James Crawford
@jdcrawf.bsky.social
THE EDGE OF THE PLAIN @canongatebooks @wwnorton | WILD HISTORY @BirlinnBooks | Presenter @BBCRadio4 TAKE FOUR BOOKS | Editor @PolygonBooks | CHAIR of the Board @edbookfest jamescrawford.space
Today on #TakeFourBooks on BBCR4 I was talking to Karl Ove Knausgaard about new novel THE SCHOOL OF NIGHT and 3 ‘Faustian’ influences incl Thomas Mann & the memoir of @willsergeant.com from @bunnymen.com! Listen now! www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
November 23, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Today on #TakeFourBooks on BBCR4 I was talking to Karl Ove Knausgaard about new novel THE SCHOOL OF NIGHT and 3 ‘Faustian’ influences incl Thomas Mann & the memoir of @willsergeant.com from @bunnymen.com! Listen now! www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
Loved having brill @olgaravn.bsky.social on BBCR4’s #TakeFourBooks today - talking about her new novel THE WAX CHILD & 3 influences inc M.R. James and a book of southern Italian spells! 📚📻🎧https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002m96r
November 16, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Loved having brill @olgaravn.bsky.social on BBCR4’s #TakeFourBooks today - talking about her new novel THE WAX CHILD & 3 influences inc M.R. James and a book of southern Italian spells! 📚📻🎧https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002m96r
If you are interested in books, reading and the power of story, then listen to this BBC R4 chat I had with the brilliant Katherine Rundell. We're talking about her new @bloomsburybooksuk.bsky.social novel The Poisoned King, but much more too, from Hamlet to Le Guin! 📚👇🎧
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
November 9, 2025 at 4:00 PM
If you are interested in books, reading and the power of story, then listen to this BBC R4 chat I had with the brilliant Katherine Rundell. We're talking about her new @bloomsburybooksuk.bsky.social novel The Poisoned King, but much more too, from Hamlet to Le Guin! 📚👇🎧
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
Listen now to my BBC Radio 4 chat with Chris Kraus on her new “true-crime” novel THE FOUR SPENT THE DAY TOGETHER & her 3 influences including Norman Mailer & Phil Neel 📚🎧👇
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
October 26, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Listen now to my BBC Radio 4 chat with Chris Kraus on her new “true-crime” novel THE FOUR SPENT THE DAY TOGETHER & her 3 influences including Norman Mailer & Phil Neel 📚🎧👇
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
I was on Radio4's Front Row last night with @nationalgalleries.bsky.social Louise Pearson talking about NGS exhibition of Alfred Buckham's aerial photography & my own experience of taking to the sky in open cockpit (I also wrote intro to the exhibition catalogue!)
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www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
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www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
October 16, 2025 at 11:13 AM
I was on Radio4's Front Row last night with @nationalgalleries.bsky.social Louise Pearson talking about NGS exhibition of Alfred Buckham's aerial photography & my own experience of taking to the sky in open cockpit (I also wrote intro to the exhibition catalogue!)
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www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
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www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
Today on #TakeFourBooks Booker-winner John Banville is talking about his new @faberbooks.bsky.social
novel 'Venetian Vespers' & 3 haunting, Venice-based influences, including (stories & films) Don't Look Now & Death in Venice!
Listen now!👇🎧📚
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
novel 'Venetian Vespers' & 3 haunting, Venice-based influences, including (stories & films) Don't Look Now & Death in Venice!
Listen now!👇🎧📚
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
October 12, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Today on #TakeFourBooks Booker-winner John Banville is talking about his new @faberbooks.bsky.social
novel 'Venetian Vespers' & 3 haunting, Venice-based influences, including (stories & films) Don't Look Now & Death in Venice!
Listen now!👇🎧📚
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
novel 'Venetian Vespers' & 3 haunting, Venice-based influences, including (stories & films) Don't Look Now & Death in Venice!
Listen now!👇🎧📚
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
This week on #TakeFourBooks on BBC Radio 4 I was talking to William Boyd about his new spy novel 'The Predicament' and 3 influences Lawrence Durrell, Len Deighton and John Le Carre - also with guest @louisewelsh00.bsky.social - listen now!
