Field Ramble (Fieldzine)
Explore every episode of Field Ramble
| Pub. Date | Title | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Aug 2022 | Field Ramble with Andrew Michael Hurley | 01:05:56 | |
We talk all things folk horror with Andrew Michael Hurley author of The Loney & Devil's Day & emerging novelist Johnny Gaunt. We also chat with Tom, owner of Gloucester Road Books in Bristol & have a performance from poet Ezra England. @fieldzine | |||
| 30 Sep 2022 | Field Ramble with Rosa Rankin Gee | 01:15:39 | |
In this episode we chat with the marvellous Rosa Rankin Gee about her wonderful novel Dreamland. We also meet writer Abby Walker to discuss her new collection of eerie short stories , check in with Ben at the wonderful Interesting Books in Berwick Upon Tweed & we have a fantastic performance by poet Kate Bradley too. @fieldzine | |||
| 30 Oct 2022 | Field Ramble with Naomi Booth & Lucie McKnight Hardy | 00:46:58 | |
A Halloween special. Julia from the wonderful Golden Hare Books in Edinburgh gives us her top 5 for Halloween & Sam & Spencer chat with Lucie McKnight Hardy and Naomi Booth about their incredible short story collections Dead Relatives & Animals at Night. @fieldzine | |||
| 03 Dec 2022 | Field Ramble with Ros Anderson | 00:41:02 | |
Sam and Spencer chat with Ros Anderson about her compelling page turner The Hierarchies. Ros's novel is the story of Sylvie a sex robot whose growing self awareness compellingly clashes with her programming. Think Angela Carter goes to work on A.I. @fieldzine | |||
| 21 Dec 2022 | Field Ramble with Cynan Jones | 00:55:24 | |
In the final episode of this series Sam and Spencer chat with author Cynan Jones about his incredible novels The Dig, The Long Dry and Everything I Found on the Beach. Cynan conjures a deep sense of place and we delve into how he does it. The Dig is a big favourite in Field HQ, so if you're yet to read it, get it on the top of the pile. @fieldzine | |||
| 30 Mar 2023 | Field Ramble with Aidan Cottrell Boyce and Niamh Mulvey | 00:42:08 | |
Field Ramble is back and we have two great interviews with Aidan Cottrell-Boyce and Niamh Mulvey. Aidan tells us what lies behind his incredible novel The End of Nightwork an absolute favourite at Field. Then we catch up with Niamh to discuss her beautiful collection of short stories, Hearts and Bones, published last year. If you've yet to read it, we'd echo Sinéad Gleeson's description of Niamh's work as panormaic, precise, stunning prose. @fieldzine | |||
| 28 Apr 2023 | Field Ramble with Martin Macinnes and Kerri ní Dochartaigh | 00:47:36 | |
Two more great interviews with two wonderful authors. We talk to Martin Macinnes about his stunning, epic In Ascension. And the wonderful Kerri ní Dochartaigh about her incredible lockdown chronicles Cacophony of Bone. @fieldzine | |||
| 26 May 2023 | Field Ramble with Kim Moore and Laurent Petitmangin | 00:37:26 | |
Two more great interviews with two wonderful writers. Field heads to France to talk with Laurent Petitmangin about his latest novel What You Need From The Night. L 'Obs calls the book 'A tragedy of Unconditional Love' & Le Parisien 'As sublime as it is painful.' @fieldzine | |||
| 05 Jul 2023 | Field Ramble with David Roberts & Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi | 00:35:04 | |
This month Field goes for a swim with David Roberts to discuss the rather beautiful The Way The Day Breaks and sits down with Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi to hear all about The Centre her incredible debut novel which is out this month. @fieldzine | |||
| 09 Aug 2023 | Field Ramble With Guy Gunaratne | 00:31:17 | |
This month's pod is devoted entirely to an extended interview with author Guy Gunaratne, discussing his latest novel Mister Mister. Many of you will know Guy from his incredible debut In Our Mad and Furious City and Mister Mister is another compelling and provocative read (& a huge favourite at Field HQ.) @fieldzine | |||
| 06 Sep 2023 | Field Ramble with Rachelle Atalla & Dan Coxon | 00:28:50 | |
This month Field sits down with author Rachelle Atallato discuss her latest novel Thirsty Animals as well as her new radio series Invasive Species , currently unfolding on Radio 4. Both are fantastic pieces of speculative story telling that pose compelling what ifs which live on long after you've put the novel down or turned the radio off. @fieldzine | |||
| 05 Oct 2023 | Field Ramble with Wendy Erskine | 00:27:50 | |
