Saoirse Ronan reads Shorn by Sue Rainsford, the latest new story from the RTÉ Radio 1 Spoken Stories Independence collection on RTÉ Radio 1, now available as a podcast here.
Before writing her story, Rainsford asked herself ‘what does independence mean explicitly for women, especially in relation to war and violence and the roles their bodies play, that are often obscured after the facts. Shorn is a story about forced hair cutting, a rampant practice that was carried out by both sides during the (Irish) Civil War.’
All the writers contributing to the series consider independence today, a hundred years after Ireland’s War of Independence. The resulting collection is as varied as the writers themselves, as the stories are set across different times, locations and circumstances.
Already available are Spoken Stories Independence stories by Anne Enright, Mary Costello and Kevin Barry. Up next is Anti-Treaty Sentiment by Wendy Erskine, read by the author, set in the contemporary world of popular culture and the cut-throat atmosphere of the TV talent show.
Other stories to look forward to in the series include works by Mike McCormack, Danielle McLaughlin, Yan Ge, Eoghan Mac Giolla Bhríde, Roisín O'Donnell, Colin Barrett and Neil Jordan.
Spoken Stories, RTÉ Radio 1, Sundays - listen back here.
