Eleanor Wachtel and Michael Ondaatje in 2011

Eleanor Wachtel talks to Michael Ondaatje onstage at the International Festival of Authors about one of his most personal books yet -The Cat's Table, a novel that uses - as he says - "the colouring and locations of memoir" to chronicle the sea voyage of an eleven year old boy from Ceylon to London.

Listen to the show

Listen to a bonus reading

Music to close the show:
SIDNEY BECHET: PERFORMER
GEORGE GERSHWIN: COMPOSER
Summertime
BLUE NOTE: 50TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION
BLUE NOTE CDP 7924652 Track 2