Front Row

Tahmima Anam and Tristram Fane Saunders join Tom Sutcliffe to review The Eleventh Hour, a collection of five short stories from Salman Rushdie in his first return to fiction since he was attacked in 2022. Director of Poor Things and The Favourite Yorgos Lanthimos brings more strangeness to cinema screens with Bugonia, a thriller with Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons. And Alan Hollinghurst's Booker Prize-winning novel The Line of Beauty is adapted for the stage by Jack Holden. Plus they discuss censorship in Eastern Europe as the board of the Belgrade International Festival of Theatre blocks director Milo Rau from bringing his work about the Gisele Pelicot trial to the festival. Producer: Tim Bano

Live from Derry. As the climax of the current series approaches, actors Dearbháile McKinney and Martin McCann, two of the cast of hit police series Blue Lights, talk about their roles. Writer John Morton talks to us about his play Denouement, a darkly comic tale set in the run-up to apocalyptic events in 2048 and which is receiving its world premiere at the Belfast International Arts Festival. And as Europe's largest Halloween Festival opens in Derry, writer Jan Carson and Kate Byrne, who teaches literature at Ulster University, discuss why writing about the supernatural is proving so popular with readers today and give their recommendations for the best horror writing past and present. Presenter: Kirsty Wark Producer: Caitlin Sneddon

In tribute to Prunella Scales, whose death was announced today, Front Row rebroadcasts an interview with the Fawlty Towers star from 2012, recorded on the eve of her 80th birthday. Samira talks to two documentary makers who gained extraordinary access to world leaders for their films. Tommy Gulliksen followed Nato Chief Jens Stoltenberg for his film Facing War, and Petra Costa followed several Brazilian Presidents for her films Apocalypse in the Tropics and The Edge of Democracy. Annemarie Jacir talks about her historical epic feature film, Palestine 36. And we hear from the two joint winners of this year's Forward Prize for Poetry, Best Collection: Vidyan Ravinthiran and Karen Solie Presenter: Samira Ahmed Producer: Julian May

Actor Reese Witherspoon on why she's teamed up with thriller writer Harlan Coben to write a novel called Gone Before Goodbye, about a struck-off army surgeon who uncovers a global conspiracy. Colin Farrell discusses his new film Ballad of a Small Player, about a gambler on the verge of losing everything, which is directed by Oscar winner Edward Berger. What is the best amount of time to look at a work of art? Professor Jennifer Roberts from Harvard University has the answer. Today University Academic Richard Taylor was awarded "substantial damages" after a court ruled the portrayal of him in a Steve Coogan film about the discovery of a Richard III's remains did have a defamatory meaning. We talk to Richard about his win. Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe Producer: Harry Graham

Tom Sutcliffe and guests review the Bruce Springsteen film, Deliver Me From Nowhere, which tells the story of his recording of the album Nebraska Also there's a new book from the late Harper Lee: The Land of Sweet Forever, comprising newly discovered short stories and previously-published essays and magazine pieces. Is it a posthumous intellectual property trawl or does it offer an insight that can increase our appreciation of her undisputed masterpiece, To Kill a Mockingbird. And Nick Payne's new play, The Unbelievers has opened at London's Royal Court Theatre. It stars Nicola Walker in the lead role as a mother trying to cope with the disappearance of her 12 year old son. Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe Reviewers: Christina Newland and Sarfraz Manzoor

Bestselling thriller writer John Grisham on his latest book, The Widow, in which a smalltown lawyer from Virginia finds himself accused of a serious crime after he develops a professional relationship with a wealthy woman who may not be all that she seems. We hear from writer-director Kelly Reichardt and from actor Josh O'Connor who plays an art thief in her latest film The Mastermind. Dutch art historian and detective Arthur Brand gives an update on the real-life robbery of France's crown jewels from The Louvre in Paris at the weekend, and tells us about the broader spate of museum thefts across Europe right now. And as arts organisations come together in Glasgow for a State of the Nation culture summit, we ask why now, and what might it achieve? Presenter: Kirsty Wark Producer: Mark Crossan

Comedy giant Steve Martin on making new bluegrass music with pioneering banjo player Alison Brown with their new album, Safe, Sensible, and Sane. Filmmaker Nia DaCosta on her cinematic retelling of Ibsen's classic play, Hedda Gabbler. Sharon Heal, Director of the Museums Association on British industrial heritage emerging from the cultural shadows. Senior curator at the Horniman Museum, Heba Abd el Gawad, and Egyptologist Dr Campbell Price on the enduring influence of Egyptology on culture. Presenter: Nick Ahad Producer: Ekene Akalawu

Cathy Tyson stars in the Leicester Curve Theatre production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee. She talks about the demanding, drunken role of Martha. Jewellery expert Joanna Hardy discusses the robbery of France's Crown Jewels from the Louvre Museum in Paris. As AI becomes an increasingly powerful tool, we speak to two artists who are experimenting with technology in music production, Todd Rundgren and Holly Herndon. And Samira talks to the Booker shortisted author David Szalay about his novel, Flesh. Presenter: Samira Ahmed Producer: Harry Graham

Guillermo Del Toro talks about his new Frankenstein film and our critics deliver their verdict. Julia Roberts plays a college professor whose career becomes entangled in campus sexual politics, in Luca Guadanino's After The Hunt. Hollie McNish's poetry collection "Virgin" unpicks the meaning of the word and the man-made concept beneath it. Presenter Samira Ahmed Reviewers: Larushka Ivan-Zadeh and Lyndsay Johns

