12. Philip Pullman

Young Again

BBC

Personal Journals, Society & Culture

4.6 • 651 Ratings

🗓️ 19 March 2024

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Kirsty Young talks to the author Philip Pullman about what he’s learned from his life so far. Pullman is the acclaimed novelist behind global bestsellers like His Dark Materials. He recounts the story of his own childhood, how he still contemplates the mystery of his father’s death, and why he owes his literary success to hard work.

If you could have a conversation with your younger self, what would you tell them? In Young Again Kirsty takes her guests back to the pivotal moments in their lives. Reflecting on what they wish they’d known at the time, and what they’ve learned along the way, she discovers the honest – and surprising – advice they’d give their younger selves.

Producer: Sam Peach Content Editor: Richard Hooper Executive Editor: Alice Feinstein Senior Technical Producer: Duncan Hannant Presenter: Kirsty Young

A BBC Audio Production

Transcript

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0:00.0	Why do some big successful brands go bust?
0:05.0	Toast is back for a new series, taking a look at the decisions that often left investors burnt.
0:11.0	I'm Sean Farrington, a BBC business journalist. I'll be hearing about the hype.
0:15.0	They're going to do the deal that makes them the most money at that point of time.
0:19.0	And I'm picking what went wrong, talking to owners and employees to ask, what can we learn?
0:25.4	It was being undercut by similar rivals. It just couldn't survive.
0:30.3	Toast. Listen first on BBC Sounds.
0:34.9	BBC Sounds, music, Radio, podcasts.
0:38.3	Hi, I'm Kirsty Young and this is Young again, my podcast for BBC Radio 4.
0:49.3	What conversations would you have with your younger self?
0:52.3	How do you reflect on the big decisions you've made? What
0:56.4	have you learned from your life so far? In this episode of Young Again, I'm talking to an Oxford-based
1:02.9	author who's sold tens of millions of books worldwide and won loads of prestigious awards,
1:08.4	but he's very much not an ivory tower type of a writer.
1:13.0	It's always fascinated me that he chooses to stick his oar into the national conversation,
1:17.4	whether it's on religion, censorship or politics. He speaks his mind and seems more than happy
1:23.6	to ruffle sensitive feathers. Well, talking to me about much more personal subjects, he didn't disappoint either,
1:31.0	elaborating on the mysteries surrounding his father's death and his frustration at his lack of confidence in matters of the heart.
1:39.0	Typically forthright, often thoughtful, reflective and honest.
1:43.7	In this edition of Young Again, I'm in conversation with the fascinating Philip Pullman.
1:52.7	So I will start with the premise then, Philip.
1:56.2	How do you feel about even the thought of looking back at your younger self?
	...

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