Today

830 Becoming Stendhal (with Hadley Suter) | A Literary Tribute to Dolly Parton

We often say it's important for a person to be "authentic," but what does that mean? Why is that necessarily a good thing? In this episode, Jacke talks to author Hadley Suter (Becoming Stendhal: The Performance of Authenticity and the Making of a Novelist) about the French noveli ... Show More

1h 39m

Sep 10

829 Charlotte Brontë and Her Biographer Elizabeth Gaskell (with Susan Dunne) | My Last Book with Travis Franks | The Odyssey Kerfuffle

Charlotte Brontë and Elizabeth Gaskell, two of the leading novelists of the 19th century, shared a remarkable literary friendship. After Charlotte's death, Gaskell's Life of Charlotte Brontë became one of the most famous--and controversial--literary biographies ever written. In t ... Show More

1h 11m

Sep 7

828 Confucius (with Mark Csikszentmihalyi) | Celia Bookshop! (with Rachel Pastan) | Jacke in Taiwan

What do we know about the Chinese philosopher and teacher Confucius? Although people have written biographies of Confucius for over 2,000 years, a recent discovery of a Chinese tomb containing the oldest written account of his life gives us a chance to look at Confucius afresh. I ... Show More

1h 21m

Oct 2025

William Shakespeare: life of the week

William Shakespeare is one of history’s most famous names – but how much do we really know about the man himself? And how did his family, education and marriage shape his works and influence his worldview? Speaking to Emily Briffett, Dr Paul Edmondson charts Shakespeare’s story, ... Show More

44m 57s

Oct 2009

Wordsworth's eye and ear

In Wordsworth's poetry, external nature embodies a living mind. This discussion highlights how Wordsworth's creative process utilised his lifelong sensual development and aesthetic sensibilities.

8m 14s

May 2020

#51 - The Sentimentality of William Tavener

<p>A sweet slice-of-life story by Willa Cather about a family in the American West at the turn of the 19th century. </p><p>For a searchable, tagged index of all the episodes or to make a request, go to <a href="https://www.listentosleep.com/">https://www.listentosleep.c ... Show More

19m 22s

Jan 2022

Mother Nature’s Nurture in Wordsworth’s “Tintern Abbey” (Part 1)

After an absence of five years, the poet William Wordsworth returned to the idyllic ruins of a medieval monastery along the River Wye. The spot was perhaps not so very different from his last visit, but Wordsworth found that he had undergone a significant transformation in the in ... Show More

51m 12s

Jul 2023

Take A Walk On The Wild Side

This week, AE Stallings, the new Oxford professor of poetry, on the lives of poets; and Ann Kennedy Smith considers the different faces of Cornwall.'Sleeping on islands: A life in poetry', by Andrew Motion'The American poet laureate: A history of US poetry and the state', by Amy ... Show More

1h 1m

Aug 2024

47: William Blake • On Vision's Wing • Part 1: The Marriage of Heaven & Hell

William Blake is considered one of the greatest artists and poets of the English language, yet he lived most of his life in poverty. Why? Many of his acquaintances considered him mad while friends who knew his art considered him 'brilliantly mad'. What was so different about Blak ... Show More

1h 28m

Jul 2018

William Morris

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the ideas of William Morris, known in his lifetime for his poetry and then his contribution to the Arts and Crafts movement, and increasingly for his political activism. He felt the world had given in to drudgery and ugliness and he found inspirati ... Show More

53m 10s

Apr 2021

Feed Drop: The History of Literature - Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

This isn't an episode of Overdue, it's a Feed Drop! We wanted to share with you an episode of The History of Literature, a podcast about great stories and why we love them.To use host Jacke Wilson's words, the show "takes a fresh look at some of the most compelling examples of cr ... Show More

1h 1m

Mar 2018

Oscar Wilde

Even as a child, Oscar Wilde dreamed of becoming famous. We dive deep into the life of the now notorious playwright, artist, and celebrated author. He is celebrated for his passionate writing, sharp wit, and taste for art. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.co ... Show More

54m 43s

591 William Wordsworth