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Front Row: Rocks, Phoebe Stuckes, Eley Williams

17/09/2020

Rocks, Phoebe Stuckes, Eley Williams

BBC Radio 4 - Front Row, Rocks, Phoebe Stuckes, Eley Williams

New film Rocks, Poet Phoebe Stuckes, and the JK Rowling controversy.

Sarah Gavron's new film Rocks, poet Phoebe Stuckes on her collection Platinum Blonde, Alex Clark on the JK Rowling controversy and short story writer Eley Williams.

Rocks is the new feature film directed by Sarah Gavron with a screenplay by Theresa Ikoko and Claire Wilson. Writer Niellah Arboine reviews the film which is set in Hackney with an ensemble cast of largely non-professional actors, and it tells the story of a teenage Londoner nicknamed Rocks who takes responsibility for her little brother Emmanuel in an attempt to stop them both from being taken into care, supported by a chaotic but loving group of friends.

Poet Phoebe Stuckes discusses her first collection, Platinum Blonde, which gives us a glimpse of the life of a lively young woman today. She is only 24, but Phoebe Stuckes is a seasoned poet and performer, winner of the Foyle Young Poets Award - four times - she has also been Barbican Young Poet and the Ledbury Poetry Festival’s young poet-in-residence.

Troubled Blood is the title of JK Rowling’s latest novel, written under her crime writing pseudonym Robert Galbraith.  And it’s generated something of a troubled reaction so far as reviewers and then social media reacted to the inclusion of a character who cross dresses.  Alex Clark joins Front Row to explain.

BBC National Short Story Award shortlisted author Eley Williams on her story Scrimshaw, about a women texting late at night, and how Eley was influenced by the nonsense literature of Edward Lear. 

Presenter Kirsty Lang
Producer Simon Richardson

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