Writers & Company

All podcast episodes

Use the links below to download a file.

Rupert Thomson Podcast

English novelist Rupert Thomson is one of those writers who, for some reason, is not as well known as he should be. So, we're doing our bit to remedy the situation. Eleanor speaks with him about his memoir, and about his new novel, "Secrecy".

Download Rupert Thomson Podcast
[mp3 file: runs 00:52:07]

Aminatta Forna Podcast

Aminatta Forna has first-hand knowledge of civil war. Her father was hanged in 1975 by the regime in Sierra Leone, on false charges of treason. Forna writes about civil war in her latest book - this time about Yugoslavia.

Download Aminatta Forna Podcast
[mp3 file: runs 00:52:17]

Roddy Doyle Podcast

Irish writer Roddy Doyle clearly loves to talk - and his characters do too, in their own lively, expletive-ridden way. Doyle's new novel "The Guts" brings back Jimmy Rabbitte from the "Barrytown Trilogy". There's life in the old boy yet.

Download Roddy Doyle Podcast
[mp3 file: runs 00:52:00]

Richard Sennett Podcast

Richard Sennett is a social analyst and writer, with his work falling under the heading 'culture studies'. But this isn't dry stuff - his work is "an elegant mix of interview, anecdote and wide, deep book-research."

Download Richard Sennett Podcast
[mp3 file: runs 00:52:12]

Nicky Hornby Podcast

During the summer, the weekly podcast audio has featured some of the best shows from our archives. This week, from 2006, the popular English novelist and essayist, Nick Hornby.

Download Nicky Hornby Podcast
[mp3 file: runs 00:51:36]

Ruth Reichl Podcast

During the summer, the weekly podcast will feature some of the best shows from our archives. This week, from 2006, the candid queen of food writing, Ruth Reichl.

Download Ruth Reichl Podcast
[mp3 file: runs 00:52:53]

Simon Winchester Podcast

During the summer, the weekly podcast will feature some of the best shows from our archives. This week, Eleanor's 2004 conversation with Simon Winchester about the making of the Oxford English Dictionary.

Download Simon Winchester Podcast
[mp3 file: runs 00:52:07]

Caedmon Records Podcast

During the summer the weekly podcast will feature some of the best shows from our archives. This week, from 2002, a look back to the beginning of commercial spoken word, with the two remarkable women who launched Caedmon Records.

Download Caedmon Records Podcast
[mp3 file: runs 00:52:07]

Deborah Eisenberg Podcast

During the summer, the weekly podcast will feature some of the best shows from our archives. This week, from 2006, New York short story writer, Deborah Eisenberg.

Download Deborah Eisenberg Podcast
[mp3 file: runs 00:53:16]

Dava Sobel Podcast

During the summer, the weekly bonus podcast will feature some of the best shows from our archives. This week, Eleanor Wachtel's 2006 conversation with American science writer, Dava Sobel.

Download Dava Sobel Podcast
[mp3 file: runs 00:53:10]

Mark Strand Podcast

During the summer, the weekly podcast will feature some of the best shows from our archives. This week, Eleanor's 1999 conversation with the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, Mark Strand.

Download Mark Strand Podcast
[mp3 file: runs 00:51:15]

Shirley Hazzard Podcast

During the summer, the weekly podcast will feature some of the best shows from our archives. This week, Eleanor Wachtel's 2003 conversation with Shirley Hazzard.

Download Shirley Hazzard Podcast
[mp3 file: runs 00:52:46]

Gloria Steinem Podcast

During the summer, the weekly podcast will feature some of the best shows from our archives. This week, Eleanor's 2001 conversation with feminist icon, Gloria Steinem.

Download Gloria Steinem Podcast
[mp3 file: runs 00:51:17]

Bernardo Bertolucci Podcast

During the summer, the weekly podcast will feature some of the best shows from our archives. This week, Eleanor's 2001 conversation with Italian filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci.

