The Essay
Series of programmes debating and exploring arts and cultural topics. Get in touch... [email protected] Call: 03700 100 300
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Series & Episodes
115 items available
A Beep Heard Around the World
...World. Four personal essays marking the 50th anniversary in 2007 of Sputnik's launch
A Cretan Spring
Adam Nicolson and Sarah Raven observe the arrival of spring as it travels across Crete
A Five-Day Journey
Robert Macfarlane walks along the South Downs, discovering its chalk paths and its ghosts.
A Good Death
Series of personal and very powerful essays in which writers ponder the art of dying
A Laureate's Life
Series exploring laureateship around the world, coinciding with Andrew Motion's retirement
A Letter to My Body
Thinkers, artists and writers ask themselves how they relate to their own bodies
A Passion for Opera
Series in which people linked with the world of opera describe their relationship to it
A Robert Schumann Album
Series revealing different aspects of Robert Schumann's life and work
A Sense of Ourselves
Four writers and immigrants to Britain give an outsider's perspective on Britishness today
A Tribute to Mr Purcell
Series on the life and music of composer and organist Henry Purcell
Antony Gormley's Seminal Sculpture
Artist Antony Gormley discusses key sculptures and art installations of the 20th century
Architecture: The Fourth R
Architect Sunand Prasad discusses the importance to us of buildings
Before 'Silent Spring'
Writers, scientists and environmental campaigners trace the roots of the green movement
Britain's Hidden Slave Trade
John Gilmore and Angelina Osborne visit four places connected with the British slave trade
British Cinema of the 40s
Simon Heffer considers 1940s British films in terms of their social and political message.
Checkmate
Series exploring the history and importance of chess around the world
Chekhov Essays
Series exploring Anton Chekhov's legacy to today's theatre actors and writers
Chopin
Pianist Piers Lane explores aspects of Fryderyk Chopin's life and work
Conflict and Culture
Julian Jackson investigates the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, a cultural catalyst
Couples
Frederic Raphael explores the theme of couples throughout culture and society
Darwin's Children
Writers examine some of the various fields in which Darwin's theories have been used
Death and the Philosopher
Series of essays exploring the relationship between death and the philosopher
Doctoring Philosophy
Jonathan Wolff explores the philosophical beliefs at the heart of the NHS
Elgar's 150th Anniversary
Commentators reflect on Elgar in his time and after, exploring his complex personality
Emotional Landscapes
Four writers give personal insights into different emotional states
Emotional Landscapes
Five leading writers interpret a particular emotion
English Takeaway
Series exploring British perspectives of China
Enlightenment Voices
Series introducing great scientists, thinkers and activists of the European Enlightenment
Five Easy Pieces
Series in which Christopher Ricks explores short poems he considers are worth remembering
Free Thinking
A series of writers reflect on the idea of freedom
Free Thinking 2010
Series recorded in front of an audience at BBC Radio 3's Free Thinking festival 2010
Freedom
Series in which five writers consider the meaning of freedom to them
From Pens to Ploughshares
Series on the Arts and Crafts Movement, which made beautiful objects for basic human needs
Germany Dreaming
After a bizarre dream, author and critic Michael Bracewell explores all things German
Greek and Latin Voices
A series examining the literature that underpins Western civilisation
Greek and Latin Voices (Augustine)
A series examining literature that underpins Western civilisation, focusing on Augustine
Greek and Latin Voices (Cicero)
A series examining the culture that underpins Western civilisation, focusing on Cicero
Greek and Latin Voices (Euripides)
A series examining literature that underpins Western civilisation, focusing on Euripides
Greek and Latin Voices (Herodotus)
A series examining the culture that underpins Western civilisation, focusing on Herodotus
Greek and Latin Voices (Horace)
Series about the literature which underpins Western civilisation, focusing on Horace
Greek and Latin Voices (Juvenal)
A series examining the culture that underpins Western civilisation, focusing on Juvenal
Greek and Latin Voices (Plato)
Chris Pelling introduces the life, work and teaching method of the Greek philosopher Plato
Greek and Latin Voices (Sappho)
An introduction to the ancient Greek lyric Poet Sappho
Greek and Latin Voices (Tacitus)
A series examining the culture that underpins Western civilisation, focusing on Tacitus
Greek and Latin Voices (Thucydides)
Series about the literature which underpins Western civilisation, focusing on Thucydides
Greek and Latin Voices (Virgil)
Series on the enduring influence of the Roman poet Virgil
Half Shame, Half Glory - Postcards from the Acting Profession
Five actors give their thoughts on what it means to be a member of their profession
Haydn Essays
Series considering different aspects of Haydn's life, work and reputation
Head in the Clouds
Series of essays on the role of clouds in art, architecture and the cultural imagination
Henry, King of Kings
Series detailing key aspects of Henry VIII's 38-year reign
Home Rule for the Soul
Series in which Sunil Khilnani discusses Gandhi's first major work, Hind Swaraj
In Search of Contentment
Four writers explore how to achieve contentment and the contented people they have met
It's Big and It's Beautiful
...Beautiful. Christine Finn uncovers the appeal of large and redundant technology
John Milton, the Essayist
Series in which various writers and intellectuals respond to essays by John Milton
Johnson Now
Writers from across the world reflect on the linguistic heritage of Samuel Johnson
Karachi Postcards
London-based novelist Kamila Shamsie decides to explore Karachi, her city of birth
Land and Sea and Sky
Artists living on the UK coast on the personal and cultural importance of being there
Life But Not As We Know It
A biologist, a writer and a philosopher each explore the notion of alien intelligence
Lingua Franca
Michael Rosen embarks on the winding road through the roots of European language
Looking for Ghosts
Michael Goldfarb searches for forgotten figures who were important to Jewish emancipation
Loving the Raven
Series in which enthusiasts explore the enduring legacy and cult status of Edgar Allan Poe
Maths and Music
Marcus du Sautoy explores the connections between the art of music and the logic of maths
Mentors
Writers reflect on the role of inspirational mentor figures in their artistic development.