This month’s episode of Field Ramble is a conversation I’ve been looking forward to for so long. Wendy Erskine needs little introduction. Author of two incredible collections Sweet Home and Dance Move, she is an unbelievable story teller and my go to when I’m asked for a book recommend. Wendy writes through the voices that surround her in her East Belfast home. In them we soon slip beneath the surface of day to day lives to meet abandoned children, paramilitary death squads, extortion, lost love, false accusations, obsession and murder. If you’ve yet to read either of her books get them on top of the pile. Both are collections to be savoured, each filled with characters that live on long after you’ve put the book down, characters you’ll care deeply for within just a few pages. Huge thanks go to Huw Marc Bennett for the use of his music (Y Gwydd.) Find all of Huw’s music on band camp - his latest album Days Like Now is an absolute killer. Please share the episode if you enjoyed it and give us a follow to get each episode dropped directly into your feed. @fieldzine | |||
| 26 Oct 2023 | Field Ramble with Daisy Johnson and Matt Hill | 00:27:17 | |
Get hold of your copy here: https://deadinkbooks.com/product/lamb/ @fieldzine | |||
| 20 Nov 2023 | Field Ramble with Alycia Pirmohamed, Keiran Goddard & Nasim Rebecca Asl | 00:20:40 | |
This month Field is joined by novelist Keiran Goddard to discuss his upcoming novel I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning. The book lovingly traces the relationships between a group of friends who have remained close since childhood. Central to the novel are thoughts on lost opportunity and fragmented community. Why is success measured by leaving the place we love? Why do those early relationships continue to exert such a grasp? And where can we still find hope? Keiran talks about finding inspiration in surprising places, the responsibilities he felt when building the fictional community of the book and the paramount importance of remembering that ‘you just never know’. I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning is published by Abacus Books in February 2024 https://alycia-pirmohamed.com/books/ As ever, huge thanks to Ian Hawgood for the use of his beautiful music. @fieldzine | |||
| 15 Dec 2023 | Field Ramble with Mike McCormack & John Patrick McHugh | 00:41:05 | |
Field sees the year out with Mike McCormack and JP McHugh. John's short story collection was the find of the year at Field HQ a beautiful set of stories about the fragility and cut throat business of friendship. If you're doing some last minute Christmas shopping this is a huge recommend. @fieldzine | |||
| 01 Jan 2024 | Field Ramble with Ali Millar | 00:28:18 | |
Happy 2024 people! In our first episode of the year we hear from author Ali Millar about her debut novel Ava Anna Ada. Many of you will know Ali from her incredible memoir The Last Days, a courageous and unsparing account of her upbringing in and break from the Jehovah’s Witness Cult. It was an incredible read and is a huge recommend if you’ve yet to get to it Described by Ali as her 'strange little book,' her much anticipated debut novel braids together themes of climate chaos, social collapse, lust and the almost deific role of the screen in our lives. First written in those strange Covid days it is infused with that period’s sleepless fever. This is haunting, unfixed writing that stays with you long after you’ve put the book down. In discussion Ali talks about the influence of Ted Hughes, using the real to create the unreal, working with memory and the corners where ghosts hide in a story. Ava Anna Ada is published on the 18.01 by the good people at White Rabbit. It is available for pre-order all over the place now and please, please support your local independent book seller if you can. @fieldzine | |||
| 24 Jan 2024 | Field Ramble with Lottie Hazell and Andrew McMillan | 00:33:44 | |
January is grim, there’s no two ways about it. So here are two fantastic debuts to keep you tucked up indoors and out of whichever storm has just landed. First off a chat with Lottie Hazell whose novel Piglet is published on 25.01. An unrelenting story of compulsion and unfulfilled hunger, it majors on love, class and the lack at the centre of modern life. (It also has one of the most insane wedding scenes you’ll read this year.) Follow the link below to order a copy. Then, some time with Andrew McMillan to hear about his incredible debut novel Pity. Many of you will know Andrew from his poetry and Pity has a thread of gorgeous lyricism running through the heart of it. It is the story both of a community and of a couple Simon and Ryan who are in the early stages of their relationship. This is already a huge favourite at Field HQ, there is not a word out of place, it’s written with a poet’s economy & if you’re a fan of Max Porter or Claire Keegan then this is one for you. It also has to be a very early contender for cover of the year. Piglet is published by Transworld Publishers on 25/01 Pity is published by Canongate on 08/02 @fieldzine | |||
| 22 Feb 2024 | Field Ramble with Mary Costello and Feryal Ali Gauhar | 00:49:31 | |
Field Ramble is back with award winning Irish novelist Mary Costello to hear about her latest short story collection Barcelona. It follows firmly in the footsteps of her debut novel Academy Street ( Novel of the Year 2014, The Irish Book Awards) and her first collection The China Factory in its fearlessness. Never afraid to shine a light on our darker side, Barcelona is unsparing in its exploration of cruelty and, in Mary's own words, our straining for consciousness. In this bumper episode we also meet up with film maker, activist and novelist Feryal Ali Gauhar to discuss her latest novel An Abundance of Wild Roses. The book is set within a remote community in Pakistan's Karakoram mountains and centres around the discovery of a dying man and the repercussions that ensue. Both Mary and Feryal are writing into spaces about connection, growing violence and the possibility of wider consciousness. Barcelona is published on 07/03/24 An Abundance of Wild Roses is also published on 07/03/24 @fieldzine | |||
| 29 Feb 2024 | Field Ramble with Aniefiok Ekpoudom | 00:22:48 | |
On this episode of Field Ramble, an interview with Aniefiok Ekpoudom to discuss his incredible work of narrative non fiction Where We Come From. Set between communities in South London, South Wales and the West Midland’s Neef’s book documents the rise of UK Rap and Grime. Beginning with the tenacious community hubs of Pirate Radio in Birmingham under the guiding hand of Cecil Morris to the emergence of artists such as Stormzy and Dave, Aniefiok documents the early years and emergence of the genres and the vital role that progenitors such as Cadet, Kano & Despa played. At a time when public discourse around our social history can often feel so narrow Where we Came From is vital. It is a book that explores and celebrates the key role immigration plays in invigorating and progressing our shared cultural landscape. And one deeply in love with the music it chronicles. If you don’t believe us check out these recommends. Guy Gunaratne ‘Phenomenal … like the heroes he chronicles, Ekpoudom acts as a torchbearer, his book a beacon, for the story that follows.’ Candice Carty-Williams ‘A stunning exploration of a genre, a movement and a world. It is every bit as lyrical as the rap Ekpoudom has documented.’ Further reading: Adèle Oliver’s excellent Deeping It is definitely a huge recommend for anyone looking for further reading in the subject. We’ll be catching up with Adèle over the next few weeks on the Ramble. So subscribe to Field Ramble now on iTunes or Spotify to not miss out. @fieldzine | |||
| 07 Mar 2024 | Field Ramble with Magogodi oaMphela Makhene | 00:26:43 | |
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 @fieldzine | |||
| 20 Mar 2024 | Field Ramble with Balsam Karam | 00:20:23 | |
On this episode we meet Balsam Karam to hear about her latest novel The Singularity. Set in an unnamed coastal town the story follows the impact of one woman’s death on another. It is a study of loss, migration and motherhood and a book that remains with you long after you’ve put it down. The Singularity is published by Fitzcarraldo and is available now. @fieldzine | |||
| 28 Mar 2024 | Field Ramble with Sinéad Gleeson | 00:29:03 | |
On this episode we hear from Sinéad Gleeson about her upcoming debut novel Hagstone. Set on a rugged island somewhere in the wild Atlantic it centres around the life of Nel an artist who draws inspiration from the landscape, folklore and unexplained phenomena that surround her. The island is also home to a reclusive community of women, the Inions, who task Nel with the creation of a new artwork, a request that leads her to uncover truths both about them and herself. If you’ve read Sinéad’s essays or know her work as an editor then Hagstone is exactly as you’d imagine. Thought provoking, unafraid and above all else a work of great story-telling. It was great to get the chance to sit down with her and hear how the novel came into being. And, along the way, we also had the chance to look back at her essay collection Constellations, discuss the incredible energy of the Irish literary scene and the enduring presence of Maeve Brennan. Hagstone a huge recommend and is published in just a couple of weeks by 4th Estate on April 12th @fieldzine | |||
| 11 Apr 2024 | Field Ramble with Niamh Mulvey | 00:24:44 | |
On this episode we speak to author Niamh Mulvey about her upcoming debut novel The Amendments. Many of you will know Niamh from her short story collection Hearts and Bones. (Head back to episode 6 of the pod if not to hear our interview with her shortly after H&B’s publication.) With The Amendments (published by Picador on April 11th) Niamh takes the titular story from the collection and crafts it into what is a beautifully wrought novel. Set between London and Ireland The Amendments spans the lives of three generations of women, mapping the waining impact of powerful institutions on their lives. Although the plot is at stages particular to Ireland, there is a universal quality to the struggles Nell, Dolores and Brigid meet that is all too familiar. Niamh’s is a rare voice. In a world that so often only speaks with unthinking certainty she writes bravely with rare nuance and compassion. The result is an unsparing, human and ultimately hopeful novel that asks us to embrace the world in all its contradictions and ambiguity. The Amendments is a huge recommend and one to watch through-out the year. If you’re close to any of these lovely places Niamh will be speaking there on these dates, so head along: Foyles, Charing Cross Road 20th April (with Sinéad Gleeson and Elaine Feeney) Phlox Books, London 24th April (with Tomiwa Owolade) Waterstones, Manchester 25th April The West Kirby Bookshop, 26th April @fieldzine | |||
