Another World

A poignant read about awakening ambition * i Paper *
For the reader, it is all rather irresistible … the book ripples with warmth and self-mockery … Bragg writes beautifully about his uncomplicated, loving male friendships * The Times *
Attractively maps out the stage in his odyssey between humble pub and broadcasting glory * Daily Telegraph *
The young Bragg is a winning protagonist, who presents much like his older self: thoughtful, open and generous in celebrating his contemporaries’ talents, while forgiving their foibles * Guardian *
One of the joys of Back in the Day that continues in Another World is the peopling of people, just as you might expect of a seasoned storyteller, observing and deepening the backgrounds of names and faces surrounding Melvyn … moving back and forth between a world in flux, and a self in flux, the book is impressive as it recalls both painful and pleasurable memories. Self-reflection is handled skilfully through a mix of personal commentary and recreated dialogue. The feeling of time passing over these Oxford years, of friendships solidified, and the evolution of Melvyn’s own relationship with his parents and with his Cumbrian background, all makes for immensely enjoyable reading * Cumbria Life *
Bragg excels at capturing the weightlessness of university years * Irish Examiner *
I tore through it * Critic *
Wonderfully meditative * i Paper *
Poignant and lyrical * Spectator *
A relaxed, engaging reading experience that carries us along as the author, now smiling ruefully at his younger self, tells a tale of good fortune cheerfully borne * New Statesman *
Delightful … deeply touching … evocative * Daily Mail *

Melvyn Bragg was born in Wigton, Cumbria, in 1939. He went to the local Grammar School and then to Wadham College, Oxford. He joined the BBC in 1961, and published his first novel, For Want of a Nail, in 1965.

He left the BBC and continued to write novels which include The Soldier’s Return (WH Smith Literary Award), Without a City Wall (Mail on Sunday John Llewellyn Rhys Prize) and Now Is the Time (Parliamentary Book Award 2016). A Place in England, Son of War and Crossing the Lines were all nominated for the Booker Prize. His non-fiction includes The Adventure of English and The Book of Books, and his first memoir, Back in the Day, was published in 2022 to critical acclaim.

He edited and presented The South Bank Show from 1977 and hosted the BBC Radio 4 programme In Our Time from 1998. He has now retired from both. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society and of The British Academy. He was given a Peerage in 1998 and a Companion of Honour in 2017.

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