Franny Moyle  Produced by Charlotte Pardy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/...

This week, we introduce a very festive issue; and Toby Lichtig on the puppeteers pulling the strings of this season's big productions. 'The Pelican Child', by Joy Williams 'The BFG', by Roald Dahl, adapted by Tom Wells RSC, Stratford-upon-Avon 'Pinocchio', by Carlo Collodi, adapted by Charlie Josephine, Globe Theatre Produced by Charlotte Pardy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more infor...

This week, Lily Herd heads for outer space in the company of a prodigious imagination; and Andrew Motion joins us with a wonderful new poem. 'Collected Stories' by Cixin Liu, translated by John Chu, Andy Dudak et al 'All that We See or Seem', by Ken Liu 'Snow', by Andrew Motion  Produced by Charlotte Pardy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Devoney Looser on what we don't know about Jane Austen; and Peter Swaab introduces a previously unpublished story by the great Sylvia Townsend Warner.  'Jane Austen in 41 Objects', by Kathryn Sutherland 'Jane Austen’s Bookshelf: The women writers who shaped a legend', by Rebecca Romney Jane Austen and George Eliot: The lady and the radical', by Edward Whitley 'Wild for Au...

This week, Camille Ralphs confides the highs and lows of travelling by Greyhound bus; and Alev Adil boards a train to join current night owls and bygone tourists. 'Greyhound', by Joanna Pocock 'Moonlight Express: Around the World by Night Train', by Monisha Rajesh 'To the Sea by Train: The Golden Age of Railway Travel', by Andrew Martin Produced by Charlotte Pardy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pr...

This week, Damian Flanagan explores the complex history of the Japanese masterpiece The Tale of Genji; and Miranda France on the eventful life and enduring work of Miguel de Cervantes. 'The Tale of Genji', by Murasaki Shikibu 'El Verano de Cervantes', by Antonio Muñoz Molina 'El Cautivo', directed by Alejandro Amenábar Produced by Charlotte Pardy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inf...

This week, TLS contributors select their favourites from 2025; plus an interview with CD Rose, winner of this year’s Goldsmiths Prize. ‘We Live Here Now’, by CD Rose Produced by Charlotte Pardy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, how well does Alan Hollinghurst's novel The Line of Beauty translate to the stage? And Toby Lichtig interviews the newest winner of the Booker Prize, David Szalay. 'The Line of Beauty', by Jack Holden, based on the novel by Alan Hollinghurst, Almeida Theatre, London, until November 29 'Flesh', by David Szalay Produced by Charlotte Pardy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more in...

This week, Terri Apter reviews a quartet of books exploring the impact of parenthood on identity, particularly for women; and we revisit Helen Garner, as she wins the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction. 'Four Mothers: A year of motherhood around the world', by Abigail Leonard 'The Republic of Parenthood: On bringing up babies', by Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett 'Second Life: Having a child in the digit...

This week, Lily Herd introduces us to the concept of Fascist Yoga; and Mark Storey on America’s ghosts. ‘Sick Houses: Haunted Homes and the Architecture of Dread’, by Leila Taylor ‘Haunted States: An American Gothic Guidebook’, by Miranda Corcoran Produced by Charlotte Pardy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Margaret Drabble enjoys an enthralling biography of an adventure writer and his entourage; and Thea Lenarduzzi on the gothic mystery at the heart of her new book. 'Storyteller: The life of Robert Louis Stevenson', by Leo Damrosch 'The Tower', by Thea Lenarduzzi Produced by Charlotte Pardy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Mary Beard grapples with a noisy new version of Euripides at the National Theatre; and Norma Clarke on the mysterious world of Helen DeWitt's new novel. 'Bacchae', by Nima Taleghani, after Euripedes, Olivier Theatre, National Theatre, London, until November 1 'Your Name Here', by Helen DeWitt and Ilya Gridneff Produced by Charlotte Pardy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more i...

This week, Tim Lake explains why Bertie Wooster is not half the dimwit we think he is; and fiction editor Toby Lichtig introduces the novels to look out for this autumn. Produced by Charlotte Pardy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Nicola Shulman is entranced by the life of a naturalist; and Larry Wolff enjoys a night at the opera - with added superheroes. 'A year with Gilbert White: The first great nature writer', by Jenny Uglow 'The amazing adventures of Kavalier & Clay', by Mason Bates and Gene Scheer, based on the book by Michael Chabon, Metropolitan Opera, New York, until October 11 Produced by Charlotte...

This week, Richard Sennett delivers a powerful warning to universities to defend their freedom; and Helena Kelly on the revolutionary world that shaped Jane Austen. 'The Worlds of Jane Austen: The Influence and Inspiration Behind the Novels', by Helena Kelly Produced by Charlotte Pardy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, AE Stallings immerses herself in Daniel Mendelsohn's new translation of Homer's Odyssey; and Dinah Birch is intrigued by an ambitious novel twenty years in the making.  'The Odyssey', by Homer, translated by Daniel Mendelsohn  'The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny', by Kiran Desai Produced by Charlotte Pardy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.