Podcasts about arifa akbar

Episode 091: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams Host: Douglas Schatz Guest: Arifa Akbar Welcome to The Play Podcast where we explore the greatest new and classic plays. Each episode we choose a single play to talk about in depth with our expert guest. We'll discuss the play's origins, its themes, characters, structure and impact. For us the play is the thing. Tennessee Williams's third great play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is a blistering drama of family conflict and repressed sexuality. The play opened on Broadway in 1955 to rapturous reviews, and the film that followed with Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman was a box-office hit, despite its egregious watering down of the play's sexual trauma and family strife. As we record this episode a stunning new production of the play is on at the Almeida Theatre in London, and I am delighted to talk about this classic with Arifa Akbar, the Guardian newspaper's chief theatre critic.

Boyd Hilton and Arifa Akbar join Tom to review: Better Man, the Robbie Williams biopic with a twist – he's depicted as a Monkey. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, the Almeida theatre's new production of Tennesee Williams' play with Daisy Edgar-Jones and Kingsley Ben-Adir.And How to Make Millions before Grandma Dies, a new film from Thai director Pat Boonnitipat about family relationships, memories, death and inheritance. Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe Producer: Corinna Jones

A recording of a panel talk discussion celebrating 20 years of the TheatreVoice archive. The panel included theatre critic Arifa Akbar, theatre critic and founding editor of TheatreVoice Dominic Cavendish, theatre producer Ellie Keel, Theatre critic Rachel Halliburton, and it was chaired by Tim Bano, theatre critic and editor of TheatreVoice. This discussion took place […]

Arifa Akbar and Peter Bradshaw join Tom Sutcliffe to review the film Anora which was written and directed by Sean Baker. Set in contemporary New York the romantic drama won the Palme d'Or at Cannes. They also review the stage production of Dr. Strangelove. The original film version of the black comedy starred Peter Sellers in three roles, in this version Steve Coogan takes on four parts. And they discuss Ali Smith's 13th novel Gliff which focuses on a brutal surveillance state in the future.Plus, French composer Gabriel Faure is best known for his Requiem – but to mark 100 years since his death, cellist Steven Isserlis tells Tom how he's playing a series of concerts at London's Wigmore Hall, to highlight his other work including his cello sonatas and piano quintets. Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe Producer: Claire Bartleet

On this episode we're joined by Arifa Akbar. Arifa is the chief theatre critic for the British newspaper, The Guardian, a newspaper that has been in existence since 1821.Arifa shares insights on the preparation involved in reviewing plays and the importance of honest criticism. She also touched upon the influence of her upbringing, the legacy of her predecessors, and her views on inclusivity in the arts.Arifa is the cousin of Aisha Sultan, the columnist for the St. Louis Post Dispatch, whom we recently interviewed.Articles- Review of The Years- When a critic changes their mind upon 2nd viewingArifa's salutes: Margo Jefferson (New York Times), longtime critic Michael Billington (The Guardian), and investigative journalists at The Guardian.Thank you as always for listening. Please send us feedback to journalismsalute@gmail.com Visit our website: thejournalismsalute.org Mark's website (MarkSimonmedia.com)Tweet us at @journalismpodSubscribe to our newsletter- journalismsalute.substack.com

Arifa Akbar lost her sister far too young. She died from a 19th century illness in a 21st century hospital. Arifa's journey through grief takes her to Rome, Keats…and gentle words of reflection.To find out more about Tortoise:Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalistsSubscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentBecome a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and moreIf you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

DISCUSSION: As theatre makers recover from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2023, Tim Bano is joined by critics Fergus Morgan and Arifa Akbar to discuss the highs and lows of this year’s festival, as well as picking their top three shows. Recorded on Zoom, 7th September 2023.  “The dynamic between artist, critic and audience is completely […]

Tune into the latest episode of the Read Smart podcast, where two of our judges – Arifa Akbar and Ruth Scurr – will be delving into the 2023 longlist with our host, Razia Iqbal. Spanning the complex themes of war, memory, revolution and science, this year's longlist illuminates a myriad of historical topics, bringing to life forgotten stories that address the most urgent concerns for our future. Listen now to hear all about it. The podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. For more podcasts from The Baillie Gifford Prize, click here. Follow @BGPrize on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube. The announcement of the six books shortlisted for this year's prize will take place on Sunday 8 October in a live event at Cheltenham Literature Festival. The winner will be announced on Thursday 16 November at an award ceremony at the Science Museum, generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. The announcement will also be livestreamed across the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction social channels.

Arifa Akbar tells Michael Berkeley about her nocturnal life as a theatre critic and her desire to tell the story of her sister's death from tuberculosis. Arifa Akbar almost never has a quiet night in; as chief theatre critic of the Guardian she is out reviewing a production almost every evening. She also sits on the boards of the Orwell Foundation and of English PEN, and judges prizes including the UK Theatre Awards and the Women's Prize for Fiction. In conversation with Michael Berkeley, she discusses the book she wrote about the death of her older sister, Fauzia, from tuberculosis, in which she explores Fauzia's troubled life and why the medical profession failed to diagnose her illness until it was too late. Arifa chooses music from Bollywood films which remind her of her childhood, which was split between a prosperous and lively extended family in Lahore and poverty and social isolation in London. And she reveals how, after the death of her sister, she began to explore the tubercular heroines of nineteenth-century opera. Initially repelled by the glamorization of these women dying awful deaths, she has now come to love the music of Verdi and Puccini. Producer: Jane Greenwood A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 3

A Strange Loop has won Best Musical and Best Book of a Musical at the 75th Tony Awards. This funny and challenging metafictional musical is inspired by the experiences of its writer, Michael R. Jackson, who joins us from New York. Also, we're joined by the chief theatre critics at the New York Times and the Guardian for the latest from the US and UK and we meet director Max Webster, the man behind a daring new Henry V starring Kit Harrington (Game of Thrones) and soon in cinemas.

