Booker Prize authors to meet Front Row listeners in new BBC coverage

BBC Radio 4 series "Front Row" has announced Booker Prize-shortlisted authors will meet its listeners as part of new plans to cover the award.

Designed to encourage debate and discussion as part of the wider year-long literature season on the BBC, six book groups will be launched ahead of the 2019 Booker Prize winner announcement on 14th October.

The groups will feature the six shortlisted authors, who will meet listeners to discuss their works. Over three weeks, starting on 23rd September, the groups will offer insight into the novels vying for the coveted award.

Margaret Atwood will be joined by listeners to talk about The Testaments (Chatto & Windus), while Lucy Ellmann meets her group to consider her epic Ducks, Newburyport (Galley Beggar Press).

Girl, Woman, Other is under the spotlight when listeners sit down with Evaristo (Hamish Hamilton) and the group meeting Chigozie Obioma discuss his second Booker Prize-shortlisted work, An Orchestra of Minorities (Little, Brown).

Former winner Salman Rushdie brings his group Quichotte (Jonathan Cape), a reimagined Don Quixote while Turkish writer Elif Shafak examines the themes in her latest title, 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World (Viking).

Elsewhere, on 9th October, 5 Live’s Sarah Brett will be speaking to some of the shortlisted authors as part of Must Read, her new late night programme on air from 10.30pm to 1am every weeknight.  

As in previous years, BBC News will also report on the award ceremony on 14th October across the BBC News Channel and associated news programmes.