BENNETT OF THE FIVE TOWNS

“Bennett of the Five Towns” is an insight into Arnold Bennett's relationship with the Potteries and his writing career up to his final “Five Towns” book in 1916 - all told in his own words from contemporary essays, letters, journals, short stories and novels. The programme is devised and presented by RAY JOHNSON - with Bennett extracts read by DAVID BOWEN. It engages the ear with Bennett’s astute observations and wonderful writing and it is illustrated throughout with relevant photographs, visual memorabilia and archive film footage.
The programme is in five parts:
Part 1: UNDERSTANDING US -
introducing us to his views on the history, nature and character of the Potteries and its principle industry of making pottery.
Part 2: EARLY DAYS and EDUCATION -
looking at his home life and education - to leaving the Potteries for London at 21.
Part 3: WRITING and the struggle for “ANNA” looks at his early career in London and the struggle to write and achieve his first successful novel "Anna of the Five Towns", then a visit home and a night at the Theatre.
Part 4: THE OLD WIVES’ TALE & THE CARD sees him living in Paris, the writing of "The Old Wives' Tale" - which brought him international fame - and possibly his most popular novel: "The Card".
Part 5: FEDERATION & GREATER IDENTITY
is a summing-up of the Potteries' coming into the 20th Century and their new "greater identity" with the Federation of the towns into one County Borough in1910.