Listen "Sophie reads Leonora Carrington"
Episode Synopsis
Name: Sophie
Reading: The Hearing Trumpet, Leonora Carrington
Why did you want to read this? I got to know and love this book through teaching it a few years ago, which is a nice way to become familiar with a novel: i.e. with lots of other people. Reading it aloud now reminded me of that time. I find it very, very funny and – if this makes sense – as a book it seems sort of free and unbothered. It has one of my all-time favourite plots, Marian Leatherby is an icon, and I wish Carrington’s writing were as well-known as her visual art.
How did you record yourself? I sat in my bedroom (which is a bit messy) at my partner’s desk, recording with Audacity on my laptop. A couple of years ago, one of my vocal cords was seriously injured – I’ve been having voice therapy to help me get some strength and volume back, particularly for situations in which I need to speak uninterrupted for a block of time. So, recording this was a challenge I opted into, and I felt quite self-conscious while I was reading. But I think it went well!
Reading: The Hearing Trumpet, Leonora Carrington
Why did you want to read this? I got to know and love this book through teaching it a few years ago, which is a nice way to become familiar with a novel: i.e. with lots of other people. Reading it aloud now reminded me of that time. I find it very, very funny and – if this makes sense – as a book it seems sort of free and unbothered. It has one of my all-time favourite plots, Marian Leatherby is an icon, and I wish Carrington’s writing were as well-known as her visual art.
How did you record yourself? I sat in my bedroom (which is a bit messy) at my partner’s desk, recording with Audacity on my laptop. A couple of years ago, one of my vocal cords was seriously injured – I’ve been having voice therapy to help me get some strength and volume back, particularly for situations in which I need to speak uninterrupted for a block of time. So, recording this was a challenge I opted into, and I felt quite self-conscious while I was reading. But I think it went well!
More episodes of the podcast women read
Grace reads Ada Zhang
03/12/2025
Sharon reads Madam de La Fayette
01/10/2025
Carol reads Anne Carson
03/09/2025
Suyin reads Stuart Hall
06/08/2025
Hilary reads Gertrude Stein
04/06/2025
Sarah reads Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
02/04/2025
Afton reads T Kira Madden
05/03/2025
ZARZA We are Zarza, the prestigious firm behind major projects in information technology.