Monocle on Saturday
219 episodes - English - Latest episode: 2 days ago -Don’t miss the week’s most interesting stories from around the world. Join Georgina Godwin every week on Monocle on Saturday to delve into the latest global news and culture, with reports from regular guests in Monocle’s London studio and our international correspondents.
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Episodes
Biden’s turbulent week and the best books of the 21st century
July 13, 2024 09:00 - 32 minutes - 44.3 MBCharles Hecker joins Georgina Godwin to talk about the Democrats’ dwindling support for Biden, the future of Paris and ‘The New York Times’ list of the best-selling books of the 21st century. Plus: the founder of Weatherglass Books, Neil Griffiths, talks about co-founding a small publishing house and the Republic of Consciousness Prize for Small Presses.
‘Change begins immediately’: the UK elects a new prime minister
July 06, 2024 09:00 - 35 minutes - 48.3 MBAfter 14 years of a Conservative government, Labour leader Keir Starmer has led the party to victory in the UK, becoming the new prime minister. Political journalist, Vincent McAviney, joins Georgina Godwin to talk about reporting on election night, as well as the elections in France, Iran and the US, and whether we say the word “like” too much. Plus: Monocle’s Gunnar Gronlid reflects on the future of the animation industry with award-winning directors Adam Elliot and James A Castillo, and ar...
The fallout from the US debate
June 29, 2024 09:00 - 31 minutes - 43.6 MBThursday saw an extraordinary US debate between presidential candidates Joe Biden and Donald Trump; what happened and what comes next? International journalist Isabel Hilton joins Georgina Godwin to discuss the fallout of the event and the global reaction, the comparatively uneventful debate in the UK, Bradford Literature Festival and the latest news from China. Plus: Monocle’s senior news editor, Chris Cermak, speaks to the debate director of Braver Angels, Jessie Mannisto, about its debate ...
Monocle’s Swiss Summer Market and Nordic midsummer celebrations
June 22, 2024 09:00 - 30 minutes - 41.7 MBMonocle brings Switzerland to Midori House. Alex Herrmann, UK & Ireland Director of Switzerland Tourism, joins Georgina Godwin to tell us all about the different regions and Swiss delicacies at Monocle’s Swiss Summer Market. Plus: Georgina and political journalist Terry Stiastny flick through the global papers and Monocle’s Helsinki correspondent, Petri Burtsoff, explains how the wider Nordic region is celebrating midsummer this weekend.
Festival boycotts and translated fiction
June 15, 2024 09:00 - 35 minutes - 48.9 MBAuthors and attendees have been boycotting literary festivals for their sponsorship by Baillie Gifford – and now music festivals are under fire. Charles Hecker and Georgina Godwin explore whether this will do more harm than good, as well as the top stories from global papers. Then: Richard Village, founder of new independent publisher Foundry Editions, joins to talk about bringing Mediterranean authors to the attention of English-speaking audiences. Plus: Nigerian-American artist and poet Pre...
Asia news, the Women’s Prize Live and Bookbanks
June 08, 2024 09:00 - 33 minutes - 45.8 MBWriter and social commentator Lijia Zhang joins Georgina Godwin to talk about the 35th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown, organising her own protest, China’s relationship with Russia and Ukraine and the K-pop balloons sent to North Korea. Plus: Kate Mosse, author and founder director of the Women’s Prize, joins to discuss the organisation’s live event and Bookbanks founder Emily Rhodes on her initiative bringing books to foodbanks.
Trump’s conviction, Iceland’s election and London Gallery Weekend
June 01, 2024 09:00 - 34 minutes - 47.1 MBWill the conviction of former President Donald Trump affect his chance of winning the US election in November? And why does Iceland’s election today have more candidates running than ever before? Join Emma Nelson and communications consultant and journalist Simon Brooke as they look through the week’s news and culture. Plus: we look at art and tourism, including co-founder and director of London Gallery Weekend Jeremy Epstein, who joins the show to talk about this weekend’s highlights.
