Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

Lucasta Miller's new book is about a female poet who wrote of passion and signed off as LEL. Her name was Letitia Elizabeth Landon and this 'persona' was cultivated at an early age

Lucasta Miller's account of an infamous female poet in ruthless times, London in the 1820s and '30s, is abridged in five parts by Katrin Williams.

The dubious William Jerdan, editor of the Literary Gazette, takes on the responsibility of mentoring young Letitia Elizabeth Landon, who starts writing passionate verse for his magazine, signing off as a persona known as LEL.

But publication comes with conditions...

Reader Helena Bonham Carter
Producer Duncan Minshull

14 minutes

Last on

Tue 14 May 2019 00:30

More episodes

Previous

You are at the first episode

See all episodes from Book of the Week

Broadcasts

  • Mon 13 May 2019 09:45
  • Tue 14 May 2019 00:30

Listen to more Audio Books

Listen to more Audio Books

Including My Sister The Serial Killer, Queenie, The Flatshare and more.

Opening Lines

Opening Lines

John Yorke unpacks the themes behind the stories in Radio 4's weekend afternoon dramas.

Sample our books and authors Clip Collection

Interviews, previews and reviews

Subscribe to the Short stories podcast

Featuring the best stories from the UK's finest writers

How many of these 100 Novels have you read?

How many of these 100 Novels have you read?

After a passionate debate, our panel has come up with this surprising literary selection.

Finding Your Story

Finding Your Story

Ten remarkable novels about identity: Which one will help you discover yourself?

麻豆社 Arts: Books

Celebrating reading and the 100 novels that have shaped our world.