All episodes of Books and Authors

Episodes

Sunjeev Sahota talks to Alex Clark about his new novel, The Spoiled Heart

Published 04/28/24

Sinéad Gleeson is a writer, broadcaster and editor of three anthologies of Irish writing. Her collection of essays, Constellations: Reflections from Life won Non Fiction Book of the Year at the 2019 Irish Book Awards, and now publishes her debut novel, Hagstone. Hagstone is set on a remote island of the coast of Ireland, it tells the story of Nell an artist whose work takes inspiration from the landscape and folklore. When she receives an invitation to create a piece of art from the Inions, a...

Published 04/21/24

Open Book - Percival Everett

US author Percival Everett talks about his new novel, James - a retelling of Huckleberry Finn, told from the point of view of runaway slave, Jim. Plus, writing openly about the challenges of motherhood, and doing so with humour. Shahidha talks to two authors who have done just that, in the short story form: Naomi Wood, winner of the BBC Short Story Award, and author of a new collection, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, and to Helen Simpson who has written stories about motherhood in...

Published 04/14/24

Open Book - Andrew O'Hagan and Helen Garner

Alex Clark talks to Andrew O’Hagan about his new book Caledonian Road. Told over the course of a year, Caledonian Road follows art historian and public intellectual Campbell Flynn as a friendship with a young student calls into question the complacency of his much-cherished liberal credentials. With an epic Dickensian cast from drill artists to the wealthy Russian oligarchs in bed with British politicians, the book spools out to encompass a wide canvas of contemporary British life. Alex also...

Published 04/03/24

Carol Morley and Will Hislop

Film director Carol Morley and comedian Will Hislop discuss their favourite books.

Published 03/26/24

Open Book: Carys Davies, Annie Ernaux

Carys Davies on her new novel, Clear. Plus Annie Ernaux and photography

Published 03/24/24

Jonathan Buckley, Lit Crit and David Baddiel

Published 03/21/24

A Good Read: Christopher Eccleston and Lindsey Hilsum

JUST KIDS by Patti Smith, chosen by Lindsey Hilsum MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING by Viktor E. Frankl (trans. Ilse Lasch), chosen by Christopher Eccleston TOWARDS THE END OF THE MORNING by Michael Frayn, chosen by Harriett Gilbert The television journalist and actor share favourite books with Harriett Gilbert. Lindsey Hilsum, International Editor of Channel 4 News, loves Patti Smith's memoir Just Kids, her account of coming to New York as a young woman and of her relationship with the photographer...

Published 03/19/24

Katy Hessel and Amy Blakemore

Art historian Katy Hessel and author Amy Blakemore discuss their favourite books.

Published 03/12/24

Daphne du Maurier

Open Book explores Daphne du Maurier and the enduring qualities and appeal of her writing

Published 03/10/24

A Good Read: Andrew McMillan and Kathryn Williams

ON WRITING by Stephen King, chosen by Kathryn Williams THE BITCH by Pilar Quintana (translated by Lisa Dillman), chosen by Harriett Gilbert ON THE BEACH by Nevil Shute, chosen by Andrew McMillan The singer-songwriter Kathryn Williams loves books about the craft of writing and her choice of a good read is 'On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft', by the master of horror, Stephen King. The book gave her practical tools and advice which helped her to write her debut novel, The Ormering Tide. She also...

Published 03/05/24

A Good Read Paterson Joseph and Richard Coles

More books worth reading chosen by well known guests

Published 02/28/24

Kate Davies

Kate Davies talks to Chris Power about her new novel, Nuclear Family.

Published 02/25/24

A Good Read: Anjana Vasan and Anne-Marie Imafidon

An actor and singer and a computer scientist and author pick their favourite books.

Published 02/20/24

Sheila Heti

Sheila Heti on her new experimental book, Alphabetical Diaries.