| 25 Apr 2024 | Field Ramble with Richard Norris | 00:28:24 | |
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. @fieldzine | |||
| 03 May 2024 | Field Ramble with Catherine Prasifka and Vida Adamczewski | 00:38:38 | |
On this episode we meet up Vida Adamczewski and Catherine Prasifka. Many of you will know Catherine Prasifka from her startling debut None of This is Serious. Her latest novel This is How You Remember It chronicles the rapid encroachment of technology into her unnamed narrator’s life. From seemingly innocuous video games and early teenage encounters with porn to the compulsive tyranny of social media it explores the impact of this technology on a generation that have known little of life before its emergence. @fieldzine | |||
| 24 May 2024 | Field Ramble with Will Burns and Kevin Boniface | 00:41:24 | |
On this episode we meet Will Burns to hear about his latest poetry collection Natural Burial Ground. Many of you will know Will from his fantastic (lockdown set) novel The Paper Lantern, a portrait of a transforming social & physical landscape during the strangest of years. It is a book flooded with new found time unlike Natural Burial Ground. Instead there, Will’s voice is open to the complexities and trials of loss. Both books though urge the reader to look again at the wider world and the moment they find themselves in and are huge recommends. We also hear from Kevin Boniface who reads from his brilliant collection of short stories, Sports and Social. Set in a small Yorkshire town they are written with the eye of someone who sits at the heart of their community, mapping it’s intricacies, in beautifully observed, deeply humane writing. Sports and Social is published by Blue Moose Books. Natural Burial Ground is published by Corsair Press and The Paper Lantern is published by W&N. All books are available either at the authors or publishers websites as well as all good independent bookshops, so do check them out. Will Burns - www.willburns.co.uk Kevin Boniface - www.bluemoosebooks.com @fieldzine | |||
| 31 May 2024 | Field Ramble with Kevin Barry & Elizabeth O'Connor | 00:43:37 | |
Two wonderful books on this episode. First up we hear from Elizabeth O' Connor about her incredible debut novel Whalefall. Set on a remote island off the coast of Wales in the run up to World War Two it is a story that maps the tension between home and the hope that exists in a young heart for a life of their own. We loved this book, the island is as wild & windswept as you'd want and the themes of imposition and the violence of 'progress' felt so timely. Do look it out, it's brilliant. Kevin Barry needs little introduction. Booker long-listed author of Irish number 1 best seller Night Boat to Tangiers, The Heart in Winter is his fourth novel and is as much fun as you'd expect. Set in 1891, Butte Montana it follows the thunderbolt love affair of Tom Rourke and Polly Gillespie. If stolen horses, psychedelics, badlands, and a posse of deranged Cornish gunmen are your thing (and they are ours) then you're going to love this. Whalefall is published by Picador and is available now The Heart in Winter is published by Canongate on June 6th @fieldzine | |||
| 07 Jun 2024 | Field Ramble with Octavia Bright | 00:42:42 | |
To mark the publication of its paperback edition, this episode is a discussion with Octavia Bright around her wonderful memoir, This Ragged Grace. Published last year, many of you will already know it as an unsparing yet hopeful navigation of unravelling and recovery. It is a deeply human piece of work that asks us to consider the value of ambivalence and the acceptance we can offer ourselves. A book that remains long after reading with much to say about the cycle we're bound in. @fieldzine | |||
| 26 Jun 2024 | Field Ramble with Lara Haworth | 00:28:11 | |
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 @fieldzine | |||
| 30 Jun 2024 | Field Ramble with Katie Hale | 00:24:49 | |
On this episode we’re joined by Katie Hale to discuss her upcoming novel The Edge of Solitude. Set on a lone ship that's slowly drifting toward the heart of the Antarctic, it's a book which asks us to consider the risks of the planet’s future being left in the hands of a few insanely wealthy individuals. @fieldzine | |||
| 07 Jul 2024 | Field Ramble with Noreen Masud | 00:33:44 | |
