Jack Savoretti sings live, plus Turner Prize winner Veronica Ryan

On Beauty is a 2005 novel by Zadie Smith, loosely based on E.M. Forster's 'Howards End'. The story follows the lives of a mixed-race British/American family, the Belseys, and their complex relationships with another family, the Kipps. It addresses ethnic and cultural differences, the nature of beauty, and the clash between liberal and conservative academic values. The novel is set in the fictional university town of Wellington, outside Boston, and explores themes such as aesthetics, academic politics, and personal identity. It received generally favorable reviews and was shortlisted for the 2005 Man Booker Prize.

Ben Lerner's 'Transcription' is a compact novel that follows an unnamed narrator whose phone breaks the night before a crucial interview, forcing him to rely on memory and presence; this incident unfolds into reflections on technology, ethics, and the construction of narratives. Lerner blurs autobiography and fiction, interrogating how events are recorded, remembered and transformed into stories. The novel examines interpersonal relationships and the journalist's dilemma of capturing truth without intrusive tools. Stylistically spare yet intellectually dense, it layers philosophical inquiries about art and language over an intimate personal crisis. 'Transcription' continues Lerner's interest in the ethics of representation and the instability of factual accounts within contemporary media culture.

The novel, set in the early 1900s in Norfolk, England, follows Leo Colston, a 12-year-old boy who spends a summer at Brandham Hall, the home of his school friend Marcus Maudsley. Leo becomes a messenger, or 'go-between', for a forbidden love affair between Marian Maudsley, Marcus's sister, and Ted Burgess, a local farmer. As Leo navigates this complex and secretive world, he is forced to confront the harsh realities of adult relationships, class differences, and the consequences of his actions. The story is told through a flashback by an older Leo, reflecting on the traumatic events of that summer which had a lasting impact on his life.

We That Are Young is a searing exploration of human fallibility, set in contemporary India where wealth and power collide with poverty and corruption. The novel follows the story of Devraj Bapuji, a billionaire who pits his three daughters against each other, mirroring the tragic dynamics of King Lear. Taneja's work masterfully weaves together themes of family, loyalty, and the fragility of the human heart.

In 'A Thousand Acres', Jane Smiley crafts a compelling narrative that parallels 'King Lear', set against the backdrop of a thousand-acre farm in Iowa. The story revolves around Larry Cook, an aging farmer who decides to divide his land among his three daughters, Ginny, Rose, and Caroline, leading to a complex web of family dynamics and dark secrets. The novel delves into themes of family, power, and betrayal, offering a poignant exploration of American rural life.

Wide Sargasso Sea is a novel by Jean Rhys that delves into the life of Antoinette Cosway, a Creole heiress who becomes the 'madwoman in the attic' in Charlotte Brontë's 'Jane Eyre'. The novel explores themes of identity, colonialism, and feminism, set against the backdrop of post-emancipation Jamaica. It provides a powerful exploration of the racial and cultural conflicts that contribute to Antoinette's tragic fate.

The novel centers around Briony Tallis, a thirteen-year-old girl who, in 1935, witnesses a flirtation between her older sister Cecilia and Robbie Turner, the son of a servant. Briony's incomplete grasp of adult motives and her precocious imagination lead her to make a false accusation that changes all their lives. The story follows the repercussions of this event through World War II and into the late 20th century, as Briony spends her life trying to make amends for her mistake. The novel is a complex exploration of guilt, atonement, and the nature of writing and memory.

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