Take Four Books
Books & Literature
About
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.
Episodes
- Amitav Ghosh
Author Amitav Ghosh discusses his new novel, Ghost Eye, which is set during the COVID pandemic and features a narrator recalling a story from 1969 Calcutta. He also shares three literary influences: The Hungry Stones by Rabindranath Tagore…
- Gwendoline Riley
Gwendoline Riley discusses her new novel, The Palm House, and its influences on Take Four Books. She shares insights into the book, which follows a friendship in the London media landscape, and her chosen literary influences: Annie Ernaux'…
- Solvej Balle
Host James Crawford interviews author Solvej Balle about her 'On the Calculation of Volume' series. Balle also discusses her chosen literary influences, including works by Cecil Bødker, Inger Christensen, and Søren Kierkegaard.
- Jenni Fagan
Scottish novelist and poet Jenni Fagan discusses her novel The Delusions and its afterlife setting with presenter James Crawford. She also shares three books and poems that have influenced her work.
- Yann Martel
Author Yann Martel discusses his novel Son Of Nobody with James Crawford on Take Four Books. He explores the literary influences on his new work, including Stephen Mitchell’s translation of The Iliad, Alice Oswald’s Memorial, and Edward Al…
- Jan Carson
Northern Irish novelist Jan Carson discusses her latest book, Few and Far Between, with host James Crawford. She also explores three literary works that influenced her writing: The Summer Book, Fever Dream, and Excellent Women.
- Susan Choi
Susan Choi discusses her novel Flashlight with host James Crawford on Take Four Books. They examine the book alongside works by Jenny Erpenbeck, Alice Munro, and George Eliot.
- Colm Tóibín
Colm Tóibín discusses his new short story collection, 'The News from Dublin,' with James Crawford. They explore its connections to works by John McGahern, Frank O'Connor, and Eugene McCabe.
- John Lanchester
Author John Lanchester joins James Crawford on Take Four Books to discuss his novel Look What You Made Me Do. They explore the book's themes and examine its connections to Jane and Prudence by Barbara Pym, Decline and Fall by Evelyn Waugh,…
- Jennifer Niven
Author Jennifer Niven joins Take Four Books to discuss her novel 'Meet the Newmans' and the three books that inspired it: 'Lessons in Chemistry', 'The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo', and 'In Search of Donna Reed'.
- Bryan Washington
American author Bryan Washington joins presenter James Crawford to discuss his novel, Palaver. They explore the book's themes and examine its connections to three literary influences: Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto, Another Brooklyn by Jacque…
- Ali Smith
Author Ali Smith discusses her book 'Glyph' with presenter James Crawford on Take Four Books. They explore how the novel connects to literary works by Honoré de Balzac, Edward Lear, and Leo Tolstoy.
- Rob Doyle
Author Rob Doyle discusses his novel Cameo and his literary influences with presenter James Crawford. He explores connections between his work and Fictions by Jorge Luis Borges, Nazi Literature in the Americas by Roberto Bolaño, and Memoir…
- Makenna Goodman
American writer Makenna Goodman joins James Crawford on Take Four Books to discuss her novel 'Helen of Nowhere' and three influential works: 'The Man Who Planted Trees' by Jean Giono, 'All About Love' by Bell Hooks, and 'John' by Annie Bak…
- Andrew Michael Hurley
Author Andrew Michael Hurley joins Take Four Books to discuss his novel Saltwash and the three works that inspired it: Aubade by Philip Larkin, Free Will by Sam Harris, and The Summer People by Shirley Jackson.
