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The Family Tree

When podcast producer Dave Pickering is approached by his dad with a mystery from the life of a long-forgotten friend, he decides to investigate it in the only way he knows how: by having conversations. Mark Sullivan, who went missing 15 years ago, has been found dead. His body still has the arm he should have lost in a car accident and seems to have died eight years before he disappeared. In a series of 12 episodes, Dave tries to uncover this mystery through conversations with Mark’s family and friends. As he gets to know them, his questions lead to more questions… the mystery runs deeper than anyone imagined. The Family Tree is a magical realist drama about family, belonging, change and identity.
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Now displaying: 2018
Dec 10, 2018

Season 3 is on its way, and Dave has an announcement. In this special mini episode, he gives an update and shares some clips showing the developments since Nathan's disappearance. 

The Family Tree is a magical realist dramatic fiction about family, belonging, change and identity.

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Apr 22, 2018

In the final episode of Season 2, Melissa calls Dave and asks him to meet her and Ben at Paddington Station. They share a worrying plan with him, and when he gets home and listens to his voicemail, things get even worse.

The Family Tree is a magical realist dramatic fiction about family, belonging, change and identity.

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Apr 13, 2018

In the fifth Cutting of season 2, Dave tries to process recent developments on The Family Tree and get perspectives that will help with issues in his personal life by asking questions about how we deal with loss and with death.

Content Note: Death, bereavement, dementia, illness, suicide, euthanasia, violence, murder

The Family Tree's Cuttings discuss the real issues raised in the show with special guests from podcasting, journalism, religion and the arts.

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Find our Guests!

Imam Monawar Hussain: https://www.theoxfordfoundation.com

Reverend Azariah France-Williams: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-shapeshifters/id1100385786?mt=2

Rabbi Charley Baginsky: http://www.liberaljudaism.org

Wasi Daniju: http://wasidaniju.com/

Against Borders For Children: https://www.schoolsabc.net/

Shaun Attwood: http://shaunattwood.com/

Marlo Mack: http://www.howtobeagirlpodcast.com/

Tony Pickering: Pick-Art.com

Peter Wohlleben: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-hidden-life-of-trees/peter-wohlleben/9780008218430

Peter Pickering: Dave's essays about his father: Down to a sunless sea: memories of my dad

 

Previously on The Family Tree Cuttings:

http://thefamilytreepodcast.co.uk/cuttings/cutting-6-the-big-questions/

 

Mar 27, 2018

In the aftermath of Nathan’s death, Reverend Beech comes to talk to Dave. Together, they share their grief and talk about an important change to Melissa’s understanding of herself as a changeling.

The Family Tree is a magical realist dramatic fiction about family, belonging, change and identity.

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Mar 22, 2018

An anonymous caller leaves a series of panicked messages for Dave. Is The Family Tree putting the Sullivan family in danger?

Content Note: This episode touches on issues around homophobia, rape and child sexual abuse

The Family Tree is a magical realist dramatic fiction about family, belonging, change and identity.

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Mar 11, 2018

After receiving some tragic news, Dave talks to Thought Adventures co-host, Nigel, about what has happened to Nathan.

The Family Tree is a magical realist dramatic fiction about family, belonging, change and identity.

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Feb 25, 2018

Dave meets Violita, who views it as a blessing to have become a changeling. She clearly has a lot more story to tell than she shares in this conversation, but nonetheless, her very particular lineage has a lot to tell us about what happens to someone when they take on the memories of other creatures.

The Family Tree is a magical realist dramatic fiction about family, belonging, change and identity.

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Feb 8, 2018

Dear Listeners,

David tells me that you like me writing to you, so it has come to feel very right that I accompany these recordings with a short note. I’m afraid I don’t know much about podcasting, so I’ve been leaving all the music to David, who has much more experience and has made the last two sound jolly good. Melanie and I should probably work on introducing ourselves properly; I’m afraid we just jump straight in again. However, I think regular listeners to The Family Tree might be very happy to hear the recording this time – Melanie is really beginning to remember a few things now, and is increasingly comfortable with trying to talk about it.

Thank you for listening. I hope you enjoy Episode 3 of ‘Conversations’.

Yours Faithfully,

Reverend Phillip Beech

P.S. We did think about calling the episode ‘Roger and Olaf’, but I think it’s best to keep it simple. Do write to David if you have any better suggestions for a name for us.

 

 

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The Family Tree is a magical realist dramatic fiction about family, belonging, change and identity

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Feb 4, 2018

Dave talks to Reverend Beech and Kora at Jane’s house before a special party for Mia to say goodbye to the oak tree: they’re going to plant a sapling grown from one of its acorns.

The Family Tree is a magical realist dramatic fiction about family, belonging, change and identity.

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Jan 26, 2018

Dear David (or should I say, Dear Listeners?),

I’m delighted that people enjoyed reading my email on your website last time. How funny! I’m not sure I can write anything that will live up to their expectations this time, I’m afraid. But anyway, I attach the latest recording of myself and Melanie talking about our experiences as changelings. Well, I say ‘our’; really it seems to be mostly mine again. Teenagers are very good at steering conversations, I find. As you will hear, we still haven’t come up with the right name for our podcast. Melanie doesn’t seem to think it’s very interesting, but we’ll stick with ‘Conversations’ for now. I should say, we didn’t really introduce it properly like you do: we were in the middle of discussing a book when we started recording, so listeners may want to know that the book we’re talking about is The Hidden Life of Trees, introduced to me by your fascinating Cuttings episode with the author, Peter Wohlleben. If I could trouble you to put some more music around our conversation again, that would be wonderful.

I hope your listeners enjoy our second episode.

Yours,

Phillip

 

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The Family Tree is a magical realist dramatic fiction about family, belonging, change and identity.

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Jan 21, 2018

Dear David,

Further to our chat about the possibility of you sharing my research with your listeners, I am sending you the first of my recordings with Melanie. She thinks we should be calling them a podcast, but I think that perhaps that’s more your domain. As you can see, we haven’t yet decided on a name for it… I was thinking maybe we should call it simply, ‘Conversations’. Until we settle on something more permanent, at least. I think to properly be a podcast, we’d really need some music, but I’m afraid we don’t have anything like that. Perhaps you would frame it nicely with a piece of the delightful music you use on The Family Tree.

Anyway, I hope your listeners will find it valuable. I’m afraid there’s rather more talk of me in there than I imagined there might be!

Yours,

Phillip

PS You can use this email if you need some text to go on the website in order to fit your format.

 

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The Family Tree is a magical realist dramatic fiction about family, belonging, change and identity.

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Jan 13, 2018

In this episode, Dave talks to Shajahan, a friend of a friend, who is considering the hypothesis that her late mother was a changeling. If what her mother told her is true, Shajahan may still have her mother with her after all.

The Family Tree is a magical realist dramatic fiction about family, belonging, change and identity.

 

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