Gurnaik Johal on maximalist fiction, ecological anxiety and his debut novel, Saraswati
On this episode of The London Magazine Podcast, we speak to short story writer and novelist Gurnaik Johal. Gurnaik’s 2022 collection We Move won the Somerset Maugham Award and the Tata Literature Live! Prize, and his debut novel, Saraswati, is out now with Serpent’s Tail.In the episode, we discuss maximalism in the novel, the Indian diaspora and the difficulty of writing about current events – ‘this is where I say to any budding writers out there: write historical fiction!’Timestamps1.35 - The escapism of writing a maximalist novel during COVID3.04 - Gurnaik reads an extract from Saraswati7.43 - Moving from short fiction to the novel9.36 - Research, knowledge acquisition and the editorial process12.53 - How to write about current events that are changing day by day14.24 - Maximalism and ambition in a debut novel19.39 - Seeing India through the eyes of the diaspora23.25 - Comedy and levity in the novel26.54 - Origin stories and myth29.08 - Writing ‘climate fiction’31.22 - The strange timewarp of publishingFollow The London Magazine Podcast here to never miss an episode. To discover more content exclusive to our print and digital editions, subscribe here to receive a copy of The London Magazine to your door every two months, while also enjoying full access to our extensive digital archive of essays, literary journalism, fiction and poetry.
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Leo Robson on cultural criticism, writing London and the virtues of obstinacy
On this episode of The London Magazine Podcast, we speak to award-winning cultural critic and novelist Leo Robson. Leo’s writing has appeared in the New Yorker, the London Review of Books, Granta and the New Left Review. He works for Literary Review and Granta, and The Boys is his first novel.In the episode, we talk about evoking London on the page, the strange nostalgia of the 2012 Olympics, the role of humour in serious writing and the virtues of obstinacy.Timestamps0.32 - The joys of book promotion2.43 - Leo reads an extract from The Boys8.25 - Writing a ‘London’ novel9.51 - The 2012 London Olympics and the legacy of New Labour14.12 - Chronologies, rites of passage and parody16.01 - The writing process and the evocation of place20.49 - Stefan Zweig, Wes Anderson, Alt-J and Mark Fisher’s temporal paradoxes28.22 - Iris Murdoch’s Under the Net and other inspirations30.06 - Light and dark: balancing humour and serious subjects in a novel33.45 - The process: writing cultural criticism vs writing fictionFollow The London Magazine Podcast here to never miss an episode. To discover more content exclusive to our print and digital editions, subscribe here to receive a copy of The London Magazine to your door every two months, while also enjoying full access to our extensive digital archive of essays, literary journalism, fiction and poetry.
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Mark Bowles on voice, espresso and his 'pro-European' novel
On this episode of The London Magazine Podcast, we talk to writer Mark Bowles. Mark grew up between Bradford and Leeds, and went on to study English at Liverpool and Oxford Universities. His debut novel, All My Precious Madness, was published at the end of last year, and has been nominated for the Goldsmiths Prize and the Authors’ Club Best First Novel award.In the episode, we hear more about the writing and editing process for All My Precious Madness. We discuss corporate jargon, Mark’s love of espressos and whether or not his book can be called an anti-English novel.Timestamps0.37 - Mark Bowles in The London Magazine archives 2.58 - A passage from 'All My Precious Madness' 7.54 - Voice in the novel 10.15 - The virtues of exaggeration 13.50 - Ideas do not fully precede their expression 15.48 - Surprises when writing the novel 18.36 - Mark's love of espressos at Bar Termini 22.27 - 'All My Precious Madness' as a pro-European novel 24.24 - Aphorisms 29.58 - His next book? 31.57 - What Mark's been reading and enjoying recentlyFollow The London Magazine podcast here to never miss an episode. To discover more content exclusive to our print and digital editions, subscribe here to receive a copy of The London Magazine to your door every two months, while also enjoying full access to our extensive digital archive of essays, literary journalism, fiction and poetry.
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Jeremy Leslie on magCulture, his favourite magazines and why 'end of print' narratives are nonsense
On this episode of The London Magazine Podcast, we talk to designer and magazine aficionado Jeremy Leslie. Jeremy’s platform, magCulture, sells a huge range of magazines from its London shop and online, posts regular reviews and essays via its journal, runs annual conferences in London and New York, as well as recording a regular podcast of its own. A passionate advocate for editorial design, Jeremy has established himself as a commentator on the subject through the magCulture online Journal and a series of books.In the episode, we discuss the origins and growth of magCulture, as well as Jeremy’s personal favourite magazines. Jeremy also addresses the myth of ‘the end of print’ and shows how the industry has indeed changed, but for the better.Timestamps:1.03 – magCulture, murder and The London Magazine2.44 – The origins of magCulture5.52 – Early magazine influences10.48 – Devalueing print: the end of NME12.40 – Curating magCulture: what makes a good magazine?16.50 – The myth of 'the end of print' and how magazines have changed22.16 – What's doing well and what's lacking in magazine culture24.49 – Current favourite magazinesFollow The London Magazine podcast here to never miss an episode. To discover more content exclusive to our print and digital editions, subscribe here to receive a copy of The London Magazine to your door every two months, while also enjoying full access to our extensive digital archive of essays, literary journalism, fiction and poetry.
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Paul Stephenson
On this episode of The London Magazine Podcast, we talk to poet and editor Paul Stephenson about his debut collection, Hard Drive, that has been shortlisted for the Polari Book Prize this year. Paul has previously published three poetry pamphlets (Those People, The Days that Followed Paris and Selfies with Waterlillies), and he occasionally teaches for the Poetry School.We discussed absurdity and the limitations of language, poetry as a source of healing in times of grief and Paul’s broad use of form.Timestamps:0.05 – Intro 0.54 – Writing on trains and while travelling2.07 – Paul reads ‘Anglepoise’, ‘The Thesis’, ‘Signature’, ‘Collecting you from Golders Green’ and ‘The Hymn of Him’7.38 – Poetry as healing in times of grief10.31 – Use of form: Oulipo restraints 12.03 – Logistics of putting together a poetry collection15.08 – Absurdity, Auden and Alice Notley: the limitations of language19.06 – Humour and emotion in poetry22.32 – How to edit a poetry collection26.00 – Labelling the collection as a ‘queer’ book28.09 – The numerous meanings of the title: ‘Hard Drive’29.29 – Things that had to be left unsaid in the collection30.45 – The next book? Contemporary dating and situationships…33.37 – Poets and art Paul’s been enjoying recently35.22 – Paul reads ‘Writing to your Mother’
A monthly podcast where The London Magazine team speak to brilliant writers, poets and artists about their craft, inspirations and career so far. The London Magazine is the UK's oldest literary journal. Published bi-monthly, it is a review of literature and the arts, est. 1732.Subscribe to The London Magazine now for just £45 a year, or grab a copy of the latest issue here.
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