True Born Englishman: did the BBC ban this Buckingham Palace play?

Peter Barnes’ monologue about a royal footman was commissioned for radio but never broadcast until now. Director Philip Franks and others unravel its mysteryThe most celebrated set of dramatic monologues for broadcasting and theatre are Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads, first performed in the 1980s. But, at around the same time, a lesser-known dramatist created another trove of solos. Peter Barnes had 14 soliloquies on BBC Radio 3 under the umbrella titles Barnes’ People and More Barnes’ People. They attracted remarkable actors, including Laurence Olivier (in his final role), Judi Dench, Alec Guinness, Alan Rickman, Janet Suzman and Jeremy Irons.Barnes wrote, though, a 15th monologue, which the BBC, in mysterious circumstances, withdrew from production in 1990. A True Born Englishman, in which a Buckingham Palace lackey recalls his career, will now have its world premiere online, performed by Adrian Scarborough, on 18 February, alongside new versions of three monologues that did go out on radio. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2021-02-12 13:00:44 UTC ]
News tagged with: #alan bennett #talking heads #alan rickman #jeremy irons

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Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Sequel play to pick up where final JK Rowling book left off

A new play will pick up the story of Harry Potter where the seventh and final volume of JK Rowling's saga left off, with a plot involving a grown-up Harry and his youngest son, Albus. Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2015-10-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #harry potter #cursed child #final volume #jk rowling


BBC's McMafia drama to focus on global organised crime

Producers of globe-hopping series created by Drive screenwriter Hossein Amini from Misha Glenny’s book hope it will have international appealBBC1 will look to rival The Godfather and The Sopranos with a globe-hopping drama set in the world of organised crime inspired by the best-selling book... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-10-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Get the Android Marshmallow Quick Start Guide free from the Play Store

Doing the reading before class may not have been the highest priority while you were in school. But here’s some text you may actually want to dive into: a primer on all the cool, new features of Android Marshmallow. Google just published its Quick Start Guide, a free eBook that anyone can grab... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2015-10-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #google play #play store #free ebook #share content


New Zealand lifts ban on YA novel

New Zealand has lifted its temporary ban on Into the River, a novel aimed at teenage boys by Ted Dawe, saying putting restriction on sales of the book is "unjustifiable". Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-10-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #temporary ban #teenage boys #ted dawe


The world's first true Instagram novel

Instagram has seen its share of photo essays, profiles and short stories. But no one has used the image-sharing network to publish an entire novel - at least not until Matilda and Harry. Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2015-10-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #photo essays #short stories


Picture Books Still in Play on Audio

Recordings of longer works usually get the most attention in the audiobook world, but two recent splashy releases are reminders that picture books can also make for quality audio productions. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-10-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #picture books #audiobook world


Buckley wins BBC Short Story prize

Jonathan Buckley has won the  £15,000 BBC National Short Story Award for ‘Briar Road’.   This evening (6th October) he was presented with the prize of £15,000 by this year’s Chair of Judges Allan Little at a ceremony held in the BBC’s Radio Theatre in London. The news was announced live on BBC... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-10-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ceremony held #front row #short story


In China, A New Literary Translation Publisher is Born

China's The Bookworm bookstore has launched a lit mag, a new writer's prize, and will begin publishing English translations of new Chinese novels next year. The post In China, A New Literary Translation Publisher is Born appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-10-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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UK rights for banned YA book still available after US rights sold

UK rights for Ted Dawe’s divisive award-winning YA novel, Into the River, are still available, Penguin Random House NZ has confirmed, after US and Canadian rights were sold to independent American publisher Polis Books. Polis Books also acquired the rights to Dawe’s earlier novel Thunder Road... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-10-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #rights sold #ted dawe #polis books #uk rights #canadian rights


Karen Finley, Banned Books Week and the responsibilities of art

It's only fitting that the 25th anniversary edition of Karen Finley's “Shock Treatment” (City Lights: 144 pp., $15.95 paper) should come out in time for Banned Books Week, the literary holiday about which I feel most consistently ambivalent. If Banned Books Week represents, in many ways, a... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2015-09-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Does Banned Books Week Really Matter Anymore?

Banned Books Week garners headlines and is easy to support, but some believe its an anachronism that 'traffics in fear-mongering over censorship.' The post Does Banned Books Week Really Matter Anymore? appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-09-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Banned Books Week: How it's being celebrated across the country

Banned Books Week, which celebrates works that have been challenged or banned, is being held this year from Sept. 27 to Oct. 3. The number of challenges reported this year is low in comparison to recent figures, according to the American Library Association. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-09-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #recent figures


Banned New Zealand YA Novel Acquired By U.S. Publisher

Ted Dawe's 'Into the River,' which earlier this month became the first book in over two decades to be banned in New Zealand, has been acquired by Jason Pinter at Polis Books. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-09-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ted dawe #polis books


Banned Books Week Is a Crock

The latest story about censorship in America began when a Knoxville, Tennessee, woman named Jackie Sims found out that her 15-year-old son had been assigned to read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks over the summer. Rebecca Skloot’s 2010 book tells the true story of a poor black woman whose... Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2015-09-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #latest story #henrietta lacks #true story


PW Asks: Which Book Would You Un-Ban?

BannedBooksWeek.org made a list of the 10 most challenged titles of 2014. Which one would you make a case for lots of people reading? Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-09-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #pw asks #people reading


Banned Books Week Gets a Digital Makeover

An expanded web presence and growing social media audience has increased the visibility of the three-decades old program. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-09-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hollywood comes calling for 'banned book' Into the River

A Hollywood movie maker, an audio book producer and publishers seeking Dutch and French translation rights are the silver lining in Ted Dawe's censorship nightmare. Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2015-09-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #banned book #silver lining #ted dawe


IPA condemns New Zealand YA book ban

The International Publishers Association (IPA) has condemned New Zealand’s temporary ban of Ted Dawe’s YA novel Into the River, saying freedom of expression is a “universal human right”. IPA president Richard Charkin said: “The IPA supports and applauds the book’s publisher Penguin Random House... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-09-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #temporary ban #ipa condemns #ted dawe #publishers association


Publishers bring Radium Girls play to West End

Two publishing professionals have brought a production of Melanie Marnich’s 'These Shining Lives' to the Pleasance Theatre in London. Kate Moore, a former PRH editorial director who now works as a freelance writer and editor, is directing the play, while Anna Marx, commissioning editor at John... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-09-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #west end #publishing professionals #freelance writer #john blake #leading role


Harris: 'TV book shows could help BBC survive'

Novelist Robert Harris has said that developing dedicated TV books programming is one of the ways in which the BBC can fight back against funding cuts. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-09-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #fight back #funding cuts