Playwright James Graham: stagnant culture has left politics stuck
British playwright James Graham discusses the political consequences of cultural stagnation in an episode of The Guardian's Radical Thinking podcast. The episode comes with a reading list on why culture seems stuck.
In the latest episode of The Guardian's Radical Thinking podcast, British playwright James Graham argues that culture has become stagnant and that politics is therefore stuck as well. The notes accompanying the conversation, dated 24 October 2026, say few people lay out the political consequences of that stagnation as clearly as Graham does.
Who is Graham
The notes describe Graham as a hugely prolific writer. They single out three works: Dear England, about England's football team; Sherwood, set in the village where Graham grew up, in the shadow of the miners' strike; and Quiz, set on the British television show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, in which a contestant wins a million pounds. A full video of the episode is available, and INK will be released in UK cinemas on 8 January 2027.
Why is culture stuck?
Many people say culture is stuck, but they disagree about the reason. The episode's host suggests several readings. Filterworld: How Algorithms Flattened Culture by Kyle Chayka blames algorithms. Blank Space: A Cultural History of the Twenty-First Century by W. David Marx offers a wider-ranging explanation. Both are fairly recent. Earlier work on the same theme comes from Mark Fisher, who wrote about what he called the slow cancellation of the future, and an essay by Adam Mastroianni is also recommended.
The list is aimed at listeners who want to explore both Graham's work and the themes raised in the conversation.
