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Richard Ford talks to Alex Clark about his latest novel Be Mine. Ford has written about American life through his character Frank Bascombe for nearly forty years though The Sportswriter to Independence Day and Lay of the Land. This time Frank undertakes a road trip across the country with his son who is dying of ALS - a form of motor neurone disease – and their journey is both tender and tough, filled with wit. Ford discusses his writing, passion for observation and unerring faith in the US political institutions.

Richard T Kelly, author of Crusaders and The Knives, takes his keen political eye in his new novel to the early days of North Sea oil exploration. Alex talks to Richard Kelly about The Black Eden, the story of his five young men whose lives are shaped by the black gold that lies beneath the sea.

And, as the fighting in Sudan continues, writer Fatin Abbas tells us about three novels which help to shed light on the country's complex history.

Book List – Sunday 9 July and Thursday 13 July

Be Mine by Richard Ford
The Sportswriter by Richard Ford
Independence Day by Richard Ford
The Lay of the Land by Richard Ford
Guests of the Nation by Frank O'Connor
Black Eden by Richard T Kelly
Crusaders by Richard T Kelly
The Knives by Richard T Kelly
What Maisie Knew by Henry James
Oil! By Upton Sinclair
Cities of Salt by Abdul Rahman Munif: Translated by Peter Theroux
Oil on Water by Helon Habila
Ghost Season by Fatin Abbas
River Spirit by Leila Aboulela
Season of Migration to the North by Tayeb Salih: Translated by Denys Johnson-Davies
Edo’s Souls by Stella Gaitano: Translated by Sawad Hussain