A Body of Essays: Series 2

A Body of Essays: Chibundu Onuzo - The Fire of Life: The Thyroid

Author Chibundu Onuzo investigates the 'goldilocks' nature of the thyroid gland.

• 15 mins

A Body of Essays: Series 2

A Body of Essays: Philip Kerr - Breaking Brain

Crime writer Philip Kerr explains how brain surgery has advanced over the years.

• 15 mins

A Body of Essays: Series 2

Annie Freud - The Kidneys

Poet and artist Annie Freud discusses the kidneys, the body's most hard-working organs.

• 15 mins

A Body of Essays: Series 2

Thomas Lynch - Whence and Whither: Some Thoughts on Uteri, on Wombs

Michigan-based undertaker and poet Thomas Lynch reflects on the uterus.

• 15 mins

Minds at War: Series 3

Minds at War: James Joyce's Ulysses

Writer Fintan O'Toole reflects on James Joyce's influential novel Ulysses.

• 15 mins

Minds at War: Series 3

Minds at War: Elizabeth Bowen's The Last September

Dr Heather Jones of the LSE explores Elizabeth Bowen's novel The Last September.

• 15 mins

Minds at War: Series 3

Minds at War: Francis Ledwidge's poem O'Connell Street

Gerald Dawe discusses the little-known poet Francis Ledwidge and his poem O'Connell Street

• 15 mins

Minds at War: Series 3

Minds at War: Father Browne's Photograph of a Wounded Soldier

Photographer John D McHugh explores one of the war photos of Father Francis Browne.

• 15 mins

Minds at War: Series 3

Minds at War: Sean O'Casey's The Silver Tassie

Playwright and academic Elizabeth Kuti explores Sean O'Casey's play The Silver Tassie.

• 15 mins

Shakespeare 400

Shakespeare 400: Shakespeare and the Suffragettes

How Shakespeare's heroines helped transform Victorian schoolgirls into Edwardian activists

• 15 mins

Shakespeare 400

Shakespeare 400: Undiscovered Countries - Shakespeare and the Nation

James Loxley explores what Shakespeare's plays say about questions of national identity.

• 15 mins

Shakespeare 400

Shakespeare 400: Wolf All? - Shakespeare and Food in Renaissance England

Joan Fitzpatrick explains her new research on what people ate in Shakepeare's England.

• 15 mins

Shakespeare 400

Shakespeare 400: Freedom of Speech or 'Nothing' - King Lear and Contemporary India

Preti Taneja considers Shakespeare's King Lear as a lens through which to view India today

• 15 mins

Shakespeare 400

Shakespeare 400: Shakespeare Beyond London

Siobhan Keenan on the importance of touring to Shakespeare and the actors in his plays.

• 15 mins

Lines of Work

Lines of Work: Teacher Francis Gilbert on Rousseau

Lecturer Francis Gilbert reflects on Rousseau's template for a perfect education Emile.

• 15 mins

Lines of Work

Lines of Work: Theatre Critic Susannah Clapp on Oscar Wilde

Theatre critic Susannah Clapp exchanges views with Oscar Wilde and his essays on criticism

• 15 mins

Lines of Work

Lines of Work: Soldier Harry Parker on Ulysses S Grant

Soldier Harry Parker reflects on the personal memoirs of Ulysses S Grant.

• 15 mins

Lines of Work

Lines of Work: Journalist Helen Lewis on John Milton

Journalist Helen Lewis reads poet John Milton's defence of a free press, Areopagitica.

• 15 mins

Lines of Work

Lines of Work: Gardener Jackie Bennett on Francis Bacon

Gardener Jackie Bennett responds to Elizabethan thinker Francis Bacon's essay Of Gardens.

• 15 mins

The Art of Storytelling

The Art of Storytelling: Edmund de Waal

Artist and writer Edmund de Waal considers the idea of storytelling through objects.

• 15 mins

The Art of Storytelling

The Art of Storytelling: Jon Gower

Writer Jon Gower recalls lessons learned from a master storyteller: his grandfather.

• 15 mins

The Art of Storytelling

The Art of Storytelling: Clemency Burton Hill

Broadcaster Clemency Burton-Hill considers the relationship between storytelling and music

• 15 mins

The Art of Storytelling

The Art of Storytelling: David Crystal

Professor David Crystal asks how we can preserve for the future the story of language.

• 15 mins

The Art of Storytelling

The Art of Storytelling: Emma Smith

Professor Emma Smith considers William Shakespeare's skills as a storyteller.

• 15 mins

Get Playing

Alistair McGowan on playing the Piano

Impressionist and actor Alistair McGowan describes his attempts to relearn the piano.

• 15 mins

Get Playing

Get Playing: Joanne Harris on playing the flute and bass guitar

Writer Joanne Harris discusses her love of playing the flute and bass guitar.

• 15 mins

Get Playing

Get Playing: Poet Fiona Sampson on playing the violin

Poet Fiona Sampson discusses her early life as a violinist.

• 15 mins

Get Playing

Get Playing: Peter Bradshaw's electric guitar

Film critic Peter Bradshaw describes how he was reunited with his electric guitar.

• 15 mins

Get Playing

Get Playing: Alexander McCall Smith on the saxophone and the Really Terrible Orchestra

Writer Alexander McCall Smith on playing saxophone and the Really Terrible Orchestra.

• 15 mins

The Shopping News

Rome

Joanna Robertson argues that when Romans go shopping they buy into a local identity.

• 15 mins