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The Unfortunates, by BS Johnson

Hirsute comedian and crumpled polymath Rob Auton shuffles through BS Johnson's 1969 novel The Unfortunates, a book published in a box with 27 sections to be read in a random order.

Hirsute comedian and crumpled polymath Rob Auton shuffles through BS Johnson's 1969 novel The Unfortunates - a book published in a box with 27 unbound sections to be read in a random order.

Warped literature series The Exploding Library returns for a new run, as another trio of comedians explode and unravel their most cherished cult books, paying homage to the tone and style of the original text - and blurring and warping the lines between fact and fiction.

As our hosts shine the spotlight on strange, funny and sometimes disturbing novels by Angela Carter, BS Johnson and Octavia Butler, listeners are invited to inhabit their eccentric worlds - gaining a deeper understanding of their workings and the unique literary minds that created them.

With the comedic voices of Kiri Pritchard-Mclean, Rob Auton and Desiree Burch, and featuring the work of award-winning producers Leonie Thomas, Benjamin Partridge (Beef and Dairy Network), and Steven Rajam (Tim Key and Gogol鈥檚 Overcoat), this is an arts documentary series like no other.

Producer: Benjamin Partridge
Reader: Mike Shephard
An Overcoat Media production for 大象传媒 Radio 4

Available now

28 minutes

Broadcasts

  • Sun 5 Nov 2023 16:30
  • Sun 12 Nov 2023 00:15