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# Episode Title Description People Date
101 Creative Commons "Oh, you liar, you storyteller": On Fibbing, Fact and Fabulation The first Weinrebe lecture in life-writing was given by Michèle Roberts, Emeritus Professor of Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia. The lecture is introduced by Professor Hermione Lee. Michèle Roberts 07 Mar 2012
102 Creative Commons Why Dickens? Dr Robert Douglas-Fairhurst talks of Dickens' life and influences and why these have made his works so popular. Robert Douglas-Fairhurst 02 Mar 2012
103 Creative Commons DH Lawrence 5. The Alps Catherine Brown gives the fifth lecture in the DH Lawrence series. Catherine Brown 28 Feb 2012
104 Creative Commons DH Lawrence 4. The World at Large Catherine Brown gives the fourth lecture in the DH Lawrence series. Catherine Brown 28 Feb 2012
105 Creative Commons DH Lawrence 3. Christianity Catherine Brown gives the third lecture in the DH Lawrence series. Catherine Brown 28 Feb 2012
106 Creative Commons The Birth of Romance in England Dr Laura Ashe delivers a lecture on the birth of romance in England in the 12th Century, part of a series of lectures to accompany The Romance of the Middle Ages exhibition at the Bodleian Library. Laura Ashe 23 Feb 2012
107 Creative Commons King Lear Showing how generations of critics - and Shakespeare himself - have rewritten the ending of King Lear, this sixteenth Approaching Shakespeare lecture engages with the question of tragedy and why it gives pleasure. Emma Smith 22 Feb 2012
108 Creative Commons Where may truth lie? Fiction in memory, memory in fiction The award-winning author and memoirist Candia McWilliam attests to the edifying power of fiction and biography in the third lecture in the Weinrebe series from the Oxford Centre for Life-Writing. Candia McWilliam 20 Feb 2012
109 Creative Commons DH Lawrence 2. Humour Catherine Brown gives the second lecture in the DH Lawrence series. Catherine Brown 15 Feb 2012
110 Creative Commons DH Lawrence 1. Consciousness Catherine Brown gives her first lecture in the D.H. Lawrence series. Catherine Brown 15 Feb 2012
111 Creative Commons Babbling a Dialect of France: Loanwords, French, and Johnson's Dictionary Professor Mugglestone discusses the concept of loanwords in relationship to Samuel Johnson's Dictionary of the English Language. Lynda Mugglestone 13 Feb 2012
112 Creative Commons King John At the heart of King John is the death of his rival Arthur: this fifteenth lecture in the Approaching Shakespeare series looks at the ways history and legitimacy are complicated in this plotline. Emma Smith 10 Feb 2012
113 Creative Commons What can I say? Secrets in fiction and biography Booker Prize winning novelist Alan Hollinghurst discusses fiction and biography in conversation with Hermione Lee at Wolfson College's Oxford Centre for Life-Writing (OCLW). Alan Hollinghurst, Hermione Lee 08 Feb 2012
114 Creative Commons J.M. Coetzee Professor Peter McDonald gives a talk on the work of South African Nobel Laureate, J.M. Coetzee. Peter McDonald 07 Feb 2012
115 Creative Commons Olive Schreiner Professor Elleke Boehmer gives a talk on Olive Schreiner (1855-1920), the South African novelist, pioneering feminist, and anti-imperialist polemicist. Elleke Boehmer 07 Feb 2012
116 Creative Commons Katherine Mansfield and Rhythm Magazine Dr Faith Binckes explains why modernist short story writer and critic Katherine Mansfield (1888-1923) is a great writer, highlighting her involvement with the 1911-1913 periodical Rhythm, edited by her second husband John Middleton Murry. Faith Binckes 07 Feb 2012
117 Creative Commons George Eliot - A Very Large Brain Dr Catherine Brown gives a talk on George Eliot and her influences. Catherine Brown 07 Feb 2012
118 Creative Commons William Blake Dr David Fallon introduces the poetry, painting, and engraving of William Blake, focusing on the imaginative and visionary aspects of Blake's work and his desire to break the publics 'mind-forg'd manacles'. David Fallon 07 Feb 2012
119 Creative Commons 18th Century Labouring Class Poetry Dr Jennifer Batt gives a talk on Stephen Duck, one of the 18th Century labouring-class poets. Jennifer Batt 07 Feb 2012
