The weekly discussion programme, hosted by Andrew Marr, had four guests on the sofas, three novelists ans musician/storyteller. Pat Barker has written a reimagining of The Iliad called The Silence of the Girls, looking at the story from the point of view of the women - voices which are never heard in Homer's original. Icelandic author and songwriter Sjón has a new novel, Codex 1962, in which the narrator is created from clay. James Robertson's comical story To Be Continued... features a talking toad. And singer/songwriter Karine Polwart's latest album Laws of Motion mixes modern themes with those from traditional Scots ballads.
Which all led the conversation into the role of myth in modern literature, lessons from history, the power of the writer in giving voice to the silenced and never-heard, the writing traditions which are there to be used by writers today, and the importance of multiculturalism throughout human history in enriching cultures. Interesting contrasts between the strength of the Icelandic language against the perceived withering of the Scots.
At the end of the show there was a short Q&A session with the audience, which will not be broadcast.
Definitely worth a listen when it's on Radio 4, with several interesting issues explored. And see if you can spot the arch-unionist comment from Marr that drew raised eyebrows from independence supporters Polwart and Robertson (and yours truly...).
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