Best of the Spectator

Michael Gove is joined by historian Simon Schama to discuss the resurgence of antisemitism in Britain, why many British Jews increasingly feel unsafe, and what history can teach us about the war in Gaza.

Simon argues that the language of genocide is being misapplied to Gaza and warns that historical ignorance, social media and political polarisation are fuelling a new strain of antisemitism on both left and right.

They also discuss Holocaust education, Donald Trump and the politics of truth, the treatment of Jewish students in Britain, and what the rise of antisemitism tells us about the health of liberal democracy.

Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Henry Lloyd

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For this week’s Book Club, Sam Leith, the Spectator’s literary editor, is joined by Shaun Bythell, proprietor of The Book Shop in Wigtown, Scotland, and author of The Diary of a Bookseller series, to discuss the fourth instalment, The Return of the Bookseller’s Diary.
They discuss the strange characters who wander into second-hand bookshops, the customers who haggle over £2 books, and how Bythell’s shop helped turn Wigtown into Scotland’s unlikely book town.
They also explore the changing world of bookselling, from the rise of online marketplaces to the 18th-century bookseller James Lackington, whose ‘buy cheap, sell cheap’ philosophy has more than a little in common with Amazon.
Plus, Bythell reveals how keeping a diary has changed the way he sees his customers, the unexpected consequences of becoming a published author, and why the Covid-19 pandemic proved surprisingly good for business.
Produced by Abigail Brierley.

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Michael Gove is joined by shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy, live at Conservative party conference in Birmingham, to discuss prisons, policing and the fight against Islamist extremism. Nick reflects on swapping life as a Downing Street adviser for the Commons and makes the case that prison works, before turning to the Tories’ plan for 50,000 new prison places. Britain, he argues, must ‘come down like a ton of bricks’ on extremists – but why did 14 years of Conservative government fail to draw that line?
Plus: West Midlands Police’s ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans, the Trafalgar Square iftar, and why Nick changed his mind on legalising cannabis.
Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Henry Lloyd.

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On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Prue Leith covers her foray into fashion and her life post-Bake Off; John Connolly explores Manchester's close links with the UAE; Flora Watkins asks whatever happened to the midlife crisis; and Lloyd Evans observes a far-right march.
Produced and presented by Abigail Brierley.

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Franz Liszt is remembered as one of the great showmen of the 19th century: a dazzling virtuoso, breaker of pianos and notorious womaniser who inspired a frenzy among his admirers. But a profound Catholic faith ran through his life, which found an increasingly powerful expression in his music. For this Holy Smoke episode, Damian Thompson is joined by the award-winning British pianist Charles Owen, whose new album De Profundis explores the sacred music of both Liszt and César Franck. Owen explains how Liszt translated the stories of saints, scripture and even birdsong into what he argues is some of the most extraordinary music ever written for the piano.

Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

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