A Reading Life, A Writing Life, with Sally Bayley

The Narrow Passage

‘This is how I prefer to live…inside a narrow passage…’
Sally is still living with Wuthering Heights this week, as she meditates on the nature of life in confined spaces, both in fiction and on her narrowboat. Join her as she muses on the narrow passages that we live in and move through, reflecting on the nature of freedom, grief, and love.
This episode was edited and produced by James Bowen.
Special thanks to Andrew Smith, Violet Henderson, Kris Dyer, and Maeve Magnus.

An Announcement, and a Story

‘I can’t live without story now…it feels like breathing.’
This week, Sally is travelling to Sicily, for a conversation with Marina Warner on ‘Life Writing, Memory and Fiction.’ Before leaving, she offers a brief meditation on the local artist Gabriella Bailey, telling us a story of two figures outside a city, and the spaces outside of life.
The painting described can be found here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CoKavmGtbl-/?igshid=MWFzaTYzano3eTN5cg%3D%3D
This episode was edited and produced by James Bowen.
Special thanks to Andrew Smith, Violet Henderson, Kris Dyer, and Maeve Magnus.
The podcast will return, as normal, next week…

Wuthering Heights

‘Are you brave enough to follow me there?’
This week, Sally has been reading Emily Bronte’s 1847 novel, Wuthering Heights. Fixated on the dreams of its narrator, join her for her reflections on rage, the histories of homes and places, and the distracting intrusions of life into writing.
The beautiful piano music in the middle and closing sections is by Paul Clarke.
This episode was edited and produced by James Bowen.
Special thanks to Andrew Smith, Violet Henderson, Kris Dyer, and Maeve Magnus.

Shoreham

For Alice Colquhoun.
In this episode, Sally muses on J.M.W. Turner’s famous 1830 painting, Shoreham. Join her for reflections on art, life, and on writing from the faint lines of existence.
Turner’s work makes frequent appearances in Sally’s latest book, The Green Lady, available from all good booksellers.
This episode was edited and produced by James Bowen.
Special thanks to Andrew Smith, Violet Henderson, Kris Dyer, and Maeve Magnus.

Searching for Verity

‘A writer’s notebook is full of the sound of atmosphere…’
This week, Sally is teaching a course on detective fiction. Emerging from her meditations on Wilkie Collins’ novel The Moonstone, follow her on a journey through the light and the dark places of the world, and the variegated truths of writing and life.
Miss Cull, a frequent guest on the podcast, can also be found in Sally’s latest book, The Green Lady, available from all good booksellers.
This episode was edited and produced by James Bowen.
Special thanks to Andrew Smith, Violet Henderson, Kris Dyer, and Maeve Magnus.

Sea of Troubles

Continuing this week’s Shakespearean theme, Sally describes a recent trip to a screening of a new cinematic adaptation of Kenneth Macmillan’s 1988 balletic interpretation of Hamlet, Sea of Troubles. Join her for a meditation on choreography, interpretation, and prayer.
Dance Scholarship Oxford (DANSOX), who made the screening possible, run a wide variety of events relating to dance at St. Hilda’s College, Oxford. More information is available here: https://dansox3.wordpress.com/about/
This episode was edited and produced by James Bowen.
Special thanks to Andrew Smith, Violet Henderson, Kris Dyer, and Maeve Magnus.

Finding Your Part

‘All the world’s a stage…’
Sally is thinking this week about a photograph of her foster grandmother in Shakespearean costume. Who is she? How did she find her part? Did she have her experience, like Jacques, the man of the world? Listen to her meditations, extemporised and recorded in a single take, to find out.
The speech from As You Like It, read at the end, is available here: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/56966/speech-all-the-worlds-a-stage
For those in and around Oxford, Sally will be speaking about her latest book, The Green Lady, at 3pm this Saturday, the 28th of October, at Blackwell's Bookshop. Tickets for this free event can be found here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sally-bayley-the-green-lady-with-triona-adams-tickets-681607986837
The wonderful piano music in the closing section is by Paul Clarke.
This episode was edited and produced by James Bowen.
Special thanks to Andrew Smith, Violet Henderson, Kris Dyer, and Maeve Magnus.

The Red Poppy

‘Feelings: oh, I have those; they govern me.’
In this special episode, Sally reflects on the work of the late poet Louise Glück as she travels around Oxford. Join her as she muses on feeling, poetry, family, and names.
The poem, ‘The Red Poppy’, featured in this episode, can be read here: https://poets.org/poem/red-poppy-0
The wonderful piano music in the opening section is by Paul Clarke.
This episode was edited and produced by James Bowen.
Special thanks to Andrew Smith, Violet Henderson, Kris Dyer, and Maeve Magnus.