Apeirogon

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Apeirogon, by Colum McCann: Episode 1

Apeirogon, by Colum McCann

Episode 1

BBC Radio 4 - Apeirogon, by Colum McCann, Episode 1

Palestinian Bassam Aramin and Israeli Rami Elhanan appear to live very different lives.

Bassam begins his morning walking to the mosque. Rami rides his motorbike to the monastery. A novel by Colum McCann, inspired by actual events. Read by Stanley Townsend.

Colum McCann's epic new novel of friendship, love, loss, and belonging.

Bassam and Rami inhabit a world of conflict that colours every aspect of their daily lives, from the roads they are allowed to drive on, to the schools their daughters, Abir and Smadar, each attend, to the checkpoints, both physical and emotional, they must negotiate. Their worlds shift irreparably after ten-year-old Abir is killed by a rubber bullet and thirteen-year-old Smadar becomes the victim of suicide bombers. When Bassam and Rami learn of each other’s stories, they recognise the loss that connects them and attempt to use their grief as a weapon for peace.

In Apeirogon - named for a shape with a countably infinite number of sides - Colum McCann creates an epic novel inspired by the real experiences of Palestinian Bassam Aramin and Israeli Rami Elhanan who, after each losing a child, came together to promote peace.

Writer
Colum McCann is the author of seven novels and three collections of stories. Born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, he has been the recipient of many international honours, including the National Book Award, the International Dublin Impac Prize, a Chevalier des Arts et Lettres from the French government, election to the Irish arts academy, several European awards, the 2010 Best Foreign Novel Award in China, and an Oscar nomination. In 2017 he was elected to the American Academy of Arts.  His work has been published in over 40 languages.  

Music
Original music composed and performed by Colm Mac Con Iomaire, inspired by his and the authors time in the West Bank with the non-profit global exchange group Narrative 4.

Reader: Stanley Townsend
Writer: Colum McCann
Abridger: Doreen Estall
Music: Colm Mac Con Iomaire
Producer: Michael Shannon

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