In Northern Ireland, from the late 70s to the early 90s, the IRA killed over 40 alleged informers.

But the man who often found, tortured and sometimes killed these people on behalf of the IRA

was himself an informer, a secret British army agent with the codename Stakeknife.

Who gets to play God? And why me? Why my family?

When lies are still being told to this day, who do you believe?

I wouldn't even know where to start, and I'm with the IRA.

Steakknife.

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Today, Andre Esamon, author of the best-selling novel and Oscar-winning film,

Call Me By Your Name, tells me about his latest fictional excursion and why love has no boundaries.

And Bowie's books, the titles that shaped a musical genius.

But first, 2019 has been a boundary-breaking year in books with women

at the helm. There were not one, but two female winners of the Booker in the shape of Bernadine

Everisto and veteran Margaret Atwood, while the man Booker International went to the Omani

novelist Jaka al-Harty. And there's been a surge of interest in non-fiction, too, with essays by the

likes of Gia Tolentino and Sheneid Gleason, attracting readers in droves. Well, those are the

attention-grabbers, but what are the titles that may have slipped under our radar,

equally deserving, but less celebrated? Our Christmas gift to you is to unwrap them for you. To assist,

I'm joined by a panel of devoted bibliophiles offering their recommendations. Octavia Bright,

writer and academic, and the literary agent Carrie Plitt, who together hosts the books podcast

Literary Friction. And on the line from Belfast, John Self, book blogger and critic for the Irish Times, The Guardian, and the Times, amongst others. Welcome to you all.

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