Southbank Centre's Book Podcast

British author Hilary Mantel reveals the eagerly awaited third novel in her thrilling Thomas Cromwell trilogy, The Mirror and the Light. The book offers a defining portrait of predator and prey, of a ferocious contest between present and past, between royal will and a common man’s vision. It’s the story of a modern nation making itself through conflict, passion and courage. In

In this podcast, recorded live at Southbank Centre, author and journalist Will Self joins Alex Bilmes, to discuss his newly released, and typically funny and frenzied memoir, Will. In an entertaining half hour, Self discusses why he wrote Will, the challenges of memoir writing and how it can lead to criticism that is much more ad hominem. Will, perhaps inevitably, is also a book ab

Ethologist, evolutionary biologist and author Richard Dawkins joins David Freeman to discuss his latest book Outgrowing God: A Beginner’s Guide. In this podcast recorded as part of our 2019 autumn literature season, the pair take Dawkins’ book as a cue to discuss a broad range of topics including the ‘tribalism’ of religion, Dawkins preference for truth over symbolism and w

At the 2013 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Phoebe Waller-Bridge stepped on stage to debut her new one-woman show, Fleabag. Now, six years on, that character has grown into a full-on phenomenon, with a sell-out runs in London’s West End and off-Broadway, and two critically acclaimed award-winning television series. In this podcast, Waller-Bridge joins host of The Guilty Feminist, Debo

Malcolm Gladwell is the author of five international bestsellers and was named one of the 100 most influential people by Time magazine. In this podcast, recorded from a London exclusive live appearance here at Southbank Centre, Gladwell discusses his latest book, Talking to Strangers, with broadcaster and former barrister Afua Hirsch. In this fascinating and entertaining talk, the

Star Wars actor Anthony Daniels joins puppeteer and actor Brian Herring to reflect on his time playing one of the most famous droids in cinematic history. Recorded at London Literature Festival, this podcast sees Daniels discuss his new book I Am C-3PO - The Inside Story, a memoir of both himself and his best known role. Daniels talks of his approach to writing the book and his chi

Hillary Rodham Clinton and Chelsea Clinton join the scholar Mary Beard to discuss their new book The Book of Gutsy Women: Favourite Stories of Courage and Resilience. In this UK-exclusive event, introduced by Southbank Centre Chief Executive, Elaine Bedell, the pair discuss how and why they chose to write this book. In this podcast recorded from their talk you’ll hear the stories

The poet and activist Nikki Giovanni discusses the power of literature as she joins us for Poetry International and London Literature Festival. An undeniable cultural icon, Giovanni is the winner of numerous awards, including the Langston Hughes Medal and NAACP Image Award, as well as a Grammy Award nomination for her album The Nikki Giovanni Poetry Collection. She appears here at

The much-loved comedian, actor and writer Sir Lenny Henry joins comedian Romesh Ranganathan in this special edition of our Book Podcast, as the two talk about Henry’s remarkable career and his new memoir Who Am I, Again? Henry explains why and how he chose to write a truthful book about his life, rather than a ‘lying book’, and details his experiences growing up, from his mum

Documentary-maker Louis Theroux joins his schoolfriend Adam Buxton to discuss his new book Gotta Get Theroux This and his two decades of investigating the weirder, more outlandish sides of human life. In this live discussion, Theroux and Buxton discuss the value of puns, Theroux's distinctive interview techniques and styles, and the worth of silence, as well as revisiting some of h