Books are some of my finest, most faithful, and treasured friends. Therefore, it shouldn't be much of a surprise to find that they feature a lot in the podcast. The programme notes for each episode list the full bibliographical details and, whenever possible, links to the publishers or (for out of copyright books) to the books themselves.
Below is a list of authors/books used (either read or constituting more than a passing reference) and links to the episodes in which they appear.
Almanacs
Baseley, G. (1977) A Country Compendium. Episode: 166.
Breton, N. (c.1620) The Kalendar of Shepherds: Being Devices for the Twelve Months. Episodes: 4, 10, 15, 32, 42, 99.
Dunlop, S. (2021) Weather Almanac 2022 published by HarperCollins. Episodes: 66, 103.
Hadfield, M. (1950) An English Almanac published by J.M. Dent and Sons. Episodes: 8, 17, 25, 28, 34, 87, 118, 135, 143, 154, 159, 166, 168.
Wheeler Shaw, H. (1870) Josh Billing’s Old Farmer’s Allminax. Episode: 15.
Auto/biography
Kilvert, F. (1977) Kilvert’s Diary (1870-1879): A selection edited and introduced by William Plommer published by Penguin books. Episode: 17.
Lee, L. (2016) A Village Christmas and Other Notes on the English Year published by Penguin books.. Episode 17, 60.
Moriarty, J. (2001/2011) Nostos: An autobiography published by Lilliput Press. Episodes: 88,110.
Moriarty, J. (2007) What the Curlew Said: Nostos continued published by Lilliput Press. Episodes: 29, 44, 54, 88, 146.
Moriarty, J. (2009) Dreamtime published by Lilliput Press. Episode: 151.
Thomas, D. (1954) 'Memories of Christmas' in his Quite Early One Morning published by J.M. Dent and sons. Episode: 60.
Thomas, H. (2012) As it Was and World Without End published (collection) by Carcanet. Episode: 25.
Canals and boating
Batty, J. (2019) Narrowboat Life: Discover life afloat on the inland waterways. Episodes: 76. 137.
Douglas, I. (2021) Folk Tales from the Canal Side published by The History Press. Episode: 103.
Dutton, J. (2021) Water Gypsies: Life on Britain's rivers and canals. Episodes: 76, 123.
Griffee, A. (2019) Canal Pushers. Episode: 94 (summer reading).
Hassell, J. (1819) Tour of the Grand Junction. Episodes: 16, 37 (summer reading), 76,
Hollingshead, J. (1858) Odd Journeys in and out of London. Episodes: Groombridge. Episodes: 12, 16, 20, 37 (summer reading), 45, 76.
Lewis, G. (2014) The Longest Trench published by SGM Publishing. Episode: 95 (summer reading).
Machen, A. (1924) The London Adventure: Or the art of wandering re-published by Tartrus Press. Episode: 59.
Pearson, J,M. (2003/2017) Pearson’s Canal Companions: Oxford, Grand Union. published by Wayzgoose. Episode: 77
Pearson, J,M. (2017) Pearson’s Canal Companions: South Midlands. 10th edn. published by Wayzgoose. Episode: 45
Rolt, L.T.C. (1944) Narrow Boat published by Eire and Spottiswoode. Episodes: 35, 45, 46, 76, 77, 95, 123, 144, 171.
de Salis, H.R. (1904) Bradshaw's Canals and Navigable Rivers of England and Wales republished (2012) by Old House Books. Episode: 46.
Scott-Davies, A. (2010) Shadows on the Water: The Haunted Canals and Waterways of Britain published by History Press. Episodes: 18, 45,
Temple Thurston, E. (1911) The Flower of Gloster published by Williams and Norgate. Episodes: 5, 34, 38 (summer reading), 44, 76, 77, 123.
Whatley, R. (1994) 'The leisurely life' in Ivan E Broadhead (ed.) Up the Cut: An anthology of inland waterways published by Alan Sutton (pp. 108-110). Episode: 123.
Wilkes, S. (2011) Tracing your Canal Ancestors: A guide for family historians published by Pen and Sword Family History. Episodes: 14, 45, 76, 123.
Fiction
BB (1942) Little Grey Men reissued (2012) by Oxford University Press. Episode: 47.
BB (1944) Brendon Chase reissued (2016) by Puffin Books. Episode: 143.
BB (1948) Down the Bright Stream (later published as The Little Grey Men go Down the Bright Stream) also reissued (2001) by Oxford University Press. Episode: 47.
Boston, L.M. (1954) The Children of Green Knowe published by Faber and Faber. Episode: 60.
