After le Carré: Jonathan Ray on Sarah Gainham

09/02/24 • 56 min

The le Carré Cast - A podcast on John le Carré novels

Part 1 can be found here. Part 2 can be found here.

We delve into the fascinating life of the enigmatic author Sarah Gainham, also known as Rachel Ames, with her godson Jonathan Ray, a drinks editor for The Spectator. We explore Rachel’s mysterious persona, her connections with spies and diplomats, and her life as an author.

Jonathan shares stories about Rachel’s life in Vienna, her eccentric habits like stealing cats and smoking incessantly, and her love for Austrian wine. They also discuss her friendships with notable figures like Ian Fleming and John le Carré, her failed romantic relationships, and her significant yet largely forgotten contributions to spy fiction. Plus some stories of Jonathan’s war correspondent father, Cyril Ray.

All that and more in this episode!

The Estate of Sarah Gainham’s agent – https://greeneheaton.co.uk/clients/the-estate-of-sarah-gainham

Vienna’s Beer Clinic – http://www.goesser-bierklinik.at/en/

The Third Man Museum – https://www.3mpc.net/englsamml.htm

Grüner Veltliner – https://www.austrianwine.com/our-wine/grape-varieties/white-wine/gruener-veltliner

Jonathan’s article on The Third Man – https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-third-man-fans-guide-to-vienna/

Jonathan’s other writing at The Spectator – https://www.spectator.co.uk/writer/jonathan-ray/

Jonathan’s book – That’s the Spirit!

Jeff’s site – SpyWrite.com

Jeff’s twitter – @spywrite

The le Carré Cast on Twitter – @lecarrécast

00:48 Introducing Jonathan Ray

01:19 Rachel Ames: The Godmother

02:30 Early Life and Connections

04:37 Life in Vienna

05:59 Rachel’s Personality and Habits

09:38 Literary and Personal Legacy

24:37 Cold War Experiences

27:36 The Forgotten Fame of Rachel

28:33 Vienna and The Third Man

30:11 Rachel’s Love and Loneliness

34:16 Rachel’s Eccentricities and Memories

41:47 The Legacy of Rachel’s Novels

47:33 Preserving Rachel’s Archive

53:39 Final Thoughts and Farewell

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Part 1 can be found here. Part 2 can be found here.

All that and more in this episode!

The Estate of Sarah Gainham’s agent – https://greeneheaton.co.uk/clients/the-estate-of-sarah-gainham

Vienna’s Beer Clinic – http://www.goesser-bierklinik.at/en/

The Third Man Museum – https://www.3mpc.net/englsamml.htm

Grüner Veltliner – https://www.austrianwine.com/our-wine/grape-varieties/white-wine/gruener-veltliner

Jonathan’s article on The Third Man – https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-third-man-fans-guide-to-vienna/

Jonathan’s other writing at The Spectator – https://www.spectator.co.uk/writer/jonathan-ray/

Jonathan’s book – That’s the Spirit!

Jeff’s site – SpyWrite.com

Jeff’s twitter – @spywrite

The le Carré Cast on Twitter – @lecarrécast

00:48 Introducing Jonathan Ray

01:19 Rachel Ames: The Godmother

02:30 Early Life and Connections

04:37 Life in Vienna

05:59 Rachel’s Personality and Habits

09:38 Literary and Personal Legacy

24:37 Cold War Experiences

27:36 The Forgotten Fame of Rachel

28:33 Vienna and The Third Man

30:11 Rachel’s Love and Loneliness

34:16 Rachel’s Eccentricities and Memories

41:47 The Legacy of Rachel’s Novels

47:33 Preserving Rachel’s Archive

53:39 Final Thoughts and Farewell

Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Google Podcasts Listen on Spotify RSS Feed

Previous Episode

After le Carré: Sarah Gainham Explored Part 2

Part 1 can be found here.

We are back with part 2 of this look at the novelist Sarah Gainham. I continue to be joined in the discussion with writer Jeremy Duns.

The episode begins with a recounting of a passage from ‘The Stone Roses,’ one of Gainham’s novels. We then discuss several of Gainham’s works, including ‘Time Right Deadly,’ ‘The Cold Dark Night,’ and ‘The Silent Hostage,’ exploring themes like politics, espionage, and deep human character studies.

We also have an upcoming interview with Jonathan Ray, Gainham’s godson, to gain more insights into the author’s life and inspirations.

All that and more in this episode.

01:41 Exploring Sarah Gainham’s Novels

02:05 Time Right Deadly: A Deep Dive

05:57 The Myth Maker: Kit Quest’s Adventure

11:37 The Stone Roses: A Recognizable Title

16:23 The Cold Dark Night: Berlin’s Espionage

25:25 Silent Hostage: Romance and Espionage 3

0:54 Ranking Sarah Gainham’s Novels

33:44 Upcoming Interview with Jonathan Ray

35:15 Closing Remarks and Other Podcasts

Title Fight! The Good, the Bad and Ugly of Spy Book Titles with Jeremy Duns and Jeff Quest. (102)

Jeremy’s twitter – @JeremyDuns

Jeremy’s Website – Jeremy-Duns.com

Jeff’s site – SpyWrite.com

Jeff’s twitter – @spywrite

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Next Episode

The Honourable Schoolboy by John le Carré Explored Part 1

In this episode we begin our look at John le Carré’s 1977 novel, The Honourable Schoolboy.

I’m pleased to welcome writer Paul French to the show. Paul has extensive knowledge of China and Hong Kong and is the perfect person to discuss this particular novel.

We talk about where le Carré got his ideas for the opening scene of the novel, the politics of the time and some F.I.L.T.H. Plus the Hong Kong foreign correspondents club’s urinal?

All that and much more in this episode.

Part 2

Part 3

Paul’s Website – https://paulfrench.substack.com/

Paul’s article on le Carré – https://thechinaproject.com/2021/02/05/what-a-john-le-carre-novel-can-teach-about-china/

Paul’s new’s book Her Lotus Year – https://read.macmillan.com/lp/her-lotus-year/

Paul’s breakout hit Midnight in Peking – https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/242223/paul-french/

Paul’s Twitter – https://x.com/chinarhyming

Jeff’s site – SpyWrite.com

Jeff’s twitter – @spywrite

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