LISTEN 
Paul Morley's new book on the North; musical instruments lost and found; news from Cannes.
Monday 10 August 2009, 17:02
While Miriam Margolyes was recording the current Book of the Week, Bluestockings, it became clear that the text had particular meaning for her because she had been a Bluestocking herself. Producer Justine Willett writes:
Cambridge University is celebrating its 800th anniversary this year. And on this week's Book of the Week, you can hear award-winning actress Miriam Margolyes reading Jane Robinson's Bluestockings, the remarkable story of how the first British women went on to get a university education. Miriam, herself a former Newnham College gal, in the early 60s, found reading the book took her back took her back to those extraordinary days at Cambridge, where she shone in the Footlights, made life-long friends, and embraced eccentricity by smoking a pipe...
After the recording, Miriam recorded a few words about Bluestockings:
In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions
All posts are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules.
Friday 7 August 2009, 13:30
Wednesday 12 August 2009, 17:30
Behind the scenes at Radio 4 and Radio 4 Extra from producers, presenters and programme makers.
Stay updated with the latest posts from the blog.
Subscribe using:
Cultural Exchange: Seventy-five leading creative minds choose their favourite cultural work
Find great Arts and Culture programmes, including Front Row's Cultural Exchange, on our website.
Listen to Front Row's Cultural Exchange
Follow BBC Radio 4 & BBC Radio 4 Extra on Twitter for programme highlights and interesting retweets.
Comment number 1.
Lawrence Jones11th August 2009 - 21:01
I wish we could have a break from Oxbridge related broadcasts on Radio 4. Desert Island Discs is probably the main offender – and such guests are rarely interesting. There was a lengthy feature - ‘Bluestocking Women' - on Woman’s Hour in 2008 (1), followed by a comprehensive discussion on the exceptionally popular Woman’s Hour messageboard. I’m aware that Ms. Willett is a WH producer, so would be interested to know if she produced the original WH feature.
Interestingly, one of the most memorable interviews on ‘Feedback’ over recent years comprised three women interviewing the WH editor, Ms. Jill Burridge. They were all highly critical of the ‘bluestocking’ feel to the programme. Ms. Burridge appeared shocked, but the flavour of the programme certainly didn’t change. One of the females who took part in the interview actually posted on the R4 MBs 18 months later. This woman informed boarders that Feedback was supposed to contact them again in order to assess what changes had occurred within WH. Feedback never contacted the women and there certainly wasn’t a Feedback follow-up.
Reference
(1) http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/01/2008_11_tue.shtml
Link to this (Comment number 1)