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Take Four Books

BBC Radio 4
Literary Influence
Art
The Party
A Case Of Matricide
Women's Freedom
Lockdown
Betrayal
Activism
Moby Dick
The Lord Of the Rings
Love
Petersburg
Covid-19
Revolution
The Proof Of My Innocence
Old Soul
Renaissance
Florence
BBC Radio 4
Writing

Presenter James Crawford looks at an author's latest work and delves further into their creative process by learning about the three other texts that have shaped their writing.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes36Foundeda year ago
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Artwork for Take Four Books

Latest Episodes

Booker Prize winning Irish author John Banville speaks about his new novel Venetian Vespers and together with presenter James Crawford they explore its connections to three other works of literary art.

Set in the year 1899, Venetian Vespers is told... more

Booker shortlisted writer William Boyd speaks to Take Four Books this week about his new spy novel, The Predicament, and together with presenter James Crawford, and the crime writer Louise Welsh, they explore its connections to three other literary w... more

BAFTA Award-winning broadcaster and novelist Graham Norton discusses Frankie, his fifth novel, which centres on the life of an apparently unremarkable Irish woman in her eighties as she recounts her story to a young carer.

Graham Norton shares the t... more

Booker prize winning author, Ian McEwan, speaks to Take Four Books, about his new novel, What We Can Know, and explores its connections to three other literary works. What We Can Know is set almost a hundred years in the future in a Britain much of w... more

Key Facts

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Number of Listeners
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Recent Guests

Mary Dorcey
Acclaimed Irish author, poet, and LGBT-plus activist
Episode: Graham Norton
Denise Mina
Multi-award-winning novelist
Episode: Ian McEwan
Rodge Glass
Writer and academic, lecturer in literature and creative writing at the University of Strathclyde
University of Strathclyde
Episode: Melissa Lucashenko
Alan McMunnigal
Founder of the independent publisher, The Word
The Word
Episode: Sarah Hall
Rachel Kushner
Celebrated American novelist, twice Booker nominated, author of best-selling works
Episode: Rachel Kushner
Kirstin Innes
Award-winning novelist and journalist
Episode: Irvine Welsh
Kim Sherwood
Award-winning author and lecturer in creative writing at the University of Edinburgh
Episode: Denise Mina
Preti Taneja
Multi-award winning writer, professor of world literature and creative writing at Newcastle University, and former BBC New Generation thinker.
Newcastle University
Episode: Gurnaik Johal
Colm Tóibín
Multi-award-winning, three-times-booker shortlisted Irish author, short story writer, essayist, playwright and poet.
Episode: Colm Tóibín

Host

James Crawford
Host of Take Four Books, focusing on literary discussions and authors' creative processes.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#17
United Kingdom/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#50
United Kingdom/Arts
Apple Podcasts
#74
Canada/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#211
Canada/Arts
Apple Podcasts
#35
Italy/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#58
Italy/Arts
Apple Podcasts
#97
Australia/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#225
France/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#25
Norway/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#35
Spain/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#39
Ireland/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#51
Netherlands/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#52
South Korea/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#64
Belgium/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#80
Norway/Arts
Apple Podcasts
#83
South Africa/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#83
Spain/Arts
Apple Podcasts
#94
South Korea/Arts
Apple Podcasts
#106
Ireland/Arts
Apple Podcasts
#131
New Zealand/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#142
Hong Kong/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#147
Netherlands/Arts
Apple Podcasts
#156
Belgium/Arts
Apple Podcasts
#162
Finland/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#188
South Africa/Arts
Apple Podcasts
#191
Switzerland/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#205
Singapore/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#215
Japan/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#224
Denmark/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#237
Ukraine/Arts/Books

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

William Boyd
Q: What is the significance of betrayal in spy novels?
The life of a spy echoes the human condition, incorporating themes of betrayal, identity change, and moral complexity that readers find relatable.
William Boyd
Q: Why did you choose the 1960s as the setting for your novels?
The 1960s, particularly the Cold War, is the classic domain for spies, allowing for analog spying without modern technology.
William Boyd
Q: Who is Gabriel Dax? And how has he found himself tangled up in the spying world?
Gabriel Dax is a young, successful travel writer who becomes involved in espionage due to requests from his brother and a mysterious woman named Faith Green.
Graham Norton
Q: Did Armistead Maupin influence how you wanted to write about it and handle it in your novel?
Graham mentions that although he didn't intend to write about AIDS, it became an inevitable and emotional aspect of Frankie's life story.
Graham Norton
Q: What do you think you were drawing from Elizabeth Bowen and The Last September in your own novel, Frankie?
Graham reflects on the theme of community within a community and the pressures faced by individuals in small worlds.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Take Four Books

What is Take Four Books about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Focusing on the exploration of contemporary literature, this podcast features engaging discussions with authors about their latest works and the influential texts that have shaped their creative processes. Each episode typically highlights the thematic intricacies of a featured book while diving into the authors' inspirations, offering insights into their writing styles and the literary influences they draw upon. Noteworthy for its in-depth approach, listeners can expect rich conversations that illuminate not only the featured author's work but also the broader literary landscape, including historic and contemporary texts that resonate within the literary community.

Where can I find podcast stats for Take Four Books?

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How many listeners does Take Four Books get?

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What are the audience demographics for Take Four Books?

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How many subscribers and views does Take Four Books have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Take Four Books has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Take Four Books?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Take Four Books:

1. Bookclub
2. The Waterstones Podcast
3. World Book Club
4. Ask Penguin
5. Backlisted

How many episodes of Take Four Books are there?

Take Four Books launched a year ago and published 36 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Take Four Books?

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What guests have appeared on Take Four Books?

Recent guests on Take Four Books include:

1. Mary Dorcey
2. Denise Mina
3. Rodge Glass
4. Alan McMunnigal
5. Rachel Kushner
6. Kirstin Innes
7. Kim Sherwood
8. Preti Taneja

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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