Philip Pullman, Hollie McNish, Francesca Martinez and David Denison join Ian McMillan

A masterclass in using 'tense' for writers. Philip Pullman, author of the 'His Dark Materials' series, explains why the fashion for the present tense can limit writers of fiction and celebrates the 'classical tone' of Philippa Pearce. Francesca Martinez delights in the present tense of comedy, whilst Hollie McNish introduces Erin Fornoff and her poem of 'back and forth' tenses. Linguist David Denison reveals how the 'simple present' tense in English is being 'marginalised' by the progressive. We're loving it.