Show Notes
A.S. Byatt's Possession is a blockbuster of a novel, loved by both critics and readers. If you haven't already read it, you've probably heard of it. (And if you haven't heard of it, well, we're here to fill you in.) Possession won the 1990 Booker Prize and it's a romp of a novel that's part detective thriller and part romance. It also happens to be the subject of our first Monthly Spotlight of 2024 – formerly known as Book of the Month – so tune in as we delve into the book and the life of its author.
In this episode Jo and James:
Share a brief biography of A.S. Byatt
Explore Byatt's literary rivalry with her writer sister, Margaret Drabble
Summarise the plot of Possession
Hear a clip of Byatt reading from the book at the 1990 Booker Prize ceremony
Discuss their thoughts on the novel
Reading list:
Possession by A.S. Byatt: https://thebookerprizes.com/archive/books/possession
An Awfully Big Adventure by Beryl Bainbridge: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/an-awfully-big-adventure
The Gate of Angels by Penelope Fitzgerald: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/the-gate-of-angels
Lies of Silence by Brian Moore: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/lies-of-silence
Amongst Women by John McGahern: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/amongst-women
Solomon Gursky Was Here by Mordecai Richler: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/solomon-gursky-was-here
The Virgin in the Garden by A.S. Byatt
The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye by A.S. Byatt
The Biographer's Tale
The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/the-childrens-book
A full transcript of the episode is available at our website: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/features/the-booker-prize-podcast-episode-28-possession-by-as-byatt
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