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Words and Music Episodes

  1. Coming of Age

    Josh O'Connor and Lydia Wilson with readings from Shakespeare to a bar mitzvah poem.

  2. 150 Years of The Royal Albert Hall

    Josie Lawrence and Petroc Trelawny with readings and music performed at the London venue.

  3. Theatre

    Rory Kinnear and Indira Varma pull open the curtains for a celebration of acting

  4. Twelve

    Twelve jury members, Norse gods, eggs, tone composition, bar blues and Force 12.

  5. Money

    Jonathan Keeble and Emily Pithon with readings from Trollope to Larkin and Imtiaz Dharker.

  6. Fruit and Vegetables

    From Nigel Slater to Nina Simone's Forbidden Fruit and Handel's Ruddier than the Cherry.

  7. The 1920s

    From the Harlem Renaissance and the Great Gatsby to the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb.

  8. Audre Lorde's World

    Jade Anouka and Lorde鈥檚 children read Lorde's work, from her poems to her cancer diaries.

  9. Light in the Darkness

    From Philip Pullman and music inspired by the aurora borealis to candlelight in poetry.

  10. The Body

    From tattoos to massage, pregnancy to posture devices, excavations to emotional outbursts.

  11. Razor Sharp

    From clam shells to barbers, sharp words to sharp notes.

  12. Crip Creativity

    Music from Beethoven to Evelyn Glennie. Readings of Milton, Alice Walker and Sue Townsend.

  13. Magic Numbers

    Sule Rimi and Alibe Parsons find beauty and wisdom in digits, numerals, and counting.

  14. This Haunted Land

    Readings from Donne, MR James, Mary Karr. Music includes The Wicker Man, Britten & Bartok.

  15. Latin America: Spears, Jaguars and Eagles

    The Spanish colonisation of the Americas depicted by indigenous peoples and the invaders.

  16. Wordsworth's World

    Noma Dumezweni reads from Dorothy's journals - Roger Ringrose reads her brother's poems.

  17. Getting Together

    Poets and novelists reflect on time spent in groups. Read by Souad Faress and Raj Ghatak.

  18. Everyday Heroism

    Doctors, nurses, teachers, parents.

  19. Animal Kingdom

    Actors Emily Bruni and Nicholas Farrell read poems on lambs, cats, pigs and a donkey

  20. The Black Sun

    Inspired by Robert Oppenheimer's work on the first atomic bomb and the fall-out from that.

  21. The Power of Music

    Readings by Clarke Peters and Maggie Service in the run up to 100 years of the 蜜芽传媒 Singers

  22. Looking Back on Childhood

    Poets and writers reflect on their childhoods. Read by Rebecca Lacey and Abraham Popoola.

  23. Rest and Respite

    Poems of pause and peace, read by David Ajao and Florence Roberts.

  24. Crossed Wires

    Tales of telephones and miscommunication, read by Jonathan Keeble and Briony Rawle.

  25. Flights of Fancy

    Barbara Flynn and Hugo Speer with readings and music on imaginative and physical flight.

  26. Dickens's World

    Sam West reads the letters of Charles Dickens, marking the 150th anniversary of his death

  27. Only Connect

    Inspired by the words of EM Forster, we explore ways of connecting in music and literature

  28. Derek Jarman's Garden

    Tilda Swinton and Samuel Barnett with readings from and inspired by Derek Jarman's work.

  29. Gratitude

    Florence Nightingale to VE day, Clive James on critics to Audrey Hepburn's note of thanks.

  30. Easter

    From Easter flowers to Passover meals and midnight church services.

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