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Reading lists

Floral fiction: a book-lover’s guide to the best flowers in literature

14 dramatisations and radio readings including Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Sons and Lovers, The Rainbow and Women in Love

D. H. Lawrence: A BBC Radio Collection

Dramatisations and readings of selected works by DH Lawrence – plus a radio play by Dan Allum and two bonus documentaries exploring Lawrence’s life and writings

D.H. Lawrence (Author) D.H. Lawrence was born as David Herbert Lawrence. He was born on September 11, 1885, in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire, England, to a working-class family. His early life experiences 
and the social environment he grew up in greatly influenced his writing. 
 
In his childhood, Lawrence witnessed the struggles and tensions within his family and the surrounding mining community. His father worked as a miner, and his mother’s 
unhappiness and frustrations in her marriage left a lasting impact on Lawrence. Despite the challenges, Lawrence showed an early aptitude for education and was awarded a scholarship to Nottingham High School. 
 
Lawrence’s time at school exposed him to a broader world of literature and ideas. He excelled academically, developing a passion for literature, poetry, and art. His intellectual 
pursuits led him to study classics at Nottingham University College (now the University of Nottingham) in 1906. At 
university, Lawrence encountered a vibrant literary and artistic community, which further fuelled his creative aspirations. 
 
During his university years, Lawrence began writing poetry, short stories, and essays. He explored themes of human relationships, sexuality, and the profound connection between man and nature. 
 
After leaving university, Lawrence experienced a period of restlessness and uncertainty. He held various jobs, including working as a schoolteacher and a clerk, while continuing to 
write. 
 
His early works were not commercially successful, and he struggled financially. 
However, Lawrence’s breakthrough came with the publication of his novel Sons and Lovers in 1913. It received critical acclaim for its psychological depth and vivid storytelling. The success of it marked the beginning of Lawrence’s rise to literary fame. In the years that followed, Lawrence published several 
notable works, including The Rainbow (1915) and Women in Love (1920). Both faced censorship and controversy due to their explicit depictions of sexuality. Lawrence’s writing 
challenged societal norms and conventions. It explored the complexities of human desires and relationships in a candid manner. Lawrence’s reputation as a groundbreaking writer grew, but he faced ongoing struggles with censorship and 
public reception. 
 
His works continued to delve into themes 
of passion, individuality, and the clash between nature and industrialization. Sadly, Lawrence’s life was cut short when he succumbed to tuberculosis on March 2 1930, in Vence, France. 
 
He was 44 at that time. His literary legacy, however, lives on, and his works have had a profound and lasting impact on 20th-century literature. D.H. Lawrence’s fearless exploration 
of human emotions and the complexities of relationships continues to captivate readers to this day. Michael Rosen (Reader) Michael Rosen is one of the best-known figures in the children's book world. He is renowned for his work as a poet, performer, broadcaster and scriptwriter. He visits schools with his one-man show to enthuse children with his passion for books and poetry. In 2007 he was appointed Children's Laureate, a role which he held until 2009. While Laureate, he set up The Roald Dahl Funny Prize. He currently lives in London with his wife and children.

Dramatisations and readings of selected works by DH Lawrence – plus a radio play by Dan Allum and two bonus documentaries exploring Lawrence’s life and writings 
 
Crowned ‘the greatest imaginative novelist of our generation’ by EM Forster, DH Lawrence has an undisputed place in England's canon of great authors. In this wide-ranging collection, dramatisations and readings of some of his major works are brought together, exploring themes such as romantic love and sexual desire, individual freedom, class division, war, the beauty of nature and the ugliness of industrialisation. 
 
This rich and varied anthology contains the radio productions of five of Lawrence’s classic novels, and nine short stories and novellas. It includes: Goose Fair, The Christening, Daughters of the Vicar, Her Turn, Love Among the Haystacks, The Shades of Spring, Sons and Lovers, The Rainbow, Women in Love, The Fox, The Ladybird, Kangaroo, Rawdon’s Roof and Lady Chatterley’s Lover. 
 
Also featured is an original radio drama by Dan Allum, The Gypsy (inspired by Lawrence’s The Virgin and the Gypsy), while two bonus radio documentaries – Great Lives and Michael Rosen: On the Trail of DH Lawrence – provide further insight into the inner life of the controversial author. 
 
Due to the archive nature of these recordings, sound quality may vary. 
With thanks to Keith Wickham, Greg Linden and Roy McMillan.

Sons And Lovers

Michael Butt (Author) Michael Butt has written numerous dramas for BBC radio, including Peter Lorre Vs Peter Lorre, The Last Project (El Ultimo Proyecto), Unauthorised History, Filthy Rich and Ambiguous Loss (winner of a BBC Radio Drama Award for Best Series or Serial.) D.H. Lawrence (Author) D.H. Lawrence was born as David Herbert Lawrence. He was born on September 11, 1885, in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire, England, to a working-class family. His early life experiences 
and the social environment he grew up in greatly influenced his writing. 
 
In his childhood, Lawrence witnessed the struggles and tensions within his family and the surrounding mining community. His father worked as a miner, and his mother’s 
unhappiness and frustrations in her marriage left a lasting impact on Lawrence. Despite the challenges, Lawrence showed an early aptitude for education and was awarded a scholarship to Nottingham High School. 
 