Singer songwriter Richard Ashcroft - former frontman of The Verve - talks about the material on his new album Lovin You., and about touring with Oasis this summer. A play without a script which questions the impact of AI on our lives and celebrates the ingenuity of human actors: Writer Nathan Ellis and actor Roisin Gallagher join us live to talk about Instructions, which is being performed next week at the Belfast International Arts Festival. As an exhibition of work by the daredevil pilot and photographer Alfred Buckham goes on show at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh, we hear about his incredible career from curator Louise Pearson and the presenter of Take Four Books and Scotland from the Sky, James Crawford. And Scotland's National Librarian Amina Shah joins us to reflect on a report into a controversy around the Library's centenary exhibition, which has been concluded this week. Presenter: Kate Molleson Producer: Mark Crossan

Sam Ryder talks to Samira about his career, gaining Eurovision success with Space Man and he performs the song Armour live, a track from his forthcoming album Heartland. With chart topping songs and a global smash hit animated film, directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans talk about creating the phenomenon that is KPop Demon Hunters. The Pulitzer prize winning African American writer Hilton Als and biographer Miranda Seymour discuss author Jean Rhys. Presenter: Samira Ahmed Producer: Claire Bartleet

Pianist Lang Lang's 2019 album Piano Book was one of the best selling classical albums that year, with over a billion streams and counting. He’s now followed it up with Piano Book 2, an eclectic selection of 32 short works from both classical and contemporary composers. He came into the studio to talk to us about the album and to play for us. Diane Keaton passed away on Saturday, at the age of 79. She spoke to Front Row in 2017, where she discussed her philosophy around style and fashion. The Booker Prize 2025 is just a month or so away, and we’re talking to all the nominees. Today it's the turn of author Ben Markovitz, and his novel The Rest of Our Lives. Rare books are going missing across Europe in what's been described as Europe’s largest book heist since War World Two. Nina Nazarova from BBC Russian has been investigating the story. The third film in the Tron series, Tron Ares, is out now. Guardian writer Steve Rose is on to discuss the prescience of the original, which depicted a new world of cyberspace and big tech.

Alexander Larman and Susannah Clapp join Tom to discuss I Swear, a film which tells the life story of John Davidson MBE who was diagnosed with Tourette's age 15. They also talk about Thomas Pynchon's new novel Shadow Ticket. Booker shortlisted novelist Tibor Fischer assesses the Hungarian writer László Krasznahorkai who has won the Nobel Prize in Literature. As the complete works of Seamus Heaney is published, Owen McDonnell reads the previously unpublished poem Swallow. Plus, Tom and guests discuss Susan Sarandon’s UK debut on stage in Tracy Letts’ play, Mary Page Marlowe. Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe Producer: Claire Bartleet

Actor Tamsin Greig discusses her role in Sally Wainwright's latest drama series, Riot Women, in which a group of middle-aged women in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, form a band of anarchist rock musicians. Booker Prize-shortlisted author Susan Choi tells us about her sprawling historical epic, Flashlight, set against the backdrop of the shared history of America, Japan and Korea. Conservation specialist Will Palin on the historic refurbishment of a series of magnificent murals by the great artist William Hogarth, which have just gone on display to the public for the first time at Bart's Hospital in London. And one hundred years since its invention, we discuss the history and cultural significance of the analogue photobooth. How did this new technology make photography more democratic and influence major artists? Presenter: Kirsty Wark Producer: Mark Crossan

Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music

Film director Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win the Best Director Oscar for The Hurt Locker. She discusses her new film A House of Dynamite, which also looks at war, with Samira Booker-winner Kiran Desai has been nominated for her new novel - 2 decades in the writing; The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny. Islam Issa and Ben Luke join Samira to discuss 'what are the humanities for and where are they headed'? And we pay tribute to Dame Jilly Cooper who has died at the age of 88. We speak to writer and journalist Daisy Buchanan about the “Queen of the Bonkbuster” Presenter Samira Ahmed

The Smashing Machine director Benny Safdie talks to Tom Sutcliffe about making his biographical drama about the life of mixed martial arts fighter Mark Kerr. Tom is also joined by critics Boyd Hilton and Natalie Jamieson to review Safdie’s film – which stars wrestler turned actor Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and Emily Blunt. They also discuss a major retrospective of photographer Lee Miller at Tate Britain. Plus they talk about Ben Elton’s autobiography What Have I Done? Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe Producer: Claire Bartleet

Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music

Tom Sutcliffe hosts the ceremony for the 2025 BBC National Short Story Award and Young Writers Award live from BBC Broadcasting House. Judges William Boyd, Lucy Caldwell, Ross Raisin and Joseph Coehlo discuss what makes a great short story. This is the 20th anniversary of the BBC National Short Story Award and you can hear all the shortlisted stories on BBC Sounds. Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe Producer: Harry Graham

Actor Matthew McConaughey talks with Samira about The Lost Bus; a nerve shredding film based on a true story about a school bus driver who rescued 22 children and their teacher from raging wildfires in California Rising British actor Harris Dickinson talks about his debut film as a director; Urchin. It explores homelessness on London’s streets, being in the running to play James Bond and his up-coming role as John Lennon in Sam Mendes' new Beatles biopic out next year. Author of The Rachel Incident and host of Sentimental Garbage podcast Caroline O'Donoghue discusses her new YA novel Skipshock, and why women are turning to time travel fiction. Joining her is the author of The Principle of Moments and numerous Doctor Who novelizations, Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson. Poet Laureate Simon Armitage pays tribute to Leeds-born, poet, playwright and translator Tony Harrison Presenter: Samira Ahmed