Award-winning author and former Children's Laureate Malorie Blackman

Award-winning author and former Children’s Laureate Malorie Blackman discusses Crossfire, the new novel in her Noughts and Crosses series, which will also be a BBC TV series starring Stormzy.

A family must prove whose parent died first in an extraordinary inheritance battle. That was the situation at the high court this week, which resolved a dispute between two sparring stepsisters. But it is also the plot of Dorothy L Sayer’s much-loved novel The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club. So how did the Mistress of Crime come to predict today’s court battles nearly a century ago? We ask Seona Ford, Chair of the Dorothy L Sayers Society and author, Jill Paton Walsh.

Composer Errollyn Wallen’s work stretches back four decades and includes 17 operas, numerous orchestral, choral and chamber works, concertos, as well as award-winning scores for visual media. You might remember her music being featured in the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Paralympic Games. She was made an MBE for her services to music in 2007 and has also received an Ivor Novello Award. She was the first black woman to have her work performed at the BBC Proms back in 1998 – and this year she has been specially commissioned by them to write a new orchestral work. It’s titled This Frame is Part of the Painting and it will be performed by Elim Chan, Catriona Morison, and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales on Thursday 15th August.

Presenter: Jenni Murray
Producer: Kirsty Starkey

Interviewed Guest: Malorie Blackman
Interviewed Guest: Professor Lisa Avalos
Interviewed Guest: Seona Ford
Interviewed Guest: Jill Paton Walsh
Interviewed Guest: Errollyn Wallen