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They gossip about her wild night in Manhattan with old friend Jay McInerney, author of Bright Lights, Big City – and wonder why authors aren't as glamorous as they used to be.
What makes for the best book covers? Fruity talks about the joy of working for Virago, who made the glorious green jackets, with the ideal paintings to match. And why do all covers now seem to have a man in a suit loitering on a street corner or running down a dark alley?

This week's podcast is kindly sponsored by Baillie Gifford, Actual Investors, who take a long-term approach to investing in exceptional companies.

Kathy Lette burst onto our scenes as the exuberant and hilariously outspoken Australian novelist with Puberty Blues when she was just 17. With 20 more novels to her name since then, she talks to Charlotte Metcalf about her move to Britain, her marriages, sex and relationships, raising an autistic son and her latest novel The Sisterhood Rules which is underpinned by her determination to boost older women’s confidence and encourage and promote female solidarity.

This week's podcast is kindly sponsored by Baillie Gifford, Actual Investors, who take a long-term approach to investing in exceptional companies.

Countries around the world are grappling with how to handle the cost of housing, providing health care for an aging population and how to fund the big infrastructure changes needed to deal with the poly-crisis of climate change, with the competing demands for spending on defence. These are the kinds of challenges renowned economist Mariana Mazzucato is focused on, and she’s convinced governments can do better than simply step in where markets fail.  Her latest book ‘The Common Good Economy  - a new compass’  presents a road map for tackling the urgent challenges before us. 

• Guest: Mariana Mazzucato, Professor in the Economics of Innovation and Public Value at University College London and author of The Common Good Economy: A New Compass.
• Producer: Catherine Zengerer

What does originality mean in the age of AI? Why should artists resist the temptation to fear AI? What role will human creativity play in the future we're building?

Jaron Lanier, a visionary computer scientist, artist, composer, futurist, and writer, discusses his latest artistic ventures and the importance of originality in art. Lanier shares insights into how technology intersects with creativity, the challenges of maintaining authenticity in a digital age, and the evolving role of the artist in shaping the future. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from one of the most forward-thinking minds of our time as he reflects on the future of art and innovation.

Don't hesitate to email us at [email protected] with your thoughts or questions on the episode!

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Andrew Sean Greer writes the kind of novels that you want to press into others' hands when what they need is a book filled with charm, comedy and a sense of romance. After the trials of his hapless author Arthur Less in his eponymous Pulitzer Prize-winning Less, Greer’s latest novel transports us to Villa Coco in Tuscany for a summer we will never forget. We sat down to speak with him about how to create a ‘charm novel’, the real-life inspiration behind his fiction and the deeper meaning that lies underneath even the funniest moments.

Pru Leith speaking about her new book, Being Old... and Learning to Love It!, at the Oldie Literary Lunch, held at Northern Irelands Clandeboye Estate near Belfast, on June 20th 2026.

This week's podcast is kindly sponsored by Baillie Gifford, Actual Investors, who take a long-term approach to investing in exceptional companies.

The lunch was sponsored by Kirker Holidays.

A N Wilson speaking about his book, The Wise and Their Works: The Great Exhibition of 1851, at the Oldie Literary Lunch, held at Northern Ireland's historic Clandeboye Estate near Belfast, on June 20th 2026.

This week's podcast is kindly sponsored by Baillie Gifford, Actual Investors, who take a long-term approach to investing in exceptional companies.

The lunch was sponsored by Kirker Holidays.

On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on why he feels ambivalent about the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

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It may seem counter-intuitive, but it’s true: imagination is often sparked more by constraint than by freedom. 

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In this special recording, What Were We Like appears before a live audience at this year's Listowel Writers Week, to discuss the 1926 census. Diarmaid and Catriona talk about what the census tells us about Irish society in the early part of the 20th century - both in Kerry, and in Ireland in general. Catriona takes umbrage at the performance of Garda Daniel Rooney, who was responsible for some of the less-than-impressive record keeping at the time. But nonetheless, the census provides a remarkable insight into Ireland back then - and a great opportunity for us to snoop on our neighbours.

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