Diana Evans

Diana Evans

Author: BBC Radio 4 June 5, 2022 Duration: 27:32

Diana Evans answers listener questions about Ordinary People, her page-turner of a novel about contemporary black middle class experience in the London of today. An absorbing tale of two couples and their family, the novel documents their struggles with identity, parenthood, sex, grief, ageing, friendship and love.

Next month's book: The Dig by John Preston. Email bookclub@bbc.co.uk to join the virtual recording or send in a question in advance.


For over two decades, Bookclub from BBC Radio 4 has offered a unique and intimate space where literature is unpacked by the very people who brought it to life. Guided by the insightful James Naughtie, each episode gathers a small group of engaged readers for a candid conversation with an acclaimed author about one of their most significant works. This isn't a formal literary critique, but a deep, spoiler-filled discussion that feels like the best kind of book group meeting. Listeners are invited to sit in as the author revisits their creation, often sharing surprising stories about their inspiration, the challenges they faced during writing, and how they feel about the work years later. The questions from the readers are always thoughtful and often unexpected, leading to revelations that shed new light on familiar novels. This podcast provides a rare opportunity to move beyond the page and understand the craft, the choices, and the person behind a beloved book. It’s a consistently enriching experience for anyone who has ever finished a novel and immediately wished they could ask the author, "How did you do that?" or "What did you really mean here?" Tune in for thoughtful, revealing, and deeply human conversations that will change the way you think about your favorite stories.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Bookclub
Podcast Episodes
Jessie Burton - The Miniaturist [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:39
Jessie Burton discusses The Miniaturist, her debut novel which was the subject of a bidding war between 11 publishers at the 2013 London Book Fair. Set in Amsterdam in 1686–87, the novel was inspired by Petronella Oortma…
Meg Wolitzer - The Interestings [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:55
American author Meg Wolitzer discusses her novel The Interestings, which follows a group of friends from teenage years through to middle age and marriage and children.Aged 15, the group first meet at on a warm night at S…
Andrew Michael Hurley - The Loney [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:32
Andrew Michael Hurley discusses his book The Loney which won the Costa First Novel Award in 2015. Recorded with an audience at the Liverpool Literary Festival and presented by James Naughtie. First published in a print r…
Anne Enright - The Gathering [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:18
A treat from the Bookclub archive celebrating our 20th anniversary
Karl Ove Knausgaard - A Death in the Family [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:24
Norwegian author Karl Ove Knausgaard discusses A Death in the Family, which is the first part of My Struggle, his series of memoirs which have a devoted following.Already a successful novelist in his native Norway, almos…
Madeline Miller - The Song of Achilles [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:30
James Naughtie and Madeline Miller discuss her debut novel The Song of Achilles which won the Orange Prize for Fiction 2012. In The Song of Achilles, Madeline Miller presents a love story against the backdrop of the Troj…

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