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Episode details

Radio 4,20 Apr 2025,28 mins

Xiaolu Guo

Take Four Books

Available for over a year

This week, Take Four Books, presented by James Crawford, talks to the British-Chinese writer Xiaolu Guo about her new novel - Call Me Ishmaelle - which reinterprets Herman Melville's mighty Moby Dick story and follows the protagonist of Ishmaelle, a woman who sneaks onto a whaling ship disguised as a man. For her three influencing texts Xiaolu chose: Moby Dick by Herman Melville from 1851; Philip Hoare's Leviathan from 2009; and Othello by William Shakespeare (first performed in 1604). The supporting contributor for this episode was the literary editor and founder of the independent publisher thi wurd - Alan McMunnigall. Producer: Dom Howell Editor: Gillian Wheelan This was a BBC Audio Scotland production.

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