Synopsis
Simon Armitage goes on a journey to discover the language and landscape of our first great Arthurian romance, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. For JRR Tolkien, Gawain is 'a fairy tale for adults', but Armitage finds strong modern relevance in the trials of its stripling hero and a tale of do or die. A marvel of the imagination, Armitage argues that Gawain must take its place alongside Chaucer and Shakespeare at the head of the canon.
Akala's Odyssey
Writer and hip-hop artist Akala investigates the mysterious origins of Homer's Odyssey, travelling the Mediterranean to understand the work before writing his own response.
The Big Read: Battle of the Books | Great Expectations
David Dimbleby argues the case for Dickens' Great Expectations, tracing the novel's events from the marshlands of Kent to the hustle and bustle of London.