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Maya Angelou: The Autobiographies: Six BBC Radio 4 Dramatisations
Six BBC Radio 4 dramatisations of Maya Angelou's evocative, extraordinary memoirs, starring Adjoa Andoh and Pippa Bennett-Warner
The books that make up the life and times of Maya Angelou are among the most beautiful and haunting pieces of autobiography ever written. Joyous, direct and searingly honest, they run the gamut from life-affirming to tragic, and back again.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings charts Maya’s childhood in the Deep South in the 1930s; while Gather Together In My Name recounts her descent into prostitution and narcotics. Singin’ and Swingin’ and Gettin’ Merry Like Christmas sees her forging a career in showbusiness, and in The Heart of a Woman, she moves to New York and becomes involved in civil rights. All God’s Children Need Travelling Shoes explores her time in Ghana during the 1960s, and in A Song Flung up to Heaven, she returns to America to work with Malcolm X and Martin Luther King. When tragedy strikes, her friend James Baldwin helps her out of her devastation – and new opportunities beckon for Maya.
Angelou’s memoirs have become modern classics, beloved worldwide, and these stunning dramatisations illuminate her incredible resilience, creativity and power, painting an extraordinary portrait of 20th century black America.
The books that make up the life and times of Maya Angelou are among the most beautiful and haunting pieces of autobiography ever written. Joyous, direct and searingly honest, they run the gamut from life-affirming to tragic, and back again.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings charts Maya’s childhood in the Deep South in the 1930s; while Gather Together In My Name recounts her descent into prostitution and narcotics. Singin’ and Swingin’ and Gettin’ Merry Like Christmas sees her forging a career in showbusiness, and in The Heart of a Woman, she moves to New York and becomes involved in civil rights. All God’s Children Need Travelling Shoes explores her time in Ghana during the 1960s, and in A Song Flung up to Heaven, she returns to America to work with Malcolm X and Martin Luther King. When tragedy strikes, her friend James Baldwin helps her out of her devastation – and new opportunities beckon for Maya.
Angelou’s memoirs have become modern classics, beloved worldwide, and these stunning dramatisations illuminate her incredible resilience, creativity and power, painting an extraordinary portrait of 20th century black America.
Audio CD
Published August 1, 2019
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About the author
Maya Angelou
294 books14.6k followersMaya Angelou was an American memoirist, poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees. Angelou's series of seven autobiographies focus on her childhood and early adult experiences. The first, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), tells of her life up to the age of 17 and brought her international recognition and acclaim.
She became a poet and writer after a string of odd jobs during her young adulthood. These included fry cook, sex worker, nightclub performer, Porgy and Bess cast member, Southern Christian Leadership Conference coordinator, and correspondent in Egypt and Ghana during the decolonization of Africa. Angelou was also an actress, writer, director, and producer of plays, movies, and public television programs. In 1982, she was named the first Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Angelou was active in the Civil Rights Movement and worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Beginning in the 1990s, she made approximately 80 appearances a year on the lecture circuit, something she continued into her eighties. In 1993, Angelou recited her poem "On the Pulse of Morning" (1993) at the first inauguration of Bill Clinton, making her the first poet to make an inaugural recitation since Robert Frost at the inauguration of John F. Kennedy in 1961.
With the publication of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Angelou publicly discussed aspects of her personal life. She was respected as a spokesperson for Black people and women, and her works have been considered a defense of Black culture. Her works are widely used in schools and universities worldwide, although attempts have been made to ban her books from some U.S. libraries. Angelou's most celebrated works have been labeled as autobiographical fiction, but many critics consider them to be autobiographies. She made a deliberate attempt to challenge the common structure of the autobiography by critiquing, changing, and expanding the genre. Her books center on themes that include racism, identity, family, and travel.
She became a poet and writer after a string of odd jobs during her young adulthood. These included fry cook, sex worker, nightclub performer, Porgy and Bess cast member, Southern Christian Leadership Conference coordinator, and correspondent in Egypt and Ghana during the decolonization of Africa. Angelou was also an actress, writer, director, and producer of plays, movies, and public television programs. In 1982, she was named the first Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Angelou was active in the Civil Rights Movement and worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Beginning in the 1990s, she made approximately 80 appearances a year on the lecture circuit, something she continued into her eighties. In 1993, Angelou recited her poem "On the Pulse of Morning" (1993) at the first inauguration of Bill Clinton, making her the first poet to make an inaugural recitation since Robert Frost at the inauguration of John F. Kennedy in 1961.
With the publication of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Angelou publicly discussed aspects of her personal life. She was respected as a spokesperson for Black people and women, and her works have been considered a defense of Black culture. Her works are widely used in schools and universities worldwide, although attempts have been made to ban her books from some U.S. libraries. Angelou's most celebrated works have been labeled as autobiographical fiction, but many critics consider them to be autobiographies. She made a deliberate attempt to challenge the common structure of the autobiography by critiquing, changing, and expanding the genre. Her books center on themes that include racism, identity, family, and travel.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 18, 2021
4.5 stars
A surprisingly good dramatisation
A surprisingly good dramatisation
April 25, 2021
Reading 6 autobiographies is a big and kind of overwhelming commitment to take on if someone wants to learn more about Maya Angelou's amazing life - but listening to this audiobook was a delight! It helped me understand her role in American history and made me want to read the 4 autobiographies I hadn't read yet. Highly recommended.