Montaigne
Series of essays on the life and work of French philosopher and writer Michel de Montaigne
My Son the Fiddler
Author Christopher Hope recalls watching his son Daniel become a renowned violinist
Naturalists: Animals and Human Nature
Biographies of contemporary animal lovers and the creatures and landscapes they championed
Nature in China
Series in which writer Robert Macfarlane goes in search of what remains of wild China
New Archaeologies
Series of personal essays about the archaeology of the recent past
New Generation Thinkers
Series of essays playing host to young thinkers from our universities and think tanks
Night Walks
Writers walk after dark and report on what they see, feel and think about their travels
Nightwalks
Writers fond of walking explore how the activity is dramatically transformed at night time
No Particular Place to Go
Four travel writers examine British travel literature that changed our view of the world
North East Free Thinkers
Series on the achievements of significant figures and institutions from the North East
On Excess
Psychotherapist Adam Phillips considers what part aspects of excess play in our lives
Paulin on Blake
Tom Paulin explores the life and works of the great English visionary, poet and artist
Pinter's Voices
Series of personal essays about the playwright Harold Pinter, who died in December 2008
Postcards
Susannah Clapp looks through the postcards she has received from writers and artists
Postcards from Istanbul
Five writers and intellectuals give their views on Istanbul, Turkey's largest city
Raising My Voice
Artists from different fields consider the impact of mental health problems on creativity
Raising My Voice
Four artists consider the impact of mental health problems on their creativity
Reflections on Caravaggio
John Gash reflects on the innovative style and tempestuous life of the Milanese painter
Rewiring the Mind
David Hendy examines the ways in which the electronic media have shaped the modern mind
Richard Cork's Great Encounters
Art critic Richard Cork describes his encounters with artists from around the world
Robert Graves and the Poetic Myth
...Poetic Myth. Graeme Fife on love and the use of myth in the poetry of Robert Graves
Running the World
Geographer Hayden Lorimer discusses his obsession with running
Secret Places in the Four Quartets
Poet Craig Raine investigates the mystical dimension of TS Eliot's Four Quartets
Strange Encounters
Four scientists relive a key moment in their discipline
Strange Encounters - Series 2
Series in which scientists re-examine ground-breaking scientific experiments
Symmetry and the Monster
Series exploring the quest to understand one of most famous mathematical problems
Tennyson 200
Four contemporary British poets choose a Tennyson poem and explain its importance to them
The Cult of Childhood
Four essays exploring the theme of childhood in literary culture. With Deborah Bowman
The Elephant in the Poetry Reading
Scottish poets describe how they view their own writing in relation to Robert Burns's
The Future's Not What it Used to Be
...it used to Be. Exploring literary visions of utopia, asking where it all went wrong
The Great and Good Mr Handel
...Handel. Series exploring various areas of Handel's life and work
The Great Essayists
Writer and philosopher AC Grayling explores the rich tradition of English essay writing.
The King Returned
Jonathan Sawday paints a picture of Restoration Britain, exploring politics and science
The Lives of Others
Anthropologists discuss the status of their discipline, its responsibilities and practices
The Mews
Poet, writer and falconer Helen Macdonald on rearing and training a female goshawk
The Monumental Imperative
Sculptor Alexander Stoddart reveals the art and work behind works that inspire him
The Path and the Poem
Poet and critic Andrew Motion considers the link between walking and writing
The Scientist and the Romantic
Nature writer Richard Mabey on his relationship with science and the natural world
The Stewarts
Writers and historians discuss different aspects of the Stewart dynasty and their rule
The Utopian Dream - and its Disappointments
Dr Jane Shaw explores why human beings persist in trying to build utopias
The World Turned Upside Down
Writers former Warsaw Pact nations on the changing meaning of a seemingly banal object
To Russia with Love
Writers examine some of the passions that led to a life-long relationship with Russia
Tolstoy
Series in which people explain their passion for Tolstoy's works and the Russia he evokes.
Tomorrow is Today
Series on the arts in Northern Ireland since the signing of 1998's Good Friday Agreement
Under the Influence
Contemporary poets talk about poets whose work has influenced their own
Under the Influence
Series in which contemporary poets write about others whose work has influenced their own
Vaughan Williams in the BBC Archives
Series of radio talks for the BBC given by Ralph Vaughan Williams in his later years
Visions of Mary
Series in which academics discuss the Virgin Mary within and outside of Christianity
When Writers Play
Three writers are invited to describe their alternative talents as musicians
When Writers Play (Series 2)
Five writers describe their passions and possibly talents for playing a musical instrument
William Hazlitt - Philosopher
Series arguing that William Hazlitt was a committed philosopher and a great essayist
Work-Life Balance
A chronological history of the so-called work-life balance, from the 18th Century to today