Border Crossing

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Comments

A Good Soldier & Handsome Daddy

20160424

A series of programmes that sets up a unique pairing between writers from countries challenged by refugee and migration issues with short story writers from Britain. Each foreign story was given to a British writer who wrote their own response, in an exchange of fiction that aims to explode myths, explore shared concerns and extend the boundaries of the short story.

In A Good Soldier by Maaza Mengiste, the brutality of the past pursues an Ethiopian father into exile and shockingly marks his relationship with his young son. The reader is Amir El Masry.

In Helen Dunmore's response, Handsome Daddy, an alert dinner lady notices worrying signs of abuse as a young boy lines up in the lunch queue. The reader is Sara Markland.

Maaza Mengiste is an Ethiopian-American novelist, essayist and photographer whose debut novel Beneath the Lion's Gaze was one of The Guardian's ten best contemporary African books. Helen Dunmore is a prize-winning British novelist, short-story writer and poet whose latest novel, Exposure, was published in January.

A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.

First Born & Demoiselle

20160508

In First Born by Leila Haidar, a Syrian mother mourns the death of her eldest son. The reader is Sirine Saba.

In Michelle Green's response, Demoiselle, a woman prepares to join her friend working with migrating cranes in India. The reader is Clare Corbett.

Leila Haidar is the pseudonym of a published writer living in a regime-controlled area of Syria. Michelle Green is a British-Canadian writer and spoken word artist. She has published one collection of poetry, and her book Jebel Marra, a collection of linked stories on Darfur's ongoing war, is out now.

A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.

The Homsi Wolf & Cry Wolf

20160501

In The Homsi Wolf by Mahmoud Al Hussein, a Syrian father tries to protect his family from the bombing raids on his village and comes face to face with an enemy on the ground. The reader is Amir El Masry.

In Sara Maitland's response, Cry Wolf, a mother returns with her young daughter to her family home in the Highlands, where she has a strange and frightening encounter. The reader is Sara Markland.

Mahmoud Al Hussein is a Syrian writer, dramatist, actor and director who specialised in Syria in children's theatre. He now lives in Turkey and is developing drama for radio. Sara Maitland is a novelist, short-story writer, columnist and essayist, and author of much-praised non-fiction books including The Book of Silence and Gossip from the Forest.

A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.

Twenty-something Going Nowhere & The Revolutionary T-shirt

20160515

In Twenty Something Going Nowhere by Ethiopian writer Linda Yohannes, a young girl in Ethiopia discovers her teenage idealism isn't easy to maintain in the harsh reality of working life. The reader is Michaela Gasteratou.

In British writer Nikesh Shukla's response, The Revolutionary T-Shirt, a young man exchanges political naivety for a more complex understanding of injustice. The reader is Himesh Patel.

Linda Yohannes lives and writes in Addis Ababa. She is a winner of the 2012 Burt Award for African Literature and her recent short stories can be read online on www. jalada.org and www.afreada.com. Nikesh Shukla is the author of two novels, Coconut Unlimited and Meatspace, and a number of short stories. He is Editor of the forthcoming The Good Immigrant, and hosts The Subaltern podcast.

A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.

20010402

Douglas Hodge begins Pat Barker's compelling novel about children who kill, guilt, punishment and the border between good and evil.

Danny, convicted of murder at the age of ten and now released into an unforgiving world, seeks out the psychologist who assessed him before the trial.

Abridged in ten parts by Doreen Estall

20010403

Douglas Hodge reads Pat Barker's novel about a child murderer who, following his release from prison, seeks to understand his past.

Abridged in ten parts by Doreen Estall (2/10).

20010404

Douglas Hodge reads Pat Barker's novel about a child murderer.

Abridged in ten parts by Doreen Estall.

Just what does Danny want from Tom? (3/10).

20010405

Douglas Hodge reads Pat Barker's novel about a child murderer.

Abridged in ten parts by Doreen Estall.

Was Tom to blame for Danny's conviction? (4/10).

20010406

Douglas Hodge reads Pat Barker's novel about a child murderer, abridged in ten parts by Doreen Estall.

Was it nature or nurture? (5/10).

20010409

Douglas Hodge reads Pat Barker's novel about a man who killed someone at the age of ten and who now seeks to understand his past.

Tom goes in search of answers at Long Garth, the secure unit where he spent his adolescence.

Abridged in ten parts by Doreen Estall.

(6/10).

20010410

Douglas Hodge reads Pat Barker's novel about a child murderer.

Angus gives Tom a different story.

Abridged in ten parts by Doreen Estall (7/10).

20010411

Douglas Hodge reads Pat Barker's novel about a child murderer.

As Tom gets closer to the murder, how dangerous is Danny? Abridged in ten parts by Doreen Estall (8/10).

20010412

Douglas Hodge reads Pat Barker's novel about a child murderer.

Danny and Tom finally reach Lizzie's murder.

Abridged in ten parts by Doreen Estall (9/10).

10 LAST

20010413

Douglas Hodge reads the final part of Pat Barker's compelling novel about a child murderer.

How safe is Danny? Abridged in ten parts by Doreen Estall (10/10).

