James Crawford

This - Take Four Books - always worth listening to.

Listen now to my BBCR4 chat with Jo Nesbø about latest novel WOLF HOUR, “saving the cat” vs “killing the cat”, taxidermy, & 3 influences including Jim Thompson, Knut Hamsun and Brett Easton Ellis #TakeFourBooks
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

Listen now to my BBC R4 chat with @mccallsmith.bsky.social about new novel THE PRIVATE SIDE OF FRIENDSHIP and 3 influences, including W.H. Auden on unrequited love, Robin Dunbar’s “Friends”, and Madeline Miller’s “The Song of Achilles” www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Today on #TakeFourBooks on BBCR4 I was talking to Karl Ove Knausgaard about new novel THE SCHOOL OF NIGHT and 3 ‘Faustian’ influences incl Thomas Mann & the memoir of @willsergeant.com from @bunnymen.com! Listen now! www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

I was very restrained at the bookshop this morning but excited to read both of these. One inspired by last week’s conversation between Katherine Randell and @jdcrawf.bsky.social and the other a delightful discovery ready for Advent.

Loved having brill @olgaravn.bsky.social on BBCR4’s #TakeFourBooks today - talking about her new novel THE WAX CHILD & 3 influences inc M.R. James and a book of southern Italian spells! 📚📻🎧https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002m96r

Take Four Books - David Szalay - BBC Sounds David Szalay talks about his new novel and the three other works that helped to shape it.

Listen again to this year’s Booker Prize winning author, David Szalay, on Take Four Books on #BBCRadio4 - talking about Flesh and the three other books that inspired its creation! @thebookerprizes.com #BookerPrize2025 #DavidSzalay

Books on Podcasts: fantasy reigns, Katherine Rundell and Rebecca Kuang on their latest work

This week in Books on Podcasts, a special Waterstones episode featured Rebecca Kuang and Samantha Shannon, while Take Four Books featured its first children’s book with Katherine Rundell’s The Poisoned King 👇 #BookSky

Loved this episode exploring the importance of fantasy, storytelling an imagination. ‘The Prince Caspian’ choice reminded me of Jem Bloomfield’s book ‘Gold on the Horizon’ which follows the Take Four books USP by tracing Lewis’ literary influences in Caspian and Dawn Treader.

love this series
a relief to have focus on one book and its origins
poking behind the scenes is great

If you are interested in books, reading and the power of story, then listen to this BBC R4 chat I had with the brilliant Katherine Rundell. We're talking about her new @bloomsburybooksuk.bsky.social novel The Poisoned King, but much more too, from Hamlet to Le Guin! 📚👇🎧
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

Take Four Books - Andrew Miller - BBC Sounds Andrew Miller on his new book, The Land in Winter, and its links to three other works.

I read The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller after listening to Take Four Books presented by @jdcrawf.bsky.social & I’ve listened again. TFB is an excellent concept & excellent in reality! www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Listen now to my BBC Radio 4 chat with Chris Kraus on her new “true-crime” novel THE FOUR SPENT THE DAY TOGETHER & her 3 influences including Norman Mailer & Phil Neel 📚🎧👇
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

I was on Radio4's Front Row last night with @nationalgalleries.bsky.social Louise Pearson talking about NGS exhibition of Alfred Buckham's aerial photography & my own experience of taking to the sky in open cockpit (I also wrote intro to the exhibition catalogue!)
🎧👇
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Today on #TakeFourBooks Booker-winner John Banville is talking about his new @faberbooks.bsky.social
novel 'Venetian Vespers' & 3 haunting, Venice-based influences, including (stories & films) Don't Look Now & Death in Venice!
Listen now!👇🎧📚
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

Thank you, @jdcrawf.bsky.social ! Listen again to this episode, the Start The Week ep James mentions, and all the other excellent radio Picks of the Week on @bbcsounds.bsky.social

It’s a great round up - with different presenter every week. Well worth bookmarking!

Great programme John!

Love to see it! Light Years in particular is excellent

BBC Radio 4 - Pick of the Week, James Crawford James Crawford presents a selection of the best bits of audio across the BBC.

My PICK OF THE WEEK!
Mexican gothic, railways, distortion, immortalists, unfolding landscapes & JMW Turner ft @petroc.bsky.social, @silviamg.bsky.social, @kermodemovie.bsky.social, @johnrobbofficial.bsky.social, @alekskrotoski.bsky.social, @adamrutherford.bsky.social
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

This week on #TakeFourBooks on BBC Radio 4 I was talking to William Boyd about his new spy novel 'The Predicament' and 3 influences Lawrence Durrell, Len Deighton and John Le Carre - also with guest @louisewelsh00.bsky.social - listen now!
👇🎧📚
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Thanks John! Recordings are often a lot longer (Andrew was done at Hay and lasted almost an hour) - schedule slot is c28mins, but we’re looking at longer cuts for Sounds/podcasts (see recent Ian McEwan for instance which has extra 5 mins or so…)

Coming up later today on BBC Radio 4 I'm talking to Graham Norton on #TakeFourBooks about his latest novel Frankie, along with 3 influences - Elizabeth Bowen, Armistead Maupin & Gabrielle Zevin (and bonus influence Charlie Brown!) - at 4pm 👇🎧📚
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

Take Four Books
@jdcrawf.bsky.social on R4 Sundays 4pm, always worth listening to. Sunday 14th Sept on Ian McEwan with @damedenisemina.bsky.social on Sounds particularly so.

Loved talking to Ian McEwan (& @damedenisemina.bsky.social!) on BBCRadio4
#TakeFourBooks about climate, memory & the way the past haunts the present in his new @jonathancape.bsky.social novel WHAT WE CAN KNOW with 3 influences incl the epic
Footsteps by Richard Holmes
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

Thanks to Radio 4's Take Four Books I'm re-reading The Bone People (Keri Hulme) about forty years after the first (and second) time. And it's still absolutely brilliant, so thank you for reminding me, Melissa Lucashenko and @jdcrawf.bsky.social

Great to hear Margaret - that’s exactly what the programme is all about!

Listen now to my chat with Melissa Lucashenko on Radio4's #TakeFourBooks about her latest @oneworldbooks.bsky.social novel 'Edenglassie' and 3 influences incl Keri Hulme & Sebastian Barry (recorded with @rodgeglass.bsky.social & live audience at @edbookfest.bsky.social) www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

Listen to my chat with Sarah Hall on #TakeFourBooks on BBC Radio4 discussing new @faberbooks.bsky.social novel HELM (the first book to have a wind as its main character?) & 3 influences incl George Saunders & Angela Carter. With Alan McMunnigall of @thiwurd.bsky.social! www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

Listen now on BBC Radio4 to my chat with Rachel Kushner and live audience @edbookfest.bsky.social for #TakeFourBooks - talking about Creation Lake and 3 influences including Nabokov's Pale Fire and radical 1970s French crime noir! Also with @andrewmeehanesq.bsky.social
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...