Podcasts
George Eliot Podcast
Now you can experience George Eliot Country on the web by downloading two fantastic George Eliot Country podcasts. The
podcasts - one a walking tour, the other a driving tour - shed light on
the writer and the connections between her birthplace and fiction, and
also reveal some of the lesser known facts about George Eliot's
controversial life. It is totally free to download the podcasts.
The
tours explore George Eliot Country, and look in particular at the
people and places which inspired the writer's first ever work of
fiction, 'Scenes of Clerical Life', which celebrated its 150th
anniversary last year. Both podcasts are presented by broadcaster Jane
Markham and feature local historian and Chair of the George Eliot
Fellowship, John Burton, whose knowledge of the area and of its links to
Eliot's writing takes the listener to a whole new level of
participation.
The Drive
The
first George Eliot Country podcast, 'The Drive', takes you on a
circular tour of Nuneaton and Bedworth, starting off at Chilvers Coton
Church and finishing in Griff where George Eliot spent her childhood and
teenage years. The tour provides a rare opportunity to learn more about
the fabulous Gothic manor house of Arbury Hall, and pays a visit to the
atmospheric medieval church and castle of Astley - all places which
inspired 'Scenes of Clerical Life'.
The Walk
The
second podcast, 'The Walk', focuses more on the town of Nuneaton and
the locations and colourful characters which helped to create stories
such as 'Janet's Repentance', with its tale of a drunken and violent
lawyer who sparks strong hostilities in the town.
