Books and Authors

BBC Radio 4

4.1 (486)
SOCIETY & CULTURE
UPDATED FORTNIGHTLY

This podcast features Open Book and A Good Read. Open Book talks to authors about their work. In A Good Read Harriett Gilbert discusses favourite books.

5 DAYS AGO

A Good Read: Lucy Speed and Sarah Mills

Former Eastenders and present-day Archers actor Lucy Speed, and comedian Sarah Mills talk about books set in wartime London, a 1990s underground train, and Graham Greene's MI6. Lucy's choice is Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave, Which tells the tale of Mary, a woman who becomes a teacher at the beginning of the war, only for her life to take some unexpected turns during the Blitz. Sarah has selected 253 by Geoff Ryman, the novel originally published on the Internet which tells the stories of 253 passengers on a London Underground train. Harriett proposes a lesser known a Graham Greene novel, The Human Factor, which takes in apartheid South Africa and communism as well as espionage. Producer for BBC Audio Bristol: Sally Heaven Join the conversation on Instagram: agoodreadbbc

28 min
17 MAR

A Good Read: Nina Sosanya and Joelle Taylor

Actor Nina Sosanya and prize winning poet and writer Joelle Taylor talk favourite books with Harriett. Nina chooses Sally Jones and the False Rose by Jakob Wegelius, a children's novel with a mute gorilla engineer as its protagonist. The book appeals to Nina's love of engineering, and the city of Glasgow! Joelle nominates Booker Prize winning The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Sri Lankan writer Shehan Karunatilaka, about a man killed in the Sri Lankan civil war, seeking answers in the afterlife. Harriett's choice is Tasting Sunlight by Ewald Arenz, a novel set in the German countryside at the tail end of summer, featuring two women with mysterious back stories. Two of the choices are novels in translation, which prompts a chat about whether translated books are becoming more common Produced for BBC Audio Bristol by Sally Heaven Follow us on instagram: agoodreadbbc

28 min
10 MAR

A Good Read: Oliver Burkeman and Sara Collins

Crypto, childhood and a very personal history of the world: writers Sara Collins and Oliver Burkeman share books they love with Harriett Gilbert.

28 min
3 MAR

A Good Read: Inua Ellams and Ted Hodgkinson

WHEN WE CEASE TO UNDERSTAND THE WORLD by Benjamin Labatut (translated by Adrian Nathan West), chosen by Ted Hodgkinson ENTER GHOST by Isabella Hammad, chosen by Inua Ellams GHOSTING: A DOUBLE LIFE by Jennie Erdal, chosen by Harriett Gilbert As Head of Literature and Spoken Word-programming at the Southbank Centre in London, writers and writing are at the heart of Ted Hodgkinson's work. In 2020 he chaired the judging panel of the International Booker Prize and he has judged many other awards, including the Orwell Prize for Political Writing. His choice of a good read is a slim, genre-defying book by Chilean author Benjamin Labatut which packs a huge punch. It's about the scientists and mathematicians whose work has shaped our world, and the unintended - sometimes horrifying - consequences of scientific advancement. Inua Ellams is a playwright, poet and curator. His work includes Barber Shop Chronicles, The Half-God of Rainfall, and an updating of Chekhov's Three Sisters, set during the Biafran Civil War, and he's recently been announced as one of the writers of the next series of Dr Who. His choice is Isabella Hammad's 2023 novel Enter Ghost. After a disastrous love affair, British-Palestinian actress Sonia goes to stay with her sister in Haifa. Intending the visit as a holiday, she finds herself investigating her family's history and getting involved in a production of Hamlet, to be staged in the West Bank. Presenter Harriett Gilbert's choice is Ghosting by Jennie Erdal. A fascinating account of Jennie's time as ghostwriter for 'Tiger' (the publisher Naim Attallah), penning everything from novels to love letters in his name. Producer: Mair Bosworth

28 min
24 FEB

A Good Read: Julia Bradbury and Ramita Navai

How to Stop Time by Matt Haig, chosen by Julia Bradbury A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry, chosen by Ramita Navai An Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim, chosen by presenter Harriett Gilbert TV presenter, author and walking enthusiast Julia Bradbury recommends a fiction book by Matt Haig, How to Stop Time, which brings to life the idea of living forever. Award-winning British-Iranian investigative journalist, documentary maker and author Ramita Navai shares the epic novel A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry, his Dickensian masterpiece of modern India. And Harriett's choice is An Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim, capturing four ladies' unforgettable holiday on the Italian Riviera. Produced by Beth O'Dea for BBC Audio Bristol Follow us on instagram: agoodreadbbc

