The Essay Podcast
Leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond, themed across a week - insight, opinion and intellectual surprise.
Episodes to download
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Radiophonia—The Beeb and the Bard
Thu 27 Oct 2022
Samuel West and Andrea Smith discuss sound in 麻豆官网首页入口 radio's productions of Shakespeare.
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A century of Juliets—The Beeb and the Bard
Wed 26 Oct 2022
Actor Samuel West and Dr Andrea Smith discuss changing styles of acting in Shakespeare.
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Shakespeare in war and peace—The Beeb and the Bard
Tue 25 Oct 2022
Samuel West and Andrea Smith talk about performances of Shakespeare during WWII.
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Finding a way—The Beeb and the Bard
Mon 24 Oct 2022
Samuel West introduces a centenary celebration of 麻豆官网首页入口 radio productions of Shakespeare.
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Vaughan Williams - Amanda Dalton—Vaughan Williams: Belonging
Fri 14 Oct 2022
Personal essays on what Vaughan Williams means to five different writers.
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Vaughan Willliams - Luke Turner—Vaughan Williams: Belonging
Thu 13 Oct 2022
Personal essays on what Vaughan Williams means to five different writers.
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Vaughan Williams - Adrian McNally—Vaughan Williams: Belonging
Wed 12 Oct 2022
Personal essays on what Vaughan Williams means to five different writers.
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Vaughan Williams - Dr Rommi Smith—Vaughan Williams: Belonging
Tue 11 Oct 2022
Personal essays on what Vaughan Williams means to five different writers.
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Vaughan Williams - Clare Shaw—Vaughan Williams: Belonging
Mon 10 Oct 2022
Personal essays on what Vaughan Williams means to five different writers.
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Alvin Pang—Double Vision
Fri 30 Sep 2022
Alvin Pang performs an essay recorded at the 麻豆官网首页入口's Contains Strong Language Festival.
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Anil Pradhan—Double Vision
Thu 29 Sep 2022
Anil Pradhan performs an essay recorded at the 麻豆官网首页入口's Contains Strong Language Festival.
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Isabelle Baafi—Double Vision
Wed 28 Sep 2022
Isabelle Baafi performs an essay recorded at the 麻豆官网首页入口's Contains Strong Language Festival.
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Roy McFarlane—Double Vision
Tue 27 Sep 2022
Roy McFarlane performs an essay recorded at the 麻豆官网首页入口's Contains Strong Language Festival.
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Tishani Doshi—Double Vision
Mon 26 Sep 2022
Tishani Doshi performs an essay recorded at the 麻豆官网首页入口's Contains Strong Language Festival.
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Casey Bailey—Coming Home
Fri 23 Sep 2022
Returning to Birmingham after a holiday and reliving childhood memories in Nechells.
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Professor Thomas Glave—Coming Home
Wed 21 Sep 2022
Returning from London on a train at night to home in Birmingham.
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Dr Shahed Yousaf—Coming Home
Tue 20 Sep 2022
Driving home to Birmingham after a very demanding day at work in prison.
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Helen Cross—Coming Home
Mon 19 Sep 2022
Memories of clubbing in 90s Birmingham and an encounter with an oil painting
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Christopher Laing—Sign Language Is My Language
Fri 16 Sep 2022
Personal essays exploring the history, layers and nuances of British Sign Language.
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Robert Adam—Sign Language Is My Language
Thu 15 Sep 2022
Personal essays exploring the history, layers and nuances of British Sign Language.
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Deepa Shastri—Sign Language Is My Language
Wed 14 Sep 2022
Personal essays exploring the history, layers and nuances of British Sign Language.
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Tina Kelberman—Sign Language Is My Language
Tue 13 Sep 2022
Personal essays exploring the history, layers and nuances of British Sign Language.
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Sign Language through the Ages (Robert Adam)—Sign Language Is My Language
Mon 12 Sep 2022
Personal essays exploring the history, layers and nuances of British Sign Language.
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Beats—Bohemians in T-Shirts
Fri 1 Jul 2022
The influence of Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg on postwar US non-conformists.
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Musicians—Bohemians in T-Shirts
Thu 30 Jun 2022
Michael Goldfarb, in his study of US bohemians, turns to Charlie Parker and Miles Davis.
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Artists—Bohemians in T-Shirts
Wed 29 Jun 2022
Michael Goldfarb tells the story of Jackson Pollock, another T-shirt-wearing bohemian.
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Writers—Bohemians in T-Shirts
Tue 28 Jun 2022
Michael Goldfarb explores why black US writer James Baldwin took to wearing T-shirts.
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Actors—Bohemians in T-Shirts
Mon 27 Jun 2022
Michael Goldfarb on why Marlon Brando and Stanley Kowalski took to wearing T-shirts.
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Miracle—Moments of Being
Fri 24 Jun 2022
Sitting in a cafe becomes miraculous when all around it coalesces into the one moment.
Death in Trieste
Watch: My Deaf World
The Book that Changed Me
Five figures from the arts and science introduce books that changed their lives and work.