Welcome to The Reading Cafe - the podcast from Holy Cross High School that aims to get people talking about reading!

The inaugural Reading Cafe LIVE audience event featured an interview with Ann Marie Di Mambro, writer of the popular National 5 English set text, Tally’s Blood.

During this excellent interview, Ann Marie was in conversation with two of our outstanding S5 Reading Leaders, Elsa and Grace. Our audience of National 5 English pupils had the unique chance to hear the writer’s responses to questions about the characters, setting and themes of Tally’s Blood in preparation for the exam in May.

They also enjoyed live scenes from the play performed by National 5 Drama pupils, Caroline and Martha, and Higher Drama students, Maria and David. After each scene, Ann Marie provides answers to an 8-mark style commonality question, focused on theme/relationships.

This is an invaluable resource for all pupils who are studying Tally’s Blood for their National 5 English exam, so make sure you take lots of notes as you listen!

Timestamps:

00:00:00 - Intro/Welcome to The Reading Cafe

00:04:37 - Ann Marie Di Mambro bio/Interview part 1 (setting/Rosinella/relationships)

00:14:38 - Act 1, Scene 11 and 8-mark discussion: theme of love

00:19:15 - Interview part 2 (setting/character/theme of identity/conflict)

00:23:49 - Act 2, Scene 8 and 8-mark discussion: relationship between Massimo and Rosinella

00:28:52 - National 5 Q & A: 1) Rosinella’s childlessness 2) Key scene: Italian experience 3) Theme of loss

00:34:21 - Final questions: If you could change one thing.../favourite character

00:39:24 - Thanks and closing remarks

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