BBC Radio 4 – Artworks, Three Transformations of Virginia Woolf, 2. Critiquing Society

‘They make life intolerable, men like that.’

A century on from the publication of Mrs Dalloway, Fiona Shaw explores what Virginia Woolf has to say to us today. With Clarissa Dalloway as our guide, we discover how Woolf captured and critiqued a modern world that was transforming around her, treated mental health as a human experience rather than a medical condition, and challenged gender norms in ways that seem light years ahead of even our present day discourse.

In this episode, Fiona Shaw speaks with authors, academics and artists inspired by Virginia Woolf, about how Woolf critiqued systems of power and privilege.

Fiona hears from authors Alison Light, Danell Jones, Michelle de Kretser, Michael Cunningham, and Mark Haddon; Senior Lecture in Modern Literature, Dr Clara Jones; Professor of English, Mark Hussey; and artist Kabe Wilson.

Extracts read by Gwendoline Christie.

Produced by Ellie Richold for BBC Audio

[…]

Posted in History | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

A few from Berlin in 2013

Posted in Street Art | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

I had to take a break from The Files.

Posted in Politics | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The real story behind Pluto’s viral icy mountains – explained by an Oxford physicist 🚀

Posted in Geography | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

UK Fanta vs US Fanta

Posted in Food | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Irish Wool is Worth Almost Nothing – Here’s Why

[…]

Why is Irish wool worth almost nothing — despite being natural, sustainable, and produced in huge volumes every year?

In this video, I visit an Irish wool processing facility to follow wool from the moment it leaves the sheep to where the real value is (and isn’t) created. As a sheep farmer and shearer, I see wool every day — but most farmers are paid next to nothing for it.

So what’s going on?

We look at:

Why raw Irish wool has such a low price

Where money is made in the wool industry

The costs of handling, processing, and storing wool

Why wool is treated more like a by-product than a commodity

Whether new uses like insulation, felt, and workwear can change the economics

This isn’t a rant — it’s an honest look at the economics of wool, why farmers have disengaged from it, and why the value exists further down the supply chain.

If you’re interested in farming, agricultural economics, sustainability, or where everyday materials actually come from, this one’s for you.

 

#ewetube #irishfarming #sheep #sheepfarming

[…]

Posted in infrastructure | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Why Design Bias Matters More Than You Think

Posted in Design | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Blackberry Dumplings! (RECIPE IN DESCRIPTION)

Posted in Black History | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

I was casually drinking my morning coffee minding my own business and a fox came and crapped in a plant pot

Posted in Animal Behaviour | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Could tensions ‘escalate’ before the escalator was invented?

4 Feb 2026 Words Unravelled with RobWords and Jess Zafarris
Is necessity the mother of invention? NO! Latin is, etymologically speaking. That’s just one of many revelations as Jess and Rob investigates words for innovations.
🛗 Could you ‘escalate’ something before the escalator?
🍞 When was sliced bread actually invented?
🩹 What connects zippers, band aids and aspirin?
These questions answered – and many more – in another inventive episode of Words Unravelled.

👕 OUR MERCH 👚
US SHOP: https://wordsunravelledshop.myspreads…
EU/UK SHOP: https://wordsunravelledshop.myspreads…

👂LISTEN: https://podfollow.com/words-unravelle…
or search for “Words Unravelled” wherever you get your podcasts.

==LINKS==
Rob’s YouTube channel: / robwords
Jess’ Useless Etymology blog: https://uselessetymology.com/
Rob on X: x.com/robwordsyt
Jess on TikTok: tiktok.com/@jesszafarris

#etymology #inventions #English

[…]

Posted in English | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment