Simon Mayo"s Books Of The Year

Simon and Matt are joined by screenwriter and author John O'Farrell to talk about his latest novel, Family Politics.They discuss...politics...believe it or not, as well as the humour that can be found in all political parties, Question Time, Mrs Doubtfire the musical and what doesn't always translate from the UK to the US (and vice versa). You could say it's a cornucopia of an episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our bonus Q&A episode, Historian, Broadcaster and Writer, Anna Keay, answers Qs about screen adaptations, writing processes, her research...and who she'd invite to her fantasy dinner party.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We may be a little late to this book, but, we want to shout about it nonetheless!Anna Keay joins Simon and Matt for a deep dive into The Restless Republic, when for eleven years, Britain had no king. In 1649 Britain was engulfed by revolution, but it's not a time in history that we are taught about, certainly in the UK. Anna's book takes as its guides the people who lived through these years of restlessness. Among them is Anna Trapnel, the daughter of a Deptford shipwright whose visions transfixed