Books and Authors

Claire Fuller discusses her new novel, Bitter Orange and Neil Gaiman on Hope Mirrlees

Daisy Johnson, The literary appeal of the Fens, Book festival etiquette

Mariella Frostrup and guests consider what makes them such popular fictional locations.

Actor Anne-Marie Duff and author Louise O'Neill join Harriett Gilbert for a discussion about favourite books. Anne-Marie Duff has starred in films including On Chesil Beach, Sufragette and Elizabeth I, and on TV in Shameless and From Darkness. Louise O'Neill's prize-winning novels include Only Ever Yours and Asking for It, and her latest book is a feminist take on The Little Mermaid called The Surface Breaks. Anne-Marie chooses Nights At The Circus, the classic feminist novel by Angela...

Daisy Johnson and Stella Tillyard on the inspiration of the Fens and literary festivals.

Harriett Gilbert and guests talk favourite books, including Arnold Bennett's The Card, Dylan Thomas' Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog and Daniyal Mueenuddin's In Other Rooms, Other Wonders. Her guests are journalist, broadcaster and documentary-maker Samira Ahmed, presenter of BBC1's Newswatch and Radio 4's Front Row. And comedian Elis James, known for starring in the BBC3 sitcoms Crims and Josh and a familiar face on panel-shows such as Mock the Week and 8 out of 10 Cats. Producer:...

Michael Donker on his debut novel and Jackie Kay on how poet Audrey Lorde inspired her.

Plus the Wellcome Collection's Kirty Topiwala on how fiction has approached the NHS

Loyd Grossman and Skin from rock band Skunk Anansie talk to Harriett Gilbert about their favourite books. Chosen books include Cakes and Ale by Somerset Maugham and The Underground Railroad by Colston Whitehead. Producer: Sally Heaven.

Juno Dawson and Pandora Sykes discuss favourite books with Harriett Gilbert.

Hanan Al-Shaykh and Nada Awar Jarrar what it is to write about their country, Beirut.

Harriett Gilbert and guests talk favourite books, including Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty, Never Mind by Edward St Aubyn (the first in his Patrick Melrose series) & The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. Her guests are the journalist and broadcaster Tony Parsons, who started his career at the NME and went on to write Man and Boy and later the bestselling DC Max Wolfe thriller series. And Olly Mann, presenter of award-winning podcasts and radio programmes including Answer Me This!, The...

Michael Ondaatje, Nell Dunn on her book, Talking to Women and a postcard from Croatia.

Two former doctors join Harriett Gilbert to talk about their favourite books. Adam Kay is a writer and comedian whose first book, This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor, was published to great acclaim in 2017. Farrah Jarral is a writer and broadcaster who was, until recently, a London GP. The good reads up for discussion are Exit West by Mohsin Hamid, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris and I Curse the River of Time by Per Petterson. Producer: Mair...

Cressida Connolly, posthumous short stories and a literary postcard from Iraq.

Comic actor and writer Robert Webb and award-winning journalist Hugo Rifkind talk about favourite books with presenter Harriett Gilbert. Robert's choice is East Anglican based fictional tale Waterland by Graham Swift. Hugo picks the Douglas Adams classic Life, The Universe and Everything, and Harriett brings Sam Miller's Fathers to the table. Producer Beth O'Dea.

Fiona Kidman discusses her new book, All Day at the Movies.

John Harvey and favourite characters in fiction

Carys Davies on her new book, West and unfaithful women in fiction.

Jennifer Clement and we discuss the increasing influence of book bloggers.