Joanna Scanlan reads ‘Now’ by Robert Browning in memory of her childhood friend for Celebration Day

The Bafta-winning actor pays tribute to her childhood friend Sarah who died as a teenager after being hit by a car, with a reading of “Now” by Robert Browning. “There’s a sense in which when somebody dies, you have a period of mourning, and then no one talks about it much. It becomes a sort of burden, but in fact, it’s really living inside of you,” she says. The short film, directed by Oliver Parker and shot at Dr Johnson’s House in London, is part of a series to commemorate Celebration Day – a nationwide movement that encourages Brits to take a moment and remember those we have lost who have shaped our lives. Curated by Allie Esiri, the films will be published exclusively on The Independent in the lead-up to Celebration Day on Monday 25 May. Scanlan opens up further about Sarah’s death and growing up together in an interview with The Independent.