Cozy publishing and ‘How to Make a Bomb: A Novel’
May 25, 2024 09:00 - 43 minutes - 59.1 MBGeorgina Godwin is joined by Daniella Peled, managing editor at the Institute for War and Peace Reporting, for a look back at the week’s news and culture. Plus: author Rupert Thompson joins to discuss his new book ‘How to Make a Bomb: A Novel’ and Monocle’s Helsinki correspondent, Petri Burtsoff, visits the independent publishing imprint Cozy.
The Conversation talks and the rise of English
May 18, 2024 09:00 - 36 minutes - 49.7 MBAuthor and political journalist, Terry Stiastny, joins Georgina Godwin to discuss the latest news from Israel, New Caledonia and the UK. Plus: the founder of the Hay Festival, Peter Florence, joins the show to talk about the launch of his new venture, The Conversation, a series of Monday evening talks in the heart of London that tackle important topics such as peace, democracy and climate action. Finally, author and law professor Rosemary Salomone joins to discuss her book, ‘The Rise of Engli...
The countdown to Eurovision
May 11, 2024 09:00 - 29 minutes - 41.2 MBThe Eurovision final is nearly here. Latika Bourke, Sîan Pattenden and Georgina Godwin discuss the latest news from Malmö as well as Sîan’s eleventh consecutive charity live draw. Monocle’s resident Eurovision expert, Fernando Augusto Pacheco, speaks to the show’s production designer, Florian Wieder, and the lighting and screen-content designer, Fredrik Stormby, from the competition’s main stage. Plus: David Lammy in the US and the tourist crackdown in the Balearic Islands.
How much a book really costs to make and election drama continues
May 04, 2024 09:00 - 30 minutes - 42 MBAs the UK local election results come in, who will win the race for London mayor? On the other side of the pond, Trump’s hush-money trial continues ahead of the US election in November; Charles Hecker and Georgina Godwin discuss the latest developments. Plus: co-founder of independent publisher Galley Beggar Press, Sam Jordison, joins to discuss how much it really costs to make a book and the effect that it can have on smaller presses.
Celebrating writers of colour and the week in news and culture
April 27, 2024 09:00 - 33 minutes - 45.9 MBWriter and broadcaster Yassmin Abdel-Magied joins the show to discuss the potential attack in Darfur, Ukraine halting passport services and why UK South Asian garment stores are suffering. Author and playwright Guy Gunaratne joins the show to talk about ‘The Review’, a new journal by the Jhalak Foundation and WritersMosaic in ‘The Bookseller’ celebrating writers of colour. Plus: communications specialist and documentary filmmaker Issabella Orlando looks back at April’s art-and-culture moments.
The Venice Biennale, Salone del Mobile and translated fiction
April 20, 2024 09:00 - 35 minutes - 49.3 MBIsabel Hilton, founder of China Dialogue, joins Georgina Godwin to talk about German chancellor Olaf Scholz’s visit to China, A24’s ‘Civil War’ (warning: spoilers ahead) and Anne Hidalgo’s vision of a greener Paris under threat. The co-founder of independent publisher Charco Press, Samuel McDowell, also joins the show to discuss translated Latin American fiction. Plus: we hear from Turkish designer Gülsün Karamustafa, who is representing her country at this year’s Venice Biennale, and Monocle...
From Iran and Israel to Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’
April 13, 2024 09:00 - 36 minutes - 49.5 MBUS intelligence predicts that Iran will strike Israel within the next few days. Yossi Mekelberg, associate fellow at Chatham House, joins Georgina Godwin to tell us more. Also in the programme: Angela Rayner is under scrutiny, Donald Trump compares himself to Nelson Mandela and Beyoncé puts Levi jeans back on the hotlist. Plus: Monocle’s Gregory Scruggs speaks to Bernadette McDonald, who spotlights local Himalayan climbers in her new book ‘Alpine Rising: Sherpas, Baltis, and the Triumph of Lo...
Wirecard scandal and the history of the honeytrap
April 06, 2024 09:00 - 31 minutes - 42.7 MBTerry Stiastny updates Georgina Godwin on the Wirecard fugitive case and discusses the honeytrap scandal that has rattled Westminster this week. We examine the history of honeytrap scandals and look back at the lives of two extraordinary people: journalist Hella Pick and author Lynne Reid Banks. Plus: twins Dina and Rosabella Gregory take us through their new opera, ‘The Haberdasher Prince’, and Louise Doughty joins to talk about her guest edition of Writers Mosaic, ‘Blood and belonging: Trav...
Is China responsible for cyber espionage in the UK and US?
March 30, 2024 09:00 - 36 minutes - 50.7 MBIsabel Hilton, founder of China Dialogue, joins Emma Nelson in the studio to discuss accusations that China is responsible for cyber espionage in the UK, US and New Zealand, affecting millions of people. We also look at how Truth Social could be worth $9bn (€8.3bn), despite reporting losses, and we head to The Chiefs, Monocle’s conference in Hong Kong, to learn from developer and hotelier Yuta Oka. Also on the programme: Monocle’s Mae-Li Evans takes us to Robert Herman’s latest exhibition, ‘F...
Monocle’s Hanami Market
March 23, 2024 09:00 - 31 minutes - 42.6 MBMonocle’s editorial director, Tyler Brûlé, joins Emma Nelson from Zürich to talk about the Japanese spring market at Dufourstrasse 90, as well as the forthcoming The Chiefs conference in Hong Kong. Plus: communications consultant and journalist Simon Brooke joins the studio in London to flick through the global papers. We also discuss this week’s news, including Moscow’s concert hall attack and the world’s response to Catherine Princess of Wales’s cancer diagnosis.
Russia’s presidential election: opposition flash mobs and voting under threat
March 16, 2024 09:00 - 31 minutes - 43.5 MBThough voting has begun in Russia to elect the country’s next president, the results are unlikely to come as a surprise. However, there is resistance bubbling under the surface. Join Georgina Godwin and Russia specialist Charles Hecker to discuss the run-up to the election. Plus: Tory donor Frank Hester’s racist comments, Boris Johnson’s unofficial talks in Venezuela and Monocle’s Fernando Augusto Pacheco interviews Lauro Andrade, founder of DW! São Paulo Design Week.
Will the US TikTok ban go ahead?
March 09, 2024 09:00 - 31 minutes - 42.9 MBUS lawmakers have passed a bill that would remove TikTok from app stores – but will the ban go ahead? And does dark matter actually exist? Join Vincent McAviney and Yassmin Abdel-Magied for this as well a background on the potential ceasefire in Sudan during Ramadan. Plus: Monocle’s Tomos Lewis interviews the CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ahead of the celebrations tomorrow and the director of the London Book Fair, Gareth Rapley, joins us to discuss next week’s event.
Navalny’s funeral, Sunak’s speech and a Russian spy exposed
March 02, 2024 09:00 - 35 minutes - 48.4 MBOn Friday the funeral of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny drew thousands of mourners. What was the mood in Moscow? In the UK what has the reaction been to prime minister Rishi Sunak’s Downing Street address on Friday evening? Meanwhile in Austria, an investigation has exposed the fraudulent COO of Wirecard as a decade-long GRU spy – what do we know? Join Vincent McAviney and political journalist Terry Stiastny for all this, as well as a breakdown of the Willy Wonka experience scam in ...
Two years of Russia’s war in Ukraine
February 24, 2024 09:00 - 39 minutes - 54.6 MBEmma Nelson, Christopher Phillips and Charles Hecker reflect on the last two years of Russia’s war in Ukraine and take a look at Christopher’s new book, ‘Battleground: 10 Conflicts that Explain the New Middle East’. Plus: arts and culture communications specialist Issabella Orlando stops by to talk about the Barbican’s new exhibition, ‘Unravel: The Power and Politics of Textiles in Art’, Sarah Snook’s one-woman take on ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ and Bali’s extraordinary New Year tradition.
