Join me this week as I settle back into city life, enjoying a moment of peace before Oxford comes alive for the day. Listen as I discuss a Cambridge based story of growing up, adventure through a political battlefield, and contemplate the links between poetry and memory.

This week I'll be considering And He Shall Appear by Kate van der Borgh, a tale of the trails and tribulations of attempting to capture the attention of the most popular boy in your Oxbridge college. Learning about a new period in history with the help of Timothée Chalamet's compelling performance in The King. And considering a poem which is referenced in one of my favourite plays.

References made

The Graces (Laure Eve) - A YA novel about a family who claim to be witches and the girl who is desperate to be one of them... perhaps she already is.

Atonement (Ian McEwan) - A novel about the Tallis family told from the perspectives of the two daughters and the housekeeper's son. The best lesson in perspectives within fiction you will find.

Evelyn Waugh - Oxford educated English writer best known for Brideshead Revisted, a novel set at Oxford. This is probably not where the trope in question originated from, but it's earliest example I can think of.

Saltburn - 2023 thriller comedy directed and written by Emerald Fennell set partly in Oxford during 2006. Controversial for its content but accurate in its capturing of the essence of Oxford.

A Discovery of Witches - First novel of the All Souls series written by Deborah Harkness about magical creatures at Oxford, adapted into television series staring Matthew Goode and Teresa Palmer. Dr Bishop, a witch and academic encounters a strange manuscript which captures the interest of vampire Professor Matthew Clairmont.

Ninth House - First of (currently) two novels by Leigh Bardugo set at Yale, where Alex Stern is one of a number of students responsible for monitoring the antics of a number of occult societies. Well worth a read!

Henry V & VI Part 1 & 2 - Three of Shakespeare's Histories.

Testament of Youth - Memoir by Vera Brittain about her life from childhood, through Oxford and the experiences of nursing during the First World War. A beautiful and moving story about love and loss and even more loss.

Wilfred Owen - British First World War poet.

The Professor and the Madman - 2019 film starring Mel Gibson and Sean Penn about the making of the Oxford English Dictionary. A good insight into quite how laborious a process it was.

Narnia - Fictional world created by Oxford academic C. S. Lewis in book series The Chronicles of Narnia.

Twilight - Romance book series by Stephanie Meyer about Bella Swan and her vampire boyfriend Edward Cullen. Addictive writing that still remains one of the most read series and the most hated.

Cedric Diggory - Character from the Harry Potter series, specifically the books Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and the film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Water for Elephants - 2011 film staring Reese Witherspoon and Robert Patterson based on 2006 novel by Sara Gruen. Set at a circus during the Great Depression.

Y Gododdin - Collection of 6th century elegy poems by Welsh court poet Aneirin.

The History Boys - Play by Alan Bennett about a group of History students aiming for Oxbridge against all odds. Full of clever lines and literary references.

Wind in the Willows - Book by Kenneth Grahame about Mr Mole and his friends. Beloved British childhood classic.

King Lear - Tragic Shakespeare play loosely based on the mythological Leir of Britain in which the king attempts to divide his kingdom between his three daughters with tragic repercussions.

Brief Encounter - 1945 film written by Noel Coward and based on the one act play Still Life. The story of a jaded housewife who begins a relationship with a chance encounter.

The Secret History - Cult academic favourite written by Donna Tartt.

If We Were Villains - Dark academia novel by M. L. Rio.

Join me this week as I curl up in a nest of cushions and get lost in fictional worlds in order to escape the sudden cold snap and rainy days of spring. Listen as I discuss a Welsh story of survival, a gritty musical about Mexico, and a trio of radio plays which epitomise British mid century culture.

This week I'll be considering Llyfr Glas Nebo by Manon Steffan Ros, a sweet cottagecore-esque story about post apocalyptic Wales. Learning about a genre bending, language barrier conquering film in the form of Emilia Perez. And considering whether literature can be successfully shifted from one form to another in the staging of three Agatha Christie Radio plays.

References made

Un Nos Ola Leuad (Caradoc Pritchard) - A story about a man taking a walk through the village he grew up in and reminiscing about his childhood. It was a childhood that should come with almost every trigger warning imaginable. 

Colours and manuscripts - Llyfr Coch Hergest (The Red Book of Hergest) is where Sion draws the name for Llyfr Glas Nebo (The Blue Book of Nebo) from. The manuscript was written around 1382 and is held at Jesus College, Oxford.

Welsh Bards - There is a well established timeline from the cynfeirdd (6th century poets such as Aneirin and Taliesin) to the gogynfeirdd/beirdd y tywysogion (the poets of the princes) to the beirdd yr uchelwyr (the poets who served those in power after the English invasion). 

Yaskier (The Witcher) - Somewhat annoying bardic sidekick of Geralt of Rivia, who sings of Geralt’s exploits and finds himself in various situations he’s ill equipped to handle.

Aneirin - 6th century court bard famous for collection of elegies written in Catraeth. One of the two famous bards from this period in Welsh history, the other being Taliesin.

Etifeddiaeth (Gerallt Lloyd Owen) - A Welsh language poem about what we inherited as a country (land, a culture, a language) and how we lost it to those who have invaded and need to hold onto it. The literal translation of the title is ‘inheritance’.

Flag (Owen Sheers) - A poem describing the journey west into Wales and the presence of the Welsh flag within the landscape. It begins with the epitaph ‘each man had a liver, a heart, a brain,/and a  Flag./These were his vital organs./On these his life depended.’ 

Harry Potter (J. K. Rowling) - Boy wizard goes to magic school and battles his parents’ murderer every year instead of sitting exams. Does this really need a definition?!

The Hobbit (J. R. R. Tolkien) - Cosy story about a homebody who accidentally goes on an adventure and battles a dragon. Again, if you need a definition for this one, please read more fantasy!

Trashy Netflix I’ve watched lately - This Time Next Year, Firefly Lane, Sweet Magnolias…

Why Didn’t They Ask Evans (Agatha Christie) - Classic murder mystery story set in Wales. Bobby Jones finds a dying man at the bottom of a cliff and tries to solve the question of his final words.

And Then There Were None (Agatha Christie) - Classic murder mystery story set on Soldier Island in the south of England. Guests of a mystery host die off one by one based on the lyrics of a nursery rhyme.

Join me this week in a historic border town between the myth and magic of Wales and the pastoral countryside of England as I discuss a Welsh history of Arthurian Legend, the last woman to be hanged in Britain, and a play that fulfilled its promise of being strange and sinister.

This week I'll be considering The Keys to Avalon by Steve Blake and Scott Lloyd, a unique exploration of Welsh history which attempts to outline the geography of Arthur's lifetime. Learning about Ruth Ellis, night club manager, peroxide blonde and murderess in 1950s London, in ITV's A Cruel Love. And considering whether I really do enjoy psychological theatre, or whether it was the chance to photograph and discover a new play that had me watching Ira Levin's Veronica's Room.

References made

An Importance of Being Earnest (Oscar Wilde) - Yes, there is a Shropshire reference! Even if more famous references include A Shropshire Lad (A. E. Housman)

Stars Hollow (Gilmore Girls) - Because what literary podcast isn't complete without a reference to autumn's favourite bookworm Rory Gilmore

Y Gododdin (Aneirin) - Collection of elegies written in Catraeth by 6th century Welsh poet. Found in the Book of Aneirin (13th century manuscript).

History of the Kings of Britain (Geoffrey of Monmouth) - Seminal Arthurian text written in Oxford by Catholic cleric in 1136 in which is written a fictitious history of British royalty.

The Early Merlin Project (Swansea University) - https://merlinpoetry.wales https://lnkd.in/esBDeFkX

Merlin (BBC) - If you have not watched this series but are a mythology fan, what are you doing?! Shown between 2008 and 2012, it tells the story of Merlin and Arthur growing up in Camelot.

Why Didn't They Ask Evans (Agatha Christie) - Classic murder mystery story set in Wales. ITV's series is written by Hugh Laurie and stars Will Poulter and Lucy Boynton.

A Fine Day for A Hanging (Carol Ann Lee) - A biography of Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be hanged in Britain.

Lucy Boynton interview - Found on her Instagram.

Titanic (dir. James Cameron) - 1997 infamously long film starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet detailing a fictitious biography of a passenger on the Titanic.

The Lord of the Rings (dir. Peter Jackson) - Trilogy of films (2001 - 2003) known for their length, with extended editions spanning two disks. New Zealand filmed live action adaption of J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novels.

Rosemary's Baby (Ira Levin) - Bestselling 1967 horror novel referenced in Gilmore Girls episode one.

