Philip Dodd explores Afterwards, the new novel by Rachel Seiffert, author of the Booker-nominated The Dark Room. Her latest work explores the consequences of two killings in two apparently unrelated places.
Playlist
Philip Dodd talks to the Scottish actor Brian Cox. Recently seen in Tom Stoppard's play 'Rock and Roll' Cox now stars in 'Running with Scissors', the film adaptation of Augusten Burrough's memoir of growing up in the 1970s in the home of an unorthodox psychiatrist, Dr Finch. He discusses why he sees the character of Finch as a holy innocent and how, as a working class boy growing up in Dundee, his love of cinema came from watching the Irish-American actors Spencer Tracy, Jimmy Cagney and Pat O'Brien.
Also on the programme, a look at the legacy of the trial of Slobodan Milosevic. In a new book on the marathon trial in the Hague John Laughland challenges not only the legitimacy of the trial but also asks if there is ever a chance of real international justice. Does it merely result in propaganda which benefits Western states? Laughland is joined in the studio by Richard Hermer QC to examine the past and future of the international trial.
And Philip will be talking to the novelist Rachel Seiffert who was shortlisted for the Booker prize for her first novel, 'The Dark Room'. Now she's written her second, 'Afterwards', which explores the degree to which lovers should be honest with each other about their pasts.
'Afterwards' by Rachel Seiffert Publisher: William Heinemann (1 Feb 2007) ISBN-10: 043401186X
'Running with Scissors' is released on Friday 2nd February certificate 15
'Afterward' is published by Heinemann and is published on Thursday 1st February.
