The Essay Episodes Available now
Hay Festival: Gillian Clarke—Why I Write
5/5 At the 2015 Hay Festival, Welsh poet laureate Gillian Clarke explains why she writes.
Hay Festival: Frank Cottrell Boyce—Why I Write
4/5 At the 2015 Hay Festival, novelist Frank Cottrell Boyce explains why he writes.
Hay Festival: Horatio Clare—Why I Write
3/5 At the 2015 Hay Festival, author and journalist Horatio Clare explains why he writes.
Hay Festival: Alex Clark—Why I Write
2/5 Literary journalist and writer Alex Clark explains why she writes.
Hay Festival: Daniel Hahn—Why I Write
1/5 Editor and translator Daniel Hahn explains why he writes.
Birch—The Meaning of Trees
14/15 Birch trees provide punishment, beauty, versatility and wine, but are very short-lived.
Holly—The Meaning of Trees
13/15 Fiona Stafford on the holly tree, which reaches huge proportions if not pruned annually.
Cherry—The Meaning of Trees
12/15 Fiona Stafford discusses the cherry tree, prized in many ways, but also in sharp decline.
Cypress—The Meaning of Trees, The Meaning of Trees
2/5 Fiona Stafford discusses the Leyland cypress or leylandii.
Horse Chestnut—The Meaning of Trees
11/15 Professor Fiona Stafford discusses the horse chestnut tree.
