The Essay Episodes Available now
Holly—The Meaning of Trees
13/15 Fiona Stafford on the holly tree, which reaches huge proportions if not pruned annually.
Cherry—The Meaning of Trees
12/15 Fiona Stafford discusses the cherry tree, prized in many ways, but also in sharp decline.
Cypress—The Meaning of Trees, The Meaning of Trees
2/5 Fiona Stafford discusses the Leyland cypress or leylandii.
Horse Chestnut—The Meaning of Trees
11/15 Professor Fiona Stafford discusses the horse chestnut tree.
Transformer—In the Shadow of Kafka
5/5 Playwright Jeff Young explores the unusually powerful impact of Kafka's language.
Kafka's Castle—In the Shadow of Kafka
4/5 Playwright April de Angelis discusses Kafka's novel The Castle.
Waving or Drowning: Kafka and Meaning—In the Shadow of Kafka
3/5 Karen Leeder explores Franz Kafka's very modern use of messengers and messages.
His Father's Excrement - Franz Kafka and the Power of the Insect—In the Shadow of Kafka
2/5 Hanif Kureishi on Franz Kafka's personal and artistic fascination with the body and food.
Margaret Atwood—In the Shadow of Kafka
1/5 Margaret Atwood revisits an essay she wrote on Franz Kafka when she was 19 years old.
Postman's Knock
David Hepworth on the changing rituals of courtship, from dance cards to 'hook-up' culture
