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Dear Jonathan Swift...

Episode 2 of 5

Novelist Ian Sansom writes an imaginary letter to Jonathan Swift, interrogating him about his work.

'Dear Geoffrey Chaucer, Can I call you Geoff..?'

In a series of imaginary correspondences, novelist Ian Sansom writes letters to five of literary history's most celebrated figures and interrogates them about their art.

'Oh Agatha Christie, Please - do tell - what is the secret of your success?'

As his correspondence unfolds, queries are raised, jealousies revealed, concerns aired.

'Dear Virginia Woolf, Please accept my apologies. For a long time I thought you represented everything that's wrong with literature...'

How exactly does George Eliot do it? Why is it so difficult? And what's that Jonathan Swift just called him?

Producer: Conor Garrett.

Available now

15 minutes

Music Played

  • Tamer Abu Ghazaleh

    Namla

    • Thulth.

Broadcast

  • Tue 8 Nov 2016 22:45

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