Bookmark

Leigh Chambers’ featured guest is Iain Hood talking about his debut novel, This Good Book. Joanne Limburg discusses living with autism and how it inspired her to write Letters To […]

Leigh Chambers’ guest is Elodie Harper, talking about her novel The Wolf Den sent in ancient Pompeii. Poet, Ian McMillan chats about writing and collaborating with local musician Helefonix on […]

Leigh Chambers’ guest is James Boyce talking about his book Imperial Mud; The Fight for the Fens, a history of the battle for the Fenlands. Jane Taylor chats about her […]

Leigh Chambers’ featured guest is Anna Wharton, talking about her debut novel, The Imposter, a psychological thriller set in Cambridgeshire. Louise Eltscher explains how his heritage prompted him to write […]

Leigh’s featured guest is Chris Whitaker who will be talking about his novel We Begin At The End, currently being adapted for TV by Disney. Sue Burge discusses her new […]

Leigh Chambers’ featured guest is Catherine Menon talking about her debut novel, Fragile Monsters, a family saga set in Malaysia. Lucy Delap discusses her book Feminisms: A Global History. And […]

Bestselling author, Jeffrey Archer, joins Leigh Chambers to choose his favourite music and talk about his new novel, Turn A Blind Eye. Crime writers Mick Finlay and Syd Moore discuss […]

Leigh Chambers’ featured guest is Francis Spufford talking about his dazzling new novel, Light Perpetual. Gytha Lodge chats about her latest psychological thriller, Lie Beside Me. And Dave Lawrence and […]

Leigh Chambers’ featured guest is Susanna Gregory talking about her Matthew Bartholomew series of crime novels sent in 14th century Cambridge. Patricia Fara discusses her book, Life After Gravity, which […]

Leigh Chambers’ featured guest is Edward Parnell, who will be talking about Ghostland, his memoir about his love of ghost stories and the places and people that inspired them. Julian […]

Leigh Chambers’ featured guest is Marian Womack who is talking about her fantasy novel, The Swimmers. Elisabeth Sneade discusses her self-help book on dealing with relationship breakdowns. And Lynn Fraser […]

Leigh Chambers featured guest is naturalist, Mark Cocker, talking about A Claxton Diary, winner of the East Anglian Book of the Year Award. Novelist Jill Dawson reflects on being a […]

Leigh Chambers’ guest is Seb Falk, talking about The Light Ages, which explores medieval ways of thinking and highlights the discoveries made by scientists, astronomers, and mathematicians during the middle […]

Leigh Chambers welcomes Cathy Moore, Director of the Cambridge Literary Festival, as the featured guest on this special edition. She’ll be talking about founding the Festival, running it through the […]

Leigh Chambers’ featured guest is crime writer Alison Bruce, talking about her new novel The Moment Before Impact, set in Cambridge. We hear the results of a collaboration between musical […]

There’s a historical theme to this week’s show. Featured guest is Lucy Bland, talking to Leigh Chambers about her book Brown Babies, a study of the 2,000 or so illegitimate […]

Choosing the music and talking about her writing is featured guest, romantic novelist, Hannah Pearl. Rohan McWilliam discusses his book London’s West End; Creating the Pleasure District. And TJ Corless […]

Leigh Chambers’ guest is Megan Hunter talking about her dazzling second novel, The Harpy. James Raven discusses The Oxford Illustrated History of the Book. And Helen Callaghan chats about her […]

Leigh Chambers’ guest is the poet, Lachlan Mackinnon, talking about his two most recent collections, Doves and Small Hours. Historian Jonathan Schneer discusses The Lockhart Plot, his investigation into an […]

In this first episode of the new series, international bestselling author Ken Follett talks to Leigh Chambers about his new novel, The Evening and The Morning, a prequel to Pillars […]

Leigh Chambers’ featured guest is dramatist, Craig Baxter, talking about his work in podcasts, theatres, on the radio and with community groups. Holly Race chats about her debut Young Adult […]

Leigh Chambers’ featured guest is Jan Casey talking about her debut novel, The Women of Waterloo Bridge, about the true story of the women who built Waterloo Bridge during World War 2. Imogen Alexander from Kettle’s Yard explains why the Cambridge gallery is publishing a book for children about the work of the painter Alfred Wallis. […]

Cambridge is centre-stage in this week’s Bookmark. Leigh Chambers’ featured guest, Christina Koning, chooses the music and talks about her crime novel, End Of Term, which takes place in a fictional Cambridge college. Ann Marie Howell discusses House Of One Hundred Clocks, her latest novel for children, set in Edwardian Cambridge. And Jackie Ashley, former […]

Leigh Chambers’ guest is Azadeh Moaveni talking about her book, Guest House for Young Widows; Among the Women of Isis, which tells the true stories of women who chose to leave their homes, families and country to join the Islamic State in Syria. Cheryl Misak discusses A Sheer Excess of Powers, her biography of mathematician […]

Leigh Chambers’ guests are husband and wife team, Adrian and Judy Reith, talking about their book Act 3: The Art of Growing Older which is full of tips and advice on how to live a happy fulfilled life after 50. Kate Swindlehurst discusses The Tango Effect, a personal account of how dancing Argentine tango helped […]

In an edition first broadcast in 2014, Leigh Chambers and Alex Ruczaj interview Caron Freeborn, whose death was announced recently. A gritty social realist writer and creative writing tutor at ARU, Caron tells us about growing up in the East End with Ronnie Kray as a family friend and the lasting influence her childhood has […]

Dr Helen McCarthy chooses the music, and talks about her new critically acclaimed book Double Lives: A History of Working Motherhood. Sarah Vaughan chats about her latest novel, Little Disasters. And Kate Rhodes explains why the Scilly Isles are perfect for murder in her Hell Bay series of crime novels.

Xu Zhimo’s poem Second Farewell to Cambridge is taught to every schoolchild in China, making it arguably the most famous poem in the world, though it’s little known outside the poet’s homeland. In this Bookmark special Leigh Chambers examines the role it’s played in forging cultural and business links between Cambridge and China, take a […]

Leigh Chambers’ studio guest is Emma Mitchell talking about her book, The Wild Remedy, a diary of her battle with depression and the healing powers of nature. Andre Mangeot discusses his new poetry collection, Blood Rain. And Awais Khan talks about bringing Lahore to life in his debut novel, In The Company Of Strangers.

Leigh Chambers’ studio guest is crime writer, Clare Chase, talking about her new novel Mystery In Hidden Lane. We also celebrate the launch of an anthology of creative writing by students at Cambridge University’s Institute of Continuing Education. And Menna Van Praag chats about her latest magical realism novel, The Sisters Grimm.

Guinevere Glasfurd joins Leigh Chambers to talk about her novel The Year Without Summer, set in the 19th century, and based on the real story of a massive volcano explosion which caused devastation around the world. Sir Christopher Andrew, former historian of MI5, discusses his latest book The Secret World, a history of intelligence and […]

There’s a fantasy theme to this episode of Bookmark. Leigh Chambers’ guest is cartoon, anime and manga artist, Sonia Leong, who talks about putting her stamp on each genre. Mike Harvey discusses Oron Amular, the first book in his fantasy trilogy. And explorer Matt Dickinson explains why he’s taking a break from climbing Everest to […]

Leigh Chambers’ guest is Beth Lynch talking about her memoir, Where The Hornbeam Grows, how her search for a garden helped her overcome grief and, literally, put down roots. Melissa Fu discusses the inspiration behind her debut poetry collection, Falling Outside Eden. And Anna Levin discusses her memoir, Incandescent, about the effect that artificial lighting […]

Leigh Chambers’ guest is David Reynolds talking about his book, Island Stories, which investigates how Britain’s sense of national identity has been shaped, and how that has brought us to Brexit. Simon Parkin discusses his book A Game of Birds and Wolves in which he reveals how a secret war game played helped Britain win […]

For the Christmas Bookmark Leigh Chambers looks at the most popular genre of fiction, crime fiction. Richard Reynolds from Heffers Bookshop joins Leigh to talk about his favourite crime novels of 2019 and some of the outstanding crime authors based in Cambridge and Cambridgeshire.