The first-ever Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction
February 17, 2024 09:00 - 30 minutes - 41.6 MBIsabel Hilton, international journalist and founder of China Dialogue, joins Georgina Godwin for a round-up of the week’s news and culture. This week, we look back at the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, the UK by-elections and fake Chinese accounts on Elon Musk’s X. Plus: Professor Suzannah Liscomb, award-winning author and broadcaster, joins Georgina Godwin to talk about the first-ever Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction.
Is it a bumpy road ahead for China’s economy?
February 10, 2024 09:00 - 29 minutes - 40.7 MBWill China’s economy recover during the Year of the Dragon? What is the UK’s new tech that could control the weather? And how is the ‘Bayeux Tapestry’ being updated? Join Georgina Godwin and David Bodanis for a round-up of the week’s news and culture. Plus: the owner of The Steam Room, Tony Chung, joins us to talk about his collaboration with Ai Weiwei and Avant Arte for the Lunar New Year.
US airstrikes, Marco Polo and The Heartbreak Hotel
February 03, 2024 09:00 - 29 minutes - 40.4 MBThe US military launched airstrikes against targets in Syria and Iraq on Friday. How has the country’s power changed across different administrations? Also on the programme: Georgina Godwin and international correspondent Nina dos Santos discuss why men are drifting to the far right, the many conspiracies surrounding Taylor Swift and Venice Carnival’s celebration of Marco Polo this weekend. Plus: Alice Haddon and Ruth Field join us to talk about their therapeutic wellness retreat, The Heartbr...
News and culture round-up
January 27, 2024 09:00 - 33 minutes - 45.4 MBJoin Emma Nelson and political journalist Terry Stiastny for a look back at the week’s news and culture. Plus: Issabella Orlando joins the panel for a round-up of her favourite stories this month.
Europe sounds the alarm on Putin and we head to Singapore’s international art fair
January 20, 2024 09:00 - 34 minutes - 47.2 MBWhat are the key takeaways from the interview with German defence minister, Boris Pistorius? Which country is the common link in the recent Middle Eastern conflicts, and why? Join Georgina Godwin and Austrian journalist Tessa Szyszkowitz for this and more from the week’s news and culture. Plus: Monocle’s Lilian Fawcett visits Singapore’s international art fair, ART SG, to find out how Singapore is trying to establish itself as a global art hub
US-UK air strikes on Houthi rebels and AI finishes a famous painting
January 13, 2024 09:00 - 30 minutes - 42.4 MBCan the Israel-Hamas conflict be contained? What is likely to happen at the Iowa caucuses? And why are people upset at artificial intelligence finishing Keith Haring’s ‘Unfinished Painting’? Join Georgina Godwin and communications consultant Simon Brooke for this and more from the week’s news and culture.
Three years on from the Capitol Hill riot, Taiwan’s election and ‘Saltburn’
January 06, 2024 09:00 - 31 minutes - 43.3 MBWhat lasting effect has the Capitol Hill riot had on the US over the past three years? Monocle’s Christopher Cermak discusses how views and memories of that day have changed. How will Asia’s elections this month impact the rest of the world? Monocle’s Naomi Xu Elegant looks ahead. And is ‘Saltburn’ a perfect satire or does it fall flat? Join journalist Vincent McAviney and Georgina Godwin for a review of the week’s news and culture.
The biggest stories of 2023
December 30, 2023 09:00 - 35 minutes - 49 MBLatika Bourke and Georgina Godwin look back at the biggest news and culture stories of 2023. Plus: Andrew Mueller gives us his alternative take on this year’s events.
Festive news and culture from around the world
December 23, 2023 09:00 - 33 minutes - 46.6 MBJoin Simon Brooke and Georgina Godwin as they take a look through the news and culture this festive season. Plus, discover the stories behind New York\'s Rockerfeller Christmas tree and Quebec City\'s Christmas mascot
Reindeer noir and Monocle’s gift-giving guide
December 16, 2023 09:00 - 30 minutes - 41.8 MBTerry Stiastny joins Georgina Godwin for a look through the week’s news and culture. Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, fails to secure long-term financial aid from the US and the EU, Rishi Sunak attends a hard-right-wing political festival in Italy and we learn about Finland’s festive TV genre – reindeer noir. Plus: Grace Charlton discusses Monocle’s Christmas gift-giving guide.