Boston, L.M. (1958) The River at Green Knowe published by Faber and Faber. Episode: 39 (summer reading).
Cooper, S. (1973) The Dark is Rising published by Penguin Puffin. Episode 60.
Grahame, K. (1908) The Wind in the Willows re-published (2005) by Penguin Classics. Episode: 43 (summer reading), 156.
Silverstein, S. (1964) The Giving Tree republished (2010) by Particular Books. Episode: 119.
Thomas, D. (1961) Under Milkwood: A play for voices published by J,M. Dent and sons. Episode: 29.
Natural History
Ackerman, J. (2020) The Bird Way: A new look at how birds talk, work, play, parent and eat published by Penguin. Episode: 48, 166.
Armstrong, E.A. (1958) The Folklore of Birds (Collins New Naturalist Library 39) published by Collins. Episodes: 47, 65,
Barnes, S. (2005) A Bad Birdwatcher's Companion published by Short Books. Episodes: 70, 73, 89.
BB. (2008) The Naturalist’s Bedside Book published by Merlin Unwin Books. Episode: 65.
Berry, W. (2017) World Ending Fire: Essential Wendell Berry published by Catapult. Episodes: 51, 68.
Buczacki, S. (2002) Fauna Britannica published by Hamlyn. Episodes: 8, 65, 111, 166.
Burnett, E-J. (2023) 'Country Diary: It's a pause between seasons as the skylarks fall silent' in The Guardian, (24.08.2023). Episode: 134.
Černy, W. (2000) Field Guide in Colour to British Birds published by Silverdale Books. Episode: 65.
Challenger, M. (2023) 'Animal in the room: Why we should listen to other species' published in Emergence Magazine (Aug 2023). Episode: 142.
Clare, J. (1820) The Shepherd's Calendar re-published (1993) by Oxford University Press. Episodes: 10, 19, 20, 23, 51, 172.
Dee, T. (2009) The Running Sky: A bird-watching life published by Penguin Books. Episode: 114.
Derrida, J. (2008) The Animal that Therefore I am published by Fordham University Press. Episode: 36.
Folkard, R. (1884) Plant Lore, Legends, and Lyric: Embracing the myths, traditions, superstitions and folk-lore of the plant kingdom published by Sampson Low. Episode: 55.
Gooley, T. (2018) Wild Signs and Star Paths: 52 Keys that Will Open Your Eyes, Ears and Mind to the World Around You published by Hodder and Stoughton. Episode: 135.
Gooley, T. (2022) The Secret World of Weather: How to read signs in every cloud, breeze, hill, street, plant, animal, and dewdrop published by Hodder and Stoughton. Episode: 134.
Grant, E.L. (1960) What to Look for in Summer. Ladybird Book series (536), published by Wills & Hepworth. Episode: 129.
Hill, S. (1983) The Magic Apple Tree published by Penguin Random Books. Episode: 101.
Hudson, J. (1910) A Shepherd's Life: Impressions of the South Wiltshire Downs re-published (2016) by Penguin Classics. Episode 22.
Hume, R. (2007) RSPB Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (revised edn.) published by Dorling Kindersley. Episode: 65.
Ingersoll, E. (1923) Birds in Legend, Fable and Folklore published by Longmans, Green and Co.. Episode: 102.
Jamie, K. (2004) Findings published by Sort Of Books. Episode 79.
Jamie, K. (2019) Surfacing published by Penguin Random House, Episode 72.
Jansson, T. (1972) The Summer Book: A novel. republished (2003) by Sort of Books. Episode: 133.
Jeffries, R. (1881) Wood Magic: A fable published by Cassell and co. Episode: 8.
Jeffries, R. (1898) Wildlife in a Southern County published by Smith, Elder and co. Episode: 17, 29,
Keble Martin, W. (1965) The Concise British Flora in Colour published by Ebury Press. Episodes: 32, 55,
Kimmerer, R.W. (2008) 'Nightfall' in Paul Bogard's (2008) Let There be Night: Testimony on behalf of the dark published by University of Nevada. Episode: 85.
Kimmerer, R.W. (2020) Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge and the teaching of plants published by Penguin. Episodes: 51, 83.
Mac Coitir, N. (2015) Ireland's Birds: Myths, legends and folklore published by Swift Books. Episode: 105.
Mac Coitir, N. (2016) Ireland’s Trees: Myths, legends and folklore published by The Collins Press. Episodes: 44, 55,
Mazluff, J. and Angell, T. (2005) In the Company of Crows and Ravens published by Yale University Press. Episodes: 48, 66.
