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This week: the first episode of a special series with international short story writers. Edna O'Brien - one of the world's great short story writers - has been writing for 30 years. Her stories are set in the heartland of Ireland, and almost always about women.

This week, Eleanor has a lively and entertaining conversation from the International Festival of Authors with two wonderful writers - Marilynne Robinson and Colm Tóibín.

From Hans Christian Andersen to hygge — Dorthe Nors on the Danish psyche. Eleanor Wachtel travels to Copenhagen to talk to prominent Danish writer Dorthe Nors. The author's latest novel, Spejl, Skulder, Blink (Mirror, Shoulder, Signal ) is about a woman dealing with family, loneliness and learning how to drive.

Eleanor Wachtel speaks with Italian author Paolo Giordano about his record-breaking novel, The Solitude of Prime Numbers. Giordano was just 25 years old when the book won Italy's top literary award, the Strega Prize. He was the youngest winner ever. The novel went on to sell a million copies in Italy alone. At that time, two years ago, Giordano was a graduate student in physics. He has now quit physics to devote himself to his writing.

Eleanor interviews American author Cynthia Ozick - a woman who infuses her writing with intellectual passion and brilliance - about The Puttermusser Papers.