In his tale, Mongrel, the novelist Adam Thorpe takes as his starting point the story of two dogs that have shot to prominence this last week. One dog is bound for international stardom and one is on a decidedly different course, aided and abetted by his hopeful owner, Fay. Then, in the world at large, men and women in suits gather in Switzerland to discuss our current economic hardships...

The reader is Hannah Waterman
Producer Duncan Minshull

To complement Radio Four's News and Current Affairs output, our weekly series presents a dramatic response to a major story from the week's news. The form and content are entirely lead by the news topic - so drama can come in many guises, as well as poetry and prose.

It's uniquely radio - an instant reaction to the mood of the moment - a concept impossible to imagine in any other medium.

This is the 12th series and the sheer breadth of approach is reflected in the range of writers who have participated so far. They include: Lionel Shriver, David Baddiel, David Edgar, Amelia Bulmore, Mark Lawson, Bonnie Greer, Laura Solon, Will Self, Alistair Beaton, Lemn Sissay, April de Angelis, Rebecca Lenkiewicz, Adrian Mitchell, Stewart Lee, John Sergeant, Jo Shapcott, Ian McMillan, Kwame Kwei-Armah, Kate Mosse, Marina Warner, Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti, A.L.Kennedy and Lyn Coghlan.

From Fact to Fiction presents writers with the creative opportunity to work in a bold and instinctive way as they respond to events in the news, beginning on a Monday when an idea is selected through to Friday when the programme is recorded and edited. Show less