A Delicate Game

A footballer dies of dementia, younger than he should.

A teenage rugby player plays on through multiple blows - and never wakes up from the last one.

A scientist reveals endemic brain disease in NFL players and is discredited.

From the gladiator arenas of history to the rugby pitches of today, athletes have always forfeited their bodies for sport, with grievous bodily contact consistently celebrated as the ultimate performance of toughness and masculinity. But at what cost? This is the story of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) - a degenerative brain disease caused by repeated blows to the head, and whose impact in the sporting world is only now coming to light.

A Delicate Game is a searing investigation that explores the truth about brain injury in sport and beyond it, from the social dynamics that send young men into violent and dangerous pursuits, to the scientists searching for truth and the families living with the consequences - and it will change the way you think about sport forever.

'Beautifully written, deeply moving and absolutely mind-blowing' Julia Ebner

'A clarion call of great conviction and urgency' Irish Examiner

“I can't stop thinking about its core message - the breadth or argument and depth of detail are remarkable”

Praise for The Beautiful Brain

'I can't even tell you how many women and their caregivers found us and joined our support groups thanks to The Beautiful Brain and Hana's work on TBI in Domestic Violence because I have lost count! There is a true power in this work

-- Katherine Snedaker, Founder and CEO of Pink Concussions
-- Gillian Reynolds Sunday Times
It's gripping and essential - if often overwhelmingly poignant and righteously enraging, as much a call-to-arms as a piece of investigative journalism Esquire

Hana Walker-Brown is a multi-award-winning audio documentary maker, writer and the Creative Director for Broccoli Productions, a London based podcast production company founded in direct response to the lack of opportunities for minority talent both in front of and behind the mic. In 2019, Hana Walker-Brown created the Audible original, The Beautiful Brain, a multi-award-winning podcast docuseries about West Bromwich Albion hero Jeff Astle and CTE.

Hana is a fearless and passionate advocate of multi-media storytelling and has covered an exceptional range of stories, taking the big world stuff and making it human. She is a guest lecturer at Goldsmiths College, University of London and has given talks and masterclasses around the world about her work and creative processes.

Hana has created work for Audible, the BBC, the Guardian, National Geographic, Spotify and Warner Brothers among many others.

A footballer dies of dementia, younger than he should. A teenage rugby player plays on through multiple blows - and never wakes up from the last one. A scientist reveals endemic brain disease in NFL players and is discredited. From the gladiator arenas of history to the rugby pitches of today, athletes have always forfeited their bodies for sport, with grievous bodily contact consistently celebrated as the ultimate performance of toughness and masculinity. But at what cost? This is the story of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) - a degenerative brain disease caused by repeated blows to the head, and whose impact in the sporting world is only now coming to light. A Delicate Game is a searing investigation that explores the truth about brain injury in sport and beyond it, from the social dynamics that send young men into violent and dangerous pursuits, to the scientists searching for truth and the families living with the consequences - and it will change the way you think about sport forever. 'Beautifully written, deeply moving and absolutely mind-blowing' Julia Ebner 'A clarion call of great conviction and urgency' Irish Examiner

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