The Essay - Dear Jonathan Swift...
Download Dear Jonathan Swift...
'Dear Geoffrey Chaucer, Can I call you Geoff..?'
In a series of imaginary correspondences, novelist Ian Sansom writes letters to five of literary history's most celebrated figures and interrogates them about their art.
'Oh Agatha Christie, Please - do tell - what is the secret of your success?'
As his correspondence unfolds, queries are raised, jealousies revealed, concerns aired.
'Dear Virginia Woolf, Please accept my apologies. For a long time I thought you represented everything that's wrong with literature...'
How exactly does George Eliot do it? Why is it so difficult? And what's that Jonathan Swift just called him?
Producer: Conor Garrett.
Published on Tuesday, 8th November 2016.
Available Podcasts from The Essay
We are not the BBC, we only list available podcasts. To find out more about the programme including episodes available on BBC iPlayer, go to the The Essay webpage.