Film director John Waters, aka the Pope of Trash, is known for his 1972 film ‘Pink Flamingos’ and 1988’s ‘Hairspray’, later a hit Broadway musical. Today he writes books and performs standup. He spoke to Monocle’s Daphne Karnezis about building a career on bad reviews and how Trump ruined the word ‘ugly’.

Monocle 24: The Big Interview

John Waters

From 2013 to 2017 Samantha Power served in Barack Obama’s cabinet and as US ambassador to the UN. Starting out as a journalist, she won the Pulitzer prize in 2003 and has now written a memoir, ‘The Education of an Idealist’. Andrew Mueller asks her about her journey to the White House, playing football with the Latin American ambassadors and what it’s like at the centre of a media storm.

Samantha Power

The French director received international acclaim for his 2002 musical-comedy-drama ‘8 Women’, starring Catherine Deneuve and Isabelle Huppert; ‘Swimming Pool’ (2003) starring Charlotte Rampling; and the psychosexual thriller ‘L’Amant Double’ in 2017. With his latest film, ‘By the Grace of God’, Ozon again is taking viewers into new territory. He talks to Monocle’s Ben Rylan about playing with different genres and telling difficult stories.

François Ozon

The Academy Award-nominated composer and pianist is the musical brain behind the scores of Barry Jenkins’ Oscar-winning film ‘Moonlight’ and ‘If Beale Street Could Talk’, as well as Adam McKay’s ‘Vice’ and ‘The Big Short’. Most recently he scored the Netflix film ‘The King’ and won an Emmy for Outstanding Original Main Title Theme for the HBO series ‘Succession’. He talks to Monocle’s Ben Rylan about the art of the opening sequence and composing music for moving images.

Nicholas Britell

The award-winning astrophysicist is a pioneer in the field known as Seti (the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence). For more than four decades she has been leading the way in attempting to answer the age-old human question, “Are we alone?” She speaks to Monocle’s Carlota Rebelo about what it’s like to devote your life to working on a problem that you might never see solved.

Jill Tarter

For more than three decades, Darina Allen has been tempting would-be chefs from around the world to her renowned cookery school, Ballymaloe. With 19 cookbooks and numerous TV shows to her name, she has gone on to become the face, voice and energy behind a culinary revolution. In conversation with Monocle’s Josh Fehnert, she talks about the importance of farm-fresh produce and why it all starts with a few inches of healthy soil.

Darina Allen

Despite popular film credits including the Harry Potter series and an Oscar-nominated turn in 2004’s ‘Vera Drake’, Imelda Staunton has never strayed far from the stage. She’s won four Olivier awards, most recently for her much acclaimed portrayal of Madame Rose in Stephen Sondheim’s classic musical ‘Gypsy’. Monocle 24’s Ben Rylan asks Staunton about her career highlights and the secrets of good stage acting.

Imelda Staunton

Known as the demon dog of American literature, Ellroy has won numerous awards for his Los Angeles Quartet novels, ‘The Black Dahlia’, ‘The Big Nowhere’, ‘LA Confidential’ and ‘White Jazz’. Now he has returned to LA with a new quartet; ‘This Storm’, the second novel in his latest series, was released earlier this year. He sits down with Augustin Macellari to talk corruption and collusion, the LA of his past, and why he writes.

James Ellroy

Sozzani, a luminary of the fashion industry, founded Milan’s 10 Corso Como in 1991. This union of culture and commerce – with photography, fashion, design, music and cuisine under one roof – marked the beginning of a new concept experience: slow shopping. Sozzani talks to Monocle’s Sophie Grove about growing up with art, beauty and design and why getting fired from *Elle* was a good thing.

Carla Sozzani

Jared Diamond’s 1997 book ‘Guns, Germs And Steel’ is one of the most influential non-fiction books of our time. It won a Pulitzer prize and influenced presidents and prime ministers. His latest book, ‘Upheaval: How Nations Cope With Crisis and Change’, takes a similarly sweeping view of history. The bestselling historian talks to Andrew Mueller about how nations recover from crisis and why the UK might currently find itself in a bigger crisis than the US.

Jared Diamond

The Chilean writer-director has made critically acclaimed films such as ‘Disobedience’ and ‘A Fantastic Woman’ (the latter won best foreign language film at the Academy awards in 2018). His latest film is ‘Gloria Bell’, a remake of his 2013 breakthrough film ‘Gloria’. He tells us about the power of cinema, working with Julianne Moore and the importance of a good soundtrack.

Sebastián Lelio

The legendary sitcom ‘Keeping Up Appearances’ became one of the UK’s most successful international productions. While Hyacinth Bucket is certainly Routledge’s most famous role, it’s just one of the 90-year-old actor’s many achievements in a career that’s spanned nearly 70 years. In conversation with Ben Rylan, she talks about her love for the stage and being grateful to Hyacinth.

Dame Patricia Routledge

Architect Sir Terry Farrell’s postmodern pastiche of styles include the MI6 building and the Breakfast Television Centre in London. His six-decade career has veered from masterplanning city blocks to building train stations in China. He talks to Josh Fehnert about his life before architecture, the buildings he remembers most fondly and living in a former Spitfire factory.

Sir Terry Farrell

The acclaimed American writer’s short stories first appeared in ‘The Paris Review’, ‘The New Yorker’, ‘Granta’ and others. She went on to publish her first novella ‘McGlue’ in 2014 and won the PEN/Hemingway Award for her second novel, ‘Eileen’. Her writing is whip-smart and bleakly funny. In conversation with Monocle’s Chloë Ashby she talks about her third novel 'My Year of Rest and Relaxation', New York in the early 2000s, and why she writes.

Ottessa Moshfegh

The author is the niece of former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto and part of the Pakistani political dynasty. In her memoir ‘Songs of Blood and Sword’, she tells the story of a turbulent and tragic family history. Her latest book, ‘The Runaways’, is a story about radicalism, belonging and muslim identity. She talks to Georgina Godwin about growing up in exile, Islamophobia and K-pop.

Fatima Bhutto

Monocle 24’s new series features in-depth interviews with inspirational names in global politics, business, culture and design. Hosted by Tyler Brûlé, Andrew Tuck and Monocle’s senior editors.

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Monocle 24: The Big Interview

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