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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- Artist: BBC Radio 3
- Copyright: (C) BBC 2015
Podcasts:
The second of five personal essays on the voice and radio. Journalist and broadcaster Olivia O'Leary describes her autobiography in radio from Irish nuns at her boarding school hunting down wicked wirelesses to thoughts on the speed of the Irish voice by comparison with the English. Olivia O'Leary has worked in radio for decades and is well known - as a voice - for her penetrating yet tactful interviewing skills. She shares some of her secrets. An essay given in front of an audience at the British Academy in London in October 2014 as part of a series of events marking the 100th anniversary of the birth of Dylan Thomas, himself one of the most famous radio voices of all time. Producer: Tim Dee.
The first of five essays on the voice and radio - all delivered by seasoned broadcasters and practitioners. Actor Samuel West explores the art of performance and declarative language. How should an actor speak? What is the best way to read poetry on the radio? How does radio drama get by without images? Are the pictures really better? Recorded in front of an audience at the British Academy in London in October 2014 as part of a series of events marking the 100th anniversary of the birth of Dylan Thomas, himself one of the best known radio voices of all time. Subsequent essays from the British Academy come from veteran Irish broadcaster Olivia O'Leary, Professor of Media David Hendy, Radio Merseyside's phone-in host Roger Phillips and Radio 4's Fi Glover - all sharing their varied perspectives on the art of radio. Producer: Tim Dee.
Serial entrepreneur Luke Johnson celebrates the simple but powerful messages of "The Magic of Thinking Big" by David J Schwartz.
Children's Laureate Malorie Blackman on how Alice Walker's novel "The Color Purple" legitimised her need to be a writer.
Actor/director Simon McBurney on how John Berger's "And Our Faces, My Heart, Brief as Photos" plays with ideas of connection and memory which are essential to his theatrical work.
Tracey Thorn, singer from the band Everything but the Girl, describes how Germaine Greer's "The Female Eunuch" spoke to her as a teenager - but now reads very differently.
Alan Johnson, Former Home Secretary, describes how "David Copperfield" by Charles Dickens mirrored his poor and troubled childhood in West London. After the death of his mother, the discovery of this great novel gave him the hope to build a happy and secure adult life.
Gabriele Ferrario of the Genizah Research Unit reveals a secret side to life in medieval Cairo: one governed by alchemy and magic.
Daniel Davies describes the private papers of philosopher Maimonides, leader Solomon ben Judah and merchant Abraham ben Yiju to shed light on three very different medieval lives.
Melonie Schmierer-Lee examines ancient deeds of marriage, divorce and pre-nuptial agreements to reveal the varying fortunes of women in medieval Cairo.
Ben Outhwaite reads private letters between merchants to reveal an international trade network uniting Jews, Muslims and Christians across the medieval Mediterranean.
Esther-Miriam Wagner reveals how an eccentric scholar and two Scottish twins braved a legendary curse to uncover a treasure trove of medieval manuscripts in a Cairo synagogue.
Natasha Loges explores the composer Brahms' relationship with technology and posterity.
Brahms and Freud lived in Vienna at the same time. Writer Lesley Chamberlain asks what we can learn by placing them side by side.
Pianist and writer Natasha Loges explores the composer Brahms' relationship with German nationalism.