Fall Down Seven Times, Get Up Eight

Original version

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Matthew Beard

Naoki Higashida

David Mitchell

KA Yoshida

Robin Brooks

Allegra McIlroy

Fall Down Seven Times, Get Up Eight by Naoki Higashida: Episode 3

Episode 3

Fall Down Seven Times, Get Up Eight by Naoki Higashida

BBC Radio 4 - Fall Down Seven Times, Get Up Eight by Naoki Higashida, Episode 3

David Mitchell introduces this compelling book by a teenager with non-verbal autism.

Naoki Higashida reveals a unique insight into his world as a teenager with severe autism.  Read by Matthew Beard.

Naoki Higashida was 13 before he understood the fact of his disability. 

His first book, written at that time, revealed a young boy with an astonishing internal life, full of wonder at the world, as well as sadness at the challenges of his condition. 

Now, he looks back on his childhood with the eyes of a thoughtful young man. He describes how he couldn't, as a child, visualise a future for himself. Time's passage felt unending, like a swing he couldn't get off, while the scenery remained unchanging. 

Now, he has begun not only to inhabit, but also to imagine greater possibilities for his future in the neurotypical world.

Written by Naoki Higashida.

Translated by David Mitchell and KA Yoshida

Read by Matthew Beard, and introduced by David Mitchell.

Abridged by Robin Brooks.

Producer: Allegra McIlroy

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 2017.

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Novelist David Mitchell introduces this compelling book by a teenager with severe autism.

David Mitchell, award-winning author of Cloud Atlas, translates and introduces this compelling new book by a Japanese teenager with severe autism. Read by Matthew Beard.

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