Bookclub

BBC Radio 4
Bookclub

Led by James Naughtie, a group of readers talk to acclaimed authors about their best-known novels

  1. 1 DAY AGO

    Christopher Brookmyre

    This month, Bookclub, presented by James Naughtie, speaks to the author Christopher Brookmyre, as he takes questions from a live BBC audience about his debut novel, Quite Ugly One Morning. The book is a pacey crime thriller, not so much a 'whodunnit', as a 'whydunnit', and it introduces us to the wily, wise-cracking journalist Jack Parlabane - a character Chris is still writing about some thirty years later. Published in 1996, Quite Ugly One Morning, was a best-seller at the time, and the actor David Tennant read the audiobook. Producer: Dom Howell Editor: Gillian Wheelan This was a BBC AUDIO SCOTLAND PRODUCTION.

    29 min

  2. 2 FEB

    Sara Collins

    This month, BBC Bookclub, presented by James Naughtie, speaks to the writer Sara Collins, as she takes questions from a live audience about her award-winning debut novel, The Confessions of Frannie Langton. Sara was the Costa Book Awards First Novel Winner in 2019. She has also adapted the book for television. Producer: Dom Howell Editor: Gillian Wheelan This was a BBC Audio Scotland production.

    29 min

  3. 5 JAN

    Richard Osman

    Presented by James Naughtie, BBC Bookclub speaks to the writer Richard Osman about his crime-fiction novel The Thursday Murder Club, which sold millions of copies, and has been made into a film.

    28 min

  4. 02/12/2024

    Alan Warner: Morvern Callar

    Award-winning writer Alan Warner takes questions from Radio 4's Bookclub audience about his first-person, pacey novel, Morvern Callar, which was written in 1995 when Warner was in his late twenties. Morvern is a twenty-one year old foster-child whose life takes an irreversible turn when she discovers her boyfriend's dead body. The book was later turned into a critically-acclaimed film, of the same name, in 2002.

    30 min

  5. 03/11/2024

    Carys Davies: The Mission House

    The writer Carys Davies talks to readers about her beautifully-crafted novel, The Mission House, which follows the character of Hilary Byrd, a British librarian in his fifties, who is seeking to find himself again in modern-day southern India.

    29 min

  6. 06/10/2024

    Susanna Clarke: Piranesi

    Susanna Clarke won the Women's Prize for Fiction with her novel Piranesi. She joins James Naughtie and a group of readers to answer their questions about this intriguing, tantalising novel.

    28 min

  7. 01/09/2024

    Ken Follett: A Column of Fire

    Bestselling novelist Ken Follett joins James Naughtie and readers to discuss his historical novel A Column of Fire, the third in his hugely successful Kingsbridge series. It’s a tale of spying and intrigue, as Elizabeth I battles to keep her throne in the face of fierce religious division across Europe.

    28 min

  8. 04/08/2024

    Ayobami Adebayo

    Ayobami Adebayo talks to James Naughtie and readers about her novel, Stay With Me, a moving story of loss and motherhood. Set against the backdrop of tumultuous political events in Nigeria, it tells the story of Yejide and Akin, whose marriage is childless. The novel, which is narrated by them both, explores the pressure to have a child, the toll it takes on their relationship and the profound emotional burden of desperately wanting to become a parent. Ayobami answers readers questions about the inspiration behind Stay With Me and how she inhabited the minds of her characters. Presenter: James Naughtie Producer : Nicola Holloway Next Bookclub recordings - both at 1830 in Broadcasting House, London 14 August - Ken Follett on A Column of Fire 25 September - Susanna Clarke on Piranesi

    28 min
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Hosts & Guests

About

Led by James Naughtie, a group of readers talk to acclaimed authors about their best-known novels

Information

  • Creator
    BBC Radio 4
  • Years Active
    2012 - 2025
  • Episodes
    334
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © (C) BBC 2025
  • Show Website
    Bookclub

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