Biography and Memoir

Backlisted

Backlisted Podcast

Hobbies, Leisure, Books, Arts

4.7 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 11 February 2025

⏱️ 71 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

A Backlisted Special dedicated to biographies and memoirs, with books by Nancy Mitford, Roger Lewis, Elizabeth Jane Howard, P.D. James and Jean Rhys. John Mitchinson talks to the writer and friend of the show Laura Thompson about five of her favourite books – two of them biographies (Madame de Pompadour by Nancy Mitford and The Real Life of Laurence Olivier by Roger Lewis) and three memoirs (Slipstream by Elizabeth Jane Howard; Time to Be in Earnest by P.D. James and Smile Please by Jean Rhys). The discussion explores the difference between writing about someone else’s life and writing about your own; the various motivations that lead writers to produce memoirs, and the relationship between both forms and fiction. Laura Thompson is herself the writer of both biography and memoir. She has written a life of Agatha Christie, and books about the Mitford sisters and the Lord Lucan case, as well as a memoir of her grandmother, The Last Landlady. This is her fifth appearance on Backlisted, after joining us for episodes on Nancy Mitford, Antonia White, P.D. James and Agatha Christie. * To purchase any of the books mentioned in this episode please visit our bookshop at uk.bookshop.org/shop/backlisted where all profits help to sustain this podcast and UK independent bookshops. * For information about everything mentioned in this episode visit www.backlisted.fm *If you'd like to support the show and join in with the book chat, listen without adverts, receive the show early and get extra bonus fortnightly episodes, become a patron at www.patreon.com/backlisted *You can sign up to our free monthly newsletter here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Ready to launch your business? Get started with the commerce platform made for entrepreneurs.
0:04.8	Shopify is specially designed to help you start, run and grow your business with easy customizable themes that let you build your brand.
0:12.5	Marketing tools that get your products out there. Integrated shipping solutions that actually save you time.
0:17.5	From startups to scaleups, online, in person and on the go. Shopify is made for
0:22.9	entrepreneurs like you. Sign up for your $1 a month trial at Shopify.com slash setup.
0:30.0	Today's why, why? It's hard to talk about books if you haven't read them. And I know that
0:34.4	you're reading heavily this week as well, aren't you? Well, I'm only reading one book, but don't worry, everyone. It's 850 pages long. So I won't be,
0:43.0	I won't be doing much else this week. Surely you must have a secret helper. No, but what I do
0:48.8	use is a serious reader's lamp, as do you, John, I believe. It's true. We spent hours squinting at the pages of the books we have to read for our show,
0:57.6	so we know the importance of good light. And the serious readers, HD Light, has transformed how we read.
1:03.8	It replicates daylight, making every word crystal clear and reducing eye strain so we can read for longer.
1:10.0	For 150 pounds off and free UK delivery of a Serious Readers HD light,
1:14.6	go to Seriousreaders.com forward slash backlisted
1:17.4	and use the discount code back, B-A-C-K.
1:21.1	That's Seriousreaders.com forward slash backlisted,
1:24.2	with the code back, and even better,
1:26.9	there's a 30-day risk-free trial.
1:29.7	Now, on with the show.
1:58.7	Music Hello and welcome to Backlisted, the podcast which gives new life to old books.
2:02.0	Today's show is a biography and memoir special. We've got some serious ground to cover with five books from Nancy Mitford and Roger Lewis to Elizabeth
2:07.0	Jane Howard, P.D. James and Jean Reese. I'm John Mitchinson, writer and publisher. I'm delighted
2:11.5	to welcome to backlisted today, our guest and friend of the show, Laura Thompson. Fabulous to be
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Backlisted Podcast, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Backlisted Podcast and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.