Literature

Paterson Joseph stars as the Marquis de Carabas in this brand-new BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of Neil Gaiman's spin-off short story, set in the magical world of Neverwhere.
Returning us to London Below, this enchanting tale continues the story of one of the most colourful characters from Neverwhere - the cool, charming, resourceful Marquis de Carabas, who trades in favours and always has a plan....
The Marquis' coat is a thing of wonder and beauty. Sleek, stylish and 'the colour of a wet street at midnight', it has numerous pockets, sumptuous sleeves and the power to transform a young sneak thief into a nobleman. And now it is missing, sold by the Sewer Folk. To reclaim it, the Marquis must venture into one of the most terrifying parts of the subterranean city, encounter an old enemy, face dreadful dangers and - worst of all - accept help from someone very close to home.
Expanded and dramatised for Radio 4 by the award-winning Dirk Maggs (Neverwhere, Good Omens, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) and codirected by Dirk Maggs and Heather Larmour, this spine-tingling production features a star cast including Adrian Lester, Don Warrington and Bernard Cribbins. Contains 15 minutes of additional unbroadcast material. Duration: 60 mins approx.

©2016 Neil Gaiman (P)2016 BBC Worldwide Ltd.

BBC Audio, How The Marquis Got His Coat Back written by Neil Gaiman (audiobook extract)

Matthew Beard and Sophie Rundle star in a brand new BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of the bestselling novel by Neil Gaiman, narrated by Eleanor Bron.

Challenged to retrieve a fallen star, Tristran Thorn leaves the sleepy English village of Wall and crosses into the land of Faerie and the realm of Stormhold. Locating the star, he discovers it is no meteorite, but a young woman, Yvaine.

When Yvaine evades him and escapes, Tristran discovers he is not the only one in pursuit of the star: there are dark forces in this magical land, and he must find Yvaine before she falls into their clutches. As he does so, Tristran will uncover the secret to his own identity and a fate beyond his wildest dreams.

Directed by Dirk Maggs and Heather Larmour, and featuring over 20 minutes of unbroadcast material, this stunning new dramatisation boasts an extensive cast including Frances Barber, Maggie Steed, Nicholas Boulton, Blake Ritson, Bryan Dick, Charlotte Riley, Aisling Loftus, Sanjeev Bhaskar and Alex Macqueen. There are also cameo appearances by Tori Amos and Neil Gaiman. Duration: 2 hours 30 mins approx.


Read more at https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/1112401/stardust/#VPf718WUwDuGcCtj.99

Stardust by Neil Gaiman (BBC Audiobook extract) full cast dramatisation

A collection of the full-cast BBC Radio dramatisations of novels by Terry Pratchett, with star-studded casts including Martin Jarvis, Sheila Hancock, Anton Lesser, Philip Jackson, Alex Jennings and Mark Heap.  

Now being published for the very first time, the adaptations in this collection are: 

Mort: Hopeless young peasant Mort is hired as an apprentice to Death. It's a dream job - until he discovers that it can be a killer on his love life....

Wyrd Sisters: Three witches meet on a blasted heath. A king is cruelly murdered, a child heir and the crown of the kingdom are both missing. But Granny Weatherwax finds that meddling in royal politics is a lot more complicated than certain playwrights would have you believe....

Guards! Guards!: In Ankh-Morpork, the Elucidated Brethren of Ebon Night have turned their hands to magic. When Zebbo Mooty is mysteriously vaporised in an alley, Captain Vimes knows it's time to act.   

Eric: When precocious young Eric Thursley summons a demon from the loathsome pit to fulfil his every wish, he certainly gets what he asked for. Just...not exactly what he asked for. That's the problem with wishes.  

Small Gods: On the Discworld, Gods are as numerous as herring roe, all elbowing for space at the top. In such a competitive environment, you need an acolyte, and fast....

Night Watch: Living in the past is hard. Dying in the past is incredibly easy. Commander Sam Vimes of the City Watch is back in his own rough, tough past, and he has a job to do.  

In addition to these Discworld novels, this collection will also include a full-cast dramatisation of Only You Can Save Mankind, from the Johnny Maxwell series. As an alien fleet crosses his computer screen, Johnny prepares to blow the ScreeWee into a million pieces....

Terry Pratchett: BBC Radio Drama Collection - extract from Mort

Set on ‘a Wednesday in mid-June’, Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway (like James Joyce’s Ulysses) takes place over the course of a single day. Virginia Woolf’s biographer Hermione Lee talks to novelist Alan Hollinghurst about Woolf’s legacy and influence, especially on his most recent novel, The Sparsholt Affair. During this celebration of one of the 20th Century’s most important novels, literary critic Elaine Showalter, author of the seminal A Literature of their Own, and Sarah Churchwell, Chair of Public Understanding in the Humanities at the School of Advanced Study, discuss the significance of Mrs Dalloway and its ongoing influence on literary culture.

Dalloway Day 2018

‘Creed. Colour. Country. Culture. All these things can become forms of confinement, conceptual mistakes underwriting moral ones. But that’s not to deny that they can also give contours to our freedom. Social identities connect the small scale where we live our lives alongside our kith and kin with larger movements, causes, and concerns. They can make a wider world intelligible, alive, and urgent.’ So says philosopher and cultural theorist Kwame Anthony Appiah in the last of his 2016 Reith Lectures. In this Literature Matters event, coinciding with the publication of his new work, The Lies That Bind, Appiah continues to examine identity, weaving personal anecdote and literary example, exploring the tangled contradictions within the stories that define us. In conversation with BBC journalist and presenter Razia Iqbal, Appiah will discuss how the stories we read and tell shape who we are.

We are grateful to the TLS for supporting this event.

Literature Matters: The Stories That Shape Us

Founded in 1820, the RSL acts as a voice for the value of literature, honouring and supporting emerging and established writers whilst creating a bridge between authors and audiences of all backgrounds and experiences to engage as many people as possible with the wealth of literature in the UK.

Literature Matters: The Stories That Shape Us

Royal Society Literature

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