Shows
The Hatchards PodcastFrancesca Wade on Gertrude Stein: An Afterlife, the Avant-Garde, and Alice B. ToklasOn this episode, we were joined by Francesca Wade to discuss her groundbreaking new biography, Gertrude Stein: An Afterlife. This book paints a dual portrait of Gertrude Stein by dividing her story into two parts: her life and her afterlife. Doing this not only brings her partner, Alice B. Toklas, into clearer view, but also separates Stein’s work and its lasting impact from her larger-than-life personality. Francesca takes us behind the scenes of her exhaustive research—from exploring the Yale archives, which hold over 75 years of manuscripts, personal letters, and photographs, to visiting the F...2025-06-2445 min
The Hatchards PodcastGraydon Carter on When the Going Was Good: Velvet Ropes, Veritas, and Vanity FairOn this episode, we're joined by legendary magazine editor Graydon Carter to discuss his memoir, When the Going Was Good, an intoxicating portrait of his 25-year reign as editor of Vanity Fair, and an extraordinary life shaped by curiosity, conflict and impeccable taste.We begin at Spy, the satirical magazine he co-founded, which targeted New York’s cultural establishment with reckless abandon, coining the infamous "small hands" insult for Donald Trump. Later, he reflects on his turbulent start at Vanity Fair, where he was initially hated by staff, the close working relationship he developed wi...2025-05-2044 min
The Hatchards PodcastPhilippe Sands on 38 Londres Street: Pinochet, Prosecution, and a Nazi in PatagoniaOn this episode, we're joined by author and international human rights barrister Philippe Sands to talk about his latest book, 38 Londres Street, a gripping exploration of justice, memory, and impunity through the intertwining stories of Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet and Nazi fugitive Walter Rauff who spent decades in Chile avoiding extradition.We consider the groundbreaking legal concept of universal jurisdiction through the lens of Pinochet's dramatic 1998 arrest in London—a defining moment that transformed international justice—and what it means for the complex geopolitics of today. Drawing inspiration from literary figures like Roberto Bolaño, Bru...2025-04-2954 min
The Hatchards PodcastCharlie Porter on Nova Scotia House: Relationships, Radicals, and ReclamationOn this episode, we’re joined by writer and fashion critic Charlie Porter to discuss our Fiction Book of the Month, Nova Scotia House—a powerful love story that summons a lost generation, set against the backdrop of the UK AIDS crisis and its aftermath throughout the 1980s and ’90s.Our discussion of the novel’s vivid characters and cultural history offers a fascinating window into queer life in London at the close of the 20th century—and into Charlie’s own personal journey toward living without fear.In true form, we also cover everything f...2025-04-151h 00
The Hatchards PodcastLola Kirke on Wild West Village: Fame, Family, and Finding Your VoiceOn this episode, we were joined by Lola Kirke, the British-American actress and musician known for Mozart in the Jungle, Mistress America, and Gone Girl, who has written Wild West Village—a witty and moving essay collection described by Booklist as the “Andy Warhol Diaries for rich New York City art kids of the new millennium.”The book follows Kirke’s famous family—including her father, Simon (drummer for Free and Bad Company), and her sister, Jemima (of HBO’s Girls)—from West London to the West Village, as Lola navigates life in a family of larger-than-life personalities who party hard...2025-03-1849 min
The Hatchards PodcastLaurent Binet on Perspectives: Michelangelo, Mannerism, and MurderOn this episode, we were joined by Laurent Binet, the Prix Goncourt-winning author of HHHH, to discuss his new novel, Perspectives—a murder mystery set in Renaissance Florence, where Giorgio Vasari (possibly the world’s first art critic) is tasked with finding the killer of one of the city’s most prominent painters.Like much of Binet’s previous work, the novel is a historical counterfactual: the period’s mise-en-scène is precisely rendered, but the story he tells is playful and inventive."Playful" is also a word that can be used to describe Binet himself. As a guest...2025-02-2537 min
The Hatchards PodcastRaMell Ross on Nickel Boys: Colson Whitehead’s Masterpiece on the ScreenOn this episode, we were joined by Oscar-nominated filmmaker RaMell Ross, director and co-writer of Nickel Boys, the new screen adaptation of Colson Whitehead's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.Rated five stars by The Times and The Guardian, hailed as a "masterpiece" by The Independent, and recently named Best Film of 2024 by the National Society of Film Critics, Ross' film is a transformative adaptation of Whitehead's novel, employing a first-person POV that faithfully translates the book's prose experience into the language of cinema.RaMell spoke to us about the daunting task of adapting the work of a literary i...2025-01-0732 min