On this episode we sit down with Noreen Masud to hear more about her incredible memoir A Flat Place. Shortlisted this year for both the Women’s Prize for Non Fiction and the Jhalak Prize, it is an exploration of both the flat landscapes Noreen loves and ‘the flat place’ she identifies within herself. Taking in the Fens, the Orkneys, Morecombe Bay and more Noreen writes on the contradictions of these places, their stark beauty, immediacy and evasive nature. And through them she finds a way to explore the symptoms of childhood trauma buried deep within her. A Flat Place is a moving and frank account of colonial legacy, neglect and forced movement. It is provocative and purposefully inconclusive. Preti Taneja's description of it as both revealing and refusing in the best ways is perfect. In our wide ranging interview Noreen discusses de-romanticising nature writing, writing as a call to action and her ongoing work with Fossil Free Books. A Flat Place is published by Penguin. ‘Noreen Masud fathoms the depths of flat landscapes, and their curious abilities to archive and to erase, to unsettle and to console.’ Robert Macfarlane @fieldzine | |||
| 12 Jul 2024 | Field Ramble with Ella Frears | 00:29:21 | |
On this episode we speak to Ella Frears about her incredible fictional memoir Good Lord. Taking the form of a single 30,000 word email it is a genre-defying, stream of consciousness address directed toward Ava, an unsuspecting estate agent. Ella’s writing is both fearless and full of energy, ranging widely across the common spaces of our lives to take in the wild precarity of the housing market, endemic violence towards women in the UK today and much more. Good Lord is provocative, disconcerting and very, very funny. It poses searching questions about expectation, what we allow and what we all really know. ‘All the hot women I know have Ella Frears on their bedside tables’ Sheena Patel ‘A witty, indignant and poignant look at the way our desire for a place to call home has been misshapen and distorted by the morbid pathologies of the market.’ Keiran Goddard Good Lord is published by Rough Trade @fieldzine | |||
| 28 Jul 2024 | Field Ramble with Evie Wyld | 00:35:04 | |
On this episode we meet the wonderful Evie Wyld to find out more about her latest novel, The Echoes. As with Evie’s previous books, The Echoes is bold in its use of time and space, spanning generations and moving from one side of the world to the other. @fieldzine | |||
| 09 Aug 2024 | Field Ramble with Mateo García Elizondo | 00:25:58 | |
On this episode we meet Mateo García Elizondo to hear more about his debut novel Last Date in El Zapotal. First published in Mexico in 2019 it won the City of Barcelona Literature Award that year but has had to wait until 2024 to be published in English by Charco Press. At first glance Last Date is the story of a man who’s given up on life. Already almost a ghost, he arrives in El Zapotal with enough heroin to see him through his final days of longing and despair. But as the hallucinations build and the line between life and death blurs we find something else altogether. Beneath the sadness is the unshakeable presence of the past and all the desire for life it once held. As Mateo’s translator Robin Myers writes in El Zapotal a dream surfaces. 'A dream of love, the dream for love, the dream of what it would mean for love to be enough.' Last Date in El Zapotal is published by Charco Press www.charcopress.com @fieldzine | |||
| 21 Aug 2024 | Field Ramble with Rachelle Atalla | 00:25:18 | |
On this episode we catch up with Rachelle Atalla to hear more about her latest novel The Salt Flats. A tale of many threads, it centres around Martha and Finn a couple who have come to find themselves at the end of their relationship. In a bid to save what’s left between them they travel to a mysterious retreat on the Bolivian salt flats as part of a group of privileged tourists. There, they undergo a series of ceremonies to unlock the fears that separate them. But as each hallucinogenic episode unfolds the group fragments, falling deeper into themselves rather than closing the gap between them. The Salt Flats is a story of shared guilt and sublimation that asks us to think again about who we share the world with and what it is we are running from. ‘The Salt Flats is gripping, compulsive and deeply human. Rachelle Atalla is one of the few writers whose novels I can’t put down.’ Heather Parry ‘Immersive, intelligent and tender.’ Kirsty Logan @fieldzine | |||
| 31 Aug 2024 | Field Ramble with Andrew Michael Hurley | 00:29:56 | |
As the film adaptation of Starve Acre is released we speak to Andrew Michael Hurley about the origins and evolving life of his much loved novel. Set in the seventies, in the deceptive and unforgiving northern landscapes that fill Andrew’s work, Starve Acre is the story of a family with a bitter inheritance. Sudden tragedy leads to costly obsession and primeval forces are unearthed in an unnerving and sinister return, truly fertile ground for cinema. Directed by Daniel Kokotaljo (who many of you will know from his fantastic feature debut Apostasy) and starring Matt Smith and Morfydd Clark it is the perfect night out as the seasons change and the darkness draws in. @fieldzine | |||
