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Westminster Abbey, The culture of the countryside, Gillian Allnutt

Tom Dyckhoff assesses the 拢23m Weston Tower and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries at Westminster Abbey. Plus the appeal of the countryside to writers and poet Gillian Allnutt.

The 拢23m Weston Tower and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries at Westminster Abbey will be opening to the public next month. Architecture critic and historian Tom Dyckhoff gives his response to these two new additions to the abbey church, the site of all royal coronations since William the Conqueror in 1066.

Why are so many British writers setting their stories in the countryside at the moment? From the second series of the 麻豆社 comedy drama This Country, to plays including Barney Norris's Nightfall, Joe White's Mayfly and Simon Longman's Gundog, and novels such as Jon McGregor's Reservoir 13 and Ali Smith's Autumn, writers are turning to a new vision of 'the pastoral' for inspiration. Writer Barney Norris joins novelist Sarah Hall - who was born and raised in the Lake District - to consider whether writing about the countryside has become part of the zeitgeist again and why.

Gillian Allnutt's career as a poet stretches over four decades. In 2016 she was awarded the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry. The poet discusses and reads from her new collection, Wake.

Presenter Samira Ahmed
Producer Jerome Weatherald.

Available now

30 minutes

Chapters

  • Westminster Abbey

    Duration: 09:30

  • The culture of the countryside

    Duration: 10:03

  • Gillian Allnutt

    Duration: 07:29

Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey

open from 11 June 2018 at Westminster Abbey, London.

Images:

Main image: The view of Westminster Abbey from the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries

Image to the left: The Weston Tower at Westminster Abbey, designed by Ptolemy Dean

The culture of the countryside

The culture of the countryside

Sarah Hall's book , is out now in hardback, and in paperback from July 2018.

Barney Norris' book is available now听in hardback, paperback, eBook and Audio Download formats.

Images:

Left: Barney Norris, image credit: Jay Brooks

Right: Sarah Hall, image credit: George Thwaites

Gillian Allnutt

Gillian Allnutt

, Gillian Allnut's poetry collection is out now as a paperback and an eBook.

Image: Gillian Allnut

Image credit: Phyllis Christopher

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Samira Ahmed
Interviewed Guest Tom Dyckhoff
Interviewed Guest Barney Norris
Interviewed Guest Sarah Hall
Interviewed Guest Gillian Allnutt
Producer Jerome Weatherald

Broadcast

  • Thu 31 May 2018 19:15

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