Thomas Ostermeier, Joseph O'Neill, Ali Smith

As the Schaubühne Berlin's production of Henrik Ibsen's 'An Enemy of the People' opens at The Barbican, Anne McElvoy speaks to the play's director Thomas Ostermeier about shaking up classical adaptations and the status of whistle-blowers past and present.

American novelist Joseph O'Neill discusses his new book 'The Dog', which depicts life in Dubai and, continuing the series meeting this year's shortlisted authors for the Man Booker Prize, Ali Smith explains the connected stories which comprise her novel 'How to Be Both'. One section considers the viewpoint and paintings of the Italian renaissance artist Francesco Del Cossa - the other depicts a teenage girl coming to terms with her art-loving mother's death - and the book, published in two versions, is designed to be read in whichever order the reader chooses.

Image above: Christoph Gawenda in An Enemy of the People
Photo credit: Arno Declair.