Readers
and Writers Roadshow
A Lion
Television (Scotland) production for BBC FOUR
Weekly
from Friday 8 March, 8.30 - 9.00pm
Other
networks do it with politicians or gardeners, but on BBC FOUR it
is writers who answer the questions every week in a books programme
which travels the country matching authors with audiences of inquisitive
readers.
Hosted
by novelist and non-fiction writer Kate Mosse, Readers and Writers
Roadshow features writers from all areas of the book world - novelists,
historians, scientists, politicians, actors, crime writers, children's
authors, cooks, musicians - discussing their work, their motivation
and their own favourite authors with each other and a studio audience.
Presenter
Kate Mosse says: "Conversation is at the heart of this series
- conversation between writers and between writers and their readers
- and it will be fantastic to have the opportunity of talking to
so many outstanding people about their inspirations, their influences
and their passions."
Just
as the series is broadcast from a different UK location each week
so the topic under discussion will vary, but will be based around
a literary event, current scholarly controversy, topical news issue,
specific geographic location or even an interesting building in
which the filming is taking place.
The
invited panel, linked by the weekly theme, will be drawn from household
names, emerging talent from home and abroad, publishers, journalists
and critics, editors, agents and booksellers. And Kate’s depth
of literary knowledge and quick-witted, imaginative presenting style
guarantees lively and wide-ranging conversation between these guests
and the audience.
There
will also be occasional one-on-one ‘In Conversation’ interviews
with Kate Mosse. For these specials, leading writers on the world
literary stage will have a whole programme dedicated to them and
their work.
Chris
Kelly, Executive Producer, Lion TV Scotland commented: "Millions
of books are read every year, so we're delighted to produce this
series - the first in the UK to run weekly and throughout the whole
year - that enables both readers and writers to express their views
and share their ideas with the wider TV audience."
Programme
Information for March 2002
Friday
8 March, 8.30 – 9.00pm
Guests include Peter Ackroyd and Tracy Chevalier who discuss their
different perspectives on history in literature, the difference
between writing about history in fiction and non-fiction and about
the inspiration afforded to us by the mysteries of our past.
(To be filmed in Colchester, Wednesday 27 February)
Friday
15 March, 8.30 – 9.00pm
Guests, Colin Thubron, Daniel Morden and Sara Wheeler, talk about
the many and various forms of inspirational travel literature (including
fiction and folk tales) from around the globe.
(To be filmed during Bath Literary Festival at the Tea Room, Assembly
Halls, Wednesday 6 March)
Friday
22 March, 8.30 – 9.00pm
Guests, Ian McEwan, Georgina Ferry and Professor Richard Dawkins
debate the facts, fiction and future of modern science.
(To be filmed during Oxford Literature Festival at Trinity College,
Main Hall, Sunday 17 March)
Friday
29 March, 8.30 – 9.00pm
One-to-one special with Joanna Trollope in conversation with Kate
Mosse, and an audience of her dedicated readers.
(To be filmed in Colchester, Thursday 28 February)
Friday
5 April, 8.30 – 9.00pm
Guests, Beryl Bainbridge, Philip Pullman and John Carey discuss
the intricacies of spinning a good yarn, the transcendent power
of the human imagination and the techniques of great storytelling
- "...without stories we wouldn't be human beings at all"
(Philip Pullman).
(To be filmed during Oxford Literature Festival at Trinity College,
Main Hall, Sunday 17 March)
Notes
to Editors
1.
Kate Mosse is co-founder and honorary Director of the Orange Prize,
former Deputy Director of Chichester Festival Theatre and creator
of The Labyrinth Experiment.
2.
Readers and Writers Roadshow is a Lion Television Scotland production
for BBC FOUR [Chris Kelly, Executive Producer; Richard Shaw, Series
Producer].
3.
Lion Televsion Scotland (est.1999) produced the award-winning Castaway
2000 and a follow-up series called The Heat Is On which abandoned
a group of strangers deep in the Peruvian rain-forest. Will's World,
a documentary about student life at Prince William's university,
and Nightmare Families, a 60-minute documentary for BBC ONE, are
other recent Lion Scotland productions.
4.
BBC FOUR launches on Saturday 2 March. For further information see
launch press release.
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