- Salman Rushdie
Sir Salman Rushdie discusses his new short fiction collection, The Eleventh Hour, with James Crawford on Take Four Books. The episode explores the collection's stories of revenge, ghosts, and magic, and its connections to E.M. Forster's A…
- Jo Nesbø
Presenter James Crawford interviews Norwegian author Jo Nesbø about his standalone thriller novel, Wolf Hour. Nesbø shares the three books that served as inspiration for his writing: Knut Hamsun's Hunger, Jim Thompson's The Killer Inside M…
- Alexander McCall Smith
Alexander McCall Smith joins James Crawford to discuss his new novel about Edinburgh students navigating friendships during the 1980s miners' strikes. He shares literary influences, including works by W.H. Auden, Robin Dunbar, and Madeline…
- Karl Ove Knausgaard
In this episode of Take Four Books, author Karl Ove Knausgaard discusses his novel The School Of Night with presenter James Crawford. They explore the novel's connections to Thomas Mann's Dr Faustus, Charles Nicholl's The Reckoning, and Wi…
- Olga Ravn
Olga Ravn discusses her novel 'The Wax Child,' which fictionalizes a 17th-century Danish witchcraft trial. She explores its connections to Ernesto Martino's 'Magic – A Theory From The South,' M. R. James's 'Martin's Close,' and Janet Frame…
- Katherine Rundell
Author Katherine Rundell discusses her children's fantasy novel, The Poisoned King. She shares the literary inspirations behind the book: Shakespeare's Hamlet, C.S. Lewis's Prince Caspian, and Ursula K. Le Guin's A Wizard of Earthsea.
- Chris Kraus
American writer Chris Kraus joins James Crawford on Take Four Books to discuss her novel 'The Four Spent the Day Together'. The book draws from memoir, addiction, and a true crime investigation, inspired by works from Norman Mailer, Sincla…
- Philippa Gregory
Philippa Gregory discusses her novel Boleyn Traitor with James Crawford. The episode explores connections between Gregory's novel, set in the court of Henry VIII and focusing on Jane Boleyn, and literature by Henry James, E.M. Forster, and…
- John Banville
John Banville discusses his novel "Venetian Vespers" with presenter James Crawford. They explore the novel's connections to Daphne Du Maurier's "Don't Look Now," Henry James's "The Aspern Papers," and Thomas Mann's "Death In Venice."
- William Boyd
Booker shortlisted author William Boyd joins James Crawford and Louise Welsh on Take Four Books to discuss his spy novel, The Predicament. They examine how Lawrence Durrell's Mountolive, Len Deighton's The Ipcress File, and John le Carré's…
- Graham Norton
Graham Norton discusses his fifth novel, 'Frankie,' an exploration of an Irish woman's life, detailing its literary influences. Irish author Mary Dorcey also contributes to the discussion.
- Ian McEwan
Ian McEwan discusses his novel "What We Can Know" with Take Four Books, exploring its literary connections. The novel is set in a future underwater Britain and follows scholar Tom Metcalfe. McEwan discusses influences including works by Jo…
- Melissa Lucashenko
Goorie author Melissa Lucashenko discusses her novel Edenglassie with Take Four Books, inspired by historical texts and Keri Hulme's The Bone People. Rodge Glass, a literature lecturer, is the supporting contributor.
- Sarah Hall
Writer Sarah Hall discusses her new novel, Helm, with James Crawford. The novel, twenty years in the making, features a wind called Helm as a character and explores its interactions with various historical narratives and a contemporary wea…
- Rachel Kushner
James Crawford speaks with Booker-shortlisted author Rachel Kushner about her novel Creation Lake. They discuss the book, which features an undercover agent infiltrating eco-protestors in France, and its literary influences: Fatale, Pale F…
- Irvine Welsh
James Crawford interviews author Irvine Welsh about his new novel Men In Love, the sequel to Trainspotting. Welsh also discusses three influential books: William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, James Joyce's Ulysses, and Marcel Pr…
- Denise Mina
Writer Denise Mina discusses her twentieth novel, 'The Good Liar,' focusing on protagonist Claudia O’Sheil and the book's inspirations including works by Dorothy Thompson, Stanley Milgram, and George Orwell. The episode features insights f…
- Gurnaik Johal
Writer Gurnaik Johal discusses his debut novel ‘Saraswati’ with Take Four Books. The novel, shortlisted for the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize, follows Satnam, whose life becomes entangled with a holy river’s reappearance in modern-day In…
- Colm Tóibín
James Crawford interviews Irish author Colm Tóibín about his new novel, Long Island, which follows the character Eilis Lacey. The discussion also covers Tóibín's literary influences: The Mayor of Casterbridge, Victory, and The Age of Innoc…
- Madeleine Thien
James Crawford speaks with writer Madeleine Thien about her novel 'The Book of Records,' which intertwines historical figures and explores themes of migration and exile. The episode also features writer Sarah Bernstein and discusses litera…
- Wendy Erskine
In this episode of Take Four Books, James Crawford interviews Wendy Erskine about her novel 'The Benefactors,' a story set in Belfast concerning a teenage house party and a sexual assault allegation. The discussion also covers three influe…
- Elif Shafak
In this episode of Take Four Books, host James Crawford interviews author Elif Shafak about her novel There Are Rivers In The Sky. Shafak discusses the book's themes and its connections to The Epic of Gilgamesh, Virginia Woolf's Orlando, a…
- Andrew Miller
James Crawford interviews writer Andrew Miller about his novel The Land In Winter, which is influenced by The Light Years, Gerald's Party, and Daddy's Gone A-Hunting. The discussion took place at the Hay-on-Wye festival.
