The Hatchards Podcast
Episodes
Antony Beevor on Rasputin and the Downfall of the Romanovs
17 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we're joined by Sir Antony Beevor, the bestselling military historian behind true classics of the genre like Stalingrad and The Secon...
Julian Sancton on Neptune’s Fortune: Castro, Cousteau, and a Billion-Pound Treasure
17 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we’re joined by Julian Sancton, the investigative journalist and author of Neptune’s Fortune, which brings us into the world of 2...
Tom Sachs on Frank Gehry, Guillotines, and ‘The Tom Sachs Guide’
27 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we’re joined by an art world institution –– the American sculptor, Tom Sachs.He joins us to discuss The Tom Sachs Guide, a vis...
Maggie O’Farrell on Adapting ‘Hamnet’ for the Big Screen
06 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we’re joined by the novelist Maggie O’Farrell to discuss the new film adaptation of her 2020 novel Hamnet, which she co-wrote wit...
Katy Hessel on How to Live an Artful Life: Seasons, Sacrifice, and More of the ‘Story’
11 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we were joined by the writer, art historian, and host of The Great Women Artists podcast, Katy Hessel.Katy’s new book How to Live a...
Olivia Laing on The Silver Book: Italy, Illusion, and Intransigence
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Olivia Laing to discuss their extraordinary new novel, The Silver Book, which has been selec...
Benjamin Myers on Jesus Christ Kinski: Berlin, Biography, and Bad Behaviour
21 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we were joined by Benjamin Myers, the prize-winning writer and journalist, to discuss his new novel Jesus Christ Kinski. It’s Novem...
Lyse Doucet on The Finest Hotel in Kabul: Freedom and Frontline Journalism
23 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we had the privilege of sitting down with Lyse Doucet, the BBC’s Chief International Correspondent, to discuss her powerful new boo...
Roger Lewis on The Life and Death of Peter Sellers: Goons, Ghosts, and Destructive Genius
19 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we welcome back Roger Lewis, whose deeply researched and gleefully idiosyncratic biographies of British performing artists have come ...
Francesca Wade on Gertrude Stein: An Afterlife, the Avant-Garde, and Alice B. Toklas
24 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we were joined by Francesca Wade to discuss her groundbreaking new biography, Gertrude Stein: An Afterlife. This book paints a dual p...
Graydon Carter on When the Going Was Good: Velvet Ropes, Veritas, and Vanity Fair
20 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we're joined by legendary magazine editor Graydon Carter to discuss his memoir, When the Going Was Good, an intoxicating portrait of ...
Philippe Sands on 38 Londres Street: Pinochet, Prosecution, and a Nazi in Patagonia
29 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we're joined by author and international human rights barrister Philippe Sands to talk about his latest book, 38 Londres Street, a gr...
Charlie Porter on Nova Scotia House: Relationships, Radicals, and Reclamation
15 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we’re joined by writer and fashion critic Charlie Porter to discuss our Fiction Book of the Month, Nova Scotia House—a powerful l...
Lola Kirke on Wild West Village: Fame, Family, and Finding Your Voice
18 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we were joined by Lola Kirke, the British-American actress and musician known for Mozart in the Jungle, Mistress America, and Gone Gi...
Laurent Binet on Perspectives: Michelangelo, Mannerism, and Murder
25 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we were joined by Laurent Binet, the Prix Goncourt-winning author of HHHH, to discuss his new novel, Perspectives—a murder mystery ...
RaMell Ross on Nickel Boys: Colson Whitehead’s Masterpiece on the Screen
07 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we were joined by Oscar-nominated filmmaker RaMell Ross, director and co-writer of Nickel Boys, the new screen adaptation of Colson ...
Lili Anolik on Didion & Babitz: Joan’s Bethlehem vs Eve’s Bedlam
24 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we were joined by Lili Anolik, contributing editor at Vanity Fair, and author of Didion & Babitz, a provocatively entertaining ac...
Karl Ove Knausgaard on The Third Realm: Transcendence, Translation, and Twin Peaks
22 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we were joined by Karl Ove Knausgaard, author of one of the key literary phenomenons of the 2010s, My Struggle, to discuss his lates...