| 18 Oct 2024 | Field Ramble with Raymond Antrobus | 00:36:24 | |
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. @fieldzine | |||
| 28 Oct 2024 | Field Ramble with Edward Carey & Erin E. Adams | 00:36:17 | |
Two suitably spooky novels on this episode. Then, Edith Holler. Set at the turn of the 20th century, within the confines of the Holler theatre in Norwich this the story of 12 year old Edith and her bloody battles with the sinister figure of Mawther Meg. Cursed to never leave the theatre and in thrall to her own domineering father, it is the tale of a young writer finding her own voice and a deeply personal love letter to the arts. 'Delightful, eccentric, heartfelt, surprising, philosophical.' @fieldzine | |||
| 16 Nov 2024 | Field Ramble with Alejandro Zambra & Megan McDowell | 00:34:38 | |
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. @fieldzine | |||
| 25 Nov 2024 | Field Ramble with Rebecca Smith | 00:21:25 | |
On this episode we hear from Rebecca Smith about Rural; her account of the lives of the working class countryside. Weaving in her own family’s history as foresters, miners, millworkers and more, Rural sees Rebecca explore stories of the countryside that are often overlooked. The role of tied housing, the precarious nature of farming and the destructive power of Airbnb all feature in a book for anyone interested in the future of rural Britain. @fieldzine | |||
| 05 Dec 2024 | Field Ramble with Jen Calleja | 00:25:57 | |
Another gem from the mighty Rough Trade Books on this episode. This time round we hear from the wonderful Jen Calleja on her latest book Goblinhood, a compelling patchwork of pop culture, family histories and poetics that sets out Jen’s theory of ‘goblin’ as a mode. What at first appears a dizzying and at times disparate array of references soon emerge as a map of behaviours; the false starts, foolish consistencies, safe spaces and new beginnings we all share. Part memoir, part reckoning, Goblinhood is a formally inventive, daring and playful collection of essays, one that ultimately seeks to identify the forces which make puppets of us all. Upcoming: What In Me is Dark by Orlando Reade @fieldzine | |||
| 27 Dec 2024 | Field Ramble with Orlando Reade | 00:23:24 | |
On this episode we speak to Orlando Reade about What in Me is Dark; his exploration of the radical life of Paradise Lost. Within it, the author considers the relationship between the poem and some of the writers and revolutionaries who have drawn inspiration from it over the centuries since its writing. From Mary Shelley to Malcolm X the influence of Milton’s epic is as far reaching as the poet hoped it to be, but in intriguingly contradictory ways. What in Me Is Dark is an accessible and dynamic reappraisal of Paradise Lost which opens up the poem’s central themes of freedom and consequence both for first time readers of Milton’s work and those who know it well. @fieldzine | |||
| 31 Jan 2025 | Field Ramble with Vincenzo Latronico | 00:26:18 | |
First published in Italian three years ago Vincenzo Latronico’s Perfection is brought to an English speaking readership for the first time by Fitzcarraldo who publish Sophie Hughes’ exceptional translation on February 13th. Taking inspiration from George Perec’s - Things, A Story of The Sixties, Perfection is the story of Anna and Tom, an Italian couple living a carefully curated life in Berlin as freelance graphic designers. The novel purposefully remains on the surface of their lives, never letting us into Anna or Tom’s thoughts - and the effect is uncannily familiar - we almost scroll through the chapters, an eerie sense of recognition rising. At it’s heart, Perfection questions the corrupting individualism that we are relentlessly sold. It documents both the search for a lost authenticity and the reactionary response which that search engenders. And, ultimately, it portrays both the undefinable lack at the heart of modern life and the self delusion that lack necessitates. @fieldzine | |||
| 07 Feb 2025 | Field Ramble with Elaine Garvey | 00:23:00 | |
We catch up with Elaine Garvey to discuss her wonderful debut novel The Wardrobe Department. Set in the early 2000s and written with a disarming first hand delivery, it is the story of Mairéad, a young Irish theatre professional who’s come to London in a bid to pursue a career backstage. Caught between an acute homesickness for the Ireland of her imagination and a gruelling work life, Mairéad is adrift and unable to make a home in either place. When an urgent call to return home comes she is forced both to reckon with her past and choose her present. At its heart The Wardrobe Department is a deft exploration of power and the cost of breaking free. A recognition of damage handed from one generation to the next and a refusal to be silent. An acceptance that resolution is often ill-fitting and unexpected but resolution nonetheless. ‘Elaine Garvey is a tremendous new talent in Irish writing - I’m certain the reader will recognise within half a page that she is the real thing.’ Kevin Barry ‘At once familiar and surprising, knotty and tender, tough and beguiling.’ Lisa McInerney @fieldzine | |||
