The London Magazine Podcast

On this episode of The London Magazine Podcast, we speak to translator and editor Ann Goldstein, renowned for bringing Elena Ferrante’s work to English readers. A former editor at the New Yorker, Goldstein has also translated works by Primo Levi, Jhumpa Lahiri and, most recently, Donatella Di Pietrantonio’s The Brittle Age.
In the episode, we discuss the oxymoron of the ‘celebrated translator’, her early encounters with Italian through Dante and the story of how she became Ferrante’s translator. Goldstein reflects on Ferrante’s unique syntax and style, as well as the broader challenges of Italian–English translation.
Timestamps
0.45 - The oxymoron of the ‘celebrated translator’
2.44 - Dante, Italian language lessons and the New Yorker
6.31 - Elena Ferrante: how it started
8.05 - Ferrante’s style, syntax and appeal
11.10 - Ann’s translation process: method vs instinct
14.58 - Translating difficult subject matter
16.09 - Technical problems in Italian–English translation
23.09 - The ‘gold standard’ of translation?
25.00 - Dealing with Ferrante fanatics
Follow The London Magazine Podcast here to never miss an episode. To discover more content exclusive to our print and digital editions, subscribe here to receive a copy of The London Magazine to your door every two months, while also enjoying full access to our extensive digital archive of essays, literary journalism, fiction and poetry.

On this episode of The London Magazine Podcast, we speak to short story writer and novelist Gurnaik Johal. Gurnaik’s 2022 collection We Move won the Somerset Maugham Award and the Tata Literature Live! Prize, and his debut novel, Saraswati, is out now with Serpent’s Tail.
In the episode, we discuss maximalism in the novel, the Indian diaspora and the difficulty of writing about current events – ‘this is where I say to any budding writers out there: write historical fiction!’
Timestamps
1.35 - The escapism of writing a maximalist novel during COVID
3.04 - Gurnaik reads an extract from Saraswati
7.43 - Moving from short fiction to the novel
9.36 - Research, knowledge acquisition and the editorial process
12.53 - How to write about current events that are changing day by day
14.24 - Maximalism and ambition in a debut novel
19.39 - Seeing India through the eyes of the diaspora
23.25 - Comedy and levity in the novel
26.54 - Origin stories and myth
29.08 - Writing ‘climate fiction’
31.22 - The strange timewarp of publishing
Follow The London Magazine Podcast here to never miss an episode. To discover more content exclusive to our print and digital editions, subscribe here to receive a copy of The London Magazine to your door every two months, while also enjoying full access to our extensive digital archive of essays, literary journalism, fiction and poetry.

On this episode of The London Magazine Podcast, we speak to award-winning cultural critic and novelist Leo Robson. Leo’s writing has appeared in the New Yorker, the London Review of Books, Granta and the New Left Review. He works for Literary Review and Granta, and The Boys is his first novel.
In the episode, we talk about evoking London on the page, the strange nostalgia of the 2012 Olympics, the role of humour in serious writing and the virtues of obstinacy.
Timestamps
0.32 - The joys of book promotion
2.43 - Leo reads an extract from The Boys
8.25 - Writing a ‘London’ novel
9.51 - The 2012 London Olympics and the legacy of New Labour
14.12 - Chronologies, rites of passage and parody
16.01 - The writing process and the evocation of place
20.49 - Stefan Zweig, Wes Anderson, Alt-J and Mark Fisher’s temporal paradoxes
28.22 - Iris Murdoch’s Under the Net and other inspirations
30.06 - Light and dark: balancing humour and serious subjects in a novel
33.45 - The process: writing cultural criticism vs writing fiction
Follow The London Magazine Podcast here to never miss an episode. To discover more content exclusive to our print and digital editions, subscribe here to receive a copy of The London Magazine to your door every two months, while also enjoying full access to our extensive digital archive of essays, literary journalism, fiction and poetry.

On this episode of The London Magazine Podcast, we talk to writer Mark Bowles. Mark grew up between Bradford and Leeds, and went on to study English at Liverpool and Oxford Universities. His debut novel, All My Precious Madness, was published at the end of last year, and has been nominated for the Goldsmiths Prize and the Authors’ Club Best First Novel award.
In the episode, we hear more about the writing and editing process for All My Precious Madness. We discuss corporate jargon, Mark’s love of espressos and whether or not his book can be called an anti-English novel.
Timestamps
0.37 - Mark Bowles in The London Magazine archives
2.58 - A passage from 'All My Precious Madness'
7.54 - Voice in the novel
10.15 - The virtues of exaggeration
13.50 - Ideas do not fully precede their expression
15.48 - Surprises when writing the novel
18.36 - Mark's love of espressos at Bar Termini
22.27 - 'All My Precious Madness' as a pro-European novel
24.24 - Aphorisms
29.58 - His next book?
31.57 - What Mark's been reading and enjoying recently
Follow The London Magazine podcast here to never miss an episode. To discover more content exclusive to our print and digital editions, subscribe here to receive a copy of The London Magazine to your door every two months, while also enjoying full access to our extensive digital archive of essays, literary journalism, fiction and poetry.

On this episode of The London Magazine Podcast, we talk to designer and magazine aficionado Jeremy Leslie. Jeremy’s platform, magCulture, sells a huge range of magazines from its London shop and online, posts regular reviews and essays via its journal, runs annual conferences in London and New York, as well as recording a regular podcast of its own. A passionate advocate for editorial design, Jeremy has established himself as a commentator on the subject through the magCulture online Journal and a series of books.
In the episode, we discuss the origins and growth of magCulture, as well as Jeremy’s personal favourite magazines. Jeremy also addresses the myth of ‘the end of print’ and shows how the industry has indeed changed, but for the better.
Timestamps:
1.03 – magCulture, murder and The London Magazine
2.44 – The origins of magCulture
5.52 – Early magazine influences
10.48 – Devalueing print: the end of NME
12.40 – Curating magCulture: what makes a good magazine?
16.50 – The myth of 'the end of print' and how magazines have changed
22.16 – What's doing well and what's lacking in magazine culture
24.49 – Current favourite magazines
Follow The London Magazine podcast here to never miss an episode. To discover more content exclusive to our print and digital editions, subscribe here to receive a copy of The London Magazine to your door every two months, while also enjoying full access to our extensive digital archive of essays, literary journalism, fiction and poetry.