The Essay Episodes Available now
Episode 1—The Other Auld Alliance
1/5 Stuart Kelly on the role that Prince Albert played in the invention of modern Scotland.
Naomi Alderman—Strange Beds
5/5 Naomi Alderman describes a trip to the Arctic, where she spent much time confined to bed.
John Walsh—Strange Beds
4/5 Writer John Walsh describes sleeping in a hammock in the jungle in Guyana.
Philip Hoare—Strange Beds
3/5 Philip Hoare on spending a night in a hospital observation ward after falling off his bike
Rachel Cooke—Strange Beds
2/5 Journalist Rachel Cooke on spending a night in accommodation in the wilds of Scotland.
Colin Thubron—Strange Beds
1/5 Colin Thubron recalls booking into a room that once belonged to a merciless Chinese leader
Skin—Black and White
5/5 Poet and writer Salena Godden explains her relationship with her skin.
Messrs Smith and Carlos and Norman—Black and White
4/5 Lindsay Johns explains the inspiration he draws from a black and white photo at his desk.
Yin and Yang—Black and White
3/5 Xiaolu Guo remembers lessons learned from her father growing up in China.
Words on the Page—Black and White
2/5 Glyn Maxwell on whether we have become too black and white, and too binary.
