21.07.2010 11:19

What's on?: A Point of View

The Australian cultural critic Clive James established the series in 2007, when he was asked by the controller of BBC Radio 4, Mark Damazer, to prepare a set of broadcasts, each one running at just under ten minutes, or just over 1,500 words. In this first series Clive reflected on, amongst other things, plastic surgery, the London Olympics and black role models.

There are several other presenters of A Point of View, including the historian David Cannadine, the art historian Simon Schama and London University professor Lisa Jardine. All of the presenters are well-known for their ability to explain broad concepts clearly and to articulate complicated ideas with clarity. David Cannadine recently presented his thoughts on Memorial Day in America and a week beforehand, on the power of volcanoes. Simon Schama has discussed issues including New Zealand’s history, the changing seasons and the meaning of money as reflected in art. Earlier this year, Lisa Jardine tackled the value of musical education, the emergence of e-books and the importance of chemist Dorothy Hodgkin. Last year, Sir David Attenborough presented a series of talks recalling his experiences from seven decades of exploring the globe. In the first installment he answered the question many people ask him: which animal would you most like to be? And his answer? - A sloth.

Tune in and find out about this week’s topical reflection in A Point of View on BBC Radio 4. It is broadcast every Friday evening at 20.50 (British time). Just click on:

And if you want to read a transcript of the talks, you can do this by going to the BBC Magazine. Just click on: