John Boyne, Mrs Gaskell revisited, Mutism in fiction

Available for over a year

John Boyne talks to Mariella Frostrup about his new novel A Ladder to the Sky, a satirical look at the literary world. What does Mrs Gaskell mean to young women today? Nell Stevens, author of a new book called Mrs Gaskell and Me, and Georgia Thurston, who is writing her PHD on Gaskell, explain. Novelist Catherine Chanter explores the ways that mute characters can speak volumes in fiction. And in our Reading Clinic, Peter F. Hamilton recommends six novels to help a listener learn about the science fiction genre.