The British Broadcasting Century with Paul Kerensa
#096 Books on Broadcasting - and the Bodleian Library's 'Listen In' Exhibition
Published: 17 February 2025 at 00:42 UTC
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Episode notes
We're back! Season 7 begins with a Books Special - plus a visit to a special exhibition at Oxford's magnificent Bodleian Library - 'Listen In: How Radio Changed the Home'.
It's curated by Beaty Rubens, who has also written a book of the same name. I joined her at the exhibition for a tour and an interview, recorded live at the Bodleian. Thanks to them for their hospitality - and for caring for countless artefacts, including the Marconi Archive.
And we have authors galore, all with different takes on broadcasting history - I think I count three professors, a doctor, and several yet-to-be-titled too.
We bring you:
- Beaty Rubens - Listen In: How Radio Change the Home: https://bodleianshop.co.uk/products/listen-in
- ...and the Bodleian exhibition of the same name: https://visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/listenin
- David Hendy - The BBC: A People's History: https://amzn.to/3X3SDuU
- Simon J Potter - This is the BBC: Entertaining the Nation, Speaking for Britain 1922-2022: https://amzn.to/3CWfqSu
- Edward Stourton - Auntie’s War: https://amzn.to/4b463g8
- Amy Holdsworth - On Living With Television: https://amzn.to/41keqRi
- Alan Stafford - Bigamy Killed the Radio Star: https://www.fantompublishing.co.uk/product/bigamy-killed-the-radio-star/
- Martin Cooper - Radio's Legacy in Popular Culture: https://amzn.to/41iLTM6
- ...and his blog: https://prefadelisten.com/
- Paul Kerensa - Hark! The Biography of Christmas: https://amzn.to/4iuULoB / audiobook read by the author: https://amzn.to/4gdlYud
- Original music is by Will Farmer.
- Support us on Patreon (£5/mth), for bonus videos and things - and thanks if you do!
- Paul's on tour: An Evening of (Very) Old Radio visits these places: www.paulkerensa.com/tour - come and hear about the first firsts of broadcasting, live.
- This podcast is nothing to do with the BBC.
- Comments? Email the show - paul at paulkerensa dot com. (Rerite that as an email address)
Next time: August 1923 on the BBC - new radio HQs in Birmingham and Manchester, developments in Scotland and Dublin, and the first radio gardener, Marion Cran.
More info on this broadcasting history project at paulkerensa.com/oldradio