Episodes
| Episode | Title | First Broadcast | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Licence to Kill | 20150426 | Stephanie Cole reads a short story by Penelope Lively.
The 86-year-old Pauline requires a little help with daily tasks. Her teenaged care assistant, Cally, is employed to take her shopping. Their easy routine stutters when, out of the blue, Pauline reveals a secret about her past.
First in a series of stories in which writers consider the theme of age and ageing. The series title, Above Ground, is inspired by a quote from Carol Shields novel The Stone Diaries: "Here's to another year and let's hope it's above ground."
Read by Stephanie Cole
Looks can be deceiving in this new short story by Penelope Lively, read by Stephanie Cole Short stories on the theme of age and ageing. |
| 02 | You Want? | 20150503 | Nearing retirement, feeling jaded by life, Karl is in France to sell his aunt's rapidly dilapidating house. Caught up in a snowstorm, he finds himself engulfed by a memory of an encounter with a local woman during an earlier visit to the country.
Vivid short story by Jane Rogers.
Story series in which writers consider themes of age and ageing. The series title, Above Ground, is inspired by a quote from Carol Shields's novel The Stone Diaries: "Here's to another year and let's hope it's above ground."
The story first appeared in Jane Rogers' story collection Hitting Trees With Sticks, published by Comma Press in 2012.
Read by David Acton
Travelling in France, Karl is engulfed by a memory from an earlier visit. Short stories on the theme of age and ageing. |
| 03 | The Manicure | 20150510 | Story series in which writers consider themes of age and ageing. The series title, Above Ground, is inspired by a quote from Carol Shields's novel The Stone Diaries: "Here's to another year and let's hope it's above ground."
In "The Manicure" by Elizabeth Buchan, forty-something Nell puts the disappointments of her life behind her thanks to the encouragement and camaraderie of her Walk And Talk group.
Read by Jane Slavin
After being made redundant, Nell regains her confidence by joining a walk and talk group. Short stories on the theme of age and ageing. |