麻豆约拍

The Japanese movie Cursed: The Financially Corrupt Islands

How a film about a banking panic proved a big hit in Japan

• 28 mins

American writer Dava Sobel

The author of Longitude on her book, Gallileo's Daughter about the Italian astonomer

• 28 mins

Edward Said interview

The literary theorist and Palestinian activist talks about his memoirs Out of Place

• 28 mins

Francis Wheen on Karl Marx

The British journalist talks about his book about the founder of international communism

• 28 mins

The Elgin Marbles

Whether the Greek sculptures should be returned to Greece.

• 27 mins

Frank McCourt interview

The Irish-American author of Angela's Ashes talks about its sequel 'Tis

• 29 mins

Simon Schama on Rembrandt

The historian Simon Schama talks about why Rembrandt continues to exert such a hold on us

• 28 mins

Jay Griffiths on her essays about time

The British journalist Jay Griffiths talks about her book Pip Pip: A Sideways Look at Time

• 28 mins

Annie Leibovitz's Women

The American photographer's collection of female subjects reviewed

• 28 mins

Tracey Emin's My Bed

The art critic Adrian Searle talks about the vandalisation of the British artist's work

• 28 mins

PD James interview

The British author talks about why she writes detective fiction

• 28 mins

Noel Coward profile

The life of the English actor, playwright and composer

• 28 mins

Frederick Forsyth interview

The political thriller writer talks about his book, The Phantom of Manhattan

• 28 mins

Joan of Arc

Why the French figure has inspired more than 50 films and over 1000 books

• 28 mins

Mumbai Film Festival

How the Indian city's uniquely privately-financed festival was founded

• 30 mins

The Turner Prize

The winner of the prize is announced: Steve McQueen

• 29 mins

Waiting for Love in Commmunist China

Prize-winning novelist Ha Jin talks about writing in English about love and life in China

• 27 mins

Utopias in literature

Professor John Carey and AC Grayling discuss the Faber Book of Utopias

• 28 mins

The Art Of Fireworks

How fireworks have influenced art and literature

• 28 mins

Disney's Fantasia

Critics and fans talk about the movie which has divided audiences since its release

• 28 mins

Meridian's highlights of 1999

The year's high points in film, music, dance, literature and architecture

• 28 mins

Sam Mendes interview

The director of American Beauty discusses his successful transition from stage to screen

• 28 mins

AOL buys Time Warner

How the internet provider's purchase of the entertainment company will change the industry

• 28 mins

1900: Art at the Crossroads

An exhibition in London which looks back at the Exposition Universelle of 1900 in Paris

• 28 mins

Sundance film festival

The critic Kenneth Turan talks about the festival's highlights including Girlfight

• 28 mins

George Orwell

A reassessment of one of the great twentieth century writers

• 28 mins

Sundance Film Festival winners

Kenneth Turan on the films which shared the big prize at the independent film festival

• 28 mins

Zadie Smith interview

The young British novelist talks about her much-hyped debut novel White Teeth

• 28 mins

Alan Ayckbourn interview

The British playwright talks about his remarkable career and his play Virtual Reality

• 27 mins

How are fictional characters created?

The writers Pat Cumper and Jim Crace discuss the fundamental element of storytelling

• 28 mins