Shows
BacklistedRound the Fire Stories by Arthur Conan DoyleHappy Hallowe'en 2024! Join John, Andy and Nicky, plus guests Andrew Male and Dr Laura Varnam - AKA the Backlisted Irregulars - for this year's Hallowe'en special, celebrating Arthur Conan Doyle's "grotesque and terrible" Round the Fire Stories, first published in 1908. As he was the first to point out, there was much more to Conan Doyle than merely being the creator of Sherlock Holmes; he was a multifaceted and energetic man, a true force of human nature. In addition to being the quintessential 'ripping yarns', these tales of mystery and suspense reveal their author to us in ways he did n...2024-10-311h 05
Poetry worth hearingPoetry Worth Hearing: Episode 27This episode has the theme 'canonical' and features an interview with the founder of Live Canon and poems by John Greening, Laura Varnam, Matt Bryden, Beck Reynolds, Margot Myers, Nick Grundy, Rosie Jackson and Inge Milfull. Information on poets and publications and texts of unpublished poems at poetryworthhearing.biz2024-10-241h 05BacklistedSir Gawain and the Green KnightSir Gawain and the Green Knight is the subject of this episode of Backlisted. Dr Martin Shaw and Dr Laura Varnam (hwaet Laura!) join Andy and John to discuss this late 14th-century chivalric romance - or subversion thereof - written in Middle English alliterative verse, author unknown. We discuss the poem's chequered history and a variety of translations by Simon Armitage, J.R.R. Tolkien, Marie Borroff and Dr Shaw himself. We also take a look at some of the film, TV and radio adaptations of the poem, the most recent of which is The Green Knight (2021), starring Dev Pat...2024-06-181h 10BacklistedThe Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: The Original Radio Scripts by Douglas AdamsThe work of Douglas Adams - comic genius, futurologist and erstwhile hitchhiker - is the subject of this episode of Backlisted, in particular The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: The Original Radio Scripts, first published by Pan Books in 1985. H2G2, as it is known to fans, was a cultural phenomenon in the true sense of that degraded term: first a hit radio show, then a bestselling novel, then a double LP, then a stage adaptation, then a second radio series, then another novel, then a video game, then a TV series, then another LP, then a third nov...2024-06-041h 21BacklistedThe Good Soldier by Ford Madox FordNovelist Alex Michaelides (The Silent Patient, The Fury) joins Andy and John to discuss Ford Madox Ford's classic novel The Good Soldier (1915), a tale of passion in which, owing to a narrator of almost comic unreliability, nothing can be taken for granted. It is a book that seems to change on every reading, both a kaleidoscopic psychological drama and 'the saddest story I have ever heard'. During his lifetime 'Fordie' was, variously, a prolific author, a publisher of historical note, a notable polyamorist and a serial liar; we consider the extent to which the character of John Dowell inThe Goo...2024-05-281h 01
Fantasy LiteratureTolkien and BeowulfA talk by Dr Laura Varnam on Tolkien's long engagement with the Old English poem 'Beowulf' as part of the Tolkien 50th Commemoration seminar series. A talk by Dr Laura Varnam, University College, Oxford, on Tolkien's long engagement with the Old English poem 'Beowulf'. Part of the series to mark the 50th anniversary of Tolkien's death organised and hosted by Exeter College and the Faculty of English.2023-12-1149 min
In Our Time: ReligionJulian of NorwichMelvyn Bragg and guests discuss the anchoress and mystic who, in the late fourteenth century, wrote about her visions of Christ suffering, in a work since known as Revelations of Divine Love. She is probably the first named woman writer in English, even if questions about her name and life remain open. Her account is an exploration of the meaning of her visions and is vivid and bold, both in its imagery and theology. From her confined cell in a Norwich parish church, in a land beset with plague, she dealt with the nature of sin and with the...2023-11-1650 min
