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Brett Westwood looks into the heart of a rose. Its power lies in its infinite mutability - the rose symbolises everything from sex to socialism, romance to religious belief.

Brett Westwood looks into the heart of a rose. Its power lies in its infinite mutability - the rose symbolises everything from sex to socialism, romance to religious belief. It's not English, and it inspired the first punk single, as well as much of Persian poetry. David Austin Jr shows Brett around their rose garden, and cultural historian Jennifer Potter whizzes through roses from Sappho to Shakespeare.

Contributors:
Narguess Farzad, Senior Fellow in Persian at SOAS, University of London
Jennifer Potter, author of The Rose: A True History
David Austin Jr, Managing Director, David Austin Roses

Original producer : Beth O'Dea
Archive producer for Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Audio in Bristol : Andrew Dawes

Revised repeat - first broadcast in a longer form on August 9th 2016

Available now

28 minutes

Last on

Sun 12 Jun 2022 06:35
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4

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David JC Austin

David JC Austin
David Austin studied Business atΒ Salford University in Manchester and wasΒ persuaded by his father, the renowned rose breeder David Austin, to join the company. During this time, he helped his father to create the first David Austin Roses Chelsea Flower Show displays.

Together with his father, he has helped to develop the very successful direct mail order business so that English Roses could be sold direct to gardeners throughout Europe and the US.Β He also set up a retail operation in Japan and in May 2012 he officially opened the David Austin rose gardens and Plant Centre in Sennan City, near Osaka.

Narguess Farzad

Narguess Farzad
Narguess Farzad teaches modern and classical Persian poetry; the grammar of modern Persian; and the translation of Persian poetryΒ at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London.

She is a Trustee of the in London, serves on the Advisory Committee of SOAS’ Centre for Iranian Studies, and is a longstanding Member of the , where she also Chairs the Education Committee.

Jennifer Potter

Jennifer Potter
Hailed as a cultural historian of flowers, Jennifer Potter is the author of four novels and five works of non-fiction.

She spent five years researching and writing , which she followed with Seven Flowers and How They Shaped Our World, both published by Atlantic Books.

Broadcasts

  • Tue 9 Aug 2016 11:00
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
  • Mon 15 Aug 2016 21:00
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
  • Sun 12 Jun 2022 06:35
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4

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