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A series of short introductory lectures by experts at the University of Oxford celebrating a range of great writers and why they inspire.

# Episode Title Description Duration People Date
1 Creative Commons What is a Great Writer? An academic panel discussion. Dr Seamus Perry, Dr Margaret Kean, Professor Peter McDonald and Dr Ankhi Mukherjee, introduced by Dr Rebecca Beasley, discuss what we mean when we talk about greatness in writing. 0:48:07 Seamus Perry, Margaret Kean, Peter McDonald, Ankhi Mukherjee 15 May 2012
2 Creative Commons Chaucer Professor Daniel Wakelin discusses the work of Chaucer and explains how he was one of the first to use everyday spoken English as a literary language in the 14th Century. 0:14:01 Daniel Wakelin 17 Apr 2012
3 Creative Commons Ezra Pound Dr Rebecca Beasley explains why we should read Pound, someone she considers as the central figure in early 20th Century poetry movements. 0:15:10 Rebecca Beasley 10 Apr 2012
4 Creative Commons Mary Leapor Dr Jenny Batt talks about Mary Leapor, an 18th Century kitchen maid who wrote accomplished verses and won accolades from literary society. 0:12:38 Jenny Batt 27 Mar 2012
5 Creative Commons John Milton Dr Anna Beer shares a few short extracts of Milton's poem Lycidas and discusses what they show about Milton's very special qualities as a writer. 0:18:31 Anna Beer 15 Mar 2012
6 Creative Commons The Lure of the East: the Oriental and Philosophical Tale in Eighteenth-Century England Professor Ros Ballaster discusses the objectives of oriental tales published in the second half of the 18th Century which use the sheer power of storytelling to conjure up alternative worlds. 0:13:05 Ros Ballaster 13 Mar 2012
7 Creative Commons Only Collect: An Introduction to the World of the Poetic Miscellany Dr Abigail Williams, Director of the Digital Miscellanies Index, explains how these popular collections of poetry designed to suit contemporary tastes were used in the 18th Century. 0:13:42 Abigail Williams 09 Mar 2012
8 Creative Commons Why Dickens? Dr Robert Douglas-Fairhurst talks of Dickens' life and influences and why these have made his works so popular. 0:10:26 Robert Douglas-Fairhurst 02 Mar 2012
9 Creative Commons J.M. Coetzee Professor Peter McDonald gives a talk on the work of South African Nobel Laureate, J.M. Coetzee 0:12:57 Peter McDonald 07 Feb 2012
10 Creative Commons Olive Schreiner Professor Elleke Boehmer gives a talk on Olive Schreiner (1855-1920), the South African novelist, pioneering feminist, and anti-imperialist polemicist. 0:11:21 Elleke Boehmer 07 Feb 2012
11 Creative Commons Katherine Mansfield and Rhythm Magazine Dr Faith Binckes explains why modernist short story writer and critic Katherine Mansfield is a great writer, highlighting her involvement with the 1911-1913 periodical Rhythm. 0:20:28 Faith Binckes 07 Feb 2012
12 Creative Commons George Eliot - A Very Large Brain Dr Catherine Brown gives a talk on George Eliot and her influences 0:11:08 Catherine Brown 07 Feb 2012
13 Creative Commons William Blake Dr David Fallon introduces the poetry, painting, and engraving of William Blake, focusing on the imaginative and visionary aspects of Blake's work and his desire to break the publics 'mind-forg'd manacles'. 0:12:28 David Fallon 07 Feb 2012
14 Creative Commons 18th Century Labouring Class Poetry Dr Jennifer Batt gives a talk on Stephen Duck, one of the 18th Century labouring-class poets 0:10:28 Jennifer Batt 07 Feb 2012
15 Creative Commons Jonathan Swift and the Art of Undressing Dr Abigail Williams gives a talk on Jonathan Swift and the Art of Undressing 0:11:17 Abigail Williams 07 Feb 2012
