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The Magnificent Seven, Suzan-Lori Parks, Paul Muldoon, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ National Short Story Award

Playwright Suzan-Lori Parks on her slave drama. Plus what cinema owes to the plot of The Magnificent Seven, Paul Muldoon on life and poetry, and Lavinia Greenlaw.

The first African-American woman playwright to win the Pulitzer Prize, Suzan-Lori Parks, discusses Father Comes Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ From The Wars (Parts 1, 2 & 3). The play tells the story of Hero, a slave who is promised his freedom in exchange for joining the confederate army during the American Civil War.

As a remake of the 1960 Western The Magnificent Seven hits cinemas, film critic Catherine Bray discusses how its basic plot - a ragtag group of heroes coming together to fight evil - has been reimagined again and again in movie history, from the film which started it all, Akira Kurosawa's The Seven Samurai to The Avengers via A Bug's Life.

Today's shortlisted author for the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ National Short Story Award is the poet and novelist Lavinia Greenlaw. She discusses her entry entitled The Darkest Place in England, and reveals why it took her six years to complete.

With the publication of his latest selection of poems, the celebrated Northern Ireland born poet Paul Muldoon discusses being influenced by The Troubles, and why being a poet may be subject to the law of diminishing returns.

Presenter Samira Ahmed
Producer Marilyn Rust.

Available now

30 minutes

Chapters

  • Suzan-Lori Parks

    Duration: 07:57

  • The Magnificent Seven

    Duration: 05:23

  • Paul Muldoon

    Duration: 07:37

  • Lavania Greenlaw

    Duration: 06:00

Suzan-Lori Parks

Suzan-Lori Parks

by Suzan-Lori Parks is playing at the Royal Court Theatre, London until 22 October.

Image credit: Tristram Kenton

Paul Muldoon

Paul Muldoon

Selected Poems by Paul Muldoon is published by Faber.

Image credit: Beowulf Sheehan

The Magnificent Seven

The Magnificent Seven
The Magnificent Seven is in cinemas from Friday 23 September, certificate 12A.

Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ National Short Story Award - Lavinia Greenlaw

Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ National Short Story Award - Lavinia Greenlaw
The Darkest Place in England by Lavinia Greenlaw will be broadcast on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4 on Thursday 22 September at 3.30pm.

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Samira Ahmed
Interviewed Guest Suzan-Lori Parks
Interviewed Guest Paul Muldoon
Interviewed Guest Lavinia Greenlaw
Interviewed Guest Catherine Bray
Producer Marilyn Rust

Broadcast

  • Wed 21 Sep 2016 19:15

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