Bookclub

Joseph O'Connor talks about his novel of Irish emigration at the time of the Famine, Star of the Sea with James Naughtie and readers.In the winter of 1847, the Star of the Sea sets sails from Ireland for New York. Among the refugees are a maidservant, a bankrupt aristocrat, an aspiring novelist and a maker of revolutionary ballads. As we learn each of their stories, we also learn how each is connected more deeply than they know. The novel has its roots in Connemara, with the characters being connected to the land and the sea. At the heart of the story is the threatening figure of Pius Mulvey – the balladeer and adventurer who turns bad as the story unfolds. As one reader asks, is Pius Mulvey Jack the Lad, or is he Jack the Ripper? Mulvey stalks the decks of the ship like some kind of embodiment of the tragedy that’s overtaken the old country.Joseph O’Connor explains how he created the character of Pius, his ambivalent relationship with Dickens who has a cameo role in the book, and how he has a connection to Connemara from childhood holidays; plus his hopes that the novel will keep the story of the Famine alive for the next generation of Irish people. To take part in our Bookclub recording with Tana French on the Wych Elm email bookclub@bbc.co.ukNovember's Bookclub Choice : An American Marriage by Tayari Jones (2018)Presenter : James Naughtie Interviewed Guest : Joseph O'Connor Producer : Dymphna Flynn Studio Manager : Tim Heffer

Oyinkan Braithwaite talks about her novel My Sister, The Serial Killer, a story full of deadpan wit and dark humour about two sisters in Lagos.Korede is bitter and jealous of her beautiful sister Ayoola, who is the favourite child. A kind, handsome doctor at the hospital where Korede works is the bright spot in her life and she dreams of the day when he will realize they're perfect for each other. But after Ayoola's third boyfriend in a row dies, and the doctor asks Korede for her sister's phone number, she knows that things can't stay the same.My Sister, the Serial Killer was shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2019 and longlisted for the Booker Prize 2019.Oyinkan Braithwaite talks to presenter James Naughtie and a group of readers from her home in Lagos, NigeriaTo take part in future Bookclubs, email bookclub@bbc.co.ukOctober's Bookclub Choice : Star of the Sea by Joseph O'Connor (2003)Presenter : James Naughtie Interviewed Guest : Oyinkan Braithwaite Producer : Dymphna Flynn

James Naughtie and Louise Welsh discussed Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson

August's edition is a Classic Bookclub - Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped - and is part of BBC Radio 4's ongoing support for students during the Covid-19 crisis. In the absence of Stevenson, our guide to the book is author Louise Welsh, who has written an opera inspired by him. Kidnapped is one Stevenson’s best loved titles. It’s an historical adventure novel set in Scotland after the Jacobite rising of 1745 and tells the adventures of the recently orphaned sixteen year old David Balfour, as he journeys through the dangerous Scottish Highlands in an attempt to regain his rightful inheritance. James Naughtie says : "As a young boy Robert Louis Stevenson was my guide to adventure. Kidnapped was always at hand and, like Treasure Island, it introduced me to great story-telling. A boy alone in a country torn apart by war, betrayed by a sad but wicked uncle, and a coming-of-age through adversity. Reading it again, I can still feel the thrill of the first time. That's what great books do". Author Louise Welsh has said “I think if you were to stop any Scottish writer and ask them to list their top three writers that made them want to write they would mention Stevenson. He’s always been number one for me.” Bookclub on Kidnapped is recorded as always with an audience of readers, including members of the RLS Club, local school children and university students, at the Hawes Inn, Queensferry, where Stevenson is thought to have started the novel in 1866. The programme was first broadcast in November 2016. An unabridged reading of Kidnapped is available on BBC Sounds. Presenter James Naughtie Interviewed guest : Louise Welsh Producer : Dymphna FlynnSeptember's Bookclub Choice : My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite (2019)

Scott Turow talks about his first thriller, Presumed Innocent, with James Naughtie and a group of readers. The novel was first published in Britain in 1987 and Scott's books have since sold more than 30 million copies worldwide. The novel was seen as groundbreaking as it spawned a whole generation of legal thrillers. Presumed Innocent is the story of lawyer Rusty Sabich who's investigating the brutal murder of a beautiful and ambitious female colleague, Carolyn Polhemus. In the first twist of many in the novel, Rusty, who is married, was once Carolyn's lover, a fact he tries to conceal from his boss, the Prosecuting Attorney. In a further twist Rusty finds himself on trial for the murder, and the evidence against him mounts. Rusty is defended by Sandy Stern, who goes on to appear in Scott Turow's subsequent books, including his new novel, The Last Trial.To join in a future Bookclub discussion email us at bookclub@bbc.co.ukAugust's Bookclub Choice : Kidnapped by RL StevensonPresenter: James Naughtie Invited Guest: Scott Turow Producer : Dymphna Flynn

Max Porter talks about his highly acclaimed novel Lanny, which was nominated for the Booker Prize 2019, and recently released in paperback. Max is one of the most exciting literary talents to emerge in recent years, with Lanny his follow-up novel to his 2015 debut, Grief Is the Thing with Feathers.Lanny is the story of a family who've recently moved to the countryside and whose village is peopled by the living and the dead. Lanny is a young boy with a gift for friendship, who adores roaming free in the countryside, making art, leaving traces of enchantment in the closely woven lives around him. Observing it all, and orchestrating a tapestry of village voices, is Dead Papa Toothwort, a sinister and mythological creature who has woken from his slumber and who follows the boy Lanny in his daily life, seeing him as a kind of kindred spirit. It is a novel full of ideas about the environment, art, village life, parenting, as well as the strangeness of every day life.Presented by James Naughtie and including contributions and questions from an invited group of readers.To take part in future Bookclubs apply at bookclub@bbc.co.ukJuly's Bookclub choice : Presumed Innocent by Scott TurowPresenter: James Naughtie Producer : Dymphna Flynn Production Co-ordinator : Belinda Naylor Studio Manager : Matilda Macari

Rebecca Solnit is a leading American essayist and writer. She talks to James Naughtie and a group of invited readers about The Faraway Nearby, her recollections of her mother's advancing Alzheimer's and the power of storytelling.One summer, as their mother was diagnosed with dementia Rebecca's brother decided to harvest all the apricots from their mother’s tree, whether they were ripe or not. He delivered over 100lbs of the fruit to Rebecca and she found herself under deadline to sort them – to throw them out, make chutney, or make preserves. The huge pile of fruit on her floor reminded her of the tasks in fairytales, like the girl in Rumpelstilksen who must spin a room full of straw into gold overnight; the mountain of sand which must be moved by teaspoon. And at the heart of The Faraway Nearby is the voice of Rebecca's own mother, and how she is losing her memory and her own stories.By sharing her own history, like her difficult relationship with her mother, or her trip to Iceland, Rebecca Solnit also entertains a wide range of other stories: arctic explorers, Che Guevara among the leper colonies, Mary Shelley’s Dr. Frankenstein. She explores the ways we are all connected by empathy, narrative and imagination, and talks about how this month's book choice resonates at a time when we many of us are faraway from those we love. To take part in future Bookclubs apply at bookclub@bbc.co.ukJune's Bookclub choice : Lanny by Max Porter (2019) Presenter: James Naughtie Interviewed guest : Rebecca Solnit Producer : Dymphna Flynn

American novelist Jenny Offill talks to James Naughtie and readers about her novel Dept. of Speculation.The novel is the story of a relationship between two people whose names we never know. They meet by chance - she’s a writer and he's an artist working with sound. They write to each other and the return address on their envelopes is always Dept of Speculation. Egged on by a friend she calls the Philosopher they end up living together in a bug-infested apartment and have a daughter. But eventually this curiously-triggered relationship starts to falter; he has an affair and in the end The Protagonist, who now calls herself The Wife, realises she has to make the best of what life has thrown at her.Jenny talks about the structure and form of the novel, why the characters have no names - and what makes her happy.To take part in future Bookclubs apply at bookclub@bbc.co.ukMay's Bookclub choice : The Faraway Nearby by Rebecca Solnit (2016)Presenter: James Naughtie Producer : Dymphna Flynn

Marian Keyes talks about one of her most popular novels, Rachel's Holiday.Rachel Walsh is an Irish woman in her late 20s living in New York, but whose life is disintegrating around her. She's lost her dead-end job; her boyfriend Luke has broken up with her; her best friend and flat-mate Brigit can't cope with her behaviour any longer – and the reason for all this, which Rachel just can't see, is that she's become addicted to drugs and alcohol.Her 'holiday' is a trip into a rehab clinic in Dublin - the Cloisters - where she imagines she'll get away from it all, but discovers more about herself then she expected. Marian Keyes's book has been an international phenomenon - and maybe one reason, apart from its wit, is that it tells a story from the inside. As a recovering alcoholic herself, Marian understands Rachel's journey and how humour can help people survive. Presented by James Naughtie and a group of invited readers ask the questions.To take part in future Bookclubs apply at bookclub@bbc.co.uk Presenter : James Naughtie Producer : Dymphna FlynnApril's Bookclub Choice - Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill (2014)

Journalist James Meek talks about his novel The People's Act of Love, first published in 2005, a bold and imaginative work based in the wilds of Siberia where a strange and violent group of individuals come together with sinister results.Set in a time of great social upheaval, warfare, and terrorism, and against a stark, lawless Siberia at the end of the Russian Revolution, The People’s Act of Love portrays the fragile coexistence of a beautiful, independent mother raising her son alone, a megalomaniac Czech captain and his restless regiment, and a mystical separatist Christian sect. When a mysterious, charismatic stranger trudges into their snowy village with a frighteningly outlandish story to tell, its balance is shaken to the core. James Naughtie presents and invited Bookclub readers join in the discussionTo take part in future Bookclubs apply at bookclub@bbc.co.uk March's Bookclub choice : Rachel's Holiday by Marian KeyesPresenter : James Naughtie Producer : Dymphna Flynn