The Hatchards PodcastLili Anolik on Didion & Babitz: Joan’s Bethlehem vs Eve’s BedlamOn this episode, we were joined by Lili Anolik, contributing editor at Vanity Fair, and author of Didion & Babitz, a provocatively entertaining account of the feud between two key countercultural voices of the 1960s and '70s – the iconic Joan Didion and the lesser-known Eve Babitz. Lili spoke us to about her decade's long obsession with Eve Babitz, her scepticism of the Didion mystique, Pauline Kael, and the crucial role that Los Angeles played in the development of these two literary titans.Covering everyone from Charles Manson to Marcel Duchamp, Lili takes us headlong int...2024-12-2441 min
The Hatchards PodcastKarl Ove Knausgaard on The Third Realm: Transcendence, Translation, and Twin PeaksIn this episode, we were joined by Karl Ove Knausgaard, author of one of the key literary phenomenons of the 2010s, My Struggle, to discuss his latest novel, The Third Realm, the latest instalment in the riveting Morning Star series.Karl Ove spoke to us about his journey toward becoming more at ease in literary interviews, his relationship with his work in translation, and how music informs one’s sense of identity—contrasting, for instance, his youthful love of punk and R.E.M. with his daughter’s of Ariana Grande. We also discuss “artistic preciousness” and how he has evolved...2024-10-2239 min
The Hatchards PodcastRichard Ayoade on The Unfinished Harauld Hughes: Salinger, Sanctimony, and Spinal TapOn this episode, we were joined by the iconic actor, writer, and filmmaker Richard Ayoade to discuss his latest comic novel, The Unfinished Harauld Hughes, a fictional accounting of his quest to canonise the most significant British playwright of the 20th century (who also happens to be entirely made up). Richard spoke to us about the figures that influenced the invention of Hughes–among them Harold Pinter and Orson Welles–and the ill-fated film Hughes authored, "O Bedlam, O Bedlam", which stopped the prolific playwright from ever writing again. He expressed scepticism about the myths...2024-10-0839 min
The Hatchards PodcastSimon Russell Beale on A Piece of Work: Shakespeare, Stalin, and Sam MendesOn this episode, we were joined by the legendary British actor, Sir Simon Russell Beale CBE, to discuss his first memoir from a life on the stage, A Piece of Work: Playing Shakespeare & Other Stories. Often described as the "best stage actor of his generation," Simon shares insights into the whopping 18 Shakespeare characters he has played throughout his career with the RSC and the National Theatre. He generously invites us into his process as an actor and explains why the personal and working relationships he has formed with collaborators like Sam Mendes and Nicholas Hyt...2024-10-0152 min
The Hatchards PodcastAlan Hollinghurst on Our Evenings: Acting, Aging, and Adventures in WonderlandOn this episode, we were joined by Booker Prize-winning author Alan Hollinghurst to discuss his new novel, Our Evenings, releasing 3 October. Immersing us in the revolutionary world of British theatre in the 1960s, the novel follows Dave Winn, an English actor of Burmese descent, through his experiences of success and failure, love and heartbreak, acceptance and hatred, and a final coda that reshapes our entire understanding of this extraordinary story.Alan shares insights from his decades-long career of portraying queer life in Britain across the 20th and 21st centuries, highlighting how cultural and political...2024-09-2438 min
The Hatchards PodcastElif Shafak on There Are Rivers in the Sky: The Tigris and the ThamesOn this episode, we were joined by Booker Prize-shortlisted author Elif Shafak to discuss There Are Rivers in the Sky, her centuries-spanning new novel that follows three historical characters connected by ancient bodies of water. We cover matters great and small, from the idea of water as a holder of memory to whether Elif is the type of person who will dispose of a tea mug or article of clothing once there is visible damage to it. We explore her relationship with The British Museum, inevitably weighing in on the much-politicised Elgin Marbles debate, and whether cultural artefacts b...2024-08-0649 min
The Hatchards PodcastGriffin Dunne on The Friday Afternoon Club: Joan Didion, Dominick Dunne, and His Days in HollywoodOn this episode, we were joined by actor and writer Griffin Dunne to discuss The Friday Afternoon Club, his fascinating memoir of his famous family – among them writers Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunne – and his remarkable career in Hollywood starring in films like Martin Scorsese's After Hours and An American Werewolf in London. We also discuss his lifelong friendship with the late Carrie Fisher, and what it was like to watch his best friend and flatmate be propelled to unimaginable fame after she starred as Princess Leia in Star Wars. Finally, Griffin provides insights...2024-07-1650 min
