Will Self

Will Self

From Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth by Gyles Brandreth / Plain Jaine Media

May 29, 2026 · 1h 7m

About this episode

Will Self discusses his life, career, and personal experiences with Gyles Brandreth.

The writer, satirist and urban explorer Will Self talks to Gyles about his childhood, his career and his life now. From his boyhood as "little Willy", the apple of his mother's eye, who was both enfolded and smothered by her love; to his adolescence when he began smoking, drinking and experimenting with drugs earlier than most; to his student days when his good looks meant he found it easy to get women into bed... this is an absorbing, entertaining and sometimes surprising episode, full of laughs, and full of astute observations (as you might expect from one of our foremost satirists). Will also talks about taking heroin on John Major's plane, being on Shooting Stars and his illness and recent stem cell transplant. Our thanks to Will for his dazzling conversation, and for being such charming company. And thank you, too, to his wife Nellie for coming along! Will's new book The Quantity Theory of Morality is out now and is HIGHLY recommended. You can buy a copy here . Enjoy this... we're sure you will. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Host: Gyles Brandreth

Guest: Will Self

Topics covered

  • childhood
  • satire
  • urban exploration
  • addiction
  • literature
  • personal stories

Keywords

  • Will Self
  • Gyles Brandreth
  • satire
  • addiction
  • literature
  • The Quantity Theory of Morality
  • urban exploration

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Acast

Books & works: The Quantity Theory of Morality

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