and Conversations with Friends author Sally Rooney is a publishing sensation and became a huge star whilst still in her twenties. Her new book Intermezzo, published today, follows two grieving brothers in complicated relationships. Will it cement Rooney’s reputation as the voice of millennials - or is she overhyped?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Laura Hackett, Deputy Literary Editor, The Times and The Sunday Times.

Host: Luke Jones.

Clips: Normal People/BBC Three/Hulu, Manchester EUDC 2013, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art Denmark, Fox News.

Episode artwork: Getty Images.

Further listening: What 50 years of best-selling books says about us

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1d:T456,The US government has been shut down for more than a week, and Democrats and Republicans are locked in a political blame game. Shutdowns are nothing new in US politics, but this time President Trump has made an unusual threat: to permanently cut hundreds of thousands of jobs and shutter entire government agencies. Is this just a new bargaining tactic to put pressure on Democrats or part of a bigger project to remake the American government? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thet

How Sally Rooney became the voice of a g...