The Hatchards PodcastLauren Elkin on Scaffolding: Fidelity, Freedom, and the French New WaveOn this episode, we were joined by author Lauren to discuss her hypnotising debut novel, 'Scaffolding', which charts the lives of two couples, both living in the same Paris apartment almost fifty years apart.Lauren spoke to us about the decades-long journey towards bringing this novel to life, and how her career as a translator and non-fiction writer allowed her to freedom to craft this book in precisely the way she envisioned it. We also spoke about monogamy and relationships, and how the novel was crafted 'in the key of Eric Rohmer,' the id...2024-07-0248 min
The Hatchards PodcastRichard Flanagan on Question 7: HG Wells, Hiroshima, and How to LiveOn this episode, we were joined by Booker Prize-winning author Richard Flanagan to discuss his fascinating new memoir, 'Question 7', a meditation on the decisions that we make and the reverberating effects that these choices can have on the course of history.Richard spoke to us about why he feels that books must exist outside the moral grammar, and why good readers are as important as good writers.He shared amusing anecdotes about a life spent on the road promoting his work, and his dissatisfaction with living in cities – where value is placed on th...2024-06-1134 min
The Hatchards PodcastRachel Khong on Real Americans: Mao, Memory, and Multigenerational TraumaOn this episode, we were joined by Rachel Khong, author of the New York Times bestseller Real Americans – a multigenerational story about a Chinese American family that is three great novels wrapped into one. The novel begins in New York City just before the attacks on September 11th when an unpaid intern with immigrant parents meets and falls in love with a blue-blooded stranger who is heir to a vast pharmaceutical empire. As the story moves back and forth in time – from China’s cultural revolution of the 1960s to Silicon Valley in 2030 – our perspective shifts between t...2024-05-1435 min
The Hatchards PodcastPercival Everett on James: Mark Twain, Tennis, and Nat Turner's RebellionOn this episode, we were joined by author Percival Everett — Booker Prize finalist and poet of “pathological irony,” — to discuss his landmark new book, James, a retelling of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the point of view of Jim. Following the retirement of his longtime editor in 2021, this novel casts Everett into the centre of the literary ‘moment’ with the book climbing the UK’s bestseller lists despite it sacrificing none of the madcap invention or gallows humour that has cemented his cult reputation. It also comes in the wake of his 20...2024-05-0231 min
The Hatchards PodcastAndrew O'Hagan on Caledonian Road: Dickens, Drill Gangs, and the Dark WebOn this episode, we were joined by author Andrew O’Hagan to discuss his truly exciting new novel, Caledonian Road, which has been selected as the Hatchards Fiction Book of the Month for April.Wedged between two epochal events that have shaped our age — the global pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — the story follows Campbell Flynn, art historian, TV presenter, London resident, and man in free fall, as a web of crime and conspiracy eviscerates his sense of self-identity and redefines what it means to be a “good liberal” at a time where nothin...2024-04-0252 min
The Hatchards PodcastRobert P. Kolker and Nathan Abrams on Stanley Kubrick: An OdysseyOn this episode, we were joined by authors Robert P. Kolker and Nathan Abrams to discuss Kubrick: An Odyssey, their authoritative new biography on the life and work of the legendary filmmaker behind The Shining, Dr. Strangelove, and 2001: A Space Odyssey. Robert and Nathan spoke to us about the process of rendering the mythology of Kubrick into flesh and blood; the rogues gallery of famous personalities that provided conflicting firsthand accounts; Kubrick's creative and personal life in the UK; and of course, the films, which according to our guests, represent the most rigorous body...2024-02-2049 min
The Hatchards PodcastHisham Matar on My Friends: London, Libya, and Living in ExileOn this episode, we were joined by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Hisham Matar to discuss his brilliant new novel ‘My Friends,’ which tells the story of three exiled Libyan friends living in London over the course of four decades, each marked by an act of real political violence which occurred at the Libyan embassy in St. James’s Square in 1984.The author is himself an exile, having fled the country as a child due his father’s vocal criticism of the Qaddafi regime, ultimately settling in London, where he has lived for many years.Hisham spoke to...2024-01-3043 min
