The Essay

Four contemporary writers reflect on the mighty linguistic shadow left by the compiler of the first great dictionary of the English language, Samuel Johnson. Johnson's monumental Dictionary set the standard; after Johnson had pronounced, English could never be the same again. In this series four very different writers from across the world reflect on the Johnsonian linguistic heritage as it plays out in their own world and their own lives... Freya Johnston, lecturer in English at St Anne's College Oxford and author of Samuel Johnson and the Art of Sinking 1709-1791, engages with the language Johnson used which still influences our every day use of English. Producer: Marya Burgess (repeat).