120 Creative Commons Jonathan Swift and the Art of Undressing Dr Abigail Williams gives a talk on Jonathan Swift and the Art of Undressing. Abigail Williams 07 Feb 2012
121 Creative Commons Beowulf Dr Francis Leneghan gives a talk on Beowulf, one of the most important works in Anglo-Saxon literature. Francis Leneghan 07 Feb 2012
122 Creative Commons Shakespeare and the Stage Professor Tiffany Stern gives a talk on William Shakespeare and how his plays were performed in Elizabethan England. Tiffany Stern 07 Feb 2012
123 Creative Commons Pericles, Prince of Tyre Pericles has been on the margins of the Shakespearean canon: this fourteenth lecture in the Approaching Shakespeare series shows some of its self-conscious artistry and contemporary popularity. Emma Smith 01 Feb 2012
124 Creative Commons Richard III In this thirteenth lecture in the Approaching Shakespeare series the focus is on the inevitability of the ending of Richard III: does the play endorse Richmond's final victory? Emma Smith 25 Jan 2012
125 Creative Commons Cristian Aliaga: Your Virtues Are Your Faults. Poetry Reading (Spanish and English) A reading by Cristian Aliaga, one of Argentina's outstanding contemporary poets, given at St. John's College, Oxford, on 3 November, 2011. English translations are read by Ben Bollig, Lecturer in Spanish American Literature. Cristian Aliaga, Ben Bollig 25 Jan 2012
126 Creative Commons The Comedy of Errors Lecture 12 in the Approaching Shakespeare series asks how seriously we can take the farcical exploits of Comedy of Errors, drawing out the play's serious concerns with identity and selfhood. Emma Smith 23 Jan 2012
127 Creative Commons The Joys of Cricket This podcast looks at cricket seen through eighteenth-century eyes, focussing on a poem by James Dance, called 'Cricket: An Heroic Poem.'. Adam Rounce 12 Dec 2011
128 Creative Commons George Eliot 3. Reception History In this third and final podcast, Dr Catherine Brown discusses the popularity of George Eliot's work in the Victorian period, which led to her status as a sage and the steady accumulation of her wealth. Catherine Brown 05 Dec 2011
129 Creative Commons History of English Pronunciation Do we really know what Chaucer's poetry sounded like? Professor Simon Horobin introduces evidence that gives us an insight into the history of English pronunciation and explores what it tells us about how and why changes in language take place. Simon Horobin 30 Nov 2011
130 Creative Commons Henry IV part 1 Like generations of theatre-goers, this lecture concentrates on the (large) figure of Sir John Falstaff and investigates his role in Henry IV part 1. Lecture 11 in the Approaching Shakespeare series. Emma Smith 16 Nov 2011
131 Creative Commons George Eliot 2. Genre and Justice The second lecture in the series on George Eliot considers how narrative justice operates in relation to the genres of comedy and tragedy, particularly in 'Adam Bede' and 'Daniel Deronda'. Catherine Brown 15 Nov 2011
132 Creative Commons The Tempest That the character of Prospero is a Shakespearean self-portrait is a common reading of The Tempest: this tenth Approaching Shakespeare lecture asks whether that is a useful reading of the play. Emma Smith 14 Nov 2011
133 Creative Commons George Eliot 1. Intellect and Consciousness In this lecture Dr Catherine Brown brings her discussion to focus primarily upon Eliot's atypical novella 'The Lifted Veil' and her novel 'Middlemarch'. Catherine Brown 10 Nov 2011
134 Creative Commons Antony and Cleopatra What kind of tragedy is this play, with its two central figures rather than a singular hero? The ninth lecture in the Approaching Shakespeare series tries to find out. Emma Smith 10 Nov 2011
135 Creative Commons Shakespeare and the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) Professor Charlotte Brewer introduces the methodology behind the creation of the OED and how current activity to update the Dictionary may reveal new evidence about Shakespeare's impact on the English Language. Charlotte Brewer 08 Nov 2011
136 Creative Commons Richard II Lecture eight in the Approaching Shakespeare series asks the question that structures Richard II: does the play suggest Henry Bolingbroke's overthrow of the king was justified? Emma Smith 01 Nov 2011
