
Close Readings is a new multi-series podcast subscription from the London Review of Books. Two contributors explore areas of literature through a selection of key works, providing an introductory grounding like no other. Listen to some episodes for free here, and extracts from our ongoing subscriber-only series. How To Subscribe In Apple Podcasts, click 'subscribe' at the top of this podcast feed ... more
| Publishes | Weekly | Episodes | 195 | Founded | 3 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | CoursesBooksArtsEducation | |||

In Blue Machine (2024), Helen Czerski refigures the ocean as an enormous planetary engine, converting light and heat into motion. Her book invites us to see the ocean not as an ‘absence’ but an intricate series of operations that makes life as we kno... more
Dostoevsky’s 1864 novella doesn’t contain the descriptive detail, impersonal narration or many other features of 19th-century realism established by Flaubert. The book’s two-part structure, which starts with a 40-year-old’s furious rant against ratio... more
After Roman London was hit by a catastrophic fire in about 125 AD, perhaps the result of another local revolt, it entered a new period of sophistication which saw the emergence of elaborate townhouses for its mercantile and administrative elite, rich... more
Like Christopher Marlowe, William Shakespeare made good use of his time off when the theatres were shut for plague in 1593. 'Venus and Adonis' appeared in quarto that year and become by far the most popular work Shakespeare published in his lifetime,... more
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This is my favourite podcast. Mark and Seamus are my favourite LRB pairing of all the brilliant pairings. They are a right pair of brain boxes it must be said but I just love listening to them talk about poetry with such knowledge and loving care. The threads about fiction and philosophy are equally marvellous with obviously high calibre speakers and well selected books. My only criticism is that the podcasts are far too fast and way too short. With more time the presenters could relax a bit mor... more
I love hearing clever people talk about great books. This is wonderful.
Terrible access. And please no smug answers from lrb punters. Lrb podcast organisers - are you there? Communicate with subscribers and make it easy. Others do. The podcasts are good btw.
One of the best podcasts of its kind. I can tell that it takes a lot of time and labor to make the show – I hope the creators don’t get burnt out so that it’s able to continue.
so worth the subscription
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Offering an in-depth exploration of literature, this subscription-based series raises critical discussions on notable works and themes across various genres. With a roster of expert voices hosting each episode, listeners are treated to a blend of literary analysis and contextual commentary, often reflecting on significant cultural and historical narratives. Unique highlights include dual series focusing on the intricate link between literature and contemporary societal issues, providing an intellectual boost for both avid readers and those with a budding interest in literary criticism. The thoughtful structure encouraging thoughtful engagement with texts makes it particularly appealing to those invested in the arts and literature.
Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Close Readings. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Close Readings and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.
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Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Close Readings, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.
To see how many followers or subscribers Close Readings has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.
These podcasts share a similar audience with Close Readings:
1. The LRB Podcast
2. Past Present Future
3. Backlisted
4. In Our Time
5. The History of Literature
Close Readings launched 3 years ago and published 195 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.
Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Close Readings from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.
View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.
Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Close Readings. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.
Recent guests on Close Readings include:
1. Adam Thirlwell
2. Tom McCarthy
3. Tom Crew
4. Mark Ford
5. Mary Wellesley
6. Ruth Bernard Yeazell
7. Deborah Friedell
8. Stefanie Markovits
To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.