Leigh Chambers' featured guest is Katherine MacInnes talking about her book Snow Widows, Scott’s Fatal Antarctic Expedition by the Women Left Behind. Sean Ashton explains how his daily commute inspired his novel The Way To Work. And Alice Thompson chats about Chimera, her new novel set on a distant moon.  

Leigh Chambers' featured guest is Laura Freeman, Chief Art Critic for The Times, talking about her book Ways of Life; Jim Ede and the Kettle’s Yard Artists, which looks at the history and ethos behind one of Cambridge’s most famous art galleries. Rachel Meller explains how exploring her family history influenced her book The Box with the Sunflower Clasp; Uncovering a Jewish Family’s Flight to Wartime Shanghai. And Antonia Byatt reflects on the First Story Young Writers Festival that took...

Leigh Chambers' featured guest is Dame Professor Athene Donald talking about her book Not Just For The Boys; Why We Need More Women in Science, which examines the challenges girls and women face in joining the STEM industries. Livi Michael chats about her latest novel, Reservoir. And Kerry Hadley-Pryce explains how the Midlands inspires her writing.

Leigh Chambers’ featured guest is Wenyan Lu talking about her debut novel The Funeral Cryer, set in rural China, which explores the roles and rituals surrounding funerals. Sally Harris chats about Seahurst, her latest gothic ghost story. And Melanie Levensohn explains how an amazing real-life coincidence inspired her to write A Jewish Girl in Paris.

Leigh Chambers’ guest is Ellee Seymour talking about her novel The Station Master’s Daughters At War, the second in her historical saga trilogy. Joanne Burn explains how the plague village of Eyam in Derbyshire was the inspiration for her novel The Hemlock Cure. And Katie Fforde, chats about her latest bestseller A Wedding In Provence.

Celebrities and icons are the theme of this show. Leigh Chambers' featured guest is Peter James Bowman talking about his book The First Celebrities; Five Regency Portraits which examines how the cult of celebrity started earlier than we might think. Dr Mathelinda Nabugodi discusses how we might view the Romantic poets in relation to the slave trade. And Sean Campbell chats about the connection between musicians and the Northern Irish conflict.

Leigh Chambers' featured guest, historian, picks the music and talks about her epic book, Devil-land, England Under Siege which examines the turbulent history of England in the 17th century. Jeremy Worman chats about his autobiographical novel, The Way To Hornsey Rise. And Alison Booth explains how the environmental movement of the 1970s inspired her novel, Bellevue.

Leigh Chambers' featured guest is Sophie Harrison talking about her book, The Cure for Good Intentions, the real-life recollections of changing careers to train as a GP. Jessie Keane discusses how her Romany background influenced the writing of her latest crime thriller, Never Go Back. And PN Johnson chats about his second crime novel, Run To The Blue, set in Greece.

A science fiction and fantasy special. Leigh Chambers' featured guest is Andrew Stickland talking about The Arcadian Incident, the first book in his Mars Alone trilogy. Nicole Arend discusses Vamps: Fresh Blood, her take on teenage vampires. And L N Hunter chats about bringing dragons to life for his debut novel The Feather and The Lamp.

Georgina Scull talks to Leigh Chambers about her non-fiction book, Regrets of the Dying, which examines what those near the end of their lives wish they’d done differently. Mariah Whelan chats about being a poet-in-residence at Homerton College. And Keith Miles and Jeff Towns explore the similarities between Bob Dylan and Dylan Thomas in their book The Two Dylans.

Leigh Chambers’ featured guest is Alison Stockham talking about her debut novel, The Cuckoo Sister, a psychological thriller about sibling rivalry. Midge Gillies discusses her biography of Piccadilly Circus. And Sylvana Tomaselli chats about her new study of the feminist campaigner, Mary Wollstonecraft.

Leigh Chambers’ featured guest is Adele Geras, writing as Hope Adams, talking about her book Dangerous Women based on the true story of female convicts transported to Australia in the nineteenth century. Ann Rachlin talks about her friendship with Zdenka Fantlova and the role she played in Zdenka’s memoir; The Tin Ring; Love and Survival During the Holocaust. And Julietta Harvey explains how the real-life story of a woman held captive by her own family in Italy inspired her novel, Fear of Light.

