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The Book Café: 18/07/2011

18/07/2011

BBC Radio Scotland - The Book Café, 18/07/2011

Michael Morpurgo talks about the inspiration for his latest book: a toy found in a museum.

Michael Morpurgo talks about the inspiration for his latest book: a war-time toy found in a museum.

Egypt's Reading Revolution: As summer follows the uprising of the Arab Spring, Egyptians are looking for a better life for themselves and their children and that's showing itself in the first place through the demand for books and knowledge. Publishing is booming, and two new daily newspapers and a children's bookshop have opened up since February. The BBC's correspondent in Cairo, Jon Leyne, will describe the cultural revolution replacing the political upheaval.

Favourite children's author Michael Morpurgo explains why he was moved to write his latest book by a small, wooden toy dog on wheels made by two German Prisoners of War that he found in the Imperial War Museum.

Tuesday will be a turning point for the Save the Libraries Campaign, as campaigners challenge Brent Council in the High Court over their plan to cut half their local libraries. The stakes are high: if the campaigners win, councils all over the country will have to rethink their planned closures. If the council wins, libraries are more vulnerable than ever. We'll be hearing about the impact of either outcome for Scottish libraries.

Multiple award-winning writer Colm Tóibín on why writing makes him miserable in part two of our interview.

And- Janine di Giovanni has been called 'one of our generation's finest foreign correspondents' and has reported almost every violent conflict since the 1980s. She'll join us to talk about turning her reporter's eye from the war zones of Afghanistan, Iraq and Bosnia to herself, to write her moving memoir of love and war, Ghosts by Daylight.


Producer: Serena Field.

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18/07/2011

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