Episode
Ross Benjamin on 'The Director' (Nominated for the International Booker Prize-2026)
- Podcast
- Harshaneeyam
- Published
- Apr 3, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 1408
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://harshaneeyam.com/episode/pabst
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Summary
"Welcome to Harshaneeyam! "Can a work of art ever truly be washed clean of the hands that funded it? Is it possible to create a masterpiece in the shadow of a monster? Today, we are exploring these haunting questions through the lens of The Director —the latest novel by the brilliant German author Daniel Kehlmann. Set against the harrowing backdrop of the late 1930s and 1940s, the story follows the legendary film director G.W. Pabst as he returns to Nazi-occupied Austria. Pabst finds himself ensnared by the propaganda machine of Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi Minister of Enlightenment and Propaganda, who wielded absolute control over the German press and arts to serve the regime’s twisted ideology. Pabst believes his creative genius can transcend such a system, but at what cost? Upon its original release in Germany under the title Lichtspiel , the novel became an immediate sensation, sparking intense literary debates about the moral compromises of artists during the Third Reich. This buzz has only grown as the book enters the global stage, with the English edition published in the year 2025. Now, having been shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2026 , the novel stands as one of the most anticipated and discussed works of contemporary fiction." Joining me today is the man who brought this intricate, tonal masterpiece into English: the award-winning translator Ross Benjamin. We discuss the 'moral acrobatics' of the artist and the 'tonal agility' required to translate one of the most important voices in contemporary German literature. This is a conversation about light, shadow, and the high cost of staying silent." We believe that every great book is an invitation to a new world. Harshaneeyam serves as your gateway to these contemporary global masterpieces, connectin…