Heritage-inspired spaces around the globe
December 09, 2023 09:00 - 38 minutes - 53.5 MBJoin Emma Nelson and Yassmin Abdel-Magied for a look through the week’s news and culture. Plus: Monocle’s Oslo correspondent, Lars Bevanger, visits Ambassaden – the former US embassy, which has been transformed into a food-and-drink hub. Arts and culture specialist Issabella Orlando also joins the panel to talk about other heritage-inspired spaces around the world.
Monocle’s Zürich Christmas market
December 02, 2023 09:00 - 30 minutes - 41.6 MBJoin Juliet Linley and Georgina Godwin for a look through the week’s news and culture from Monocle’s Christmas market in Zürich with special guests Deputy Head of Radio, Tom Webb, and Editorial Director, Tyler Brûlé.
Celebrating 10 years of English wine and giving up a Michelin star
November 25, 2023 09:00 - 31 minutes - 43.7 MBDavid Bodanis, author of ‘Art of Fairness: The Power of Decency in a World Turned Mean’, joins Georgina Godwin for a look at the week’s news and culture. Also this week, Marketing Manager, Carley Bassett, and Sales Director, Chris Unger, give us a taste of a limited-edition magnum from Hattingley Valley. The award-winning English winery specialises in sparkling wine and released the special bottle to celebrate a decade of excellence in wine-making. Plus: Jorg Zupan became the chef of the firs...
The Baillie Gifford Prize 2023 with Sian Bayley
November 18, 2023 09:00 - 31 minutes - 43.8 MBSian Bayley, news editor at ‘The Bookseller’, joins Georgina Godwin to look at the week’s global news and culture. Plus, the two discuss the winner of this year’s Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction. John Vaillant’s winning book, ‘Fire Weather: A True Story From a Hotter World’, delves into the devastating wildfires that struck Fort McMurray, Alberta – the hub of Canada’s oil industry – in May 2016. It examines the conflicting priorities of the oil industry and climate science, the immense ...
Suella Braverman’s uncertain future, Iceland’s emergency and the ‘Cult of Beauty’
November 11, 2023 09:00 - 31 minutes - 42.8 MBCharles Hecker on Suella Braverman’s uncertain future, whether the tide is changing on the US stance in the Middle East and Iceland’s state of emergency. Plus: which factors change our perception of beauty? Monocle’s Steph Chungu speaks to Janice Li, the curator of the new Wellcome Collection exhibition, ‘The Cult of Beauty’. Join Georgina Godwin every week to discover the latest global news and culture.
Antony Blinken in Jordan, the mushroom poisoning case and vegan cheese
November 04, 2023 09:00 - 31 minutes - 43.1 MBLatika Bourke on Antony Blinken’s visit to Jordan, Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese’s historic trip to China and the alleged mushroom poisoning case in Australia that is gripping the world. Plus: Monocle’s Robert Bound speaks to the founder of C2C festival taking place in Turin this weekend and Honestly Tasty’s co-founder, Michael Moore, proves that vegan cheese can, in fact, be very tasty.
Israeli airstrikes intensify, the new US House Speaker and an Austrian non-binary choir
October 28, 2023 09:00 - 31 minutes - 43.4 MBTerry Stiastny and Carlota Rebelo discuss overnight developments in the Israel-Palestine conflict and the new US House Speaker, Mike Johnson. Plus: Monocle’s Alexei Korolyov meets the feminist non-binary choir taking Austria by storm. Join Monocle on Saturday every week for a review of the latest news, arts and culture in the week’s global papers.
The latest in Gaza, the US House Speaker vote and the history of tea
October 21, 2023 09:00 - 30 minutes - 42 MBCharles Hecker and Georgina Godwin discuss the Rafah border crossing opening in Egypt, turmoil in the US House of Representatives, the UK’s by-election results and hibernation season in Japan. Plus: Monocle’s Isabella Jewell explores the Horniman Museum’s new exhibition on the history of tea, followed by a tasting of some unusual brews.
