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  • On 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 of work in the history of cinema.

    Hosted by Ryan Edgington and Matt Hennessey.

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  • On 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 us about the long journey towards completing this highly personal novel; why he believes that authors are rarely in control of their own work; and the challenges of attempting to live freely as an exile, all the while knowing that your compatriots are struggling back home.

    The novel is full of warmth, brilliant storytelling, and great style, all attributes which can also be used to describe this episode's guest.

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  • On 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 disastrous karaoke date with a holier-than-thou Gen-Z hipster.

    In our conversation, Dolly spoke to us about charting the course of Andy’s breakup from a male point-of-view; her interest in the world of comedians; how she’s been both Andy and Jen in relationships; as well as her fascination with generations, and why she feels that millennials have never been given their due.

    Spoiler warning - the final minutes of this episode include a discussion about the book's last chapter. Proceed with caution if you don't wish to know how it ends!

  • On 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 present day.

    Far from a typical interview, we also spoke about a range of interesting topics, including, but not limited to: Donald Trump; OJ Simpson; David Foster Wallace and the 90s literati; the attention economy and its effects on modern reading; and why she believes you can love things like English country houses and classic Hollywood movies and still acknowledge the dark histories that gave them their power.









  • On 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.

    Roger also spoke to us about his lifelong obsession with British pop culture, having authored biographies of Peter Sellers, Peter O'Toole, and Charles Hawtrey, and why these subjects remain essential to understanding our shared cultural history – and his opinion, should probably be taught at Sixth Form.

  • On 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 not confused with being interesting.

    With the book depicting 20th century breakthroughs like the creation of the atom bomb and the eventual rise of AI, we also raised the question about releasing this book in the year of Oppenheimer and ChatGPT. Needless to say, the ideas explore in his new novel – and relayed in our conversation – could not be more timely or relevant.

  • On 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 inevitable compromises that women make as a consequence of social structures which govern our society.

    This episode was hosted by Ryan and his wife, Emily Rushton, a teacher and Doctoral Researcher at the University of Cambridge, who was finally given a public forum to take the piss out of her husband.

    Warning: The following conversation includes discussions around sexual violence. This may be distressing for some listeners.

  • 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 Simenon), actors (Bob Balaban) and directors (Francois Truffaut) - and concludes with 'Wild to the Wild', a short story by Sam Shepard, whose life and work had a profound influence on the movie.

    Wes spoke to us about the art of film criticism, his favourite film literature, the joy of rewatching movies and the wide array of influences - including mid-century American theatre, noir and science fiction - that fed into the making of his latest masterpiece, 'Asteroid City.'

    The film was released in the U.K. on June 23 and the book is available from Hatchards' bookshops in Piccadilly, St. Pancras and Cheltenham, as well as Hatchards.co.uk.

    With thanks to Wes, Focus Features, and Adam at Pushkin for arranging this interview.

  • On 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 adventure stories; why his books lend themselves so well to the screen; and how stories such as these expose the ugly contradictions at the centre of colonial Europe.

    We also hear about his own dangerous boat journey to Wager Island, where no amount of anti-motion sickness medicine could lessen the impact of the storm-wracked seas.

  • On 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 from our conversation is his refreshingly funny and optimistic approach to a subject of deep moral seriousness, and the occasional audio appearance of his tiny dachsund.

  • On 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 within a peacetime society.

    We also learn how inspiration for the novel came from reading archival newspapers published by her alma mater, Marlborough, regularly listing the wounded and dead amongst former students throughout the war.

    Finally, her cat makes a most welcome appearance on mic; a first for The Hatchards Podcast.

    If you're a fan of the show, please remember to subscribe and rate us 5-stars on Apple and Spotify.

  • In 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 solidarity from the outside? And what kind of legacy did the war leave on these women who travelled to a war zone and risked their lives for a cause they felt morally compelled to support?

    We spoke to Sarah about the role of the writer in war; explored some of the fascinating personalities featured within her book – most notably the pioneering American journalist Martha Gellhorn; the Spanish Civil War in the popular imagination, and why it is so stubbornly synonymous with just a handful of famous men; parallels between the war in Spain and contemporary causes such as the Ukraine war and Black Lives Matter; and whether or not Nancy Cunard would be an entertaining or insufferable presence on Twitter.

    Tomorrow Perhaps the Future was published by Vintage on February 9 and is available from Hatchards.co.uk as well as our shops on Piccadilly, at St. Pancras Station and in Cheltenham.

  • Bret 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; sex; pop music; and a touch of the old ultra-violence.

