World Book Club

Richard Ford discusses his classic novel 'The Sportswriter' with Harriett Gilbert and an invited studio audience.

French Nobel Laureate JMG Le Clezio talks to Harriett Gilbert in front of an invited studio audience about his recently-translated work Desert. Contrasting the beauty of a lost culture in the North African desert with a depiction of Europe seen through the eyes of unwanted immigrants, the novel is a rich, poetic and provocative epic about colonization and its legacy, which is still painfully relevant after 30 years.

John Boyne discusses his acclaimed novel 'The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas' with Harriett Gilbert and an invited studio audience.

Harriet Gilbert talks to Andrea Levy about Small Island, a heart-warming and tale of love and immigration during World War II.

Harriett Gilbert talks to Indian writer Kiran Desai about her internationally bestselling work The Inheritance of Loss. Winner of the Man Booker prize in 2006, Desai’s novel is a profoundly moving cross-continental saga that sweeps around the globe from the Himalayas to New York City to Cambridge in the UK. Reflecting the author’s own Indian-American upbringing the novel interweaves the grand disruptions of politics with the domestic lives and loves of three memorable characters, the morose judge, his lovelorn granddaughter Sai and their devoted, long-suffering cook.

James Ellroy discusses his novel American Tabloid with Harriett Gilbert and an invited audience.

Harriett Gilbert talks to acclaimed Egyptian writer Alaa Al-Aswany about his bestselling novel The Yacoubian Building. It was the Arab world’s number-one bestseller for five years running after it was published in 2002. The Yacoubian Building interweaves the stories of a group of diverse characters who live and work in downtown Cairo. A moving study of politics and power, sex and revenge - centred on the apartment building - the Yacoubian building, which still stands in Cairo today.The novel offers a compelling yet daringly scathing portrayal of modern Egypt since the Revolution of 1952.

Half a century on from its first publication, G�nter Grass will be talking about The Tin Drum from his home in Lubeck, Germany.

This month Harriett Gilbert talks to acclaimed American writer Lionel Shriver.Her prizewinning novel, We Need to Talk about Kevin, is the profoundly disturbing story of a boy who, shortly before his 16th birthday, kills seven classmates in a high school massacre. Grippingly but unreliably narrated through the letters from his mother to his absent father, the novel raises questions about culpability, the limits of maternal love and the nature of evil itself.

In this month's World Book Club Harriett Gilbert will be at London’s South Bank Arts Centre talking to internationally acclaimed writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie about her bestselling novel Half of a Yellow Sun. Winner of the UK Orange Prize for fiction in 2007 Half of a Yellow Sun charts the stories of three intersecting lives turned upside down by the Biafran war in the late 1960s. Village boy Ugwu comes to work for a charismatic professor. The professor’s glamorous girlfriend Olanna forgoes her life of luxury to live with him and Englishman Richard is in thrall to Olanna’s enigmatic twin sister. Meanwhile the shadow of this most horrific of civil wars, whose repercussions are still felt in Nigeria today, looms ever larger.(Photo: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie) (Credit: Jeff Overs/BBC)

Harriett Gilbert talks to internationally acclaimed Egyptian writer Nawal El Saadawi about her classic novel Woman at Point Zero.Recorded in 2009.Written over 30 years ago but still resonating clearly today Woman at Point Zero is a dark and powerful account of the life of a young woman awaiting execution in a Cairo prison for murdering her pimp. Her crime, borne of anger at her lifelong mistreatment at the hands of men, is one she confesses to with no shame. The urgency and passion of the writing in this book is more than matched by the author’s response to the questions posed by you, our World Book Club listeners, around the world.(Photo: Nawal El Saadawi, 2012) (Credit: MARINA HELLI/AFP/Getty Images)

This month Kate Grenville talks about her best-selling novel The Secret River. Her first work for five years since she won the Orange Prize, The Secret River was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize soon after publication. Set in 1806 and based on the true story of Kate’s first Australian ancestor, this is a dramatic and evocative historical novel set between the slums of nineteenth-century London and the convict colonies of Australia. Told through the eyes of William Thornhill and his family The Secret River examines the timeless themes of ownership, belonging and identity against a backdrop of Aboriginal Australia.Book list:Title: The Secret River Author: Kate Grenville Publisher: Canongate Books ISBN-13: 978-1841956824 If you'd like to take part in a future World Book Club, here's your chance.Lionel Shriver will be discussing his bestselling novel We Need to Talk Kevin on Tuesday 12th May 2009.Please submit your question for Lionel Shriver in the comment section on the form below or ring us on (+44) 207 5571619.

Mohsin Hamid talks to Harriett Gilbert and an invited audience about his bestselling novel The Reluctant Fundamentalist. Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2007 Mohsin Hamid's The Reluctant Fundamentalist is a sparse, gripping, short novel that tackles the complex issues of Islamic fundamentalism and America's 'war on terror' with sympathy and balance.Book list: Title: The Reluctant Fundamentalist Author: Mohsin Hamid Publisher: Penguin ISBN-13: 978-0-141-02954-2If you'd like to take part in a future World Book Club, here's your chance. Egyptian writer Nawal El Saadawi will be talking about her classic novel Woman at Point Zero on Friday 3rd April 2009 and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie will be discussing her bestselling novel Half of a Yellow Sun on 7th April 2009.Please submit your question for Nawal El Saadawi or Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie in the comment section on the form below or ring us on (+44) 207 5571619.

Harriett Gilbert talks to David Guterson about his novel Snow Falling on Cedars.

Harriett Gilbert talks to Toni Morrison about her novel Beloved. Recorded in January 2009.(Photo: BBC)

Harriett Gilbert talks to Nobel Laureate Derek Walcott about his epic poem Omeros, which explores ancient themes of displacement and exile in a modern Caribbean setting.

Harriett Gilbert talks to Alice Walker about her novel The Color Purple.

American writer Annie Proulx talks about her prize-winning novel 'The Shipping News' and her short story 'Brokeback Mountain'.

David Lodge discusses his acclaimed novel 'Nice Work'.

To mark the 50th anniversary of the first publication of the acclaimed African novel ‘Things Fall Apart’, we are repeating the memorable World Book Club with bestselling Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe.

American author John Irving discusses his bestselling novel 'The World According to Garp', the tragicomic lifestory of the author TS Garp.

Harriett Gilbert talks to Khaled Hosseini about his book The Kite Runner.

Best-selling English writer Sebastian Faulks talks about his heart-rending novel of love and war, Birdsong.

Best-selling American author Jane Smiley discusses A Thousand Acres, her ambitious re-imagining of Shakespeare's King Lear transposed onto an Iowan farmstead, which won the Pulitzer Prize.

American crime writer Patricia Cornwell talks about Post Mortem, the first novel in her celebrated Kay Scarpetta series.

Irish writer Edna O'Brien discusses The Country Girls, her novel about adolescence set in 1950's Ireland.

Italian author Umberto Eco discusses his novel The Name of the Rose, set in a 14th Century Franciscan monastery and answers questions from an invited audience.(Photo: Umberto Eco)

American crime writer Sara Paretsky talks to Harriett Gilbert about her detective novel 'Indemnity Only'.

A special fifth-anniversary edition of the World Book Club with the Sri Lankan-born, Canadian author Michael Ondaatje who discusses his best-loved novel 'The English Patient'.Image: Michael Ondaatje, Credit: Prakash SinghAFP/Getty Images

Harriett Gilbert talks to American author Armistead Maupin about his novel Tales of the City.

Thomas Keneally discusses his novel Schindler's Ark published in 1982 - released as Schindler's List in the USA. It is based on the true story of Oskar Schindler, who is credited with saving hundreds of Jews in Poland and Czechoslovakia from death during World War II by employing them in his factory. Presenter: Harriett Gilbert.(Photo: Tom Keneally) (Credit: BBC)

Richard Dawkins answers questions from an audience and sent in by BBC listeners about his international best-seller, The Selfish Gene. Presenter: Harriett Gilbert.

Wole Soyinka talks about his memoirs Ake: The Years of Childhood. Presenter: Harriett Gilbert

World Book club with author Mario Vargas Llosa.

Author Irvine Welsh talks about his internationally best-selling novel Trainspotting and If You Liked School, You'll Love Work. Presenter: Harriett Gilbert.

Scottish author, Iain Banks answers questions from an audience and sent in by BBC listeners about his controversial first novel, The Wasp Factory. Presenter: Harriett Gilbert.

Yann Martel, author of Life of Pi, talked to World Book Club in April 2014. His fantasy novel tells the tale of the shipwreck and survival of Pi Patel, a 16-year-ld boy - also a hyena, a zebra with a broken leg, an orang-utan and a huge Bengal tiger. Yann was born in Spain and lives in Canada. The book has since been adapted as a film by Ang Lee.

Rose Tremain answers questions from an audience and sent in by World Service listeners about her international best-seller, Restoration, set in the time of Charles II in 17th Century England. Presenter: Harriett Gilbert.

William Boyd discusses his novel Brazzaville Beach with Harriett Gilbert

Interview with special guest John le Carre about his recent novel “The Perfect Spy” Presenter: Harriett Gilbert.

Presenter: Harriett Gilbert. Frank McCourt joins an audience of World Service listeners to discuss his book Angela's Ashes.

Arnold Wesker joins an audience of World Service listeners to discuss his classic play Chicken Soup with Barley. Presented by Harriett Gilbert.

Presenter: Harriett Gilbert. Ian Rankin joins an audience of World Service listeners to discuss his novel Black and Blue.

The World Book Club talks to author Joanna Trollope about her book The Rector's Wife. Presenter: Harriett Gilbert.

Kurt Vonnegut joins an audience of World Service listeners to answer questions about his novel Slaughterhouse-Five

Orhan Pamuk joins an audience of World Service listeners to answer questions about his novel My Name is Red (Benim Adım Kırmızı).

From the British Library in London, Alexander McCall Smith talks to the programme as well as an audience for a question and answer session. Presenter: Harriett Gilbert

Scott Turow joins an audience of World Service listeners to answer questions about his 1987 crime novel Presumed Innocent.

The British author, Louis De Bernieres answers questions from an audience and sent in by BBC listeners about his novel, Captain Corelli's Mandolin. Presenter: Harriett Gilbert.(Photo: Louis de Bernieres in his study, holding a mandolin) (Credit: BBC)

Philip Pullman talks about his book and takes questions on his book The Northen Lights part of the His Dark Materials trilogy.(Photo: Philip Pullman. Credit: Getty Images)