November 10, 2022
The Maya Angelou Autobiographies: Six BBC Radio 4 dramatisations is a drama series by BBC Radio 4 that is available for free on their website
The Collected Autobiographies of Maya Angelou contain: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Gather Together in My Name, Singin' and Swingin' and Gettin' Merry Like Christmas and Singin' and Swingin' and Gettin' Merry Like Christmas , The Heart of a Woman, All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes, and A Song Flung Up To Heaven performed by a stellar ensemble.
Although I like audiobooks, I haven't listened to radio drama, which I used to do with my grandmother, since I was a young child. I was left with a sense of melancholy and wished I had more time to listen to radio dramas with my grandmother. I thought this book was excellently written and was pleasantly surprised by Maya Angelou's extraordinary life.
The Collected Autobiographies of Maya Angelou contain: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Gather Together in My Name, Singin' and Swingin' and Gettin' Merry Like Christmas and Singin' and Swingin' and Gettin' Merry Like Christmas , The Heart of a Woman, All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes, and A Song Flung Up To Heaven performed by a stellar ensemble.
Although I like audiobooks, I haven't listened to radio drama, which I used to do with my grandmother, since I was a young child. I was left with a sense of melancholy and wished I had more time to listen to radio dramas with my grandmother. I thought this book was excellently written and was pleasantly surprised by Maya Angelou's extraordinary life.
October 27, 2022
When I grabbed this book, I hadn’t read any of Maya’s individual books and I didn’t realize that they (together) are her autobiography. So, this is a GREAT way to hear her story in a dazzling and exciting way. Now, I’m going to go back and read her individual books because I really want more detail and I love her voice as a writer.
This book is a great overview for those who don’t want to read all 6 books but still want a little taste of her story. She’s an amazing woman and should be taught and presented in schools as one voice in our history.
This book is a great overview for those who don’t want to read all 6 books but still want a little taste of her story. She’s an amazing woman and should be taught and presented in schools as one voice in our history.
March 6, 2020
Maya has an incredible life and legacy.
March 11, 2024
What an engaging and touching read!
Maya Angelou was phenomenal. Brought tears to my eyes and had me chuckle a few times too.
Will definitely bring this with me for a long time. A new favourite!
Maya Angelou was phenomenal. Brought tears to my eyes and had me chuckle a few times too.
Will definitely bring this with me for a long time. A new favourite!
February 9, 2021
From the world I came, I didn't know her, her work, her life. I only was aware of the author by one of her quotes, which is the life motto for me. It was recently when I thought of trying to know her better. Of course, a person whose one line, one message inspires you so much, shouldn't you at least know where they came from, who they were, what life they lived? Hence this book.
I actually first picked the first part of the autobiography called, "I knew why the caged bird sings" and eventually found the collection of all the autobiographies.
The first part is a heart wrenching story. It is hard to believe that one who has seen such heinous phases of life could ever have said the words which fills me with so much inspiration and hope towards life. My admiration and respect just grows.
The second part, "Gather together in my name", tells the story of her adolescence. She just keep inspiring with her, "bring it on" attitude. Being a mother at 17, she is trying to keep her life together while falling in and out of love. In this part, she also gets her name with which we know her now.
The third part "Singin' and swingin' and getting merry like christmas" is all about her going high on life. She sings, dances and travel the world. There are moments where she feels guilty of letting her child down but she makes up for it and is back to life.
The fourth part "The heart of a woman" is about her engagement in the social movements taking place for the upliftment of colored people and also her longest marriage till now. Which happens to be a heartbreaking affair as time passes. I love the way she just takes on whatever role that is required and keeps going on. At the same time she doesn't loose her self esteem and knows when to walk out.
I actually first picked the first part of the autobiography called, "I knew why the caged bird sings" and eventually found the collection of all the autobiographies.
The first part is a heart wrenching story. It is hard to believe that one who has seen such heinous phases of life could ever have said the words which fills me with so much inspiration and hope towards life. My admiration and respect just grows.
The second part, "Gather together in my name", tells the story of her adolescence. She just keep inspiring with her, "bring it on" attitude. Being a mother at 17, she is trying to keep her life together while falling in and out of love. In this part, she also gets her name with which we know her now.
The third part "Singin' and swingin' and getting merry like christmas" is all about her going high on life. She sings, dances and travel the world. There are moments where she feels guilty of letting her child down but she makes up for it and is back to life.
The fourth part "The heart of a woman" is about her engagement in the social movements taking place for the upliftment of colored people and also her longest marriage till now. Which happens to be a heartbreaking affair as time passes. I love the way she just takes on whatever role that is required and keeps going on. At the same time she doesn't loose her self esteem and knows when to walk out.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews