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A "cubist" story - with a plot and timeline broken up and repetitive descriptions of objects, like a painting by Picasso, is one way in which the French nouveau romain of the 1960s has been described. Alain Robbe Grillet (1922 – 2008) was one of the main figures associated with this literary movement. He was also a member of the High Committee for the Defense and Expansion of French and published novels called Les Gommes (Erasers), Le Voyeur (the Voyeur), and collaborated on films with Alan Resnais which included the1961 film Last Year at Marienbad. This film was nominated for the 1963 Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay and won the Golden Lion. Matthew Sweet and his guests, the author Tom McCarthy, the film historian Phuong Le and the French cultural historian Agnès Poirier discuss the screen-writing, novels and philosophy of Alain Robbe-Grillet.

Tom McCarthy is the author of novels including C, Satin Island, Remainder and Men in Space and a series of art installations and manifestos put together with the philosopher Simon Critchley as the International Necronautical Society (INS).

Producer: Luke Mulhall

You can find a playlist exploring different approaches to Philosophy on the Free Thinking programme website.
Other episodes looking at aspects of French culture include:
Jacques Tati's films /programmes/m000v2zq
Sudhir Hazareesingh on French thought and Patrick Baert on existentialism /programmes/b060zryk
Leila Slimani and Emile Chabal on French writing and politics /programmes/b09m1byr
Alain Mabanckou on experiences of the African diaspora in France /programmes/b05vh8sw
Ludivine Broch and Daniel Lee on World War II, gratitude and propaganda /programmes/m000hwz9
Alain Finkielkraut and Karim Miske on Patriotism /programmes/b08583zx