The Common Reader

Henry Oliver

Booking Overview

A literary discussion show that brings authors, scholars, and culture experts into conversation about classic and canonical texts. It’s a strong fit for PR pitches around publishing, literary scholarship, and book-related public intellectual work.

Metrics

Episodes: 43

Frequency: Irregular

Rating: 4.8/5.0

Estimated listeners: <1k

Gender skew: Neutral

Location: USA

Contact Information

Publicly listed emails

commonreader@substack.com

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Host

Henry Oliver - Co-host/interviewer on The Common Reader. In the provided episodes, he introduces guests, frames the literary/philosophical context, and asks detailed questions about how readers understand major w...

Booking Intelligence

Booking Requirements

medium

Typical Credentials:

Scholars or public-facing literary/cultural writers with expertise in canonical literature (e.g., classic novels, major authors, literary history), often with published books and an established public platform (e.g., Substack/newsletters, academia, or well-known thought leadership on literature).

Required Achievements:

Published book(s) on a major literary figure or text, Academic or institutional affiliation (e.g., college tutor/lecturer), Public platform (e.g., Substack or notable public presence)

Recent Guest Discussions

Zena Hitz - Gulliver's Travels; Swift; Slavery/genocide; Rationality; Christianity; Science; Moral And Political Commitments; Philosophy And Education.

Laura Thompson - Agatha Christie; Favorite Writers; Dickens; Shakespeare; Bible In Christie’s Work; Christie’s Methods And Productivity; Adaptations And Themes.

Recent Topics

Literature, Philosophy, Literary Criticism, Classics, Books

Episodes

Here's the recent few episodes on

The Common Reader

Philip Hensher: How Can You Kill a Book Like That?

September 02, 2026

Philip Hensher and I discussed the history of the novel in Britain from Defoe to Hollinghurst. Philip is remarkably well-read and happy to share his real opinions. He can go from Swift to Fitzgerald on the turn of a pin, isn’t shy about holding his ground, and has some very firm views. People who read novels are protected against becoming violent. Ideas are not important in most novels. Walter Scott isn’t very good. Arnold Bennett is a top 20 novelist. Rachel Cusk has the best chance of being...

Zena Hitz: Gulliver's Travels and the Failures of Human Understanding

June 03, 2026

What a lot of fun I had talking to Zena Hitz about Gulliver’s Travels. As well as discussing Swift, slavery, genocide, rationality, Christianity, and science, Zena told me that good philosophy is like a box of cake mix and that a liberal education requires you to be freed of false expertise. I also took Zena on a detour to discuss Iris Murdoch, the Catherine Project, and modern philosophy. TRANSCRIPTHENRY OLIVER: Today I am talking to Zena Hitz. Zena is a tutor at St. John’s College. She is a...

Oliver Traldi: Jane Austen and the Defence of Virtue

May 06, 2026

My colleague Oliver Traldi recently published an essay called ‘Jane Austen’s Virtuous Liberalism’. It’s a very nice discussion of the ways in which Austen understand the challenges of character formation.Virtue, as Austen sees it, faces two tough challenges. First, people whose characters are not yet formed must see how to be virtuous rather than vicious. Then, the virtuous must somehow find a way to succeed in their struggles against the vicious without adopting vicious means.In this episode...

Publicly listed emails

commonreader@substack.com

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