The influence of the Wall on German literature

Journalist Anne McElvoy - who studied in East Germany and served as a reporter there, and witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall from the Eastern side of the 'sperrzone' - is fronting a three-part Radio 4 series looking at the influence of the Berlin Wall on East German culture, with programmes about the experiences of three different East German writers

In the first episode on 6 October, she considers Christa T, who represents a generation who grew up under the shadow of the Berlin Wall. While they were believers in the ideals of socialism, they were frustrated by the realities of an oppressive state system. Christa T's writing showed that the gulf between those who built up the East German state and the next generation in the eighties was very apparent.

Each programme will be available to listen again for one week after broadcast on the BBC's excellent iPlayer.