Tom's Book Club

Jonathan Coe joins Tom’s Book Club to discuss Lessons in Harmony, his new historical novel about the composers Maurice Ravel and Ralph Vaughan Williams.Set in Belle Époque Paris in 1907, the novel imagines the unlikely friendship between the charismatic French composer and his English counterpart, exploring music, national identity, friendship and the approach of the First World War. Alongside them is Mylo, Ravel’s devoted acolyte, whose story becomes increasingly entangled with their lives.In this conversation, Jonathan Coe discusses what drew him away from the contemporary Britain of his earlier novels and towards historical fiction, the research behind bringing Ravel and Vaughan Williams to life, and the relationship between music and literature. We explore the novel’s unusual structure, its fictional manuscript, humour in fiction, and Coe reflects on his own musical interests.If you enjoy literary fiction, historical novels, contemporary literature, classical music, Maurice Ravel, Ralph Vaughan Williams and conversations about books, writing and the creative process, this episode of Tom’s Book Club is for you.

M. John Harrison joins Tom’s Book Club to discuss The End of Everything, his unsettling, darkly satirical novel shortlisted for the 2026 Booker Prize.Set in a world where government barely functions, Europe has been mislaid and strange new creatures inhabit the seas, the novel follows Phillip Tennent, a beachcomber who makes his living collecting artefacts washed ashore. But when he discovers something he cannot keep, he must take it inland, with potentially catastrophic consequences. Blending literary fiction, science fiction and dark humour, The End of Everything explores a world that no longer makes sense, and the limits of what we can ever truly understand.In this conversation, M. John Harrison discusses the origins of the novel, the influence of the 2008 financial crisis, and how he developed its strange and unsettling world. We explore the mysterious iGhetti, the novel’s playful references to technology and consumer culture, and the different interpretations readers bring to a story that resists easy explanation. Harrison also talks about the influence of film on his writing, the challenge of balancing the extraordinary with the mundane and which of his books readers should explore next.

Min Jin Lee, the bestselling author of Pachinko, joins Tom’s Book Club to discuss American Hagwon, her epic new novel about family, education, immigration and the sacrifices parents make for their children. Already a bestseller in the UK and US, American Hagwon follows the Koh family across continents and generations, from Seoul to Sydney and California, as they search for a better future.In this conversation, Min Jin Lee explores why education carries such enormous importance in Korean culture, the pressures placed on children to succeed, and whether parents can find a balance between ambition and their children’s happiness.Min Jin Lee also talks about her meticulous research, developing complex characters, and how writing fiction can help us understand other people’s perspectives. She reflects on her journey from corporate law to becoming a novelist, the decade-long process of writing American Hagwon, and why she writes.If you enjoy literary fiction, family sagas, contemporary Korean literature, Pachinko, and conversations about books and the ideas behind them, listen to this episode of Tom’s Book Club.

Luke Kennard joins Tom’s Book Club to discuss Black Bag, his offbeat novel shortlisted for the 2026 Booker Prize. A penniless actor takes a job wearing an oversized black bag as part of a university experiment, with unexpected consequences for love, friendship and the possibility of turning the whole thing into a business.We discuss the novel’s exploration of masculinity, the real-life experiment that inspired the story and how writing in the first person unlocked something new for him.A conversation about contemporary fiction, the creative process and the absurdities of being human.

Roddy Doyle joins Tom’s Book Club to talk about A Ghostly Little Book, a new collection of contemporary ghost stories from five acclaimed writers.Ghost stories have fascinated writers for centuries, from Edgar Allan Poe and Charles Dickens to Shirley Jackson and Toni Morrison. In A Ghostly Little Book, Roddy Doyle is joined by Olga Ravn, Eliza Clark, Tom Crewe and Helen Oyeyemi, each offering a different take on what a ghost story can be — from strange and unsettling to funny, moving and genuinely frightening.In this conversation, Roddy Doyle discusses where his story came from, what makes a great ghost story and the difference between writing a short story and a novel.We recorded the conversation the day after the 2026 Booker Prize shortlist was announced, giving us the chance to look back at Roddy's experience as Chair of the Booker Prize judges in 2025. He talks about the experience of reading so many novels as a judge, how it changed the way he reads, and what it was like returning to the Booker Prize more than 30 years after winning it himself.Roddy Doyle won the Booker Prize in 1993 for Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha and is the author of thirteen novels, as well as books for children, plays and screenplays.If you're interested in Roddy Doyle, A Ghostly Little Book, ghost stories, Irish literature, the Booker Prize, contemporary fiction, short stories, writing and the creative process, this episode offers an in-depth conversation with one of Ireland's most celebrated writers.A Ghostly Little Book is out now.

