Presenter James Crawford looks at an author's latest work and delves further into their creative process by learning about the three other texts that have shaped their writing.
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Imani Thompson speaks to Take Four Books about her debut novel Honey. Together with presenter James Crawford, they explore its connections to three other literary works. In Honey, PhD student Yrsa doesn't set out to kill. But after an incident involving a bee sting gone wrong, she suddenly feels alive. So she starts to think about what justice could look like, if she took it in to her own hands... Imani's three chosen influences for this episode are Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman from 2...
The award-winning writer Deborah Levy speaks to Take Four Books about her latest novel, My Year In Paris With Gertrude Stein, and, together with presenter James Crawford, they explore its three key literary influences. The new book follows three female friends in Paris. There's Eva an artist in a long-distance marriage, Fanny, a sexually adventurous financier, and making up the trio, is our unnamed narrator, who is attempting to write an essay about the avant-garde American poet and art collecto...
The American writer Katie Kitamura speaks about her Booker-shortlisted novel, Audition, and together with presenter James Crawford they explore its connections to three other literary works. Audition begins with two people meeting for lunch in a Manhattan restaurant. The woman is an accomplished actress and she's meeting a man who is young enough to be her son. But who is he to her, and who is she to him? Two competing narratives unspool and the novel begins to rewrite our understanding of the r...
Presenter James Crawford speaks to award-winning novelist Amitav Ghosh about his new book, Ghost Eye, and its three key literary influences. Ghost Eye is told through the memories and recollections of its narrator, Dinu, who grew up in Calcutta and now lives in New York. Set during the COVID pandemic, the story unfolds as Dinu recalls a story his Auntie Shoma once told him - one that takes place in Calcutta in 1969. At the time, Shoma was a psychiatrist investigating cases of the reincarnation t...
The award-winning English writer Gwendoline Riley speaks to Take Four Books, about her new novel The Palm House, and, together with presenter James Crawford, they explore its three influences. The Palm House follows the friendship between Laura Miller and Edmund Putnam, known as ‘Putnam’, who both work in the London media landscape in 2017. Over the course of a long weekend, they meet several times for drinks and crisps, and discuss the state of their lives, and share stories from their past. Gw...
Presented by James Crawford Take Four Books speaks to the writer Solvej Balle from her home on an island off the coast of Denmark about her latest instalment of the 'On the Calculation of Volume' series. The novels tell the story of Tara Selter, an antiquarian bookseller who wakes up one morning to find she is endlessly reliving the same day: the 18th of November. Solvej's influences for this episode are all Danish. She chose: Stories About Tacit by Cecil Bødker from 2016, which is a novel about...
Scottish novelist and poet Jenni Fagan tells presenter James Crawford about her new novel, The Delusions, in which she takes readers to the afterlife - or, at least, to its entry portal. It is a place where the newly dead are required to queue up and account for the truth of their lives - and extract all their delusions - if they are to have any chance of passing into eternity. Jenni’s three chosen influences are Nina Cassian’s poem Temptation (1966), Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818), and Jean...
The much-loved Canadian writer and former Booker Prize winner, Yann Martel, speaks to Take Four Books this week about his new novel, and first for a decade - Son Of Nobody - and together with presenter James Crawford, they explore its connections to three other literary works. The book follows a classical scholar, Harlow Donne, as he gets a chance to study at Oxford and uncovers a lost account of the Trojan war. The fictional Homeric poem unfolds across the top of the page, while Harlow's often ...
Northern Irish writer and multi‑award‑winning novelist Jan Carson talks to James Crawford about her new book and the three key influences that shaped it. Her latest novel, Few and Far Between, transports readers to an alternative Northern Ireland, where the country’s great inland loch is partially drained in the 1960s, leaving behind a chain of islands that become a refuge for those seeking to escape political strife. For her influences, Jan chose: The Summer Book by Tove Jansson (1971); Fever D...
The writer Susan Choi speaks to Take Four Books about her novel Flashlight, and, together with presenter James Crawford, they explore its connections to three other literary works. The novel, which began life as a short story in the New Yorker in 2020, and won the Sunday Times Audible Short Story Award in 2021, begins with ten-year-old Louisa and her father taking a walk out on the breakwater. They are spending the summer in a coastal Japanese town while her father Serk, a Korean émigré, complet...