The Exorcist - Horror novel by William Peter Blatty written in 1971, adapted into a film in 1974 by director William Friedkin.

Veronica's Room photographs - https://www.instagram.com/niamhrjones/p/DGLNNlyIF7P/?img_index=1

Burke and Hare - Murderers in Edinburgh responsible for sixteen murders over the course of ten months in 1828. These bodies sold to Robert Knox for anatomy lectures.

Equus (Peter Shaffer) - 1973 play about a child psychiatrist who attempts to dissect the mind of a boy with a pathological religious fascination with horses.

As we settle down for a cosy moment together, let's discuss what has been causing a stir in the world of books, film and theatre. Put on the kettle and make yourself a nice cup of tea...

This week I will be discussing fashion, addiction, and grief as I consider their depiction in Coco Mellor's Blue Sisters. I will explore the developing awareness of autism as seen in Channel 4's Patience and celebrate the West End's most talked about and highest confetti budgeted play Jamie Lloyd's Much Ado About Nothing.

Bookshops References

Blackwell's - Oxford founded bookshop found on Broad Street, and now most major academic cities across Britain. The Broad Street shop is famed for being the biggest bookshop in the country.

Local Bookshop (Booka Bookshop) - Independent bookshop founded in 2009 in Oswestry, Shropshire and now to be found in both its original spot and in Bridgenorth. Go for the books, stay for the cake!

References Made

Cleopatra and Frankenstein (Coco Mellors) - Debut novel published in 2022, this is a story of an artist and a graphic designer who enter a whirlwind relationship on New Years Eve.

Prufrock - The Love Story of J. Alfred Prufrock is a poem by American born English poet T. S. Eliot. Eliot's first professional poem, published in 1915.

Midsummer Murders - Classic British murder mystery drama set in a small Oxfordshire village. The first episode was shown in 1997 and the series still runs today.

Vera - TV series based on novels by Ann Cleeves set in Northumberland. The story follows DI Vera Stanhope played Brenda Blethyn, who lives alone in the moors.

Shetland - TV series based on novels by Ann Cleeves set on Shetland. The story follows DI Jimmy Perez played by Douglas Henshall, who grew up on the islands and is now back on his home turf solving murders.

Sheldon Cooper - Fictional character from The Big Bang Theory, with incredible IQ and limited social skills.

Geek Girl - Netflix series staring Emily Carey based on teen novels by Holly Smale. A story of a teenage girl who suddenly finds herself a fashion star and must tackle the world of modelling.

Chloe Hayden - Autistic Australian YouTuber and actress. https://www.youtube.com/@chloeshayden

Heartbreak High - Australian teen drama about a school where a new sex education policy is brought in against which the students rebel. Wacky, out there and currently filming their third and final season, this series follows the life of Amerie and her friends as they tackle teenage angst.

Heartbeat - British drama started in 1992 and centring around the police station and various characters in the community, it tells the story of the everyday lives of the residents of Ashforldly and Aidensfield in the 1960s.

Murder She Wrote - American TV series about detective writer and mystery solver Jessica Fletcher, it ran from 1984 - 1996.

Romeo and Juliet (dir. Jamie Lloyd) - Adaptation of Shakespeare's famous love story at Duke of York’s Theatre, London in the summer of 2024. Known for its bare set, direct address performances and breakout female lead.

Les Liaisons Dangereuses - 2024 Oxford University Drama Society production of Christopher Hampton's 1985 play at the Oxford Playhouse. Known for live cinema experimentation, bare set and extravagant costumes.

Uncle Vanya (dir. Ian Rickson) - 2020 play adapted from Chekhov by Conor McPhearson staring Toby Jones in the titular role. Known for dividing theatre lovers: did you get to see it before lockdown or did you miss out? (I saw it!)

Sunset Boulevard (dir. Jamie Lloyd) - Andrew Lloyd Webber musical first performed in 2023 in London and currently showing on Broadway. Stars Nicole Scherzinger reprising her award winning role.

The Tempest (dir. Jamie Lloyd) - First of the Shakespeare run at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, staring Signourey Weaver as Prospero. Bleak set, good cast, mixed reviews of Weaver.

Hello and welcome to Noo's Nook! Settle in for a cosy moment as I discuss the books, films, TV and theatre that have been inspiring me each week.