Summary
Authors Max Porter, Samantha Harvey and Alisdair Benjamin discuss empathy and the role it plays in writing and reading. How does it work? Is it the same in fiction and non-fiction? And how is it faring in a world where data sometimes seems to have replaced feeling. Chris Harding talks to all three about their latest books, Lanny, Let Me Not be Mad and the Western Wind in his search for answers.
Let Me Not Be Mad by the neuropsychologist AK Benjamin is out now. Max Porter's second novel is called Lanny. His first, Grief is the Thing with Feathers, has now been turned into a stage production featuring Cillian Murphy which runs at the Barbican from 25 Mar—13 Apr 2019 Samantha Harvey's latest novel The Western Wind - set in a C15th Somerset village - is now out in paperback. Her previous books include The Wilderness - which depicts an architect suffering from Alzheimers who is attempting to order his memories.
Producer: Zahid Warley
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Welcome back to the home of the oxymoron. Evil genius. He asked the newspaper to print his obituary early so he'd enjoy it. That's like hiding at your own funeral. Yeah, a big, great gig. I'm Russell Kane. Join me to weigh in on whether the biggest players in history are more evil or genius. Becoming that rich, I'd say that is some level of genius. It also helps that it's a long time ago, right? |
| 0:23.3 | It's like the podcast version of telling your kids the ice cream van plays music when it's out of ice cream. |
| 0:28.8 | Listen to evil genius on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:33.0 | BBC Sounds, music, radio podcasts. |
| 0:36.7 | Hello, I'm Chris Harding. |
| 0:38.4 | Welcome to BBC Radio 3's Arts and Ideas discussion programme, |
| 0:42.5 | which brings together leading artists, writers and thinkers in conversation and debate. |
| 0:48.8 | Hello, just butting in. |
| 0:50.8 | I'm Eleanor Rosamond Barakloff and I'm here to tell you about time travellers, |
| 0:55.2 | the BBC Radio 3 podcast that's packed full of quirky stories from the corners of history. |
| 1:01.7 | If you'd like to know how a polar bear ended up catching its dinner in the Thames, |
| 1:06.3 | why Poldark was much loved in post-fascist Spain. What happens if you give a spider too much caffeine? |
| 1:13.2 | How the suffragettes weaponised roller skating and what any of this has to do with anything, |
| 1:19.0 | then you'll have to subscribe to the Time Travelers podcast. Find us on BBC Sounds. |
| 1:28.2 | Hello, how is it that a writer can put us in the mind of a queen? |
| 1:32.9 | Make us feel what it's like to be truly regal, |
| 1:35.7 | and then make us feel that murdering our husband is a good idea |
| 1:39.0 | if we want our lover to become king. |
| 1:41.5 | It's a kind of conjuring trick that involves us as well as the writer. |
| 1:45.8 | They have to imagine what the Queen is feeling and thinking. We as readers have to hear this |
| 1:50.7 | whispering in our imagination. I'm talking, of course, about empathy. And with me to explore it, |
| 1:57.2 | are three people who are both writers and readers. Max Porter, Samantha Harvey and |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.