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The Story

Where did all the rockstar authors go?

The Story

The Times

News Analysis, In-depth Journalism, Uk News, Investigative Reporting, News, Audio Storytelling, Current Affairs, Global News, Politics, Daily News, Long-form Audio, Daily News Podcast, Exclusive Interviews

3.91.6K Ratings

🗓️ 15 September 2023

⏱️ 27 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

When a list of young British novelists to watch was released in 1983, many of them went on to become household names, thanks to both their talent and their sex appeal. A new list comes out every ten years, but has never recreated the same success as the original – so has it become harder for novelists to break through? And has the literary world lost some of its glamour? 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes. 

Guest: Robbie Millen, Literary Editor, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana. 

Clips: BBC Wales, ITV News, BBC News, Blue Monday/New Order/Factory Records, Granta Magazine, Booker Prize, CBS/Late Night with David Letterman.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcript

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0:00.0

Some things just add some play to your day.

0:02.9

Catching the toast as it pops out of the toaster.

0:05.6

Dancing down the street to your favourite place.

0:09.0

Wearing a sparkly boots to the shop.

0:11.2

Best of all, picking the new Red Scratch Card.

0:14.0

A Red Scratch Card, please.

0:15.8

Thank you.

0:16.7

And doing your own drum roll.

0:18.6

This is exciting.

0:21.4

Add some play to your day.

0:22.9

The Scratch Cards from the National Lottery.

0:24.9

Set street big, place more.

0:26.5

Brows and procedures are by a place where it's going to be 18 or over.

0:38.5

Let me take you back to Britain in the 1980s.

0:43.0

Strict security measures kept the 300 demonstrators well away

0:46.8

from the Prime Minister as she arrived for her speech.

0:50.4

Margaret Thatcher was at war with the miners.

0:53.2

And what we have seen in the past few weeks

0:55.8

is not picketing at all.

1:00.2

A small gesture by Princess Diana

1:02.8

became a defining image of the AIDS crisis

1:06.2

and the devastation and discrimination it was unleashing.

...

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