A Good Read

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A Good Read: Paterson Joseph and Richard Coles

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Paterson Joseph and Richard Coles

BBC Radio 4 - A Good Read, Paterson Joseph and Richard Coles

Actor Paterson Joseph and writer, broadcaster and musician Richard Coles select books.

Fiction and non-fiction books worth reading. This week three novels set in London, Glasgow and Buenos Aires.

THE LONELY LONDERS by Sam Selvon
THE CHANGELING by Robin Jenkins
A CRACK IN THE WALL by Claudia Peneiro

The Lonely Londoners by Sam Selvon traces the new lives of a group of hopeful immigrants from the West Indies in the late 1950s. Told with humour and pathos it's a favourite of actor Paterson Joseph. He regards it as the seminal book about Caribbean migration to Britain and applauds Selvon's bravery in writing it in patois.

Richard Coles loves the work of Scottish writer Robin Jenkins. The Changeling is the bleak and heartbreaking story of a well meaning but flawed middle class school teacher's attempt to 'save' a young boy from the slums of Glasgow. The Saviour Complex is something Richard says he's experienced many times and understands how it can lead to disaster.

A Crack In The Wall by Claudia Pineiro is Harriett's choice. It's a crime novel set in Buenos Aires centring around middle-aged architect Pedro, who's experiencing cracks in his own personal life, as well as in the city's architecture.

Producer: Maggie Ayre, BBC Audio Bristol

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