About this episode
James Naughtie interviews Kit de Waal about her debut novel, My Name Is Leon, exploring themes of brotherhood and adoption in 1980s Birmingham.
Presented by James Naughtie, BBC Radio 4's Bookclub, speaks to the award-winning writer Kit de Waal about her heart-rending debut novel, My Name Is Leon. Published in 2016 by Penguin it's the story of two brothers separated after one is adopted. The book, now taught on the curriculum in English schools, takes us back to 1980s Birmingham, and while brothers Leon and Jake share the same mother, Carol, their futures look very different. Jake is adopted, while Leon remains in foster care. The story follows Leon over the course of one difficult year in his life, and when he's given a bike it opens up his horizons. He often goes to the local allotments, where he meets the characters of Mr Devlin and Tufty, and sees a different slice of life. This recording takes place at the Rare Birds Bookshop in Edinburgh. Producer: Dominic Howell Editor: Gillian Wheelan This was a BBC Audio Scotland production.
People in this episode
Host: James Naughtie
Guest: Kit de Waal
Topics covered
- debut novel
- brotherhood
- adoption
- 1980s Birmingham
- foster care
- literature
Keywords
- Kit de Waal
- My Name Is Leon
- adoption
- brothers
- Birmingham
- foster care
- literature
- 1980s
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Penguin
Books & works: My Name Is Leon
Places: Birmingham, Rare Birds Bookshop, Edinburgh
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