The Norwegian author of the hugely successful My Struggle books Karl Ove Knausgaard chooses The Names by Don de Lillo. It's set in Athens in the early 1980s with the main character being a risk analyst whose estranged wife is working there as an archeologist. It's a richly themed novel that feels very contemporary as well as prophetic. Amy Liptrot's book The Outrun is currently enjoying further success with the release of the film of the same name starring Saoirse Ronan. Her choice is Attrib by Eley Williams a collection of short stories on various themes including a poignant account of language loss through aphasia in The Alphabet. Harriett chooses Open Throat the story of a mountain lion forced ever closer to humans as wildfires sweep the Hollywood Hills. Henry Hoke's novel is based on an actual lion P22 that stalked Los Angelinos for many years before being captured and killed in 2022. Open Throat is a satire on American life from the perspective of a queer big cat.
Producer: Maggie Ayre