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Close Readings

Close Readings is a multi-series podcast subscription from the London Review of Books exploring different periods of literature through a selection of key works. Enjoy literary conversations like no other from Europe’s leading journal of culture and ideas.

Subscribe and access all our series, past and current, in full.

Running in 2024:

AMONG THE ANCIENTS II with Emily Wilson and Thomas Jones

ON SATIRE with Colin Burrow and Clare Bucknell

HUMAN CONDITIONS with Adam Shatz, Judith Butler, Pankaj Mishra and Brent Hayes Edwards

POLITICAL POEMS with Mark Ford and Seamus Perry

MEDIEVAL LOLs with Irina Dumitrescu and Mary Wellesley

STARTING IN JANUARY 2025:

CONVERSATIONS IN PHILOSOPHY with Jonathan Rée and James Wood

FICTION AND THE FANTASTIC with Marina Warner, Anna Della Subin and other guests

LOVE AND DEATH with Seamus Perry and Mark Ford

NOVEL APPROACHES with Clare Bucknell, Thomas Jones and other guests

Also included in the Close Readings subscription, our full past series:AMONG THE ANCIENTS I with Emily Wilson and Thomas Jones

MEDIEVAL BEGINNINGS with Irina Dumitrescu and Mary Wellesley

THE LONG AND SHORT with Mark Ford and Seamus Perry

MODERN-ISH POETS: SERIES 1 with Mark Ford and Seamus Perry

TRY IT OUT

Listen to samples from each series, and other full-length episodes, in Apple Podcast, Spotify or search 'Close Readings' in your podcast app.

Listen in these apps:

  • Apple Podcasts
  • Spotify
  • YouTube Music
  • Overcast
  • Pocket Casts
  • iTunes
  • Podcast Addict

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Available Shows

  • Close Readings podcast tile
  • Among the Ancients podcast tile
  • Medieval Beginnings podcast tile
  • Among the Ancients II podcast tile
  • Human Conditions podcast tile
  • Medieval LOLs podcast tile
  • Modern-ish Poets: Series 1 podcast tile
  • Modern-ish Poets: Series 2 podcast tile
  • On Satire podcast tile
  • Political Poems podcast tile
  • The Long and Short podcast tile

Give someone the pleasure of Close Readings

A Close Readings subscription is the perfect gift for the literature lovers in your life – and another great way to support our work.

Give a Gift

FAQ

How can I listen to a Close Readings series?

You can listen in your preferred podcast app. The Close Readings subscription will give you access to all the series in one feed.

How does that work?

Once you make a payment, you'll be given a private link which will open in your preferred podcast app.

Can I use my current podcast app?

We support Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Overcast, Pocketcasts, Podcast Addict, Castbox, BeyondPod, Downcast, PlayerFM, Breaker, and RadioPublic.

Sorry, but we do not support Stitcher, Podbean, or NPR One.

You’ll also be able to listen to your audiobook or podcast purchase online.

What types of payment do you accept?

You can pay with any major credit cards, as well as Apple Pay on iOS and Google Pay on Android.

How do gifts work?🎁

You can gift someone a 6-month or 12-month subscription to Close Readings, with a personal message and scheduled delivery date, here. They do not auto-renew; you’ll only be charged once.