American Dreams in the time of Trump

Southbank Centre's Book Podcast

Ted Hodgkinson examines the different ways in which literature has interpreted the past, dissected the present and shaped the future of American politics. Guests feature authors Salman Rushdie and Marilynne Robinson, poet Terrence Hayes and academic Sarah Churchwell. "The thing that is weirdest about this book is that, when I started writing it, nobody was thinking about Trump. And then when things started - the phenomenon of Trump. I realised that I had a character, who was a corrupt billionaire; who had made his name in the real-estate business; who liked to have his name on buildings; and had a much younger, eastern European trophy wife. I thought, what?!" SALMAN RUSHDIE