What is a butler?

In his new book "Butler to the World," Oliver Bullough describes a butler as a person that was educated at all the right schools, cultivated all the right connections, and relies on centuries of learned experience in the service of wealthy individuals.

Sound familiar? Through its offshore territories, endless loopholes, and hands-off approach to its financial sector, Bullough powerfully argues that Britain has spent the better part of a century occupying the role of Jeeves, only not to Bertie Wooster, but to global criminal organisations ranging from the drug cartel to the Putin regime.

In this vital conversation, Bullough poses what is perhaps the most pertinent question facing the nation since the collapse of the empire: if we were to leave the butlering business once and for all, what would our new role be?

To keep things light, we also contemplate all of the good P.G. Wodehouse's Jeeves could have done in the world had he not wasted his talents on being a fixer for half-wits and drunken aristocrats.

In this episode, Matt and Ryan were afforded the immense pleasure of speaking to one of the greatest living novelists of our time, Colm Tóibín. Tóibín joined us on the occasion of his latest novel, 'The Magician', being released in paperback.

The novel traces the life of 20th-century German writer Thomas Mann, author of 'The Magic Mountain', 'Death in Venice', and 'Buddenbrooks.' Thomas lived a life of profound contradictions and complexity. He was a homosexual man happily married to a woman who bore him six highly eccentric children. He was a German nationalist who became a fierce critic of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime. Above all, Thomas was a person most comfortable in his study, working confidently on his books, away from the fray. Due to the broad sweep of German history during the first half of the 20th-century, this position becomes untenable, and Thomas is forced by circumstance to become a man of action and consequence.

As you will hear from the conversation, Tóibín has become something of an expert on Thomas Mann, and speaks about his life in a way that grabs you from the first moment of the conversation. We could not be more thrilled to have spoken to him about this truly remarkable novel, perhaps the finest book Tóibín has written to date.

Hosted by Ryan Edgington and Matt Hennessey.

In this episode, we're taking listeners back to the Cold War, covering everything from '80s pop culture to perestroika.

We were joined from Berlin by The Guardian's bureau chief, Philip Oltermann, to discuss his fascinating new book, 'The Stasi Poetry Circle.' This unique Cold War story charts the history of East Germany's brutal secret police through their unlikely monthly poetry club. What sounds like a Monty Python sketch is revealed to be a complex and elaborate scheme likely designed to equip spies with the necessary tools to decode works of East German literature for material that ran counter to the prevailing Marxist-Leninist ideology. We also discuss Oltermann's experiences tracking down these men today to see what has become of their lives since the wall came down.

Mr. Gorbachev, turn up this podcast.

Hosted by Ryan Edgington and Matt Hennessey.

There is something of a Francis Bacon season going on here at Hatchards, with 'Bacon in Moscow' chosen as our non-fiction Book of the Month, multiple new releases across various genres covering the artist's work, and a new exhibition entitled 'Man and Beast' across the road at the Royal Academy.

In this episode, we invited author Max Porter ('Lanny,' 'Grief is the Thing With Feathers') and the author and art curator James Birch ('Bacon in Moscow') to discuss the life and works of the famed 20th-century figurative artist.

Mr. Birch first met Bacon when he was a little boy, and maintained a close relationship with him until the end of his life. In July of 1986, he successfully curated an exhibition of the artist's work in the former USSR, allowing more than 400,000 Soviet citizens to view Bacon's work for the first time.

Mr. Porter's devotion to Bacon's work began when he was a teenager, and he spent the better part of the 2020 national lockdown writing an imagined memoir about the last days of the artist's life. The resulting novella, 'The Death of Francis Bacon,' is an extraordinary series of six "written pictures" transmuting Bacon's unsettling imagery into the written word.

Both of these authors' fascinating new books can be purchased in signed, exclusive editions in the shop and on our website.

Hosted by Ryan Edgington and Matt Hennessey.

On this episode, we were joined via Zoom by the delightful Caleb Azumah Nelson, author of the acclaimed debut novel "Open Water." In this conversation, Caleb spoke to us about his unique background, his inspirations, his love of music and photography, and his cultural touchstones like Zadie Smith and the 2016 feature film, Moonlight. He also waxes lyrical about the myriad pleasures of deepest Southeast London, perhaps a city unto itself.

Additionally, Matt and I do an extended ramble in the introduction about our favourite debut novels from the recent past (and not-so-recent past). However, if you are just here to listen to a brilliant author speak, the conversation with him begins at 7:32.

In this episode, we spoke to Roger Katz, the former manager of Hatchards, about selling his library of over 500 signed first editions, as well as working in the book trade throughout the 1990s, an era that he dubs the "Golden Age of Bookselling." He relates to us some brilliant stories about his encounters with artists and celebrities such as Steve Martin, Cher, and Arthur Miller, and makes a compelling case not just for Hatchards, but for the significance of the bookshop experience as a whole.

Hosted by Ryan Edgington and Matt Hennessey.

On this episode, we were joined by Natasha Brown, author of the breakout debut novel of 2021, Assembly. Brown spoke to us about her journey towards becoming an author and developing a prose style to match the icy, transactional nature of the novel's universe. She provided insights into pitching a debut novel in the publishing world, and how the book's reception has influenced her understanding of its meaning.

Hosted by Ryan Edgington and Matt Hennessey.

In this special Advent Calendar mini-episode, we were joined by two veritable icons of British entertainment, Joanna Lumley and Gyles Brandreth. Both authors (and longtime friends) have published new books on the royal family, A Queen for All Seasons and Philip respectively, which attempt to shed new light on Queen Elizabeth II and her beloved late husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Additionally, Mr. Brandreth has published a riotous new memoir entitled Odd Boy Out. All three of these books can be purchased in exclusive signed editions on our website. We hope you enjoy another wine-infused conversation from our bustling Christmas Evening at Hatchards. Happy Christmas!

Hosted by Ryan Edgington and Matt Hennessey.

In this special Advent Calendar mini-episode, we were joined by Dominic Sandbrook to discuss his new series of Children's History books entitled "Adventures in Time." The first four books in this ongoing series covers Alexander the Great, Henry VIII and the Wives of Windsor, as well as the two World Wars. Sandbrook spoke to us about the challenges of adapting these complex, wide-ranging histories into books that would be exciting and accessible to young readers. We hope you enjoy another wine-infused conversation from our bustling Christmas Evening at Hatchards. Happy Christmas!

Hosted by Ryan Edgington and Matt Hennessey.

In this special Advent Calendar mini-episode, we were joined by Henry Eliot, author of The Penguin Modern Classics Book, a beautifully detailed history of this iconic collection of modern literature, where names like Woolf and Proust stand alongside rediscovered gems and rarities. Eliot spoke to us about assembling this era-defining companion and why it makes such an ideal Christmas present. We also got him to admit on record what books from the series he has still yet to read. Eliot's book can be purchased in an exclusive signed edition on our website. We hope you enjoy another wine-infused conversation from our bustling Christmas Evening at Hatchards. Happy Christmas!

Hosted by Ryan Edgington and Matt Hennessey.