137 Creative Commons Walcott and Naipaul: History and Myth Catherine Brown, Lecturer in English Literature, compares West Indian writers Derek Walcott and Vidiadhar Surajprasad Naipaul on their attitudes towards history and myth. Catherine Brown 26 Oct 2011
138 Creative Commons English and Gender Professor Deborah Cameron explores some of the key theories surrounding the use of language by women and men. Are we really so different? Deborah Cameron 21 Oct 2011
139 Creative Commons Twelfth Night The seventh Approaching Shakespeare lecture takes a minor character in Twelfth Night - Antonio - and uses his presence to open up questions of sexuality, desire and the nature of romantic comedy. Emma Smith 20 Oct 2011
140 Creative Commons Titus Andronicus Focusing in detail on one particular scene, and on critical responses to it, this sixth Approaching Shakespeare lecture on Titus Andronicus deals with violence, rhetoric, and the nature of dramatic sensationalism. Emma Smith 19 Oct 2011
141 Creative Commons Poetry and Tobacco This podcast looks at the relationship between tobacco and poetic inspiration, through some popular comic poems. Abigail Williams, Laurence Williams, John Clargo 03 Aug 2011
142 Creative Commons The Authorised Version in Modern Literature: David and Job get makeovers Prof Terence Wright (Newcastle University) gives the fourth lecture in the Manifold Greatness; The King James Bible 1611-2011 lecture series held at Corpus Christi College. Terrence Wright 14 Mar 2011
143 Creative Commons This book of starres': biblical constellations in the poetry of Herbert and Vaughan Prof Helen Wilcox (Bangor University) gives the third lecture in the Manifold Greatness" Oxford Celebrations of the King James Bible 1611-2011 lecture series held at Corpus Christi College. Helen Wilcox 14 Mar 2011
144 Creative Commons Brought to Book: Book History and the Idea of Literature Professor Paul Eggert, University of New South Wales, gives the 17th Annual D.F. McKenzie lecture on the subject of books and gives a case study of Henry Lawson, Australian author of Where the Billy Boils. Paul Eggert 09 Mar 2011
145 Creative Commons Scissored and Pasted: readers and writers redoing and undoing King James Prof Valentine Cunningham, Corpus Christi College, Oxford, gives the second lecture in the King James Bible series. Valentine Cunningham 08 Mar 2011
146 Creative Commons The Making of the King James (Authorised) Version of the Bible 1604-1611 Professor Pauline Croft, Royal Holloway, University of London, first in the King James Bible Anniversary lecture at Corpus Christi College. Pauline Croft 08 Mar 2011
147 Creative Commons Swirls and secrets: the mysteries of Jonathan Swift's love letters In Swift's letters to his adored Stella, we see an elaborate combination of language and code to tease his reader but still communicate intimacy. The denial of full disclosure and the refusal to reveal all is part of the game of seduction. Abigail Williams 14 Feb 2011
148 Creative Commons Athol Fugard: "Defining Moments" Humanitas Inaugural Keynote Lecture - Athol Fugard: "Defining Moments" - in his life and work. Venue: Simpkins Lee Lecture Theatre, Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford. Athol Fugard 02 Feb 2011
149 Creative Commons Mary Shelley - Journal of Sorrow Part of the Shelley's Ghost Exhibition. In the months immediately following Shelley's death Mary lived at Albaro on the outskirts of Genoa. Her only regular companions were her young son, Percy Florence, and the journal she began on 2 October 1822. Nouran Koriem 02 Dec 2010
150 Creative Commons William Godwin- Letter to Mary Shelley Part of the Shelley's Ghost Exhibition. This is the letter Godwin wrote to Mary after hearing of Shelley's death. Hoare Nairne 02 Dec 2010
151 Creative Commons Percy Bysshe Shelley - Letter to Mary Shelley Part of the Shelley's Ghost Exhibition. 'Everybody is in despair and every thing in confusion' writes Shelley in his last letter to Mary. He was in Pisa to discuss a new journal, The Liberal, with Leigh Hunt and Lord Byron. Henry Cockburn 02 Dec 2010
