Share

cover art for  The Birds and the Bees, and Books Made of Cheese

The TLS Podcast

The Birds and the Bees, and Books Made of Cheese

•

This week, Lucy Dallas and Alex Clark are joined by Carol Tavris to discuss two wide-ranging works of biology that cast fascinating light on our understanding of sexual behaviour and gender identity throughout the animal and human world. And James Waddell explores a “bibliobiography” by a Shakespeare scholar that digs deep into centuries of books and their readers - from “shelfies” to book burning to the historical precedent for Jilly Cooper’s Riders.


'Different: Gender through the eyes of a primatologist’ by Frans de Waal

‘Bitch: A revolutionary guide to sex, evolution and the female animal’ by Lucy Cooke

‘Portable Magic: A history of books and their readers’ by Emma Smith


Produced by Sophia Franklin

More episodes

View all episodes

  • The Cat's Whiskers

    53:49|
    This week, Toby Lichtig on the six Booker hopefuls; and Kathryn Hughes joins us in an exploration of feline mysteries.'Cats: A History', by Rod PhillipsProduced by Charlotte Pardy
  • Manderley Revisited

    35:15|
    This week, Rohan Maitzen on Rose Tremain's reimagining of Rebecca, and a new way of seeing the terrifying Mrs Danvers; and Jamie McKendrick reads his poem, 'The Importance of Time'.'The Housekeeper', by Rose Tremain'The Importance of Time', by Jamie McKendrickProduced by Charlotte Pardy
  • Who's in Charge

    47:32|
    This week, Anchit Sathi asks what an "author" is in the age of AI; and Keggie Carew on the world of symbiotic slime and friendly fungi.'Togetherness: Symbiosis and the hidden story of life's greatest collaboration', by Rowan HooperProduced by Charlotte Pardy
  • Noses to the grindstone!

    51:23|
    This week, Mary Beard gives us the inside track on what it's like to be a Booker Prize judge; and Russell Williams guides us through the highlights of a new season in French publishing.Produced by Charlotte Pardy
  • Lines of beauty

    28:48|
    This week, we look back at the poets who've shared their work with us this year.Produced by Charlotte Pardy
  • Chill out!

    45:22|
    This week, we look back at some of the year's highlights, and illuminating conversations about rest, relaxation and reading with Emily Herring and Christy Edwall. Produced by Charlotte Pardy
  • Summer Games

    01:02:48|
    This week, we look back at some of the year's highlights, and illuminating conversations with Joanna Kavenna and Nick Enfield.Produced by Charlotte Pardy
  • A wine-dark Western?

    32:46|
    This week, A. E. Stallings takes stock of Christopher Nolan's Odyssey, a  “thrilling combination of seemingly opposite tendencies”; and Sam Riviere reads us a new poem'The Odyssey', directed by Christopher Nolan'Warm War' by Sam RiviereProduced by Charlotte Pardy
  • July Highlights

    27:30|
    Before we turn the page on July, here's a look back at some of the conversations from this month's episodes on The TLS Podcast.In this month's TLS Highlights, Hannah Lowe reads a new poem with a botanical theme; Claire Harman explores the self-possession and vigour of the youngest Brontë sibling; Scarlett Baron considers an attempt to cut James Joyce down to size; Carrie Cracknell discusses the delights and challenges of directing Tom Stoppard's Arcadia; and Ben Street reflects on the tricky business of artists at the cinema. Produced by Charlotte Pardy