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Outlook Mixtape: Rocky paths and fearless futures

The mysterious childhood that inspired a best-selling novel; the first Black Briton to become a national cycling champion; and the barnacle-hunting sisters braving the waves.

Trent Dalton's debut novel was about a boy raised by drug dealers and babysat by a convicted murderer, who finds a secret underground room in his house. But all that wasn't fiction, it was based on his tumultuous life growing up in 1980s Brisbane, Australia. It took Trent many years before he untangled the mysteries and found out the reality of his childhood.

When Londoner Maurice Burton was a kid he fixed up an old broken bike and within six years, in 1974, had become national cycling champion — the first black person in Britain to achieve this. But in his moment of glory, the crowd booed him. Maurice would need to go to Belgium to fulfil his dream of becoming a professional racing cyclist.

Isabel and Susana Gonzalez hunt percebes, also known as gooseneck barnacles, a crustacean that can fetch thousands of dollars a kilo at auction. The sisters risk their lives navigating the slippery rock faces and crashing waves of western Spain to get them, a skill they learned from their parents. But when they stood up to the men in their industry, they faced death threats.

Presenter: India Rakusen

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707

Available now

41 minutes

Last on

Sat 9 Nov 2024 03:06GMT

Broadcasts

  • Fri 8 Nov 2024 12:06GMT
  • Fri 8 Nov 2024 18:06GMT
  • Fri 8 Nov 2024 23:06GMT
  • Sat 9 Nov 2024 03:06GMT

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Podcast: Lives Less Ordinary

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