Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

Episode 3

Can the art of life-writing be taught? And what do students hope to achieve in pursuit of their subjects? Richard Holmes explores how we chronicle the lives of others.

A meditation on the art of biography from a master of the genre. Ranging widely over art, science and poetry, Richard Holmes confesses to a lifetime's obsession with his Romantic subjects - a pursuit and pilgrimage that takes him across three centuries, through much of Europe and into the lively company of many earlier biographers.

In this third extract, we hear how Richard Holmes contemplated the ways in which the art of biography can be taught. Through his students, he began to see the value that we can all derive from being immersed in "Another person, another time, another place."

The diversity of Holmes's material is testimony to his empathy, his erudition and his enquiring spirit - and also sometimes to his mischief.

Written by Richard Holmes
Read by Patrick Malahide
Abridged and produced by Jill Waters
A Waters Company production for Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4.

15 minutes

Last on

Thu 15 Dec 2016 00:30

Credits

Role Contributor
Reader Patrick Malahide
Author Richard Holmes
Abridger Jill Waters
Producer Jill Waters

Broadcasts

  • Wed 14 Dec 2016 09:45
  • Thu 15 Dec 2016 00:30

Listen to more Audio Books

Listen to more Audio Books

Including My Sister The Serial Killer, Queenie, The Flatshare and more.

Opening Lines

Opening Lines

John Yorke unpacks the themes behind the stories in Radio 4's weekend afternoon dramas.

Sample our books and authors Clip Collection

Interviews, previews and reviews

Subscribe to the Short stories podcast

Featuring the best stories from the UK's finest writers

How many of these 100 Novels have you read?

How many of these 100 Novels have you read?

After a passionate debate, our panel has come up with this surprising literary selection.

Finding Your Story

Finding Your Story

Ten remarkable novels about identity: Which one will help you discover yourself?

Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Arts: Books

Celebrating reading and the 100 novels that have shaped our world.