Francis Spufford

Simon Mayo's Books of the Year · Mar 4, 2026 · 39m

Francis Spufford joins Simon and Matt for a natter about his new novel, 'Nonesuch'. They talk about his fascination with The Blitz, his inspirations for the fantasmical parts of the story and how he melded two genres together.

They also discuss craft, research, bending history - and the finished manuscript sitting on his computer which he isn't allowed to publish until 2034.

Here's a little more about the novel:

It's the summer of 1939. London is on the brink of catastrophic war. Iris Hawkins, an ambitious young woman in the stuffy world of City finance, has a chance encounter with Geoff, a…