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PODCAST

Lit with Charles

Welcome to Lit With Charles, a podcast on all things literary! I"m Charles Pignal, and every fortnight I’m asking guests about the four books which have made the biggest impact on their lives and work. If you"re like me, you love literature – but maybe aren"t always sure what you should be reading. The aim of this podcast is to make literature exciting and accessible; in each episode writers, artists, and other interesting people are giving real recommendations, to help you discover new books

arts books

All Episodes

00:51:37

Chuck Marohn, host of "The Strong Towns" podcast

Lit with Charles ·

2023/09/18

Today’s episode follows an interesting literary path. The first stop in that path is a book written in 1974 by Robert Caro, called The Power Broker. It’s one of the most brilliant biographies of all time. If you’re looking for a magnificently researched, and totally gripping book on the life of one of the most influential men of the 20th century, then this the one. It’s the story of Robert Moses. That name may not mean much to a lot of people but in short, he’s basically the man who built New York

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00:29:03

James MacManus, author of "Love in a Lost Land" and...

Lit with Charles ·

2023/09/11

If ever there was a need for a single definition of the novel’s function, it may well be to establish an architecture around characters that leads them directly to unique moral quandaries. These shorts of choices are ultimately what drives some of the greatest novels. And what better framework than war to create situations that lead characters towards real perplexity? After all, it consists of two sides fighting for what both believe to be right, with outcomes involving ruin, destruction and

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00:47:51

Olivia Sudjic, author of "Asylum Road"

Lit with Charles ·

2023/09/04

How do we, as readers, detect new and emerging talent in writing? We can look at book sales or book prizes but young writers don’t necessarily gain huge commercial success or awards early on in their careers. One list that has proved almost oracular in the last 40 years has been established by the venerable literary magazine Granta and that's the list of Best Young British Novelists. My guest today, Olivia Sudjic, is a young British writer, who was included on the latest lists published this

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00:46:16

Robert Samuels, author of "His Name is George Floyd"

Lit with Charles ·

2023/08/28

On May 25th 2020, in Minneapolis, a black man named George Floyd was murdered by a white police officer named Derek Chauvin who put his knee on George Floyd’s neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds, thus asphyxiating him. That tragic event had an immediate global impact, sparking off demonstrations and riots, not just in the US but across the world. But who was George Floyd? Where did he come from? What was he like? What was his life? These questions are all addressed in the book co-authored by my

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00:46:09

Junot Díaz, author of "The Brief Wondrous Life of...

Lit with Charles ·

2023/08/21

The British writer LP Hartley opened his novel “The Go-Between” with an unforgettable line “The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.” There’s a long-standing idea of literature being a vehicle to explore these “foreign countries”, be they temporal or geographical or cultural. My guest today has been one of the most innovative voices with regard to the immigrant experience, especially through his 2007 novel “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao”. Junot Díaz is a

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00:42:37

Iona Lee, poet

Lit with Charles ·

2023/08/14

Today's guest is a poet named Iona Lee, who I was lucky enough to meet at Glastonbury a few months ago. One night I was in a queue for an event, and Iona mentioned that she was about to publish her first collection of poems. Obviously, that peaked my interest and when I asked her if she would be willing to recite a poem, she delivered a really authentic, amazing performance, right there in the queue. Iona generously shared with me a copy of her book, a collection of poems with the title

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00:42:00

Angela Rodel, translator of "Time Shelter" by Georgi...

Lit with Charles ·

2023/08/07

Evoking the past and how it shapes the present has been the hallmark of some of the greatest writers in history. This year’s winner of the International Booker Prize is “Time Shelter” by the Bulgarian novelist Georgi Gospodinov and it’s been hugely successful not just in its Bulgarian homeland but also abroad. The character at the center of the book is a mysterious crypto-philosophical doctor who opens a clinic for Alzheimer’s patients which allows them to immerse themselves in a replicated era

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00:41:33

Martin Panchaud, author of the graphic novel "La...

Lit with Charles ·

2023/07/31

My guest today is the latest recipient of the prestigious Fauve d’Or award for a graphic novel whose innovative instincts will likely impact the publishing industry for years to come. Martin Panchaud is a Swiss graphic novelist, which is an interesting coincidence given the origins of the form I mentioned earlier, and his latest work is called “La Couleur des Choses” (The Color of Things). It’s a stunning achievement in that it presents all visual information not in the traditional form of pictures

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00:46:36

Joseph O'Neill, author of "Netherland" and "The Dog"

Lit with Charles ·

2023/07/24

Joseph O’Neill published a beautiful novel “Netherland” in 2008 which was rapidly applauded for capturing the zeitgeist of a post-9/11 world, not in a figurative or literal way, but, as its title suggests, in an ethereal, otherworldly way. It is an excellent novel which, if you haven’t read yet, I strongly suggest adding to your reading list. In 2014, Joseph O’Neill followed up with an equally absorbing, if somewhat funnier novel, called “The Dog” about a lawyer who accepts an almost comically

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00:48:55

Marva Barnett, academic specialist on Victor Hugo

Lit with Charles ·

2023/07/17

My guest today is one the leading academics on the life and work of Victor Hugo and his work. Marva Barnett is a Professor Emerita at the University of Virginia, where she taught French and drama. Her great passion and academic specialty is Victor Hugo on whom she’s written extensively, including two books "To Love Is to Act: Les Misérables and Victor Hugo's Vision for Leading Lives of Conscience", as well as "Victor Hugo on Things That Matter". In this episode, we discuss

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00:46:14

Orfeo Tagiuri, artist and author of "Little Passing...

