Shaun Bythell, George Orwell, and a whole host of politicians – it’s episode 79!
We have a special guest for this episode – my very good friend Lorna, who was meeting Rachel for the first time. We recorded in person in Rachel’s flat, bunched along the sofa. It was really fun – and since Lorna is a broadcast journalist, I feel like we’ve elevated ourselves…
In the first half we talk about political books, both fact and fiction. In the second half we compare two works on running bookshops – Shaun Bythell’s The Diary of a Bookseller and a short essay by George Orwell called ‘Bookshop Memories’.
If you’d like to support the podcast through Patreon, you can! And here we are on Apple Podcasts and you can find us on Spotify too – any reviews or ratings much appreciated. Do get in touch at teaorbooks@gmail.com with any questions or suggestions.
Here are the books and authors we mention in this episode:
Whose Body? by Dorothy L Sayers
Gaudy Night by Dorothy L Sayers
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk
The Quest for Christa T by Christa Wolf
The Tiger Who Came To Tea by Judith Kerr
When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr
The Past is Myself by Christabel Bielenberg
Goethe
Theft By Finding by David Sedaris
Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris
Becoming by Michelle Obama
Dreams From My Father by Barack Obama
The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
Why I’m No Longer Speaking To White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge
Between The World And Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Small Island by Andrea Levy
The Island by Victoria Hislop
Unleashing Demons by Craig Oliver
Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire by Amanda Foreman
The Years of Lyndon Johnson by Robert Caro
Tory Heaven by Marghanita Laski
Love on the Supertax by Marghanita Laski
Love on the Dole by Walter Greenwood
Coningsby by Benjamin Disraeli
Sybil by Benjamin Disraeli
Walter Scott
Charles Dickens
Emile Zola
George Eliot
Middle England by Jonathan Coe
Ian McEwan
Autumn by Ali Smith
Palliser Novels by Anthony Trollope
The Rotters Club by Jonathan Coe
Holy Deadlock by A.P. Herbert
Middlemarch by George Eliot
The Semi-Detached House by Emily Eden
The Semi-Attached Couple by Emily Eden
Head of State by Andrew Marr
Mrs Harris, MP by Paul Gallico
Flowers For Mrs Harris by Paul Gallico
Confessions of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell
E.M. Delafield
Old Books, Rare Friends by Leona Rostenberg and Madeleine Stern
Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell
4.50 From Paddington by Agatha Christie
It probably depends on how angry I am about the world as to how political I want my books to be. Reading Dos Passos recently which is a work that really reflects left wing views was very refreshing, and it worked as art as well as polemic. I usually prefer my politics in fiction not too head on – although I would read (and have read) anything and everything there is by George Orwell! :D
Been enjoying T or B for some time now. If you haven’t already tackled this, Philip Larkin published two novels—Jill and A Girl in Winter—I’ve just reread the latter and thought they might make for an interesting contrasting discussion (and rest assured, Simon, both are fairly short.)
Jill has been on my list to read for a while, thanks for the nudge. And glad you’re enjoying the podcast!
May I make some suggestions for the next German Literature Month (only eleven months for the next go ;))?
You might like Thomas Mann (for example “Buddenbrooks”, long …), Stefan Zweig (“Chess Story”, Austrian – does he count?), Erich Kästner.
And please don’t dismiss Goethe… maybe have a go with “Elective Affinities” – surprisingly modern!
Wishing you “einen guten Rutsch”, a happy New Year and looking forward to T or B in 2020!
Andrea
I loved your thoughts on curmudgeonly booksellers — and I was actually just at Capitol Hill books in DC just before Christmas! It was very busy and there was a nice young woman at the checkout, so perhaps the curmudgeon has moved on (or taken a day off, it was a Sunday). They did have a really interesting selection of books and I really want to go back and have a good long browse.
I’ve come to your podcast late and have really enjoyed the three or four I’ve listened to so far. I’m going to listen to some of your prior episodes. A German writer I really like is Ursula Hegi. I’ve just recently read Jill and liked it very much and second the suggestion made by Jack.
So glad you’re enjoying them, Grier! Thanks for the recommendation.