Open Book - 12/12/2010

Mariella Frostrup talks to Nobel laureate Nadine Gordimer about her collected short fiction, which spans a fifty year career. They discuss the appeal of writing short stories, and how re-reading early work influences the writing process. Mariella also explores the legacy of the iconic novel, I, Claudius, set in ancient Rome. Historian Tom Holland explains why it has provided a template for so many Roman novels which have followed. Plus, the never-ending allure of railways in fiction is examined with the help of three train-mad writers - poet Ian McMillan and novelists Tessa Hadley and Andrew Martin. PRODUCER: AASIYA LODHI.