I once saw Carey Mulligan in the bar at the Royal Court Theatre in Sloane Square.
In my memory, it was just the two of us. Or at least, it was quiet. I seem to remember the bar was downstairs. Or it was dark.
I didn’t dare speak to her or say hello. But she looked like a nice person.
Reflecting on the encounter now, decades later, I don’t know why I was in the bar of the Royal Court Theatre at all, and regardless, this is all barely relevant, except that in the film adaptation of Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go, Mulligan plays Cathy, the novel’s narrator.
And that’s really why we’re assembled here today, you and I, because my excellent guest for Episode 29 of the show, the right honorable Sam Reid, chose to discuss Ishiguro’s famous novel about three young people coming to terms with their inevitable—and somewhat unfortunate—destiny.
I’m glad he did, because it makes for a fascinating chat, which I hope you enjoy.
Indeed, welcome to The Library of Lazy Thinking Podcast, with me, your host, Glenn Fisher.
As you may well know by now, in each episode, I'm joined by a guest from the world of books and culture to talk about a specific book they'd like to put in the library.
There's no plan and no agenda, just two people lazily thinking about literature.
If you enjoy the show and would like to help us (and get your hands on a coveted Library of Lazy Thinking bookmark, sticker, and pin badge), you can become a supporter of the library by upgrading your subscription.
But either way, please do like and share the show—it all helps.
In this episode, as I say, my very special guest is the writer Sam Reid, author of The Pin Jar, published by Rough Trade Books. We discuss his pick for the library, the 2005 novel Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro.
About Sam
Sam Reid is the editor of Field, a biannual literary magazine that platforms emerging voices alongside established novelists and poets. He is also the presenter of the Field Ramble podcast, a fortnightly long-form interview with some of the most exciting and innovative writers working in English today. His poetry has previously been published by Dunlin Press, and he is a graduate of the MMU creative writing MA programme. He lives in Sussex and spends as much time in its forests, hills, and sea as possible. The Pin Jar is his debut novel.
About Kazuo
Kazuo Ishiguro was born in Nagasaki, Japan, in 1954 and moved to Britain at the age of five. His works of fiction have earned him many honours around the world, including the Nobel Prize in Literature and the Booker Prize. His books have been translated into over fifty languages, and The Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go were both made into acclaimed films. He received a knighthood in 2018 for Services to Literature. He also holds the decorations of Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from France and the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star from Japan. His most recent novel, Klara and the Sun, was a number one Sunday Times bestseller in both hardback and paperback. Ishiguro also works occasionally as a screenwriter. His screenplay for the 2022 film Living received Academy Award (Oscar) and BAFTA nominations.
Links to obscure (and not so obscure) things mentioned in this episode
* Order Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro and The Pin Jar by Sam Reid from my local independent bookshop in Sheffield here.
* Learn more about Field Zine, which Sam edits and publishes here.
* Find Sam Reid on Instagram here.
* Find Glenn Fisher on Instagram here.
* Find The Library of Lazy Thinking on Instagram here.
About the Library
The Library of Lazy Thinking is a place to hang out and learn more about books. If you’d like to support the library and get access to everything here, you can become a paid member (and get an exclusive The Library of Lazy Thinking bookmark, sticker, and pin badge). All support goes back into the library, helping to organize live events, exclusive merchandise, and more podcasts.
About Glenn
Glenn Fisher is a writer—wait, Glenn Fisher is me. I’m the one writing this. Let’s drop the third-person act. My writing has been published in Lunate, The Paris Bitter Hearts Pit, 3am Magazine, Dogmatika, and Litro Magazine. I write about books and interview other writers and artists here in The Library of Lazy Thinking. I live in Sheffield and work as a freelance copywriter. I have had a best-selling non-fiction book published on the subject called The Art of the Click. It was published by Harriman House and shortlisted for Business Book of the Year. It has been translated into Simplified Chinese and Korean. I also have a dog called Pablo. He is harder to translate. Indeed, most of my life revolves around trying to understand his often unreasonable demands. Meanwhile, I am currently working on my first novel, Still Nothing. Brave/bold agents: hit me up.
