Born in October 1914, Dylan Thomas was a Welsh poet and writer. He died aged just 39 in 1953 as a result of poor health. However, his work has endured, as does the mythological aura that surrounds his legacy. He led a self-destructive lifestyle that was defined by alcoholism and curious behaviour. He was a popular poet though and was famed for his poetry readings, which gained him a level of celebrity not common in the literary world.
Susan will be discussing the life of this immense figure with Mena Elfyn. Mena is a Welsh poet of great distinction and is a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. In 2002, she was appointed as Children’s Poet Laureate in her native country and she is currently the Director of Creative Writing at Trinity Saint David University in Carmarthen.
She has also produced thirteen collections of poetry, children’s novels and plays for television and radio. These have been met with much acclaim and have been translated into eighteen languages, while she also won the International Foreign Poetry Prize in 2009.
On ‘Talking Books’, Susan and Mena will be delving into the life, work and legacy of the supremely talented Dylan Thomas. Are the eccentric stereotypes often associated with Thomas true? What was his cultural impact globally? And despite its influence in the literary world, why has his work been overlooked by academics?
Journalist and author Rose George
Then, in part two, Susan will be chatting with Rose George, author of ‘Ninety Percent of Everything: Inside Shipping, the Invisible Industry That Puts Clothes on Your Back, Gas in Your Car, and Food on Your Plate.’ As the title suggests, Rose’s book is a passionate chronicle of the unseen world of shipping. As part of the writing of this book, Rose spent time on the various shipping lanes across the world, entering the spaces of the ocean where piracy is rampant.
Rose regularly addresses such difficult issues in her work as an author and journalist. She is renowned for her investigative skills and has produced acclaimed work such as ‘A Life Removed’ and ‘The Big Necessity.’ The former deals with issues facing displaced refugees in Liberia and the latter explores the relationship between disease, hygiene and the potential health crisis that could unfurl as a result of untreated waste.
Rose’s interest in international affairs was fostered during her education in Oxford, where she graduated with a BA in Modern Languages. She then continued her education in the University of Pennsylvania, where she earned a MA in International Politics. She soon began her journalistic career as an intern in ‘The Nation.’ After working across Europe, she returned to London in 1999 and worked freelance, contributing to the New York Times and the Guardian, while she also spent time as a war correspondent in Kosovo.
Join Susan and Rose as they take a voyage into the world of international shipping. What are the dangers associated with shipping? Is acoustic pollution damaging marine life? And does the freight industry affect our daily lives?
