A S H Smyth › interview

Skip to content

Category Archives: interview

Living in a ghost town

Sunday, March 8, 2020

Ten years ago, I wrote the world’s first review of Chinaman, for the Sri Lankan Sunday Times. Last week, I interviewed Shehan Karunatilaka at the launch of his new novel, Chats with the Dead, at Barefoot Gallery. Here are the (brutally-abbreviated) highlights of those proceedings. — For The Sunday Times (SL)

Also filed in Journalism | Tagged Barefoot, books, fiction, Shehan Karunatilaka, Sri Lanka, Sunday Times (SL) | Comments (0)

‘Bad in life, good in the book’

Thursday, September 12, 2019

A Q&A with writer and artist Dan Richards. — For Geographical

Also filed in Journalism | Tagged Alice Oswald, Amazon, art, Bath, bears, Bob Dylan, climbing, Dan Richards, David Bowie, Denis Johnson, Geographical, Horatio Clare, Iceland, JA Baker, Jan Morris, Joan Didion, Max Porter, mountains, North Korea, Norway, Outward Bound, post, Rebecca Solnit, Richard Brautigan, Royal Geographical Society, Spetses, Svalbard, sæluhús, Ted Hughes, Tim Severin, TS Eliot, writing | Comments (0)

Intellectual MOT

Sunday, October 16, 2016

Some thoughts on the enquiring mind, slang, and judging a book by its cover – in correspondence with Tia Goonaratna. — For The Sunday Leader

Also filed in Journalism | Tagged Angela Carter, books, Christopher Hitchens, Churchill, dictionaries, history, intellectuals, literature, Mongols, Peter Frankopan, slang, Sri Lanka, The Sunday Leader, Tia Goonaratna, Waterstone's | Comments (0)

Good show(?)! – Mozart Undone

Monday, February 24, 2014

His circus-like extravaganzas have sliced and diced The Beatles, played fast and loose with Bob Dylan, and spawned successful imitations across the theatre scene in his native Denmark. Now the gleefully wilful director-cum-ringmaster Nikolaj Cederholm brings his trademark ‘theatre concert’ to London’s Barbican, to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Mozart’s temporary residence in the British […]

Also filed in feature, Journalism | Tagged Adrian Edmondson, Beethoven, Betty Nansen Teatret, Blackadder, Bob Dylan, Chekhov, Darwin, Denmark, Dolly Parton, English, German, insanity, Italian, Jens Hellemann, JMW Turner, Lady Gaga, Lloyd Webber, Mandela, Mozart, Mumford & Sons, music, Neill Cardinal Furio, Nikolaj Cederholm, Old Testament, Paganini, Peter Hellemann, Red Hot Chili Peppers, rock, Shakespeare, Stanley Kubrick, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, theatre, war | Comments (0)

Pieces of ‘im

Friday, February 14, 2014

Music-type interview with celebrity-portraitist Rich Hardcastle. — For Sinfini Music

Also filed in Journalism | Tagged Barry Adamson, Ennio Morricone, Lou Reed, Mozart, music, Nick Cave, photography, portraits, Rich Hardcastle | Comments (0)

Zona (my other Valentine)

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

A Q&A about a book about a film about a journey… ft. Geoff Dyer. — For Guernica

Also filed in Journalism | Tagged choc-ices, film, Geoff Dyer, Guernica, literature, Russians, Tarkovsky | Comments (0)

On tennis, Twitter and telly

Monday, February 13, 2012

Out-takes plus trailer for my forthcoming Geoff Dyer Q&A. — For Guernica

Also filed in Journalism | Tagged Geoff Dyer, literature, tennis, TV, Twitter | Comments (0)

Paul, mate, you’ve got red on yer.

Friday, September 30, 2011

Interview with Paul Bettany, vis-a-vis his tricky and unglamorous role in Broken Lines. — For theartsdesk

Also filed in Journalism | Tagged Broken Lines, Dan Fredenburgh, film, London, Olivia Williams, Paul Bettany, Rosaly Dora, theartsdesk | Comments (0)

Q&A with Sir John Tomlinson – 2

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Part 2 – in which we discuss beards, Hungarian, and why the English can’t sing in English. — For theartsdesk

Also filed in Journalism | Tagged Bartok, bass, beards, Hungarian, John Tomlinson, Pizzetti, theartsdesk, voice, Wagner | Comments (0)

Q&A with Sir John Tomlinson – 1

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Part 1 – in which we discuss sleaze, the ecstasy of old men, and why the Ring cycle is just like real life. — For theartsdesk

Also filed in Journalism | Tagged bass, John Tomlinson, Mozart, theartsdesk, Verdi, voice, Wagner | Comments (0)