The guest is Tim Bouquet, who grew up on his father’s farm at Butser. His mother still lives in Petersfield. He is a ghost-writer and biographer who makes dry material page-turners. Tim O’Kelly talks to him about his stunning book on Philip Jackson (sculpture studio in Midhurst; was Stroud at the start of his career) and the angel Gabriel in Harting church. But where did Writer Tim start – and how does he meet so many Indian billionaires? How did the Renault boss Ghosn escape? My Backlisted choice is Live and Let Die by Ian Fleming: published in 1954! With all the attitudes and some words we no longer use. The extract is really good writing, though, and won’t offend anyone.
In April we’ll be talking bees and seabirds with Roger Morgan-Grenville.
Our current reads:
- Little Scratch Rebecca Watson (Local but V literary and dark)
- Last One at the Party Bethany Clift (Post-apocalyptic but with humour!)
- To Calais in Ordinary Time James Meek (brilliant but weird – set in C14)
- The Fall & Rise of Reginald Perrin David Nobbs (hilarious)
- You, Me and the Sea Elizabeth Haynes (Scottish island romance)
Tim Bouquet’s books that we discussed:
- Philip Jackson A Life in Sculpture
- 617 Squadron
- Cold Steel
- The Man Behind the Wheel
- Cut & Run (thriller fiction)
His website: http://www.timbouquet.com
His desert island book: Reef by Romesh Gunesekera
Talking Books is broadcast on the third Monday evening of the month at 8pm on Petersfield’s Shine Radio and than repeated at other times during the month.