A Strange Loop has won Best Musical and Best Book of a Musical at the 75th Tony Awards. This funny and challenging metafictional musical is inspired by the experiences of its writer, Michael R. Jackson, who joins us from New York. Also, we're joined by the chief theatre critics at the New York Times and the Guardian for the latest from the US and UK and we meet director Max Webster, the man behind a daring new Henry V starring Kit Harrington (Game of Thrones) and soon in cinemas.

A Strange Loop has won Best Musical and Best Book of a Musical at the 75th Tony Awards. This funny and challenging metafictional musical is inspired by the experiences of its writer, Michael R. Jackson, who joins us from New York.Also, we're joined by the chief theatre critics at the New York Times and the Guardian for the latest from the US and UK and we meet director Max Webster, the man behind a daring new Henry V starring Kit Harrington (Game of Thrones) and soon in cinemas.

After a weather sabotaged attempt to record this podcast, Charles and Graham regroup in time to discuss the underground appearance of U2's Bono and The Edge in Kyiv as a show of rock solidarity. Graham previews his forthcoming Charm Gig in support of Harrogate Theatre's restoration fund featuring the Harrogate return of singer songwriter, Karl Culley. Charles, responding to Arifa Akbar's article in The Guardian, looks at critics' willingness to change their mind about a show or release on second acquaintance. Graham wonders if the French-made The Velvet Queen is the most pretentious nature documentary ever made, then reports on the quiet demise of Messums' Harrogate gallery after only a year. This prompts the duo to reflect on the floral town's attraction to brands more likely to be found in cities around the world

The Unthank sisters, writers Lucy Holland and Oyinkan Braithwaite and historian and feminist activist Sally Alexander join Shahidha Bari for a conversation about what it means to be a sister on International Women's Day 2022. You could make a family from recent novels depicting sisterhood from Oyinkan Braithwaite's My Sister the Serial Killer, to Daisy Johnson's Sisters and Brit Bennett's The Vanishing Half but literary sisterhood goes back via Jane Austen and the Brontës to Chekhov, King Lear's daughters, Cinderella and Greek myths about the seven sisters who formed the Pleiades, or Antigone and Ismene. And if you're looking at feminist history the idea of the sisterhood has been a cornerstone of political action. Is it right that sisters will have a particular bond and sound if they perform music together? All of this and more in tonight's Free Thinking conversation. The Unthank sisters will be on tour with their latest album Sorrows Away visiting a range of venues from Norwich, Poole, Northampton, Middlesborough, Belfast, Edinburgh, Dublin and a range of places in between starting on March 13th in Lincoln Lucy Holland has written Sistersong set in Anglo-Saxon Britannia. She also presents Breaking the Glass Slipper, a podcast celebrating women in genre. You can hear a reading of Oyinkan's novel My Sister the Serial Killer by Weruche Opia on BBC Sounds https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/p08q6q19 Sally Alexander, Professor Emerita at Goldsmiths, is founding editor of the History Workshop Journal and is working on a history of psycho-analysis. Producer: Kevin Core You might also be interested in the most recent episode of Radio 3's Words and Music on Sisters, with its curated playlist of readings and music of all kinds ranging from Wordsworth, Jane Austen, Brit Bennet and Arifa Akbar to Fanny Mendelssohn, Errollyn Wallen, Hildegard of Bingen and the Labeque Sisters performing Ravel. And tomorrow's programme explores new research into women's history. And there's a playlist on the Free Thinking programme website called Women in the World https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p084ttwp

Today, Emma and guests explore why so many of us want to put our lives on the page. What stops us, what gets in the way and is it always a good idea? Is getting published the answer or are there are other ways to tell your stories. How different is writing personal essays or a memoir to creating a fictional world? Can writing stand in for therapy? What are the ethical and moral considerations of such sharing? To discuss these and many other questions Emma is joined by prize-winning author Ann Patchett, Sunday Times bestseller Cathy Rentzenbrink, psychotherapist and writer, Julia Samuel and journalist and author Arifa Akbar. Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lucinda Montefiore

Our guests this week are Chief theatre critic at The Guardian and author of Consumed, Arifa Akbar, and New Yorker writer, Ed Caesar, who recently published The Moth and the Mountain. If you would like the read the extracts discussed in this episode go to linebyline.substack.com.Comments and feedback to @tds153 on Twitter. Line by Line is produced by Ben Tulloh with readings by Deli Segal. Music by Dee Yan-Key.

Arifa Akbar is the Guardian's Chief Theatre Critic and the author of the phenomenally powerful Consumed: A Sister's Story. It's an astonishing read, which tells the story of Arifa's sister's death from tuberculosis, which was somehow missed by medics at a top London hospital. It delves into the aftermath - Arifa's search for answers to questions such as whether her sister's history of poor mental health meant she was taken less seriously, and spools back to their childhood, growing up in poverty in North London having moved to the UK from Lahore. It examines the complexities of sibling relationships, the bonds, shared behaviours, and the arguments, and looks at Arifa and her sister's struggle with binge eating. It's a brilliant, multilayered book - and I found speaking to Arifa about how she wrote it absolutely fascinating. Buy the book:https://www.waterstones.com/book/consumed/arifa-akbar/9781529347524 Edited by Chelsey Moore

Arifa Akbar is chief theatre critic of The Guardian and author of Consumed, which has just been shortlisted for the Costa Biography Award. Arifa has been arts correspondent and literary editor of The Independent. She has written for newspapers and magazines ranging from The Observer to the FT and is a trustee of the Orwell Foundation and English PEN. In this podcast, she talks about the role of instinct in our careers, the power of the deadline and her journey from childhood poverty to one of the most powerful roles in arts journalism.