152 Creative Commons Percy Bysshe Shelley - Adonais. An Elegy on the Death of John Keats Part of the Shelley's Ghost Exhibition. This great elegy was prompted by the news of the death of John Keats in Rome, and by Shelley's belief that Keats's illness was caused by the hostile notices his work had been given in the Quarterly Review. Jordan Saxby 02 Dec 2010
153 Creative Commons Percy Bysshe Shelley - Opening lines of 'The Triumph of Life' Part of the Shelley's Ghost Exhibition. Shelley worked on 'The Triumph of Life', a dark and visionary poem, while living at the Villa Magni. Hoare Nairne 02 Dec 2010
154 Creative Commons Percy Bysshe Shelley - Dedication fair copy of 'With a guitar. To Jane' Part of the Shelley's Ghost Exhibition. Shelley presented this light-hearted poem, copied out in his best hand, with the guitar he gave to Jane Williams in 1822. Jordan Saxby 02 Dec 2010
155 Creative Commons Percy Bysshe Shelley - Fair copy of Ode to the West Wind Part of the Shelly's Ghost Exhibition. Shelley's best-known poem was written in Florence in late 1819. Christopher Adams 02 Dec 2010
156 Creative Commons Percy Bysshe Shelley - Draft of 'Ozymandias' Part of the Shelley's Ghost Exhibition. 'Ozymandias' is the Greek name for Ramses II, who ruled Egypt for sixty-seven years from 1279 to 1213 BC. Christopher Adams 02 Dec 2010
157 Creative Commons Mary Shelley (with Percy Bysshe Shelley) - Draft of Frankenstein Mary Shelley drafted Frankenstein in two tall notebooks. The first notebook was probably purchased in Geneva, the second several months later in England. Christopher Adams 02 Dec 2010
158 Creative Commons Harriet Shelley - Letter to Eliza Westbrook, Shelley and her parents Part of the Shelley's Ghost Exhibition. Harriet Shelley drowned herself in December 1816, aged twenty-one. Her body was recovered from the Serpentine on 10 December, and an inquest into the death of one 'Harriet Smith' was held the following day. Hannah Morrell 02 Dec 2010
159 Creative Commons Mary Shelley - Letter to Percy Bysshe Shelley Part of the Shelley's Ghost Exhibition. Shelley and Mary arrived back in London to face the almost universal disapproval of family and friends, and severe money problems. Nouran Koriem 02 Dec 2010
160 Creative Commons Percy Bysshe Shelley and Mary Shelley - Joint journal entry Part of the Shelley's Ghost Exhibition. Shelley and Mary eloped at 4.15 am on 28 July 1814, accompanied by Mary's step-sister Jane Clairmont. Henry Cockburn 02 Dec 2010
161 Creative Commons Percy Bysshe Shelley: Letter to William Godwin Part of the Shelley's Ghost Exhibition. Using false names, Shelley sent copies of The Necessity of the Atheism to 'men of thought and learning', including bishops and clergymen. Henry Cockburn 02 Dec 2010
162 Creative Commons William Godwin: Memoirs of the Author of a Vindication of the Rights of Woman Part of the Shelley's Ghost Exhibition. Godwin's memoir of Mary Wollstonecraft has been called the first modern biography. At the time, however, its frankness and emotional candour provoked general outrage. Henry Cockburn 02 Dec 2010
163 Creative Commons Mary Wollstonecraft Three notes to William Godwin Part of the Shelley's Ghost Exhibition. Even after their marriage Godwin and Wollstonecraft preferred to live independently during the day, and communicate by correspondence. Hannah Morrell 02 Dec 2010
164 Creative Commons Mary Wollstonecraft - A Vindication of the Rights of Woman Part of the Shelley's Ghost Exhibition. In her most famous work Mary Wollstonecraft argued that if women were educated in the same way as men they would perform as well. Annabell James 02 Dec 2010
165 Creative Commons The Winter's Tale How we can make sense of a play that veers from tragedy to comedy and stretches credulity in its conclusion? That's the topic for this fifth Approaching Shakespeare lecture on The Winter's Tale. Emma Smith 09 Nov 2010
166 Creative Commons Macbeth In this fourth Approaching Shakespeare lecture the question is one of agency: who or what makes happen the things that happen in Macbeth? Emma Smith 02 Nov 2010
167 Creative Commons Measure for Measure The third Approaching Shakespeare lecture, on Measure for Measure, focuses on the vexed question of this uncomic comedy's genre. Emma Smith 27 Oct 2010
