A Celebration of the World's Best Radio Station

And Now on Radio 4

A celebration of the people and programmes - and curiosities - that have made the network the envy of the world.

... congenial - chatty, a little bit personal ... it's hard to imagine what more a Radio 4 fan could want

Written as a day in the life, with the stories behind each show, it deals with the laugh-out-loud hilarious and the somewhat less thrilling ... as Elmes deftly and enthusiastically describes, achieving this depth of programming and balance was not easy ...

... strong on gossip and nostalgia ... there are delightful stories in the book

... cosy, celebratory ... It is a happy book, celebrating Radio 4 as above all a friend and companion

Simon Elmes is Creative Director of the BBC's Radio Documentary Unit, where he oversees a wide range of programmes. He was Executive Producer of the long-running magazine Word of Mouth, from its inception until 2004. In 1996 it was awarded one of the world's premier broadcasting prizes, the Premio Ondas. He produced the award-winning The Routes of English, a 26-part series on the history of the English language, and has written four books to accompany the series. He also produced the 2005 radio and TV project Voices.

And Now on Radio 4 offers an enthusiast's guide to the shows that have made Radio 4 what it is, and also explores some of the wonderful corners of the network's history that are long forgotten by all but a few. Who, for instance, now recalls Ronnie Barker's starring role on Radio 4 in a sophisticated cabaret-cum-sketch-show called Lines from My Grandfather's Forehead? What about Spike Milligan's intimate, soul-bearing account of his upbringing in colonial India, Plain Tales from the Raj? And who now remembers that Start the Week was once hosted by Russell Harty, a bit of programming compared by one insider to letting Graham Norton run Newsnight. 
 
In order to reflect the way devotees listen to Radio 4, the book is organised not on simple chronological lines but in the form of a typical day. Chapter by chapter, the day evolves, from Farming Today, through the daily feast that is Today, through the morning menu of conversation, Woman's Hour, documentary and comedy. Lunchtime brings The World at One. The early evening, of course, yields The Archers. And finally there's Book at Bedtime and Sailing By. 
 
An addictive mix of history, biography, anecdote and occasional useless fact, this is the perfect book for Radio 4 aficionados.

Simon Elmes

Nine decades of radio voices

It’s now ninety years since the BBC made its first broadcast and the British love affair with radio began. 
 
This book is a journey through that fascinating history and a celebration of the many wonderful voices that were part of it: Marion Cran, who pioneered the first gardening programme in the 1920s; The Goons and Kenneth Horne, comedy greats of the 1950s; John Peel, Alan Freeman, Kenny Everett and other heroes of the pirate stations; all the way up to Eddie Mair, Fi Glover and Danny Baker, the much-loved voices of today. 
 
A delightful blend of insight, history and nostalgia, Hello Again will appeal to any radio aficionado.

Simon Elmes

Hello Again

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