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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'It could very well bankrupt us,' says bookseller suing over Texas school book ban

Valerie Koehler says that if her book shop is forced to comply with a new state law regulating public school literature, she might go out of business. Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2023-07-26 21:13:13 UTC ]
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Children's Author Becomes a 'Loudmouth' for Banned Books

Author Leah Johnson isn't simply speaking up against censorship—she's putting banned books into people's hands, and will open Loudmouth Books in Indianapolis in late September. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-07-20 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Massachusetts Legislators Propose Book Ban Bills

In the past two weeks, three separate bills addressing book bans in schools and libraries have been proposed in Massachusetts. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-07-13 13:58:56 UTC ]
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BBC: Metropolitan police say ‘no investigation at this time’ into suspended presenter – latest updates

Force says detectives met with BBC to discuss allegations presenter paid teenager for sexual images Persephone Bridgman Baker, a partner at Carter-Ruck, has spoken on Sky News about the legal situation, reminding viewers why the name of the presenter has been kept from the public eye so far. She... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-07-10 14:37:56 UTC ]
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Lawsuit Challenges Montana's Sweeping New Ban on Drag Performances

In a July 7 filing, the plaintiffs, including a local bookseller, say that the new law is "motivated by anti-LGBTQ+ animus” and imposes an “unconstitutional content and viewpoint-based restriction” on free speech. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-07-10 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Hoopla, Overdrive/Libby Now Banned for Those Under 18 in Mississippi

Public libraries in Mississippi have cut off access to digital platforms like Overdrive and Hoopla to those under 18. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-07-07 15:33:07 UTC ]
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Transgender woman, bookstore, teacher sue over Montana law banning drag reading events

A transgender woman, the owners of an independent bookstore and an educator who teaches in costume are among those challenging Montana's first-in-the-nation law that bans people dressed in drag from reading to children in public schools or libraries Continue reading at ABC News

[ ABC News | 2023-07-07 01:02:34 UTC ]
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Transgender woman, bookstore, teacher sue over Montana law banning drag reading events

A transgender woman, the owners of an independent bookstore and an educator who teaches in costume are among those challenging Montana's first-in-the-nation law that bans people dressed in drag from reading to children in public schools or libraries Continue reading at ABC News

[ ABC News | 2023-07-07 00:47:04 UTC ]
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The NDN Girls Book Club Was Born From The Need To Disrupt

Kinsale Drake created a space for Native people in the arts to thrive — free of the white gaze. Continue reading at HuffPost

[ HuffPost | 2023-06-23 22:10:23 UTC ]
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Authors of ‘And Tango Makes Three’ Sue Over Florida Law Driving Book Bans

The authors of a picture book about a penguin family with two fathers sued the state and a school district that removed the book from libraries. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-06-20 14:25:50 UTC ]
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Texas Officially Bans So-Called “Sexually Explicit” Books; Demands Book Ratings from Vendors

Texas's Governor signs a bill into law that gives him power over what books can be in libraries *and* forces ratings on books. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-06-15 10:40:00 UTC ]
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Indulging in the Lightness of American Born Chinese is Like Escaping Into a World We Haven’t Built Yet

Watching the new TV adaptation of Gene Luen Yang’s graphic novel American Born Chinese on Disney+, I feel like one of the Chinese immortals in the show who emerges from his den in the basement of a dim sum restaurant: it is as if several lifetimes have passed since I first experienced this... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-06-15 08:53:31 UTC ]
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Illinois Governor Signs Landmark New Law to Discourage Book Bans in Libraries

The new law, signed by Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker on June 12, conditions state grant funding for libraries on adopting and adhering to the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights or adopting a written policy that would protect books and other resources. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-13 04:00:00 UTC ]
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ALA 2023: Program Picks for Dealing with Book Bans

This year’s conference features an especially strong lineup of programs responding to the ongoing nationwide surge in book bans and legislative challenges to the freedom to read. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-09 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Librarians Strike Back Against Comics Bans

Comics and graphic novels are prime targets in the current battle to ban books at libraries across the country, and librarians who have championed the comics form find themselves on the front lines. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-09 04:00:00 UTC ]
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ALA 2023: Behind the Book Bans

PW talks to author and iSchool professor Emily Knox about book banning has changed in just a few short years—and, perhaps most importantly, why it’s changed. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-09 04:00:00 UTC ]
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White House Announces New Position to Combat Book Bans

In honor of Pride Month, the White House today announced a set of actions designed to protect LGBTQIA+ communities, including the appointment of a new coordinator within the Department of Education to facilitate a response to the rising number of book bans at the state level. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-08 04:00:00 UTC ]
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We interrupt this broadcaster: why did Winston Churchill try to seize the BBC?

In 1926, with the General Strike looming and the right warning of a Bolshevik revolution, the BBC found itself in a dreadful dilemma. Writer Jack Thorne on why he turned this into ‘a love letter to people in authority’Jack Thorne is a furiously busy scriptwriter and, although he’s celebrated for... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-06-05 07:00:22 UTC ]
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Librarians, Publishers File Amicus Briefs in Texas Book Banning Case

With oral arguments set for June 7 before a judge on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, librarians and publishers have weighed in on a closely watched case in Texas concerning the banning of books in Llano County, Texas. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-05 04:00:00 UTC ]
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What Banned Books Can Teach Us: Building an LGBTQ Picture Book Library for Pride 

This year, I’m celebrating Pride through LGBTQ children’s books. I’m building a new library for my two kids and wife Stefanie, who is trans and transitioned just two years ago. We began with Being You: A First Conversation About Gender (Penguin, 2021) and a pride alphabet book, Pride Puppy... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-06-01 08:53:12 UTC ]
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