    It is written largely in the same inimitable style (“numbness as feeling”) as those earlier works – including Less Than Zero, which we see the ‘Bret’ of the novel himself trying to perfect.

    Bret spoke to us about what it was like to revisit this formative period of his youth; the irresistible pull of the music and fashions and sense of freedom he remembers from 1981; blending more traditional “auto-fiction” with the genre trappings of a horror story; his indifference to reviews; and whether he cares about being called “controversial”.

    California cadres Bret & Ryan also spoke about their respective experiences growing up in the San Fernando Valley while Matt – whose hometown has hitherto not been memorialised in fiction – nodded in silent unrecognition.

    The Shards was published on January 17 and is available from our three branches in Piccadilly, St. Pancras and Cheltenham, as well as at Hatchards.co.uk.

  • For 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 The Hatchards Podcast in 2023.

  • According 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 punctuated by dramatic turning points - from the cultural reset of 9/11 to the rolling social crises of today - Saltz traces how visionary artists have both documented and challenged the culture.

    Art Is Life offers Saltz's eye-opening appraisals of trailblazers like Kara Walker, Hilma af Klint and Jasper Johns; provocateurs like Jeff Koons, Richard Prince and Marina Abramovic; and visionaries like Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning. With his signature blend of candour and conviction, Jerry Saltz argues in Art Is Life for the importance of the fearless artist. The result is an openhearted and irresistibly readable appraisal by one of our most important cultural observers.

    Jerry spoke to us about everything from Tracey Emin to Dolly Parton, to the bankrupt FTX billionaire currently making headlines. We debated the merits of the art market, to whether or not we British are capable of transcending our literary roots to paint what he calls, "the bullsh*t American sublime."

    While rarely succinct, he is never boring, and full of tremendous curiosity, intelligence, and an enthusiasm for art and artists that cannot be ignored.

  • The 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 experience? Is it better to be perfect or prolific? And is there ever such a thing as ‘wasted talent’?

    We also asked Nick about his own creative process; the importance of pop culture (especially music) in his work; whether there is a modern equivalent of “the pram in the hall” distracting artists from their toil; and the likelihood of there ever being a Fever Pitch 2.

  • In 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 a unique insight into one of the most iconic film actors of the twentieth century.

    In our conversation, Melissa spoke about her father’s complex personality; the sometimes painful, sometimes funny experience of excavating her parents’ past; the knottier truth hidden beneath the ostensibly perfect family exterior; Ethan Hawke’s recent documentary about her parents, The Last Movie Stars; as well as Paul’s insecurities as an actor and his conflicted relationship with fame.

    She was as open, charming, frank and funny as her father, rightly emphasising his many virtues while also unafraid to acknowledge his flaws.

  • On 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 most celebrated recording studio in the world? It may have begun life as an affluent suburban house, but it soon became a creative hub renowned around the world as a place where great music, ground-breaking sounds and unforgettable tunes were forged - nothing less than a witness to, and a key participant in, the history of popular music itself. What has been going on there for over ninety years has called for skills that are musical, creative, technical, mechanical, interpersonal, logistical, managerial, chemical and, romantics might be tempted to add, close to magic.

    David spoke to us about The Beatles' creative relationship with the studio, how its engineers defined the sound of pop music for a generation, and why Ryan is wrong about the legacy of David Bowie.

  • On 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 the Dutch Golden Age, the astonishing work of post-War artists in Latin America, and the women artists defining art in the 2020s. Have your sense of art history overturned, and your eyes opened to many art forms often overlooked or dismissed. From the Cornish coast to Manhattan, Nigeria to Japan this is the history of art as it's never been told before.

    ...And lest you had previously considered this show to be too male-dominated, this quasi-tokenistic act of self-immolation on the part of Matt and Ryan now permits us to never again address any future criticisms you may have about this fine programme. Especially if they are warranted.

    As always, we will continue to accept flattery and well wishes, as well as the occasional pint.

    This is The Hatchards Podcast... without men.

  • The 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 rodents; a lonely online obituary editor; and Blandine Watkins, the heroine of the story and its unforgettable central character, upon whom a shocking act of violence is both the beginning and the culmination of this novel.

    We spoke to Tess about the inspiration for the spellbinding Blandine; the influence of the German mystic, Hildegard of Bingen; the plight of real-life midwestern towns abandoned by the political class; and her own background in the Vacca Vale-esque South Bend, Indiana. Ryan also squeezed in the obligatory film reference in the form of a question about Harmony Korine.