In a special Christmas episode on classical literature and history, Leigh Chambers’ featured guest, Harry Sidebottom, chats about his book The Mad Emperor; Heliogabulus and the Decadence of Rome. Jan Parker explains what The Iliad and The Odyssey can teach us about life today. And Caroline Vout chats about how the ancient Greeks and Romans viewed themselves in her book Exposed: The Greek and Roman Body.  

Genre-defying novels are the theme of this week’s show. Leigh Chambers’ featured guest, Iain Hood, talks about his latest novel Every Trick In The Book, based on the real-life case of undercover male police officers caught in relationships with the women they were supposed to be keeping under surveillance. Guy Ware discusses The Peckham Experiment based on the true story of a 1940s Utopian health centre in south London. And Sophie White chats about Where I End, a disturbing story of life on a...

A special show on publishing. Leigh Chambers’ featured guest is John B Thompson talking about Book Wars: The Digital Revolution in Publishing, his exploration of the effect of the rise of technology on the publishing industry. Best-selling author, AJ Campbell, explains why she decided to self-publish. And Cathy Moore, Director of the Cambridge Literary Festival chats about the upcoming Festival and why face-to-face events with authors remain extremely popular.

This show focuses on self-awareness. Leigh Chambers’ featured guest, Hannah Jane Walker, talks about her book Sensitive, which explores how highly sensitive people can benefit society. Theoretical psychologist, Nicholas Humphreys, discusses his new theories as examined in his book Sentience; The Invention of Consciousness. And psychoanalyst Virginia Routh Lynch explains why she turned the focus on herself with her memoir The Cloak.

Featured guest, Jim Kelly, talks to Leigh Chambers about his new novel, The Silent Child, set between a Nazi concentration camp in 1944 and the dividing of Berlin in 1961. Dorothy Koomson chats about her latest emotional thriller, My Other Husband. And John Phelps discusses his crime novel The Vulcan who got into Print.

Leigh Chambers' featured guest is Lucy Ward talking about her book The Empress and the English Doctor, How Catherine the Great defied a Deadly Virus, an examination of how the Russian leader used a pioneering new medical method to defeat smallpox in the 18th century. Neurobiologist, William Harris, discusses his study Zero to Birth; How the Human Brain is Built. And poet Sam Millar chats about his first poetry collection, Retail Park, and why it’s dedicated to the late Caron Freeborn.

First in the new series. Leigh Chambers’ featured guest is Jill Dawson talking about her new novel, The Bewitching, based on the true story of a sixteenth century Fenland witchcraft trial. Picture book author and illustrator, Rebecca Patterson, discusses the challenges of working with publishers and editors. And Penny Hancock chats about her latest novel, The Choice.

Leigh Chambers’ featured guest is Menna Van Praag talking about her latest fantasy novel, Night of Demons and Saints. Kate Rhodes and Barry Forshaw chat about crime fiction. And Graham Bartlett discusses his debut crime novel, Bad for Good.

Leigh Chambers’ featured guest is Susan Sellers talking about her novel Firebird which looks at the unusual true love story of Cambridge born economist Maynard Keynes and Russian ballerina Lydia Lopokova. Ladey Adey chats about why she set up the online book group, The Book Academy. And Liz Webb discusses her debut novel, The Daughter.

Leigh Chambers' Featured guest is Egyptologist, Professor Toby Wilkinson, talking about his new book Tutankhamun’s Trumpet, The Story of Ancient Egypt in 100 Objects. Christina Buckton chats about what it feels like to become a published poet in her 80s. And Michelle Paver discusses Wolf Bane, the last novel in her extraordinarily successful Wolf Brother series for young adults.

Leigh Chambers' featured guest is Guinevere Glasfurd talking about her latest novel, Privilege, set in 18th century France. Poet Sarah Mnatzaganian discusses her prizewinning debut poetry collection, Lemonade In The Armenian Quarter. And Lizzy Barber chats about her new crime thriller Out Of Her Depth.

Gytha Lodge chooses the music and chats about her new psychological thriller, Little Sister. Historian Vic Gatrell discusses his book Conspiracy on Cato Street, which brings to life a nineteenth century plot to topple government and monarchy. And Phil Johnson chats about his debut crime novel, Killer In The Crowd.