Novelist Leo Vardiashvili discusses his extraordinary debut, Hard by a Great Forest with Cecile Pin, author of Guardian book of the year and Women’s Prize for Fiction longlisted Wandering Souls.

These two extraordinary novels debuts depicts a refugee experience. Leo Vardiashvili came to London thirty years ago as a refugee from Georgia when he was twelve years old. Hard by a Great Forest is a winding pursuit through magic and mystery returning to a lost homeland – a rare, searching tale of home, memory and sacrifice – of one family’s mission to rescue one another and put the past to rest.

Wandering Souls explores the bonds that connect people even when separated by borders or death itself, through the story of a family fleeing Vietnam.

This conversation is moderated by journalist and BBC Radio 4 presenter Robin Lustig.

Age Recommendation 14+