The Essay Series

1. A Beep Heard Around the World

   ...World. Four personal essays marking the 50th anniversary in 2007 of Sputnik's launch

   

2. A Cretan Spring

   Adam Nicolson and Sarah Raven observe the arrival of spring as it travels across Crete

   

3. A Dark History of British Gardening

   Jenny Uglow on the less lovely aspects of the British character that blossom in the garden

   

4. A Five-Day Journey

   Robert Macfarlane walks along the South Downs, discovering its chalk paths and its ghosts.

   

5. A Good Death

   Series of personal and very powerful essays in which writers ponder the art of dying

   

6. A Laureate's Life

   Series exploring laureateship around the world, coinciding with Andrew Motion's retirement

   

7. A Letter to My Body

   Thinkers, artists and writers ask themselves how they relate to their own bodies

   

8. A Passion for Opera

   Series in which people linked with the world of opera describe their relationship to it

   

9. A Robert Schumann Album

   Series revealing different aspects of Robert Schumann's life and work

   

10. A Sense of Ourselves

    Four writers and immigrants to Britain give an outsider's perspective on Britishness today

    

11. A Tribute to Mr Purcell

    Series on the life and music of composer and organist Henry Purcell

    

12. An Informal History of the Male Nude

    Series of essays exploring the meaning of the male nude in the visual arts

    

13. Antony Gormley's Seminal Sculpture

    Artist Antony Gormley discusses key sculptures and art installations of the 20th century

    

14. Architecture: The Fourth R

    Architect Sunand Prasad discusses the importance to us of buildings

    

15. Aspects of Grainger

    Series of programmes devoted to the life and work of composer and pianist Percy Grainger

    

16. Before 'Silent Spring'

    Writers, scientists and environmental campaigners trace the roots of the green movement

    

17. Bram Stoker

    Series examining the life and work of Irish novelist Bram Stoker

    

18. Britain's Hidden Slave Trade

    John Gilmore and Angelina Osborne visit four places connected with the British slave trade

    

19. British Cinema of the 40s

    Simon Heffer considers 1940s British films in terms of their social and political message.

    

20. British War Films of the 50s

    Historian and writer Simon Heffer celebrates British military films made in the 1950s

    

21. Checkmate

    Series exploring the history and importance of chess around the world

    

22. Chekhov Essays

    Series exploring Anton Chekhov's legacy to today's theatre actors and writers

    

23. Chopin

    Pianist Piers Lane explores aspects of Fryderyk Chopin's life and work

    

24. Conflict and Culture

    Julian Jackson investigates the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, a cultural catalyst

    

25. Couples

    Frederic Raphael explores the theme of couples throughout culture and society

    

26. Dark Arcadias

    Series exploring the history of an idea

    

27. Darwin's Children

    Writers examine some of the various fields in which Darwin's theories have been used

    

28. Death and the Philosopher

    Series of essays exploring the relationship between death and the philosopher

    

29. Doctoring Philosophy

    Jonathan Wolff explores the philosophical beliefs at the heart of the NHS

    

30. Earth Music Bristol

    Series of essays inspired by the musical content of the first Earth Music Bristol festival

    

31. Elgar's 150th Anniversary

    Commentators reflect on Elgar in his time and after, exploring his complex personality

    

32. Emotional Landscapes

    Five leading writers interpret a particular emotion

    

33. Emotional Landscapes

    Four writers give personal insights into different emotional states

    

34. English Takeaway

    Series exploring British perspectives of China

    

35. Enlightenment Voices

    Series introducing great scientists, thinkers and activists of the European Enlightenment

    

36. Five Easy Pieces

    Series in which Christopher Ricks explores short poems he considers are worth remembering

    

37. Free Thinking

    A series of writers reflect on the idea of freedom

    

38. Free Thinking 2010

    Series recorded in front of an audience at BBC Radio 3's Free Thinking festival 2010

    

39. Freedom

    Series in which five writers consider the meaning of freedom to them

    

40. From Pens to Ploughshares

    Series on the Arts and Crafts Movement, which made beautiful objects for basic human needs

    

