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Book Of The Week
''Book of the Week'' is a long-running BBC Radio 4 series, first broadcast in 1998. It features daily readings from an abridged version of a selected book read over five or occasionally ten weekday episodes. Each episode is approximately 15 minutes long and is broadcast in the morning at 9:45 am, with a repeat airing early next morning at 00:30 am. History ''Book of the Week'' was launched in 1998 under the editorship of Di Speirs, who has had a significant role in producing Radio 4's literary output. In 2009, Radio 4 controller Mark Damazer described the series as "''a vital part of Radio 4''". In 2010, the programme temporarily made way for the 100-episode series '' A History of the World in 100 Objects'', a collaboration between the BBC and the British Museum. Format and content An abridged version of a selected new book is read by a professional actor or the author. The selections often include memoirs, biographies, historical accounts, and cultural analyses. For e ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
English Language
English is a West Germanic language that developed in early medieval England and has since become a English as a lingua franca, global lingua franca. The namesake of the language is the Angles (tribe), Angles, one of the Germanic peoples that Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, migrated to Britain after its End of Roman rule in Britain, Roman occupiers left. English is the list of languages by total number of speakers, most spoken language in the world, primarily due to the global influences of the former British Empire (succeeded by the Commonwealth of Nations) and the United States. English is the list of languages by number of native speakers, third-most spoken native language, after Mandarin Chinese and Spanish language, Spanish; it is also the most widely learned second language in the world, with more second-language speakers than native speakers. English is either the official language or one of the official languages in list of countries and territories where English ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nicholas Lezard
Nicholas Andrew Selwyn LezardThe Cambridge University List of Members up to 31 December 1991, Cambridge University Press, p. 814 is an English journalist, author and literary critic. Background and education The Lezard family went from London to Kimberley in South Africa in the 1800s. Nicholas Lezard's great-grandfather, Louis Flavien Lezard (1877–1960), of Hallam Street in central London, became a noted solicitor (senior partner, Lezard, Robins and Edmeades) and local figure in the country, serving as chairman and president of several Kimberley institutions. Louis's eldest son, Julien (1902–1958) – the third son, Squadron Leader Selwyn Edward Lezard (1908–1974), R.A.F.V.R., being Nicholas Lezard's grandfather – was a Cambridge-educated barrister and noted society figure and gambler, who served in the Special Operations Executive alongside Xan Fielding. Julien Lezard married Hilda, daughter of Sir Daniel Cooper, 2nd Baronet; she was the widow of Thomas Uchter Caulfie ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Philip Larkin
Philip Arthur Larkin (9 August 1922 – 2 December 1985) was an English poet, novelist, and librarian. His first book of poetry, '' The North Ship'', was published in 1945, followed by two novels, '' Jill'' (1946) and '' A Girl in Winter'' (1947). He came to prominence in 1955 with the publication of his second collection of poems, '' The Less Deceived'', followed by '' The Whitsun Weddings'' (1964) and '' High Windows'' (1974). He contributed to ''The Daily Telegraph'' as its jazz critic from 1961 to 1971, with his articles gathered in ''All What Jazz: A Record Diary 1961–71'' (1985), and edited '' The Oxford Book of Twentieth Century English Verse'' (1973). His many honours include the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry. He was offered, but declined, the position of Poet Laureate in 1984, following the death of Sir John Betjeman. After graduating from Oxford University in 1943 with a first in English Language and Literature, Larkin became a librarian. It was during the thirt ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hugh Bonneville
Hugh Richard Bonniwell Williams (born 10 November 1963), known professionally as Hugh Bonneville, is an English actor. He is best known for portraying Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham, in the ITV historical drama series ''Downton Abbey'' from 2010 to 2015. His performance on the show earned him a nomination at the Golden Globes and two consecutive Primetime Emmy Award nominations, as well as three Screen Actors Guild Awards. He reprised his role in the feature films ''Downton Abbey'' (2019) and '' Downton Abbey: A New Era'' (2022). He also appeared in the films ''Notting Hill'' (1999), '' Iris'' (2001), '' The Monuments Men'' (2014), and the ''Paddington'' films (2014–present). For ''Iris'', Bonneville received a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, which was followed by four nominations in the BAFTA Award for Best Male Comedy Performance category for portraying Ian Fletcher in ''Twenty Twelve'' (2011-2012) and ''W1A'' (2014-2017). Earl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rachel Cooke
Rachel Cooke (born 1969) is a British journalist and writer. Early life Cooke was born in Sheffield, England, and is the daughter of a university lecturer in botany and a biology teacher. She went to school in Jaffa, Israel, until she was 11 years old, before returning to Sheffield, where she attended Tapton School, then studied at University of Oxford, Oxford University. Career Cooke began her career as a reporter for ''The Sunday Times''. She has also written for the ''New Statesman'', where she is television critic, and is a writer for ''The Observer'' newspaper. In the "Lost Man Booker Prize, Lost Booker Prize" for 1970, announced in March 2010, Cooke was one of the three judges. Since 2010, Cooke has been reviewing graphic novels for ''The Guardian''s "Graphic novel of the month". Cooke's first book, ''Her Brilliant Career: Ten Extraordinary Women of the Fifties'', was published in autumn 2013, Katharine Whitehorn wrote in ''The Observer'' that "this excellent book sh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Climate Book
''The Climate Book'' is a collective non-fiction book by the climate activist Greta Thunberg. The original English edition was published in October 2022. Translations are published in languages including German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, and Polish. The book consists of a collection of short essays by more than a hundred experts. It analyses the causes, consequences and challenges of the climate crisis. The cover features a ''warming stripes'' data visualization graphic of a type developed by British climatologist Ed Hawkins. Parts and authors ''The Climate Book'' is organised in five parts: * Part 1: How climate works ** Contributors: Peter Brannen, Beth Shapiro, Elizabeth Kolbert, Michael Oppenheimer, Naomi Oreskes and Johan Rockström. * Part 2: How our planet is changing ** Contributors: Katharine Hayhoe, Zeke Hausfather, Bjørn Samset, Paulo Ceppi, Jennifer Francis, Friederike Otto, Kate Marvel, Ricarda Winkelmann, St ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Greta Thunberg
Greta Tintin Eleonora Ernman Thunberg (; born 3January 2003) is a Swedish climate activist, climate and political activist initially known for challenging world leaders to take immediate action to climate change mitigation, mitigate the effects of climate change. Born in Stockholm, Thunberg's climate activism began when she persuaded her parents to adopt Individual action on climate change, lifestyle choices that reduced her family's carbon footprint. In August2018, aged 15, Thunberg began skipping school, vowing to remain out of school until after a 2018 Swedish general election, Swedish election to attempt to influence the outcome. She protested outside the Riksdag, Swedish parliament where she called for stronger Climate change mitigation, action on climate change by holding up a ' (School Strike for Climate) sign and handing out informational flyers. After the election, Thunberg spoke in front of supporters, telling them to use phones to film her. She then said she would c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1000 Years Of Joys And Sorrows
''1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows: A Memoir'' is a 2021 memoir by Ai Weiwei. Allan H. Barr is the translator of the English version. Crown published the book in the United States, and Bodley Head published the book in the United Kingdom. The title refers to poetry done by Ai's father, Ai Qing. The book also chronicles similarities between the lives of Ai Qing and Ai Weiwei. Background While he had been incarcerated, Ai decided to chronicle his own biography because he wanted to leave a record of his life for his child, especially as Ai Weiwei feared the Chinese government could try to remove other records related to his own life. Ai Weiwei also wrote the book as a way of resolving how he felt he had, in the words of Jiayang Fan of ''The New York Times'', an "unbridgeable gap" with Ai Qing. Contents The memoir chronicles periods when Ai came into disputes with the Government of the People's Republic of China. Release The BBC hosted an audio reading done by Benedict Wong. Rece ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ai Weiwei
Ai Weiwei ( ; , IPA: ; born 28 August 1957) is a Chinese contemporary artist, documentarian, and activist. Ai grew up in the far northwest of China, where he lived under harsh conditions due to his father's exile. As an activist, he has been openly critical of the Chinese Government's stance on democracy and human rights. He investigated government corruption and cover-ups, in particular the Sichuan schools corruption scandal following the collapse of " tofu-dreg schools" in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. In April 2011, Ai Weiwei was arrested at Beijing Capital International Airport for "economic crimes," and detained for 81 days without charge. Ai Weiwei emerged as a vital instigator in Chinese cultural development, an architect of Chinese modernism, and one of the nation's most vocal political commentators. Ai Weiwei encapsulates political conviction and poetry in his many sculptures, photographs, and public works. Since being allowed to leave China in 2015, he has lived in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Benedict Wong
Benedict Wong (born 3 July 1971) is an English actor. He began his career on stage before starring in the film '' Dirty Pretty Things'' (2002), which earned him a British Independent Film Award nomination, and the BBC sitcom '' 15 Storeys High'' (2002–2004). This was followed by roles in the films '' On a Clear Day'' (2005), '' Sunshine'', '' Grow Your Own'' (both 2007), and ''Moon'' (2009), and the CBBC series '' Spirit Warriors'' (2010). Wong gained further recognition in the 2010s for his roles as Kublai Khan in the Netflix series ''Marco Polo'' (2014–2016), Bruce Ng in the film '' The Martian'' (2015), and Wong in the Marvel Cinematic Universe media franchise since the film ''Doctor Strange'' (2016). He has since starred in the Syfy series '' Deadly Class'' (2019). His performance in the film '' Nine Days'' (2020) earned him an Independent Spirit Award nomination. Since 2024, he has a main role in the Netflix series ''3 Body Problem''. Early life and education Won ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Clive James
Clive James (born Vivian Leopold James; 7 October 1939 – 24 November 2019) was an Australian critic, journalist, broadcaster, writer and lyricist who lived and worked in the United Kingdom from 1962 until his death in 2019.Clive James — writer, TV broadcaster and critic — dies aged 80 ''ABC News'', 28 November 2019. Retrieved 28 November 2019. He began his career specialising in literary criticism before becoming television critic for ''The Observer'' in 1972, where he made his name for his wry, deadpan humour. During this period, he earned an independent reputation as a poet and satire, satirist. He achieved mainstream success in the UK first as a writer for television, and eventually as the lead in his own programmes, including ''...on Televisio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
BBC Programme Index
The BBC Programme Catalogue is an online archive of the entire BBC back catalogue of TV and radio programmes. The catalogue is for internal use by the BBC although for a time a beta online version was available to the public. The catalogue is not "a complete record of every BBC programme" since certain categories of programme were not catalogued or no longer exist. The catalogue does not include entries for programmes where no copies of the programme are known to still exist. Nor does it include entries for sport because the BBC does not necessarily own the rights. However every individual news item is separately catalogued since these had a high re-use value (e.g. use of archive footage of historical news items within present-day news programmes or documentaries). History Internal Infax Infax was the BBC's programme database, containing 966,244 BBC programmes dating back to 1938; however, this is not every programme ever broadcast. Since 1992, Infax has only been used as a stoc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
