A new short story by prize winning Preston novelist Jenn Ashworth ‘Five Thousand Lads a Year’ was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 today.
Five Thousand Lads a Year is about a confident writer-in-residence in a prison who always succeeds with his workshops, but a new client has a chilling effect on him. The writer convinces the prison authorities to let try and break a stalemate caused by an offender in segregation refusing to eat or talk after he trashed his cell.
Jenn’s radio broadcast is part of the Friday Firsts series, in which ‘acclaimed novelists’ who are new to radio are commissioned to write short pieces for broadcast. Her story is narrated by actor Paul Hilton.
Five Thousand Lads A Year has been described as ‘The perfect short story, dripping with atmosphere’ in a review by the Radio Times.
Preston born Jenn used to work as a librarian in a prison
Hear Jenn’s short story on Radio 4 BBC iPlayer