Arifa is the chief theatre critic at The Guardian. She is a former contributor to The Observer and previously worked as the arts editor at Tortoise Media. She is also a trustee of the Orwell Foundation, and has been a judge for the UK Theatre Awards and the Women's Prize for Fiction among others. She is also author of ‘Consumed' about the life and early death of her sister from tuberculosis. Arifa speaks about why choice and freedom are sacred to her, her spiritual encounters with Islam, the delicacy of telling other people's stories and the power of the arts. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @sacred_podcast

In this series we'll be talking to Conservative MP Miriam Cates, journalist Sohrab Ahmari, ‘Science Mike' Mike McHargue, writer Tim Stanley, theatre critic Arifa Akbar, loneliness expert Jillian Richardson and award-winning garden designer Sarah Eberle. Tune in and join us for the next series of The Sacred. Episodes out weekly from Wednesday 4th August.

Arifa Akbar is the chief theatre critic at ‘The Guardian'. A journalist for over 20 years, she previously held the position of literary editor at ‘The Independent' and worked as an arts and news correspondent. She speaks with Georgina Godwin about her new memoir ‘Consumed' which is a personal exploration of her own grief after her sister died at the age of 45 from tuberculosis. In this moving debut, Arifa explores illness, sisterhood, and the role of art in life and loss.

A complicated sisterhood: growing up, Arifa Akbar and her older sister Fauzia had shared everything from a bedroom, to secrets, to favourite movies and books. They'd moved from Lahore, Pakistan to London for a better life but ended up destitute. The change took its toll on Fauzia who developed depression as a teenager. Complex feelings of jealousy and anger took over and the two became estranged. Then in 2016, when Fauzia was 45, she contracted a mysterious illness. The sisters reconciled at Fauzia's bedside before she passed away but Arifa wanted to know more about the sister she'd lost and the illness that had killed her. She tells Anu Anand about an extraordinary journey that began in North London and took her all the way to the Sistine chapel in Rome. Arifa's memoir is called Consumed. If you've been affected by any of the issues in this programme, you can find resources and help at www.bbc.co.uk/actionline Get in touch outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Anu Anand Producer: Mariana Des Forges Picture: Fauzia and Arifa Akbar in Lahore Credit: Courtesy of Arifa Akbar

A complicated sisterhood: growing up, Arifa Akbar and her older sister Fauzia had shared everything from a bedroom, to secrets, to favourite movies and books. They'd moved from Lahore, Pakistan to London for a better life but ended up destitute. The change took its toll on Fauzia who developed depression as a teenager. Complex feelings of jealousy and anger took over and the two became estranged. Then in 2016, when Fauzia was 45, she contracted a mysterious illness. The sisters reconciled at Fauzia's bedside before she passed away but Arifa wanted to know more about the sister she'd lost and the illness that had killed her. She tells Anu Anand about an extraordinary journey that began in North London and took her all the way to the Sistine chapel in Rome. Arifa's memoir is called Consumed. If you've been affected by any of the issues in this programme, you can find resources and help at www.bbc.co.uk/actionline Get in touch outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Anu Anand Producer: Mariana Des Forges Picture: Fauzia and Arifa Akbar in Lahore Credit: Courtesy of Arifa Akbar

Arifa Akbar is the Guardian's chief theatre critic. A journalist for over twenty years, she is the former literary editor of the Independent, where she also worked as arts correspondent and news reporter. She has previously contributed to the Observer and the Financial Times. She is on the board of trustees for the Orwell Foundation and English PEN. Short pieces of her non-fiction have appeared in several anthologies. Consumed is her first book. 5x15 brings together five outstanding individuals to tell of their lives, passions and inspirations. There are only two rules - no scripts and only 15 minutes each. Learn more about 5x15 events: 5x15stories.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/5x15stories Facebook: www.facebook.com/5x15stories Instagram: www.instagram.com/5x15stories

Joining John and Andy this week is novelist and host of the books podcast Sentimental Garbage, Caroline O'Donoghue (Promising Young Women, Scenes of a Graphic Nature, All Our Hidden Gifts). We are discussing Nuala O'Faolain's revelatory memoir Are You Somebody? (1996), the original publication of which caused a sensation in her native Ireland. The book went on to top the New York Times bestseller list for six weeks; it still has the power to astonish. Also in this episode Andy has been exploring John Higgs's new book William Blake Vs The World and John is moved by Consumed: A Sister's Tale, the family memoir of Arifa Akbar, a former guest on Backlisted.

A moving memoir about TB, grief, sisterhood, poverty and the reservoir of blame, guilt and unreliable memories from a troubled childhood in Lahore and London. All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. When Arifa Akbar discovered that her sister had fallen seriously ill, she assumed there would be a brief spell in hospital and then she'd be home. This was not to be. It was not until the day before she died that the family discovered she was suffering from tuberculosis. Consumed is a story of sisterhood, grief, the redemptive power of art and the strange mythologies that surround tuberculosis. It takes us from Keats's deathbed and the tubercular women of opera to the resurgence of TB in modern Britain today. Arifa travels to Rome to haunt the places Keats and her sister had explored, to her grandparent's house in Pakistan, to her sister's bedside at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead and back to a London of the '70s when her family first arrived, poor, homeless and hungry. Consumed is an eloquent and moving excavation of a family's secrets and a sister's detective story to understand her sibling.

