Arts and Ideas

Philosopher and linguist Noam Chomsky joins Philip Dodd for an extended conversation on American individualism, the role of reason, and a life spent holding authority to account. And Philip meet the Master of Wellington College, Anthony Seldon, to get a very different perspective on how power operates in society.

Matthew Sweet talks to the Spanish novelist Javier Marias about his new book 'The Infatuations'. Night Waves takes stock of the man who sold the world as a new exhibition 'David Bowie is....' gets set to open at the Victoria and Albert Museum. And In another new book 'The Undivided Past' David Cannadine is looking beyond the supposed clash of religions, classes and civilisations and asks does a "History Beyond Our Differences" lead to confusion in the absence of polarised views?

Anne McElvoy talks to Aleksandar Hemon, the Bosnian-born writer who some have been comparing to Nabokov and Conrad, about his newest book which is his first venture into non-fiction. Jonathan Jones reviews the new show of work by the British Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare's. Emma Griffin, Jane Humphries and Judith Hawley discuss a challenging new history of the Industrial Revolution. And Alice Rawsthorn explains why she believes good design and a good life should always go together.

Ken Loach talks to Philip Dodd about his new documentary Spirit of '45, which celebrates the hopes of democratic socialism in post-war Britain. As the first UK retrospective of works by George Bellows opens, Night Waves sends the American poet Eva Salzman to take a look. Geoff Mulgan lays out his vision for a new breed of capitalism when he discusses his book The Locust and the Bee. And Keith Laws, Professor of Cognitive Neuropsychology discusses with Rupert Read, a philosopher of science whether psychologists should do more to act like scientists.

What does a nineteenth century Swedish play have to say about post-apartheid South Africa? Samira Ahmed talks to director Yael Farber about her re-working of Strindberg's Miss Julie. Why are we compelled to explore our physical and physiological limits and how may that benefit us - doctor of medicine Kevin Fong, and philosopher Andy Martin discuss. Also poet John Agard talks about being awarded the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry. And Samira talks to the Mexican film maker, Carlos Reygadas who won the best director award at Cannes last year.

Matthew Sweet talks to Booker-nominated novelist Julia O’Faolain about her new memoir and growing up with her father, a celebrated writer and a radical dissident. Helen Wallace reviews George Benjamin’s and Martin Crimp’s new opera, ‘Written on Skin’. Professor Nora Crook explains how she discovered who really censored Shelley’s notorious poem, ‘The Revolt of Islam’. Marcus Chown reviews The Challenger, a new docu-drama about the investigation into the 1986 space shuttle disaster. And we debate whether the use of words like ‘unacceptable’ and ‘inappropriate’ are part of a tendency to avoid casting strong moral judgements.

Anne McElvoy meets Hilary Mantel, the winner of the David Cohen Prize for literature. Mantel also defends her comments about the Duchess of Cambridge. The writer and former priest Mark Vernon discusses his latest book on love with the philosopher and economist Jamie Whyte, and the novelist and academic Eva Hoffman. The artistic team that created War Horse re-unite for Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream which opens this week at the Bristol Old Vic. Anne McElvoy discusses the new production with co-director Tom Morris. Revolutionary Iran - a new book explores the unique history of the Islamic republic. Anne McElvoy speaks to Michael Axworthy, one of the world's principle experts on the country.

The Olympics ceremony master Danny Boyle joins Rana Mitter to discuss the British film industry and what he thinks is the role of creativity in boosting the economy. As we approach the 200th anniversary of Dr David Livingstone's birth, Rana discusses the man and reassesses his legacy in today's Africa, with John MacKenzie and Kit Davis. Ruth Ozeki talks about her new novel "A Tale for the Time Being". And Rana along with Dr Olga Dmitrieva visits a new exhibition on early relations between the Tudors and early Stewarts with the courts of the Russian Tsars.

With Matthew Sweet. A first night review, by Susannah Clapp, of Peter Morgan's new play, The Audience, starring Helen Mirren as the Queen. Simon Thurley, Chief Executive of English Heritage, the architect Richard Griffiths and architecture critic Hugh Pearman discuss what place heritage has in a modern and increasingly urbanised Britain. Adrian Wootton reviews possibly the last film from Steven Soderbergh; Side Effects. And Jaron Lanier, one of the most important philosophers of the digital age talks about his book Who Owns The Future?

Shereen El Feki, author of Sex and the Citadel, joins Philip Dodd to explore how the struggles for political change in the Arab world have been accompanied by a sexual revolution. Professor Andrew Hussey explains how the culture and history of France can by understood by observing the history of the Louvre. As Science is becoming ever more popular in our news and consciousness, neuroscientist Daniel Glaser and philosopher of science Rupert Read discuss whether we are living through a new age of Enlightenment. And critic Nigel Floyd reviews Broken, the new film directed by Rufus Norris.

As extreme libertarian thought is on the rise in right-wing politics, Anne McElvoy is joined by Business editor of The Economist Robert Guest and American historian Tim Stanley to explore the growth of ‘anarcho-capitalism’. Italian film writer Pasquale Iannone reviews Paolo and Vittorio Taviani's Caesar Must Die. Set designer Christopher Oram and theatre critic Susannah Clapp take a look at what makes great theatre stage design. And to coincide with the Southbank’s The Rest is Noise festival, Anne and guests explore the cultural and political transformations of Berlin during the 1920s and ‘30s.

Samira Ahmed examines why James Joyce's experimental and 'difficult' work Finnegans Wake has been a surprise hit in China. Travel writer Sara Wheeler discusses her new book, 'O my America!’, which tells the story of six remarkable women who fled nineteenth-century England to reinvent themselves in the USA. Historian Justin Champion, sociologist Eileen Barker and theologian Martin Palmer join Samira to discuss why we are so obsessed with the idea of the end of the world. And we look at an unlikely cultural movement which has flourished in post 9/11 America - Muslim comedy.

As the winner of the Paul Foot award for investigative and campaigning journalism is announced, Matthew Sweet re-assesses the significance of this award with Ian Hislop and the winner Andrew Norfolk, in a year the judges have described as "exceptionally strong". Matthew talks to political philosopher John Gray about his latest book and asks should we turn towards contemplation of the natural world and the non-human? And James Lasdun discusses his memoir on literary stalking with psychoanalyst Lisa Appignanesi and New Generation Thinker Martin Goodman.

Does compassion inhibit rational political debate? To discuss, Philip Dodd is joined by MP David Blunkett, IPPR Director Nick Pearce, and Radio 3 New Generation Thinker Adriana Sinclair. Sarah Dunant reviews a new Frederico Barocci exhibition, arguing that the artist should be added to the list of Italian Renaissance masters. Rory Carroll discusses his new book on Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. And Annalisa Piras reflects on what the surprises of the Italian election can tell us about the country’s cultural climate.

A Landmark edition in which Anne McElvoy and guests look at Alain-Fournier's celebrated and nostalgic tale of adolescent romance, Le Grand Meaulnes. Michèle Roberts, Hermione Lee and Patrick McGuiness examine it's enduring appeal and legacy from the poetry of its language, to the interlocking mysteries of its plot to the intriguing romantic life and early death of its author, and the story of the woman who inspired him. With readings by Peter Marinker.