The Hatchards PodcastDolly Alderton on Good Material: Heartbreak, Millennial Hatred, and Male Pattern BaldnessOn this episode, we were joined by acclaimed journalist and writer Dolly Alderton, who's latest novel, Good Material, follows a standup comedian in his mid-30s navigating “The Madness” that follows an unexpected breakup with his longtime girlfriend, Jen. As Andy attempts to discover the flaw in himself that points to where it all went wrong, Dolly puts through him a series of alternatively hilarious and heartbreaking set pieces — a brief sojourn living on a houseboat; an album in his phone called ‘bald’ where he takes a picture of his receding hairline each day; and a disastro...2023-12-1228 min
The Hatchards PodcastZadie Smith on The Fraud: Lies from Victorian England to OJ SimpsonOn this episode, we were joined by one of the most acclaimed writers of her generation, Zadie Smith, who's latest novel, The Fraud, tells the story of the most notorious English trial of the 19th century, and rightfully places slavery at the invisible centre of the traditional Victorian novel.In our conversation, Zadie explains how she brought this vivid world of real-life characters to being; among them a famous British novelist and a freed slave from a sugar plantation in Jamaica; and why the lives of these Victorians connect so deeply to the concerns of the...2023-11-1449 min
The Hatchards PodcastRoger Lewis on the 'Erotic Vagrancy' of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard BurtonOn this episode, were were joined by celebrated British cultural biographer Roger Lewis, who's latest book, Erotic Vagrancy, is an extravagant, decade-in-the-making portrait of the ultimate love-hate relationship – the marriage of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. In our conversation, Roger lays bare everything that made these two such an endless subject of fascination for the public; their cinematic successes and more legendary flops; Burton's place in the West End firmament; and of course, their legendary addictions, punch-ups, divorces, hospital bills, and stays in Rome, Paris, New York, London, where chaos followed wherever they went. Ro...2023-10-2434 min
The Hatchards PodcastBenjamín Labatut on The Maniac: From the Atomic Bomb to Artificial IntelligenceOn this episode, we were joined International Booker Prize shortlisted author Benjamín Labatut, who’s first novel written in English is The Maniac, a dark exploration of genius, telling three gripping stories about the consequences of scientific breakthroughs untethered by moral or ethical boundaries. Benjamín spoke with us about his interest in humanity’s search for new forms of consciousness, be it through modern computers or the centuries old use of psychoactive drugs by the indigenous peoples of the Amazon. He also explained that in matters of literature, something considered “morally good” should be...2023-09-2740 min
The Hatchards PodcastAnna Funder on Wifedom: The Lost Woman Behind George OrwellOn this episode, we were joined by Anna Funder, acclaimed author of "Stasiland', to discuss her new book 'Wifedom,' which invites us into the mind of George Orwell's first wife Eileen O'Shaughnessy, who's talent, creative intelligence, and fascinating personal history were essential to the creation of 'Animal Farm' and '1984' – all without credit in Orwell's previous biographies. In addition to discussing the marriage of Eileen and George Orwell, Anna also touches upon her own marriage; the difficulties of juggling the competing responsbilities of being a writer, mother, and wife, and the in...2023-08-2954 min
The Hatchards PodcastWes Anderson on Do Not Detonate: Film Criticism and the Influences Behind 'Asteroid City'On this episode of The Hatchards Podcast we were joined by writer/director Wes Anderson - Parisian, Texan, filmmaker and cinephile - who spoke to Ryan & Matt about his latest film, 'Asteroid City', and the accompanying book, 'Do Not Detonate Without Presidential Approval,' edited by Jake Perlin. A collection of essays, articles and stories that inspired the movie, Do Not Detonate features pieces from some of the twentieth century’s most revered journalists and critics (Lilian Ross, Pauline Kael), contemporary writers on film and culture (Matt Zoller Seitz, K. Austin Collins), novelists (Georges Si...2023-06-2730 min
The Hatchards PodcastDavid Grann on The Wager: Shipwreck, Sedition, and Martin ScorseseOn this episode, we were joined by David Grann, author of the The Wager, the gripping story of a doomed 18th-century imperial expedition to South America which culminated in shipwreck, mutiny, and near-impossible survival.Grann is a New Yorker staff writer and bestselling author of the contemporary non-fiction classics The Lost City Z and Killers of the Flower Moon, now a major motion picture from Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio premiering this week at the Cannes Festival. He spoke to us about piecing together a story from several competing narratives; his love of sea tales and...2023-05-1648 min