Lawrence’s time at school exposed him to a broader world of literature and ideas. He excelled academically, developing a passion for literature, poetry, and art. His intellectual 
pursuits led him to study classics at Nottingham University College (now the University of Nottingham) in 1906. At 
university, Lawrence encountered a vibrant literary and artistic community, which further fuelled his creative aspirations. 
 
During his university years, Lawrence began writing poetry, short stories, and essays. He explored themes of human relationships, sexuality, and the profound connection between man and nature. 
 
After leaving university, Lawrence experienced a period of restlessness and uncertainty. He held various jobs, including working as a schoolteacher and a clerk, while continuing to 
write. 
 
His early works were not commercially successful, and he struggled financially. 
However, Lawrence’s breakthrough came with the publication of his novel Sons and Lovers in 1913. It received critical acclaim for its psychological depth and vivid storytelling. The success of it marked the beginning of Lawrence’s rise to literary fame. In the years that followed, Lawrence published several 
notable works, including The Rainbow (1915) and Women in Love (1920). Both faced censorship and controversy due to their explicit depictions of sexuality. Lawrence’s writing 
challenged societal norms and conventions. It explored the complexities of human desires and relationships in a candid manner. Lawrence’s reputation as a groundbreaking writer grew, but he faced ongoing struggles with censorship and 
public reception. 
 
His works continued to delve into themes 
of passion, individuality, and the clash between nature and industrialization. Sadly, Lawrence’s life was cut short when he succumbed to tuberculosis on March 2 1930, in Vence, France. 
 
He was 44 at that time. His literary legacy, however, lives on, and his works have had a profound and lasting impact on 20th-century literature. D.H. Lawrence’s fearless exploration 
of human emotions and the complexities of relationships continues to captivate readers to this day.

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of D. H. Lawrence's classic story about working class love, loss and hardship. Sensitive, intellectual Gertrude Coppard married miner Walter Morel for his rich, ringing laugh and colourful character. But now, years later, she finds there is little behind the bluster and their marriage has become riddled with disillusionment. Instead, Gertrude pours all her love and attention into her two sons, William and Paul. Determined that they will not go down the pit and lead the same life as their father, Gertrude encourages the boys to succeed and is rewarded when they both secure jobs as clerks. But then tragedy strikes: William becomes ill with pneumonia and dies. In her grief, Gertrude draws even closer to her surviving son and the bond between the two becomes so strong that, even as Paul is torn between two loves of his own, he cannot fully break away from his mother.

D.H. Lawrence

Full Cast

Cassie Bradley

Katie Redford

A full-cast reimagining of The Rainbow & Women in Love

Two bold, authentic dramas exploring D.H. Lawrence's extraordinarily modern view of sexuality 
 
Daring, transgressive and controversial, D.H. Lawrence scandalized the literary world with his frank descriptions of sex and desire. He was censored by his own publisher for being too explicit, and several of his most famous works were banned under the Obscene Publications Act. But for Lawrence, a self-described 'priest of love', passion was the stuff of life - and these two dynamic reimaginings celebrate him at his most fearless, pushing the boundaries of sexuality at the dawn of the 20th Century. 
 
The Rainbow is seen through the eyes of Ursula Brangwen, and spans three generations of her family from 1840 to 1905. Unsatisfied with the limited choices open to women, Ursula delves into the histories of her mother, Anna, and grandmother Lydia, in an attempt to find a path to follow as she grapples with the forces of passion and desire. From her first crush to an illicit same-sex love affair, we follow Ursula on her journey of sexual awakening and self-discovery. 
 
In Women in Love, Ursula's younger sister, Gudrun, comes into equal focus, as she and Ursula search for happiness and fulfilment in the Midlands mining town of Beldover. Gudrun, an artist, embarks on an affair with coalmine owner Gerald Crich; while schoolteacher Ursula falls in love with his friend, school inspector Rupert Birkin. But while Ursula and Rupert grow closer, Gudrun and Gerald's relationship is threatened by Gerald's inability to express his emotions - and his tangled feelings for Rupert... 
 
Cassie Bradley stars as Ursula and Katie Redford as Gudrun in these stunning linked dramas about the complexity of human love. 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by D.H. Lawrence 
 
The Rainbow 
Ursula - Cassie Bradley 
Tom - Karl Collins 
Lydia - Aneta Piotrowska 
Young Ursula - Florence Hunt 
Anna - Rosalie Craig 
Young Anna - Lauren Tanner 
Will - Lee Ingleby 
Anton - Nico Mirallegro 
Winifred - Tala Gouveia 
Harby - Graeme Hawley 
 
Dramatised by Linda Marshall Griffiths 
Directed by Nadia Molinari 
A BBC Audio Drama North Production 
With thanks to the Estate of Frieda Lawrence Ravagli 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 20-27 June 2021 
 
Women in Love 
Ursula - Cassie Bradley 
Gudrun - Katie Redford 
Rupert - Alexander Arnold 
Gerald - James Cooney 
Hermione - Emily Pithon 
Diana/Pussum - Verity Henry 
Julius - Rupert Hill 
Hermione - Emily Pithon 
Loerke - Ashley Margolis 
 
Dramatised by Ian Kershaw 
Directed by Gary Brown 
A BBC Audio Drama North Production 
With thanks to the Estate of Frieda Lawrence Ravagli 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4,4-11 July 2021 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. 
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

D.H. Lawrence

Books by D.H. Lawrence

Articles featuring D.H. Lawrence

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