In Our TimeJulian of NorwichMelvyn Bragg and guests discuss the anchoress and mystic who, in the late fourteenth century, wrote about her visions of Christ suffering, in a work since known as Revelations of Divine Love. She is probably the first named woman writer in English, even if questions about her name and life remain open. Her account is an exploration of the meaning of her visions and is vivid and bold, both in its imagery and theology. From her confined cell in a Norwich parish church, in a land beset with plague, she dealt with the nature of sin and with the...2023-11-1650 minBacklistedGhost Stories Of An Antiquary by M.R. JamesPour yourself a glass of sherry and light a candle, as we dedicate this year's Halloween special to Ghost Stories of an Antiquary (1904), the first collection by M.R. James, probably the most celebrated and influential exponent of the weird tale. With the help of undead guests Andrew Male and Laura Varnam we illuminate the life and work of a strange and singular author, one whose writings, like the engraving in 'The Mezzotint', have truly taken on a life of their own.* To purchase any of the books mentioned in this episode please visit our bookshop at u...2023-10-311h 13
My Favourite MysticMy Favourite Mystic 21: Laura Varnam and Laura Kalas on Margery KempeIn this episode AJ Langley speaks to the "Margery Kempe Lauras", Laura Varnam and Laura Kalas about the wonderous Margery Kempe, and their new volume Encountering The Book of Margery Kempe, out this month (November 2021) from Manchester University Press. We talk about how Kempe's work invites the reader in, her place among her mystical and religious contemporaries, toe fondling, pike-gate, and Jesus Christ breastfeeding within Margery's soul. We also get a complete run down of the table of contents of this exciting new volume!
You can order Encountering The Book of Margery Kempe from Manchester University Press...2021-11-1151 min
BacklistedSomething in Disguise by Elizabeth Jane HowardFor this year's Hallowe'en special we're joined by Backlisted's old fiends Andrew Male and Laura Varnam, following previous guest appearances on episodes dedicated to Beowulf (2020) and Daphne du Maurier's The Breaking Point (2019). Together we explore the work of the novelist Elizabeth Jane Howard, specifically her ghost stories, tales of horror and accounts of psychological terror: Something in Disguise (1969), Odd Girl Out (1972), Mr Wrong (1975), Falling (1999), and We Are For the Dark (1951), the volume of strange stories she co-authored with previous Backlisted subject Robert Aickman. NB. THIS EPISODE IS PACKED WITH SPOILERS and you may wish to read Something in Disguise...2021-10-311h 17
BacklistedBeowulfIt's our Hallowe'en special ! For this year’s Hallowe’en episode our subject is the Old English poem, Beowulf, composed somewhere in England more than a thousand years ago. The atmospheric tale of supernatural monsters and human heroes has inspired scores of translations over the centuries and we will discuss several, including versions by Seamus Heaney, J.R.R. Tolkien, Michael Morpurgo and the powerful new translation by Maria Dahvana Headley (the 2007 computer-animated film adaptation by Robert Zemeckis and Neil Gaiman also makes an appearance). Andy and John are joined by regular Backlisted Hallowe’en guest Andrew Male, the senior associ...2020-10-261h 24
BacklistedThe Breaking Point by Daphne du MaurierIt's Halloween! Daphne du Maurier's The Breaking Point AKA The Blue Lenses is a collection of psychological horror stories that was first published in 1959. Joining John and Andy to discuss it are academic and du Maurier expert Dr Laura Varnam and, returning for Halloween, writer and critic Andrew Male. We also talk about the haunting books Andy and John have been reading this week: Copsford by Walter J.C. Murray (Little Toller) and The World of the Unknown: All About Ghosts by Christopher Maynard (Usborne).Timings: (may differ due to variable advert length)6'19 - The World of the Unknown...2019-10-281h 06
The Heavy Flow PodcastEpisode 01: The Fifth Vital Sign with Kelsey Knight + Emily VarnamIt’s here! The VERY FIRST episode of The Heavy Flow Podcast and I am so excited to be chatting with Emily Varnam and Kelsey Knight of The Fifth Vital Sign. We talk about the role menstrual cycles play in our overall health and wellness, teaching kids about reproductive health, how to start tuning into your body, informed consent and navigating the medical system, and of course Kelsey and Emily’s 1,500-mile tour through 43 states! Listen now Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Email | RSS Connect with Emily and Kelsey: Website Instagram2017-09-071h 11