The Irish writer Colm Tóibín speaks to Take Four Books about his new short story collection, The News From Dublin, and together with presenter James Crawford, they explore its connections to three other literary works. His new collection, published by Picador, consists of nine short stories, the last of which, The Catalan Girls, runs to a hundred pages and is about three sisters who have been living in Argentina and decide to return to Catalonia. For his three influences Colm chose short stories...
Bestselling author John Lanchester speaks to Take Four Books about his latest novel Look What You Made Me Do. Together with presenter James Crawford, they explore its connections to three other literary works. In black comedy Look What You Made Me Do, the lives of young TV writer Phoebe and 50-something metropolitan Kate become intertwined as the most talked about television show of the year seems to contain eerie similarities to the intimacies of Kate's marriage. John’s three chosen influences ...
American author Jennifer Niven joins Take Four Books to discuss 'Meet the Newmans', her brand new novel that follows the lives of America’s favourite television family in 1964. On screen, they present flawless versions of themselves, but away from the cameras the truth could not be further from perfect. During the episode, Jennifer discusses the three works that inspired her new book: 'Lessons in Chemistry' by Bonnie Garmus (2022); 'The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo' by Taylor Jenkins Reid (2017...
The American writer Bryan Washington speaks to Take Four Books about his new novel, Palaver, and, together with presenter James Crawford, they explore its connections to three other literary works. Palaver focuses on the tense relationship between protagonists “the son” and “the mother”. The son is an American who has lived in Tokyo for the best part of a decade, teaching English as a foreign language. Throughout this period, he’s been estranged from his Jamaican-American mother back home in Tex...
Acclaimed author Ali Smith speaks to Take Four Books about her latest book, Glyph. Together with presenter James Crawford, they explore its connections to three other literary works. Glyph tells a story hidden within Smith’s 2024 novel Gliff. Once again, the plot centres on two siblings and a horse, and delves into the power of storytelling. Ali’s three chosen influences for this episode are: The Wild Ass’ Skin by Honoré de Balzac (1831); A Book of Nonsense by Edward Lear (1846); and Strider: Th...
The Irish writer Rob Doyle speaks to Take Four Books about his new novel Cameo, and, together with presenter James Crawford, they explore its connections to three other literary works. Cameo is the life story of an invented Irish novelist called Ren Duka who has an unexpected and runaway success with a prolific series of autofictional novels. Rob's three chosen influences for this episode are: Fictions by Jorge Luis Borges, from 1944; Nazi Literature in the Americas by Roberto Bolano from 1996; ...
In this episode the American writer Makenna Goodman speaks to Take Four Books about her new novel, Helen Of Nowhere, and together with presenter James Crawford they explore its connections to three other literary works. In Helen Of Nowhere, published by Fitzcarraldo, a disgraced professor is being shown around an idyllic house in the countryside by a realtor who speaks of its previous owner, the mystifying Helen. The professor is struggling with a growing sense of irrelevance and a failing marri...
Author Andrew Michael Hurley discusses his latest novel, Saltwash, a haunting tale of two terminally ill men whose paths cross in a run-down seaside town. Drawn into an unexpected reunion, they are forced to confront questions about life, death, and the meaning of mortality. Andrew reflects on the three works that inspired its creation, which were: Aubade by Philip Larkin (1977), Free Will by Sam Harris (2012), and The Summer People by Shirely Jackson (1950). Producer: Dominic Howell Editor: Gil...
Sir Salman Rushdie speaks to Take Four Books about his new collection of short fiction and together with presenter James Crawford they explore its connections to three other literary works. Arguably one of the world’s most celebrated authors, the publication of Sir Salman's second novel in 1981 announced the arrival of a phenomenal talent. Midnight's Children went on to win not just the Booker Prize but it was also picked as the Best Booker for the prize’s 25th and 40th anniversaries. In his lat...
Presenter James Crawford speaks to bestselling crime writer and Norwegian novelist Jo Nesbø about his book, Wolf Hour - a standalone thriller set in Minneapolis, where a dysfunctional detective, Bob Oz, investigates the attempted murder of a crooked gun dealer. The three books that inspired Jo while writing Wolf Hour were: Hunger by Knut Hamsun (1890), The Killer Inside Me by Jim Thompson (1952), and American Psycho by Brett Easton Ellis (1991). Producers: Rachael O’Neill & Hayley Jarvis Edi...