28 min
17 FEB

A Good Read: Joe Dunthorne and Iszi Lawrence

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind, translated by John E. Woods, chosen by Iszi Lawrence Two Serious Ladies by Jane Bowles, chosen by Joe Dunthorne Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout, chosen by presenter Harriett Gilbert Historical fiction author and broadcaster Iszi Lawrence adores the sensational novel Perfume, and has done since she was a teenager. For her, it immerses her in another world and is wonderfully cynical about the futility of chasing ultimate fulfilment through creating art and performing to a crowd. The poet and novelist, author of Submarine, Joe Dunthorne chooses the forgotten cult classic Two Serious Ladies. It makes him happy because every sentence is a surprise, and that makes him want to write. But he admits that it's not for everyone. And Harriett's choice is Oh William! by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author Elizabeth Strout. Which prompts the discussion, can you love a book if you loathe the central character? Produced by Beth O'Dea for BBC Audio Bristol Follow us on instagram: agoodreadbbc

28 min
10 FEB

A Good Read: Nicci French

The writing duo known as Nicci French choose favourite books

28 min
02/12/2024

A Good Read: Professor Ben Garrod and Lucy Jones

A PRIMATE'S MEMOIR (Love, Death and Baboons) by Robert Sapolsky, chosen by Professor Ben Garrod SOLDIER SAILOR by Claire Kilroy, chosen by Harriett Gilbert THE ABUNDANCE by Annie Dillard, chosen by Lucy Jones Evolutionary biologist Ben Garrod (Professor at the University of East Anglia) chooses a book which he's read and gifted countless times, a book which inspired him to go out in the field and study chimpanzees himself: A Primate's Memoir by Robert Sapolsky. Robert is one of the leading primatologists and scientists today and this is his gripping, at times heartbreaking account of leaving the United States age twenty-one to study wild baboons in the Kenyan savannah. Lucy Jones (author of Matrescence and Losing Eden) picks an author she has consistently loved for her child-like gift of wonder and close, detailed attention to the natural world. Lucy brings Annie Dillard's collection of essays, The Abundance, for the others to read. And Harriett Gilbert recommends a fictional tale of early motherhood. A vivid, immersive monologue of a woman on the brink that keeps readers on the edge of their seats to the very end.

28 min

See All (929)

Mariella Frostrup

Host

4.1

out of 5

486 Ratings

Hurrah - still no ads here

18/03/2022

Another Kitty

Always interesting and fab that there are still no ads - it feels like a friend. Thank you Mariella
Bit of a shock

31/03/2024

Mole68

I was very surprised that the ep with Christopher Eccleston played with no content warning. I was in the car, so had no view of show notes. To be exposed to the conversation about depression when I felt suicidal was upsetting. My responsibility but i’ll avoid the podcast in future.
[A Good Read] Obsessed!

28/01/2023

Charlie 923

I tend to skip the other episodes, but A Good Read is one of my favourite podcasts of all time. Love listening in and picking up new recommendations - and re-reading books through guests’ experiences.
A Good Read

27/09/2021

WWW/5934

A Good Read has been off air for too long. I hope the BBC isn’t thinking of doing something stupid like axing it or replacing Harriet Gilbert with someone awful.
Review

01/05/2021

Wilbo717

Love listening to A Good Read it gets me through long night shifts. Picked up loads of book recommendations.
A Good Read

30/04/2021

scmcgoo

Great podcast, beautifully hosted.
I ❤️ A Good Read

01/04/2021

H-Lion-316

Have been loving A Good Read recently! Some amazing guests with great discussion. My wish list is getting very long! 📚
Excellent

19/08/2020

PineGroveCharlie

I really have enjoyed the current practice of having different presenters. Alex Clark as always was brilliant and Johnny Pitts was particularly engaging. We all miss Mariella but the programme is still worth more than 5 stars. Thanks
Split good reads out

03/01/2021

ssharma62

I love Harriet and A Good Read. The rest of this channel (Mariella and others) is so so. I would rate higher is Harriet had her own separate podcast channel.
A Good Listen

09/08/2020

A lapsed reader

I love A Good Read, and think Harriet Gilbert is an excellent presenter - interested, funny, fair minded and with interesting insights. The programme is a bit of a comfort listen in its own right but also really useful for reading recommendations - especially for bookclub. I agree with another reviewer Fabian who wanted the show notes to include book listings - but after searching on the BBC website etc I have finally found a list of the books discussed on the show’s instagram feed.

This podcast features Open Book and A Good Read. Open Book talks to authors about their work. In A Good Read Harriett Gilbert discusses favourite books.