Richard Ayoade on The Unfinished Harauld Hughes: Salinger, Sanctimony, and Spinal Tap
08 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we were joined by the iconic actor, writer, and filmmaker Richard Ayoade to discuss his latest comic novel, The Unfinished Harauld Hu...
Simon Russell Beale on A Piece of Work: Shakespeare, Stalin, and Sam Mendes
01 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we were joined by the legendary British actor, Sir Simon Russell Beale CBE, to discuss his first memoir from a life on the stage, A ...
Alan Hollinghurst on Our Evenings: Acting, Aging, and Adventures in Wonderland
24 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we were joined by Booker Prize-winning author Alan Hollinghurst to discuss his new novel, Our Evenings, releasing 3 October. Immersin...
Elif Shafak on There Are Rivers in the Sky: The Tigris and the Thames
06 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we were joined by Booker Prize-shortlisted author Elif Shafak to discuss There Are Rivers in the Sky, her centuries-spanning new nove...
Griffin Dunne on The Friday Afternoon Club: Joan Didion, Dominick Dunne, and His Days in Hollywood
16 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we were joined by actor and writer Griffin Dunne to discuss The Friday Afternoon Club, his fascinating memoir of his famous family –...
Lauren Elkin on Scaffolding: Fidelity, Freedom, and the French New Wave
02 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we were joined by author Lauren to discuss her hypnotising debut novel, 'Scaffolding', which charts the lives of two couples, both l...
Richard Flanagan on Question 7: HG Wells, Hiroshima, and How to Live
11 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we were joined by Booker Prize-winning author Richard Flanagan to discuss his fascinating new memoir, 'Question 7', a meditation on t...
Rachel Khong on Real Americans: Mao, Memory, and Multigenerational Trauma
14 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we were joined by Rachel Khong, author of the New York Times bestseller Real Americans – a multigenerational story about a Chinese ...
Percival Everett on James: Mark Twain, Tennis, and Nat Turner's Rebellion
02 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we were joined by author Percival Everett — Booker Prize finalist and poet of “pathological irony,” — to discuss his landmark...
Andrew O'Hagan on Caledonian Road: Dickens, Drill Gangs, and the Dark Web
02 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we were joined by author Andrew O’Hagan to discuss his truly exciting new novel, Caledonian Road, which has been selected as the Ha...
Robert P. Kolker and Nathan Abrams on Stanley Kubrick: An Odyssey
20 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Hisham Matar on My Friends: London, Libya, and Living in Exile
30 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we were joined by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Hisham Matar to discuss his brilliant new novel ‘My Friends,’ which tells the sto...
Dolly Alderton on Good Material: Heartbreak, Millennial Hatred, and Male Pattern Baldness
12 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we were joined by acclaimed journalist and writer Dolly Alderton, who's latest novel, Good Material, follows a standup comedian in hi...
Zadie Smith on The Fraud: Lies from Victorian England to OJ Simpson
14 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Roger Lewis on the 'Erotic Vagrancy' of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton
24 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, were were joined by celebrated British cultural biographer Roger Lewis, who's latest book, Erotic Vagrancy, is an extravagant, decade...
Benjamín Labatut on The Maniac: From the Atomic Bomb to Artificial Intelligence
27 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we were joined International Booker Prize shortlisted author Benjamín Labatut, who’s first novel written in English is The Maniac,...
Anna Funder on Wifedom: The Lost Woman Behind George Orwell
28 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Wes Anderson on Do Not Detonate: Film Criticism and the Influences Behind 'Asteroid City'
27 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of The Hatchards Podcast we were joined by writer/director Wes Anderson - Parisian, Texan, filmmaker and cinephile - who spoke to Ryan...
David Grann on The Wager: Shipwreck, Sedition, and Martin Scorsese
16 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 Amer...
Ian Dunt on How Westminster Works... and Why It Doesn't
19 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we were joined by Ian Dunt, political journalist and broadcaster, Twitter personality, and author of the new bestseller, "How Westmin...
Alice Winn on In Memoriam: From Tennyson to the Trenches
21 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Sarah Watling on Tomorrow Perhaps the Future: Solidarity and the Spanish Civil War
14 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the latest episode of the Hatchards podcast our guest was the historian Sarah Watling, author of Tomorrow Perhaps the Future, an enthralling group ...