Merton, T. (1966) Raids on the Unspeakable published by New Directions. Episode: 104.
Merton, T. (2003) When the Trees Say Nothing published by Sorin Books. Episodes: 28, 79, 134, 165.
Merton, T. (2009) Dancing in the Water of Life published by HarperCollins. Episode: 146.
Miller, J (2020) Weird Woods: Tales from the Haunted Forests of Britain published by the British Library. Episode: 18.
O' Donohue, J. (1999) Anam Cara: Spiritual wisdom from the Celtic world published by Penguin Random House. Episode 85.
Oliver, M. (2021) Dog Songs published by Hachett UK. Episode: 74.
Parikian, L. (2021) Light Rain Sometimes Falls: A British year through Japan's 72 seasons. published by Elliott & Thompson. Episode: 160.
Porteous, A. (1927) The Forest in Folklore and Mythology republished (2001) by Courier Press. Episode: 105.
Ritter, C. (1938) Woman in the Polar Night republished (2019) by Pushkin Press. Episodes: 107, 117.
Schneidau, L. (2018) Botanical Folktales of Britain and Ireland published by The History Press. Episodes: 22.
Schuyl, M. (2012) The Swan: A natural history published by Merlin Unwin. Episode: 70.
Simard, S. (2021) Finding the Mother Tree: Uncovering the wisdom and intelligence of the forest published by Penguin. Episodes: 51, 119.
Struthers, J. (2009) Red Sky at Night: The book of lost countryside wisdom published by Ebury Press. Episode:
Thomas, E. (1914) In Pursuit of Spring re-published (2002) by Laurel Books. Episodes: 19, 25.
Thornhill, P. and Warnett, A. (1980) The Three Mile Man: A countryman's view of nature published by Harper Collins. Episode: 137.
Vickery, R. (2019) Vickery’s Folk Flora: An A-Z of the folklore and uses of British and Irish plants published by Weidenfeld and Nicolson. Episodes: 44, 55, 86, 121, 156.
Night time literature
Beaumont, M. (2015) Night Walking: A nocturnal history of London from Chaucer to Dickens published by Verso. Episodes: 30, 85.
Bogard, P. (ed) (20 ) Let there be Night: Testimony on behalf of darkness published by University of Nevada Press. Episodes: 30, 35, 85, 88.
Ekirch, R (2005) At Day's Close: A history of night time published by Norton. Episode: 35, 85.
Gaw, M. (2020) Under the Stars: A journey into light published by Elliott and Thompson. Episodes: 7, 64.
Yates, C. (2012) Nightwalk: A journey to the heart of nature published by Harper Collins.
Poetry
[The link will take you to the relevant episode. Once there, go to 'chapters' to find the exact section where the reading occurs.]
Amergin.
Anglo-Saxon Poems - translated by Michael Alexander (2006)
Excerpts:
- 'Andreas'
- 'The Ruin'
- 'The Seafarer'
- Exeter riddle: 73(74)
- 'Deor' (short excerpt)
- From Maxims II
'Archie'
Ashby, David.
- 'Cotswolds' (1991)
Auden, W.H.
- 'Night Mail' (1936)
Bell, Jo.
Belloc, Hilaire.
- 'Dedicatory Ode' (excerpt)
Berry, Wendell.
- 'A Standing Ground' (2018)
- 'Another Descent' (2018)
- 'Listen' (2018)
- 'The Heron' (2018)
- 'To know the Dark' (2018)
- Sabbath Poems (1987)
- XII 'I Walk in Openings'
- XIX 'Some Sunday Afternoon'
- XXI ‘I was awakened from my dream of the ruined world’
- XXII 'There is a day'
- XXIII 'The watcher comes'
Betjeman, John.
- 'Autumn, 1964' (1977)
- 'Greenaway' (excerpt) (1977)
- 'Harrow on the Hill' (1953)
- 'Inland Waterways' (1974)
- 'Seaside Golf' (excerpt) (1954)
- From Summoned by Bells (1960)
- 'Trebetherick' (excerpt) (1940)
- 'Upper Lambourne' (excerpt) (1940)
Blake, William.
- 'Mock On, Mock On, Voltaire, Rousseau' (1796)
Brooke, Rupert.
- 'The Chilterns' (excerpt) (1913)
Campbell, Nancy.
- 'Recipe for a Towpath Garden' (2018)
Clare, John.
- 'Day-Break'
- 'Last of March Written at Lolham Briggs'
- Shepherd's Calendar (May - 'The brook...') (excerpt).
