WE PRESENT A SHORT VIDEO interview with Dr Matthew Green, author of the Idler pamphlet, The Lost World of the London Coffeehouse. Dr Green could probably claim to be a world expert on the history of coffeehouses in London, and there is nothing we like doing more than listen to him talk on this subject, particularly since the Idler Academy was conceived very much in the convivial spirit of the 18th century coffeehouse. Much of the material in the pamphlet is original research Dr Green conducted while writing his PhD. Instead of hiding in an ivory tower, this historian has chosen to come out on to the streets to share his knowledge and insights, and runs Unreal City Audio, a company offering immersive tours around London’s old coffee and chocolate houses with free shots of c17th-style coffee and hot chocolate. Matthew is currently working on a new book,  The Time Traveller’s London Handbook, to be published this June by Penguin. You may visit his website here or order a signed copy of his pamphlet direct from us by clicking on the link over on the right. Our film was made at the Port Eliot Festival, summer 2014.