Main content

Radical Bookshops, Philip Hensher

With Matthew Sweet: Radical black publishing then and now, with Linton Kwesi Johnson, Anthony Joseph and Sarah White plus Philip Hensher on his novel The Emperor Waltz.

Philip Hensher's novel The Emperor Waltz draws together stories about a man who founds the first gay bookshop in London, a young painter who joins the Bauhaus and a woman fascinated by a Roman cult. He joins Matthew Sweet in the Free Thinking studio. Radical bookshops are also discussed by the poets Linton Kwesi Johnson and Anthony Joseph and the co-founder of New Beacon Sarah White.

New Generation Thinker Daisy Hay looks at the Victorian practice of keeping hair as a personal memento.

The Sheffield documentary festival has just premiered a film called "Peter De Rome Grandfather of Gay Porn - Matthew Sweet has been to meet him.

John La Rose's New Beacon project was the focal point of a black radical publishing industry that emerged in the UK in the late sixties. Its aim was to give a platform and voice to a post-independence generation of Caribbean writers whilst nurturing homegrown work by Britain's growing black population. As the Black Cultural Archives settles into its own home in Brixton and The George Padmore Institute makes New Beacon's archive available, Matthew Sweet asks if this period is now consigned to history or are such small, vibrant, personality led spaces as important as ever for diversity and the enrichment of the literary voice?

Producer: Jacqueline Smith.

Available now

45 minutes

Last on

Tue 17 Jun 2014 22:00

Music and featured items

  • New Beacon

    Linton Kwesi Johnson, Anthony Joseph and Sarah White on John La Rose and New Beacon.

    Duration: 18:12

  • Emperor Waltz - Andre Rieu

    • Rieu Royale.
    • Decca.
    • 3737320.
    • 6.
  • Philip Hensher

    Philip Hensher tells us about his new novel The Emperor Waltz.

    Duration: 11:16

  • New Generation Thinker: Daisy Hay

    Daisy Hay looks at the Victorian practice of keeping hair as a personal memento.

    Duration: 04:39

  • Peter De Rome

    Matthew Sweet meets the man known as the Grandfather of Gay Porn, Peter De Rome.

    Duration: 09:40

New Beacon Books

New Beacon Books

George Padmore Institute has published online Dr. Ruth Bush鈥檚 research into New Beacon Books which can be viewed here:

Image above: Book launch for The Poetry of Nicolas Guillen in the New Beacon Bookshop, March 1976. 漏听Julian Stapleton (New Beacon archives.听


You can find out more about Anthony Joseph on his .

You can find out more about Linton Kwesi Johnson on his .听

Images: Left: Anthony Joseph 听漏 Anthony Joseph / Bonuggy. 听Right: Linton Kwesi Johnson recording A Caribbean Evening for 麻豆官网首页入口 Radio 3 漏 麻豆官网首页入口. 听

Philip Hensher

Philip Hensher

The Emperor Waltz by Philip Hensher is available in hardback and ebook from the 3 July 2014.听


Photo: 漏 Eamonn McCabe听

New Generation Thinkers 2014

New Generation Thinkers 2014

Daisy Hay of the University of Exeter is one of this year's New Generation Thinkers. She is writing a biography of Benjamin and Mary Anne Disraeli and her current research focuses on Disraeli as one of the last Romantics.听听



Photo: 漏 Steven G Haywood.

Peter de Rome

Peter de Rome

: Grandfather of Gay Porn premiered at the Sheffield documentary festival this month.听

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Matthew Sweet
Interviewed Guest Philip Hensher
Interviewed Guest Daisy Hay
Interviewed Guest Linton Kwesi Johnson
Interviewed Guest Anthony Joseph
Interviewed Guest Sarah White
Interviewed Guest Peter de Rome
Producer Jacqueline Smith

Broadcast

  • Tue 17 Jun 2014 22:00

The Arts & Ideas Podcast

The Arts & Ideas Podcast

You can download all the past episodes of Radio 3's Free Thinking

Discussions and talks from the Free Thinking Festival 2019

Discussions and talks from the Free Thinking Festival 2019

Angry politics, what we can鈥檛 say, being diplomatic, weeping, emotion in music, film & TV

Click to listen to discussions, talks and music as the Free Thinking Festival 2019 Gets Emotional

Click to listen to discussions, talks and music as the Free Thinking Festival 2019 Gets Emotional

Angry politics, what we can鈥檛 say, being diplomatic, weeping, emotion in music, film & TV

CLICK to LISTEN & SEE programmes from the Free Thinking Festival 2018: The One & the Many

CLICK to LISTEN & SEE programmes from the Free Thinking Festival 2018: The One & the Many

We examine the fast-changing relationship between the individual & the crowd

CLICK to LISTEN & SEE all programmes, images, clips & features from 2017's festival

Free Thinking Festival 2017: The Speed of Life