Writer Ruth Irwin joins us again in this special double feature on the English Language papers to talk Journalism.

Ruth applies her creative writing skills to that rather more lean and stark form of wordsmithery, Writing For A Purpose (ooh). In this episode, we discuss (again) the perfect structure for a piece of persuasive, journalistic writing, think about Orwell’s sage words of wisdom for journalists, and consider the efficacy of a well-placed anecdote. 

Ruth Irwin is a real-life writer. She studied Creative Writing at Goldsmiths and creates beautiful poetry alongside teaching English.

In this episode, she sits down with us to read some of her insanely good work as well as discussing the perfect structure for a piece of creative writing and joining our brand-new Improv Writing group to live-write an English Language Paper 5 response (spoiler alert: the character in the story is *not* called Bob)

Ex-politico and current History teacher James Sibley joins us to share his Scotsman's perspective on presbyterianism, morality and the conflicted minds of the 19th-Century Scottish Literary genre.

James studied at St Andrew’s and Oxford and worked in Parliament, so he’s very sharp on issues of society and morality. He shares that- along with his understanding of the Presbyterian belief in predestination and the inner turmoil it creates- through an intense and often hilarious discussion of the words of Robert Louis Stevenson.

Opera Singer and PhD Classical Composer Fleur De Bray joins us fresh from a sell-out run as Katherina Cavalieri in the National Theatre's production of Amadeus to discuss poverty, mobility and social justice through Dickens' A Christmas Carol.

She sees the value of music in transforming text, and thinks about how she would write this as a modern opera, harnessing all the emotive power that music has to change hearts and minds and to suggest inner depths to the characters you thought you knew.

Actor Liam Steward-George can usually be seen playing PC Webber on BBC's BAFTA-winning comedy "This Country".This week, however, hes talking a different policeman: J.B. Priestley's Inspector Goole. And he has some opinions on how to do that, how to light it and even who to cast. Anyone else see a future director?

 

Romeo is a wet rag. Juliet is a badass. Discuss.

Hayley Shepherd, advertiser and stand-up comedian, has some strong opinions on this and wants to share them with you.

In this episode, we go deep into the emotions and personalities of these characters and the odd and often irrational ways in which they respond to one another.

 

Macbeth may seem, at first glance, to be a simple story warning people not to kill the king.

But Jack Furness, Artistic Director of award-winning company Shadwell Opera, sees it as something much more complex.

In this episode, we ask if anyone is telling the truth at all- or if everyone’s just finding ways to tell lies while looking like they’re telling the truth…

Episode Three: Jen Wakefield on Robert BrowningComedian and ex-teacher Jen talks about the mania of Robert Browning ('s narrative voices) and his potential for creating woman-hating narcissists...

How much of themselves do poets put into their work?

Are narrative voices just narrative voices, or are the outer projections of the inward mania of the creator?

Jen Wakefield, comedian and star of Channel 4’s Riot Girls, joins us to discuss these tensions- artistic and psychopathic- in our very heated discussion of Robert Browning’s My Last Duchess and Porphyria’s Lover.

Love Ssega is a singer-songwriter, rapper and MC and holds a PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Cambridge. While he was there, he was also the captain of the boxing team, original frontman of Clean Bandit and star of operas such as Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

His parents came to the UK from Uganda and he grew up in South London. He draws on his own heritage- and that of his West Indian barbers- in our conversation about identity and how our families shape who we become.

A little teaser for Friday's episode... One glorious minute featuring an excerpt of Love Ssega's reading of Checkin' Out Me History along with some of his thoughts on the poetry of Grime.