The Kingdom by the Sea by Paul Theroux

Backlisted

Backlisted Podcast

Arts, Books, Leisure, Hobbies

4.7 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 5 July 2022

⏱️ 78 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Forty years ago the writer Paul Theroux hoisted his knapsack on his back and set off on a journey on foot around the coast of the United Kingdom; the effects of Thatcherism were being felt in earnest and the Falklands War was in progress. The Kingdom by the Sea, Theroux's grumpy, funny account of this journey, was published the following year (1983) and caused outrage in many of the seaside towns the author had passed through and seemingly written off. In this episode the Backlisted team - Andy, John, Nicky and Tess - revisit the book, and a few books like it, to discuss whatever happened to travel writing; how Britain has changed since 1982; and what Theroux got right - and wrong - about his adopted country. In addition, John enjoys a more recent travelogue, Felicity Cloake's new book Red Sauce Brown Sauce: A British Breakfast Odyssey (Mudlark); while Andy reads two poems from Fiona Benson's stunning new collection Ephemeron (Cape Poetry). Timings: (may differ due to variable advert length) 08:16 - Fiona Benson. Ephemeron. 15:44 - Felicity Cloake's new book Red Sauce Brown Sauce: A British Breakfast Odyssey. 22:28 - The Kingdom by the Sea by Paul Theroux * 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, listen without adverts, receive the show early and with extra bonus fortnightly episodes, become a Patreon at www.patreon.com/backlisted Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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1:00.0	Music
1:22.0	Hello and welcome to Backlisted, the podcast that gives new life to old books.
1:26.0	Today you find us somewhere on the South Coast of England
1:29.0	in the summer of 1982.
1:31.0	The sea stretches out ahead of us under a low grey sky.
1:34.0	And in the uncertain light we make out a man coming towards us along the shore.
1:38.0	He's wearing large tinted spectacles, a battered leather jacket,
1:42.0	a brown check shirt and oily hiking shoes.
	...

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