Synopsis
Want to know more about the authors behind your favourite books? Tune in to discover the methods of and inspiration behind some of the worlds most exciting writers. Every Saturday, Georgina Godwin hosts an in-depth discussion with the person behind the prose.
Episodes
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Sam Sussman on the possibility of family ties
12/10/2025 Duration: 33minWriter Sam Sussman joins Georgina Godwin to discuss his US upbringing, relationship with his mother and the op-ed that developed into his debut novel, ‘Boy from the North Country’.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Juhea Kim on stories woven from silence
05/10/2025 Duration: 32minGeorgina Godwin speaks to Juhea Kim about her path from ballet to bestsellers, the inspirations behind her work, her passion for conservation and the television adaptation of her debut novel, ‘Beasts of a Little Land’. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Priyanka Mattoo on the search for home
28/09/2025 Duration: 33minWriter and filmmaker Priyanka Mattoo joins Georgina Godwin following the release of her memoir, ‘Bird Milk & Mosquito Bones’, which details a journey of self-discovery and finding home in an ever-changing world.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Michael Wolff on chaos, power and America’s reckoning
21/09/2025 Duration: 37minJournalist Michael Wolff joins Georgina Godwin to discuss his career and his perception of Donald Trump, leading to his ‘Fire and Fury’ series. Plus: he shares his view on the political landscape in the media.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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R James Breiding on what small nations teach the world
17/09/2025 Duration: 35minR James Breiding, Naissance Capital founder and author, recounts his path from Catholic school to finance. He champions small nations’ strengths, praises Singapore’s healthcare and highlights lessons from Nordic countries.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Michelle de Kretser on literature and belonging
14/09/2025 Duration: 30minGeorgina Godwin interviews Michelle de Kretser on her Sri Lankan roots, family influences, migration to Australia and her novel ‘Theory & Practice’, which explores desire, jealousy and identity.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Iain Sinclair on London, literature and hidden journeys
07/09/2025 Duration: 33minGeorgina Godwin is joined by the chronicler of London’s psychogeographies, Iain Sinclair. His latest novel, ‘Pariah Genius’, traces the footsteps of photographer John Deakin.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Nick Berg on revolutions, exile and the stories that we inherit
02/09/2025 Duration: 28minNick Berg joins Georgina Godwin to discuss ‘Shadows of Tehran’, a novel mirroring the author’s life in Iran before and after the revolution. He reflects on activism, escape, military service and Iran’s future.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Iris Wolff on weaving memory into words
31/08/2025 Duration: 22minGeorgina Godwin is joined by Iris Wolff to discuss her childhood in Romania, emigrating to Germany in the 1980s and the use of language and creative processes in the writing of her novel ‘Blurred’.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Andrei Soldatov & Irina Borogan: Exiled voices on Russia
24/08/2025 Duration: 33minRussian journalists Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan, exiled in London, discuss ‘Our Dear Friends in Moscow’. The conversation ranges from post-Soviet transformations and censorship to their ongoing investigative reporting on Russian intelligence.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Karin Slaughter on banned books and the fight for truth
17/08/2025 Duration: 28minKarin Slaughter joins Georgina Godwin to reflect on her upbringing and her latest novel, ‘We Are All Guilty Here’. Plus: she shares her criticisms of book banning and censorship in the US.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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The women redefining literary festivals
13/08/2025 Duration: 43minGeorgina Godwin speaks with women directing major literary festivals worldwide, from Edinburgh and Auckland to Sydney and Dubai. She explores their histories, audiences, themes and reach, highlighting diverse programming, cultural impact and international connections.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Nick Harkaway and the legacy of Le Carré
10/08/2025 Duration: 36minNick Harkaway joins Georgina Godwin to discuss life with John le Carré as a father and carrying on his legacy with the latest installment in the George Smiley series: ‘Karla’s Choice’.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Jean McNeil on bearing witness to a disappearing world
03/08/2025 Duration: 30minCanadian author Jean McNeil reflects on her journey from Cape Breton Island to Antarctica in a conversation that explores grief, climate change and honouring the earth through her latest novel, ‘Latitudes’.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Guadalupe Nettel on human nature in fiction
27/07/2025 Duration: 28minGeorgina Godwin speaks to Guadalupe Nettel about her award-winning writing, life between Mexico and France, partial blindness and how human and animal behaviour inspires the themes in her latest work, ‘The Accidentals’.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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C K Stead at the 2025 Auckland Writers Festival
23/07/2025 Duration: 29minNew Zealand literary giant C K Stead joins Georgina Godwin to discuss aging, mortality and his early fascination with poetry. He also reflects on his influential role in shaping New Zealand’s literature. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Karim Kattan on writing between languages and landscapes
20/07/2025 Duration: 26minKarim Kattan joins Georgina Godwin to discuss his upbringing in Bethlehem, putting Palestine in his own words and writing ‘The Palace on the Higher Hill’.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Michael and Matariki Bennett at the 2025 Auckland Writers Festival
16/07/2025 Duration: 28minGeorgina Godwin speaks with Michael and Matariki Bennett, co-curators of the Auckland Writers Festival, about their Māori heritage, the kōhanga reo movement and addressing sociopolitical issues through art.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Damian Le Bas on writing between worlds
13/07/2025 Duration: 37minDamian Le Bas joins Georgina Godwin to discuss his latest work, ‘The Drowned Places’, which delves into the myth of Atlantis and the sunken worlds beneath the ocean’s surface.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Agustina Bazterrica at Hay Festival 2025
09/07/2025 Duration: 22minGeorgina Godwin speaks to Argentine author Agustina Bazterrica about her shift from opera to writing, literary influences and her novels exploring oppression, capitalism and control.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.