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This week, Eleanor Wachtel speaks with the extraordinary, African-American writer, Edward P. Jones. They talk about his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Known World - set in the heartland of 19th century slavery - and about black experience in today's urban America. Eleanor asked Edward P. Jones about the solace he found in reading as a lonely young man growing up in Washington, D.C.

From New York City, American novelist and poet Paul Beatty speaks with Eleanor Wachtel about his latest book, The Sellout. It was described by The New York Times as last year's most cheerfully outrageous satire, while The Guardian calls Beatty "the funniest writer in America."

Part I: Eleanor Wachtel speaks with novelist and playwright Caryl Phillips about his latest book, Cambridge - a picture of slavery in the Caribbean from shifting perspectives. Part II: British developmental biologist Lewis Wolpert talks about why science does not make sense in his new book, The Unnatural Nature of Science.