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Andrew Miller, Arthur C Clarke's Last Book, W G Sebald and Translation

Muriel Gray talks to Andrew Miller about his new novel set in wartime Japan. As Arthur C Clarke's final work is published posthumously, she looks at the sci-fi writer's career.

Andrew Miller
Andrew Miller’s new book, One Morning Like A Bird, is about a young poet Yuji, living in Tokyo in the 1940s, with Japan on the brink of war. Muriel talks to Andrew about this period of Japanese history, and how they affected both him and his character.

Arthur C Clarke's Last Book
Following Arthur C Clarke's death earlier this year, his last book was completed by Frederik Pohl, a fellow science fiction author. Muriel is joined by Professor Roger Luckhurst to discuss whether the book is a fitting end to Clarke’s life’s work, and to pick out the highlights of his substantial output.

Children’s Book website tie-ins
Two of the autumn’s most hotly anticipated children's books are accompanied by unusually elaborate websites, which are part of the experience rather than a simple add-on. Caroline Horn, children’s books editor of the Bookseller Magazine, tells Muriel what the consequences will be for children’s literature.

W G Sebald and translation
The work of WG Sebald, the German writer who died at the tragically young age of 57 in 2001, has been elevated to cult status. His books, somewhere between fact and fiction, were always written in German, even though he moved to Britain from Germany in the 1960s. Ahead of a major international conference devoted to his work, Muriel talks to his translator, Anthea Bell, about the unique nature of Sebald’s books, and his contribution to the art of translation.

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30 minutes

Broadcasts

  • Sun 31 Aug 2008 16:00
  • Thu 4 Sep 2008 16:00

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