168 Creative Commons Henry V The second lecture in the Approaching Shakespeare series looks at King Henry V, and asks whether his presentation in the play is entirely positive. Emma Smith 20 Oct 2010
169 Creative Commons Othello First in Emma Smith's Approaching Shakespeare lecture series; looking at the central question of race and its significance in the play. Emma Smith 18 Oct 2010
170 Creative Commons Who Translates and for Whom? Fourth part of the What is Translation Podcast series. In this part, the question of who is best placed to translate classic texts; academics, poets, dramatists and who is best placed to receive the translation, students, scholars or the general public. Oliver Taplin, Lorna Hardwick 27 Jul 2010
171 Creative Commons Can Poetry be Translated? Third part of the What is Translation podcast series. In this part, the question of whether poetry be translated. Is there something within the original that is lost in the translation? Oliver Taplin, Lorna Hardwick 27 Jul 2010
172 Creative Commons Is there ever a Faithful Translation? Second part of the What is Translation podcast series. In this part, the question of whether there can be a faithful translation; does the act of translating a text change the meaning of the original is discussed. Oliver Taplin, Lorna Hardwick 27 Jul 2010
173 Creative Commons Is there a Core to Translation? First part of the What is Translation podcast series looking at translation of classical texts. In this part, the question of whether there is a core to translation; is there a central guiding idea to translation is discussed. Oliver Taplin, Lorna Hardwick 27 Jul 2010
174 Creative Commons Oxford Literary Festival 2010 Pieces of Places Discussion The Weirdstone of Brisingamen Alan Garner, Mark Edmonds and Robert Powell take part in a discussion on the subject of pieces of places, objects and artefacts found and what they mean for writing fiction and for archeology in general. Alan Garner, Mark Edmonds, Robert Powell 21 Jun 2010
175 Creative Commons Oxford Literary Festival 2010 Pieces of Places - Reading of Alan Garner's Work The 50th anniversary of the publication of Alan Garner's first novel, The Weirdstone of Brisingamen. A talk examining the importance of place in Alan Garner's work. Robert Powell gives a reading of The Stone Book, from The Stone Book Quartet. Robert Powell, Alan Garner 21 Jun 2010
176 Creative Commons Oxford Literary Festival 2010 By Seven Firs and Goldenstone - An account of the Legend of Alderley Alan Garner gives an illustrated lecture on the Legend of Alderley. This version of the myth of the Sleeping Hero is rooted to places on Alderley Edge in Cheshire, where Alan Garner grew up. Alan Garner 21 Jun 2010
177 Creative Commons Senses of Reality: Writing the Biography of a Revolutionary Generation The annual Isaiah Berlin Lecture given at Wolfson College on May 27th 2010. Roy Foster 08 Jun 2010
178 Creative Commons War and Civilization Series Lecture 2: War and Poetry Geoffrey Hill is currently Professor of Literature and Religion at Boston University and in 2009 his Collected Critical Writings won the Truman Capote Award for Literary Criticism. Geoffrey Hill 24 May 2010
179 Creative Commons The Hobbit at the Bodleian: World Book Day Judith Priestman, curator of the Bodleian library, discusses the World Book Day 2010 exhibition, where a selection of J.R.R. Tolkien's original artwork which was used to illustrate The Hobbit, was on display to the public. Judith Priestman 13 Apr 2010
180 Creative Commons Philip Pullman: Lyra's Oxford, Bodleian Library Masterclass Acclaimed author of His Dark Materials Philip Pullman is interviewed by Margaret Kean on his new book, his influences and his method for writing stories. Phillp Pullman, Margaret Kean 13 Apr 2010
181 Creative Commons Is Tragedy still Alive? Discussion on whether tragedy still exists in modern culture, whether in films, modern theatre or and other creative arts. Oliver Taplin, Joshua Billings 01 Mar 2010
182 Creative Commons Does Tragedy Teach? Third dialogue on the nature of tragedy where they talk about whether tragic theatre teaches people, and if it does, how and what does it teach? Oliver Taplin, Joshua Billings 01 Mar 2010
