Arts & Ideas

Lady Antonia Fraser


Listen Later

From Mary Queen of Scots - about whom her mother was going to write until she intervened - to her most recent biography of Caroline Lamb, out in mid May, Lady Antonia Fraser has had a career publishing prize winning books exploring historical figures. In this conversation, recorded at her London home with historian Rana Mitter, she reflects on what she calls "optical research", the crime fiction she has written, meeting figures from history including Clement Atlee dressed as Santa and the prize, established by her daughter Flora, in memory of her mother - The Elizabeth Longford Prize for historical biography.

Producer: Torquil MacLeod

The shortlist for the 2023 Elizabeth Longford Prize for historical biography is announced in May

Lady Antonia Fraser's books which are discussed include Mary Queen of Scots, Cromwell our Chief of Men, The Weaker Vessel: Woman's Lot in Seventeenth-century England, The Case of the Married Woman: Caroline Norton: A 19th Century Heroine Who Wanted Justice for Women, The King and the Catholics: The Fight for Rights
In May 2023 Lady Antonia Fraser publishes Lady Caroline Lamb: A Free Spirit

You can find other episodes hearing from historians who have been nominated for the Wolfson History Prize, the Cundill History Prize and the British Academy Book Prize for Global Cultural Understanding on the Free Thinking website and available on BBC Sounds.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Arts & IdeasBy BBC Radio 4

  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3

4.3

286 ratings


More shows like Arts & Ideas

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,875 Listeners

The LRB Podcast by The London Review of Books

The LRB Podcast

315 Listeners

The Archers by BBC Radio 4

The Archers

1,084 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,073 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,571 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,807 Listeners

In Our Time: Culture by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Culture

615 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,769 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,054 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

1,968 Listeners

Great Lives by BBC Radio 4

Great Lives

498 Listeners

Backlisted by Backlisted

Backlisted

586 Listeners

London Review Bookshop Podcast by London Review Bookshop

London Review Bookshop Podcast

131 Listeners

Front Row by BBC Radio 4

Front Row

130 Listeners

Start the Week by BBC Radio 4

Start the Week

160 Listeners

Bookclub by BBC Radio 4

Bookclub

243 Listeners

The TLS Podcast by The TLS

The TLS Podcast

181 Listeners

The Week in Art by The Art Newspaper

The Week in Art

217 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,221 Listeners

The Bomb by BBC World Service

The Bomb

1,020 Listeners

A brush with... by The Art Newspaper

A brush with...

146 Listeners

This Cultural Life by BBC Radio 4

This Cultural Life

110 Listeners

Close Readings by London Review of Books

Close Readings

91 Listeners

Past Present Future by David Runciman

Past Present Future

346 Listeners