The Radio 2 Book Club

About The Radio 2 Book Club

The Radio 2 Book club celebrates the best in new fiction and recommends great reads. Sara will be interviewing top authors about their latest novels, and she’ll be catching up with librarians and reading groups from across the UK. Whether you’re after a summer blockbuster, a twist-filled thriller, or want to curl up with a heart-warming love story, Sara has you covered!

Publisher

BBC Radio 2

Category

arts

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

31 Jan 2023

Latest episode

27 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

105 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   27 Oct 2026

   Who will win The Booker Prize?

   Sara welcomes former librarian turned book influencer, Simon Savidge, back to the Radio 2 Book Club to discuss this year's Booker Prize. The Booker is one of the world's leading literary prizes and often influences what people read at this time of year. In this episode - Simon takes us through the shortlist book by book, and gives us his thoughts on who might (and who should, in his opinion) win! The shortlist is: • The End of Everything by M. John Harrison • The Disappearers by Marlon James • Black Bag by Luke Kennard • May We Feed the King by Rebecca Perry • The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout • John of John by Douglas Stuart

2. 

   19 Oct 2026

   'Contrapposto' by Dave Eggers

   Author, publisher and Pulitzer Prize finalist, Dave Eggers, joins Sara for a chat about his new novel 'Contrapposto'. They discuss his inspirations for the story, his fascination with the art world - and - how Dave himself studied as a Draughtsman. They talk about long lasting friendships, bickering, love and the endurance of art. Dave also recommends us a book he has read recently and loved! Here's a little more info on his novel: Cricket is just a shy kid who likes drawing when he first meets Olympia. She's older, more confident; she bullies him into some light vandalism and instantly he's in love. When they're together, they talk about their futures, how they're going to travel the world, the beauty and rapture of art. Then those futures start to arrive in unexpected ways, the years and decades pile up between them, the art world seduces and disappoints and frustrates them. And they have to figure out, again and again, what it is to be an artist, and who and what to love. This is a wild and beautiful novel about two friends who believe they can change the world, if only they can start their own movement, dodge charlatans, remain open-eyed and open-hearted, avoid going mad, avoid dying young of rare cancers, stay true to their ideals and never tire of beauty. Not easy, but not impossible, either.

3. 

   13 Oct 2026

   The best books we've ever read

   Radio 2's Sara Cox interviews comedians, actors, authors, and presenters about their most cherished books, revealing personal connections and literary insights.

Who has been a guest on The Radio 2 Book Club

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Stephen Graham
• Dame Jaqueline Wilson
• Mel Giedroyc
• Clive Myrie
• Susie Dent

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.0 / 5

5 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

13 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 21 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

29

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

31

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