Lady Chatterley’s husband returns from the War paralysed from the waist down. Frustrated by his attitudes as much as his disability, she begins a love-affair with the gamekeeper, Mellors. She realises that to be fully alive she must live the life of the body as well as the mind, but in doing so she angers the conventions of her day. Banned for over 30 years for the explicit nature of its language and descriptions of sex, Lady Chatterley’s Lover also exposes the dehumanisation of the mechan...

In her first collection of plays, writer and BAFTA-nominated actor Maxine Peake introduces four unique stories of resistance and passion based on real women.From the famous Leeds-born cyclist Beryl Burton battling through various obstacles to achieve success; to Lillian Bilocca, the 'headscarf revolutionary'; to four bold women protesting for Women Against Pit Closures, occupying a coal pit over Easter weekend in 1993; to former MP Baroness Betty Boothroyd, the fir...

ELIJAH DIXON played a key role in the Blanketeer's March of 1817. Arrested, chained in double irons and imprisoned without trial, the episode set the stage for the Peterloo Massacre.Everybody in Victorian Manchester knew of Elijah Dixon. Over a period of sixty years, he was an ever-present force in the tumultuous politics of the town. He worked alongside the great figures of nineteenth century Radicalism, and as 'The Manchester Man' he became the towns ambassador for Chartism. An early apo...

I had a constant battle to get where I am today. Scrimping and scraping, people telling me not to do it, I couldn't do it. That my life wouldn't amount to very much. Now I might have had a bit of natural talent but I got here because of pure determination and persistence. Stubbornness you might say. I always went that extra mile, pushed myself that bit harder than anyone else and never took anything for granted.It was 1954 when Beryl Charnock met keen cyclist Charlie Burto...

THE LOUDER THAN WAR #1 BOOK OF THE YEARA ROUGH TRADE, THE TIMES, MOJO, UNCUT, THE HERALD BOOK OF THE YEARThis is not a book about a rock band. This is not even a book about Mark E Smith. This is a book about The Fall group - or more precisely, their world.'To 50,000 Fall Fans: please buy this inspired ### inspiring, profound ### provocative, be...

Sarah Lancashire and Maxine Peake star in this hard hitting, two-part dramaWhat sort of mother would allow her child to perform online for paedophiles? And how could the family's social worker let it happen? Told in two parts, This Repulsive Woman and Every Child Matters, is a real-time drama that follows the stories of the two women at the centre of a fictional high profile court case and national scandal.This Repulsive Woman

A selection of Euripides’ renowned Greek tragedies, adapted for BBC RadioAcclaimed by Aristotle as ‘the most tragic of the poets’, Euripides was one of the pre-eminent playwrights of 5th century Athens. Included here are seven of his masterpieces: powerful, shocking tales of passion, suffering and revenge that still resonate with us today. Among the star casts are Maxine Peake, Richard Dormer, Roger Allam, Olympia Dukakis, Christine Bottoml...

Fifteen highly original and darkly unsettling supernatural stories, performed by some of Britain's finest actresses'This is what we know about The Hotel. It is bigger on the inside than on the outside. Do not go into Room 63. Doors and windows do not stay in the same places. The Hotel listens when you speak. The Hotel watches... We'll be at The Hotel soon.'A place of myths, rumours and secrets, The Hotel looms over the dark Fens, tall and grey in i...

'Fast-paced and twisting' PAULA HAWKINS, author of THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN'At the very least it should reach the shortlist of this year's Booker prize' THE TIMES__________Pre-order Mark Billingham's pulse-racing new Tom Thorne thriller, THE MURDER BOOK, now!__________My name is Alice. I'm a police officer.I'm trying to solve a mu...

Melvyn Bragg explores the pivotal role of England's north in defining modern Britain, and its enduring effect on every part of the globe'It's impossible not to admire the thrust and sweep of this series' The TelegraphIn this captivating 10-part series, Melvyn Bragg brings all his enthusiasm, experience and expertise to a subject that has enthralled him his entire life: the importance of the North in shaping the United Kingdom. Join...

The complete TV soundtracks of dinnerladies, plus exclusive behind-the-scenes content“Brilliant, even with just the audio.” - Customer Review“Incredibly funny! These show the genius writing of Victoria Wood. As funny here as in the TV. Genius casting. Simply perfect.” - Customer ReviewEnjoy this wonderful celebration of one of the nation’s best-loved TV shows, discover exclusive behind-the-scenes ...

**A Richard and Judy Book Club pick, If I Let You Go is a darkly comic tale of searing loss, coercive control and the consequences of taking the wrong path.'Simultaneously tragic and uplifting . . . Charlotte Levin is SUCH a clever writer' - Ruth Jones, author of Love Untold**Every morning, Janet Brown goes to work cleaning offices. It calms her – cleanliness, neatness. All the things she’s unable to do with her soul can be achieved with a damp cloth and a...