EPISODE · Apr 5, 2026 · 53 MIN
Francis Spufford, writer
from Private Passions · host BBC Radio 3
Francis Spufford is an award-winning writer who loves to inhabit different worlds and vividly bring them to life: Golden Hill, which won the Costa First Novel Award, takes place in Manhattan in 1746, Light Perpetual begins in a Woolworths in South London in 1944 and Francis’s latest novel ‘Nonesuch’ is a historical fantasy set during the Blitz. But it wasn’t until he was 52 that Francis felt confident enough to write works of fiction, before that his books covered a wide variety of topics from polar expeditions to the economic optimism of post-Stalin Russia to an exploration of the role religion has played in his life. He became an atheist in his teens but turned back to the church after a 20 year hiatus.When not penning his own work, Francis encourages other budding authors as Professor of Creative Writing at Goldsmiths, University of London.His music choices include works by Byrd, Satie, Mozart and Ravel.
What this episode covers
Francis Spufford is an award-winning writer who loves to inhabit different worlds and vividly bring them to life: Golden Hill, which won the Costa First Novel Award, takes place in Manhattan in 1746, Light Perpetual begins in a Woolworths in South London in 1944 and Francis’s latest novel ‘Nonesuch’ is a historical fantasy set during the Blitz. But it wasn’t until he was 52 that Francis felt confident enough to write works of fiction, before that his books covered a wide variety of topics from polar expeditions to the economic optimism of post-Stalin Russia to an exploration of the role religion has played in his life. He became an atheist in his teens but turned back to the church after a 20 year hiatus.When not penning his own work, Francis encourages other budding authors as Professor of Creative Writing at Goldsmiths, University of London.His music choices include works by Byrd, Satie, Mozart and Ravel.
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Francis Spufford, writer
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