“The idea that Brexit has liberalised trade is just nonsense” – Treasury grandee Nick Macpherson
The longest-serving Treasury chief in 80 years on Rishi Sunak, austerity and the decade to come.
ByInterviews
Discover our latest interviews with notable personalities across various fields. Step into the minds of influential figures and gain unique perspectives.
Peter Hennessy: the eminent historian on the scoop he missed and whether we’re going back to the 1970s
The cross-bench peer and broadcaster has some lessons from history.
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“Ministers just went blindly ahead”: The woman trying to stop a mass cull of Britain’s pigs
Zoe Davies, chief executive of the National Pig Association, on how Brexit has pushed her industry to the brink of…
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Roald Dahl’s anti-Semitism was grotesque. I should know – I saw it first hand
When I interviewed him in 1983, Dahl was polite and not unfriendly. But he was a bigot.
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Jesse Armstrong on power, politics and the return of Succession
How the British writer created an era-defining American satire.
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Rostam Batmanglij: “There’s no such thing as art that isn’t political”
As a producer, the former Vampire Weekend instrumentalist helps artists “realise their vision”. What does that mean for his solo work?
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Liz Phair: “I’m practising not being cool”
Liz Phair was a feminist icon in the macho, predatory world of indie rock. Now she’s trying to let go…
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Musician Sophia Kennedy: “Being a loser in Europe is easier than being a loser in America”
The Baltimore-born, Hamburg-based artist’s music is a wholly idiosyncratic mix of dance and alt-pop.
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Peggy Seeger: “Ageing is a process of watching yourself decompose slowly”
The 85-year-old folk legend reflects on a life in music and why she feels “invisible”.
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“What does ‘old’ mean, anyway?”: Beverly Glenn-Copeland on finding acclaim in his seventies
The musician has been making futuristic music all his life, yet his songs have recently found a new audience with 20-and…
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Julien Baker: “I saw music as religion”
The indie-rock artist on freeing her faith – and her songwriting – from the constraints of ideology.
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“It was a meteorite in our worlds”: the Staves on surviving grief and returning to music
After the death of their mother in 2018, the three sisters took time away from making music. On their third album, Good…
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Daniel Lopatin on making music in the “unbelievable psychic peril” of a pandemic
The electronic producer Oneohtrix Point Never on isolation, the “cloaked insults” of reviews, and what Mark Fisher got right about time.
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Joni Mitchell: “I know what I want and I’m not afraid to stand up for it”
The musician on being misunderstood, playing ping pong and why her songs aren't about her.
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Pointless host Richard Osman: “Loneliness is a form of lockdown”
The quiz master on the future of TV and his debut novel The Thursday Murder Club.
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Nadine Shah: “There’s nothing a man hates more than being laughed at”
The alt-rock musician on T-shirt politics, poking fun at misogyny and her new album, Kitchen Sink.
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Joanna MacGregor: “Virtuosity is something you are born with”
The pianist on the serenity of Beethoven.
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“I want to be in the world and in my body”: Perfume Genius on illness, desire and his new album
On his fifth album, Set My Heart on Fire Immediately, the American art-pop musician feels more at home in his…
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“To be creative, you need naivety”: Laura Marling on lockdown, trauma and re-learning how to write
The acclaimed songwriter explains how she lost and found her creative freedom on her seventh album, Song For Our Daughter.
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Soccer Mommy: “I can’t just be myself”
Sophie Allison – the singer-songwriter behind Soccer Mommy – on fame, therapy and looking forward to death.
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