International bestseller Sir Alexander McCall Smith joines James Crawford to discuss The Private Side of Friendship, and shares the literary works that influenced it. After the acclaim of his his The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, Sandy has written over a hundred books, selling tens of millions of copies in English alone – not to mention the 46 other languages in which his work has appeared. In his latest novel, he is taking readers to a city he knows very well, as six young Edinburgh st...
Karl Ove Knausgaard speaks to Take Four Books about his new novel The School Of Night and together with presenter James Crawford they explore its connections to three other texts. The School of Night follows the character of Kristian Hadeland, a young photography student who's seething with ambition and contempt. Newly arrived in London, Kristian feels that his own family back in Norway don't understand him, and his fellow students bore him, but he knows he's destined for greater things. Karl Ov...
Award-winning Danish author Olga Ravn speaks to Take Four Books about her new novel The Wax Child and together with presenter James Crawford they explore its connections to three other texts. The Wax Child, translated by Martin Aitken, takes readers to 17th century Denmark, fictionalising the true story of a group of women in the town of Aalborg who were put on trial for witchcraft. For her three influences Olga chose: Ernesto Martino’s Magic – A Theory From The South from 1959; M. R. James’s Ma...
Award-winning author Katherine Rundell discusses The Poisoned King, the second instalment in her acclaimed children’s fantasy series, Impossible Creatures. In this latest adventure, protagonist Christopher journeys back to the magical archipelago - a realm where dragons, unicorns, griffons, mermaids, and much more, all roam free. But this time, he’s faced with an urgent and mysterious threat. Rundell shares the three literary inspirations behind her new novel: William Shakespeare’s Hamlet (1600)...
Presenter James Crawford welcomes American writer, filmmaker, and art critic Chris Kraus to Take Four Books to discuss her latest novel 'The Four Spent the Day Together'. This marks Kraus’ fifth semi-autobiographical novel, following the success of 'I Love Dick', which was adapted into a major television series. The Four Spent the Day Together blends elements of childhood memoir, the experience of being the partner of a relapsing alcoholic, and an investigation into a real-life crime in a Minnes...
Celebrated novelist Philippa Gregory delves into her latest work, "Boleyn Traitor," reimagining Jane Boleyn as a complex, potentially Machiavellian figure within Henry VIII's court. She shares her writing process, emphasizing first-person narrative and the impact of other media, and connects her historical insights to three influential books that inform her themes of power, social dynamics, and hidden truths.
Award-winning author John Banville delves into his latest novel, Venetian Vespers, a sinister ghost story set in 1899 Venice, exploring the city's disturbing beauty and the unraveling psyche of his protagonist, Evelyn Dolman. He also reveals the profound literary influences behind his work, discussing Daphne du Maurier's Don't Look Now, Henry James's The Aspern Papers, and Thomas Mann's Death in Venice, highlighting their shared themes of psychological intrigue and Venice as a character. Banville reflects on his writing process, the nature of narrative voice, and the underlying comedic elements in his seemingly dark fiction.
Booker shortlisted writer William Boyd speaks to Take Four Books this week about his new spy novel, The Predicament, and together with presenter James Crawford, and the crime writer Louise Welsh, they explore its connections to three other literary works. In his new novel, which is the second in a trilogy, travel writer turned accidental spy, Gabriel Dax, finds himself caught up in events in Guatemala, and then in Berlin, where he becomes aware of a plot to assassinate the charismatic, young pre...
BAFTA Award-winning broadcaster and novelist Graham Norton discusses Frankie, his fifth novel, which centres on the life of an apparently unremarkable Irish woman in her eighties as she recounts her story to a young carer. Graham Norton shares the three key literary influences that helped shape the novel: Elizabeth Bowen’s The Last September (1929), Armistead Maupin’s Significant Others (1987), and Gabrielle Zevin’s Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow (2022). Joining the discussion is acclaimed...
Booker prize winning author, Ian McEwan, speaks to Take Four Books, about his new novel, What We Can Know, and explores its connections to three other literary works. What We Can Know is set almost a hundred years in the future in a Britain much of which is now underwater, and it follows the character of Tom Metcalfe, a scholar of the University of South Downs, who is looking back at the literature of the early twenty-first century. For his his three influences Ian chose: a poem called Marston M...