Dickinson, Emily.
Dobell, Eva.
- 'Cotswold Roads' (1991)
Drinkwater, John.
- 'The Cotswold Farmers' (1991)
Finnegan Tui (song writer)
- 'Old One' (First verse) (2024)
Garfitt, Roger.
- 'Equinox' (1975)
Goode, R.
- 'Magickry' (2012)
- 'Today I held back time' (2013)
- 'You would, wouldn't you?' (2012)
Grahame, K.
- 'Duck's Ditty' (1908)
Haines, John.
- 'The High Road' (1991)
Hennen, Tom.
- 'Night Crawls On' (2013)
- 'Sheep in the Rain' (2013)
- 'Summer Night Air' (2013)
- 'What the Plants Say' (2013)
- 'When Night Nears' (2023)
Haskins, Minnie Louise(
- 'God Knows’ (At the gate of the year) (1912)
Hopkins, Gerard Manley.
Hughes, Ted.
- 'Wind' (1957)
Jacobson, Margaret.
- 'The Colour of Water' (2022)
James (Glennie, J., Gott, L., Booth, T., Whelan, G.)
- 'Sit Down' (Lyrics - excerpt) (1989)
- 'Waltzing Along' (lyrics - excerpt) (1997)
Larkin, Philip.
- 'Coming' (1955)
- 'Whitsun Weddings' (1964)(excerpt)
MacMillan, Ian.
MacNeice, Louis.
- 'The House on a Cliff' (1929)
de la Mare, W.
- 'Nicholas Nye' (1931)
- 'Nod' (1912)
- 'Silver' (1931)
Masefield, John.
May, Steve.
- 'The Magnificent Heron' (2021)
Milne, A.A.
- 'Come out with Me' (1927)
- 'Happiness' (1924)
- 'The Wind on the Hill' (1927)
Mind Shambles
- 'Over Steam (Spring 2021)' (2021)
- 'The Long Village (Oct 2024)' (2024)
Oliver, Mary.
- 'Invitation' (2013)
- 'Snow Geese' (2004)
- 'Starlings in Winter' (2004)
- 'The Summer Day' (1990)
- 'The Swan' (1992)
- 'Wild Geese' (2004)
- 'Whelks' (2004)
Plath, Sylvia.
- 'Mushrooms' (1960)
Rigden, Christine.
- 'Going Aground' (2015)
- 'Winter Boating' (2015)
Rosetti, Christina.
- 'In the Bleak Midwinter' (1872) (excerpt)
Ryōkan (1758-1831)
Service, Robert (excerpts)
Shakespeare, William.
- 'Piping Pebworth' (attributed)
Simon, Paul.
- 'A Poem on the Underground Wall' (excerpt)
Stevenson, R.L.
- 'Bed in Summer' (1885)
- 'From a Railway Carriage' (1885)
Street, Seán.
- 'Listening with a spider' (2021)
- 'Shipping Forecast Donegal' (2007)
- 'Slow Radio' (2022)
Taliesin.
- 'An Unfriendly Crowd' (excerpts)
Thomas, Dylan.
- 'Fern Hill' (excerpt)
- 'In my craft or sullen art' (complete)
- 'Lament' (excerpt)
- 'Poem in October' (excerpt)
- 'The force that through the green fuse drives the flower' (excerpt)
Thomas, Edward.
Thomas, R.S.
- 'The Bright Field' (1984)
- 'The Moon in Lleyn' (1984)
Thomas, Vanessa.
- 'Pooley Country Park' (2022)
- 'What is it? Tell us Mick' (2023)
Tolkien, J.R.R.
- 'Errantry' (1962) (excerpt)
- 'The Adventures of Tom Bombadil' (1962) (excerpts)
Waters, Brian.
- 'The Ancient Wall' (1991)
Whyte, D.
- 'Faith' (2018)
- 'The Journey' (2018)
Yeats, WB.
Young, N.
- 'Harvest Moon' (excerpt) (1992)
Radio
Compton, N. (2016) The Shipping Forecast: A miscellany published by Ebury. Episode: 49.
Connelly, C. (2019) Last Train to Hilversum: A journey in the search of the magic of radio published by Bloomsbury. Episodes: 1, 33, 49, 121.
Jefferson, P. (2011) And Now the Shipping Forecast: A tide of history around our shores published by UIT Cambridge. Episode: 49.
Lloyd, D. (2019) Radio Secrets published by Rethink Press. Episode: 1.
Street, S. (2013) The Poetry of Radio: The colour of sound published by Routledge. Episodes: 33, 96, 121.
