Tessa Hadley

The award-winning English writer, Tessa Hadley, speaks to Take Four Books about her new work of non-fiction, Alone With A Book, and, together with presenter James Crawford, they explore its connections to three other texts. Alone With A Book is a collection of essays written by Tessa as she reflects on a lifetime spent in reading and writing. For her three influences Tessa chose: the children's book, Tom’s Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce from 1958; The Latehomecomer by Mavis Gallant, which is a collection of short stories put together by Tessa herself and published by Pushkin Press in 2025; and finally the coming-of-age classic Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, from 1847.Producer: Dominic Howell Editor: Gillian Wheelan This is a BBC Audio Scotland production.