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The Radio 2 Book Club

The Radio 2 Book Club

By: BBC Radio 2
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The Radio 2 Book club celebrates the best in new fiction and recommends great reads. Sara will be interviewing top authors about their latest novels, and she’ll be catching up with librarians and reading groups from across the UK. Whether you’re after a summer blockbuster, a twist-filled thriller, or want to curl up with a heart-warming love story, Sara has you covered!

(C) BBC 2026
Art Literary History & Criticism
Episodes
  • Who will win The Booker Prize?
    Oct 27 2026

    Sara welcomes former librarian turned book influencer, Simon Savidge, back to the Radio 2 Book Club to discuss this year's Booker Prize.

    The Booker is one of the world's leading literary prizes and often influences what people read at this time of year. In this episode - Simon takes us through the shortlist book by book, and gives us his thoughts on who might (and who should, in his opinion) win!

    The shortlist is:

    • The End of Everything by M. John Harrison • The Disappearers by Marlon James • Black Bag by Luke Kennard • May We Feed the King by Rebecca Perry • The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout • John of John by Douglas Stuart

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    11 mins
  • 'Contrapposto' by Dave Eggers
    Oct 19 2026

    Author, publisher and Pulitzer Prize finalist, Dave Eggers, joins Sara for a chat about his new novel 'Contrapposto'.

    They discuss his inspirations for the story, his fascination with the art world - and - how Dave himself studied as a Draughtsman. They talk about long lasting friendships, bickering, love and the endurance of art.

    Dave also recommends us a book he has read recently and loved!

    Here's a little more info on his novel: Cricket is just a shy kid who likes drawing when he first meets Olympia. She's older, more confident; she bullies him into some light vandalism and instantly he's in love. When they're together, they talk about their futures, how they're going to travel the world, the beauty and rapture of art.

    Then those futures start to arrive in unexpected ways, the years and decades pile up between them, the art world seduces and disappoints and frustrates them. And they have to figure out, again and again, what it is to be an artist, and who and what to love.

    This is a wild and beautiful novel about two friends who believe they can change the world, if only they can start their own movement, dodge charlatans, remain open-eyed and open-hearted, avoid going mad, avoid dying young of rare cancers, stay true to their ideals and never tire of beauty. Not easy, but not impossible, either.

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    17 mins
  • The best books we've ever read
    Oct 13 2026

    As part of Radio 2's Book Week celebrations, Sara Cox asked a whole host of comedians, actors, authors - and Radio 2 Presenters - to share their favourite books and tell us why they love them so much.

    Here's our list of featured guests and their book choices!

    (This is your reading list sorted for the next couple of year)

    Stephen Graham - 'Jonathan Livingston Seagull' by Richard Bach

    Dame Jaqueline Wilson - 'I Capture The Castle' by Dodie Smith

    Mel Giedroyc - 'One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish' by Dr. Seuss

    Clive Myrie - 'A Christmas Carol' by Charles Dickens

    Susie Dent - 'Le Grand Meaulnes' by Henri Alain-Fournier

    Lee Child - 'Ice Station Zebra' by Alistair Maclean

    Mark Radcliffe - 'As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning' by Laurie Lee

    Sir Lenny Henry - 'The Cat In The Hat' by Dr. Seuss

    Philip Pullman - 'Sir Patrick Spens' by Anonymous

    Marian Keyes - 'Cold Comfort Farm' by Stella Gibbons

    Val McDermid - 'The Crow Road' by Iain Banks

    Matt Lucas - 'Oliver Twist' by Charles Dickens

    Jamie Oliver - 'Kitchen Confidential' by Anthony Bourdain

    OJ Borge - 'A Short History of Nearly Everything' by Bill Bryson

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    23 mins
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