The Second World War was a particularly active period for British writers and this literary portrait of that era includes an anthology of their poetry and prose. Anthony Powell, Alan Ross and Roy Fuller represent those who saw military action, and interviewees, including Stephen Spender and Peggy Ashcroft, focus on the experiences of the writers who were in London during the Blitz.
African Literature as Celebration
This lecture by Chinua Achebe, Africa’s foremost contemporary novelist, provides an eloquent introduction to the new and genuinely great world literature which has emerged from Africa in the past fifty years.
Christopher Hampton
Christopher Hampton is one of Britain’s most regularly successful playwrights and screen-writers, with plays such as Tales from Hollywood and Les Liaisons Dangereuses winning both popular and critical acclaim. This programme traces his development as a playwright and includes specially-staged extracts from his work. It also considers his film adaptation of Les Liaisons, starring Glenn Close and John Malkovich.
Peter Dickinson
A series of major concertos written in the 1980s – one for organ, one for piano and
one for violin – established British composer Peter Dickinson as an important and individual
musical voice. This programme looks at his career and influences, particularly American music,
from Cage to Joplin. The second half of the programme consists of a complete performance of his
composition London Rags, performed by London Brass, for whom it was composed.