Is Gogglebox the main place on TV where you now find criticism? What does that tell us about the role of the critic today? Suzi Feay, Arifa Akbar and Charlotte Mullins join Matthew Sweet to review a new art exhibition at the Barbican showcasing the art and ideas of Jean Dubuffet and to reflect on what being a critic means. Matthew pays tribute to the thinking of Kevin Jackson (3 January 1955 – 10 May 2021) who took part in many critical discussions on BBC Radio 3. New Generation Thinker Vid Simoniti teaches philosophy and art at Liverpool University and he's written us a postcard reflecting on what it means when algorithms dictate the culture we consume. Jean Dubuffet: Brutal Beauty runs at the Barbican, London from May 17th 2021 to August 22nd 2021. Dubuffet (1901-1985) collected artwork made by people outside the arts establishment and in his own work he incorporated butterfly wings, sand, lava, collages of cut up paintings and graffiti. Talking about the portraits he made he said, ‘Funny noses, big mouths, crooked teeth, hairy ears, I’m not against all that’. You can find a playlist focusing on the Visual Arts on the Free Thinking website https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p026wnjl New Generation Thinkers is a scheme run by BBC Radio 3 and the Arts and Humanities Research Council to select ten academics each year who can turn their research into radio. Producer: Torquil MacLeod

One dark night in 1804, a London excise officer mistook a bricklayer for a ghost and shot him. This raised a difficult question: Was he guilty of murder? In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll consider the case of the Hammersmith ghost, which has been called "one of the greatest curiosities in English criminal law." We'll also worry about British spiders and puzzle over some duplicative dog names. Intro: In 1850, an English doctor claimed to have given first aid to a pike. In 1970, Air Force pilot Gary Foust ejected from his F-106 and watched it land itself. Sources for our feature on the Hammersmith ghost: W.M. Medland and Charles Weobly, A Collection of Remarkable and Interesting Criminal Trials, Actions at Law, &c., 1804. Thomas Faulkner, The History and Antiquities of the Parish of Hammersmith, 1839. James Paterson, Curiosities of Law and Lawyers, 1899. Thomas Faulkner, An Historical and Topographical Account of Fulham: Including the Hamlet of Hammersmith, 1813. R.S. Kirby, Kirby's Wonderful and Scientific Museum: Or, Magazine of Remarkable Characters, Volume 2, 1804. Jacob Middleton, "An Aristocratic Spectre," History Today 61:2 (February 2011), 44-45. Alfred Whitman, "A Hundred Years Ago -- 1804," Strand 28:168 (December 1904), 632-638. Augustus K. Stephenson, "Ghost Stories of 100 Years Ago," Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 208:11 (April 1904), 214-220. John Ezard, "Ghostly Murder Haunts Lawyers 200 Years On," Guardian, Jan. 2, 2004. "The Case of the Murdered Ghost," BBC News, Jan. 3, 2004. "Killing of a 'Ghost' That Haunted Courts for 180 Years," [Glasgow] Herald, Jan. 3, 2004. "Experts to Remember Spectral Shooting," Birmingham Post, Jan. 3, 2004. Arifa Akbar, "Club Hosts Gathering in Honour of Famous Ghost Case," Independent, Jan. 3, 2004. Martin Baggoley, "The Hammersmith Ghost and the Strange Death of Thomas Millwood," Crime Magazine, April 9, 2015. "'Laying' a Ghost," [Brisbane] Telegraph, March 8, 1924. "A Ghost Story of 100 Years Ago," Port Macquarie News and Hastings River Advocate, Oct. 29, 1910. "From the Courts," Brisbane Courier, Dec. 22, 1906. "Strange Stories of London Ghosts," [Melbourne] Leader, Oct. 6, 1900. "Dream Evidence," [Adelaide] Express and Telegraph, Feb. 21, 1891. "Ghosts, Witches, and Hangmen," Moreton [Qld.] Mail, Nov. 22, 1889. "Glimpses of the Past," Bury and Norwich Post, Sept. 7, 1886. "Resuscitation of the Hammersmith Ghost," [London] Examiner, Dec. 15, 1833. "The Hammersmith Ghost," [London] Morning Post, Dec. 6, 1824. "A New Hammersmith Ghost," [London] Morning Chronicle, Dec. 4, 1824. "Old Bailey," Aberdeen Journal, Jan. 25, 1804. "Murder -- Hammersmith Ghost," Bury and Norwich Post, Jan. 18, 1804. "From the London Gazette," Hampshire Telegraph and Naval Chronicle, Jan. 16, 1804. "The Hammersmith Ghost," Caledonian Mercury, Jan. 14, 1804. "The Real Hammersmith Ghost," Staffordshire Advertiser, Jan. 14, 1804. Trial proceedings from the Old Bailey. Jane Alexander, "The Time Someone Shot a Ghost Dead in Hammersmith," Londonist, Oct. 25, 2019. Ross Macfarlane, "The Hammersmith Ghost," Wellcome Library blog, Oct. 31, 2009. Kelly Buchanan, "The Case of a Ghost Haunted England for Over Two Hundred Years," In Custodia Legis, Library of Congress, Oct. 30, 2015. Gabrielle Keane, Locating Literature in the Ghost Hoax: An Exploration of 19th-Century Print News Media, dissertation, University of Pittsburgh, 2019. Jen Cadwallader, Spirits of the Age: Ghost Stories and the Victorian Psyche, dissertation, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2009. Listener mail: "Bing (TV series)," Wikipedia (accessed March 24, 2021). "List of Bing episodes," Wikipedia (accessed March 24, 2021). Amber Tully, "Should You Put Ice on a Burn (or Not)?" Cleveland Clinic, June 12, 2018. "Minor Burns - Aftercare," MedLine Plus, Aug. 13, 2020. Anahad O'Connor, "The Claim: Ice Is Good for a Skin Burn," New York Times, June 10, 2008. Luis Villazon, "How Many UK Spiders Are Actually Dangerous?" BBC Science Focus (accessed March 24, 2021). "Spider," Wikipedia (accessed March 30, 2021). "Not So False After All: Venom of the Noble False Widow Spider Very Similar to the Venom of 'True' Black Widows," NUI Galway, June 18, 2020. John P. Dunbar et al., "Venomics Approach Reveals a High Proportion of Lactrodectus-Like Toxins in the Venom of the Noble False Widow Spider Steatoda nobilis," Toxins, 12:6 (June 18, 2020), 402. "Study Finds Noble False Widow Spiders Bite Can Transmit Harmful Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria to Humans," NUI Galway, Dec. 1, 2020. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Stephen Harvey, who sent these corroborating links (warning -- these spoil the puzzle). You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on Google Podcasts, on Apple Podcasts, or via the RSS feed at https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- you can choose the amount you want to pledge, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation on the Support Us page of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at podcast@futilitycloset.com. Thanks for listening!

There's a new all-star Little Women on the big screen. The cast includes Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Emily Watson, Laura Dern, Timothee Chalamet and Meryl Streep. Louisa May Alcott's novel has been a popular text for film makers since the first silent version in 1912 - is there anything new which director Greta Gerwig can bring to this version? HG Wells' novel The War Of The Worlds is probably best known to many people as the Jeff Wayne musical version, it's the UK's 32nd best-selling studio album of all time. It's been a touring show, made into a video game and now it's become an immersive theatrical experience,complete with AI headsets. Untitled Goose Game is an award-winning game in which the player is a goose who wanders around irritating characters by honking and flapping at them. We look at a couple of graphic novels: Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me and November. Four hundred years ago, in August 1619, a ship carrying more than 20 enslaved Africans arrived in America. A podcast series “1619,” from The New York Times, hosted by Nikole Hannah-Jones, examines the long shadow of that fateful moment. You're Dead To Me is a BBC podcast series which describes itself as "a history podcast for people who don't like history". Presented by Greg Jenner, it looks at a variety of subjects from a lighthearted perspective Jordan Erica Webber's guests are Arifa Akbar, Naima Khan and Carl Anka. The producer is Oliver Jones. Podcast Extra Recommendations: Naima - Christina Craig; Mint Tea and Other Stories Carl - Super Eyepatch Wolf Arifa - Death Of England at The National Theatre Jordan Spinning by Tilley Walden

The Swedish Academy today announced the winners of the Nobel Prize in Literature. Winners, not winner, because, embroiled in a scandal over allegations of sexual assault by the husband of one of its members, the Academy delayed last year’s prize until today. The 2019 winner is Austrian writer Peter Handke, a controversial figure, one of whose early plays was called Offending the Audience, and 2018's winner Olga Tokarczuk is a leading Polish novelist who won the Man Booker International Prize last year for her book Flights. Front Row has the only UK interview with Olga Tokarczuk today and the critic Arifa Akbar considers the work of the winners and the implications of these awards. Goldie, real name Clifford Price, is a musician, actor and artist whose career lifted off with the '90s Drum and Bass boom. The frenetic, high-tempo sound which has played a key role in the evolution of dance music is celebrated on a new 60-track collection compiled by Goldie – a former graffiti artist who became the celebrity poster boy of ‘DnB’ at the height of its popularity and was awarded an MBE in 2016. He talks to Front Row about the revolutionary but often misunderstood genre. Es Devlin has created ambitious sets and sculptures for theatre, opera and large-scale rock concerts, from U2 to Beyoncé. Her latest commission is Memory Palace, an 18-metre-wide white chronological sloping landscape of buildings and places, in which she charts pivotal shifts in human perspectives over 70,000 years. The artist and designer discusses her work which is at Sir John Soane’s former country home, Pitzhanger Manor. Presenter John Wilson Producer Simon Richardson

Literary critics Arifa Akbar and Toby Lichtig dissect the longlist of the 2019 Booker Prize longlist. For the full list see below. Tea is the most widely-consumed drink after water. Julie Finch, director the Compton Verney gallery, guides Julian May through their new exhibition A Tea Journey: From the Mountains to the Table. The show navigates the cultural history of the cuppa from the delicate bowls of Tang dynasty China to the British builder’s mug as well as new work made by artists in response to this history. Why have Fleabag’s black jumpsuit, the yellow coat from Keeping Faith and Villanelle’s pink dress all become firm favourites on the high street? Fashion historian Amber Butchart examines the long links between fashion houses, TV and Hollywood. Margaret Atwood (Canada) - The Testaments Kevin Barry (Ireland) - Night Boat to Tangier Oyinkan Braithwaite (UK/Nigeria) - My Sister, The Serial Killer Lucy Ellmann (USA/UK) - Ducks, Newburyport Bernardine Evaristo (UK) - Girl, Woman, Other John Lanchester (UK) - The Wall Deborah Levy (UK) - The Man Who Saw Everything Valeria Luiselli (Mexico/Italy) - Lost Children Archive Chigozie Obioma (Nigeria) - An Orchestra of Minorities Max Porter (UK) - Lanny Salman Rushdie (UK/India) - Quichotte Elif Shafak (UK/Turkey) - 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World Jeanette Winterson (UK) - Frankissstein Presenter: Samira Ahmed Producer: Edwina Pitman

Fiction + Forgotten Talents. Join Zing Tsjeng for this week's Baileys Book Bar, a one-off live version of Women’s Prize for Fiction’s hugely popular new online feature Women Writers Revisited. The panel of exceptional women will discuss the overlooked or ‘forgotten’ female writers who have inspired them. Bestselling author and our Founder Director Kate Mosse is joined by 2019 Women’s Prize for Fiction judge, journalist and theatre critic Arifa Akbar, previous winner of the Women’s Prize Linda Grant, and the beloved novelist Joanna Trollope.Books covered:The Pumpkin Eater by Penelope MortimerWhatever Happened to Interracial Love by Kathleen CollinsThe Towers of Trebizond by Rose MacaulayFor more details head over to www.womensprizeforfiction.co.uk or check out #WomensPrize and @WomensPrize on Twitter and Instagram. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Colombian film Birds of Passage explores the emergence of illegal drug trading in the 60s and 70s and it's ghastly effects and lasting legacy on family. Corporate black comedy White Pearl has opened at London's Royal Court. About 6 Asian women in an office in Singapore who try to fix a problem when their advertisement goes viral by mistake. And then things spiral out of control. New novels from Thomas Harris - Cari Mora: set in Miami, monsters lurk in the crevices between male desire and female survival. And also from Denise Mina - Conviction: about a woman whose complicated secret past begins to catch up with - and then threatens to overtake - her. A Tale of Two Empires at Birmingham's Barber Institute looks at the coins from the same period of Rome and Persia. Also we take a look at their permanent art collection. Tom Sutcliffe's guests are Tom Holland, Arifa Akbar and Danielle Thom. The producer is Oliver Jones. Podcast Extra recommendations: Tom H: Linda Grant - A Stranger City and Game of Thrones. Arifa: Rejoicing at her Wondrous Vulva, the Young Woman Applauded Herself at The Oval House and Whatever Happened to Interracial Love by Kathleen Collins. Danielle waxed lyrical about the joy of mending and making things by hand and of psychogeography. Also the imminent Secret Rivers Of London exhibition at The Museum of London. Tom S: The Longdrop by Denise Mina and Years and Years on BBC1.

Stephen Merchant has written and directed the feature film Fighting with my Family, which tells the unlikely true story of a young British woman from Norwich who found fame on the women's wrestling circuit in America. Merchant discusses going in at the deep end and working alongside former champion wrestler and Hollywood star Dwayne ‘The Rock' Johnson. Arifa Akbar reviews new books by Leila Aboulela (Bird Summons), Oyinkan Braithwaite (My Sister the Serial Killer) and 2015 Man Booker winner Marlon James (Black Leopard, Red Wolf).Theatre company Clean Break has been working with women with experience of the criminal justice system for 40 years. In their anniversary year, Front Row talks to joint artistic director Roisin McBrinn and Clean Break member Jennifer Joseph. Jennifer co-created and stars in the company's latest show, Inside Bitch, which challenges the portrayal of women's prisons on our screens.Presenter: Stig Abell Producer: Timothy Prosser

Douglas Bader was beginning a promising career as a British fighter pilot when he lost both legs in a crash. But that didn't stop him -- he learned to use artificial legs and went on to become a top flying ace in World War II. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll review Bader's inspiring story and the personal philosophy underlay it. We'll also revisit the year 536 and puzzle over the fate of a suitcase. Intro: In 1872 Celia Thaxter published an unsettling poem about an iceberg. In 193 the Praetorian Guard auctioned off the Roman empire. Sources for our story on Douglas Bader: Paul Brickhill, Reach for the Sky, 1954. S.P. Mackenzie, Bader's War, 2008. Andy Saunders, Bader's Last Fight, 2007. Joel Ralph, "Their Finest Hour," Canada's History 95:6 (December 2015/January 2016), 22-31. Paul Laib, "Bader, Sir Douglas Robert Steuart," Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, May 19, 2011. A.W.G. English, "Psychology of Limb Loss," BMJ: British Medical Journal 299:6710 (Nov. 18, 1989), 1287. "Obituary," Journal of the Royal Society of Arts 130:5315 (October 1982), 750-751. The Douglas Bader Foundation. Neil Tweedie, "Tribute to a Very British Hero," Daily Telegraph, Aug. 10, 2001, 10. "Reaching for the Sky: Lady Bader Unveils Statue in Honour of Sir Douglas," Birmingham Post, Aug. 10, 2001, 6. "Who Really Shot Down Douglas Bader?" Daily Telegraph, Aug. 9, 2001, 23. Arifa Akbar, "In Memory of a Legendary Hero," [Darlington, UK] Northern Echo, Aug. 8, 2001, 8. "Sir Douglas Bader, Legless RAF Ace Who Shot Down 22 German Planes," Associated Press, Sept. 6, 1982, 1. "Sir Douglas Bader, World War II Ace," Associated Press, Sept. 5, 1982. Herbert Mitgang, "He Fought Sitting Down," New York Times, Nov. 17, 1957. "Legless British Pilot to Aid Veterans Here," New York Times, May 7, 1947. "Legless Air Hero Enters British Title Golf Event," New York Times, April 5, 1946. "Legless RAF Ace Honored," New York Times, Nov. 28, 1945. "Bader, Legless RAF Flier, Freed by Yanks in Reich," New York Times, April 19, 1945. "Germans Recapture Flier Bader As He Tries Out Those New Legs; Bader Is Caught Trying to Escape," New York Times, Sept. 29, 1941. "Bader Gets New Artificial Leg, But Escape Attempt Fails," [Washington D.C.] Evening Star, Sept. 29, 1941 A-4. "Legless Pilot Honored; Bader, Now War Prisoner, Gets Bar to Flying Cross," New York Times, Sept. 5, 1941. "Epic of Bader's Leg," New York Times, Aug. 21, 1941. "R.A.F., on Sweep, Drops Artificial Leg for Bader," New York Times, Aug. 20, 1941. "Bader Is Nazi Prisoner; Legless R.A.F. Ace Safe After Parachuting in France," New York Times, Aug. 15, 1941. "Bader, Legless R.A.F. Ace, Reported Missing," New York Times, Aug. 13, 1941. "Two British Air Force Aces, One Legless, Reported Missing," [Washington D.C.] Evening Star, Aug. 12, 1941, A-18. "10 Leading R.A.F. Aces Listed for Exploits," New York Times, Jan. 10, 1941. Bader with Flight Lieutenant Eric Ball and Pilot Officer Willie McKnight of No. 242 Squadron, Duxford, October 1940. Bader himself designed the squadron's emblem, a boot kicking Hitler in the breeches. Listener mail: Wikipedia, "Settlement of Iceland" (accessed Jan. 4, 2019). Wikipedia, "History of Iceland" (accessed Jan. 4, 2019). Wikipedia, "Papar" (accessed Jan. 4, 2019). Encyclopedia.com, "The Discovery and Settlement of Iceland" (accessed Jan. 4, 2019). Neil Schlager, Science and Its Times: Understanding the Social Significance of Scientific Discovery, 2001. Wikipedia, "Thule" (accessed Jan. 4, 2019). Wikipedia, "(486958) 2014 MU69" (accessed Jan. 4, 2019). NASA, "New Horizons Chooses Nickname for 'Ultimate' Flyby Target," March 13, 2018. "Is This the Reason Ireland Converted to Christianity?," Smithsonian Channel, June 26, 2014. Mike Wall, "How Halley's Comet Is Linked to a Famine 1,500 Years Ago," NBC News, Dec. 19 2013. Colin Barras, "The Year of Darkness," New Scientist 221:2952 (2014), 34-38. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Jeff King. You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on Google Podcasts, on Apple Podcasts, or via the RSS feed at https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- you can choose the amount you want to pledge, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation on the Support Us page of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at podcast@futilitycloset.com. Thanks for listening!

Andrew Davies is renowned for turning literary classics into prime-time television drama, from Pride and Prejudice and Bleak House to War and Peace. He talks to Samira about his new BBC One series, a reworking of Victor Hugo's Les Misérables, explaining the appeal of the 19th Century epic novel and why the stage musical version of the book didn't influence his adaption at all. In the Bible, Matthew wrote about the Three Wise Men, Luke about the shepherds and the angels, and ever since, Christmas has provided inspiration for writers. John Milton wrote On the Morning of Christ's Nativity, Jane Austen has a Christmas scene in Persuasion, Ernest Hemingway wrote about Paris at Christmas and Helen Fielding, in Bridget Jones's Diary, has Bridget attending a terrible yuletide family gathering. Writer Matthew Sweet, critic Arifa Akbar and Professor Stephen Regan, who has traced the history of Christmas in English literature, discuss the different ways writers have treated Christmas in their work. Sheffield-based poet Helen Mort talks about the poetry of the festive season and reads her Christmas poem written especially for Front Row.Presenter Samira Ahmed Producer Harry Parker

In our penultimate episode of the series, we discuss the year's best novels and non-fiction works — as well as some old favourites — with Arifa Akbar, literary critic and a judge of the 2019 Women's Prize for Fiction, and Alice Fishburn, editor of FT Weekend magazine. Later, Gris chats to Sally Rooney about her award-winning novel Normal People. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

First Man is a film about astronaut Neil Armstrong's life in the lead-up to the Apollo 11 moon-landing mission. The Modern Couples exhibition at The Barbican Gallery shines a spotlight upon the often under-appreciated partners of artistic geniuses whose contribution to their work and achievements has been hitherto unacknowledged or unknown. Jonathan Price and Eileen Atkins star in The Height Of The Storm, a new play by Florian Zeller translated by Christopher Hampton which has just opened in London The Penguin Book Of The Contemporary British Short Story includes 30 works from writers including Ali Smith, Zadie Smith, Kazuo Ishiguro, Martin Amis, Rose Tremain and many more Informer is a new BBC TV series about a young British Muslim who is coerced into becoming a police informer to infiltrate his own community. Tom Sutcliffe's guests are John Mullan, Tiffany Jenkins and Arifa Akbar. The producer is Oliver Jones Podcast Extra: Arifa recommends: Memoirs of An Asian Football Casual and Ben Okri's short film The Insider Tiffany recommends the Slow Burn Podcast from Slate John recommends The Wife Tom recommends Sondheim's Company

New documentary Matangi/Maya/MIA about the political rapper MIA, uses self-filmed archive footage of the outspoken and ‘controversial' Sri Lankan immigrant artist who took up the Tamil cause. So how does the film by director and friend Stephen Loveridge help us understand her life and music? Journalist Kieran Yates reviews.The Man Booker Prize 2018 shortlist of six books has just been announced and features two debuts, the youngest ever writer to make the list, a novel in verse and four women authors. Toby Lichtig of the Times Literary Supplement and critic Arifa Akbar give their thoughts on a list which includes some notable omissions - Sally Rooney and Michael Ondaatje for example.Nell Stevens is the final shortlisted writer for this year's National Short Story Award. She joins Kirsty to talk about The Minutes, her darkly funny and mysterious tale which follows a group of students captivated by an enigmatic stranger as they protest against the demolition and gentrification taking place in their neighbourhood.Roy Williams pays tribute to fellow playwright Stephen Jeffreys, who has died aged 68. He is best-known for writing The Libertine, about the hedonistic Restoration poet and courtier - the Earl of Rochester. Jeffreys also long championed the work of young, new dramatists, including Roy, offering them support and advice.Presenter: Kirsty Lang Producer: Harry Parker

Playwright Patrick Marber and actress Indira Varma on Exit the King, Marber's adaptation for the National Theatre of the Romanian absurdist drama by Eugène Ionesco, in which Varma stars as Queen Marguerite alongside Rhys Ifans' King, about to make his final exit. John talks to Nick Drnaso, the first graphic novelist to be longlisted for the Man Booker prize, and critics Arifa Akbar and Toby Lichtig comment on the longlist as a whole. For the full list see below. Poet Tony Walsh, whose poem This is the Place poignantly captured the feelings of the public following last year's Manchester Arena bomb, has written a new poem for the Imperial War Museum North in Salford, part of a season marking the centenary of the final year of the First World War.The 2018 Man Booker LonglistBelinda Bauer (UK) Snap (Bantam Press) Anna Burns (UK) Milkman (Faber & Faber) Nick Drnaso (USA) Sabrina (Granta Books) Esi Edugyan (Canada) Washington Black (Serpent's Tail) Guy Gunaratne (UK) In Our Mad And Furious City (Tinder Press) Daisy Johnson (UK) Everything Under (Jonathan Cape) Rachel Kushner (USA) The Mars Room (Jonathan Cape) Sophie Mackintosh (UK) The Water Cure (Hamish Hamilton) Michael Ondaatje (Canada) Warlight (Jonathan Cape) Richard Powers (USA) The Overstory (Willian Heinemann) Robin Robertson (UK) The Long Take (Picador) Sally Rooney (Ireland) Normal People (Faber & Faber) Donal Ryan (Ireland) From A Low And Quiet Sea (Doubleday Ireland)Presenter: John Wilson Producer: Timothy Prosser.

Actor Emily Mortimer on a new film adaption of Penelope Fitzgerald's The Bookshop, about a widow who decides to open a bookshop selling subversive literature in a small seaside town in 1950s England. She also tells Samira about her role in the upcoming Mary Poppins sequel.The 50th year of the Man Booker Prize is celebrated this weekend with a festival at London's South Bank. Literary Director Gaby Wood joins novelist Linda Grant and publisher Arifa Akbar to discuss the history of and issues surrounding Britain's most prominent award for literature. Tomorrow evening the winner of the £100,000 Art Fund Museum of the Year 2018 will be announced. We report from each of the five shortlisted museums and galleries - today it's the Glasgow Women's Library, the only accredited museum in the UK dedicated to women's lives, histories and achievements.Presenter: Samira AhmedProducer: Timothy Prosser.Main picture: Emily Mortimer as Florence Green. Credit: Vertigo Releasing

For a special episode recorded at the Bath Festival, we discuss Angela Carter's astonishing collection The Bloody Chamber (1979), much of which was conceived while Carter lived in Bath. Andy and John are joined by novelist Rachel Heath, Boundless editor and critic Arifa Akbar, and journalist and artistic director of words and literature at the Bath Festival, Alex Clark. This episode also includes the panel's thoughts on Philip Roth, whose death had been announced that morning.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge, writer and star of TV series Fleabag, discusses balancing performance and writing, and her latest role as L3, a female droid in the latest Star Wars episode, Solo. Andrew Sean Greer has just won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his comic novel Less, about a failed novelist who embarks on a trip round the world rather than attend his ex-lover's wedding. He discusses writing about gay marriage, ageing and why the win came as a surprise. Following the announcement that the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse prize for UK Comic Fiction is being withheld for the first time in its history, journalist and critic Arifa Akbar joins Andrew Sean Greer to discuss the current climate for writing a laugh-out-loud novel. Presenter: Kirsty Lang Producer: Caroline Donne.

Tracey Thorn describes her new record 'Record' as 'nine feminist bangers'. She talks to John Wilson about why electro-pop turns out to be her preferred style for a musical look back at various stages in her life from birth, through teenage crushes and learning to play guitar to motherhood.The Finnish National Gallery has just become the latest institution to make digital images of works in its collection, that are no longer in copyright, freely available to the public. No major UK arts institution has taken a similar step. Art Historian Dr Bendor Grosvenor has been campaigning on this issue and explains his position.As two biographies of Mary Shelley have been published since Christmas "In Search of Mary Shelley the girl who wrote Frankenstein" by Fiona Sampson and "Mary Shelley" by Miranda Seymour we look at the competing claims and different perspectives that biographers bring to the lives of their subjects. Biographer and critic Kathryn Hughes and critic and editor of on-line literary magazine Boundless, Arifa Akbar, discuss what "rival" biographies reveal about the process of writing biography itself.Grime artist Stormzy took two of the top awards at the Brits and used his platform to criticise the government over its response to Grenfell Tower fire. From an interview with Front Row on the occasion of last year's awards he throws light on what motivates his rapping and his thoughts on grime's place in the awards.

This year's Golden Bear winning film On Body And Soul is a peculiar love story between two social misfits who work at a Hungarian abattoir A revival of Thornton Wilder's most-performed play Our Town at Manchester's Royal Exchange resets it to reflect the local audience Jennifer Egan's follow up to her multi prize-winning A Visit From The Goon Squad is Manhattan Beach. Set in the docks of New York during wartime, Egan has described it as "a fairly straightforward, noirish thriller". Will our panel be more effulgent? A major new exhibition of the work of the late street artist Jean-Michel Basquiat has opened at London's Barbican Centre; was he warmly or suffocatingly embraced by New York's hungry art scene in the 1980s? HBO TV's new series The Deuce begins on Sky Atlantic And - if you listen to the podcast version of this programme, you can find out what the reviewers have been enjoying when they're not absorbing stuff for the Saturday Review Tom Sutclidffe's guests are Natalie Haynes, Arifa Akbar and Peter Kemp. The producer is Oliver Jones.

In the final episode of our Man Booker Prize Podcast series, host Joe Haddow takes us behind-the-scenes at the Man Booker Prize winner ceremony at London's Guildhall. Joe speaks to VIP guests and captures the buzz in the build-up to the big moment when Marlon James is crowned 2015 winner. Fellow dinner guest, Arifa Akbar of The Independent, recalls the moment Marlon's name is revealed as she was sitting next to him at the table. Joe also speaks to chair of 2015 judges, Michael Wood, about how the panel came to their decision, as well as which TV boxsets they plan to watch now the reading's done and dusted! Lastly Joe is joined by the author-of-the-hour, a slightly hoarse Marlon James, to get his reaction to winning, what his new Man Booker fame means for him, Jamaica and Caribbean literature, and what's next (including a decent night's sleep). Our 2015 series is fittingly rounded off by a clip from A Brief History of Seven Killings – just in case you haven't managed to delve into the book. And then, it's over and out for this year. Thanks for tuning in! Join in the conversation about the winner and what lies ahead for the 2016 prize @ManBookerPrize #FinestFiction Disclaimer: the extract at the end of this podcast from A Brief History of Seven Killings contains explicit content and language.