The Sunday Debate: Ian Fleming vs John le Carre

Published: Oct. 16, 2022, 3 a.m.

Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details.\nThey are the titans of the spy novel, who have elevated thrillers to the level of literary fiction. Much imitated, much adapted by the big and small screens, Ian Fleming and John Le Carr\xe9 have painted our picture of post-war espionage: Fleming through the dashing figure of James Bond, with his lush locations and Martinis as icy as his heart; Le Carr\xe9 through his damning portrait of the British secret service drawn from his own time in MI5 and MI6. But which of the two novelists is the greater? In this thrilling contest, Fleming\u2019s case will made by Anthony Horowitz, creator of the bestselling Alex Rider spy novels and author of the official Bond continuation novel Trigger Mortis. Championing Le Carr\xe9 \u2013 whose memoir about his life as a former spy currently sits in the bestseller lists \u2013 will be David Farr, Emmy-nominated screenwriter of the BBC\u2019s adaptation of The Night Manager. Actors Lesley Manville, Simon Callow, Matthew Lewis and Alex Macqueen join us to bring both authors' works to life along with our host, author and critic Erica Wagner.\xa0\n\u2026\nWe are incredibly grateful for your support. To become an Intelligence Squared Premium subscriber, follow the link: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/\xa0\nHere\u2019s a reminder of the benefits you\u2019ll receive as a subscriber:\n\n\nAd-free listening, because we know some of you would prefer to listen without interruption\xa0\n\n\nOne early episode per week\n\n\nTwo bonus episodes per month\n\nA 25% discount on IQ2+, our exciting streaming service, where you can watch and take part in events live at home and enjoy watching past events on demand and without ads\xa0\n\nA 15% discount and priority access to live, in-person events in London, so you won\u2019t miss out on tickets\n\nOur premium monthly newsletter\xa0\n\n\nIntelligence Squared Merch\n\n\n\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices