Ian Leslie: Give The Truth, Not The Spin
Ian Leslie’s reading list
10 books mentioned in this interview
- Selected Essays · Virginia Woolf
- Peter Pan · J.M. BarrieRecommended 3 times
- The Enigma of Reason · Hugo Mercier and Dan Sperber
- The Ghost Map · Steven Johnson
- The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks · Rebecca SklootRecommended 3 times
- The Lonely City · Olivia LaingRecommended 4 times
- The War Against Cliché · Martin Amis
- How to Think · Alan Jacobs
- Curious · Ian Leslie
- The Metaphysical Club · Louis Menand
Ian Leslie is a London-based journalist and author of critically acclaimed books about human behaviour. He is currently writing a new book on the psychology of conflict and communication, to be published by Faber & Faber (UK) and HarperCollins (US) in 2020. Ian Leslie also created, wrote and performed in the BBC radio comedy Before They Were Famous. Ian appears as a commentator on current affairs and culture for the BBC, Sky, and NPR. Along with Matthew Taylor, CEO of the RSA, Ian Leslie presents a regular podcast called Polarised, about the way we do politics today. Please enjoy my interview with Ian Leslie.
How do you describe your occupation?
Writer, journalist, speaker, spy. Not really supposed to mention the last one, but there you are.
What is something about you that people might find surprising?
What are you reading at the moment and what made you want to read it?
Selected Essays by Virginia Woolf, which I’ve been meaning to get round to for a while because whenever someone quotes from one of her essays I think, how wonderful.
What was your favourite book as a child and why?
Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie, of course. He could fly too.
Can you talk us through your research process when preparing for a new book?
I am not sure I would dignify it with the term “process”. It involves a lot of Googling, a lot of Wikipedia (I pay a subscription, you probably should too) and a fair amount of sitting in the British Library with a pile of old books on my desk.
What was the last book you purchased, and why did you buy it?
The Enigma of Reason by Hugo Mercier and Dan Sperber. It’s about how reason is an essentially social process which works best when more than one person takes part in it. I bought it because I’m working on a new book on how disagreement can be productive.
For someone starting out in your career, which three books would you make required reading and why?
For aspiring non-fiction writers, I’d recommend The Ghost Map by Steven Johnson, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot and The Lonely City by Olivia Laing.
What book have you found most inspiring, what effect did it have on you?
The War Against Cliché by Martin Amis, which conscripted me to the cause.
What’s the best book you’ve read in the last 6 months?
What is your proudest achievement?
Writing books that people I don’t know enjoy.
What two pieces of advice would you give a young aspiring writer?
Make sure you have another job. Keep writing even when you think what you’re writing is rubbish (just thinking it’s rubbish is what will make it better).
If you were trying to impress a visitor, which book that you own would you leave on the coffee table?
If an alien landed in your garden; which three books would you gift them to showcase humanity in the best possible way?
Anything by Shakespeare, Tolstoy, or Robert Caro. I want to give these aliens the truth, not the spin.
Are there any books you haven’t mentioned that you feel would make your reading list?
Too many to start.
Which book sat on your shelf are you most excited about reading next and why?
If you’d like to learn more about Ian Leslie, you can find him on his website and Twitter.
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