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John Yorke takes a look at Aldous Huxley’s 1923 satirical novel, Antic Hay.

It's a comic novel, set in post-war London and a wicked satire on the glittering hedonism of the 1920s. It tells the story of a collection of upper middle-class characters desperately trying to find meaning in their lives after the catastrophe of the First World War.

Aldous Huxley is most famous for his classic dystopian story Brave New World. To some he’s the inspiration for the cult of hallucinogenics, through his book The Doors Of Perception. But a million miles from both, among the 40-odd other books he wrote, sits Antic Hay – a sardonic snapshot of 1920s English society.

John Yorke has worked in television and radio for nearly 30 years, and he shares his experience as he unpacks the themes and impact of the books, plays and stories that have made a mark.  

From EastEnders to the Archers, Life on Mars to Shameless, he has been obsessed with telling big popular stories. He has spent years analysing not just how stories work but why they resonate with audiences around the globe and has brought together his experience in his bestselling book Into the Woods. As former Head of Channel Four Drama, Controller of Ö÷²¥´óÐã Drama Production and MD of Company Pictures, John has tested his theories during an extensive production career working on some of the world’s most lucrative, widely viewed and critically acclaimed TV drama. As founder of the hugely successful Ö÷²¥´óÐã Writers Academy John has trained a generation of screenwriters - his students have had 17 green-lights in the last two years alone.

Contributors:
Emily Pithon, actor, starred as Myra Viveash in Mike Harris’ Radio 4 adaptation of Antic Hay.
Dr Jake Poller, School of English and Drama at Queen Mary, University of London is the author of a 2021 biography of Aldous Huxley

Credits:
Antic Hay by Aldous Huxley, 1923
III. Accidie, On The Margin Collected Notes and Essays by Aldous Huxley, 1923

Produced by Laura Grimshaw
Executive Producer: Sara Davies
Readings by Emily Pithon
Sound by Sean Kerwin
Researcher: Nina Semple
Production Manager: Sarah Wright

A Pier production for Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio 4

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