Close Readings is a new multi-series podcast subscription from the London Review of Books. Two contributors explore areas of literature through a selection of key works, providing an introductory grounding like no other. Listen to some episodes for free here, and extracts from our ongoing subscriber-only series. How To Subscribe In Apple Podcasts, click 'subscribe' at the top of this podcast feed to unlock the full episodes. Or for other podcast apps, sign up here: https://lrb.me/closereadings Running in 2024: On Satire with Clare Bucknell and Colin Burrow Human Conditions with Adam Shatz, Judith Butler, Pankaj Mishra and Brent Hayes Edwards Among the Ancients II with Emily Wilson and Thomas Jones Political Poems with Seamus Perry and Mark Ford Medieval LOLs with Irina Dumitrescu and Mary Wellesley Four new series starting in January 2025: CONVERSATIONS IN PHILOSOPHY with Jonathan Rée and James Wood FICTION AND THE FANTASTIC with Marina Warner, Anna Della Subin and other guests LOVE AND DEATH with Seamus Perry and Mark Ford NOVEL APPROACHES with Clare Bucknell, Thomas Jones and other guests Get in touch: podcasts@lrb.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Were the Middle Ages funny? To answer that question, Mary Wellesley and Irina Dumitrescu hunt through some of the rudest, silliest and surprising works in English literature in search of the Medieval sense of humour. Mary Wellesley and Irina Dumitrescu are both writers and historians, and regular contributors to the London Review of Books. Sign up to listen to this series ad free and all our subscriber series in full, including Mary and Irina's twelve-part series Medieval Beginnings: Directly in Apple Podcasts: https://lrb.me/medlolapplesignup In other podcast apps: https://lrb.me/medlolscsignup Get in touch: podcasts@lrb.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Seamus Perry and Mark Ford return for a second series of their acclaimed, 'revolutionary, *****' (The Times) podcast series looking at the lives and works of poets in the late 19th and 20th centuries. Seamus Perry is Professor of English at the University of Oxford and Mark Ford is Professor of English at University College London. Modern-ish Poets is part of the Close Readings podcast collection from the London Review of Books. To listen to the first series of Modern-ish Poets, and to Seamus and Mark's twelve-part series The Long and Short, sign up to the Close Readings subscription: Directly in Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3pJoFPq In other podcast apps: https://lrb.me/closereadings Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From dragons and one-eyed giants to divine visions and friendly otters, Irina Dumitrescu and Mary Wellesley roam the strange and wonderful literary landscape of the Middle Ages, from Beowulf to Sir John Mandeville, by way of Chaucer, Sir Gawain and plenty of far-fetched romance. Irina Dumitrescu and Mary Wellesley are both writers and historians, and regular contributors to the London Review of Books. Medieval Beginnings is part of the Close Readings podcasts collection from the London Review of Books. To unlock all the episodes in this series, and all our other Close Readings series, subscribe: In Apple Directly at the top of this podcast or here: https://apple.co/3XTS9H8 In Spotify and other apps Here: lrb.me/closereadings Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Seamus Perry and Mark Ford consider poems that have been understood, admired and perhaps criticised for their politics, ranging across several hundred years of literary history. Mark Ford is Professor of English at University College, London, and Seamus Perry is Professor of English Literature at Balliol College, Oxford. Political Poems is part of the Close Readings podcast collection from the London Review of Books. Listen to this episode ad free, and get full access to all our Close Readings series, including more from Mark and Seamus: Sign up to the Close Readings subscription to listen ad free and to all our series in full: Directly in Apple Podcasts: https://lrb.me/ppapplesignup In other podcast apps: https://lrb.me/ppsignup Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark Ford and Seamus Perry folllow on from their ‘revolutionary ☆☆☆☆☆’ (The Times) series on 'Modern-ish Poets' , to look at long poems and the short stories in 19th- and 20th-century literature. Episodes will appear on the 24th of each month. Mark Ford is Professor of English at University College, London, and Seamus Perry is Professor of English Literature at Balliol College, Oxford. The Long and Short is part of the Close Readings podcasts collection from the London Review of Books. Subscribe here or on the London Review of Books channel and access all our Close Readings series in full. Find our channel page here: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/channel/london-review-of-books/id6450677311