JG Ballard talks to Matthew Sweet about his latest book, Kingdom Come, set in a town near the M25 and containing all the violence, consumerism and conspiracy theories Ballard fans know and love.
The Queen
Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth II, in The Queen
Playlist
JG Ballard
Philip Dodd takes the slow train to Shepperton to meet Britain's sage of the suburbs, novelist J.G. Ballard.
Ballard's new book, Kingdom Come, is a typically unsettling examination of the 'empires of consumerism' asking whether a very English fascism could arise in the shopping mall laden suburbs of the M25.
Ballard talks about his own life, his father and why, in Shepperton and Chertsey, there is violence and mischief around every corner.
The Queen
Philip Dodd reviews The Queen, the latest film from Stephen Frears, and starring Helen Mirren in the title role.
The film takes a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the interaction between Queen Elizabeth II and Prime Minister Tony Blair during their struggle, following the death of Diana, to reach a compromise between what was a private tragedy for the Royal family and the public's demand for an overt display of mourning.
Ways of Seeing
Plus Ways of Seeing - the Night Waves series in which art critics reveal the influences that shaped the way they look at art - continues as Martin Kemp explains how he came to enjoy Vemeer by listening to Test Match Special.