Bret Easton Ellis on The Shards: Lost Youth in Los Angeles
17 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Bret Easton Ellis – one time enfant terrible of American literature, a precociously talented writer who published his first novel when he was barely...
Bill Nighy on Hatchards, ‘Living’, and Kazuo Ishiguro
20 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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, an...
Jerry Saltz on Why Art is Life
06 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
According to former lorry driver turned Pulitzer Prize-winning art critic, Jerry Saltz, art represents "the greatest operating system our species has ...
Nick Hornby on Charles Dickens and Prince
15 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Hatchards Podcast has always been about hard graft. In this episode, resident workaholics Ryan Edgington and Matt Hennessey discuss the life & tim...
Melissa Newman on Paul Newman, Her Iconic Father
02 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we spoke to Melissa Newman – daughter of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward – about her father’s posthumous memoir, 'Paul Newman: T...
David Hepworth on Abbey Road
11 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On the latest episode of The Hatchards Podcast, Ryan and Matt make their (triumphant?) return to interview the illustrious music journalist David Hepw...
Katy Hessel on The Story of Art Without Men
06 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this special episode, male-identifying hosts Matt Hennessey and Ryan Edgington have been excommunicated from the programme in favour of guest hosts...
Tess Gunty on The Rabbit Hutch
19 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The latest installment of the Hatchards Podcast is a global affair, recorded variously in Los Angeles, Paris, and North London and featuring our guest...
Geoff Dyer on Death and Bob Dylan
21 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we spoke to the inimitable Geoff Dyer, author of books including Out of Sheer Rage, Zona, But Beautiful, The Ongoing Moment, and Broa...
Edward Chisholm on Waiting in Paris
24 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dear listener, we strongly recommend that you pour yourself a tall glass of Bordeaux before you listen to the latest episode of The Hatchards Podcast,...
Emma Smith on Burning Books
10 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, 'This is Shakespeare' author Emma Smith joins us to discuss her latest book, 'Portable Magic,' an iconoclastic new story of the book ...
Ben Hinshaw on Exactly What You Mean
19 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we spoke to debut novelist Ben Hinshaw about his new book, "Exactly What You Mean," a series of 11 interconnected short stories revol...
Oliver Bullough on Butlers, British Tax Criminals, and Bertie Wooster
05 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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, cu...
Colm Tóibín on Thomas Mann
22 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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. Tói...
Philip Oltermann on The Stasi Poetry Circle
08 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Max Porter and James Birch on Francis Bacon
22 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Caleb Azumah Nelson on Open Water, Southeast London, and Moonlight
08 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Roger Katz on the Golden Age of Bookselling
25 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 work...
Natasha Brown on Assembly and Deadpool
11 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 be...
The Advent Calendar: Joanna Lumley and Gyles Brandreth
09 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this special Advent Calendar mini-episode, we were joined by two veritable icons of British entertainment, Joanna Lumley and Gyles Brandreth. Both ...
The Advent Calendar: Dominic Sandbrook
08 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this special Advent Calendar mini-episode, we were joined by Dominic Sandbrook to discuss his new series of Children's History books entitled "Adve...
The Advent Calendar: Henry Eliot
05 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this special Advent Calendar mini-episode, we were joined by Henry Eliot, author of The Penguin Modern Classics Book, a beautifully detailed histor...
The Advent Calendar: William Sieghart
05 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this special Advent Calendar mini-episode, we were joined by William Sieghart, author of the bestselling series, The Poetry Pharmacy. Sieghart spok...
The Advent Calendar: Clare Jackson
05 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this special Advent Calendar mini-episode, we were joined by Clare Jackson, author of Devil Land, an epic chronicle of England during its bloody 17...
The Advent Calendar: Philip Hook
05 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this special Advent Calendar mini-episode, we were joined by the art historian Philip Hook, who has spent much of his career as an impressionist an...
William Boyd and the Swinging Sixties
31 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we were visited by one of Britain's greatest living novelists, William Boyd. Boyd's latest book "Trio" follows three characters on th...
John Cleese on Comedy, Craft, and Creativity
04 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We were delighted to welcome icon of British comedy, John Cleese, as our guest on the inaugural Hatchards Podcast.He discussed his recent book Creativ...