Celebrated novelist and short story writer Lucy Caldwell joins James Naughtie and readers to discuss These Days. Set in 1941, it focusses on the lives of two sisters living through the Belfast Blitz. Lucy talks about the inspiration for her novel, her research and writing it during the pandemic.By BBC Radio 4

James Naughtie and readers quiz Nicholas Shakespeare about his book, Six Minutes In May: How Churchill Unexpectedly Became Prime Minister. It chronicles the dramatic political and military events of 1940 which led to the momentous Norway Debate and Chamberlain’s resignation. Upcoming recordings at BBC Broadcasting House in London: Wednesday 15 May …

Clare Chambers talks to James Naughtie and readers about her bestselling novel, Small Pleasures. Set in the London suburbs in the 1950s, it tells the story of Jean Swinney, a journalist who is asked to investigate a letter sent to her paper, from a mother claiming her daughter is the result of a virgin birth. Jean meets the mother, Gretchen; her hu…

Bookclub travels to Northumberland to meet best-selling crime writer Ann Cleeves. She joins James Naughtie and listeners to discuss her novel, Hidden Depths: Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope sets out to solve two murders which are apparently linked, although there are no clues to connect the victims. Upcoming recordings - 1830 BBC Broadcasting Hou…

A no prep, no notes dribble on what it take to consider yourself a good person in this world. Add to that the diversity you will stumble upon when you do this Support the Show.By Ryan Heinis

Graeme Macrae Burnet joins James Naughtie and readers to reveal the secrets behind his award-winning historical novel, His Bloody Project. Set in the Scottish Highlands in 1869, His Bloody Project explores crime, justice and retribution through the confessions of a young man accused of murder, and an account of his trial. Upcoming recordings at BBC…

Almost everything you carry in your life and be placed into the Five Balls Metaphor made famous by Brian Dyson in the 90's. Which are made of glass? Which are made of rubber? And where SHOULD each of those live? We explore with some thoughts on the five balls here. Support the Show.By Ryan Heinis

Marking 200 years since the birth of Wilkie Collins, crime writer, and Collins admirer, Elly Griffiths discusses one of his best known works -The Moonstone - with James Naughtie and a group of readers. Upcoming recording Wednesday 24th January at 1830 at BBC Broadcasting House, London: Graeme Macrae Burnet on His Bloody Project.…

While it's totally a loaded question that evolves throughout our life, trying to identify your purpose can really help you on your life paths. Tonight we talk about what questions to ask yourself, shipwrecks, and godwinks as we search for purpose. Support the Show.By Ryan Heinis

After a few months of living life in the fast lane; it was time to have a chat with myself about the slow lane; the right lane. There is a time and a place for both, but being able to identify the triggers that help you slow down is key. Support the Show.By Ryan Heinis

Donal Ryan discusses his book The Spinning Heart with a group of readers, It's a powerful, moving novel told through twenty one individual voices. Set in Ireland in the immediate aftermath of the Celtic Tiger 'boom' years, each character reveals how the sudden and dramatic 'bust' affected their lives. At the centre is Bobby Mahon, once a respected …

Katherine Heiny answers readers questions about Standard Deviation, her hilarious novel about marriage, parenting and the road not travelled. Audra is married to Graham, who is divorced from Elspeth. While Audra is sociable, loving, outspoken, tactless, kind and funny, Elspeth is contained, reserved, controlled and reticent. Despite loving Audra, G…

Bernardine Evaristo joins James Naughtie and readers to discuss Mr Loverman, her 2013 novel about Barrington Walker, a married man with a secret life. Ever since his teens in Antigua, Barry has been in love with Morris and despite both men moving to London, marrying and having children, their love affair has never faltered. Now he’s in his seventie…

Why did you get up today? What is your motivation today? What is your plan? 1 year? 3 years? etc, etc, etc? Knowing your 'why' can expodentially help you moving forward, but there is more to it than meets the eye. Support the Show.By Ryan Heinis

