Ep 22: The Last Days of Roger Federer + Unforgettable Iris

Literary raconteur, Geoff Dyer, isn’t getting any younger and it’s got him contemplating The End; not death so much as “last times”, the likes of which can strike at any time in a person’s life. “The Last Days of Roger Federer and other endings” skilfully ducks and weaves through the life and creative work of writers, painters, philosophers, musicians, sports stars and, indeed, Geoff himself and reflects on this very singular life we each receive. and This week’s author of classic literature is the prolific Dame Iris Murdoch. Cath chats to biographer Dr Gillian Dooley about whether her oeuvre, some of it written up to 70 years ago, still retains its lustre. Guests Geoff Dyer, author of “The Last Days of Roger Federer” (plus three other novels and numerous prize-winning nonfiction books which have been translated into 24 languages) Dr Gillian Dooley, senior research fellow in English at Flinders University and author of a recent book, Listening to Iris Murdoch: Music, Sounds and Silences. Our Random Reader is Rebecca Other books that get a mention: Michaela mentions “White Sands; Experiences from the outside world” by Geoff Dyer Cath and Gillian talk about Iris Murdoch’s “A Severed Head”, “The Unicorn”, “Bruno’s Dream”, “The Red and the Green”, “The Bell” and her Booker Prize Winning novel, “The Sea, the Sea”. Rebecca mentions “In the Shadow of the Mountain” by Silvia Vasquez-Lavado, “The Subjects” by Sarah Hopkins, “The Happiest Man on Earth” by Eddie Jaku and “Two Afternoons in the Kabul Station; A History of Afghanistan Through Clothes, Carpets and the Camera” by Tim Bonyhady Insta @Picador @Textpublishing @panmacmillan Facebook @Picador Books @TextPublishing @panmacmillan    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.