Mark Lawson Talks To...

Mark Lawson Biography

Mark Lawson has presented Mark Lawson Talks To ... on BBC Four since 2005, interviewing a wide range of writers (including John Le Carre, Martin Amis and AS Byatt), actors (such as Vanessa Redgrave, Anthony Sher and Maureen Lipman) and other public figures: David Attenborough, Michael Palin, Claudia Roden.

He says: "I have always been fascinated by the connection between personality and work: the inheritances, accidents and decisions that make someone write, act, paint or run a business or a country in a certain way. The thrill of this series for me is to sit opposite Julie Walters, Tom Jones or Jimmy McGovern while they explain a certain scene or song."

Since 1998, Lawson has also been the main presenter of Radio 4's arts and culture programme Front Row. As a writer for radio and television, his scripts include The Vision Thing, Absolute Power, The Third Soldier Holds His Thighs and What Did I Say? His novels include Idlewild, Going Out Live and Enough is Enough. He is a columnist and feature writer for The Guardian, voted Cultural Commentator of the Year in 2010. He was previously television critic and parliamentary sketch writer for The Independent and presented BBC2's weekly arts round up from 1993 to 2005 under the titles Late Review, Review and Newsnight Review.