183 Creative Commons What does Tragedy do for People? A discussion of what the use of tragedy is, and whether the emotional experience of tragic theatre is simply a passing thrill or a vital part of life. Oliver Taplin, Joshua Billings 01 Mar 2010
184 Creative Commons Defining Tragedy First dialogue between Oliver Taplin and Joshua Billings on tragedy: they discuss what 'tragedy' means, from its origins in Greek culture to philosophical notions of what tragedy and tragic drama are. Oliver Taplin, Joshua Billings 01 Mar 2010
185 Creative Commons Censorship in South Africa: Introduction Peter McDonald talks briefly about what first interested him in Censorship of Literature in South Africa. Peter McDonald 12 Jan 2010
186 Creative Commons Peter McDonald on Censorship in South Africa Peter McDonald talks with Oliver Lewis about censorship, its philosophical basis and general history within Apartheid South Africa. Peter McDonald, Oliver Lewis 12 Jan 2010
187 Creative Commons The Duchess of Malfi The Duchess of Malfi / Webster, John, 1580?-1625. This is the epub edition of the play. John Webster 24 Nov 2009
188 Creative Commons The Duchess of Malfi: John Webster In dramatizing a woman's sexual choices in a notably sympathetic manner, this tragedy articulates perennial questions about female autonomy and class distinction. Emma Smith 24 Nov 2009
189 Creative Commons Political Perspectives to State Censorship of Literature Peter McDonald and David Robertson discuss the idea of state censorship, especially Apartheid era South Africa, looking at the political perspectives and implications of state censorship of literature. Peter McDonald, David Robertson 17 Nov 2009
190 Creative Commons Literature and State Censorship: A literary perspective Peter McDonald and Elleke Bohemer discuss state censorship from a literary perspective; also discussing the issues of nationalism, modernism and Apartheid. Peter McDonald, Elleke Boehmer 17 Nov 2009
191 Creative Commons Legal issues in state censorship Peter McDonald and Liora Lazarus discuss the legal issues of state censorship especially in Apartheid era South Africa. Peter McDonald, Liora Lazarus 17 Nov 2009
192 Creative Commons The Roaring Girl or Moll Cutpurse The Roaring Girl or Moll Cutpurse / Thomas Dekker and Thomas Middleton. This is the epub edition of the play. Thomas Middleton, Thomas Dekker 13 Nov 2009
193 Creative Commons The Roaring Girl: Thomas Middleton and Thomas Dekker Based on a contemporary scandal of a woman who dressed in male clothing, this play of topsy-turvy genders has fun with some very modern ideas about sexuality, identity and whether we are what we wear. Emma Smith 13 Nov 2009
194 Creative Commons The revenger's tragedy The revenger's tragedy / Middleton, Thomas, 1580-1627. This is the epub edition of the play. Thomas Middleton 06 Nov 2009
195 Creative Commons The Revenger's Tragedy: Thomas Middleton A blackly camp tragedy - Hamlet without the narcissism - set in a court corrupted by lust and self-interest, this play is both fascinated and repelled by its own depravity. Emma Smith 06 Nov 2009
196 Creative Commons Arden of Feversham Arden of Feversham / Unknown. This is the epub edition of the play. Anonymous 05 Nov 2009
197 Creative Commons Arden of Faversham: Anon A true crime story of the murder of Thomas Arden by his wife and her lover, this play is concerned with the politics of the household, with gender roles within marriage, and presents a black comedy of botched murder attempts rather like The Ladykillers. Emma Smith 05 Nov 2009
198 Creative Commons The Spanish tragedie The Spanish tragedie / Kyd, Thomas, 1558-1594. This is the epub edition of the play. Thomas Kyd 05 Nov 2009
199 Creative Commons The Spanish Tragedy: Thomas Kyd Popular tragedy in which Hieronimo pursues aristocratic murderers of his son Horatio and takes revenge. It speaks, like Hollywood Westerns, to questions about private revenge versus public justice, and to the vexed religious questions of its age. Emma Smith 05 Nov 2009
200 Creative Commons Peter McDonald on Literature Summary: Peter McDonald talks about how he became to be interested in Literature, how he became to be an academic at Oxford and what it is like to study literature at Oxford. Peter McDonald, Oliver Lewis 11 Aug 2009