The Book Show

'You can't dance to current affairs,' says British writer Chris Cleave and it's this belief that inspires him to write, to populate the events that clutter the daily news and to give them an emotional landscape.

Chris Cleave is not afraid to tackle large themes in his novels.

His first book Incendiary was about a woman grieving the loss of her husband and son, killed in a fictional terrorist attack in England. Its official publication date was 7 July 2005, the day more than 50 people were killed by terrorist bombings in and around London.

It might have put him off writing but didn't.

Chris Cleave's new novel The Other Hand is another ambitious and complex book dealing with big issues such as refugees, globalisation, political violence and individual ethics.

Publications

Title: The Other Hand
Author: Chris Cleave
Publisher: Sceptre
ISBN-13 9780 3409 6341 8

Presenter

Kate Pearcy

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