David Vann, Stuart Kelly, Penelope Lively, Suzanne Berne

A magic ring, dwarves, elves, monsters and the battle between good and evil - not the Lord of the Rings, but rather The Saga of the Volsungs, the ancient tale believed to have inspired JRR Tolkein. The Saga is one of a newly republished collection of translations of Icelandic myths and epic Anglo Saxon poetry called Legends of the Ancient North. Author and Beowulf behemoth David Vann and Volsung enthusiast and Man Booker judge Stuart Kelly discuss their centuries old appeal.

The answer to where authors like to write is often a surprising one. From garden sheds to kitchen tables, trains to coffee bars, the locations favoured for imaginative journeys are as diverse as the novels themselves. In a new series we join writers in their designated sanctum and we begin in the North London home of one of the greats - Dame Penelope Lively

Orange Prize winner Suzanne Berne talks to Mariella Frostrup about her latest novel The Dogs of Littlefield. The book is set in Littlefield, Massachusetts, which has been named as one of the 20 Best Places to Live in America, but tension lurks under the surface and boils over via the issue of the rights of the town's dog-owners. Suzanne explains why she decided a dog's life was the way to explore small town America.

Producer: Andrea Kidd.