27 April 2006
Thursday 27 April 2006 21:30-22:15 (Radio 3)
Susan Hitch and guests look back at the General Strike of May 1926 and ask whether it is possible that we would ever see action on that scale again in Britain.
Playlist
A Very British Strike
The political historian Anne Perkins discusses A Very British Strike , her new history of the General Strike of May 1926. Today the strike is often seen as rather quaint - but as Perkins explains, it didn't seemed that way at the time...
A Very British Stike is published by Pan Macmillan.
Book Packaging
It's been reported that the nineteen-year-old Indian author Kaayve Vishwanathan began the development of her hit first novel, How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild and Got a Life, with a 'book packager'.
Vishwanathan's book is clearly her own work, but how far are outside agencies involved in shaping the creative process of writing - and where should the limits be? To discuss this, Susan is joined by Rebecca Swift from the Literary Consultancy and Joel Rickett, Deputy Editor of the Bookseller.
Matthew D'Ancona
The new editor of the Spectator on his new novel, Tabatha's Code. Are the anti-globalisation terrorists at its heart a fantasy or a prophecy?
Tabatha's Code is published by Alma Books.
Better Living Through Television?
With a third series of parent-and-child therapy show The House of Tiny Tearaways about to begin, Night Waves debates the significance of the present glut of TV programmes advising viewers on how to look after their children, from Supernanny and Little Angels to How Clean Is Your House? and How to Cure Your Kid's Asthma.
Should television be taking on the task of educating, counselling and inspiring the public to improve their parenting? And are these programmes really a new phenomenon - or do they mark the rebirth of Fifties approaches to the media and public instruction Television critic Chris Dunkley and postwar historian Dominic Sandbrook join Susan, Anne and Matthew to discuss.
House of Tiny Tearaways (series 3) begins on Sunday 30 April on BBC3 at 8.00pm.
Little Angels continues on BBC2 on Tuesday at 10.00pm.
That'll Teach 'Em continues on Channel 4 on Tuesday at 9.00pm.
