The Existential Me

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Repeated

Comments

Naomi Alderman

20131111

The Existential Me' is a series marking the centenary of the birth of Albert Camus and complementing Radio 3's documentary about him. Five people working in different disciplines write essays about existentialism its impact on their work and their lives.

As well as writing novels and short stories Naomi Alderman is a writer of computer games. The world of computers is, she believes essentially existentialist because nothing exists except through the will of the players, who create themselves. Within the games they exist solely through what they do. Any meaning is created by the players themselves Alderman considers the implications of this, and they way her literary and gaming endeavours influence each other.

She is fascinated, too, by the way that the first and third persons are the dominant voices in writing, but in computer games and cyber space the second person comes to the fore. There is a constant challenge to you. What are you up to? What do you want to do now? This, she reflects, is entirely existential.

Producer: Julian May.

Naomi Alderman on how existentialism affects the novels and computer games she creates.

Paul Hart

20131112

20141027 (R3)

Paul Hart is a young theatre director who last year directed Jean Paul Sartre's existentialist play 'Huis Clos' in London's West End. In the play three people are locked in a room with each other for eternity. This is damnation, for Hell, famously, is other people.

This year Hart was staff director of 'The Captain of K怀penick' at the National Theatre. In Carl Zuckmayer's play petty criminal Wilhelm Voigt (Antony Sher), released after fifteen years in prison, wanders 1910-Berlin in desperate pursuit of identity papers. When he picks up an abandoned military uniform in a fancy-dress shop he suddenly finds the city ready to obey his every command. But what he craves is official recognition that he exists.

Drawing on his experience of these productions, his other work in the theatre and his life as he establishes himself in his hazardous profession, Paul Hart considers the power and veracity of existentialist ideas.

Producer: Julian May

The Existential Me was first broadcast in November 2013 to mark the centenary of the birth of Albert Camus.

Theatre director Paul Hart considers the power and veracity of existentialist ideas.

Michele Roberts

20131113

20141028 (R3)

The novelist and poet Mich耀le Roberts, half French, has been considerably influenced by existentialist literature. Her essay begins with an examination of Raymond beating up his nameless girlfriend in Camus's 'L'Etranger' - and getting let off by the police - then moves on to the works of Simone de Beauvoir and a discussion of feminism as a politics. She considers, too, existentialism as it appears in Madeleine Bourdouxhe, and how she has learned from both these writers.

Producer: Julian May

The Existential Me was first broadcast in November 2013 to mark the centenary of the birth of Albert Camus.

Michele Roberts on existentialist women writers and how these have influenced her own work

Gary Walkow

20131114

20141029 (R3)

Here, film-maker Gary Walkow reflects on how existential thinking has influenced his work, from his adaptation of Dostoevsky's 'Notes From Underground' to his film on the Beat writers.

Producer: Emma Kingsley

The Existential Me was first broadcast in November 2013 to mark the centenary of the birth of Albert Camus.

Film-maker Gary Walkow reflects on how existential thinking has influenced his work.

05 LAST

Emmy Van Deurzen

20131115

20141030 (R3)

In this final essay, psychotherapist Emmy Van Deurzen reflects on how existentialist philosophy has shaped her life and work. She grew up in the Netherlands, but went as a student to France, where she read philosophy and later studied psychotherapy. Her work in the two fields led her to want to follow an existentialist path- to pursue a form of therapy which was rooted in philosophy. She now lives and teaches in England, where she works with clients on using moments of crisis in their lives for positive action.

Producer: Emma Kingsley

The Existential Me was first broadcast in November 2013 to mark the centenary of the birth of Albert Camus.

Psychotherapist Emmy van Deurzen on how existentialism has shaped her life and work.

Episodes

Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Repeated	Comments
01	Naomi Alderman	20131111		The Existential Me' is a series marking the centenary of the birth of Albert Camus and complementing Radio 3's documentary about him. Five people working in different disciplines write essays about existentialism its impact on their work and their lives. As well as writing novels and short stories Naomi Alderman is a writer of computer games. The world of computers is, she believes essentially existentialist because nothing exists except through the will of the players, who create themselves. Within the games they exist solely through what they do. Any meaning is created by the players themselves Alderman considers the implications of this, and they way her literary and gaming endeavours influence each other. She is fascinated, too, by the way that the first and third persons are the dominant voices in writing, but in computer games and cyber space the second person comes to the fore. There is a constant challenge to you. What are you up to? What do you want to do now? This, she reflects, is entirely existential. Producer: Julian May. Naomi Alderman on how existentialism affects the novels and computer games she creates.
02	Paul Hart	20131112	20141027 (R3)	Paul Hart is a young theatre director who last year directed Jean Paul Sartre's existentialist play 'Huis Clos' in London's West End. In the play three people are locked in a room with each other for eternity. This is damnation, for Hell, famously, is other people. This year Hart was staff director of 'The Captain of K怀penick' at the National Theatre. In Carl Zuckmayer's play petty criminal Wilhelm Voigt (Antony Sher), released after fifteen years in prison, wanders 1910-Berlin in desperate pursuit of identity papers. When he picks up an abandoned military uniform in a fancy-dress shop he suddenly finds the city ready to obey his every command. But what he craves is official recognition that he exists. Drawing on his experience of these productions, his other work in the theatre and his life as he establishes himself in his hazardous profession, Paul Hart considers the power and veracity of existentialist ideas. Producer: Julian May The Existential Me was first broadcast in November 2013 to mark the centenary of the birth of Albert Camus. Theatre director Paul Hart considers the power and veracity of existentialist ideas.
03	Michele Roberts	20131113	20141028 (R3)	The novelist and poet Mich耀le Roberts, half French, has been considerably influenced by existentialist literature. Her essay begins with an examination of Raymond beating up his nameless girlfriend in Camus's 'L'Etranger' - and getting let off by the police - then moves on to the works of Simone de Beauvoir and a discussion of feminism as a politics. She considers, too, existentialism as it appears in Madeleine Bourdouxhe, and how she has learned from both these writers. Producer: Julian May The Existential Me was first broadcast in November 2013 to mark the centenary of the birth of Albert Camus. Michele Roberts on existentialist women writers and how these have influenced her own work
04	Gary Walkow	20131114	20141029 (R3)	Here, film-maker Gary Walkow reflects on how existential thinking has influenced his work, from his adaptation of Dostoevsky's 'Notes From Underground' to his film on the Beat writers. Producer: Emma Kingsley The Existential Me was first broadcast in November 2013 to mark the centenary of the birth of Albert Camus. Film-maker Gary Walkow reflects on how existential thinking has influenced his work.
05 LAST	Emmy Van Deurzen	20131115	20141030 (R3)	In this final essay, psychotherapist Emmy Van Deurzen reflects on how existentialist philosophy has shaped her life and work. She grew up in the Netherlands, but went as a student to France, where she read philosophy and later studied psychotherapy. Her work in the two fields led her to want to follow an existentialist path- to pursue a form of therapy which was rooted in philosophy. She now lives and teaches in England, where she works with clients on using moments of crisis in their lives for positive action. Producer: Emma Kingsley The Existential Me was first broadcast in November 2013 to mark the centenary of the birth of Albert Camus. Psychotherapist Emmy van Deurzen on how existentialism has shaped her life and work.