BBC - Books

Coming Soon

Daisy Dunn and Andrew Hunter Murray—A Good Read
The classicist and the author talk about books they love with presenter Harriett Gilbert.
Today15:00
BBC Radio 4
Amrou Al-Kadhi & Peter Bazalgette—A Good Read
Amrou Al-Kadhi and Peter Bazalgette join Harriet Gilbert to talk favourite books
Tomorrow10:00
BBC Radio 4 Extra
Rachel Kushner - The Mars Room—World Book Club
Harriett Gilbert talks with Rachel Kusher about The Mars Room.
Wednesday10:06
BBC World Service
Virginia Woolf—The Write Stuff, Series 5
Sebastian Faulks, John Walsh, Russell Davies and Sue Limb compete on the literary quiz.
Wednesday14:00
BBC Radio 4 Extra
A Responsibility to Know?—Free Thinking
Matthew Sweet and guests discuss the ethics of knowledge.
Friday21:00
BBC Radio 4
Anne Sebba—Bookclub
On her biography That Woman: The life of Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor.
Next Sunday00:15
BBC Radio 4

Available Now

Anne Sebba—Bookclub
On her biography That Woman: The life of Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor.
BBC Radio 4
Bucket and Spade—Words and Music
An evocation of the beach, summer, sand and sea in readings and music.
BBC Radio 3
The Echo Chamber - Sean Borodale—Poetry Extra
Daljit Nagra selects another highlight from the BBC's poetry archive - with Sean Borodale.
BBC Radio 4 Extra
Rachel Kushner - The Mars Room—World Book Club
Harriett Gilbert talks with Rachel Kusher about The Mars Room.
BBC World Service
Trade and traffic—Free Thinking
Jeremy Hunt, Nandini Das, Rana Mitter, Soumaya Keynes & Lauren Working join Anne McElvoy.
BBC Radio 4
Celebrating Brian Patten—Poetry Please
Roger McGough, Lemn Sissay and others celebrate Brian Patten.
BBC Radio 4
Fairy Tales—Word of Mouth
Michael Rosen and Jamie Tehrani on how fairy tales travel the world, changing as they go.
BBC Radio 4
Philippa Perry and Stuart Maconie—A Good Read
Guests talk to Harriett Gilbert about books they love and loath, at the Hay Festival 2026.
BBC Radio 4
Into the American West—Words and Music
Henry Goodman and Lorelei King with readings and music evoking the American landscape.
BBC Radio 3
The Path and the Poem: Frank O'Hara & Terminates Here: Endings—Poetry Extra
Daljit Nagra selects two short highlights from the BBC's poetry archive.
BBC Radio 4 Extra
Poetry to keep you afloat—The Verb
Poetry to help navigate storms, rivers and seas with body and mind.
BBC Radio 4
The Child's Eye View—Free Thinking
Shahidha Bari asks how we can learn from children's perspectives. With Katherine Rundell.
BBC Radio 4

More from Books

500 Words 2019
Everything you need to know about this year's story-writing competition for kids.
BBC National Short Story Award 2019
Judges for the competition are announced as submissions open.
Neil Gaiman on science fiction
The author of the Sandman comics shares the sci-fi novels that inspired him.
Lenny Henry's guide to graphic novels
The actor compiled a list of his favourite comics during the recording of Anansi Boys.
Are you magic or muggle-born?
Test your knowledge of the world of Harry Potter with our ultimate quiz.
Are you a Jane Austen superfan?
Quiz time: Test your Austen knowledge to see if you qualify.