Throughout 2020, the International Anthony Burgess Foundation is celebrating the fortieth anniversary of Earthly Powers, Burgess’s longest and most accomplished novel.

We have already launched a dedicated Earthly Powers micro-site and are looking forward to future meetings of the Earthly Powers reading group.

We invite you to listen to our series of podcasts themed around Earthly Powers, in which we further explore the book, its themes and its characters. You can find out more by browsing the audio below.

As we’ve said before, we were into podcasts before they were cool. Our archive of podcasts, assembled over the past decade, draws on lectures, manuscripts, books, photographs and rare audio recordings. You can also listen to the original Burgess Foundation Podcast series, which sheds fresh light on Burgess, his literary work and the substantial archive held at the Foundation in Manchester. You can discover the vast riches of our fascinating audio collection on the Soundcloud channel.

And now to Earthly Powers.

The Earthly Powers Podcast: Part 1 — Who Is Kenneth Toomey?

Listen here, or listen on Spotify or Apple Music or on YouTube.

In this first episode in the series of podcasts, we explore the character of Kenneth Toomey. What were Burgess’s inspirations? How did he breathe life into his protagonist?

The Earthly Powers Podcast: Part 2 — The Old World and the New

Listen here, or listen on Spotify or Apple Music or on YouTube.

In the second episode of the Earthly Powers Podcast, we examine how Burgess depicts the traditions of old Europe and the excitements of America. Is Europe corrupt? Is America the New Eden? What does Kenneth Toomey find on his travels across the Atlantic? Find out more.

The Earthly Powers Podcast: Part 3 — The Pope and the Devil

Listen here, or listen on Spotify or Apple Music or on YouTube.

Is the fictional pope in league with the Devil? That is the question Graham Foster asks in this episode of the Earthly Powers Podcast, as he explores the character of Carlo Campanati. What does his desire to reform the Church say about his allegiances? Is Carlo force for good or evil? Did he make the ultimate Faustian bargain in order to become Pope? Abandon all hope ye who enter here.

Future episodes of the Earthly Powers Podcast will be added to this page when they appear. Happy listening.

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