A Good Read: Val McDermid and Alex Horne
Books and Authors
BBC
4.2 • 824 Ratings
🗓️ 2 October 2012
⏱️ 28 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Harriett Gilbert is joined by the Scottish crime writer Val McDermid and comedian and neologist Alex Horne in the first of a new series of the paperback discussion show. Among the books under discussion are Andre Agassi's revealing autobiography of life lived centre stage at Centre Court, Jeanette Winterson's acclaimed memoir of her childhood, Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal, and Remembering Babylon, David Malouf's prizewinning 1993 outsider novel set in Australia. Producer: Mark Smalley
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | You're about to listen to a BBC podcast, but this is about something else you might enjoy. |
| 0:05.4 | My name's Katie Lecky and I'm an assistant commissioner for on demand music on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:10.7 | The BBC has an incredible musical heritage and culture and as a music lover, I love being part of that. |
| 0:17.4 | With music on sounds, we offer collections and mixes for everything, from workouts to |
| 0:22.4 | helping you nod off, boogie in your kitchen, or even just a moment of calm. And they're all |
| 0:28.1 | put together by people who know their stuff. So if you want some expertly curated music in your life, |
| 0:34.9 | check out BBC Sounds. Thanks for downloading a good read. You can find more information |
| 0:40.1 | on all the BBC downloads at BBC.co.com.uk slash radio four. Hello, welcome to a new season of a good |
| 0:49.0 | read and with me here to launch it, a crime novelist Val McDermid and comedian Alex Horn. |
| 0:55.6 | Alex is the star and co-creator of two series of BBC 4's comedy quiz show We Need Answers. |
| 1:02.0 | He also created and hosts Radio 4's comedy music show The Horn section, |
| 1:06.8 | where he and his five-piece band brew a heady mix of stand-up, cabaret and music. |
| 1:12.0 | Alex has taken seven solo shows to the Edinburgh fringe, |
| 1:15.5 | appeared in innumerable TV and radio programmes, |
| 1:18.3 | and written two books, the most recent of which is word-watching. |
| 1:23.0 | Alex, welcome. |
| 1:23.9 | Thank you for having me. |
| 1:25.2 | And welcome Val McDermid. |
| 1:29.7 | Having worked as a reporter for the Glasgow Daily Record and The People, in 1987, Val published her first novel report for murder. And in the |
| 1:36.5 | quarter century since, she's written 26 crime novels, not to mention one pirate book for children, |
| 1:42.4 | winning literary prizes in France, Sweden, the USA and of course Britain. |
| 1:47.5 | Two years ago, the Crime Writers Association awarded her their prestigious Cartier Diamond dagger. |
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