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Peter Gabriel; Paco Pe帽a; Helen Oyeyemi; Great War in art; Mark Thomas

Peter Gabriel on film Back to Front; Paco Pe帽a on flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucia; Helen Oyeyemi on her new novel; how artists depicted the Great War; Mark Thomas on Bill Hicks.

With John Wilson.

Peter Gabriel's film Back to Front documents the experience of performing his most commercially successful album, 1986's So, with the band he originally toured with. He tells John why despite being a famously forward looking artist, he wanted to revisit the album once more.

The National Portrait Gallery's exhibition The Great War in Portraits explores how artistic representations of the conflict and its participants changed as the fighting progressed. Beginning with magisterial portraits of leaders and generals and finishing with the anguished German expressionism of the Die Br眉cke group, the show depicts the vastly divergent experiences bound up in 'the war to end all wars'. Rachel Cooke reviews.

One of the world's most celebrated flamenco guitarists, Paco de Lucia, has died in Mexico, at the age of 66. In 2004, he was awarded Spain's prestigious Asturias Prize for Art as the "most universal of flamenco artists". We speak to his friend and fellow flamenco guitarist Paco Pena about his legacy and why he will be remembered as a revolutionary and a genius.

Helen Oyeyemi was listed as one of Granta's Best Young Novelists 2013. She wrote her first novel The Icarus Girl whilst studying for her A-levels - and secured a book deal on the same day as she received her results. Still only 29, she is about to publish her fifth title Boy, Snow, Bird. She talks to John about confronting issues of race in the novel, her love of fairy tale and myth and how Hitchcock inspired her lead character.

Mark Thomas discusses the legacy of controversial comedian Bill Hicks, who died 20 years ago today.

Producer: Rebecca Armstrong.

Available now

30 minutes

Chapters

  • Peter Gabriel

    Peter Gabriel discusses his new film; Back to Front

    Duration: 08:02

  • The Great War in Portraits

    Rachel Cooke reviews the latest exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery

    Duration: 04:35

  • Paco de Lucia

    Fellow flamenco guitarist Paco Pena talks about his friend Paco de Lucia's legacy

    Duration: 04:10

  • Helen Oyeyemi

    Helen Oyeyemi discusses her new novel Boy, Snow, Bird

    Duration: 07:19

  • Bill Hicks

    Mark Thomas discusses the legacy of controversial comedian Bill Hicks

    Duration: 03:51

Helen Oyeyemi

Helen Oyeyemi

Boy, Snow, Bird written by Helen Oyeyemi is published on Thursday 27 February by Picador.

Image credit: Piotr Cieplak

Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel

Back to Front will be released in UK cinemas from Thursday 20 March 2014, certificate PG.

The Great War in Portraits

is on at the National Portrait Gallery, London听from Thursday 27 February until Sunday 15 June 2014.

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter John Wilson
Interviewed Guest Peter Gabriel
Interviewed Guest Rachel Cooke
Interviewed Guest Helen Oyeyemi
Interviewed Guest Paco Pena
Interviewed Guest Mark Thomas
Producer Rebecca Armstrong

Broadcast

  • Wed 26 Feb 2014 19:15

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