The LRB Podcast

Irina Dumitrescu and Mary Wellesley return with a new twelve-part Close Readings series, Medieval Beginnings, exploring the strange and wonderful literary landscape of the Middle Ages. Starting in January 2023, the series will consider well-known works such as Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, as well as many lesser-known texts, from across the European continent, that have all helped to lay the foundations of English literature. Listen to a sample here from their first episode, on Beowulf.In addition to the twelve episodes, released monthly, subscribers to the full programme will receive copies of all the key texts accompanying the series and access to online seminars with Irina and Mary throughout the year, with special guests including Simon Armitage. Audio-only options are also available.Subscribe to the series here: https://lrb.me/beginningsFind out about other Close Readings series here: https://lrb.me/closereadings

Jane Stanford, the co-founder of Stanford University, was murdered with strychnine in 1905. Her killer was never discovered – until now (perhaps). James Lasdun talks to Malin Hay about a new book by Richard White that investigates the story and looks into the extraordinary history of the Stanford family.Find further reading on the episode page: lrb.me/stanfordpodSubscribe to Close Readings Plus: lrb.me/closereadingsBuy Perry Anderson's book on Powell and Proust here: lrb.me/samefuries

Seamus Perry and Mark Ford return with a new twelve-part Close Readings series, The Long and Short, taking a fresh look at 19th and 20th-century literature through the lens of short stories and long poems. Starting in January 2023, the series will look at twelve writers, from Tennyson and Henry James to Elizabeth Bowen and Alice Oswald, with a new episode appearing each month. This sample is from the first episode, on Tennyson’s ‘Maud’.Subscribers to the full series will receive copies of the books discussed in each episode and access to online seminars with Seamus and Mark throughout the year. Audio-only options are also available.Subscribe to the series here: https://lrb.me/longshortFind out about other Close Readings series here: https://lrb.me/closereadings