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www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
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www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
September 29, 2025 at 10:19 AM
This week on #TakeFourBooks on BBC Radio 4 I was talking to William Boyd about his new spy novel 'The Predicament' and 3 influences Lawrence Durrell, Len Deighton and John Le Carre - also with guest @louisewelsh00.bsky.social - listen now!
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www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
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www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
Coming up later today on BBC Radio 4 I'm talking to Graham Norton on #TakeFourBooks about his latest novel Frankie, along with 3 influences - Elizabeth Bowen, Armistead Maupin & Gabrielle Zevin (and bonus influence Charlie Brown!) - at 4pm 👇🎧📚
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
September 21, 2025 at 12:09 PM
Coming up later today on BBC Radio 4 I'm talking to Graham Norton on #TakeFourBooks about his latest novel Frankie, along with 3 influences - Elizabeth Bowen, Armistead Maupin & Gabrielle Zevin (and bonus influence Charlie Brown!) - at 4pm 👇🎧📚
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
Loved talking to Ian McEwan (& @damedenisemina.bsky.social!) on BBCRadio4
#TakeFourBooks about climate, memory & the way the past haunts the present in his new @jonathancape.bsky.social novel WHAT WE CAN KNOW with 3 influences incl the epic
Footsteps by Richard Holmes
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
#TakeFourBooks about climate, memory & the way the past haunts the present in his new @jonathancape.bsky.social novel WHAT WE CAN KNOW with 3 influences incl the epic
Footsteps by Richard Holmes
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
September 14, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Loved talking to Ian McEwan (& @damedenisemina.bsky.social!) on BBCRadio4
#TakeFourBooks about climate, memory & the way the past haunts the present in his new @jonathancape.bsky.social novel WHAT WE CAN KNOW with 3 influences incl the epic
Footsteps by Richard Holmes
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
#TakeFourBooks about climate, memory & the way the past haunts the present in his new @jonathancape.bsky.social novel WHAT WE CAN KNOW with 3 influences incl the epic
Footsteps by Richard Holmes
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
Listen now to my chat with Melissa Lucashenko on Radio4's #TakeFourBooks about her latest @oneworldbooks.bsky.social novel 'Edenglassie' and 3 influences incl Keri Hulme & Sebastian Barry (recorded with @rodgeglass.bsky.social & live audience at @edbookfest.bsky.social) www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
August 31, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Listen now to my chat with Melissa Lucashenko on Radio4's #TakeFourBooks about her latest @oneworldbooks.bsky.social novel 'Edenglassie' and 3 influences incl Keri Hulme & Sebastian Barry (recorded with @rodgeglass.bsky.social & live audience at @edbookfest.bsky.social) www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
Listen to my chat with Sarah Hall on #TakeFourBooks on BBC Radio4 discussing new @faberbooks.bsky.social novel HELM (the first book to have a wind as its main character?) & 3 influences incl George Saunders & Angela Carter. With Alan McMunnigall of @thiwurd.bsky.social! www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
August 24, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Listen to my chat with Sarah Hall on #TakeFourBooks on BBC Radio4 discussing new @faberbooks.bsky.social novel HELM (the first book to have a wind as its main character?) & 3 influences incl George Saunders & Angela Carter. With Alan McMunnigall of @thiwurd.bsky.social! www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
Listen now on BBC Radio4 to my chat with Rachel Kushner and live audience @edbookfest.bsky.social for #TakeFourBooks - talking about Creation Lake and 3 influences including Nabokov's Pale Fire and radical 1970s French crime noir! Also with @andrewmeehanesq.bsky.social
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