James Naughtie is joined by Denise Mina to talk about her book The Long Drop. This intriguing true-crime story is set in 1950s Glasgow when notorious serial killer Peter Manuel spread fear throughout the city. The Long Drop alternates between Manuel's trial and a extraordinary night he spent with Glaswegian businessman William Watt, whose own famil…

You MUST find gratitude and thankfulness within your own life before being able to successfully pour your cup onto others. There are ways to make sure you're doing this. Support the Show.By Ryan Heinis

Motivation can often appear as a drug that is used you OD on. How can we identify why we are lacking real motivation and just sucking on the crack. There are some easy ideas to help! Support the Show.By Ryan Heinis

Mick Herron answers readers' questions about his novel, Slow Horses, the first in his hugely popular Slough House series. In it we meet the 'Slow Horses’ for the first time; failed spies who instead of being pensioned off, find themselves working in Slough House, near the Barbican in London. Here, they carry out menial administrative tasks of littl…

What were you doing one year ago today? Did we learn this year? Did we do things well? Was it all really that bad? As we journey through a year of peaks and valleys it's amazing how we forget the positives. Support the Show.By Ryan Heinis

I was called a know it all this week. It reminded me of the sometimes fine line between knowing it all and being a wise and educated person. We discuss here a few key differences between the two. Support the Show.By Ryan Heinis

In the dog days of summer, I find myself in need of a re-boot. Here are some simple tips to assist in starting over with what we know works for us! Support the Show.By Ryan Heinis

To mark our 25th anniversary, Julian Barnes returns to Bookclub. He’s answering readers' questions about his Booker-shortlisted novel Arthur and George. It's based on real events and tells the story of Arthur Conan Doyle’s campaign to overturn the conviction of a young solicitor, George Edalji, Upcoming recording: Thursday 13 July 1830 at BBC Broad…

After a night where my 7 year old had too much caffeine and sugar, he complained that his brain was buzzing as he laid down to bed. It was an all-to-familiar concept to me, and it reminded me of how our active our brains can be when it's time to rest. There are certainly a few trade tactics we can all use to calm down our minds to rest. Support the…

Mary Lawson joins James Naughtie and a group of readers to answer questions about her novel, Crow Lake. An international bestseller, it tells the story of four siblings, orphaned by a road accident who have to find a new way to live as a family. The story is narrated by Kate, looking back at that dramatic rupture in her childhood. As she tells her …

Does being spontaneous cultivate happiness? Did we suffer from a lack of spontaneity during the pandemic? Is being Impulsive the same thing? The answers are different for us all, but it's an interesting topic... Support the Show.By Ryan Heinis

Routines are seemingly helpful to most people. They bring stability to our day and allow us to focus on other, more important things. But there is something to be said about getting out of that 'routine box' and then assessing how it worked for you. Support the Show.By Ryan Heinis

If we could only learn how to turn the negative into a positive? Can this really be a simple process? There are a few tricks to this trade. Find some skates and find out... Support the Show.By Ryan Heinis

James Naughtie and readers are joined by novelist Sarah Winman, answering questions about her novel Tin Man.It's a moving and intimate portrait of three characters, Michael, Ellis and Annie. They variously fall in love, and fall out of touch, but are always deeply connected. Tin Man is a short and powerful novel about love, loss and kindness. Our n…

Holy smokes is it easy to fall into the world of 'no motivation.' How do we even start knocking down our lists if we have no drive to even get off the couch? Chunk it off folks! Just push the snowball down the hill.... Support the Show.By Ryan Heinis

You really want to succeed in this world? You want that girl/guy? You want that amazing job? You want to be the best at something? It is not going to be handed to you. 10,000 hours! That's the bottom line. Get off the couch, and get started today! Support the Show.By Ryan Heinis

Tan Twan Eng talks to James Naughtie and a group of readers about The Garden of Evening Mists. A lyrical novel set largely in 1950s Malay (now Malaysia), it tells the story of Yun Ling, imprisoned by Japanese soldiers during the Second World War, and Aritomo, a master gardener who once worked for the Emperor of Japan. It's a complex and moving stor…