The Hatchards PodcastIan Dunt on How Westminster Works... and Why It Doesn'tOn this episode, we were joined by Ian Dunt, political journalist and broadcaster, Twitter personality, and author of the new bestseller, "How Westminster Works... and Why It Doesn't."Breaking down Westminster institution-by-institution, Dunt's impressively detailed book is a marvel of non-fiction storytelling, filled with humour, righteous indignation, and an overwhelming desire to wrestle British politics back from the brink. Ian spoke to us about how exactly we got into this mess; the 'chicken or egg' effect of Brexit; the corrosive effects of 'machismo'; and why the political class loathes non-partisanship and expertise. What emerges...2023-04-1943 min
The Hatchards PodcastAlice Winn on In Memoriam: From Tennyson to the TrenchesOn this episode, we were joined by Alice Winn, author of the Hatchards Fiction Book of the Month, 'In Memoriam,' her highly-acclaimed debut.Beginning at the onset of WWI, Winn's novel follows lifelong friends Gaunt and Ellwood from the confines of their cloistered English boarding school to the horrors of trench warfare, as a forbidden romance of fits-and-stars slowly blossoms between them.Alice spoke to us about the parallels in attitude felt by young people during that time period and the present; taking ideas from the life of Siegfried Sassoon; and the dangers of complacency...2023-03-2138 min
The Hatchards PodcastSarah Watling on Tomorrow Perhaps the Future: Solidarity and the Spanish Civil WarIn the latest episode of the Hatchards podcast our guest was the historian Sarah Watling, author of Tomorrow Perhaps the Future, an enthralling group biography of a handful of female writers and rebels who aided the Republican side in the Spanish Civil War during the 1930s.Nancy Cunard, Sylvia Townsend Warner, Martha Gellhorn, Gerda Taro and Josephine Herbst – among others – all felt compelled, to varying degrees, to aid the spirited but ultimately doomed defence against Franco’s fascist regime. But what was it about this particular conflict – more so than most others in history – that prompted such widespread and fierce...2023-02-1430 min
The Hatchards PodcastBret Easton Ellis on The Shards: Lost Youth in Los AngelesBret Easton Ellis – one time enfant terrible of American literature, a precociously talented writer who published his first novel when he was barely into his twenties, and author of the classic piece of provocation and perversion American Psycho – is now, at the age of 58, looking back on the era in which he came of age.Set in 1981, his new novel The Shards is a bravura work of auto-fiction steeped in the milieu of Ellis’ seminal early novels, and features many of the hallmarks that first made him famous, notorious and wildly successful: obscenely privileged youth; indulgence and excess; drugs...2023-01-1736 min
The Hatchards PodcastBill Nighy on Hatchards, ‘Living’, and Kazuo IshiguroFor our final episode of 2022, one of our most loyal customers dropped in for a festive chat: the sharp-suited national treasure, bookshop-haunter, and newly-Golden Globe-nominated actor, Bill Nighy. Bill kindly took time out for a busy schedule promoting his new film, 'Living,' to talk to us about working with Kazuo Ishiguro; his teenage dreams of literary stardom; his feelings about being known as "Mr. Christmas" following the success of 'Love Actually'; and his enduring affection for Hatchards. Thank you for listening to us throughout the year, happy holidays, and look out for much more from...2022-12-2034 min
The Hatchards PodcastJerry Saltz on Why Art is LifeAccording to former lorry driver turned Pulitzer Prize-winning art critic, Jerry Saltz, art represents "the greatest operating system our species has ever devised to explore consciousness." That is, of course, until they invented the podcast. On this episode, Ryan and Lydia Porter had the distinct pleasure of talking all things visual with America's most famous, and in some corners of the internet, infamous, art critic. In his new book, "Art Is Life", Saltz draws on two decades of work to offer a real-time survey of contemporary art as a barometer of our times. Chronicling a period...2022-12-0635 min
The Hatchards PodcastNick Hornby on Charles Dickens and PrinceThe Hatchards Podcast has always been about hard graft. In this episode, resident workaholics Ryan Edgington and Matt Hennessey discuss the life & times of two other (arguably less celebrated) grafters, Charles Dickens and Prince, alongside our special guest, the bestselling novelist and screenwriter, Nick Hornby.Hornby’s excellent new book – Dickens & Prince: A Particular Kind of Genius – uses the example of these two giants to explore the nature of creativity and asks what drove them both to such extremes of productivity. How, exactly, did they get so much done? Is this drive innate or manufactured by experi...2022-11-1533 min
