Book of the Week is BBC Radio 4’s weekday afternoon read — a different book abridged and read aloud each week, Monday to Friday. Here’s what’s currently featured, when it airs, and links to every Book of the Week pick we’ve logged since 2020.
On Book of the Week now
Empire at the Edge of the World by Giles Milton
Book of the Week · broadcast October 3rd
About Book of the Week
Book of the Week has run on Radio 4 since 1998 (its predecessor strands go back further), and covers everything from literary fiction to biography, history and current affairs — usually a recent hardback getting its first big radio airing.
Printable list (PDF)
Prefer a take-away reference? Download the free printable PDF, refreshed at the start of each month.
Radio 4 Book List
Download the printable list (PDF) ↓More BBC Radio 4 book strands: Full list (all strands) · Book at Bedtime · Bookclub · A Good Read
Frequently asked questions
What was on Book of the Week today?
Book of the Week airs on BBC Radio 4 at 11:45 every weekday morning, with a repeat at 00:30. We listen along and add each week’s title to the list above when we’re back.
How long is each Book of the Week episode?
Each episode runs around 13-14 minutes, abridged from the full book, with a new chapter or section read each weekday.
Where can I buy the current Book of the Week?
We link every Book of the Week pick straight through to Amazon UK, with the current list price and ISBN, so you can buy the full unabridged book if the extract has you hooked.
Disclosure: as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. The Amazon UK links on this page are affiliate links — if you buy a book through one we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.