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The International Anthony Burgess Foundation PodcastAll things Anthony Burgess, A Clockwork Orange and more from Burgess's Estate and Archive in Manchester, UK Author: International Anthony Burgess Foundation
The International Anthony Burgess Foundation Podcast Channel hosts two podcasts:The International Anthony Burgess Foundation Podcast is dedicated to exploring the life and work of Anthony Burgess and his contemporaries, and the cultural environment in which Burgess was working. A combination of scripted episodes, interviews and lectures, this series is a resource for students, readers and anyone else interested in twentieth century literature, film and music. The International Anthony Burgess Foundation Podcast includes episodes on A Clockwork Orange and other novels written by Burgess, the influence of James Joyce, literary dystopias and utopias, and Burgesss musical compositions among many other themes and topics.The Ninety-Nine Novels Podcast delves into Anthony Burgess's 1984 survey of twentieth century literature, Ninety-Nine Novels: The Best in English Since 1939. The book is a personal, and somewhat idiosyncratic, selection of Burgesss favourite novels, and not only stimulates debate but acts as a crash-course in the literature that inspired and influenced Burgess throughout his career. The Ninety-Nine Novels Podcast invites experts to illuminate Burgesss choices, and includes episodes on famous masterworks to unjustly forgotten gems.-----For more information about Anthony Burgess visit the International Anthony Burgess Foundation online. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Language: en Genres: Arts, Books, Documentary, Society & Culture Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Ninety-Nine Novels: The Anti-Death League by Kingsley Amis
Tuesday, 9 December, 2025
In 1984, Anthony Burgess published Ninety-Nine Novels, a selection of his favourite novels in English since 1939. The list is typically idiosyncratic, and shows the breadth of Burgess's interest in fiction. This podcast, by the International Anthony Burgess Foundation, explores the novels on Burgess's list with the help of writers, critics and other special guests.In this episode, Graham Foster explores the military satire of The Anti-Death League by Kingsley Amis, with writer and academic Andrew James.The Anti-Death League follows the soldiers of an army base that borders a quaint English village. They are preparing for the mysterious Operation Apollo, but there may be spies in their midst. As the preparations progress and the lives of the soldiers intersect with the inhabitants of the village, including a lustful aristocratic lady and a psychotherapist who may me more insane than his patients, Lieutenant James Churchill begins to question his purpose.Kingsley Amis was born in 1922 in London. He wrote over twenty novels, the most famous being Lucky Jim, which also appears on Burgess’s list. He won the Booker in 1986 for The Old Devils and was knighted in 1990. He died in 1995.Andrew James is currently a professor in the School of Commerce at Meiji University in Tokyo, where he conducts research in both literary biography and wine. He is the author of the books: Kingsley Amis: Antimodels and the Audience (McGill-Queen’s UP, 2013) and Bandol Wine and the Magic of Mourvèdre (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2023). His latest book is The Life of the Author: Graham Greene (Wiley Blackwell, 2025).-----BOOKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODEBy Kingsley Amis:Lucky Jim (1954)That Uncertain Feeling (1955)Colonel Sun: A James Bond Adventure (1968)Jake's Thing (1978)Difficulties with Girls (1988)By others:A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess (1962)The Wanting Seed by Anthony Burgess (1962)Honey for the Bears by Anthony Burgess (1963)Albert Angelo by B.S. Johnson (1964)A Vision of Battlements by Anthony Burgess (1965)The Unfortunates by B.S. Johnson (1969)Joysprick: An Introduction to the Language of James Joyce by Anthony Burgess (1973)Earthly Powers by Anthony Burgess (1980)-----LINKSThe Life of the Author: Graham Greene by Andrew JamesInternational Anthony Burgess FoundationBurgess Foundation free weekly newsletterThe theme music for the Ninety-Nine Novels podcast is Anthony Burgess’s Concerto for Flute, Strings and Piano in D Minor, performed by No Dice Collective. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
