Culture’s Lucy Perrior describes some of her favourite cultural podcasts and why they are the perfect form of escapism during the lockdown period
It is only recently that I have taken to listening to podcasts, typically tuning in on my walks from Selly Oak to campus and now on my daily stroll in the countryside. I have always found it quite difficult to find podcasts that I enjoy but, since I have had a lot more free time over the last few weeks, I have been trying lots of different series of cultural podcasts in a quest to broaden the variety of topics I listen to. Here is a list of some of my recent favourites: if you also have time to try something new, especially something that makes you feel like you are broadening your mind, now is a great time to give podcasts a go!
Ever since I was first told about the Hay Festival in Hay-on-Wye four years ago I have wanted to make a visit. Although this goal has not yet been achieved, this year I have been able to get a taste of the event through the recently released audio recordings of lectures given at past events. Episode 2 features novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie who gives a lecture on the legacy of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and recalls her own family’s experiences in the Nigerian-Biafran War as the basis of some of her most acclaimed novels. Adichie’s lecture discusses the indistinguishable boundary between fiction and non-fiction, noting that all writing has its origins in personal and social experience. These ideas develop into a discussion on the nature of journalistic writing, which I found to present a fascinating insight into the categorisation of literature and writers. Episode 3 in the series features Yuval Noah Harari, the author of the internationally bestselling book Sapiens. This episode contains a really interesting discussion on human development and our dependence on the ability to communicate and cooperate – something that is always topical in the news and I found to be especially significant regarding our current social climate.
Natalie Haynes Stands Up For The Classics
Having been recommended this series by someone much more intelligent than me, I was a bit apprehensive about listening to it since I have a limited knowledge of classical literature. However, Natalie Haynes ensures that the main points of discussion are clearly introduced and summarised, and she explains the works of the authors/philosophers in a way that makes you feel you are learning a lot in an entertaining way and with little effort. Episodes are combined with light humour and sometimes you will need to know a little about the subject to be ‘in on the joke’ but for the most part Haynes makes plenty of references to popular culture in order to humorise the discussions. In the episode I have listened to most recently, titled ‘Plato’, the expert guests included classicist Professor Edith Hall and psychotherapist Philippa Perry, and alongside Haynes they all had differing opinions on Plato’s literature which made for a highly interesting and controversial discussion.
Natalie Haynes ensures that the main points of discussion are clearly introduced and summarised
I first heard an episode of In Our Time on Radio 4 a few years ago and, as an English Literature student, the episodes focusing on authors and books have been useful to introduce me to topics and focal points for many books. Alongside literature, episodes in this podcast series discuss philosophy, art, history, religion, and science. I do not think this show could be hosted by anyone other than Melvyn Bragg who asks guests probing questions about the authors and their works, and he is very swift to cut the guests off if they are not answering the exact question he asked them. As I typically listen to the literature-based episodes, I find them interesting to listen to either before or after reading the book that it discusses because they often delve into specific moments of the narrative and themes that can pose unexpected ways of reading the texts. At the beginning of the episode Bragg will always give an overview of the author and their writing and so it is a great podcast for people who have no previous knowledge of the subject each episode discusses.
I do not think this show could be hosted by anyone other than Melvyn Bragg who asks guests probing questions about the authors and their works
In these podcasts, English Heritage highlights the personal stories of individuals who lived, worked, and/or fought at the sites they cared for. They are very easy to follow and each episode begins with a summary of what will be discussed. The podcasts do not only relate the historical facts that you would expect from a heritage podcast. They also connect these to current popular culture in order to bring the stories to life. For example, ‘Episode 24 – The story of a real Downton Abbey at Brodsworth Hall and Gardens in South Yorkshire’, discusses links to the popular TV series and, by including popular references such as this, listeners are not just bombarded with facts but can really visualise the lived experience of people in historical sites.
English Heritage highlights the personal stories of individuals who lived, worked, and/or fought at the sites they cared for
One of my favourites, ‘Episode 29 – Rembrandt’s ultimate ‘selfie’ at Kenwood’, includes a discussion of curation at English Heritage and how they are encouraging the use of art to show the similarity between famous historical self-portraits and the digital ‘selfie’ of the 21st century. Many of the podcasts, such as these two, discuss site-specific stories which can provide a great opportunity to impress your friends with what you have learnt when the sites have reopened. English Heritage has another podcast series, Walking with Shadows, but in my experience, this series is best listened to whilst visiting the Heritage site that the episode is about, so I am going to save that for when I can visit the sites.
it was very interesting to hear Balshaw’s opinion of art development over the last twenty years or so
The only episode I have listened to so far is a discussion with Maria Balshaw, Director of the Tate art galleries. It is fascinating to hear about her slightly unconventional career journey and I think that this path has inspired the innovations she has made to the Tate galleries under her directorship. Through this discussion with hosts Russell Tovey and Robert Diament, it was very interesting to hear Balshaw’s opinion of art development over the last twenty years or so. She tells anecdotes about ground-breaking performance art events at Manchester Art Gallery and the Tate. This episode was recorded very recently and so Balshaw gives some perspectives on the boom in virtual engagement with art during this time of lockdown. Other episodes in Talk Art’s current series entitled ‘QuarARTine’ feature guests such as Billy Porter, Sir Elton John, and Somaya Critchlow.
Personally, I have a very limited knowledge of classical music and so this podcast provides great bite-size introductions to some of the most famous classical compositions. Actors and authors, such as Ian McEwan, Tom Hiddleston, and Jesse Eisenberg, among others, introduce their favourite classical pieces and why they are so connected to them. I really enjoy this podcast because it provides a wonderful insight into other people’s appreciation of classical music which allows a novice like me to understand some of the emotion behind the music that I could not really comprehend on my own. Each episode ends with the uninterrupted full-length piece of music, allowing you to enjoy it in full.
For more to keep you occupied during lockdown, check these out:
Comments