Sam and Natalia visit the Southbank Centre in London as the 2026 Booker Prize shortlist is revealed.

The Booker Prize is a literary award given to the best English-language novel published each year. After attending the 2026 shortlist announcement on September 22nd, Sam and Natalia go through their thoughts on each book.

Intro: 00:00 - 05:50

THE END OF EVERYTHING by M. John Harrison: 05:50 - 08:04

THE DISAPPEARERS by Marlon James: 08:04 - 13:23

BLACK BAG by Luke Kennard: 13:23 - 17:12

MAY WE FEED THE KING by Rebecca Perry: 17:12 - 21:08

THE THINGS WE NEVER SAY by Elizabeth Strout: 21:08 - 23:45

JOHN OF JOHN by Douglas Stuart: 23:45 - 28:14

Conclusion: 28:14 - 36:20

Topics of conversation include FLESH by David Szalay, pronouncing Québec, The National Book Award, Natalia's cough, insiders, DOCTOR WHO, Asimov and Vonnegut, THE NEW YORKER, expensive books, The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, books that are over 600 pages long, A BRIEF HISTORY OF SEVEN KILLINGS, Raymond Antrobus, Russell T Davies and TIP TOE, cringe, campus novels, Michael Fassbender's BLACK BAG, trampolinists, judging books by their covers, divisive American politics, remote Scottish islands, SHUGGIE BAIN, and this week's episode of LEARNING BRITISH.

Here's the article we used to guide our conversation: "Booker Prize judges reveal shortlisted novels after selection 'tussle'", written by Ian Youngs for the BBC.

Don’t forget to ⁠follow and find us on Instagram⁠ (@learningbritishfilmtv) and follow us on Reddit (r/learningbritish).

If you would like us to read your comments on the podcast, ⁠leave us a five-star rating on APPLE PODCASTS with your comments included as part of the review⁠.

‘Learning British: A Film and TV Podcast’ (or just ‘Learning British’) is a weekly show hosted by Sam Brown, a born-and-bred Brit, and Natalia Brammen, a Polish immigrant living in the UK.

In each episode, Sam introduces Natalia to a new British film or TV show. From badly aged sitcoms to acclaimed dramas, they explore what these films and TV shows reveal about British culture, history, and identity.

You can keep up with the podcast on Instagram, YouTube, and Reddit.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/learningbritishfilmtv/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SkyWasTheRobot

Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/learningbritish

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sam and Natalia, for some reason, watch all three seasons and forty-eight episodes of the mostly forgotten American crime drama TV show, LIE TO ME.

LIE TO ME is an American crime drama television show that aired on Fox from 2009 to 2011. It follows Dr. Cal Lightman (Tim Roth), and his friends and colleagues, who assist in criminal and civil investigations by 'truth-checking' suspects; the show purports to demonstrate that their 'truth-checking' methods, based on a mixture of body language and microexpressions, are reflected in real-life psychology.

Sam and Natalia watch all of LIE TO ME to help answer the question on everyone's lips: why, exactly, are Sam and Natalia watching this show?

Topics of conversation include the CSI: NY theme song, the war on terror, consistently declining viewership, dinnertime TV, BONES, British main characters in American TV shows, nostalgia, HOUSE and SHERLOCK, George Bush to Barack Obama, social media, the ridiculous length of American TV shows, the most insane actor cameos of all time, an accidental BREAKING BAD cast reunion, Dr. Lie-man, and Zendaya's entire filmography.

Don’t forget to ⁠follow and find us on Instagram⁠ (@learningbritishfilmtv) and follow us on Reddit (r/learningbritish).

If you would like us to read your comments on the podcast, ⁠leave us a five-star rating on APPLE PODCASTS with your comments included as part of the review⁠.

‘Learning British: A Film and TV Podcast’ (or just ‘Learning British’) is a weekly show hosted by Sam Brown, a born-and-bred Brit, and Natalia Brammen, a Polish immigrant living in the UK.

In each episode, Sam introduces Natalia to a new British film or TV show. From badly aged sitcoms to acclaimed dramas, they explore what these films and TV shows reveal about British culture, history, and identity.

You can keep up with the podcast on Instagram, YouTube, and Reddit.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/learningbritishfilmtv/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SkyWasTheRobot

Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/learningbritish

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sam introduces Natalia to Jon Ronson and his new book, THE CASTLE, in this thrilling episode of the LEARNING BRITISH podcast.

THE CASTLE (or Adventures in a World of Unravelling Men) is a 2026 book by acclaimed journalist Jon Ronson. THE CASTLE follows Ronson as he investigates a mysterious castle in rural Connecticut.

Topics of conversation include Jon Ronson discovering Alex Jones in THEM, JK Rowling, SO YOU'VE BEEN PUBLICLY SHAMED, Louis Theroux, FRANK, messaging people on Instagram, THE SIMPSONS, the manosphere, why nobody is talking about the male loneliness epidemic, overheard conversations, Chris Mark and 101 PRINCESSES, Andrew Tate, EYES WIDE SHUT, why absolutely nobody is talking about the male loneliness epidemic, Hugh Hefner, biohacking being the crypto of lifestyle content, IF BOOKS COULD KILL, Armie Hammer and Graham Linehan, and, seriously guys, why is nobody talking about the male loneliness epidemic?

Don’t forget to ⁠follow and find us on Instagram⁠ (@learningbritishfilmtv) and follow us on Reddit (r/learningbritish).

If you would like us to read your comments on the podcast, ⁠leave us a five-star rating on APPLE PODCASTS with your comments included as part of the review⁠.

‘Learning British: A Film and TV Podcast’ (or just ‘Learning British’) is a weekly show hosted by Sam Brown, a born-and-bred Brit, and Natalia Brammen, a Polish immigrant living in the UK.

In each episode, Sam introduces Natalia to a new British film or TV show. From badly aged sitcoms to acclaimed dramas, they explore what these films and TV shows reveal about British culture, history, and identity.

You can keep up with the podcast on Instagram, YouTube, and Reddit.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/learningbritishfilmtv/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SkyWasTheRobot

Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/learningbritish

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.