| 14 Feb 2025 | Field Ramble with Omar El Akkad | 00:32:18 | |
On this episode we meet novelist Omar El Akkad to discuss One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This. Published by Canongate (27.02 - UK) it is a powerful meditation on what it means to live in the heart of an empire, an indictment of Western complicity in the ongoing genocide of Palestinians and an exploration of the hypocrisies on which we build our lives. Drawing from Omar’s own journalistic experience reporting on years of the ‘War on Terror,’ and the migration of his childhood, this book chronicles a painful realisation of all that keeps power in place. It is a searing critique of Western government and media, a demand to pause and bear witness and a refusal of an assembly line approach to injustice At a time when so many are struggling to find voice at the state of the world, it is that most important thing - a coherent articulation of rage. But, as the title suggests, Omar’s is an argument, that despite deep uncertainty, asks us to consider a future too. ‘Each generation looks back in judgement, and sometimes in horror, at the moral blind spots of earlier generations and previous ages. To get a glimpse of how we in the early 21st century might one day be judged for our passivity and hypocrisy, I urge you to read Omar El Akkad’s astonishing book.’ David Olusoga ‘I can’t think of a more important piece of writing to read right now. Doom and gloom and unspeakable horror abound and overwhelm these days, but it remains important to understand what we already know is happening now and how it will be understood in the future. It helps when we feel helpless to give our time and attention, our hearts and consideration to a voice like this, a book like this, from our particular time and for it.’ Tommy Orange @fieldzine | |||
| 21 Feb 2025 | Field Ramble with Adelle Stripe | 00:25:30 | |
On this episode we speak to Adelle Stripe about her incredible memoir Base Notes. Published by White Rabbit and described perfectly by Wendy Erskine as ‘a marvel of specificity,’ it is everything you’d expect if you’ve read any of Adelle’s previous work. Open, kind and often very funny, it is a deeply humane book and one written with the clear economy of a poet. There are small town break outs, serendipitous strangers, sex line stints and New York hustle but there's no spoilers here. More than anything Base Notes is a book filled with a sense of enduring love and a life lived seizing opportunity. It's true gift to the reader; because at it’s best, (and Base Notes is definitely that), memoir is a reminder that we’re really all just making it up as we go a long and, if anything, that should only bring us closer together. ‘Adelle’s writing has a rare verve, giving vivid evocations of times, places and scents. It’s got both style and warmth and made me cry. I loved this rock and roll spirit coming out of small-town Yorkshire.’ Amy Liptrot @fieldzine | |||
| 13 Mar 2025 | Field Ramble with Ben Markovits | 00:19:28 | |
On this episode, Ben Markovitz talks to us about his latest novel The Rest of Our Lives. Starting in the midst of a failing relationship, the story follows Tom Layward, a man on the cusp of a life changing decision. Having lived for years in the shadow of a brief affair that his wife Amy pursued, Tom resolves to leave, following their own adult children out into the world. What follows is a road trip of wrong turns and misdirections, across a strangely dislocated and misremembered America as Tom runs both from the narrowing of midlife and his own complicity. Told in a deceptive, first hand delivery, that belies the vital nature of its concerns The Rest of Our Lives is, at its heart, a novel of forgiveness and one that ultimately sides with the enduring nature of love. 'A deft, agile, razor -sharp portrait of family and midlife crisis ..... A perfect contemporary take on the American road-trip novel.' Lucy Caldwell @fieldzine | |||
| 06 Mar 2025 | Field Ramble with Ellen E. Jones | 00:39:48 | |