41. Germany Dreaming

    After a bizarre dream, author and critic Michael Bracewell explores all things German

    

42. Golding Remembered

    Series exploring different aspects of novelist William Golding's life and work

    

43. Greek and Latin Voices

    A series examining the literature that underpins Western civilisation

    

44. Greek and Latin Voices (Augustine)

    A series examining literature that underpins Western civilisation, focusing on Augustine

    

45. Greek and Latin Voices (Cicero)

    A series examining the culture that underpins Western civilisation, focusing on Cicero

    

46. Greek and Latin Voices (Euripides)

    A series examining literature that underpins Western civilisation, focusing on Euripides

    

47. Greek and Latin Voices (Herodotus)

    A series examining the culture that underpins Western civilisation, focusing on Herodotus

    

48. Greek and Latin Voices (Horace)

    Series about the literature which underpins Western civilisation, focusing on Horace

    

49. Greek and Latin Voices (Juvenal)

    A series examining the culture that underpins Western civilisation, focusing on Juvenal

    

50. Greek and Latin Voices (Plato)

    Chris Pelling introduces the life, work and teaching method of the Greek philosopher Plato

    

51. Greek and Latin Voices (Sappho)

    An introduction to the ancient Greek lyric Poet Sappho

    

52. Greek and Latin Voices (Tacitus)

    A series examining the culture that underpins Western civilisation, focusing on Tacitus

    

53. Greek and Latin Voices (Thucydides)

    Series about the literature which underpins Western civilisation, focusing on Thucydides

    

54. Greek and Latin Voices (Virgil)

    Series on the enduring influence of the Roman poet Virgil

    

55. Half Shame, Half Glory - Postcards from the Acting Profession

    Five actors give their thoughts on what it means to be a member of their profession

    

56. Happily Ever After

    Contemporary children's authors and editors each explore a fictional family in literature.

    

57. Haydn Essays

    Series considering different aspects of Haydn's life, work and reputation

    

58. Head in the Clouds

    Series of essays on the role of clouds in art, architecture and the cultural imagination

    

59. Henry, King of Kings

    Series detailing key aspects of Henry VIII's 38-year reign

    

60. Here's Looking at Me

    Series exploring five paintings hanging in the National Portrait Gallery in London

    

61. Home Rule for the Soul

    Series in which Sunil Khilnani discusses Gandhi's first major work, Hind Swaraj

    

62. How Pleasant to Know Mr Lear

    Series about Edward Lear's poetry and art, and the influence of 'nonsense' on modern life

    

63. I Confess: The Power of the Confession

    Series on the history of confessions, which link the legal world of Cicero to our own

    

64. In Search of Contentment

    Four writers explore how to achieve contentment and the contented people they have met

    

65. InterRail Postcards

    Series in which writers discuss how new technology has changed student travel forever

    

66. It Talks

    Series exploring key developments in the history of money

    

67. It's Big and It's Beautiful

    ...Beautiful. Christine Finn uncovers the appeal of large and redundant technology

    

68. John Milton, the Essayist

    Series in which various writers and intellectuals respond to essays by John Milton

    

69. Johnson Now

    Writers from across the world reflect on the linguistic heritage of Samuel Johnson

    

70. Karachi Postcards

    London-based novelist Kamila Shamsie decides to explore Karachi, her city of birth

    

71. Land and Sea and Sky

    Artists living on the UK coast on the personal and cultural importance of being there

    

72. Life But Not As We Know It

    A biologist, a writer and a philosopher each explore the notion of alien intelligence

    

73. Lingua Franca

    Michael Rosen embarks on the winding road through the roots of European language

    

74. Listener, They Won It

    Writers explore how sports have been captured in the arts

    

75. Listener, They Wore It

    Writers explore the meaning of clothes and accessories in a particular work of art

    

76. Looking and Looking Away

    Reflections on various aspects of the life, work and influence of German writer WG Sebald.

