On a damp January evening, Charleston’s refurbished Hay Barn was packed to capacity for an intimate conversation between Michael Palin and journalist Samira Ahmed — and it lived up to that promise.
Palin proved as charming and incisive as ever, his wit and warmth carried through even when the acoustics dipped. Samira Ahmed is a skilled interviewer: curious without being intrusive, deftly steering wide-ranging reflections that felt both personal and culturally resonant.
The hour-long conversation ranged delightfully across Palin’s long and varied career — from youthful reminiscences (including an odd school visit to a cigarette factory where every child was presented with a ceremonial ashtray and cigarettes to take home — ‘You wouldn’t get that these days,’ Michael noted wryly, to professional highlights.
There were anecdotes about the blockbuster Hollywood film A Fish Called Wanda — including a funny aside about the joys of kissing Jamie Lee Curtis on set — and reflections on projects that never quite made it to screen under their original titles – a week spent filming with actress Meg Ryan for the film You’ve Got Mail being retitled by a friend of Palin’s ‘You’ve got Cut’. The discussion wasn’t shy of the surreal or absurd, but also offered up the quirks of a long and varied career in literature, television and film.
Samira Ahmed offered opportunities for reflection on the four volumes of diaries Michael Palin has written over the decades, which generated many witty anecdotes from across the years including some of his travel work, which has become a defining part of his later career. Palin spoke engagingly about the complications and joys of visiting places like North Korea, where he described the delicate dance around what could and could not be said so as not to complicate life for his guides. He also mentioned his favourite journeys. Among them, Bhutan stood out: not without its political and cultural complexities, particularly in relation to Nepalese communities, but unforgettable, he said, for landscape, costume and human warmth. This sense of curiosity, empathy and attentiveness to people on the move remains a hallmark of his work.
A natural highlight was the discussion of his latest travel book, Michael Palin in Venezuela, a vivid account of his 2025 journey through a country of dazzling extremes — published alongside a three-part Channel 5 documentary series earlier in autumn 2025 and before very recent global events affecting this South American country. The new book was on sale at the event courtesy of Hove’s City Books, alongside reissues of several of his titles with fresh covers.
The Hay Barn, with its generous proportions and exposed roof timbers, has helped to establish The Charleston Trust as a superb venue for big-name cultural events. Its size allows for a full house without feeling sprawling, although the soaring ceilings and acoustics can be a challenge for sound (something to factor into future programming). On this occasion, there were moments when voices from the stage didn’t carry as crisply as the quality of the conversation deserved — particularly for those seated well back — but that was the event’s only real slip.
After the main conversation, Ahmed opened the floor to questions, and the audience engaged with a mixture of humour and seriousness, prompting Palin on subjects from comedy writing, and some Monty Python observations, as well as practical behind-the-scenes stories. The event concluded with a patient, good-humoured book signing that drew a long line of fans — testament to the affection in which Palin is held.
In all, this was an evening that spoke as much to Palin’s enduring appeal as a cultural figure as to Charleston’s ambition in programming thoughtful, live conversation. If the sound occasionally trailed at the edges, the content rarely did. He really is a National Treasure.
