The Beautiful Girl by Sophie Townsend

As a teenager, Sophie Townsend was swotty and awkward, bookish and unsophisticated.

She used to watch the pretty, popular girls across the playground as if they were creatures from another planet.

Now a mother herself, she is mystified by her 14-year-old daughter, who is more interested in make-up than books, and who struggles with her grades at school. She is one of the pretty ones. Perhaps too pretty for her own good.

An original short work for radio by Sophie Townsend.

Sophie is a radio producer, writer and storyteller. She is part of ABC Radio's Creative Audio Unit and has produced work for the BBC and the CBC.

Producer: Mair Bosworth.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 2017.