    

77. Looking for Ghosts

    Michael Goldfarb searches for forgotten figures who were important to Jewish emancipation

    

78. Loving the Raven

    Series in which enthusiasts explore the enduring legacy and cult status of Edgar Allan Poe

    

79. Maths and Music

    Marcus du Sautoy explores the connections between the art of music and the logic of maths

    

80. Meanings of Mountains

    Series about relationships that different peoples of the world have with their mountains

    

81. Mentors

    Writers reflect on the role of inspirational mentor figures in their artistic development.

    

82. Montaigne

    Series of essays on the life and work of French philosopher and writer Michel de Montaigne

    

83. My Son the Fiddler

    Author Christopher Hope recalls watching his son Daniel become a renowned violinist

    

84. Naturalists: Animals and Human Nature

    Biographies of contemporary animal lovers and the creatures and landscapes they championed

    

85. Nature in China

    Series in which writer Robert Macfarlane goes in search of what remains of wild China

    

86. New Archaeologies

    Series of personal essays about the archaeology of the recent past

    

87. New Generation Thinkers

    Series of essays read by some of the BBC's New Generation Thinkers

    

88. New Mystery Plays

    Series of new dramas updating stories from the Old Testament to contemporary settings

    

89. Night Walks

    Writers walk after dark and report on what they see, feel and think about their travels

    

90. Nightwalks

    Writers fond of walking explore how the activity is dramatically transformed at night time

    

91. No Particular Place to Go

    Four travel writers examine British travel literature that changed our view of the world

    

92. North East Free Thinkers

    Series on the achievements of significant figures and institutions from the North East

    

93. On Directing

    Series in which film and theatre directors reflect on their craft

    

94. On Excess

    Psychotherapist Adam Phillips considers what part aspects of excess play in our lives

    

95. Paulin on Blake

    Tom Paulin explores the life and works of the great English visionary, poet and artist

    

96. Pinter's Voices

    Series of personal essays about the playwright Harold Pinter, who died in December 2008

    

97. Postcards

    Susannah Clapp looks through the postcards she has received from writers and artists

    

98. Postcards from Istanbul

    Five writers and intellectuals give their views on Istanbul, Turkey's largest city

    

99. Raising My Voice

    Artists from different fields consider the impact of mental health problems on creativity

    

100. Raising My Voice

     Four artists consider the impact of mental health problems on their creativity

     

101. Reflections on Caravaggio

     John Gash reflects on the innovative style and tempestuous life of the Milanese painter

     

102. Requiem for Networks

     Ken Hollings discusses the history, power and revolutionary change of information networks

     

103. Rewiring the Mind

     David Hendy examines the ways in which the electronic media have shaped the modern mind

     

104. Richard Cork's Great Encounters

     Art critic Richard Cork describes his encounters with artists from around the world

     

105. Robert Graves and the Poetic Myth

     ...Poetic Myth. Graeme Fife on love and the use of myth in the poetry of Robert Graves

     

106. Running the World

     Geographer Hayden Lorimer discusses his obsession with running

     

107. Secret Places in the Four Quartets

     Poet Craig Raine investigates the mystical dimension of TS Eliot's Four Quartets

     

108. Shakespeare and Love

     Exploring Shakespeare's relationship to love and how his work affects perceptions of love.

     

109. Shakespeare Around the Globe

     Writers from around the world explain the importance of Shakespeare in their own countries

     

110. Strange Encounters

     Four scientists relive a key moment in their discipline

     

111. Strange Encounters - Series 2

     Series in which scientists re-examine ground-breaking scientific experiments

     

112. Symmetry and the Monster

     Series exploring the quest to understand one of most famous mathematical problems

     

113. Tagore and the Bengali Sensibility

     Amit Chaudhuri explores the work and influence of Bengali polymath Rabindranath Tagore

     

114. Tennyson 200

     Four contemporary British poets choose a Tennyson poem and explain its importance to them

     

115. The Age of Creativity

     Series in which writers, composers and poets explore how ageing affects creative artists

     

116. The Antarcticans

     Series about living and working in the Antarctic

     

117. The Book that Changed Me

     Writers, academics and journalists discuss the books that inspired them in their careers

     

118. The Case for Doubt

     Series in which people discuss the idea that doubt is more useful than fixed beliefs

     

