Radio 3 Essay
Summary: Authored essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond, themed across a week. Each episode is full of insight, opinion and intellectual surprise from one expert voice. The Essay is broadcast on BBC Radio 3 Monday to Friday 10.45pm. We aim to include as many episodes of The Essay in the podcast as we can but you'll find that some aren't included for rights reasons.
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The grim, concrete forts and pillboxes of the east coast of England may seem a far cry from the romantic ruins of Britain's medieval castles. But as writer Ken Worpole argues, they have earned their place in the East Anglian landscape, and should be both preserved, and treasured as reminders of the past, just as much as ivy-clad castles and ruins from the high Middle Ages.
Often the visitor to a medieval castle in Britain is confronted with a mass of information and interpretation about the military activities of the men who inhabited these spaces, but very little about the women. Archaeologist Roberta Gilchrist is keen to correct this imbalance, arguing that traditional interpretations of castles ignore the gendered spaces - the gardens, the apartments, the kitchens where female servants cooked, or indeed the adjoining parklands where aristocratic women occasionally hunted.
The walls of Kenilworth Castle, situated at the heart of England, might have seemed practically impregnable to the men defending them. And yet, as Benjamin Wild argues, the mightiest of fortresses was of little more account than a mere folly when men pursued force and fanfare at the expense of political relationships. In 1266 a somewhat humiliated Henry III laid siege to this red sandstone structure, determined to reassert his authority over his upstart subjects.
It is generally conceded that, following his triumphant conquest of Wales, Edward I ordered the construction of some of the finest castles in Britain. But who exactly designed them, and who managed this massive project? Architectural historian Nicola Coldstream explores the careers of two medieval masons - Master James of Savoy and Master Hugh of Chester.
Actor and playwright Lolita Chakrabarti explains how "A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens affected her at a pivotal moment in her life.
Journalist and writer Jon Ronson explains how "What a Carve Up!" by Jonathan Coe led him to understand how politics affects everyday life.
Jude Kelly, the artistic director of Southbank Centre in London, describes how "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott mirrored her own experiences growing up in Liverpool.
The legendary singer-songwriter Steve Earle describes how Truman Capote's true-life murder story, "In Cold Blood", captured his imagination as a 12-year-old boy.
Writer Polly Coles on how Venetians have adapted to live in 21st century Venice.
Writer Polly Coles on how Venetians have adapted to live in 21st century Venice.
Writer Polly Coles on how Venetians have adapted to live in 21st century Venice.
Writer Polly Coles on how Venetians have adapted to live in 21st century Venice.
British painter Lucy Jones was born with cerebral palsy, but she has no intention of identifying as a disabled artist. She wants her portraits to offer a universal comment on humanity. Tom Shakespeare discusses how the challenges she faces have fuelled her creative genius.
Tom Shakespeare explores the lives of three famous painters - Goya, Klee and Matisse - showing how restriction created by ageing or disease can open up new creative possibilities.
The visionary Brazilian sculptor Arthur Bispo do Rosario spent 50 years on a psychiatric ward in Rio de Janeiro, and did not even think of himself as an artist. Born in Japaratuba, the descendant of African slaves, he was exposed to a strongly religious culture and to the hybrid traditions of folk art. He had been a sailor and an odd-job man when, in 1938, he had a vision of angels bathed in light. He felt that the Virgin Mary had guided him to record the universe in visual form, in preparation for the Day of Judgment. The same year, he was hospitalised for treatment for paranoid schizophrenia. Tom Shakespeare explores his creativity, originality and imagination.