The Hatchards PodcastMelissa Newman on Paul Newman, Her Iconic FatherIn this episode we spoke to Melissa Newman – daughter of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward – about her father’s posthumous memoir, 'Paul Newman: The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man.'Created from transcripts of recordings originally made by Paul in the 1980s, these candid, reflective and deeply personal reminiscences are interspersed with excerpts of interviews from friends, family and colleagues – among them directors John Huston, Robert Altman and Elia Kazan; fellow actors Tom Cruise, Eva Marie Saint and Robert Wagner; and of course, Joanne Woodward herself – who was married to Newman from 1958 until his death in 2008. The result is...2022-11-0235 min
The Hatchards PodcastDavid Hepworth on Abbey RoadOn the latest episode of The Hatchards Podcast, Ryan and Matt make their (triumphant?) return to interview the illustrious music journalist David Hepworth on the occasion of the release of his new book, "Abbey Road: The Inside Story of the World's Most Famous Recording Studio."Many people will recognise the famous zebra crossing. Some visitors may have graffitied their name on its hallowed outer walls. Others might even have managed to penetrate the iron gates. But what draws in these thousands of fans here, year after year? What is it that really happens behind the doors of the...2022-10-1244 min
The Hatchards PodcastKaty Hessel on The Story of Art Without MenOn this special episode, male-identifying hosts Matt Hennessey and Ryan Edgington have been excommunicated from the programme in favour of guest hosts Lydia Porter and Alessia Arcuri who spoke to Katy Hessel about her new book, "The Story of Art Without Men." How many women artists do you know? Who makes art history? Did women even work as artists before the twentieth century? And what is the Baroque anyway?Discover the glittering Sofonisba Anguissola of the Renaissance, the radical work of Harriet Powers in the nineteenth-century USA, and the artist who really invented the Readymade. Explore...2022-09-0634 min
The Hatchards PodcastTess Gunty on The Rabbit HutchThe latest installment of the Hatchards Podcast is a global affair, recorded variously in Los Angeles, Paris, and North London and featuring our guest Tess Gunty, author of the phenomenal debut novel, The Rabbit Hutch.Set over three sweltering July days in the fictional town of Vacca Vale in the American rust belt, the novel revolves around the residents of ‘The Rabbit Hutch’, a dilapidated housing complex that is home to a motley mix of the Midwest's forgotten and forlorn: damaged teens struggling to deal with the legacy of foster home abuse; an elderly couple besieged by falling rode...2022-07-1936 min
The Hatchards PodcastGeoff Dyer on Death and Bob DylanIn this episode, we spoke to the inimitable Geoff Dyer, author of books including Out of Sheer Rage, Zona, But Beautiful, The Ongoing Moment, and Broadsword Calling Danny Boy. His new book, The Last Days of Roger Federer and Other Endings, was published by Canongate earlier this month. Ingeniously structured – separated into three sections of sixty chapters, with its 86,400 words representing each second in a day – it is both witty and wise, and examines the late careers of artists as varied as J. M. W. Turner, Nietzsche, D. H. Lawrence, Bob Dylan and the eponymous Federer on its way...2022-06-2147 min
The Hatchards PodcastEdward Chisholm on Waiting in ParisDear listener, we strongly recommend that you pour yourself a tall glass of Bordeaux before you listen to the latest episode of The Hatchards Podcast, lest you want to feel like the only sober person in the room. As 'Waiter in Paris' memoirist Edward Chisholm is a trained expert in what he describes as the holy trinity of French cuisine - bread, cheese, and wine - Matt and Ryan considered it the perfect opportunity (nay, excuse) to try and impress their guest with an elaborate display of expensive wines and pungent cheeses. Unsurprisingly, their lively conversation is often...2022-05-2438 min
The Hatchards PodcastEmma Smith on Burning BooksIn this episode, 'This is Shakespeare' author Emma Smith joins us to discuss her latest book, 'Portable Magic,' an iconoclastic new story of the book in human hands, exploring when, why, and how it acquired its particular hold over us. Gathering together a millennium's worth of pivotal encounters with volumes big and small, Smith reveals that, as much as their contents, it is books' physical form - their 'bookhood' - that lends them their distinctive and sometimes dangerous magic. Emma spoke to us about why she feels it is important not to overly romanticise the book form...2022-05-1046 min
The Hatchards PodcastBen Hinshaw on Exactly What You MeanIn this episode, we spoke to debut novelist Ben Hinshaw about his new book, "Exactly What You Mean," a series of 11 interconnected short stories revolving around the island of Guernsey. Characters appear and reappear throughout the book, ricocheting through each other's lives in ways that can be either funny or tragic and altogether unexpected. In this way, Hinshaw reminds us of the ways that we are all connected, and the impact we make on those around us, for better or worse. Hinshaw spoke to us about his memories coming-of-age on the island throughout the 80s and 90...2022-04-1931 min
