A Tree Story

Martin Handley traces the journey of a violin from forest to concert hall via its builder.

• 44 mins

Afterwords: Simone de Beauvoir

A portrait of Simone de Beauvoir through her own words and those of critics and admirers.

• 44 mins

Afterwords: Mary Oliver

A dive into the world of American writer Mary Oliver, with recordings of the poet herself.

• 44 mins

Afterwords: Stuart Hall

The writer and academic Stuart Hall in his own words and those of admirers of his work.

• 44 mins

In Search of the Sublime

In Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, artist Emma Stibbon RA explores the idea of the sublime.

• 44 mins

This Land of Words and Water

A journey into the Ireland of Louis MacNeice’s poetic imagination.

• 44 mins

Aida at 150

Flora Willson tells the story of Verdi's operatic masterpiece from an Egyptian lens.

• 44 mins

Tchaikovsky's Island of Inspiration

How a trip to a remote island monastery inspired Pyotr Tchaikovsky's First Symphony.

• 44 mins

Breaking the Ice

Seán Williams glides through a brief history of lake skating.

• 14 mins

The Pigeons at the British Museum

Will Abberley reconsiders Richard Jefferies's essay The Pigeons at the British Museum.

• 14 mins

Hidden Women and Silenced Scores

Leah Broad uncovers the sometimes shocking stories of three marginalised female composers.

• 44 mins

The Primitivism of Primitivism

Alastair Sooke reassesses the origins and relevance of primitivism in art history.

• 44 mins

The Art of a Day

Why do writers and audiences keep coming back to one-day artworks like Joyce's Ulysses?

• 44 mins

A Chinese Odyssey: Artists, Poets and Exiles in Interwar London

Paul French explores a unique moment in British-Chinese solidarity between 1937 to 1945.

• 44 mins

Nixon in China

Exploring John Adams' opera on the 50th anniversary of President Nixon's visit to China.

• 44 mins

Marian Anderson - Of Thee We Sing

The life and legacy of pioneering contralto Marian Anderson presented by Linton Stephens.

• 44 mins

Florence Price’s Chicago and the Black Female Fellowship

How a unique Chicago musical sisterhood helped the music of Florence Price to thrive.

• 44 mins

Forbidden Fruit

Why the forbidden fruit is not an apple.

• 14 mins

Krishnamurti in England

Paul Purgas reflects on the legacy of spiritual teacher Jiddu Krishnamurti.

• 44 mins

I Arrive without Leaving - The Story of Women Surrealist Poets

Alexandra Reza on the early women surrealist poets and writers who shaped the movement.

• 44 mins

The Ancient Algorithm

Eleanor Rosamund Barraclough delves into the history of runes, the ancient alphabet.

• 44 mins

Here Be Mermaids

Why are mermaids an ideal tool for describing things that our society does not understand?

• 14 mins

Dylan and the Ferry

Dafydd Mills Daniel investigates the story behind an iconic image of Bob Dylan.

• 14 mins

Afterwords: Muriel Spark

Reflections on the work of Muriel Spark, through archive of the author and new interviews.

• 44 mins

Afterwords: Chinua Achebe

The work of Chinua Achebe, in his own words, and in the words of those who knew him.

• 44 mins

Afterwords: Thich Nhat Hanh

A radio portrait of Vietnamese Buddhist monk and author Thich Nhat Hanh.

• 44 mins

City solutions

Professor Des Fitzgerald explores new thinking on the health impact of city life.

• 14 mins

Classical Commonwealth, Part 2

Errollyn Wallen unravels more stories of classical music across the British Commonwealth.

• 44 mins

Yellowstone - The Art of America

How art played a crucial role in creating the world's first national park.

• 44 mins

Frank Johnson, Queen Victoria and the Black Brass Band

Uchenna Ngwe tracks down the remarkable story of an African American musical pioneer.

• 44 mins