Episodes
| Episode | First Broadcast | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | 20181126 | Dramatisation of the fourth volume of Maya Angelou's iconic memoirs. It's the late 1950's and Maya has moved to Los Angeles. She receives an unexpected visit from singing legend Billie Holiday. Billie came back a further four times to spend her evenings with Maya and Maya's son Guy, shortly before she died. Dramatised in five parts by Janice Okoh. Maya /Narrator - Adjoa Andoh Maya - Pippa Bennett-Warner Billie Holiday - Nina Sosanya Guy - Will Romain Wilkie - Steve Toussaint The books that make up the life and times of Maya Angelou are some of the best, most beautiful and haunting pieces of autobiography written. They run the gamut from life affirming to tragedy and back again with a tone that is a joyous, direct and searingly honest, and are an extraordinary portrait of 20th century black America. Director: Pauline Harris First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2018. Maya gets an unexpected visit from singing legend Billie Holiday. Dramatisations of Maya Angelou's evocative and life-affirming autobiographies. |
| 02 | 20181127 | It's 1959 and Maya has moved to New York, to develop her writing but also to get involved in civil rights. She's inspired by seeing Martin Luther King Jr give a speech in a local church, and decides to create a show in support of his movement, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Dramatisation of the fourth volume of Maya Angelou's iconic memoirs by Janice Okoh. Narrator/Maya ...... Adjoa Andoh Director: Pauline Harris. First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2018. Maya moves to New York to develop her writing but realises there is much to be improved. Dramatisations of Maya Angelou's evocative and life-affirming autobiographies. |
| 03 | 20181128 | Whilst working for Martin Luther King Jr at the SCLC in New York, Maya becomes engaged to Thomas, a local man. But at the same time, she falls in love with South African freedom fighter, Vusumzi Make. After knowing him only a week, she is forced to choose between the two men. Dramatisation of the fourth volume of Maya Angelou's iconic memoirs by Janice Okoh. Narrator/Maya ...... Adjoa Andoh Director: Pauline Harris First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2018. Maya meets South African freedom fighter Vusumzi Make, and her life changes forever. Dramatisations of Maya Angelou's evocative and life-affirming autobiographies. |
| 04 | 20181129 | Maya's civil marriage to South African freedom fighter Vusumzi Make is going well. She helps organise a demonstration after the execution of the first legally elected prime minister of the Republic of Congo, Patrice Lumumba. But it gets out of hand and turns out to be much bigger than anticipated. It leads to her first meeting with Malcolm X. Dramatisation of the fourth volume of Maya Angelou's iconic memoirs by Janice Okoh. Narrator/Maya ...... Adjoa Andoh Director: Pauline Harris First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2018. Maya\u2019s in love but bored so she creates a group for women to effect change. Dramatisations of Maya Angelou's evocative and life-affirming autobiographies. |
| 05 | 20181130 | Maya and her son Guy join Vus in Egypt. She takes a job as Associate Editor of a newspaper, and faces some difficult truths about Vus. Dramatisation of the fourth volume of Maya Angelou's iconic memoirs by Janice Okoh. Narrator/Maya ...... Adjoa Andoh Director: Pauline Harris First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2018. Maya works as associate editor of a newspaper in Egypt but faces a crisis with Vus. Dramatisations of Maya Angelou's evocative and life-affirming autobiographies. |