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Open Book - Al Murray on Thackeray, and a History of Women's Writing Part Two

With Mariella Frostrup. Comedian Al Murray on his great, great, great grandfather William Makepeace Thackeray; and the series A Hundred Years of Women's Writing continues.

Mariella Frostrup presents the second part of her series examining the history of women's writing in the last hundred years. This week in A Book of One's Own she explores fiction of the 1930s and 40s - a time when the vote had been won but sexual inequality was still rife - with the help of writers and critics including Hermione Lee, Virginia Woolf's biographer, and feminist publisher Carmen Calil.

With the bicentenary of William Makepeace Thackeray's birth fast approaching we ask comedian Al Murray to tell us about his great, great, great grandfather and why he thinks Vanity Fair is still as relevant today as it was when it was first written in 1848.

Plus, we find out about a new charitable scheme which is giving away books for free.

Producer: Ella-mai Robey.

  • Broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 4:00PM Thu, 21 Jul 2011
  • Available until 12:00AM Thu, 1 Jan 2099
  • First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 4:00PM Sun, 17 Jul 2011
  • Categories
  • Duration 30 minutes

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