Download Bernardo Bertolucci Podcast
[mp3 file: runs 00:51:37]

Jane Goodall Podcast

During the summer, the weekly podcast will feature some of the best shows from our archives that haven't been podcast before. This week, our conversation with primatologist Jane Goodall from the year 2000.

Download Jane Goodall Podcast
[mp3 file: runs 00:52:11]

James Lasdun Podcast

Eleanor Wachtel speaks with British-American novelist, poet and memoirist, James Lasdun. His latest book is a complex account of being stalked, called "Give Me Everything You Have". This file contains audio not heard on the broadcast version.

Download James Lasdun Podcast
[mp3 file: runs 01:00:36]

Erri de Luca Podcast

Eleanor Wachtel spoke with Italian author, Erri de Luca, at the Blue Metropolis International Literary Festival in Montreal. He's a novelist, essayist, poet, translator, screenwriter and actor. And he's the most widely read Italian author alive today.

Download Erri de Luca Podcast
[mp3 file: runs 00:51:31]

Mia Couto Podcast

Mia Couto was born in Mozambique, where his Portuguese parents had settled. He's just won this year's 100,000 Euro Camões Prize for Literature - dubbed the Portuguese Nobel. His latest book in English is called "The Tuner of Silences".

Download Mia Couto Podcast
[mp3 file: runs 00:51:45]

John le Carre Podcast

This week, a brand new interview with John le Carré. We last spoke with him in 2010, and he was so articulate and charming that we were delighted to have a chance to speak with him again. This file contains audio not heard on the broadcast version.

Download John le Carre Podcast
[mp3 file: runs 01:06:33]

Colm Toibin Podcast

Irish writer Colm Toibin was this year's grand prize winner at the Blue Metropolis International Literary Festival in Montreal. His latest, “The Testament of Mary” takes place twenty years after Jesus’s death.

Download Colm Toibin Podcast
[mp3 file: runs 00:52:43]

Kate Atkinson Podcast

Kate Atkinson spoke with Eleanor onstage at Harbourfront in Toronto. Atkinson’s first Jackson Brodie novel was described by Stephen King as the best mystery of the decade. Her latest wonderful novel (not a Brodie mystery) is called “Life after Life”.

Download Kate Atkinson Podcast
[mp3 file: runs 00:51:43]

Gazmend Kapllani Podcast

We wrap up our series “Greece: The Unfolding Drama”, with the Albanian-Greek writer, Gazmend Kapllani. Before the economic crisis (and possibly racism) cost him his job, he was the only immigrant journalist writing columns in the big Greek dailies.

Download Gazmend Kapllani Podcast
[mp3 file: runs 00:51:26]

Jenny Mastoraki, Costa Gavras Podcast

Our Greek series continues with poet Jenny Mastoraki. She came of age during the military dictatorship, and found her voice at a time when words were considered dangerous. Also, Greek born filmmaker Costa Gavras.

Download Jenny Mastoraki, Costa Gavras Podcast
[mp3 file: runs 00:51:37]

Nick Papandreou Podcast

Our series ‘Greece: ‘The Unfolding Drama’ continues with Nick Papandreou, son of the late Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou - and grandson and brother to two other Greek Prime Ministers.

Download Nick Papandreou Podcast
[mp3 file: runs 00:51:39]

Petros Markaris Podcast

Petros Markaris is a popular crime writer, but he's also a respected playwright, translator and screenwriter. Our conversation with him is the second in our 5-part series, “Greece: The Unfolding Drama”.

Download Petros Markaris Podcast
[mp3 file: runs 00:51:35]

Yanis Varoufakis Podcast

This week, the launch of a new series, 'Greece: The Unfolding Drama'; from classical mythology to the weakest link in the European Union. To start, Yanis Varoufakis, respected political economist, and author of "The Global Minotaur".

Download Yanis Varoufakis Podcast
[mp3 file: runs 00:52:17]