Open Throat by Henry Hoke 

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Open Throat by Henry Hoke: Episode One

Open Throat by Henry Hoke

Episode One

BBC Radio 4 - Open Throat by Henry Hoke, Episode One

Henry Hoke’s playful yet starkly satirical new novel.

Our lion tries to understand people, but they make it hard. 1/5

“I’ve never eaten a person but today I might . . .” 

A queer and dangerously hungry mountain lion lives in the drought-devastated land under the Hollywood sign. Fascinated by the voices around them, the lion spends their days protecting a nearby homeless encampment, observing hikers complain about their trauma and, in quiet moments, grappling with the complexities of their own identity.  When a man-made fire engulfs the encampment, the lion is forced from the hills down into the city the hikers call 'ellay'.  The lion confronts a carousel of temptations and threats, on their tour through the cruel inequalities of Los Angeles. But even when salvation finally seems within reach, they are forced to face down the ultimate question: do they want to eat a person, or become one?

Feral and vulnerable, profound and playful, this is a journey through a wonderous and menacing world.

Henry Hoke took his inspiration from the life of P-22, the real-life mountain lion who became famous in LA and beyond. He was born in the Santa Monica mountains but made a 50-mile journey, crossing multiple highways to reach LA. He lived in Griffith Park in the Hollywood hills for over 10 years and was euthanised in December 2022 after he became unwell and began acting erratically. He never found a mate because he was cut off from other mountain lions by the highways that hemmed in the park. After his death the California governor paid tribute to P-22, saying that his “survival on an island of wilderness” had “captivated the world”.

Reader – Carl Prekopp
Abridger – Sara Davies
Sound Engineer – Ilse Lademann
Producer – Alison Crawford for BBC Audio

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Hoke's playfully satirical new novel is a journey through a wonderous and menacing world.

Henry Hoke's playful yet starkly satirical new novel, read by Carl Prekopp. Feral and vulnerable, profound and playful, this is a journey through a wonderous and menacing world.

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