Bookclub

James Naughtie and Bookclub readers talk to Abir Mukherjee about A Rising Man, the first in his Wyndham and Bannerjee detective series, set in Calcutta during the time of the Raj. Sam Wyndham is new to the police force and new to India. His sergeant, Bannerjee, offers him invaluable help not only with investigating a murder but also with navigating the complex political and social landscape of Calcutta in 1919.James Naughtie’s next guest on Bookclub will be Stacey Halls, talking about her novel The Foundling. Do send your questions via the website and join the recording.Image copyright: Nick Tucker

James Naughtie is joined by bestselling writer Rachel Joyce who is answering listener questions about The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. This moving, heartwarming story follows Harold as one day he impulsively sets off on a walk from Devon to Northumberland to visit his long lost friend Queenie; despite having no map, no plan, and no decent walking boots. While he tramps across England, Harold reflects on his life, especially his troubled relationship with his wife and son.Our next Bookclub guest is Abir Mukherjee who will be answering questions about A Rising Man - the first in his award winning Wyndham and Banerjee series, set in India during the Raj. Contact us via the Bookclub website to join the recording in December.

The History of Bees by Maja Lunde is set in three different times and in three different countries - nineteenth century England, present day Ohio and Beijing at the end of the 21st century. Each storyline considers the lot of bees and beekeepers: William is designing a new type of hive, George; in Ohio, is trying to stick with traditional methods even though beekeeping and farming are becoming increasingly industrialised and Tao, in 2098, works as a human pollinator as all all the bees have died out. Maja Lunde joins James Naughtie, and Bookclub listeners to talk about this complex , timely novel; about the ecological beliefs which drive her writing and her hopes for the future. In November, Rachel Joyce will be joining James Naughtie for the next Bookclub recording, answering your questions about her bestseller The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. Do get in touch via the website (click Take Part In A Recording) if you would like to ask Rachel a question.

Anthony Doerr talks to James Naughtie and a group of readers about his novel All the Light We Cannot See, which won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Set largely in St Malo in the 1940's, It tells the twin stories of Werner and Marie Laure,. They are on opposite sides during World War Two, but find themselves linked by a love of radio, and storytelling. Meanwhile, a Nazi officer is hunting down a diamond, which is said to be cursed. Anthony Doerr talks about how he tackled writing this highly structured, sweeping, adventure-filled tale. Presenter : James Naughtie Producer : Nicola HollowayNovember's Bookclub Choice : The History of Bees by Maja Lunde . Email us at bookclub@bbc.co.uk if you have a question for Maja.

Lissa Evans talks to James Naughtie and a group of her readers about her novel Old Baggage.Set in 1928, it tells the story of Matilda Simpkin, who was an activist during the Women’s Suffrage Campaign. Jailed five times, Mattie marched, sang, gave speeches and smashed windows, and nothing since then has had the same depth or excitement. After a chance meeting with 15-year-old Ida, she sets out on a new venture, starting a girls’ club to help young women gain and maintain independence.Old Baggage was shortlisted for the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Literature 2019.Presenter : James Naughtie Producer : Dymphna FlynnFor details on how to take part in Bookclub email us at bookclub@bbc.co.uk October’s Bookclub Choice : All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (2014)

A Golden Age by Tahmima Anam is set fifty years ago, during the Bangladesh War of Independence. The conflict is seen through the eyes of Rehana, a fiercely protective mother, whose children join the fighting. Rehana, though not a natural revolutionary, becomes involved in the conflict herself, determined to do whatever it takes to keep her family intact. Tahmima Anam joins James Naughtie to answer questions from readers about this powerful, award winning book.

Francis Spufford’s novel Golden Hill won the Costa Book Award, the Ondaatje Prize and the Desmond Elliot Prize and was shortlisted for a host of others. It’s been described by critics as ‘a crackerjack novel of old Manhattan’, ‘Like a newly discovered novel by Henry Fielding with extra material by Martin Scorsese’, and ‘utterly captivating’. Francis joins James Naughtie and a group of his readers to discuss this novel set in the embryo metropolis of 18th Century New York.Presenter: James Naughtie Producer: Allegra McIlroyAugust’s Bookclub choice: A Golden Age by Tahmima Anam

Melissa Harrison is an acclaimed nature writer, novelist and podcaster. She joins James Naughtie and a group of her readers to discuss her novel All Among the Barley, set in Suffolk in the mid 1930’s. Centring on the experiences of teenage Edie Mather whose family have been farming the land for generations, the novel touches on the backdrop of shifting political and social change, as well as the dramatic change that’s just starting in the English countryside. Presenter: James Naughtie Producer: Allegra McIlroyJuly’s Bookclub choice: Golden Hill by Francis Spufford

James Naughtie and a group of readers talk to Australian author Liane Moriarty about her New York Times bestselling novel Big Little Lies. Set in the sunny world of Pirriwee Public Primary School in the beautiful North Shore area of Sydney, there’s a dark thread of hidden violence running under the surface of the novel. Liane Moriarty sets an unexpected murder against a wittily written chorus of gossipy and competitive school parents, effortlessly intertwining the darker undercurrents with a breezy and humorous style. The novel has since been adapted for television with an all-star cast including Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon and Meryl Streep. Presenter: James Naughtie Producer: Allegra McIlroyJune’s Bookclub choice: All Among the Barley by Melissa Harisson

James Naughtie and a group of readers talk to Amor Towles about his bestselling novel A Gentleman in Moscow. The 30 year story of Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov takes in the sweep of Russian history from the period just after the Russian Revolution, through the Stalinist purges, and heading towards Kruschev’s thaw – all experienced thorough the lens of Rostov’s long house arrest in The Metropol Hotel. To join in future Bookclub programmes email us: bookclub@bbc.co.ukPresenter: James Naughtie Producer: Allegra McIlroyMay’s Bookclub choice: Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty