World Book Club

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)

Maya Angelou answers listeners questions about her autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Presenter: Harriett Gilbert.

Salman Rushdie talks to an audience and takes questions on his award winning book Midnight's Children. Presented by Harriett Gilbert.

Andre Brink joins an audience of World Service listeners to discuss his novel A Dry White Season.

Author of "Blonde" Joyce Carol Oates answers questions about her novel. Presenter: Harriett Gilbert.

Carlos Fuentes joins an audience of World Service listeners to discuss his novel The Death of Artemio Cruz.

Nick Hornby talks to an audience about his book about being an Arsenal football fan Fever Pitch. Presented by Harriett Gilbert.

Vikram Seth joins an audience of World Service listeners to discuss his novel A Suitable Boy. Presented by Harriett Gilbert. Recorded May 2005.(Photo: BBC)

Ian McEwan discusses his 20th century familiy saga about the need for atonement

Zadie Smith talks to an audience about her novel 'White Teeth'. Presented by Harriett Gilbert.

P.D. James joins an audience of World Service listeners to discuss her novel 'Original Sin'. Presenter: Harriett Gilbert.

Writer Paulo Coelho talks about his book The Alchemist which has been translated into dozens of languages and has sold over 27 million copies worldwide. Presented by Harriett Gilbert.(Photo: Paulo Coelho, 2010) (Credit: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

Kazuo Ishiguro joins Harriett Gilbert and an audience of World Service listeners to discuss his classic novel The Remains Of The Day.(Photo: Kazuo Ishiguro. Credit: Jeff Overs/BBC)

Anita Desai joins an audience of World Service listeners to discuss her 1999 novel 'Fasting, Feasting'. Presented by Harriett Gilbert. Broadcast in September 2004.(Photo: Anita Desai) (Credit: Jerry Bauer)

Roddy Doyle talks about his novel The Commitments. Presented by Harriett Gilbert.

Amos Oz joins an audience of World Service listeners to discuss his novel 'My Michael'. Presented by Harriett Gilbert at the Edinburgh International Book Festival.

South African novelist, Gillian Slovo talks about her novel 'Red Dust'. Presented by Harriett Gilbert.

Tracy Chevalier joins an audience of World Service listeners to discuss her novel 'Girl With A Pearl Earring'.Image: Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer, Credit: Vincenzo Pinto/AFP/Getty Images

Author Martin Cruz Smith talks about his novel Gorky Park. Presented by Harriett Gilbert from California in a special co-production with San Francisco radio station KALW

Amy Tan joins an audience of World Service listeners to discuss her novel The Joy Luck Club.

Chilean novelist Isabel Allende joins an audience of World Service listeners to discuss her novel 'The House of the Spirits'. First broadcast in November 2003. (Photo credit: Lori Barra.)

Frederick Forsyth joins an audience of World Service listners to discuss his novel 'The Day of the Jackal'. Introduced by Harriett Gilbert. First broadcast in October 2003.(Photo: Frederick Forsyth outside his home in Ireland, 1978) (Credit: Evening Standard/Getty Images)

Peter Carey joins an audience of World Service listeners to discuss his novel 'Oscar and Lucinda'. Introduced by Harriett Gilbert.

Popular British crime writer Ruth Rendell talked to the programme about her work, including that written under her pseudonym Barbara Vine. Ruth Rendell died in May 2015.(Photo: Ruth Rendell) (Credit:Seth Wenig/Reuters)

Julian Barnes joins a World Service audience to discuss his novel 'Flaubert's Parrot'. Presented by Harriett Gilbert.

Prize winning Chinese writer Jung Chang joins a World Service audience to discuss her novel 'Wild Swans'. Presented by Harriett Gilbert.

Author Terry Pratchett talking about The Colour Of Magic in 2003, one of his Discworld series. Terry died in March 2015. The World Book Club was presented by Harriett Gilbert.Photo: Terry Pratchett Credit: PA

The Handmaid's Tale is a dystopian novel by Canadian author Margaret Atwood. The novel explores themes of women in subjugation, and the various means by which they gain agency. Presenter: Harriett Gilbert.

The British author Doris Lessing died on 17 November at the age of 94. As a tribute the BBC World Service revisits Doris Lessing’s discussion with Harriett Gilbert from a 2003 edition of World Book Club, when she talked about her debut novel The Grass is Singing, which was published in 1950. In an introduction to the original interview, Harriett remembers her encounters with Doris Lessing with affection and reminds us of the fact that she became the oldest winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2007 when she won the award for her life’s work.

Hanif Kureishi joins a World Service audience to discuss his book 'The Buddha of Suburbia'. Presented by Harriett Gilbert.

Nobel Prize winner V. S Naipaul discussess his book 'A House for Mr Biswas' with an audience of World Service listeners. Presented by Harriett Gilbert. (Photo: VS Naipaul, Credit: Press Association)

Nigerian born writer Ben Okri discusses his novel The Famished Road. Presenter: Harriett Gilbert.

Indian writer and activist Arundhati Roy talks to the programme about winning the Booker Prize in 1997 for The God of Small Things. Presenter: Harriett Gilbert.(First broadcast December 2002)(Photo: Arundhati Roy) (Credit: HOCINE ZAOURAR/AFP/Getty Images)

Martin Amis joins an audience of World Service listeners to answer questions about his novel Money. Broadcast in October 2002.(Photo: Martin Amis, 2006. Credit: BBC)

What makes Stephen King, not only the Master of Horror, but more than that?(Image: Stephen King speaking in 2009. Credit: Mike Segar/Reuters)