Bookclub Podcast
Led by James Naughtie, a group of readers talk to acclaimed authors about their best-known novels
Episodes to download
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Richard Holmes - The Age of Wonder
Sun 7 Apr 2019
Richard Holmes talks about The Age of Wonder. With James Naughtie.
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Simon Mawer - Tightrope
Sun 3 Mar 2019
Simon Mawer talks about Tightrope, an espionage thriller. With James Naughtie.
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Alice Oswald - Falling Awake
Sun 3 Feb 2019
Alice Oswald, Radio 4's Poet in Residence discusses her collection Falling Awake
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Jessie Burton - The Miniaturist
Sun 6 Jan 2019
Jessie Burton discusses The Miniaturist with James Naughtie and readers
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Poet Simon Armitage on his translation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Tue 11 Dec 2018
Simon Armitage talks to James Naughtie about his translation of the Middle English epic.
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Meg Wolitzer - The Interestings
Sun 2 Dec 2018
Meg Wolitzer discusses her novel The Interestings with James Naughtie and readers.
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Historian Antonia Fraser discuss her book The Gunpowder Plot
Mon 5 Nov 2018
The Gunpowder Plot by Antonia Fraser.
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Andrew Michael Hurley - The Loney
Sun 4 Nov 2018
Andrew Michael Hurley discusses his book The Loney with James Naughtie and readers.
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Anne Enright - The Gathering
Tue 23 Oct 2018
A treat from the Bookclub archive celebrating our 20th anniversary
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Karl Ove Knausgaard - A Death in the Family
Sun 7 Oct 2018
Karl Ove Knausgaard discusses A Death in the Family with James Naughtie and readers
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David Baddiel talks about Elizabeth Taylor's Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont
Tue 25 Sep 2018
A treat from the Bookclub archive celebrating our 20th anniversary
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Madeline Miller - The Song of Achilles
Sun 2 Sep 2018
Madeline Miller discusses The Song of Achilles which won the Orange Prize for Fiction 2012
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John Irving - A Prayer for Owen Meany.
Thu 23 Aug 2018
A treat from the Bookclub archive celebrating our 20th anniversary
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Neel Mukherjee - The Lives of Others
Sun 5 Aug 2018
James Naughtie and author Neel Mukherjee meet the reading group at Styal Prison, Cheshire.
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Doris Lessing - The Grass is Singing
Fri 20 Jul 2018
A treat from the Bookclub archive celebrating our 20th anniversary.
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Colm Tóibín - Brooklyn
Sun 1 Jul 2018
James Naughtie and a group of readers talk to Colm Toibin about his 2009 novel Brooklyn.
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Jan Morris discusses her classic travel book Venice
Thu 14 Jun 2018
A treat from the Bookclub archive celebrating our 20th anniversary
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Margaret Atwood - The Handmaid's Tale
Sun 3 Jun 2018
Margaret Atwood on her dystopian masterpiece The Handmaid's Tale. With James Naughtie.
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William Trevor discusses his short story collection After Rain
Thu 17 May 2018
A treat from the Bookclub archive celebrating our 20th anniversary
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Jo Nesbo talks about his book, The Snowman
Sun 6 May 2018
Jo Nesbo talks to James Naughtie about his book, The Snowman.
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Thomas Keneally discusses his Booker Prize-winning novel Schindler's Ark
Tue 17 Apr 2018
A treat from the Bookclub archive to celebrate our 20th anniversary.
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Sarah Perry discusses her novel, The Essex Serpent
Sun 1 Apr 2018
Sarah Perry speaks to James Naughtie about her novel, The Essex Serpent.
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Muriel Spark discusses the Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
Thu 15 Mar 2018
A treat from the Bookclub archive to celebrate our 20th anniversary
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Patrick Gale - A Place Called Winter
Sun 4 Mar 2018
Patrick Gale talks about his novel A Place Called Winter with James Naughtie and readers.
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Douglas Adams discusses The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Wed 14 Feb 2018
A treat from the Bookclub archive to celebrate our 20th anniversary
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Eimear McBride talks about her debut novel, A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing
Sun 4 Feb 2018
Eimear McBride discusses her book, A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing.
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Colin Thubron - In Siberia
Sun 7 Jan 2018
James Naughtie and a group of readers talk to travel writer Colin Thubron about In Siberia
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Jennifer Egan discusses her Pulitzer Prize winning novel, A Visit from The Goon Squad.
Sun 3 Dec 2017
In an extended version, Jennifer Egan talks about A Visit from The Goon Squad.
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Edward St Aubyn - Mother's Milk
Sun 5 Nov 2017
James Naughtie and a group of readers talk to novelist Edward St Aubyn about Mother's Milk
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Peter Hoeg - Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow
Sun 1 Oct 2017
James Naughtie discusses Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow by Danish writer Peter Hoeg.
Bookclub at 20
Sebastian Faulks, Naomi Alderman and more select favourite editions of the programme
Quiz – The Handmaid's Tale
Twenty questions to test your knowledge of Margaret Atwood's famous novel.
Explore James Naughtie's picks from 200 editions
A treasure trove of the 20th and 21st Century’s great writers discussing their work
Sample our books and authors Clip Collection
Interviews, previews and reviews
Books website
Get closer to books with in-depth articles, quizzes and our picks from radio & TV.
Short stories to keep
The fiction podcast featuring the best stories from the UK's finest writers
