ALEC ANONYMOUS

Radio / 10 mins

Producer / Sound Designer

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Winner of the Charles Parker Prize 2022 for New Storytellers in Radio

Selected for Open City Docs documentary festival 2022

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When a parent has a toxic relationship with alcohol, the presence of alcoholism can start to feel familiar - like a member of the family.

Katie’s childhood was dominated by Alec. Alec was there when her mum picked her up from school, when her mum put her to bed at night and when her mum would fall over and cut her head. Now 28, Katie recalls what Alec was like to grow up with - how he looked, smelt and behaved - and how he would come between her and her mum. But Alec isn’t a man - he is a construct, used by Kirsten to help describe her mother’s alcoholism and its impact on her life.

Adopting this unique approach offers a new perspective on a remarkably common but overlooked experience of children in the UK.