This edition has a theme of looking back at the past. The studio guest is Zeba Talkhani talking about her memoir My Past Is A Foreign Country; A Muslim Feminist Finds Herself. Award-winning journalist Amelia Gentleman discusses her book The Windrush Betrayal about the mistreatment by the Home Office of descendants of the Windrush generation. […]

Claire McGlasson talks to Leigh Chambers about her debut novel, The Rapture, based on the real-life story of The Panacea Society, a 1920s religious cult of women who believed that they’d discovered the original Garden of Eden in Bedford. Toby Litt discusses his new novel Patience set in an orphanage in 1979. And Erica Wickerson […]

Leigh Chambers is joined by Jennifer Wallace who’ll be choosing the music and discussing her new book, Tragedy Since 9/11, which argues that a knowledge of tragedy in literature can help us understand tragic events of the 21st century. Children’s writer, Janet Bingham, talks about why she was drawn to the picture book genre. And […]

Nicola Upson talks to Leigh Chambers about her latest novel, Stanley and Elsie, based on the complicated love-life of the artist Stanley Spencer. Dennis Grube discusses his new book Megaphone Democracy, an examination of the increasing role civil servants are playing in political public life. And Kate Fleet and Angela Cogo chat about their bestselling […]

Leigh Chambers’ guest is SA Harris who’ll be choosing the music and chatting about her spooky new novel, Haverscroft. Joe Nutt explains why he felt compelled to write The Point of Poetry. And we listen in on a Cambridge reading group as they discuss a Booker shortlisted novel.

Leigh Chambers studio guest is Louise Ells talking about her debut short story collection, Notes Towards Recovery, based on her experience of surviving a category 5 hurricane. Erin Kelly discusses her new suspense novel, Stone Mothers. And Sarah Watling reveals what compelled her to write Noble Savages, a biography of the Olivier sisters.

James Delargy joins Leigh Chambers to discuss his debut novel, 55, a psychological thriller about a serial killer. 12 year old Farrah Lucas reads her prize-winning short story. And Mandy Morton chats about Beyond the Gravy, the latest in her No. 2. Feline Detective Agency series. Last in the present series.

Stephen Davis, joins Leigh on Bookmark to talk about his new book Truthteller: An Investigative Reporter’s Journey Through the World of Truth Prevention, Fake News and Conspiracy Theories. Catherine Lawless explains how writing her novel, Beach Hut, helped her cope with severe agrophobia. And Claire Handscombe discusses Unscripted, a romance set in Cambridge, and published with the help […]

Leigh Chambers’ studio guest is Michael Bravo talking about his book North Pole: Nature & Culture and why he’s fascinated with the arctic. Juliet Blaxland discusses writing The Easternmost House, her memoir about living on the edge of a cliff in Suffolk. And Harry Sidebottom talks about The Lost Ten, his new standalone novel set […]

Leigh Chambers is joined by Jeremy Dronfield who talks about his non-fiction book The Boy who Followed his Father into Auschwitz, the extraordinary true story of Gustav & Fritz Kleinneman who not only survived the Holocaust but managed to stay together throughout their ordeal. Clare Mulley talks about her biography of Eglantyne Jebb who founded […]

Leigh Chambers is joined by Dr Victoria Bateman, famed for her naked protests, to talk about her first book The Sex Factor; How Women Made The West Rich which examines how women’s status and prosperity influence the economy. Elizabeth Day discusses her memoir How To Fail; Everything I’ve Ever Learned From Things Going Wrong. And […]

Leigh Chambers’ studio guest is Penny Hancock talking about her new novel I Thought I Knew You. We also hear from stand-up comedian turned author, Sam Avery, on his first book The Learner Parent. And Joshua Winning discusses his Sentinel trilogy and why he writes for a YA readership.

There’s a ‘life of others’ theme to this weeks show. Studio guest is award-winning writer Jill Dawson, talking about her new novel The Language of Birds, partly set in the Fens, and based on the Lord Lucan scandal of the 1970s. Whitney Scharer discusses how she fictionalised the life of photographer Lee Miller, in her […]

Leigh Chambers studio guest is historian, Kelcey Wilson-Lee who’s talking about her book Daughters of Chivalry; The Forgotten Children of Edward I. Cambridge Literary Festival Director, Cathy Moore, tells us what to expect in next months Festival. And Jonathan Fennell discusses his epic work Fighting The People’s War; The British and Commonwealth Armies and the […]

Leigh Chambers guest is Michelle Diskin Bates whose memoir Stand Against Injustice details her fight to clear the name of her brother, Barry George, wrongly convicted for the murder of Jill Dando. We also hear from former circuit judge, Peter Murphy, on his latest legal thriller One Law For The Rest Of Us. And children’s […]

Leigh Chambers welcomes crime writer, Elly Griffiths, talking about her latest novel The Stone Circle set in north Norfolk. We also hear from travel writer, Tim Moore, on what he learnt from driving coast-to-coast in the US through Trump voting states in a Ford Model T. And Carol Carman chats about her debut novel, Gingerbread […]