119. The Cult of Childhood

     Four essays exploring the theme of childhood in literary culture. With Deborah Bowman

     

120. The Darkest Hour

     Series on sleeplessness and the creative life

     

121. The Elephant in the Poetry Reading

     Scottish poets describe how they view their own writing in relation to Robert Burns's

     

122. The Essay: The Father Instinct

     Writer Lou Stein explores the connections between being a father and artistic creativity

     

123. The Future's Not What it Used to Be

     ...it used to Be. Exploring literary visions of utopia, asking where it all went wrong

     

124. The Great and Good Mr Handel

     ...Handel. Series exploring various areas of Handel's life and work

     

125. The Great Essayists

     Writer and philosopher AC Grayling explores the rich tradition of English essay writing.

     

126. The King Returned

     Jonathan Sawday paints a picture of Restoration Britain, exploring politics and science

     

127. The Life Cycle of a Fictional Character - An Alternative History of the Novel

     Critic James Wood explores aspects of novelistic technique through a fictional character

     

128. The Lives of Others

     Anthropologists discuss the status of their discipline, its responsibilities and practices

     

129. The Mews

     Poet, writer and falconer Helen Macdonald on rearing and training a female goshawk

     

130. The Monumental Imperative

     Sculptor Alexander Stoddart reveals the art and work behind works that inspire him

     

131. The Music Appreciation Movement

     Musicologist Richard Witts describes the development of Music Appreciation

     

132. The Mystical Turn

     Jane Shaw on a renewed interest in mysticism from the late 19th to the early 20th century.

     

133. The Other Empire

     Julian Jackson tells the story of France's imperial past

     

134. The Path and the Poem

     Poet and critic Andrew Motion considers the link between walking and writing

     

135. The Scientist and the Romantic

     Nature writer Richard Mabey on his relationship with science and the natural world

     

136. The Sound and the Fury

     Author and journalist Andrew Martin discusses noises that annoy us

     

137. The Stewarts

     Writers and historians discuss different aspects of the Stewart dynasty and their rule

     

138. The Team Photo

     Writers discuss a team photo from their past and consider when one is captured in a group.

     

139. The Utopian Dream - and its Disappointments

     Dr Jane Shaw explores why human beings persist in trying to build utopias

     

140. The World Turned Upside Down

     Writers former Warsaw Pact nations on the changing meaning of a seemingly banal object

     

141. The Writer's Dickens

     Contemporary novelists examine the craft of Charles Dickens's prose

     

142. Thomas Lynch's Feast of Language

     Thomas Lynch, a poet, essayist and funeral director, discusses his favourite poets

     

143. To Russia with Love

     Writers examine some of the passions that led to a life-long relationship with Russia

     

144. Tolstoy

     Series in which people explain their passion for Tolstoy's works and the Russia he evokes.

     

145. Tomorrow is Today

     Series on the arts in Northern Ireland since the signing of 1998's Good Friday Agreement

     

146. Under the Influence

     Series in which contemporary poets write about others whose work has influenced their own

     

147. Under the Influence

     People working in the arts discuss important influences on their careers

     

148. Under the Influence

     Contemporary poets talk about poets whose work has influenced their own

     

149. Vaughan Williams in the BBC Archives

     Series of radio talks for the BBC given by Ralph Vaughan Williams in his later years

     

150. Visions of Mary

     Series in which academics discuss the Virgin Mary within and outside of Christianity

     

151. What Is History, Today?

     Series marking the anniversary of the publication in 1961 of EH Carr's What Is History?

     

152. When Writers Play

     Three writers are invited to describe their alternative talents as musicians

     

153. When Writers Play (Series 2)

     Five writers describe their passions and possibly talents for playing a musical instrument

     

154. Wild Things

     Poet and writer Ruth Padel explores our reactions to five British wild animals

     

155. Wild Things II

     Series in which poet and writer Ruth Padel explores our reactions to native wild animals

     

156. William Hazlitt - Philosopher

     Series arguing that William Hazlitt was a committed philosopher and a great essayist

     

157. Work-Life Balance

     A chronological history of the so-called work-life balance, from the 18th Century to today