Lit with Charles ·

2023/07/10

I received a book from this week’s guest, the London-based American artist Orfeo Tagiuri called “Little Passing Thoughts”. It reminded me of that fine tradition of cartoons, mixed with a dose of surreal humour, and a dash of poetic perspective, and above all, a very profound, touching, sincerity. In today’s episode, Orfeo and I talk about what it takes to come up with great ideas, where they come from, and about the fact that he dislikes the term artist and might prefer “visual poet” which seems

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00:37:34

AJ Bermudez, author of "Stories No One Hopes Are...

Lit with Charles ·

2023/07/03

I love a good collection of short stories, especially when there’s a great balance between overall thematic consistency and some diversity of genre & setting. And this is what I found in the book written by this weeks’ guest AJ Bermudez, who is an author and screenwriter who wrote the very fun (and occasionally quite dark) collection of short stories called “Stories No One Hopes Are About Them” which won the Iowa Short Fiction Prize in 2022. AJ Bermudez is based between Los Angeles & New

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00:38:45

Ann-Helen Laestadius, author of "Stolen"

Lit with Charles ·

2023/06/26

In today’s episode, I talk with the Swedish novel Ann-Helen Laestadius about her novel “Stolen” which was released in an English translation several months ago. It’s part of an ongoing trilogy of thrillers exploring the lives of the Sami people who are an indigenous group living in the northern regions of Scandinavian countries. Ann-Helen is a member of the Sami community and in her book, we follow the adventures of a young girl Elsa and the challenges that she and her people face, especially when

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00:30:08

DT Max, biographer of David Foster Wallace - Part 2

Lit with Charles ·

2023/06/19

Last week, I released the first half and this week’s release is the second part of the wonderful interview with DT Max, who wrote an excellent biography of David Foster Wallace in 2012 called “Every Love Story is a Ghost Story”. If you haven’t listened to the first part, I suggest you start with that to make sure you understand the context. List of books mentioned: Favourite book that I’d never heard of: Harold Brodkey’s: “First Love and Other Sorrows”. Favourite book of last 12 months: “The

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00:40:19

DT Max, biographer of David Foster Wallace - Part 1

Lit with Charles ·

2023/06/12

One of my favourite authors of all time is the American novelist (and essayist) David Foster Wallace. That name can evoke a variety of things to different people and in this episode, I’ll try and unpack these different facets with the writer DT Max who wrote an excellent biography of David Foster Wallace in 2012 called “Every Love Story is a Ghost Story”. DT Max’s book is amazing as it tells the story of this great artist, his evolution & inspirations, while also recalling some of the more

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00:49:27

Andrew Pettegree & Arthur der Weduwen, authors of...

Lit with Charles ·

2023/06/05

Libraries are historically the greatest transmitters of knowledge and culture for any civilization. From the appearance of the very first collection of manuscripts to the building of the greatest temples of books, libraries have risen – and invariably fallen – through the ages and throughout time, they’ve played many different roles and fulfilled a variety of functions, and continue to evolve as we speak. What is the history of libraries, what is their role and how has that been changing? This is

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00:37:11

Jessica Ewing, CEO of Literati

Lit with Charles ·

2023/05/29

The mission of getting children to read more is – in my mind – probably one of the noblest ones out there. That is exactly what my guest today does. Jessica Ewing is the founder & CEO of Literati, which she founded in 2016, after working at the White House and Google. Literati is based in Austin, Texas and it is a curated book subscription service which sends monthly book boxes to their members, depending on their age (from newborn to 12) & reading level. They also have Literati Book Fairs

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00:59:57

Thomas Chatterton Williams, author of "Self-Portrait...

Lit with Charles ·

2023/05/22

Issues of race & race relations – in real life and in literature – are a difficult subject to broach. Depending on perspective, it can evoke trauma, pain, shame, embarrassment. But is race even the right angle with which to discuss some of these burning questions? My guest today belongs to a new generation of thinkers on the subject and has been an active contributor in the public debate. Thomas Chatterton Williams is an American author and cultural critic and visiting professor at Bard

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00:43:51

Gary Wigglesworth, quizmaster

Lit with Charles ·

2023/05/15

Today’s episode is about quizzes, especially those that have a literary dimension to them. Today’s guest is Gary Wigglesworth who by day works as Sales and Marketing manager for British Library Publishing. But by night, once a month, he hosts London’s only monthly book quiz for literature lovers, on the first floor of the Betsy Trotwood pub, a charming Victorian establishment in Farringdon. You would not believe the lengths that Gary goes to in order to provide an extensive, detailed, and elaborate

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00:32:12

Tarajia Morell, author of "Savor"

Lit with Charles ·

2023/05/08

The book “Savor: A Chef’s Hunger for More” is the story of Fatima Ali, a young Pakistani-American chef working in the US who was featured on the TV show Top Chef and who was set to become an influential voice in the world of gastronomy when she was diagnosed with terminal bone cancer. My guest today is Fatima Ali’s collaborator Tarajia Morrell who is a New York-based food writer, who’s written numerous food-related pieces for publications like the WSJ Magazine and Departures who was brought in to

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114 results

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