Take Four Books

Take Four Books, presented by James Crawford, speaks to award-winning writer A. L. Kennedy about her new book, Alive In The Merciful Country, and its connections to three other literary works. The books A. L Kennedy chose were: Moby Dick by Herman Melville (1851); Petersburg by Andrei Bely (1913); and Lord Of The Rings by JRR Tolkien (1954). Producer: Dom Howell Editor: Annie Maguire This was a BBC Audio Scotland production.

Presenter James Crawford takes a deep dive into the latest work by critically-acclaimed writer Tessa Hadley and learns more about her creative process by exploring its connections to three other literary works. Tessa's new novella The Party started out life as a short story for the New Yorker magazine but was later expanded. Her three influential choices are: Alice Munro's short story collection Open Secrets; Elizabeth Bowen's The Death Of The Heart and Colm Toibin's Brooklyn.

Presenter James Crawford talks to Booker Prize-shortlisted writer Graeme Macrae Burnet about his new book, A Case of Matricide, the concluding part of his trilogy of Gorski novels. With the help of crime novelist Louise Welsh, Macrae Burnet explores three other works that have influenced his new book. His choices were: Georges Simenon's The Little Man From Archangel, La Femme de Gilles by Madeleine Bourdouxhe and L’Assommoir by Emile Zola. Presenter: James Crawford Producer: Dominic Howell Editor: Annie McGuire A BBC AUDIO SCOTLAND PRODUCTION FOR BBC RADIO FOUR.Presenter: James Crawford Producer: Dominic Howell Editor: Annie McGuireA BBC AUDIO SCOTLAND PRODUCTION FOR BBC RADIO FOUR.