10. Genius loci

You know, there are some people – mean, cruel, wrong people – who might think our podcast gets a little bit, well, nerdy sometimes. Those people should stop whining and take more of an interest in public transport. Anyway. This week, to mix things up a bit, we're taking a different approach to things: we're looking at how cities and places are portrayed in literature film and TV. First up, Barbara talks about her discovery of the surprisingly not-made-up phenomenon of Paris syndrome, and we discuss how our perceptions of places are so often shaped by culture. Then we're joined by Stephanie Boland, a colleague from our New Statesman mothership, who in her other life is in the middle of a PhD in 20th century literature; together we discuss cities in the works of Shakespeare, Dickens and Joyce and anyone else who comes to mind. Next, Helen Lewis and Stephen Bush – hosts of our sister show, the New Statesman Podcast – pop in to talk about how angry people (read: I) get about on-screen geographical cock... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.