So much easier to ignore the harder talks in life. But are you doing yourself a disservice if you are ignoring them. What it I told you that with the right tone...the right plan...and the ability to listen, these talks would exponentially help you. Support the Show.By Ryan Heinis

Are you seeking validation from people you don't even know? Do you know the motive behind that social post tonight? Remember the room you are in and who is with you... Support the Show.By Ryan Heinis

Nadifa Mohamed joins James Naughtie and readers to talk about her award-winning novel The Fortune Men. Set in Cardiff in the 1950s, the novel is based on the real-life trial of Mahmood Mattan, a Somali seaman accused of murder. It's a powerful, moving read and a dazzling portrait of a proud, bewildered young man and his life in Cardiff's Tiger Bay.…

Are you comfortable in your life? While most believe the answer should be yes, there is a strong argument against it. Support the Show.By Ryan Heinis

Good ol Uncle Walt and Ted Lasso brought me back to this oldey but goodie. Remember to judge someone or something you need all of the information (which you'll never have). Choose to be curious instead. The difference will leave you with such a better feeling and understanding of who we are. Support the Show.…

Ever wonder what the best medicine in the world is? It's a simple concept that is hard to master. It's not something you swallow, rather it's something you feel. Come see how altruism can cure just about anything... Support the Show.By Ryan Heinis

As we are always trying to live our lives being kind and doing right by others, how often do we forgot about making decisions for #1. You have every right to make decisions that you've determined are good for you without having to feel guilt. Support the Show.By Ryan Heinis

James Naughtie and a group of readers talk to Cal Flyn about her acclaimed book, Islands of Abandonment, an exploration of places which have been reclaimed by nature. She talks about her travels to Cyprus, the Orkney Islands, First World War battlefields in France, and beyond, chronicling the fightback that plants have staged once humans have left.…

A simple Chinese fable sparked a conversation on how to view good and back news. Our luck can be viewed in the same realm. What traits about luck do the successful people in this world share? I'll tell you this...they're prepared for it... Support the Show.By Ryan Heinis

What would our lives look like if money wasn't part of the equation? We typically make a decisions in our life that are more economically based than humanity based. Can we really change that line of thinking? Absolutely... Support the Show.By Ryan Heinis

Some fall on the side of being in need of others as they navigate dark days. Some feel the pain of others as they battle the same. How are they connected? How do we get the two roads to intersect? Support the Show.By Ryan Heinis

80% of New Year's resolutions fail! Should we be ok with that? Are we asking the right questions when they do? We can learn from the missteps that cause routed resolutions. Support the Show.By Ryan Heinis

Historian Ross King answers listener questions about his book Brunelleschi's Dome. An incredible story of one man's determination to build an apparently impossible structure, it's a tale of ingenuity, artistic rivalries, and single-minded obsession. Although building had started on Florence's Santa Maria del Fiore in the late thirteenth century, it…

Imagine if we could actually leverage the energy we put into our fears into courage; into our dreams. How on Earth can we do that? It's 100% do-able, and we should all be practicing this! Support the Show.By Ryan Heinis

It's the most magical time of the year, right? There's no place like home for the holidays, right? How can people not enjoy Christmas? It's easier than you think. Support the Show.By Ryan Heinis

Wouldn't it be fun if there was an undo button for our lives? What would you change? What would that change change? It may be best unanswered. Support the Show.By Ryan Heinis

We can't leave chapters unread in our lives. The ones we want to skip will actually end up being the most impactful to who we become. Support the Show.By Ryan Heinis

James Naughtie is joined by writer A J Pearce and a group of listeners, as she answers their questions about her bestselling novel Dear Mrs Bird. Set in London in the 1940s, it’s the story of Emmy who has ambitions to be an intrepid war reporter, but instead finds herself working as a secretary on the agony aunt pages of an old-fashioned women’s ma…

Are we any built any different than our ancestors when it comes to dealing with threats, duress, sacrifice, deprivation, loss, heartache, etc.? These things are not unfamiliar to the human condition. However complex, you will come out of them more resilient that you could ever imagine. Support the Show.…