Samuel Johnson Prize - BBC coverage

The BBC is the media partner for the Samuel Johnson Prize, and over the next fortnight you will have the chance to tune in to BBC programmes to find out more about this year’s shortlisted books and authors.

Beginning today, Wednesday 31 October, The Culture Show will broadcast two features about this year’s prize. During tonight’s show Miranda Sawyer will review The Better Angels of our Nature: A History of Violence and Humanity, by Steven Pinker, The Spanish Holocaust: Inquisition and Extermination in Twentieth-Century Spain, by Paul Preston and Into the Silence: The Great War, Mallory and the Conquest of Everest, by Wade Davis. On next Wednesday’s programme, 7 November, Andrew Graham-Dixon will review Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death and Hope in a Mumbai Slum, by Katherine Boo, The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot, by Robert Macfarlane and Strindberg: A Life, by Sue Prideaux

From next Monday, 5 November, for six consecutive programmes, BBC Radio 4’s World at One programme will broadcast interviews with the six shortlisted authors. They will run on the following dates:

• Monday 5^th November – interview with Steven Pinker about his book The Better Angels of our Nature: A History of Violence and Humanity
• Tuesday 6^th November – interview with Paul Preston about his book The Spanish Holocaust: Inquisition and Extermination in Twentieth-Century Spain
• Wednesday 7^th November – interview with Sue Prideaux about her book Strindberg: A Life
• Thursday 8^th November – interview with Katherine Boo about her book Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death and Hope in a Mumbai Slum
• Friday 9^th November – interview with Wade Davis about his book Into the Silence: The Great War, Mallory and the Conquest of Everest
• Monday 12^th November – interview with Robert Macfarlane about his book The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot

The BBC News Channel will also be broadcasting live from the winner announcement on Monday 12^th November.