Possession by A.S. Byatt: January's Monthly Spotlight

A.S. Byatt's Possession is a blockbuster of a novel, loved by both critics and readers. If you haven't already read it, you've probably heard of it. (And if you haven't heard of it, well, we're here to fill you in.) Possession won the 1990 Booker Prize and it's a romp of a novel that's part detective thriller and part romance. It also happens to be the subject of our first Monthly Spotlight of 2024 – formerly known as Book of the Month – so tune in as we delve into the book and the life of its author.

In this episode Jo and James:

Share a brief biography of A.S. Byatt

Explore Byatt's literary rivalry with her writer sister, Margaret Drabble

Summarise the plot of Possession

Hear a clip of Byatt reading from the book at the 1990 Booker Prize ceremony

Discuss their thoughts on the novel

Reading list:

Possession by A.S. Byatt: https://thebookerprizes.com/archive/books/possession

An Awfully Big Adventure by Beryl Bainbridge: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/an-awfully-big-adventure

The Gate of Angels by Penelope Fitzgerald: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/the-gate-of-angels

Lies of Silence by Brian Moore: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/lies-of-silence

Amongst Women by John McGahern: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/amongst-women

Solomon Gursky Was Here by Mordecai Richler: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/solomon-gursky-was-here

The Virgin in the Garden by A.S. Byatt

The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye by A.S. Byatt

The Biographer's Tale

The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/the-childrens-book

A full transcript of the episode is available at our website: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/features/the-booker-prize-podcast-episode-28-possession-by-as-byatt

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