Field Ramble

On this episode we speak to poet Raymond Antrobus about his recently published collection Signs, Music. Comprised of two extended sequences Signs, Music centres on both the imminence and the realisation of a new and overwhelming love. At times compulsive, at others reflective it captures the trepidation and courage of early parenthood.
But, more than that, Signs, Music asks us to consider the worlds we create for each other, to question the conditions we place on the love that we offer and to somehow re-find the wonder we once had for the world when we were children ourselves.

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On this episode we speak to Alejandro Zambra about his latest book, Childish Literature; a chronicle of early fatherhood. Written in a 'state of attachment', it is a beautiful collection of roaming essays, poetry and short stories - that show how the birth and growth of a child changes not only the present and the future but also reshapes our perceptions of the past.
We also hear from Alejandro's close friend and translator Megan McDowell on the process of their working relationship and her role in bringing this graceful, funny and poignant account of parenthood into being.
'Every beat and pattern of being alive becomes revelatory and bright when narrated by Alejandro Zambra. He is a modern wonder.'
Rivka Galchen, author of Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch
Childish Literature is published by Fitzcarraldo

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On this episode of the Ramble we meet Richard Norris to hear about his memoir of a lifetime in music, Strange Things Are Happening. The book spans the entirety of Richard’s career from an early pivotal meeting with John Peel, via the birth of Acid House to Californian adventures with Joe Strummer. But Strange Things Are Happening is much more than a series of anecdotes.

At its heart are a series of reflections on forty years of creative practice, a lifetime of collaborations and innovations in music that have brought countless people together. It is written with a rare grace, never shying from accounts of relationships imploding or ideas that don’t make it. But above all else there is a deep sense of love here for the creative act and a gratitude for a life well lived.

Strange Things Are Happening is published by White Rabbit Books and is a huge recommend.
Richard Norris lived the 20th century and beyond like no one else and this is one of the truly great eyewitness accounts of the heroic years of the counterculture.'
David Keenan

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On this episode of the Ramble, an interview with Magogodi oaMphela Makhene in which we discuss her stunning, debut short story collection, Innards. Set in Soweto (where Magogodi was raised) her stories map the lives of a small group of residents living under and after apartheid.

By turns shockingly violent and deeply funny Innards is beautiful wrought from the first page. It is fiction that lays bare the enduring nature of trauma and celebrates the capacity of people to pursue life amid daunting realities.

There is so much to love about Magogodi’s work, but for us, above all else, it is her determination that the reader come to her. Every story is told in a blend of the languages of Soweto. They are transportive in the truest sense, boldly immersive and unsparing. A sprawling set of relationships, histories and politics that we are left to explore.

It was a huge pleasure to hear how this remarkable book came into being. So, next time you're staring undecidedly at some book shop shelves, definitely give this a go.

An unforgettable debut that hits with all the force of the sun. Junot Diaz

Innards is a wonder. Magnificent and haunting. NoViolet Bulawayo

A relay of fearless burning emblems Paul Harding
Huge thanks to Huw Marc Bennett for the use of his song Y Gwydd
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On this episode we meet Lara Haworth to discuss her wonderful new novel Monumenta. It tells the story of Olha Pavic whose house has been requisitioned by Belgrade city council. They aim to bulldoze it and build a monument to an unspecified massacre in its place.

Three architects pay Olga a visit in turn pitching their ideas for the monument that will replace her family home. The novel is in turns searching and surreal, but always a tender portrayal of a family moving through the flood of a nation’s history.

Monumenta explores ideas of a contested past and loss and is part of a wider European project.

Monumenta is published by Canongate on July 4th

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