In this week’s podcast we look at Philip Pullman’s latest book, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ, a rewriting of the christian story provocatively published in the week of Easter. We have an exclusive extract from the audiobook, read by Pullman himself, and our panellists answer some of the questions every Pullman fan wants to ask: why did he decide to write the book? Just how blasphemous is it? How serious are the threats made by outraged believers? We also find out what the archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, made of it in the pages of this week’s Saturday Review.
Also on this week’s show, Lindesay Irvine talks to Dan Rhodes about his award-winning novel Little Hands Clapping, while Julia Eccleshare reports on the hottest titles at the Bologna children’s book fair, and tips the books for parents to read with their children over the Easter break.
Reading list
The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ by Philip Pullman (Canongate)
Little Hands Clapping by Dan Rhodes (Canongate)
Children’s books
The Boy Who Climbed Into The Moon by David Almond, (Walker, 7+)
How To Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell (Hodder, 7+)
The Man from Pomegranate Street Caroline Lawrence (Orion, 8+)
The Great Hamster Massacre by Katie Davies, illustrated by Hannah Shaw (Simon and Schuster, 8+)
Sparks by Ally Kennen (Scholastic, 9+)
Vampires
Twilight by Stephanie Meyer (Atom)
The Vampire Diaries by LJ Smith (Hodder)
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead (Simon and Schuster)
