Books And Authors

Mariella Frostrup talks to Orange prize nominated novelist Jennifer Egan about her book, A Visit From The Goon Squad. Writers Hisham Matar and Mirza Waheed examine how the experience of living in a region with ongoing political conflict translates into fiction. Children's author Anthony Horowitz and his son offer literary advice to teenage boys.

Mariella Frostrup talks to author of Brick Lane, Monica Ali, about her new novel inspired by the life of Princess Diana. Seventy years after her death, novelist and critic James Runcie assesses the legacy of Virginia Woolf. And librarians, listeners and writers defend public libraries.

Mariella talks to writer Will Self about cuts to UK libraries. Novelists Joseph O'Connor and Maggie O'Farrell discuss why dead lovers haunt the pages of their books. And have young novelists forgotten how to be funny? Comedian Robin Ince offers guidance.

Mariella Frostrup talks to Justin Cartwright about his new book Other People's Money. Acclaimed actress Juliet Stevenson describes her unabridged reading of George Eliot's Middlemarch. Plus American writer Jessica Francis Kane discusses why she made a very British tragedy the subject of a fictional book.

A bonus download: Alan Bennett reads an extract from his diaries in Untold Stories.

A bonus download: an extract from Agent Zigzag, Ben Macintyre's biography of a WW2 double agent, read by Damien Lewis and abridged by Doreen Estall.

A bonus download: an extract from Rohinton Mistry's novel A Fine Balance, read by Lyndham Gregory.

A bonus download: the opening of Mark Haddon's novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, read by James Meunier and abridged by Sarah LeFanu.

Mariella Frostrup talks to the American author Kim Edwards about her new book The Lake of Dreams, follow up to her bestselling novel The Memory Keeper's Daughter, and looks back at the life and work of writer Sybille Bedford with This Life creator Amy Jenkins.

Mariella Frostrup talks to first time novelist Sarah Winman and investigates the rise of debut fiction this year. Authors Muriel Zagha and John Baxter discuss how the the art of writing about sensuality is poles apart in French and English literature. John Sutherland celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of Penguin's Modern Classics.

Mariella Frostrup talks to novelist Hanif Kureishi about his newly published collected essays, Kate Mosse gives an alternative list of heroines in fiction and novelists Barbara Erskine and John Lanchester discuss technology in print.

Mariella Frostrup talks to novelist Michael Arditti about his new book and to writer Sebastian Faulks about his new television series Faulks on Fiction, and Joanna Kavenna steps in for a reading clinic on Frontier Fiction.

Mariella talks to author of Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, Paul Torday, about his new book. Sue Arnold reviews the latest crop of audio books from Faberge Eggs to Freedom by Jonathan Franzen. And novelist Jay Parini discusses the life and death of Herman Melville (author of Moby Dick and Billy Budd) which he has re-created in his new novel.

Alastair Campbell tells Mariella Frostrup his top five reads. And Booker prize winner A S Byatt and novelist Carol Birch discuss the merits of novels that have a Victorian backdrop.

Mariella Frostrup talks to American author Michael Cunningham, author of the The Hours, adapted into a film starring Nicole Kidman. Cunningham discusses his new novel, By Nightfall, which follows the story of a New York based couple. Two novelists discuss second novel syndrome as the follow-ups to their hugely successful debuts are published. And writer Joanna Trollope on the radio adaptation of Miss MacKenzie, her choice of Open Book Neglected Classic.

Barry Humphries talks to Mariella Frostrup about five of his favourite books.

Mariella picks her personal highlights from this year's programmes; novelist Rose Tremain discusses the literary and dramatic potential bound up in sibling rivalry; and new writer Sunjeev Sahota talks about his novel Ours Are The Streets.

Mariella Frostrup speaks to Nobel laureate Nadine Gordimer about her collected short fiction; author Tom Holland discusses the legacy of I, Claudius; writers Ian McMillan, Tessa Hadley and Andrew Martin explain the enduring allure of railways in fiction.

Mariella Frostrup speaks to writers Peter Ackroyd and Kevin Crossley-Holland about the legend of King Arthur. Novelist Philip Kerr talks about his new book Field Grey. And writer Paul Bailey discusses the life, work and letters of Giuseppe Tomasi di Lamedusa, author of The Leopard

Mariella Frostrup presents a special edition examining the rise of Young Adult fiction, with the help of three leading YA novelists - Malorie Blackman, Marcus Sedgwick and Gemma Malley.