On this episode Ellen E. Jones speaks to us about Screen Deep, How Film and TV can Solve Racism and Save the World. Many of you will know Ellen from Radio 4’s Screen Shot, in which, alongside her co-host Mark Kermode, she enters the various worlds of Doris Day, jobbing hitmen and the longest running video shop in the world. Screen Deep is written with the same insight, encyclopaedic knowledge and social consciousness that Ellen brings to her broadcasting. (She also does a fantastic line in knowing asides.) It is a reiteration of the power of story telling; both for good and for bad. From the overt racism of early Hollywood to the deft brilliance of Steve McQueen’s Small Axe series, Ellen chronicles the struggle for representation, dismantles reconciliation fantasies and questions the invisibility of whiteness. She also argues that Martin Goodman of Friday Night Dinners is in fact the TV dad our times demand. ‘Jones navigates a history of cultural racism assiduously, ranging from The Birth of a Nation to blackface in sharp, brisk prose.’ Kevin Harley, TOTAL FILM Screen Deep is published by Faber and is available in your nearest independent book shop. @fieldzine | |||
| 21 Mar 2025 | Field Ramble with Anna Whitwham | 00:24:08 | |
On this episode, we speak to Anna Whitwham about Soft Tissue Damage, her startling account of a healing found in controlled violence. Published by Rough Trade Books on 27.03 it charts both the loss of Anna’s mother to cancer and her subsequent choice to battle unresolved anger in the boxing ring. From early sparing sessions to the draining seconds of the final round, Anna writes both with immediacy and unflinching honesty. What emerges is an exploration of the pain we choose, the impossible opponent in grief and the strange self-possession that fighting can offer. It’s a book filled with voices from just the other side of the ropes too. Sparring partners, dance partners, a new partner - a daughter, a coach and a grandfather too. All have a role to play in Soft Tissue Damage. Each, a presence that means in some way Anna never steps into the ring alone. @fieldzine | |||
| 04 Apr 2025 | Field Ramble with Naomi Booth | 00:42:03 | |
On this episode we speak to Naomi Booth about her latest novel Raw Content. Set during a bleak Yorkshire winter, the book follows Grace, a legal editor whose job demands she reduce unspeakable acts to neatly worded clauses. The care and attention with which Grace approaches this work is only matched by her risk taking outside it. When she falls unexpectedly pregnant she attempts the same compartmentalisation, hoping to keep the new, visceral weirdness that her body is undergoing at arms length. But after the gory, psychedelic experience of birth an unravelling begins that Grace is unable to contain. Embodied by the derelict, grim moorland of West Yorkshire, Raw Content heads into the badlands of Grace’s deepest fears, where violent compulsive thoughts threaten to overwhelm and the repressed roars into view demanding with to be dealt with. ‘Booth knows that too much is asked of too few, in spaces that are too small, and in lives that have too little headroom for care and community.’ Keiran Goddard @fieldzine | |||
| 18 Apr 2025 | Field Ramble with Max Porter (part 1) | 00:24:38 | |
ALL OF THIS UNREAL TIME Published by Rough Trade Back this weekend with a double header, we turn to All of This Unreal Time by Mr Max Porter. Described in the foreword as ‘a gift, written in friendship’ it is an elusive, ever moving torrent of apology, love and gratitude. A response to the countless human and non-human lives that intersect with and impact on our own. Written during the first, weird summer months of the pandemic, the piece blossomed into a collaboration commissioned by Manchester Film festival. Directed by Aoife McArdle, it features Max’s friend and long time collaborator Cillian Murphy as Unreal Time’s ‘everyman’ as well as an incredible score by Aaron & Bryce Dessner and Jon Hopkins. Part One - available from Friday - Wasteful writing, hardcore forgiveness & confessional booths. As with all the best Rambles the conversation soon went elsewhere. Part Two - Bank Holiday Monday - prison writing groups, embroided life jackets & visiting the West bank with Palfest. ‘Strange and Beautiful.’ The Guardian Books mentioned in conversation The Gift - Lewis Hyde Essayism - Brian Dillon On Forgiveness - Richard Holloway Is A River Alive? - Robert Macfarlane We Need New Stories - Nesrine Malik @fieldzine | |||
| 20 Apr 2025 | Field Ramble with Max Porter (part 2) | 00:28:39 | |
ALL OF THIS UNREAL TIME Published by Rough Trade Books Hopefully, you're listening to this surrounded by mountains of chocolate. What follows is the second part of our conversation with Max. If you’ve enjoyed it, follow the link to get yourself a copy straight from the Rough Trade website. https://roughtradebooks.com/products/all-of-this-unreal-time-max-porter-foreword-by-cillian-murphy As our discussion about All Of This Unreal Time came to an end there were inevitably other things I wanted to ask Max about. Our conversation eventually led to Palfest and the life-changing trip he took to the West Bank last year. But we started with the writing group at HMP Erlestoke and Max’s role as the writer in residence within the prison. Mentioned in this episode https://pennedup.org.uk/ https://www.palfest.org/ @dillonscrossproject One Day Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This - Omar El Akkad We Need New Stories - Nesrine Malik @fieldzine | |||