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David Bowie, Javier Marias, David Cannadine

Matthew Sweet talks to award-winning Spanish novelist Javier Marias about his much-anticipated new novel The Infatuations, a metaphysical murder mystery of love and obsession.

Matthew Sweet talks to the Spanish novelist Javier Marias about his new book 'The Infatuations' in which the murder novel becomes a metaphysical enquiry into death, love and morality. What is truth? Love? Why is it threatening for the dead to return to us?

In his new book 'The Undivided Past' David Cannadine is looking beyond the supposed clash of religions, classes and civilisations to the things that unite us with a plea to those engaged in public debate to see our common humanity across the world and history. Is an attempt to 'undivide' the past a useful tool for re-emphasising what brings us together in the present? Or does a "History Beyond Our Differences" lead to confusion in the absence of polarised views?

But there's always David Bowie - he never lost control, and tonight Night Waves takes stock of the man who sold the world as a new exhibition 'David Bowie is....' gets set to open at the Victoria and Albert Museum later this week.

Available now

45 minutes

Chapters

  • Bowie at the V&A

    Corin Throsby & Sarah Crompton look at the Bowie exhibition at the V&A with Camille Paglia

    Duration: 19:09

  • Javier Marias

    Matthew Sweet talks to the novelist Javier Marias about his new book 'The Infatuations'

    Duration: 13:40

  • David Cannadine

    Matthew Sweet talks to David Cannadine about manicheans in his new book on history

    Duration: 12:46

Javier Marias

Javier Marias
The Infatuations written by 聽is published by Hamish Hamilton.

David Bowie Is

David Bowie Is
on at the V&A Museum, London from Saturday 23 March until Sunday 11 August 2013.

David Cannadine

David Cannadine
The Undivided Past: History Beyond Our Differences is written by David Cannadine and聽published by Allen Lane on Tuesday 19 March 2013.

Broadcast

  • Mon 18 Mar 2013 22:00

Free Thinking

Free Thinking

Radio 3鈥檚 new home for arts and ideas.