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Oliver Stone, Chimamanda Adichie, Web Harvesting

Chimamanda Adichie on her novel Americanah, film director Oliver Stone on American history, AS Byatt on the woes of web harvesting, and an opera made from six tweets and a blog.

With Samira Ahmed

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie discusses her new novel Americanah, which follows a young couple who flee the military dictatorship in Nigeria for America and London.

As the British Library expands its archiving power by storing every UK Website, plus public tweets and Facebook entries, we ask what lies behind our need to collect everything and how does this exist alongside our right to disappear? To discuss archiving, Samira Ahmed is joined by novelist AS Byatt and historian Jane Humphries.

American film director Oliver Stone (JFK, Savages, Platoon) discusses his documentary miniseries which uses new archive material and little known documents to explore an unconventional account of events that took place during the twentieth century that have shaped America's history.

And how a twitter feud over Estonia's austerity measures became the unlikely topic for an opera. Samira talks to the Estonian composer Eugene Birman about his new cantata Nostra Culpa, which is based on a heated exchange between his country's President, Toomas Hendrik Ilves and the New York Times columnist Paul Krugman about Estonia economic reforms to tackle the recession.

Produced by Ella-mai Robey.

Available now

45 minutes

Last on

Wed 10 Apr 2013 22:00

Chapters

  • Chimamanda Adichie

    Discussion with Chimamanda Adichie about her new novel.

    Duration: 12:01

  • British Library Internet Archive

    Discussion of our need to collect everything and how relates to our right to disappear.

    Duration: 10:16

  • Obituary - Sir Robert Edwards

    Roger Highfield pays tribute to the IVF pioneer.

    Duration: 05:41

  • Oliver Stone

    Discussion with Oliver Stone about his new miniseries.

    Duration: 10:58

  • Eugene Birman

    Discussion with Eugene Birman about his new cantata, Nostra Culpa

    Duration: 05:32

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Americanah by is published by Fourth Estate on 11th April.

Oliver Stone

Oliver Stone

starts at 9pm Friday 19th April on Sky Atlantic.

Broadcast

  • Wed 10 Apr 2013 22:00

Free Thinking

Free Thinking

Radio 3鈥檚 new home for arts and ideas.