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Episode 2

Katherine Rundell’s brilliant new biography explores Donne’s early years, the family’s religious dissent, and a rumour about Thomas More’s pickled head. Read by Blake Ritson.

Today Katherine Rundell’s engaging and witty new biography explores John Donne’s early years, the family’s history of religious dissent, and a rumour about Thomas More’s pickled head…

This prize-winning new biography of John Donne reveals him as an β€œinfinity merchant”, a man whose preaching could make his congregation weep, a poet whose β€œbeauty deserved walk-on music”.

Rundell champions an impossible to categorise man: pirate, soldier, scholar, priest, inventor of new words and author of some of most intensely and intimately passionate poetry in English. Donne was a Catholic who lost - or left - his faith, from a family of martyrs, whose career led him to become Dean of Saint Paul’s Cathedral.

Read by Blake Ritson
Abridged by Richard Hamilton
Produced by Allegra McIlroy

14 minutes

Last on

Wed 22 Feb 2023 00:30

Broadcasts

  • Tue 21 Feb 2023 09:45
  • Wed 22 Feb 2023 00:30