This week, Thea Lenarduzzi and Lucy Dallas are joined by Benjamin Markovits, the novelist, critic and teacher of creative writing, to discuss 100 American essays spanning 300-odd years (‘have we got any better at it?’); the sinologist Rana Mitter discusses the supremely difficult, and controversial, job of adapting the Chinese script for the modern age; plus, ‘Edelweiss’, a poignant new poem by Fiona Benson

‘The Glorious American Essay: One hundred essays from colonial times to the present’, edited by Phillip Lopate

‘Kingdom of Characters: A tale of language, obsession, and genius in modern China’ by Jing Tsu

Produced by Sophia Franklin

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