Force of nature: Ruth Brooks
One thing that Dan Lewis was not expecting when he went along to a talk on the homing instinct of snails was to get a fit of giggles... Read more
Tag Archives: BBC
Cheat sheet… Dylan Thomas
In celebration of St David's Day, this week's Cheat Sheet takes a look at Wales' favourite son, Dylan Thomas...
Read more Book Club – The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
Rachel Joyce's phenomenally popular The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry is this week's Book Club book of the week. We were lucky enough to speak to Rachel earlier this year about the book and its much-loved cast of characters...
Read more Costa Book of the Year 2012 – Hilary Mantel does the double
Hilary Mantel has set another record by becoming the first writer to win both the Man Booker Prize and the Costa Book of the Year in the same year. Read more William Boyd talks Restless and Bond…
“My daughter currently wants to be a chef-ballerina-rockstar” Monica Galetti
Monica Galetti, Senior Sous Chef at Michel Roux Jnr's Le Gavroche and judge on the BBC's Masterchef: The Professionals, talked to us about growing up with food, the importance of cooking together as a family, and the making of her new book Monica's Kitchen. And she was all smiles... Read more
“A successful novelist is a brilliant teller of lies” William Boyd
In the first part of a two-part interview, William Boyd spoke to us about his novel Waiting For Sunrise, the nature of spies and novelists, and experimentation in his writing.
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The Casual BBC – JK Rowling’s novel coming to a TV near you…
Dear diary – Bridget is back…
“There’s always a bit of bad news buried in there…” Evan Davis
We caught up with the broadcaster Evan Davis after his book signing to hear about his book Made In Britain. We also asked him about the suggestion made by Digby Jones in an event the previous day at Cheltenham Literature Festival that the government could stimulate growth in the economy by cutting employer National Insurance contributions - which is, as he saw it, a tax on jobs. Read more “We are not politically very advanced compared with where we started” Andrew Marr
Broadcaster and historian Andrew Marr spoke to us at Cheltenham about his ambitious new book A History Of The World, why it is not only individuals that matter but the specific context they find themselves in, and the cultural necessity of bookshops.
Read more “The monsters are always more interesting than the goodies…” Mary Beard
The mesmerically inspiring classicist Mary Beard told us why if you want to get into classics you shouldn't fear to go straight to Homer, why Caligula is her favourite emperor and why you can't get sexier than the Roman Empire.
Read more Paul Hollywood tells us How To Bake…
Master baker, and judge on the BBC's The Great British Bake Off, Paul Hollywood told us about where his love of baking came from, the secret to good sourdough, and shared his favourite recipe with us. Read more James Naughtie on “The home movie of our time…”
We spoke to broadcaster James Naughtie about his book The New Elizabethans, and the pleasures of a good bookshop. Read more Home run?
Shortlisted for both the Man Booker Prize and now the BBC International Short Story Award, Deborah Levy spoke to us about her story, Black Vodka, and novel, Swimming Home. Read more 
