David talks to novelist Ian McEwan about his new Brexit parable, The Cockroach, and a lot else besides: counterfactual history, Labour party conferences, eighteenth-century satire, humanising judges and turning the economy on its head. But yes, it's all about the Brexit nightmare.

Further Learning: 

• You can buy The Cockroach here
• An extract from The Cockroach

Mentioned in this Episode:

• Selected quotes from Johnson’s UN speech
• The Children Act
• A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift
• Machines like Me

Upcoming Events:

• On 5 Oct. David, Helen, and Chris Brooke will be LIVE in London. Tickets here!
• And on 16 Oct. David and Helen will be LIVE at Cambridge Junction with Ayesha Hazarika. Get your tickets here.

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking