Episodes
| Title | First Broadcast | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Episode Five - 21-03-2025 | 20250321 |  A propulsive novel of rupture and repair in the digital age, delving into a hidden world deep under the ocean – from the New York Times bestselling author of Apeirogon and Let the Great World Spin. As read by Declan Conlon. Anthony Fennell, an Irish journalist and playwright, is assigned to cover the underwater cables that carry the world's information. The sum of human existence—words, images, transactions, memes, voices, viruses—travels through the tiny fiber-optic tubes. But sometimes the tubes break, at an unfathomable depth. Fennell's journey brings him to the west coast of Africa, where he uncovers a story about the raw human labor behind the dazzling veneer of the technological world. He meets John Conway, the mysterious chief of mission on a cable repair ship. When the ship is sent up the coast to repair a series of major underwater breaks, both men learn that the very cables they seek to fix carry the news that may cause their lives to unravel. At sea, they are forced to confront the most elemental questions of life, love, absence, belonging, and the perils of our severed connections. The Author Colum McCann's seven novels and three collections of short stories have been published in over forty languages and received some of the world's most prestigious literary awards and honours, including the National Book Award for his novel Let the Great World Spin in 2009. His novel TransAtlantic was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2013, and his most recent novel, Apeirogon, also longlisted for the Man Booker Prize, is an international bestseller on four continents. Reader: Declan Conlon Author: Colum McCann Abridger: Rowan Routh Producer: Michael Shannon A BBC Audio Northern Ireland Production for BBC Radio 4. As the search for the damaged cable continues, Conway receives news of another break. Colum McCann's epic new novel about connection, disconnection and destruction. Join the Americast team for insights from across the US. The search for the underwater cable continues as Fennell's thoughts turn towards his estranged son. |
| Episode Five - Is Donald Trump Ready To Defy The Courts? | 20250321 | A propulsive novel of rupture and repair in the digital age, delving into a hidden world deep under the ocean – from the New York Times bestselling author of Apeirogon and Let the Great World Spin. As read by Declan Conlon. Anthony Fennell, an Irish journalist and playwright, is assigned to cover the underwater cables that carry the world's information. The sum of human existence—words, images, transactions, memes, voices, viruses—travels through the tiny fiber-optic tubes. But sometimes the tubes break, at an unfathomable depth. Fennell's journey brings him to the west coast of Africa, where he uncovers a story about the raw human labor behind the dazzling veneer of the technological world. He meets John Conway, the mysterious chief of mission on a cable repair ship. When the ship is sent up the coast to repair a series of major underwater breaks, both men learn that the very cables they seek to fix carry the news that may cause their lives to unravel. At sea, they are forced to confront the most elemental questions of life, love, absence, belonging, and the perils of our severed connections. The Author Colum McCann's seven novels and three collections of short stories have been published in over forty languages and received some of the world's most prestigious literary awards and honours, including the National Book Award for his novel Let the Great World Spin in 2009. His novel TransAtlantic was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2013, and his most recent novel, Apeirogon, also longlisted for the Man Booker Prize, is an international bestseller on four continents. Reader: Declan Conlon Author: Colum McCann Abridger: Rowan Routh Producer: Michael Shannon A BBC Audio Northern Ireland Production for BBC Radio 4. As the search for the damaged cable continues, Conway receives news of another break. Colum McCann's epic new novel about connection, disconnection and destruction. Or has he already done so? The search for the underwater cable continues as Fennell's thoughts turn towards his estranged son. |
| Episode Ten - 28-03-2025 | 20250328 | A propulsive novel of rupture and repair in the digital age, delving into a hidden world deep under the ocean – from the New York Times bestselling author of Apeirogon and Let the Great World Spin. As read by Declan Conlon. Anthony Fennell, an Irish journalist and playwright, is assigned to cover the underwater cables that carry the world's information. The sum of human existence—words, images, transactions, memes, voices, viruses—travels through the tiny fiber-optic tubes. But sometimes the tubes break, at an unfathomable depth. Fennell's journey brings him to the west coast of Africa, where he uncovers a story about the raw human labor behind the dazzling veneer of the technological world. He meets John Conway, the mysterious chief of mission on a cable repair ship. When the ship is sent up the coast to repair a series of major underwater breaks, both men learn that the very cables they seek to fix carry the news that may cause their lives to unravel. At sea, they are forced to confront the most elemental questions of life, love, absence, belonging, and the perils of our severed connections. The Author Colum McCann's seven novels and three collections of short stories have been published in over forty languages and received some of the world's most prestigious literary awards and honours, including the National Book Award for his novel Let the Great World Spin in 2009. His novel TransAtlantic was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2013, and his most recent novel, Apeirogon, also longlisted for the Man Booker Prize, is an international bestseller on four continents. Reader: Declan Conlon Author: Colum McCann Abridger: Rowan Routh Producer: Michael Shannon A BBC Audio Northern Ireland Production for BBC Radio 4. Fennell pieces together some fragments of Conway's past. Colum McCann's epic new novel about connection, disconnection and destruction. Join the Americast team for insights from across the US. In the hope of discovering the truth about Conway, Fennell meets Zanele in London. |
| Episode Ten - Can Donald Trump Shrug Off The Signal Chat Leak? | 20250328 | A propulsive novel of rupture and repair in the digital age, delving into a hidden world deep under the ocean – from the New York Times bestselling author of Apeirogon and Let the Great World Spin. As read by Declan Conlon. Anthony Fennell, an Irish journalist and playwright, is assigned to cover the underwater cables that carry the world's information. The sum of human existence—words, images, transactions, memes, voices, viruses—travels through the tiny fiber-optic tubes. But sometimes the tubes break, at an unfathomable depth. Fennell's journey brings him to the west coast of Africa, where he uncovers a story about the raw human labor behind the dazzling veneer of the technological world. He meets John Conway, the mysterious chief of mission on a cable repair ship. When the ship is sent up the coast to repair a series of major underwater breaks, both men learn that the very cables they seek to fix carry the news that may cause their lives to unravel. At sea, they are forced to confront the most elemental questions of life, love, absence, belonging, and the perils of our severed connections. The Author Colum McCann's seven novels and three collections of short stories have been published in over forty languages and received some of the world's most prestigious literary awards and honours, including the National Book Award for his novel Let the Great World Spin in 2009. His novel TransAtlantic was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2013, and his most recent novel, Apeirogon, also longlisted for the Man Booker Prize, is an international bestseller on four continents. Reader: Declan Conlon Author: Colum McCann Abridger: Rowan Routh Producer: Michael Shannon A BBC Audio Northern Ireland Production for BBC Radio 4. Fennell pieces together some fragments of Conway's past. Colum McCann's epic new novel about connection, disconnection and destruction. And could it lead to a firing? In the hope of discovering the truth about Conway, Fennell meets Zanele in London. |