Street, S. (2019) The Sound inside the Silence: Travels in the Sonic Imagination published by Springer. Episode: 96.
Weather
Barnett, C. (2015) Rain: A natural and cultural history published by Penguin Books (Random House). Episode: 165.
Binney, R. (2010) Wise Words and Country Ways: Weather Lore published by David and Charles. Episodes: 23, 28, 34, 118.
Dack, C. (1911) Weather and Folklore of Peterborough and District published by Peterborough Natural History, Scientific, and Archaeological Society. Episode 28.
Dunlop, S. (2021) Weather Almanac 2022 published by HarperCollins. Episodes: 66, 103.
Harris. A. (2015) Weatherland: Writers and artists under English skies published by Thames and Hudson. Episodes: 58, 73, 107, 118.
Gooley, T. (2022) The Secret World of Weather: How to read signs in every cloud, breeze, hill, street, plant, animal, and dewdrop published by Hodder and Stoughton. Episode: 134.
Parker, E. (2022) Winters in the World: A journey through the Anglo-Saxon year published by Reaktion Books. Episodes: 106, 107, 154.
Various (c.1900) Weather Folk-Lore of the Sea and Superstitions of the Scottish Fishermen. Episodes: 9,
Ancient Texts
Anglo Saxon:
Anon. The Mabinogion. Episodes: 44, 55, 170.
Anon. The Chronicle of Anonymous of Canterbury 1346-1365. (c.1365). Episode: 66.
Anon. The Voyage of Bran. Episode: 110.
Anon. 'The Hymn of the Pearl' from The Acts of Thomas (c. 2/3rd century CE). Episode: 115.
Amergin. 'The Song of Amergin'. Episode: 118.
Bede. Ecclesiastical History of the English People. Episode: 109.
Breton, N. The Kalendar of Shepherds: Being Devices for the Twelve Months. Episodes: 4, 10, 15, 32, 42,
Hammer, L. (2018) Ice Melts in the Wind: Poems from the Kokinshū. Published by Cholla Bear Press. Episode: 160.
Struluson, Snorri (c. 1200) Prose Edda. Episode: 73.
Taliesin. 'An Unfriendly Crowd'. Episode: 118.
Misc.
Basso, K.H. (1996) Wisdom Sits in Places: Landscape and language among the Western Apache, published by University of New Mexico Press. Episode: 122.
Blackie, S. (2019) Foxfire, Wolfskin and other stories of Shapeshifting Women, published by September Publishing. Episode: 86.
Blackie, S. (2021) The Enchanted Life: Reclaiming the magic and wisdom of the natural world, published by September Publishing. Episodes: 110, 135.
Buber, M. (1937) I and Thou (English Trans.), published by T&T Clark. Episode: 36.
Camus, A. (1942/2012) The Outsider (English Trans.), published by Penguin Modern Classics. Episode: 162.
Carleton, W. (1830) 'The hedge school' in Traits and Stories of the Irish Peasantry. Episode: 135.
Carney, E.F. (2013) Kakurenbo: On the whereabouts of Zen Priest Ryōkan. Episode: 139.
Derrida, J. (2008) The Animal that Therefore I am, published by Fordham University Press. Episode: 36.
Hanson, S. (2008) 'Deep in the Heart' in Paul Bogard's (2008) Let There be Night: Testimony on behalf of the dark published by University of Nevada. Episode: 88.
Hertzberg, J. and Francois, Z. (2010) Five Minute Bread: The revolutionary new baking method: no bread machine, no kneading!, published by Random House. Episode: 83.
Kempton, B. (2018) Wabi Sabi: Japanese wisdom for a perfectly imperfect life, published by Piaktus. Episode: 160.
Koyama, K. (1980 reissued in 2021) Three Mile an Hour God, published by SCM. Episode: 72.
Merton, T. (1966) Raids on the Unspeakable published by New Directions. Episode: 104.
Murano, K.T. (2024) The Monk and the Butterfly, self-published. Episode: 161.
Parker, E. (2022) Winters in the Word: A journey through the Anglo-Saxon year published by Reaktion Books. Episode: 106.
Rasmussen, K. (1908) People of the Polar North: A record, published by Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner. Episode: 72.
Synge, J.M. (1907) The Aran Islands, republished in (1992) by Penguin Classics. Episode:152.
Videen, H. (2022) Wordhord: Daily life in old English, published by Princeton University Press. Episode: 79, 118.
Winch, G. (2018) 'Why we need to take pet loss seriously'. Scientific American. Episode: 74.