The Voices of the Women in Classical Myths in 15 Heroines; Front Row's Book Group with Booker Nominee Douglas Stuart

Ulysses, Hercules, Jason and Achilles - classical mythology is all about men of action. The women tend to have things - often horrible - happen to them: they get kidnapped, raped, abandoned. The Roman poet Ovid wrote a series of fictional letters, The Heroides, giving voice to these put-upon women. 15 leading British dramatists, all women or non-binary, have drawn on Ovid, recasting their stories for our times, and filmed live in an empty theatre for streaming. Front Row hears about the 15 Heroines project from director Adjoa Andoh and writers Natalie Haynes and Juliet Gilkes Romero.

In advance of the winner announcement on the 19th of November here on Front Row, we’ve another of our Booker Prize Book Groups. Tonight’s it’s the turn of Douglas Stuart, who will be meeting readers to answer questions about his novel Shuggie Bain. It’s the story of a powerful bond between a mother suffering from addiction and a son whose nascent sexuality marks him out as different. The Booker Prize 2020 judges called the book “an amazingly intimate, compassionate, gripping portrait of addiction, courage and love.”

Front Row reveals how, as well as reading from Seamus Heaney's The Cure at Troy on the campaign trail, and quoting the 'To every thing there is a season' verses from Ecclesiastes, in his victory speech President Elect Biden made a reference to the Langston Hughes poem Harlem - a subtle touch that will not be lost on African American voters.

Presenter: John Wilson Producer: Julian May

Main image above: Olivia Williams as Hypsipyle by Natalie Haynes, part of 15 Heroines. Image credit: marc Brenner