Monocle on Saturday: 14 October 2023
October 14, 2023 09:00 - 30 minutes - 41.8 MBA look at the week’s news and culture with Georgina Godwin. Also in the programme: David Bodanis reviews the morning’s papers and Meryl Halls, managing director at the Booksellers Association, tells us about Bookshop Day.
Monocle on Saturday: 7 October 2023
October 07, 2023 09:00 - 31 minutes - 43.8 MBA look at the week’s news and culture with Georgina Godwin. Also in the programme: Somnath Batabyal reviews the morning’s papers and Monocle’s Naomi Xu Elegant speaks to the founder of the Dili International Film Festival.
Monocle on Saturday: 30 September 2023
September 30, 2023 09:00 - 29 minutes - 40.5 MBA look at the week’s news and culture with Georgina Godwin. Also in the programme: Tim Dowling reviews the morning’s papers and we visit the Fire Temple of Baku.
Monocle on Saturday: 23 September 2023
September 23, 2023 09:00 - 35 minutes - 48.5 MBA look at the week’s news and culture with Georgina Godwin. Also in the programme: Charles Hecker reviews the morning’s papers and we get an inside look at two new exhibitions in London. Monocle’s Steph Chungu explores the untold stories of black British fashion at Somerset House and Clare Patey joins us to discuss the Empathy Museum.
Monocle on Saturday: 16 September 2023
September 16, 2023 09:00 - 30 minutes - 41.9 MBA look at the week’s news and culture with Georgina Godwin. Plus: Terry Stiastny joins us for a look through the morning’s papers, while Monocle's Julia Lasica takes a look at Ukraine Institute London\'s film festival ending this Sunday featuring the ground-breaking documentary, 20 Days in Mariupol.
Monocle on Saturday: 9 September 2023
September 09, 2023 09:00 - 32 minutes - 44.6 MBA look at the week’s news and culture with Vincent McAviney. Plus: Yassmin Abdel-Magied joins us for a look through the morning’s papers, while Fernando Augusto Pacheco meets Angus Dowling of Australian psychedelic-rock band Babe Rainbow to discuss their new single “Juice of the Sun”.
Monocle on Saturday: 2 September 2023
September 02, 2023 09:00 - 30 minutes - 41.4 MBWe take a look at the week’s news and culture with Georgina Godwin. Plus: we are joined by Charles Hecker for a look through the morning’s papers, Monocle’s Helsinki correspondent, Petri Burtsoff, investigates the growing popularity of e-bikes in Finland and we examine India’s space programme with Maya Sharma.
Monocle on Saturday: 26 August 2023
August 26, 2023 09:00 - 32 minutes - 44.8 MBWe take a look at the week’s news and culture with Vincent McAviney. Plus: we are joined by Terry Stiastny for a look through the morning’s papers and Monocle’s Madrid correspondent, Liam Aldous, asks why female artists in Spain are going topless on stage.
Monocle on Saturday: 19 August 2023
August 19, 2023 09:00 - 34 minutes - 47.8 MBA look at the week’s news and culture, with Georgina Godwin. Plus: we are joined by Charles Hecker for a flick through the morning’s papers and Monocle’s Washington correspondent, Christopher Cermak, examines the conspiracy theories perpetuated by Donald Trump\'’ media supporters.
Monocle on Saturday: 12 August 2023
August 12, 2023 09:00 - 30 minutes - 42.3 MBA look at the week’s news and culture with Georgina Godwin. She is joined by the columnist, author and ‘Insult my Intelligence’ podcast host, Tim Dowling, for a lively discussion of the morning’s stories from across the globe. Plus: the volunteer group who made women’s uniforms for Ukrainian soldiers.
Monocle on Saturday: 5 August 2023
August 05, 2023 09:00 - 30 minutes - 41.4 MBA look at the week’s news and culture with Georgina Godwin. We’re joined by freelance journalist and communications consultant Simon Brooke to flick through the morning’s papers and we take a look at The Fandangoe Discoteca where you can dance away your grief at a purpose-built mini disco.