Why are generations at war with each other? With Zadie Smith
Ask Penguin
Penguin Books UK
4.1 • 550 Ratings
🗓️ 6 November 2025
⏱️ 56 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Which multi-generational novels inspired White Teeth? Where does Zadie Smith turn for her next great read? And our Penguin team is back to solve your reading dilemmas - whether you're after fascinating memoirs, this year's pick of prize-winning books, or stories perfect for Autumn.
Discover all the books mentioned on this episode: Click here
Zadie Smtih is one of the most distinctive, exciting and widely loved writers of her generation: she’s the twice shortlisted, once winner of the Women's Prize, also shortlisted for the Booker and has been twice named among Granta’s Best Young British Novelists. Her debut, White Teeth, blazed onto the best-seller lists, and established her as a defining generational voice. Her follow-up work includes the critically and commercially acclaimed NW, On Beauty, and Swing Time. Zadie Smith’s latest work is Dead and Alive: the keenly awaited new collection of essays, in which she brings her unique skills and observations to bear across a dazzling range of subjects.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello and welcome to Ask Penguin, the podcast that's all about books and authors. I'm |
| 0:08.2 | Rihanna Dillon and this week I'm in conversation with an author that I've been a fan of for a very, |
| 0:13.1 | very long time. One of the most distinctive, exciting and widely loved writers of her generation, |
| 0:19.7 | winner of the Women's Prize, shortlisted for |
| 0:22.0 | the Booker. She's been twice named among Granta's best young British novelists. Her debut |
| 0:27.8 | White Teeth blazed onto the bestseller lists and established her as a defining generational voice |
| 0:33.7 | 25 years ago. Her follow-up work includes the critically and commercially acclaimed |
| 0:38.9 | NW on beauty and swing time. Zadie Smith's latest work is dead and alive, the keenly |
| 0:46.0 | awaited new collection of essays in which she brings her unique skills and observations to |
| 0:50.3 | bear across a dazzling range of subjects. From a close look at artists, Toyin Ogia Odatola, |
| 0:56.8 | Carol Walker and Celia Paul to a trip to the movies |
| 0:59.9 | to see and to think about Cape Blanchett's tar, |
| 1:02.8 | or to Glastonbury's pyramid stage |
| 1:05.0 | to witness the ascendance of Stormzy. |
| 1:07.8 | From the countryside to the city, |
| 1:09.7 | we're taken on a walk down Kilburn High Road in her |
| 1:11.9 | beloved Northwest London and invited to mourn with her the passing of writers Joan Didion, Martin |
| 1:18.1 | Amos, Hilary Mantel, Philip Roth and Tony Morrison. Zadie Smith, welcome to Ask Penguin. |
| 1:25.1 | We're really, really delighted to have you here. Thanks for coming on. |
| 1:33.4 | So I've already given a kind of brief overview of some of the subjects that your essays touch on. |
| 1:38.2 | It's so wide-ranging, which is what's so gorgeous about it. And it gives the reader like a real sense that you are curious about absolutely everything and anything. Is that how you feel as you go |
| 1:43.7 | through the world? Do you feel as you go through the world? |
... |
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