In Northern Ireland, from the late 70s to the early 90s, the IRA killed over 40 alleged informers.

But the man who often found, tortured and sometimes killed these people on behalf of the IRA

was himself an informer, a secret British army agent with the codename Stakeknife.

Who gets to play God? And why me? Why my family?

When lies are still being told to this day, who do you believe?

I wouldn't even know where to start, and I'm with the IRA.

Steakknife.

Listen first on BBC Sounds.

BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts.

In a year that's brought highs and lows, laughter and tears and endless variety,

we've decided for this seasonal show to offer you some of our very own.

Far from the madding crowd, at Open Book we continued undeterred to provide you with an inspirational diet of books and authors from within

our borders and far beyond our simple criteria being quality and inspiration. Today for your

delectation we offer just some of the highlights beginning appropriately back in spring when we saw

the third installment after autumn and winter

of Ali Smith's ambitious and rapidly written seasonal quartet.

The series has established a pattern of tackling the most pressing political issues of the day

with meditations on art, philosophy and human relationships.

Ali Smith described her story of possibility and new beginnings.

The two people who seem to be disconnected, you might say, an ageing TV director and a young,

intelligent woman whose work every day in an immigration removal centre is pretty much

battering the life and the subtlety out of her.

...