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Tracy Chevalier

Bestselling historical novelist Tracy Chevalier picks some of her favourite artists and songs and tells the stories behind them.

Bestselling author of The Girl With The Pearl Earring and The Last Runaway, Tracy Chevalier, chooses a selection of her favourite music and talks about how they shaped her life and career. Her playlist includes tracks from Elvis Costello, Roberta Flack, John Grant and Talking Heads.

Tracy was born in 1962 and grew up in Washington, DC, moving to England after graduating with a BA in English from Oberlin College (Ohio). For several years she worked as a reference book editor, while writing short stories in her spare time. In 1993, she quit to do an MA in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia (Norwich, England). Although she has lived in the United Kingdom for over 30 years,she still has an American accent.

Tracy writes her novels longhand, typing what she has written into the computer at the end of each day. (she prefers blue ink and disposable fountain pens) She is also a quilt maker and never wears earrings and a necklace together.

She has written eight novels and edited two short story collections. Her second novel, Girl with a Pearl Earring, sold 5 million copies worldwide and was made into a film starring Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson.

First broadcast in 2017.

1 hour

Last on

Wed 7 Aug 2019 01:00

Music Played

  • Talking Heads

    ONCE IN A LIFETIME

    • REMAIN IN LIGHT.
    • SIRE.
    • SRK-6095.
  • The Beat

    RANKING FULL STOP

    • SKA HEROES.
    • EMI.
    • 7243-59332727.
  • Gillian Welch

    HARD TIMES

    • The Harrow and the Harvest.
    • Warners.
    • 5249867172.
  • Stevie Wonder

    LIVING FOR THE CITY

    • INNERVISIONS.
    • MOTOWN.
    • 530-0352.
  • Billy Bragg

    A NEW ENGLAND

    • Back to Basics.
    • Cooking Vinyl.
    • COOK CD 060.
  • Queen

    FLICK OF THE WRIST

    • SHEER HEART ATTACK.
    • PARLOPHONE.
    • CDPCSD-129.
  • Neil Young

    ONLY LOVE CAN BREAK YOUR HEART

    • AFTER THE GOLDRUSH.
    • REPRISE.
    • K-44088.
  • Roberta Flack

    KILLING ME SOFTLY WITH HIS SONG

    • ATLANTIC RHYTHM & BLUES 1947-1974 (VARIOUS).
    • ATLANTIC.
    • 7 81299-2.
  • John Grant

    I Wanna Go To Marz

    • Queen of Denmark.
    • UNIVERSAL.
    • 2733860-NA.
  • Blind Pilot

    Oviedo

    • 3 Rounds and a Sound.
    • Expunged.
    • RS-69994 RE-1.
  • Elvis Costello & The Attractions

    HUMAN HANDS

    • IMPERIAL BEDROOM.
    • RHINO.
    • R2-78188.
  • Lyle Lovett

    L.A. COUNTY

    • PONTIAC.
    • WRASSE RECORDS.
    • MCAD 42028.
  • Squeeze

    VICKY VERKY

    • ARGY BARGY.
    • A&M.
    • 75021-3232-2.
  • Talking Heads

    Once In A Lifetime

    • EMI.
  • The Beat

    Ranking Full Stop

    • Two-Tone Records ‎.
  • Stevie Wonder

    Living For The City

  • Billy Bragg

    A New England

    • Cooking Vinyl.
  • Neil Young

    Only Love Can Break Your Heart

    • After The Gold Rush.
    • Reprise.
    • 3.
  • Roberta Flack

    Killing Me Softly With His Song

    • The Best Of Roberta Flack.
    • Atlantic.
    • 3.
  • War

    Galaxy

    • Rhino.
  • Luther Ingram

    If It's All The Same To You Babe

    • Turn On The Heat.
    • Northern Soul.

Broadcasts

  • Sun 23 Apr 2017 13:00
  • Fri 12 May 2017 01:00
  • Thu 6 Sep 2018 01:00
  • Wed 7 Aug 2019 01:00

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