Sarah Moss, the celebrated author of Ghost Wall, discusses her new novel Ripeness, which oscillates between tension-filled contemporary Ireland and a heady summer in 1960s Italy.
Dylan Jones discusses his new book 1975: The Year The World Forgot and debates whether this was the best year for music with chief music critic of the Daily Telegraph, Neil McCormick.
After reports of an emerging deal between the UK and Greece around the status of the Elgin Marbles, we talk to Geoffrey Robertson KC, campaigner for their return, about the legal ramifications.
A new statue of Stalin has appeared on the Moscow Underground at Taganskaya station. After de-Stalinisation in the 60s it seems that the Russian authorities are now reintroducing images of the former leader, showing him in a positive light and ignoring his reign of terror. Tom speaks with the BBC’s man in the Russian capital, Steve Rosenberg, about what this might mean.
And we finish the programme with a specially written poem from Fred D'Aguiar, Professor of English at the University of California, about the government response to the migrant deportation protests.
Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe Producer: Simon Richardson