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 marriage, but through hearing stories of Helen’s chosen way of living, the man begins to see that his story is not over – rather, he's being offered a chance to buy his way into a simpler life that until now has always been out of reach, but the asking price is much higher, and stranger, than anticipated.

Makenna's three chosen influences were: The Man Who Planted Trees by Jean Giono from 1953; All About Love by Bell Hooks from 1999; and John, by the playwright Annie Baker from 2015.

Producer: Dominic Howell

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

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 latest work - The Eleventh Hour - Sir Salman showcases a quintet of stories that mix narratives of revenge, ghosts and magic into poignant reckonings with mortality.

For his three influences Sir Salman chose: E.M. Forster’s A Passage to India from 1924; Franz Kafka’s Amerika from 1927; and Robert Browning’s The Pied Piper of Hamelin from 1842.

Producer: Dominic Howell

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

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 students embark on a flatshare, and navigate new friendships, against the backdrop of the social unrest of the 1980s miners’ strikes.

For his three influences Sandy chose: The More Loving One by W.H. Auden (1957), Friends: Understanding the Power of our Most Important Relationships by Robin Dunbar (2021), and The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (2011).

Including an extract from the audiobook of Friends by Robin Dunbar, published by Hachette.

Producer: Caitlin Sneddon

This is a BBC Audio Scotland production.

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 Ove's three choices were: Dr Faustus by Thomas Mann published in 1947; a non-fiction book examining the murder of the playwright Christopher Marlowe in 1593 called The Reckoning by Charles Nicholl published in l992; and a book of memoir entitled 'Bunnyman' by the Echo & the Bunnymen guitarist, Will Sergeant.

Producer: Dominic Howell

This was a BBC Audio Scotland production.

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 Martin’s Close from More Ghost Stories of an Antiquary from 1911; and Janet Frame’s Faces In The Water, published in 1961.

Producer: Dominic Howell

This was a BBC Audio Scotland production.

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), C.S. Lewis’s Prince Caspian (1951), and Ursula K. Le Guin’s A Wizard of Earthsea (1968).

Producer: Rachael O’Neill

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 Minnesotan town.

Kraus also shares the three literary influences that inspired the novel: 'The Executioner’s Song' by Norman Mailer (1979), 'Main Street' by Sinclair Lewis (1920), and 'Hinterland' by Phil A. Neel (2018).

Producer: Rachael O’Neill

Celebrated historical novelist Phillipa Gregory speaks to James Crawford about her latest novel Boleyn Traitor and explores its connections to three other works of literature.

Philippa’s intimate portrayals of the machinations of the Tudor court have made her a bestseller and a household name. In her latest dive in to 16th Century England, she returns to the world of King Henry VIII, seen through the eyes of Jane Boleyn, confidante to five of Henry’s six wives – but was she a loyal friend, or a duplicitous spy?

For her three influences Phillipa chose: The Golden Bowl by Henry James (1904), A Room With A View by EM Forster (1908), and The Country and the City by Raymond Williams (1973).

Producer: Caitlin Sneddon

This is a BBC Audio Scotland production.