The Hatchards PodcastOliver Bullough on Butlers, British Tax Criminals, and Bertie WoosterWhat is a butler? In his new book "Butler to the World," Oliver Bullough describes a butler as a person that was educated at all the right schools, cultivated all the right connections, and relies on centuries of learned experience in the service of wealthy individuals.Sound familiar? Through its offshore territories, endless loopholes, and hands-off approach to its financial sector, Bullough powerfully argues that Britain has spent the better part of a century occupying the role of Jeeves, only not to Bertie Wooster, but to global criminal organisations ranging from the drug cartel to the...2022-04-0537 min
The Hatchards PodcastColm Tóibín on Thomas MannIn this episode, Matt and Ryan were afforded the immense pleasure of speaking to one of the greatest living novelists of our time, Colm Tóibín. Tóibín joined us on the occasion of his latest novel, 'The Magician', being released in paperback. The novel traces the life of 20th-century German writer Thomas Mann, author of 'The Magic Mountain', 'Death in Venice', and 'Buddenbrooks.' Thomas lived a life of profound contradictions and complexity. He was a homosexual man happily married to a woman who bore him six highly eccentric children. He was a German nationalist who...2022-03-2235 min
The Hatchards PodcastPhilip Oltermann on The Stasi Poetry CircleIn this episode, we're taking listeners back to the Cold War, covering everything from '80s pop culture to perestroika. We were joined from Berlin by The Guardian's bureau chief, Philip Oltermann, to discuss his fascinating new book, 'The Stasi Poetry Circle.' This unique Cold War story charts the history of East Germany's brutal secret police through their unlikely monthly poetry club. What sounds like a Monty Python sketch is revealed to be a complex and elaborate scheme likely designed to equip spies with the necessary tools to decode works of East German literature for material that...2022-03-0839 min
The Hatchards PodcastMax Porter and James Birch on Francis BaconThere is something of a Francis Bacon season going on here at Hatchards, with 'Bacon in Moscow' chosen as our non-fiction Book of the Month, multiple new releases across various genres covering the artist's work, and a new exhibition entitled 'Man and Beast' across the road at the Royal Academy. In this episode, we invited author Max Porter ('Lanny,' 'Grief is the Thing With Feathers') and the author and art curator James Birch ('Bacon in Moscow') to discuss the life and works of the famed 20th-century figurative artist. Mr. Birch first met Bacon when he...2022-02-2239 min
The Hatchards PodcastCaleb Azumah Nelson on Open Water, Southeast London, and MoonlightOn this episode, we were joined via Zoom by the delightful Caleb Azumah Nelson, author of the acclaimed debut novel "Open Water." In this conversation, Caleb spoke to us about his unique background, his inspirations, his love of music and photography, and his cultural touchstones like Zadie Smith and the 2016 feature film, Moonlight. He also waxes lyrical about the myriad pleasures of deepest Southeast London, perhaps a city unto itself. Additionally, Matt and I do an extended ramble in the introduction about our favourite debut novels from the recent past (and not-so-recent past). However, if you are just...2022-02-0831 min
The Hatchards PodcastRoger Katz on the Golden Age of BooksellingIn this episode, we spoke to Roger Katz, the former manager of Hatchards, about selling his library of over 500 signed first editions, as well as working in the book trade throughout the 1990s, an era that he dubs the "Golden Age of Bookselling." He relates to us some brilliant stories about his encounters with artists and celebrities such as Steve Martin, Cher, and Arthur Miller, and makes a compelling case not just for Hatchards, but for the significance of the bookshop experience as a whole.Hosted by Ryan Edgington and Matt Hennessey.2022-01-2525 min
The Hatchards PodcastNatasha Brown on Assembly and DeadpoolOn this episode, we were joined by Natasha Brown, author of the breakout debut novel of 2021, Assembly. Brown spoke to us about her journey towards becoming an author and developing a prose style to match the icy, transactional nature of the novel's universe. She provided insights into pitching a debut novel in the publishing world, and how the book's reception has influenced her understanding of its meaning.Hosted by Ryan Edgington and Matt Hennessey.2022-01-1131 min