August 17, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Listen now on BBC Radio4 to my chat with Rachel Kushner and live audience @edbookfest.bsky.social for #TakeFourBooks - talking about Creation Lake and 3 influences including Nabokov's Pale Fire and radical 1970s French crime noir! Also with @andrewmeehanesq.bsky.social
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
Listen now to @irvinewelsh.bsky.social on #TakeFourBooks on BBC Radio 4 - talking Trainspotting sequel 'Men In Love' and his 3 influences, no less than James Joyce, Marcel Proust and Bill Shakespeare! Also with guest @kirstininnes.bsky.social
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August 10, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Listen now to @irvinewelsh.bsky.social on #TakeFourBooks on BBC Radio 4 - talking Trainspotting sequel 'Men In Love' and his 3 influences, no less than James Joyce, Marcel Proust and Bill Shakespeare! Also with guest @kirstininnes.bsky.social
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www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
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www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
Listen now to our Radio4 #TakeFourBooks chat with @damedenisemina.bsky.social about new novel ‘The Good Liar’, and 3 influences - 1984, Obedience to Authority and the Dorothy Thompson’s essay ‘Who Goes Nazi?’ - also with Kim Sherwood! 👇🎧📻📚
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
July 27, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Listen now to our Radio4 #TakeFourBooks chat with @damedenisemina.bsky.social about new novel ‘The Good Liar’, and 3 influences - 1984, Obedience to Authority and the Dorothy Thompson’s essay ‘Who Goes Nazi?’ - also with Kim Sherwood! 👇🎧📻📚
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
Listen now to my chat on Radio4 with Gurnaik Johal on his debut @serpents-tail.bsky.social novel Saraswati on #TakeFourBooks: where a lost river re-emerges in contemporary India. His 3 influences include @amitav.bsky.social, Joseph Conrad and poet Natalie Diaz! www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
July 20, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Listen now to my chat on Radio4 with Gurnaik Johal on his debut @serpents-tail.bsky.social novel Saraswati on #TakeFourBooks: where a lost river re-emerges in contemporary India. His 3 influences include @amitav.bsky.social, Joseph Conrad and poet Natalie Diaz! www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
Listen now to my chat with Colm Toibin on #TakeFourBooks on Radio 4 - talking about Long Island (his first sequel!) and three influences, Hardy, Conrad & Wharton - also with @jancarsonwrites.bsky.social! www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
July 13, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Listen now to my chat with Colm Toibin on #TakeFourBooks on Radio 4 - talking about Long Island (his first sequel!) and three influences, Hardy, Conrad & Wharton - also with @jancarsonwrites.bsky.social! www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
Listen now to my chat on Radio 4's #TakeFourBooks with Madeleine Thien about her new, time-warping @grantabooks.bsky.social novel of war, exile and refugees, 'The Book of Records' - and her three influences, including the evergreen 'Invisible Cities' by Italo Calvino...
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
June 29, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Listen now to my chat on Radio 4's #TakeFourBooks with Madeleine Thien about her new, time-warping @grantabooks.bsky.social novel of war, exile and refugees, 'The Book of Records' - and her three influences, including the evergreen 'Invisible Cities' by Italo Calvino...
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
A joy to talk to @wednesdayerskin.bsky.social about her new, polyphonic novel 'The Benefactors' on #TakeFourBooks, along with 3 influences Chernobyl Prayer, The Slap and @larapawson.bsky.social's This Is The Place to Be - listen now on Radio 4 & BBC Sounds!
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
June 22, 2025 at 2:56 PM
A joy to talk to @wednesdayerskin.bsky.social about her new, polyphonic novel 'The Benefactors' on #TakeFourBooks, along with 3 influences Chernobyl Prayer, The Slap and @larapawson.bsky.social's This Is The Place to Be - listen now on Radio 4 & BBC Sounds!
