81: Laurence McKeown

This week I am in conversation with author, screenwriter, playwright and former Provisional IRA volunteer and prisoner of war Laurence McKeown. Laurence spent 70 days on hunger strike as part of the 1981 hunger strike in the H-Blocks gaol that resulted in 10 republican POWs giving their lives for political status, and that changed the course of Irish history and the struggle for freedom from British rule.

Laurence has written two books about Irish republican prisoners in the H-Blocks; Nor Meekly Serve My Time: The H-Block Struggle 1976–1981 (co-written with Brian Campbell and Felim O'Hagan) was published in 1994, and Out Of Time: Irish Republican Prisoners, Long Kesh, 1972–2000 was published in 2001, as well as writing plays and films relating to his life experience.

I have created a Spotify playlist called '10' to go with this episode, which can be found on my own public playlist list.