Music Matters

Kate Molleson talks to some of today's greatest writers about how music shapes their work and explores the ineffable intersection between words and music. Featuring Colm Tóibín, Elif Shafak, Ishmael Reed, Simon Armitage and Lavinia Greenlaw.Best-selling Irish author Colm Tóibín’s writing is infused with sound and music. His latest book is a fictional account of the life of Thomas Mann and is steeped in Mahler and Schoenberg. He discusses the powerful role music plays in his fiction and reads from his book ‘Nora Webster’, in which the main character finds resilience through music after the death of her husband. Turkish-British writer Elif Shafak talks about the sound of Istanbul, the social implications of sound and silence and how her books can give voice to those in society who are otherwise voiceless. She reads from her acclaimed book ‘10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World’ and talks about the influence of heavy metal on her writing. US writer Ishmael Reed explores the role of improvisation and rhythm