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
Listen to us chat to Elif Shafak behind the scenes at @hayfestival.bsky.social on R4 #TakeFourBooks: talking 'There Are Rivers in the Sky' & 3 influences including the earliest recorded poem The Epic of Gilgamesh - along with first national poet of Wales, Gwyneth Lewis! www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
June 15, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Listen to us chat to Elif Shafak behind the scenes at @hayfestival.bsky.social on R4 #TakeFourBooks: talking 'There Are Rivers in the Sky' & 3 influences including the earliest recorded poem The Epic of Gilgamesh - along with first national poet of Wales, Gwyneth Lewis! www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
Listen now to latest #TakeFourBooks recorded at @hayfestival.bsky.social - Andrew Miller talking about his latest novel 'The Land in Winter' & influences including a book about a mad, 300-page party - with excellent @joannechocolat.bsky.social as guest! 👇🎧
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
June 8, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Listen now to latest #TakeFourBooks recorded at @hayfestival.bsky.social - Andrew Miller talking about his latest novel 'The Land in Winter' & influences including a book about a mad, 300-page party - with excellent @joannechocolat.bsky.social as guest! 👇🎧
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
#TakeFourBooks has been at the Hay Festival for the past few days - including a show in front of live audience for the first time with Andrew Miller & @joannechocolat.bsky.social and lovely interview today with @elifsafak.bsky.social and poet Gwyneth Lewis - look out for Radio 4 broadcasts v soon! 🎧
May 26, 2025 at 4:36 PM
#TakeFourBooks has been at the Hay Festival for the past few days - including a show in front of live audience for the first time with Andrew Miller & @joannechocolat.bsky.social and lovely interview today with @elifsafak.bsky.social and poet Gwyneth Lewis - look out for Radio 4 broadcasts v soon! 🎧
On latest #TakeFourBooks I’m talking to poet and memoirist Sean Hewitt about his debut novel ‘Open Heaven’ & 3 influences including E M Forster’s Maurice, LP Hartley’s The Go-Between and Edna O’Brien’s The Country Girls! Listen now 🎧📻📚 www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
May 25, 2025 at 3:55 PM
On latest #TakeFourBooks I’m talking to poet and memoirist Sean Hewitt about his debut novel ‘Open Heaven’ & 3 influences including E M Forster’s Maurice, LP Hartley’s The Go-Between and Edna O’Brien’s The Country Girls! Listen now 🎧📻📚 www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
I talked to Ocean Vuong on #TakeFourBooks on BBC Radio 4 about his new @vintagebooks.bsky.social novel “The Emperor of Gladness” and his three influences, including The Brothers Karamazov and Jack Kerouac - listen now! 📚🎧👇
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
May 18, 2025 at 4:15 PM
I talked to Ocean Vuong on #TakeFourBooks on BBC Radio 4 about his new @vintagebooks.bsky.social novel “The Emperor of Gladness” and his three influences, including The Brothers Karamazov and Jack Kerouac - listen now! 📚🎧👇
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
I'm talking to Sir Ben Okri about new book 'Madame Sosostris & The Festival for the Broken-Hearted' (@headofzeus.bsky.social) on BBC Radio4's #TakeFourBooks, with influences 'The Waste Land', 'The Outsider', Shakespeare & bonus book we both love: Les Grand Meaulnes!🎧👇
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
May 11, 2025 at 3:36 PM
I'm talking to Sir Ben Okri about new book 'Madame Sosostris & The Festival for the Broken-Hearted' (@headofzeus.bsky.social) on BBC Radio4's #TakeFourBooks, with influences 'The Waste Land', 'The Outsider', Shakespeare & bonus book we both love: Les Grand Meaulnes!🎧👇
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
4pm BBCRadio4 #TakeFourBooks @vincenzo.bsky.social
is talking to me about his International @thebookerprizes.bsky.social shortlisted @fitzcarraldoeds.bsky.social novel 'Perfection' on the emptiness of contemporary existence, and 3 influences, incl Patricia Lockwood www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
is talking to me about his International @thebookerprizes.bsky.social shortlisted @fitzcarraldoeds.bsky.social novel 'Perfection' on the emptiness of contemporary existence, and 3 influences, incl Patricia Lockwood www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
April 27, 2025 at 2:50 PM
4pm BBCRadio4 #TakeFourBooks @vincenzo.bsky.social
is talking to me about his International @thebookerprizes.bsky.social shortlisted @fitzcarraldoeds.bsky.social novel 'Perfection' on the emptiness of contemporary existence, and 3 influences, incl Patricia Lockwood www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
is talking to me about his International @thebookerprizes.bsky.social shortlisted @fitzcarraldoeds.bsky.social novel 'Perfection' on the emptiness of contemporary existence, and 3 influences, incl Patricia Lockwood www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...