Episodes

Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Comments
	A Good Soldier & Handsome Daddy	20160424	A series of programmes that sets up a unique pairing between writers from countries challenged by refugee and migration issues with short story writers from Britain. Each foreign story was given to a British writer who wrote their own response, in an exchange of fiction that aims to explode myths, explore shared concerns and extend the boundaries of the short story. In A Good Soldier by Maaza Mengiste, the brutality of the past pursues an Ethiopian father into exile and shockingly marks his relationship with his young son. The reader is Amir El Masry. In Helen Dunmore's response, Handsome Daddy, an alert dinner lady notices worrying signs of abuse as a young boy lines up in the lunch queue. The reader is Sara Markland. Maaza Mengiste is an Ethiopian-American novelist, essayist and photographer whose debut novel Beneath the Lion's Gaze was one of The Guardian's ten best contemporary African books. Helen Dunmore is a prize-winning British novelist, short-story writer and poet whose latest novel, Exposure, was published in January. A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.
	First Born & Demoiselle	20160508	A series of programmes that sets up a unique pairing between writers from countries challenged by refugee and migration issues with short story writers from Britain. Each foreign story was given to a British writer who wrote their own response, in an exchange of fiction that aims to explode myths, explore shared concerns and extend the boundaries of the short story. In First Born by Leila Haidar, a Syrian mother mourns the death of her eldest son. The reader is Sirine Saba. In Michelle Green's response, Demoiselle, a woman prepares to join her friend working with migrating cranes in India. The reader is Clare Corbett. Leila Haidar is the pseudonym of a published writer living in a regime-controlled area of Syria. Michelle Green is a British-Canadian writer and spoken word artist. She has published one collection of poetry, and her book Jebel Marra, a collection of linked stories on Darfur's ongoing war, is out now. A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.
	The Homsi Wolf & Cry Wolf	20160501	A series of programmes that sets up a unique pairing between writers from countries challenged by refugee and migration issues with short story writers from Britain. Each foreign story was given to a British writer who wrote their own response, in an exchange of fiction that aims to explode myths, explore shared concerns and extend the boundaries of the short story. In The Homsi Wolf by Mahmoud Al Hussein, a Syrian father tries to protect his family from the bombing raids on his village and comes face to face with an enemy on the ground. The reader is Amir El Masry. In Sara Maitland's response, Cry Wolf, a mother returns with her young daughter to her family home in the Highlands, where she has a strange and frightening encounter. The reader is Sara Markland. Mahmoud Al Hussein is a Syrian writer, dramatist, actor and director who specialised in Syria in children's theatre. He now lives in Turkey and is developing drama for radio. Sara Maitland is a novelist, short-story writer, columnist and essayist, and author of much-praised non-fiction books including The Book of Silence and Gossip from the Forest. A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.
	Twenty-something Going Nowhere & The Revolutionary T-shirt	20160515	A series of programmes that sets up a unique pairing between writers from countries challenged by refugee and migration issues with short story writers from Britain. Each foreign story was given to a British writer who wrote their own response, in an exchange of fiction that aims to explode myths, explore shared concerns and extend the boundaries of the short story. In Twenty Something Going Nowhere by Ethiopian writer Linda Yohannes, a young girl in Ethiopia discovers her teenage idealism isn't easy to maintain in the harsh reality of working life. The reader is Michaela Gasteratou. In British writer Nikesh Shukla's response, The Revolutionary T-Shirt, a young man exchanges political naivety for a more complex understanding of injustice. The reader is Himesh Patel. Linda Yohannes lives and writes in Addis Ababa. She is a winner of the 2012 Burt Award for African Literature and her recent short stories can be read online on www. jalada.org and www.afreada.com. Nikesh Shukla is the author of two novels, Coconut Unlimited and Meatspace, and a number of short stories. He is Editor of the forthcoming The Good Immigrant, and hosts The Subaltern podcast. A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.
01		20010402	Douglas Hodge begins Pat Barker's compelling novel about children who kill, guilt, punishment and the border between good and evil. Danny, convicted of murder at the age of ten and now released into an unforgiving world, seeks out the psychologist who assessed him before the trial. Abridged in ten parts by Doreen Estall
02		20010403	Douglas Hodge reads Pat Barker's novel about a child murderer who, following his release from prison, seeks to understand his past. Abridged in ten parts by Doreen Estall (2/10).
03		20010404	Douglas Hodge reads Pat Barker's novel about a child murderer. Abridged in ten parts by Doreen Estall. Just what does Danny want from Tom? (3/10).
04		20010405	Douglas Hodge reads Pat Barker's novel about a child murderer. Abridged in ten parts by Doreen Estall. Was Tom to blame for Danny's conviction? (4/10).
05		20010406	Douglas Hodge reads Pat Barker's novel about a child murderer, abridged in ten parts by Doreen Estall. Was it nature or nurture? (5/10).
06		20010409	Douglas Hodge reads Pat Barker's novel about a man who killed someone at the age of ten and who now seeks to understand his past. Tom goes in search of answers at Long Garth, the secure unit where he spent his adolescence. Abridged in ten parts by Doreen Estall. (6/10).
07		20010410	Douglas Hodge reads Pat Barker's novel about a child murderer. Angus gives Tom a different story. Abridged in ten parts by Doreen Estall (7/10).
08		20010411	Douglas Hodge reads Pat Barker's novel about a child murderer. As Tom gets closer to the murder, how dangerous is Danny? Abridged in ten parts by Doreen Estall (8/10).
09		20010412	Douglas Hodge reads Pat Barker's novel about a child murderer. Danny and Tom finally reach Lizzie's murder. Abridged in ten parts by Doreen Estall (9/10).
10 LAST		20010413	Douglas Hodge reads the final part of Pat Barker's compelling novel about a child murderer. How safe is Danny? Abridged in ten parts by Doreen Estall (10/10).