Charles Parker prize winner James Ewing

For the second year in the row a BA Hons Radio Production student, James Ewing has won the prestigious Charles Parker prize.

The Charles Parker Prize was created in April 2004 by BU’s Centre for Broadcasting History Research group in memory of the world famous radio features producer who originally hailed from Bournemouth. It is an annual award open to students studying Radio at Further or Higher Education establishments throughout the UK.

The prize seeks to award features that display the most creative use of radio. It also seeks to commend work which captures an essence of Charles Parker’s own work, such as story-led documentaries that bring life to the stories and concerns of everyday people via creative radio production.

James winning creation was entitled Ward 13, a 15 minute feature, produced about ‘The working lives of staff that work with deceased patients at the Leeds General Infirmary’.

The piece is quite creepy and graphically described, so perhaps not a listen for the faint hearted, you can listen to the brilliant audio doc here.

James said the inspiration for his winning piece came from the general intrigue around his job at a mortuary,

“I got a phone call from Jo Tyler and she asked me what did for work, about how I go into the mortuary and she suggested making a programme about it, also people in general always ask me about my job, and I realised it was quite a unique thing, and people are quite curious about what goes on inside there.”

Since winning the prize James has been interviewed by Charles Parker’s daughter, soon to start an internship with national prison radio and has had his piece commissioned by Radio 4 extra, which will be played on April 21 at 2pm.