Main content

Oana Aristide, Remembering Stevie Smith, and what is an NFT?

Oana Aristide on her debut novel 'Under the Blue'. British poet Stevie Smith's life. Aleks Krotoski explains the growing craze in the art world for 鈥榥on-fungible tokens鈥� or NFTs.

Novelist Oana Aristide discusses her debut novel Under the Blue, about a reclusive artist forced to abandon his home and follow two young sisters across a post-pandemic Europe in search of a safe place. It has been described as eco-fiction and it explores themes of environmental destruction, the melting of the polar ice, eco-terrorism, all within a suspenseful story of three survivors on a terrifying road trip.

The British poet Stevie Smith, best known for her work 鈥淣ot Waving, But Drowning鈥� died 50 years ago today. We speak with her biographer Frances Spalding, the editor of her collected poems and drawings Will May and we鈥檙e joined by the actor Juliet Stevenson to look at Smith鈥檚 life and works and consider her legacy.

Kings of Leon have made their new album available as a form of cryptocurrency, and last week Grimes sold a digital collection of artworks in a similar way for almost $6m. Aleks Krotoski explains the growing craze for 鈥榥on-fungible tokens鈥� or NFTs.

Presenter: John Wilson
Producer: Oliver Jones

Main image: Oana Aristide
Image credit: Nikos Karanikolas

Available now

28 minutes

Last on

Mon 8 Mar 2021 19:15
大象传媒 Radio 4

More episodes

Previous

David Mamet; The Glorias and Moxie reviewed; Danielle Evans

Next

Hilary Hahn; BAFTA nominations; competitive reading

See all episodes from Front Row

Oana Aristide

Oana Aristide
e by Oana Aristide is published on 11 March 2021 in hardback and as an Ebook.聽 Images: Main image above:聽 Oana Aristide,聽 聽Image credit: Nikos Karanikolas.聽 聽 聽 聽Image to the left: Oana Aristide, credit: Oana Aristide

NFTs

NFTs
Image: Kings of Leon, whose new album is also being sold as the NFT Token聽 "NFT Yourself" for a limited period.聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽聽More information on 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽Image credit: Matthew Followill

Remembering Stevie Smith

Remembering Stevie Smith
is a documentary by Dead Poets Live about the poet's life and work to mark the 50th anniversary of her death, with Juliet Stevenson Stevie Smith and reading some of her poetry.聽聽聽It is available聽to watch for free online until 05 April 2021.聽 聽 聽 聽 聽聽Image: Stevie Smith at the 大象传媒 in 1949.

Broadcast

  • Mon 8 Mar 2021 19:15
    大象传媒 Radio 4

大象传媒 Arts Digital

The best of British culture live and on demand.

Inspire

Inspire

A season discovering where artists find inspiration and helping listeners get creative.

Podcast

  • Front Row

    Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music