The Secrets of Storytelling

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BBC Radio 4 LW

Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media: Arts

A contemporary author takes a classic text to shine light on the craft of writing fiction.

A contemporary author takes part of a classic text to shine a light on the craft of writing fiction.

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The Secrets of Storytelling: Real and Imagined Worlds

Real and Imagined Worlds

BBC Radio 4 - The Secrets of Storytelling, Real and Imagined Worlds

James Runcie and Kamila Shamsie explore how writers transport us to faraway places.

James Runcie is joined by Women's Prize-winning novelist Kamila Shamsie to explore the art of creating places so real we can hear, taste and smell them.

James Runcie, author of the Grantchester Mysteries series, is a writer in search of the best way to tell a story. In this series he meets high profile authors to discuss the craft of novel writing. Using extracts from the author’s own work, as well as classic texts, the conversations will reveal the secrets of the storytelling craft.

In this episode James is joined by Kamila Shamsie to explore the art of creating a convincing sense of place, using analysis of Dickens's Bleak House and Calvino's Invisible Cities, and Kamila’s own prize-winning novels including Home Fire and Burnt Shadows.

Presenter: James Runcie
Producer: Ellie Bury
Reader: Paterson Joseph

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