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artsJul 18, 202523:36pending

The Other Side of the Fire

About this episode

For Gabriella Kelly Davies.

‘On the last day of summer Mrs Bohannon fell in love. The poplars, fallaciously pathetic, looked horrified, their branches rising on the wind like startled hair, and a pilgrim cloud wept a few chill tears.’

This week, Sally is once again in the world of Alice Thomas Ellis. Listen for a close reading of the opening of Ellis’ fourth novel, The Other Side of the Fire (1983), focusing on the construction of space, character, and intimacy between writer, narrator, and reader.

The wonderful piano music in the opening section is ‘Thursday’, by Paul Seba. More on Paul and his work can be found here

This episode was edited and produced by James Bowen.

Special thanks to Andrew Smith, Violet Henderson, Kris Dyer, and Maeve Magnus.

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The Other Side of the Fire

A Reading Life, A Writing Life, with Sally Bayley

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