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Love and Loss

Andrew Marr with Sue Black, Kit de Waal, Mark-Anthony Turnage and Jack Hartnell.

Sue Black spends much of her time with dead bodies. As one of the world's leading forensic anthropologists she has encountered death in many forms, leading British expeditions to Kosovo and to Thailand following the Boxing Day Tsunami. She tells Andrew Marr what ancient cadavers and recent corpses can teach us about mortality.

Medieval depictions of death and injury don't shy away from the grotesque, says art historian Jack Hartnell. The mutilated bodies of saints and martyrs were often on display in medieval buildings, but these blood-spattered images were meant to inspire hope and faith.

A devastating loss divides a couple in award-winning novelist Kit de Waal's new book, The Trick to Time. As an expert in fostering and adoption, she has also helped both adults and children cope with the lifelong impact of tragedy.

A courageous child sits at the heart of composer Mark-Anthony Turnage's latest opera, Coraline, a dark fantasy based on Neil Gaiman's tale. The heroic Coraline finds a magical world in her attic and steps inside. But this world's Other Mother is not to be trusted and Coraline must fight to restore her real family.

Producer: Hannah Sander.

Available now

43 minutes

Last on

Mon 26 Mar 2018 21:30

Sue Black

Professor Dame Sue Black is a forensic anthropologist.

All That Remains: A Life in Death published by Doubleday is out in April.

Kit de Waal

Kit de Waal is a novelist.

The Trick to TimeΒ published by Viking is out later this week.

Mark-Anthony Turnage

Mark-Anthony Turnage is a composer.

Coraline, with music by Mark-Anthony Turnage, runs at the Barbican in London from 29th March.

Jack Hartnell

Jack Hartnell is Lecturer in Art History at the University of East Anglia.

Medieval Bodies: Life, Death and Art in the Middle Ages published by Wellcome Collection is out in April.

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Andrew Marr
Interviewed Guest Sue Black
Interviewed Guest Kit de Waal
Interviewed Guest Mark-Anthony Turnage
Interviewed Guest Jack Hartnell
Producer Hannah Sander

Broadcasts

  • Mon 26 Mar 2018 09:00
  • Mon 26 Mar 2018 21:30

Podcast