16 Creative Commons Beowulf Dr Francis Leneghan gives a talk on Beowulf, one of the most important works in Anglo-Saxon literature 0:12:37 Francis Leneghan 07 Feb 2012
17 Creative Commons Shakespeare and the Stage Professor Tiffany Stern gives a talk on William Shakespeare and how his plays were performed in Elizabethan England. 0:15:18 Tiffany Stern 07 Feb 2012
# Episode Title Description Duration People Date
1 Creative Commons What is a Great Writer? An academic panel discusses the question. Dr Seamus Perry, Dr Margaret Kean, Professor Peter McDonald and Dr Ankhi Mukherjee, introduced by Dr Rebecca Beasley, discuss what we mean when we talk about greatness in writing. 0:48:07 Seamus Perry, Margaret Kean, Peter McDonald, Ankhi Mukherjee 15 May 2012
2 Creative Commons Chaucer Professor Daniel Wakelin discusses the work of Chaucer and explains how he was one of the first to use everyday spoken English as a literary language in the 14th Century. 0:14:01 Daniel Wakelin 17 Apr 2012
3 Creative Commons Ezra Pound Dr Rebecca Beasley explains why we should read Pound, someone she considers as the central figure in early 20th Century poetry movements. 0:15:10 Rebecca Beasley 10 Apr 2012
4 Creative Commons Mary Leapor Dr Jenny Batt talks about Mary Leapor, an 18th Century kitchen maid who wrote accomplished verses and won accolades from literary society. 0:12:38 Jenny Batt 27 Mar 2012
5 Creative Commons John Milton Dr Anna Beer shares a few short extracts of Milton's poem Lycidas and discusses what they show about Milton's very special qualities as a writer. 0:18:31 Anna Beer 15 Mar 2012
6 Creative Commons Only Collect: An Introduction to the World of the Poetic Miscellany Dr Abigail Williams, Director of the Digital Miscellanies Index, explains how these popular collections of poetry designed to suit contemporary tastes were used in the 18th Century. 0:13:42 Abigail Williams 09 Mar 2012
7 Creative Commons J.M. Coetzee Professor Peter McDonald gives a talk on the work of South African Nobel Laureate, J.M. Coetzee. 0:12:57 Peter McDonald 07 Feb 2012
8 Creative Commons Olive Schreiner Professor Elleke Boehmer gives a talk on Olive Schreiner (1855-1920), the South African novelist, pioneering feminist, and anti-imperialist polemicist. 0:11:21 Elleke Boehmer 07 Feb 2012
9 Creative Commons Katherine Mansfield and Rhythm Magazine Dr Faith Binckes explains why modernist short story writer and critic Katherine Mansfield is a great writer, highlighting her involvement with the 1911-1913 periodical Rhythm. 0:20:28 Faith Binckes 07 Feb 2012
10 Creative Commons George Eliot - A Very Large Brain Dr Catherine Brown gives a talk on George Eliot and her influences 0:11:08 Catherine Brown 07 Feb 2012
11 Creative Commons William Blake Dr David Fallon introduces the poetry, painting, and engraving of William Blake, focusing on the imaginative and visionary aspects of Blake's work and his desire to break the publics 'mind-forg'd manacles'. 0:12:28 David Fallon 07 Feb 2012
12 Creative Commons 18th Century Labouring Class Poetry Dr Jennifer Batt gives a talk on Stephen Duck, one of the 18th Century labouring-class poets 0:10:28 Jennifer Batt 07 Feb 2012
13 Creative Commons Jonathan Swift and the Art of Undressing Dr Abigail Williams gives a talk on Jonathan Swift and the Art of Undressing 0:11:17 Abigail Williams 07 Feb 2012
14 Creative Commons Beowulf Dr Francis Leneghan gives a talk on Beowulf 0:12:37 Francis Leneghan 07 Feb 2012
15 Creative Commons Shakespeare and the Stage Professor Tiffany Stern gives a talk on William Shakespeare and how his plays were performed in Elizabethan England 0:15:18 Tiffany Stern 07 Feb 2012