A Good Read

Mariella Frostrup talks to the American author Kim Edwards about her new book The Lake of Dreams, follow up to her bestselling novel The Memory Keeper's Daughter, and looks back at the life and work of writer Sybille Bedford with This Life creator Amy Jenkins.

Mariella Frostrup talks to first time novelist Sarah Winman and investigates the rise of debut fiction this year.

Mariella Frostrup talks to novelist Hanif Kureishi about his newly published collected essays, Kate Mosse gives an alternative list of heroines in fiction and novelists Barbara Erskine and John Lanchester discuss technology in print.

Mariella Frostrup talks to novelist Michael Arditti about his new book and to writer Sebastian Faulks about his new television series Faulks on Fiction, and Joanna Kavenna steps in for a reading clinic on Frontier Fiction.

Mariella talks to author of Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, Paul Torday, about his new book. Sue Arnold reviews the latest crop of audio books from Faberge Eggs to Freedom by Jonathan Franzen. And novelist Jay Parini discusses the life and death of Herman Melville (author of Moby Dick and Billy Budd) which he has re-created in his new novel.

Alastair Campbell tells Mariella Frostrup his top five reads. And Booker prize winner A S Byatt and novelist Carol Birch discuss the merits of novels that have a Victorian backdrop.

Mariella Frostrup talks to American author Michael Cunningham, author of the The Hours, adapted into a film starring Nicole Kidman. Cunningham discusses his new novel, By Nightfall, which follows the story of a New York based couple.

Barry Humphries talks to Mariella Frostrup about five of his favourite books.

Mariella picks her personal highlights from this year's programmes; novelist Rose Tremain discusses the literary and dramatic potential bound up in sibling rivalry; and new writer Sunjeev Sahota talks about his novel Ours Are The Streets.

Mariella Frostrup speaks to Nobel laureate Nadine Gordimer about her collected short fiction; author Tom Holland discusses the legacy of I, Claudius; writers Ian McMillan, Tessa Hadley and Andrew Martin explain the enduring allure of railways in fiction.