- Seán Hewitt
Seán Hewitt discusses his debut novel, 'Open, Heaven,' a story about adolescent desire set in rural northern England. He reflects on the literary influences of L.P. Hartley's 'The Go-Between,' E. M. Forster's 'Maurice,' and Edna O'Brien's…
- Ocean Vuong
James Crawford hosts poet Ocean Vuong and writer Heather Parry on Take Four Books to discuss Vuong's novel 'The Emperor of Gladness'. They delve into the book's themes of loss, hope, and human connection, inspired by works like 'The Brothe…
- Ben Okri
Ben Okri discusses his novella "Madame Sosostris & the Festival for the Broken-Hearted," detailing its influences like T.S. Eliot's "The Waste Land," Shakespeare's "Midsummer Night's Dream," and Camus's "The Outsider." The discussion, pres…
- Vincenzo Latronico
James Crawford interviews writer Vincenzo Latronico about his novel Perfection, which explores themes of unfulfillment among expats in Berlin. The novel, translated by Sophie Hughes, is a finalist for the International Booker prize and dra…
- Xiaolu Guo
In this episode of Take Four Books, host James Crawford speaks with author Xiaolu Guo about her novel Call Me Ishmaelle, which retells Herman Melville's Moby Dick from a female perspective. Guo discusses her chosen influencing texts: Moby…
- Andrew O'Hagan
Andrew O'Hagan discusses his novel Caledonian Road, a state-of-the-nation story set over a chaotic post-pandemic year, focusing on protagonist Campbell Flynn. He reveals his literary inspirations: The Princess Casamassima, The Idea of Orde…
- Eoin McNamee
In this episode of Take Four Books, writer Eoin McNamee discusses his novel 'The Bureau,' which fictionalizes real events including a family kidnapping, and explores its connections to 'In Cold Blood,' 'The Glass Essay,' and 'Milkman.'
- David Szalay
David Szalay discusses his novel Flesh with James Crawford on Take Four Books. The novel follows protagonist István's life shaped by early experiences, his move to London, and eventual return to Hungary. Szalay also discusses his chosen in…
- Eimear McBride
In this episode of Take Four Books, host James Crawford speaks with Irish writer Eimear McBride about her latest novel, The City Changes Its Face. They also discuss her selected works: Scott Walker's 'Sleepwalkers Woman', Thomas Otway's 'V…
- Tash Aw
Presenter James Crawford speaks with author Tash Aw about his novel 'The South,' a coming-of-age story set in Malaysia. Aw discusses the novel's influences, including works by James Baldwin, Anton Chekhov, and Marguerite Duras.
- Laurent Binet
Presenter James Crawford interviews author Laurent Binet about his novel Perspectives. The discussion covers the novel's plot, set in 16th-century Florence and involving a painter's murder, and its influences: "Dangerous Liaisons", "The St…
- Susan Barker
Presenter James Crawford interviews writer Susan Barker about her novel Old Soul. Barker discusses the book, which features seven testimonies and a beguiling older woman, and explores its influences: Under The Skin by Michel Faber, Ghostwr…