In Need of Modernisation
Margaret Forster's journey through houses she has lived in and how a wreck turns into a family home. Read by Sian Thomas.
The wreck that becomes the family home.
I was born on May 25, 1938, in the front bedroom of a house in Orton Road, on the outer edges of Raffles, a council estate. I was a lucky girl.'
So began Margaret Forster's journey through the houses she's lived in, from the sparkling new council house, built as part of a utopian vision by Carlisle City Council, to her beloved London house of today, via Oxford, Hampstead and the Lake District. Forster's houses aren't just bricks and mortar, but homes which have all meant something to her and which have all had a profound effect on her - from her writer's 'room of one's own', to the family hub and finally a sanctuary in times of illness. It is also a sideways look at the life of one of the greatest contemporary British novelists.
Read by Sian Thomas.
Writer: Margaret Forster
Abridger: Sally Marmion
Producer: Justine Willett
First broadcast on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio in November 2014.
Last on
More episodes
Credits
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Reader | Sian Thomas |
| Author | Margaret Forster |
| Abridger | Sally Marmion |
| Producer | Justine Willett |
Broadcasts
Wed 26 Nov 2014 09:45Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4 FM- Thu 27 Nov 2014 00:30Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
- Wed 8 Feb 2017 14:45Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4 Extra
- Thu 9 Feb 2017 02:45Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4 Extra
- Wed 28 Aug 2019 14:45Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4 Extra
- Thu 29 Aug 2019 02:45Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4 Extra
Listen to more Audio Books
Including My Sister The Serial Killer, Queenie, The Flatshare and more.
Opening Lines
John Yorke unpacks the themes behind the stories in Radio 4's weekend afternoon dramas.
Sample our books and authors Clip Collection
Interviews, previews and reviews
Subscribe to the Short stories podcast
Featuring the best stories from the UK's finest writers
How many of these 100 Novels have you read?
After a passionate debate, our panel has come up with this surprising literary selection.
Finding Your Story
Ten remarkable novels about identity: Which one will help you discover yourself?
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Arts: Books
Celebrating reading and the 100 novels that have shaped our world.