The Hatchards PodcastThe Advent Calendar: Joanna Lumley and Gyles BrandrethIn this special Advent Calendar mini-episode, we were joined by two veritable icons of British entertainment, Joanna Lumley and Gyles Brandreth. Both authors (and longtime friends) have published new books on the royal family, A Queen for All Seasons and Philip respectively, which attempt to shed new light on Queen Elizabeth II and her beloved late husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Additionally, Mr. Brandreth has published a riotous new memoir entitled Odd Boy Out. All three of these books can be purchased in exclusive signed editions on our website. We hope you enjoy another wine-infused conversation from our bustling...2021-12-0908 minThe Hatchards PodcastThe Advent Calendar: Dominic SandbrookIn this special Advent Calendar mini-episode, we were joined by Dominic Sandbrook to discuss his new series of Children's History books entitled "Adventures in Time." The first four books in this ongoing series covers Alexander the Great, Henry VIII and the Wives of Windsor, as well as the two World Wars. Sandbrook spoke to us about the challenges of adapting these complex, wide-ranging histories into books that would be exciting and accessible to young readers. We hope you enjoy another wine-infused conversation from our bustling Christmas Evening at Hatchards. Happy Christmas!Hosted by Ryan Edgington and Matt Hennessey.2021-12-0811 minThe Hatchards PodcastThe Advent Calendar: Henry EliotIn this special Advent Calendar mini-episode, we were joined by Henry Eliot, author of The Penguin Modern Classics Book, a beautifully detailed history of this iconic collection of modern literature, where names like Woolf and Proust stand alongside rediscovered gems and rarities. Eliot spoke to us about assembling this era-defining companion and why it makes such an ideal Christmas present. We also got him to admit on record what books from the series he has still yet to read. Eliot's book can be purchased in an exclusive signed edition on our website. We hope you enjoy another wine-infused conversation from...2021-12-0506 minThe Hatchards PodcastThe Advent Calendar: William SieghartIn this special Advent Calendar mini-episode, we were joined by William Sieghart, author of the bestselling series, The Poetry Pharmacy. Sieghart spoke to us about adapting 100 poems from this collection into a new illustrated book for children entitled, Everyone Sang: A Poem for Every Feeling. The book is part of his decades-long effort to make poetry more accessible to a wider range of individuals. He explained to us how this latest work might help children to better make sense of their complex emotions surrounding the COVID-19 global pandemic. It can be purchased in an exclusive signed edition on our website...2021-12-0507 minThe Hatchards PodcastThe Advent Calendar: Clare JacksonIn this special Advent Calendar mini-episode, we were joined by Clare Jackson, author of Devil Land, an epic chronicle of England during its bloody 17th century, perhaps the most turbulent time in its history. Jackson spoke to us gleefully about the negative perceptions of England held throughout the world during this period, and whether parallels could be drawn between this country in the 17th century and our current state of affairs today. Devil Land can be purchased in an exclusive signed edition on our website. We hope you enjoy another wine-infused conversation from our bustling Christmas Evening at Hatchards. Happy...2021-12-0504 minThe Hatchards PodcastThe Advent Calendar: Philip HookIn this special Advent Calendar mini-episode, we were joined by the art historian Philip Hook, who has spent much of his career as an impressionist and modern art expert at Sotheby's. Hook has sold many of the major paintings from that period including Edvard Munch's The Scream. His new book, ART OF THE EXTREME, takes place in the years running up to the First World War, where all of the major "-isms" (i.e. Fauvism, Cubism, Expressionism) began to take shape. He examines these movements against the popular art of the day, making a powerful case for the importance of...2021-12-0506 minThe Hatchards PodcastWilliam Boyd and the Swinging SixtiesIn this episode, we were visited by one of Britain's greatest living novelists, William Boyd. Boyd's latest book "Trio" follows three characters on the set of a swinging sixties film set in Brighton in 1968. This zany film and its wafer-thin premise are rendered instantly obsolete by the spirit of the times. Boyd spoke to us about his retrospective feelings regarding the 60s, his career as a screenwriter, his thoughts on chasing the zeitgeist, and a little bit about James Bond! We hope you enjoy this spirited chat with a remarkable literary talent.Hosted by Ryan Edgington and Matt...2021-10-3146 minThe Hatchards PodcastJohn Cleese on Comedy, Craft, and CreativityWe were delighted to welcome icon of British comedy, John Cleese, as our guest on the inaugural Hatchards Podcast.He discussed his recent book Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide – a brisk, insightful challenge to the idea that creativity is an inherent trait that cannot be learned or finessed.Drawing on personal experience from his long and illustrious career, and peppered with anecdotes about his own (and others) creative process, the book is an unpretentious, accessible, breezily companionable primer for anybody who has ever wondered about the mysterious nature of inspiration, or how ideas are formed, sh...2021-08-0427 min