Allen Lane
Publisher and founder of Penguin books answers the questions in the ±«Óãtv ±«Óãtv Service's interview series. From 1961.
Publisher and founder of Penguin books, Allen Lane answers the questions posed by George Scott, Margaret Lane and Walter Allen.
Aged 58 when interviewed, Allen talks of his life as a pioneering paperback publisher and his discovery of DH Lawrence.
Sir Allen Lane was born in 1902 and died in 1970.
Launched in 1952 on the ±«Óãtv ±«Óãtv Service, Frankly Speaking was a novel, ground breaking series. Unrehearsed and unscripted, the traditional interviewee/interviewer pairing was initially jettisoned for three interviewers firing direct questions. Early critics described it as 'unkempt', 'an inquisition' and described the guest as prey being cornered, quarry being pursued - with calls to axe the unscripted interview. But the format won out and eventually won over its detractors.
Only 40 or so of the original 100 programmes survive.
First broadcast on the ±«Óãtv ±«Óãtv Service in 1961.
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- Sat 28 May 2016 14:15±«Óãtv Radio 4 Extra
- Sun 29 May 2016 02:15±«Óãtv Radio 4 Extra
- Sat 14 Sep 2019 14:15±«Óãtv Radio 4 Extra
- Sun 15 Sep 2019 02:15±«Óãtv Radio 4 Extra