Sam Hanna Bell: The Writer

Welcome to the Now We’re Talking podcast. We’re back looking at the archive and legacy of another big figure. This time it’s writer and broadcaster Sam Hanna Bell. If you enjoyed our earlier episodes examining folklorist Michael J. Murphy, then keep listening as there are plenty of overlaps.

Both of their personal archives are now held by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland

Episode 3 - The Writer

Presented by Carol

A look at what led Sam Hanna Bell to write in the first place, and the other artists around him who inspired him. The podcasters are amazed by how methodical and tidy his novel drafts are. We hear Sam Hanna Bell himself (from a BBC Northern Ireland Archive interview) explain the inspiration behind his most well-known work, December Bride.

They also talk to his grandsons and academics about the importance of his other novels within the wider Northern Irish literary scene of the time, and what they think his legacy should be going forward.

Thanks to our guests

Ed Bell, Phil Bell, Dr Emily DeDakis, Sean Hayes, and Dr Connall Parr.

Thanks to our podcasters

Carol, Heather, Nuala, Kim and Kirsty.

This podcast was produced by Nerve Centre in partnership with the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland for the Now We're Talking project. The project was made possible through a grant from Archives Revealed, a partnership programme between The National Archives, the Pilgrim Trust, the Wolfson Foundation and The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Additional thanks to Northern Ireland Screen's Digital Film Archive and BBC Northern Ireland for archive content.

This content is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.