Writing and Political Oppression

In Our Time: Culture

BBC

History

4.6 • 978 Ratings

🗓️ 8 April 1999

⏱️ 29 minutes

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Summary

Melvyn Bragg examines how two writers’ work have been shaped by political oppression and explores whether writers have a political role in modern society. The connection between writers and politics has its roots in classical times, but in the 20th century the writer has been called on as the witness with increasing frequency and intensity. And many times the price of articulation has been severe. In the century in which saw the execution of writers such as Ken Saro Wiwa in Nigeria in 1995, and a fatwa imposed on Salman Rushdie, Melvyn Bragg talks to two writers who between them experienced exile, censorship and the manipulation of authoritarian states - Ariel Dorfman from South America and Nadine Gordimer, the Nobel Prize winner from South Africa, to discuss the writing of fiction and political oppression. What, if any, is the writer’s political role in our world today?With Nadine Gordimer, Nobel Prize-winning South African novelist; Ariel Dorfman, South American journalist, scholar and author of Death and the Maiden.

Transcript

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0:45.2	Hello in this century in which we've seen the execution of writers such as Ken Sarawuewa in Nigeria
0:50.5	in 1995 and a fatwaim on Salma and Rousste
0:53.6	we turn to two writers of the century, Nadine Gordima and Ariel Dorfman,
0:57.6	to discuss the writing of fiction and political oppression.
1:00.3	What, if any, is the writer's political role in our world today?
1:04.0	Now Dean Gordimer is the Nobel Prize winning South African novelist.
1:08.0	With three novels banned by the South African government,
1:10.0	her writings have charted the changes in South Africa's social climate for nearly
1:14.5	half a century with passion, commitment and precision.
	...

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