Erica Wagner

Deputy Comment Editor

Erica Wagner is Deputy Comment Editor of the Observer. She was literary editor of The Times for 17 years and has twice been a judge of the Booker Prize. Her books include Chief Engineer: Washington Roebling, The Man Who Built the Brooklyn Bridge and Ariel’s Gift: Ted Hughes, Sylvia Plath and the Story of Birthday Letters. Her new novel, Wash, is published by Salt. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and Public Fellow in the Humanities at the School of Advanced Studies, University of London.

Erica Wagner

Deputy Comment Editor

Erica Wagner is Deputy Comment Editor of the Observer. She was literary editor of The Times for 17 years and has twice been a judge of the Booker Prize. Her books include Chief Engineer: Washington Roebling, The Man Who Built the Brooklyn Bridge and Ariel’s Gift: Ted Hughes, Sylvia Plath and the Story of Birthday Letters. Her new novel, Wash, is published by Salt. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and Public Fellow in the Humanities at the School of Advanced Studies, University of London.

A 250th birthday party to unite America? That ship has sailed

At the 1976 bicentennial, an international procession of tall ships up the Hudson river celebrated a spirit of shared purpose. This year’s event is little more than one man’s self-glorification

Sat, 4 Jul 2026

SNC Extra: 250 years on, America at a crossroads

The US celebrates 250 years of independence from the British Crown on 4th July. Accusations have flown that Trump has used the anniversary to celebrate himself, not the country. So what does it tell us about Trump's place within America…and is it really that unusual? Ada Barumé is joined by the Observer's Americans, Erica Wagner and Evan Moffitt to discuss this moment in US history.

23 min • S1, E417

Our tech overlords just don’t get reality

As Mark Zuckerberg’s metaverse is wound up, an astonishing new auction proves that collective memory will never be virtual

Wed, 1 Jul 2026

On the road with my son in search of American democracy

A journey from Lyndon B Johnson’s Texas ranch to Washington DC prompts reflections on the narcissism of the present – and how far the US has fallen since the time of a president for all the people

Sat, 27 Jun 2026

Can you spot a deepfake?

The government may require social media companies to identify which news sources can be considered reliable or not. Most users already struggle to tell the difference

Wed, 24 Jun 2026

Barbecue fire in our bellies

Chef Kareem El-Ghayesh fuses Egyptian flavours with Texan traditions at a food festival in Twickenham

Sat, 20 Jun 2026

The Knicks’ victory party is more than a celebration of basketball – it’s a celebration of hope

The collective joy seen on New York’s streets is a reminder to the whole country of what truly makes America great

Wed, 17 Jun 2026

Ann Patchett’s book of transgressions

Her absorbing new novel Whistler is a quietly unfolding story of family secrets and fragile loyalties

Wed, 3 Jun 2026

Pope Leo versus AI

Why has Pope Leo written 42,000 words warning about the dangers of AI? Why is Britain at risk of ‘losing' a generation of young people? And what does the European heatwave have to do with the fairness of tennis? Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer's John Simpson, Jessy Parker Humphreys and Erica Wagner as they battle it out and pitch the top stories of the day. **We want to hear what you think! Email us at: newsmeeting@observer.co.uk Follow us on Social Media: @ObserverUK on X @theobserveruk on Instagram and TikTok @theobserveruk.bsky.social‬ on bluesky Host: Giles Whittell Producer: Amalie Sortland Executive Producer: Poppy Bullard To find out more about The Observer: Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content Head to our website observer.co.uk Download the Observer app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

32 min • S1, E343