Opening Lines Podcast
Producer and writer John Yorke has worked in television and radio for 30 years, and he shares his experience with Radio 4 listeners as he unpacks the themes and impact behind the books, plays and stories that are being dramatised in Radio 4's weekend afternoon dramas.
Episodes to download
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The Girl of the Sea of Cortez
Sun 8 Dec 2024
John Yorke takes a look at Peter Benchley鈥檚 novel The Girl of the Sea of Cortez.
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Berlin Alexanderplatz
Sun 17 Nov 2024
John Yorke takes a look at Alfred D枚blin鈥檚 Berlin Alexanderplatz.
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Our Mutual Friend - Episode 2
Sun 10 Nov 2024
John Yorke continues his exploration of Charles Dickens鈥� classic novel Our Mutual Friend.
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Our Mutual Friend - Episode 1
Sun 3 Nov 2024
John Yorke takes a look at Charles Dickens鈥檚 classic novel Our Mutual Friend.
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Little Dorrit - Episode 2
Sun 20 Oct 2024
John Yorke takes a look at Charles Dickens鈥� classic novel Little Dorrit.
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Little Dorrit - Episode 1
Sun 13 Oct 2024
John Yorke takes a look at Charles Dickens鈥� classic novel Little Dorrit.
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Hard Times - Episode 2
Sun 6 Oct 2024
John Yorke takes a look at Charles Dickens鈥� classic novel Hard Times.
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Hard Times - Episode 1
Sun 29 Sep 2024
John Yorke takes a look at Charles Dickens鈥� classic novel Hard Times.
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Clear Light of Day - Episode 2
Sun 25 Aug 2024
John Yorke explores Anita Desai鈥檚 novel Clear Light of Day.
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Clear Light of Day - Episode 1
Sun 18 Aug 2024
John Yorke explores Anita Desai鈥檚 novel Clear Light of Day.
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Death at La Fenice
Sun 4 Aug 2024
John Yorke looks at Death at La Fenice, Donna Leon鈥檚 first Commissario Brunetti novel.
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Frankenstein
Sun 16 Jun 2024
John Yorke explores the themes and background to Mary Shelley鈥檚 Frankenstein.
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Orwell vs Kafka: The Man Who Disappeared
Sun 16 Jun 2024
John Yorke explores Franz Kafka's first novel, The Man Who Disappeared.
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A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
Sun 9 Jun 2024
John Yorke takes a look at Mary Wollstonecraft鈥檚 A Vindication of the Rights of Woman.
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Orwell vs. Kafka: The Trial
Sun 9 Jun 2024
John Yorke interrogates Franz Kafka's classic novel The Trial.
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The Raiders - Episode 2
Sun 2 Jun 2024
John Yorke explores The Raiders, a forgotten Scottish bestseller.
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The Raiders - Episode 1
Sun 26 May 2024
John Yorke explores The Raiders, a forgotten Scottish bestseller.
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The Man Who Fell to Earth
Sun 12 May 2024
John Yorke explores Walter Tevis鈥檚 1963 novel The Man Who Fell to Earth.
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My Mother Said I Never Should
Sun 21 Apr 2024
John Yorke looks at Charlotte Keatley鈥檚 1987 play My Mother Said I Never Should.
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The Shell Seekers
Sun 14 Apr 2024
John Yorke explores Rosamunde Pilcher鈥檚 1987 global bestseller, The Shell Seekers.
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Heart of Darkness
Sun 17 Mar 2024
John Yorke explores Conrad鈥檚 controversial and deeply enigmatic novella Heart of Darkness.
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& Other Stories: Daphne du Maurier - Episode 2
Sun 10 Mar 2024
John Yorke explores two more of Daphne du Maurier鈥檚 short stories.
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& Other Stories: Daphne du Maurier - Episode 1
Sun 3 Mar 2024
John Yorke explores a ground-breaking short story 鈥� Don鈥檛 Look Now by Daphne du Maurier.
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Cane
Sat 24 Feb 2024
John Yorke looks at Jean Toomer鈥檚 Cane about African American life in 1920s America.
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Siddhartha
Sun 18 Feb 2024
John Yorke explores the book that embodies the soul of the counterculture 鈥� Siddhartha.
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Tam O'Shanter
Sat 27 Jan 2024
John Yorke explores Robert Burns鈥檚 only long form narrative poem, Tam O鈥橲hanter.
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Our Man in Havana - Episode 2
Sun 14 Jan 2024
John Yorke looks into the dark comedy classic, Our Man in Havana.
