Born in Equatorial Guinea, Monica Macias grew up in Pyongyang, North Korea, under the guardianship of the communist country’s then-leader Kim Il Sung. Kim was a close friend of her father, who later became the dictator president of a newly independent Equatorial Guinea. ‘Black Girl from Pyongyang’ is Monica’s remarkable memoir about identity, versions of the truth and finding meaning in the places that we call home. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark Hollingsworth is an investigative journalist, historian, and author of 10 books, including ‘Londongrad: From Russia With Cash: The Inside Story of the Oligarchs’. He speaks to Georgina Godwin about his new book, ‘Agents of Influence’, a journalistic window into Russia’s political warfare and its long history of espionage and disinformation.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Swedish psychologist and author spent 10 years writing her debut novel, which won the prestigious August Prize in 2020 and sold more than 100,000 copies. She joins Georgina Godwin to mark the publication in English of ‘Collected Works’, an epic family drama about a man dealing with the tragic aftermath of his wife’s disappearance a decade ago.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Swedish behavioural expert, lecturer and bestselling author Thomas Erikson speaks to Georgina Godwin about his latest book, ‘Surrounded by Narcissists: Or, How to Stop Other People’s Egos Ruining Your Life’. The book is an insightful, thought-provoking guide to pursuing a more fulfilling life.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adam Gopnik is best known for his savvy pieces published in ‘The New Yorker’ but the essayist is a true multi-hyphenate. An author, lyricist and lecturer, you might say Gopnik has mastered the art of literature. His latest book, ‘The Real Work: On the Mystery of Mastery’, questions the fundamentals of learning and mastering an outlandish skill. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgina Godwin speaks to poet and essayist Amy Key about her new book ‘Arrangements in Blue: Notes on Love and Making a Life’. This beautiful and vulnerable memoir inspired by Joni Mitchell’s 1971 album ‘Blue’ looks at the different ways in which an absence of romantic love shapes a life.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The award-winning UK author tells Georgina Godwin about a childhood family road trip through south Asia, the US and Australia, working in a tea factory and her new book ‘Humanly Possible: 700 years of Humanist Freethinking, Inquiry and Hope’.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

JM Varese is a US novelist and literary historian. He sits down with Georgina Godwin to discuss his new gothic thriller ‘The Company’, which is based on the true story of arsenic-laced wallpaper. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.