Episode: Ep267: Open Book: Mirza Waheed on The Book of Golden Leaves

Mirza Waheed is a Kashmiri novelist whose new book, The Book of Gold Leaves, is a Romeo and Juliet style love story set in wartorn 1990s Srinagar. He talks to Mariella about whether he feels a responsibility to write about his home country and the conflict there. Also on the programme, vampire chronicler Anne Rice reveals the book she'd never lend and a new series: Close Readings - examining how great writing works.