Hernan Diaz joins Tom’s Book Club to talk about Ply, his new novel set centuries in the future. Diaz is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Trust, which won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.In Ply, an orphan grows up to become a “pincher”, someone who steals electricity from the grid to sell on the black market. When she finds herself being followed, she is drawn into a mystery involving a groundbreaking experiment that could change the fabric of reality.In this conversation, Diaz discusses the origins of Ply, creating its distinctive future world and why he doesn't consider it simply a dystopian or post-apocalyptic novel. He talks about technology, what it means to be human, as well as the research behind the novel, including his time at CERN and its influence on the book's physics.Diaz also discusses the importance of music to his writing, his decision to write longhand with a fountain pen, and what winning the Pulitzer Prize for Trust changed about his life and work.If you’re interested in Hernan Diaz, Ply, Trust, science fiction, literary fiction, technology, writing and the future, this episode offers an in-depth conversation with one of contemporary literature’s most acclaimed authors.

John Boyne joins Tom’s Book Club to talk about his new novel, The Weight of Angels, an imaginative reworking of the life of Oscar Wilde that asks what might have happened if Wilde had made a different decision at a crucial moment in his life.In February 1895, the Marquess of Queensberry left his infamous calling card at the Albemarle Club, accusing Wilde of being a “posing Somdomite”. Wilde chose to sue for libel, setting in motion the events that would lead to his arrest, imprisonment, public disgrace and eventual death in Paris.But what if he had simply ignored the card?In The Weight of Angels, John Boyne imagines an alternative life for Oscar Wilde — one in which he avoids the court case and lives on into the twentieth century, encountering figures including Winston Churchill, Virginia Woolf, George Bernard Shaw, Emmeline Pankhurst and Rudyard Kipling.In this conversation, John Boyne discusses the challenge of recreating Oscar Wilde’s distinctive voice, writing historical fiction, and how he decided which real people and events to bring into Wilde’s imagined life. He talks about Wilde’s wit, fatherhood, and the complicated relationship between writers and the literary world. Boyne also reflects on his own writing career and what he has learned about writing after decades as a novelist.John Boyne is the author of 16 novels, including The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, The Heart’s Invisible Furies, the Elements Quartet and The Weight of Angels.

Louise Kennedy joins Tom’s Book Club to talk about her new novel, Stations, a powerful story of friendship, love, family and the long shadows cast by the choices we make when we are young.Set between Ireland in the 1980s and London, Stations follows Róisín McCaffrey, a teenage girl who becomes fascinated by Red, a sharp, intelligent and troubled boy who quickly becomes her closest friend. When Red leaves Ireland for London, Róisín eventually follows him, finding herself drawn into a complicated relationship that will continue to shape both their lives for decades.In this conversation, Louise Kennedy discusses where Stations came from, the return of Róisín - who first appeared in her short story Belladonna - and the challenge of writing characters whose lives unfold over many years. She talks about adolescence, the importance of London to the novel, and how memories from her own life found their way into the story.Louise also reflects on family relationships, writing across different periods of a character’s life, and her journey from a nearly 30-year career as a chef to becoming an award-winning novelist.Louise Kennedy is the author of Trespasses, which won the British Book Award for Debut Fiction, and was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction. Her short-story collection, The End of the World Is a Cul de Sac, won the John McGahern Prize.

Isabel Allende joins Tom’s Book Club to talk about Storytelling: A Masterclass in Crafting Stories, her guide to the art and craft of writing after more than 50 years as a writer.One of the world’s most widely read and celebrated authors, Allende is best known for The House of the Spirits, her acclaimed debut novel, as well as books including City of the Beasts, Paula and A Long Petal of the Sea. Her work has sold more than 77 million copies worldwide and been translated into more than 40 languages.In Storytelling, Allende draws on decades of experience as a writer to explore where stories come from, how characters develop, finding your voice, overcoming fear and what makes a story emotionally powerful.In this conversation, she discusses the lessons she has learned throughout her writing career and what she has discovered about storytelling after more than two dozen novels.If you’re interested in Isabel Allende, creative writing, writing advice, novel writing, storytelling, literary fiction, character development or the writing process, this episode offers an unusually personal insight into the craft from one of contemporary literature’s most accomplished authors.