Hans Christian Andersen was 'a very strange orchid,' says Michael Booth.
He was born in 1806 in Denmark, and today is still famous for so many stories that every child knows, 156 in total.
His own life is almost as odd as the tales he told. A neurotic hypochondriac, he escaped a terrible childhood and travelled to Copenhagen to make his name.
Helping to ... Show More
Oct 6
Jock Stein, first British football manager to win the European Cup
Jock Stein, first British football manager to win the European Cup, picked by composer Sir James MacMillan and aided by Jock Stein’s biographer, Archie MacPherson. Jock Stein was manager of Celtic FC when they won the European Cup in Lisbon in 1967. He later died while managing S ... Show More
27m 41s
Sep 22
Miles Jupp on JL Carr, author of A Month in the Country
"I find his novels extraordinarily beautiful .. and they're an excellent length."Miles Jupp picks an author he loves, but knows little about. JL Carr was born in Yorkshire and was a teacher, mapmaker, and an eccentric. Joining the comedian in studio to discuss Carr is a man who k ... Show More
27m 28s
Oct 2022
Axel Scheffler: The man who drew The Gruffalo
For decades, illustrator Axel Scheffler has been keeping children and adults around the world entertained with his warm and witty illustrations, from the Gruffalo and Stick Man to worms with attitude, gobbly goats and smart giants. He has published more than 150 books, including ... Show More
30m 58s
Jun 2024
Blowy Bamburgh Beach with David Almond
David Almond marks 25 years of his extraordinary book, Skellig, with a walk from Seahouses to Bamburgh in Northumberland. As he tells Clare, it's a landscape that has long inspired his imagination and writing. Skellig tells the tale of Michael, a young boy who befriends a magical ... Show More
24m 20s