The Great Libraries

Joan Bakewell presents a series of poetry programmes, in which she seeks out the most treasured poetry in some of the UK's great libraries

The Great Libraries - South Bank Poetry Library

London's South Bank Poetry Library was redeveloped as part of the South Bank complex.

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The Great Libraries - The Bodleian Library, Oxford

In this great historic library, Joan looks at manuscripts from poets including Percy Shelley, T S Eliot, Philip Larkin and W H Auden. The reader is Andrew Motion.

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The Great Libraries - The National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth

Joan looks at some of the oldest Welsh poetry in existence, as well as coming across some interesting Bardic chairs, poetry written on prison toilet paper.

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The Great Libraries - The Wordsworth Trust

Joan visits Dove Cottage in the heart of the Lake District to view rare manuscripts by William Wordsworth and his fellow romantic poets.

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