British Writers - The Spoken Word
Rudyard Kipling, J R R Tolkein, Daphne du Maurier, John le Carré and many other great British Writers are included on this 3 CD set.30 writers are represented, talking about their lives and work. The recordings derive primarily from BBC broadcasts from the 1930s to the lates 1980s, and include historic recordings of the first generation of writers whose voices survive through to senior figures of the present day.The majority of the recordings have not been published before.Highlights include the sole remaining recordings of Virginia Woolf and Arthur Conan Doyle, P G Wodehouse talking about Jeeves and Wooster and Ian Fleming's 'Desert Island Discs' appearance.
Listen to sample tracksusing Windows Media Player:
Arthur Conan Doyle talks about the creation of Sherlock Holmes, recorded on 14 May 1930
Virginia Woolf talks about 'Craftsmanship' in the series 'Words Fail Me', broadcast on 29 April 1937
Reviews
What is so enjoyable about the collection is its capacity to surprise.
The Sunday Times
'For many listeners British Writers and American Writers will be the incontestable jewel in the crown....Whether one knows their work or not, all will prove to be worth hearing from'.
Smithsonian.com
'a must for any audio library'
The Telegraph
'utterly absorbing'
The Times
Track listing
Disc One
1. Arthur Conan Doyle [1859 ?1930]
Conan Doyle Speaking
2. Arthur Machen [1863-1947]
Points of View
3. Baroness Emmuska ('Emma') Orczy [1865-1947]
Talk on the original conception of the Scarlet Pimpernel
4. Rudyard Kipling [1865-1936]
Speech at the luncheon of the Canadian Authors? Association
5. Algernon Blackwood [1869-1951]
Pistol against a Ghost
6. W. Somerset Maugham [1874-1965]
An extract from his book A Writer?s Notebook
7. G K Chesterton [1874-1936]
No. 6 in series of talks The Spice of Life
8. E M Forster [1879-1970]
The Challenge of our Time
9. P G Wodehouse [1881-1975]
The World of Books
10. Virginia Woolf [1882-1941]
Craftsmanship
Disc Two
1. J R R Tolkien [1892-1973]
The Fellowship of the Ring
2. Rebecca West [1892-1983]
Discussion about modern literature and criticism
3. Aldous Huxley [1894-1963]
Monitor
4. J B Priestley [1894-1984]
The Look of the Week
5. Noel Coward [1899-1973]
Today
6. Evelyn Waugh [1903-1966]
Face to Face
7. Graham Greene [1904-1991]
A Writer at Work
8. Nancy Mitford [1904-1973]
The World of Nancy Mitford
9. C P Snow [1905-1980]
People Today
Disc Three
1. Daphne du Maurier [1907-1989]
Interview with Daphne du Maurier
2. Ian Fleming [1908-1964]
Desert Island Discs
3. William Golding [1911-1993]
William Golding: The author talks about his novels
4. Angus Wilson [1913-1991]
Asian Club: The Writer and his Times
5. Anthony Burgess [1917-1993]
PM Reports
6. Muriel Spark [1918-2006]
Third Ear
7. Doris Lessing [born 1919]
Life and Letters
8. Harold Pinter [born 1930]
People Today
9. J G Ballard [born 1930]
The Living Novelist
10. John le Carré [born 1931]
An interview with John le Carré
11. Joe Orton [1933-1967]
Regional Extra
