Episodes
| Episode | First Broadcast | Repeated | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 20200602 | 20200526 (R4) | Our literary and dramatic tradition is built on narrative traditions like the hero's journey, a quest often undertaken by an 'everyman' character. He's relatable, normal, even if he's put into unusual circumstances. But he's always a man. What happens when we assume the male story is the only one that matters? Sarah Hall has been writing novels and short stories for 20 years, and her experiences have left her questioning whether a female character could stand in for the human universal. In these programmes she's going in search of the literary Everywoman. Along the way Sarah traces the roots of the concept with Dinah Birch, and asks what the publishing industry can do to help us read a wide range of characters, speaking to publisher Ellah Wakatama. She shares her experiences of being both a reader and a writer with novelists Monique Roffey, Eimear McBride and Bernardine Evaristo, and asks Andrew Miller why men shouldn't be scared of writing female protagonists. We also hear from Bryony Kimmings on the theatre world, drop into the Book Hive Bookshop in Norwich and hear from Katherine Rundell on what's important to her when creating female characters for children's books. Presenter: Sarah Hall Novelist Sarah Hall goes in search of the literary Everywoman. |
| 01 | 20200602 | 20210822 (R4) | Our literary and dramatic tradition is built on narrative traditions like the hero's journey, a quest often undertaken by an 'everyman' character. He's relatable, normal, even if he's put into unusual circumstances. But he's always a man. What happens when we assume the male story is the only one that matters? Sarah Hall has been writing novels and short stories for 20 years, and her experiences have left her questioning whether a female character could stand in for the human universal. In these programmes she's going in search of the literary Everywoman. Along the way Sarah traces the roots of the concept with Dinah Birch, and asks what the publishing industry can do to help us read a wide range of characters, speaking to publisher Ellah Wakatama. She shares her experiences of being both a reader and a writer with novelists Monique Roffey, Eimear McBride and Bernardine Evaristo, and asks Andrew Miller why men shouldn't be scared of writing female protagonists. We also hear from Bryony Kimmings on the theatre world, drop into the Book Hive Bookshop in Norwich and hear from Katherine Rundell on what's important to her when creating female characters for children's books. Presenter: Sarah Hall Novelist Sarah Hall goes in search of the literary Everywoman. |
| 02 | 20200602 | In part one, we met the literary archetype of the Everyman, and asked what might have happened to his female counterpart, the Everywoman. Now, Sarah Hall continues her search for Everywoman, ultimately asking if it's something we even want to see in our culture? We hear from Katherine Rundell about how gender stereotypes begin in children's books and how we might avoid them, ask Costa Prize-winning Novelist Andrew Miller whether men should be frightened of (or praised for) writing female characters, and Bernardine Evaristo discusses her Booker Prize-winning novel, 'Girl, Woman, Other' -does this point the way to a new future for Everywoman? Presenter: Sarah Hall Novelist Sarah Hall continues her search for the literary Everywoman Novelist Sarah Hall goes in search of the literary Everywoman. | |
| 02 | 20200602 | 20210829 (R4) | In part one, we met the literary archetype of the Everyman, and asked what might have happened to his female counterpart, the Everywoman. Now, Sarah Hall continues her search for Everywoman, ultimately asking if it's something we even want to see in our culture? We hear from Katherine Rundell about how gender stereotypes begin in children's books and how we might avoid them, ask Costa Prize-winning Novelist Andrew Miller whether men should be frightened of (or praised for) writing female characters, and Bernardine Evaristo discusses her Booker Prize-winning novel, 'Girl, Woman, Other' -does this point the way to a new future for Everywoman? Presenter: Sarah Hall Novelist Sarah Hall continues her search for the literary Everywoman Novelist Sarah Hall goes in search of the literary Everywoman. |