Podcasts Culture Front Row Sir Lenny Henry on his new play, music from the Tashi Lhunpo monastery, publishing and net zero

Sir Lenny Henry on his new play, music from the Tashi Lhunpo monastery, publishing and net zero

Published: May 2, 2023, 7:25 p.m.

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Sir Lenny Henry is making his debut as a playwright for the stage with August in England, a one-man drama about the Windrush scandal. Tom Sutcliffe meets Lenny to discuss his move from stage to page and back again, as he takes on the title role of August at The Bush Theatre in London.

50 years ago, after the Chinese invasion of Tibet, the ancient Tashi Lhunpo Monastery relocated to South India, where the exiled monks are dedicated to maintaining the culture and religion of their homeland. Simon Broughton reports from the monastery where he meets some of the monks about to tour the UK performing ritual dance and music. At the Gutor festival he witnesses elaborate masked dances and hears the awe-inspiring sound of Tibetan trumpets - four metres long.

Can books ever be sustainable? How can publishing reach net zero? Children\\u2019s author Piers Torday, Chair of the Society of Authors\\u2019 Sustainability Committee, and commercial publishing veteran Amanda Ridout, CEO of Boldwood Books and Chair of the Independent Publishing Guild\\u2019s Sustainability Group discuss the challenges of making the book industry greener.

Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe\\nProducer: Harry Parker

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