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Christopher Ricks on TS Eliot, Arthur Miller play premier, Top picks for non-fiction books of 2015

Arts news with John Wilson, including literary critic Christopher Ricks on TS Eliot's annotated poems and a review of the Arthur Miller play No Villain.

John Wilson talks to the great literary critic Christopher Ricks about the monumental annotated poems of T. S. Eliot that he has co-edited. It runs to 2,000 pages, but only one in eight is verse, the others notes, commentary and context.

Arthur Miller's plays are performed on major stages throughout the world. But his very first drama No Villain is getting its world premier this week in a tiny theatre, above a London pub. Front Row reveals how this came about and Christopher Bigsby, Miller's biographer, reviews the production. No Villain runs at the Old Red Lion Theatre until 9 January.

Journalist and author Max Hastings and writer and comedian Natalie Haynes give a helping hand with this year's Christmas present shopping by picking their favourite non-fiction books of 2015.

Available now

30 minutes

Chapters

  • Christopher Ricks on TS Eliot

    Duration: 10:02

  • Non-fiction books

    Duration: 08:35

  • Arthur Miller play premiere

    Duration: 08:30

  • Happy Birthday

    Duration: 00:58

TS Eliot

TS Eliot

The Poems of TS Eliot: The Annotated Texts, edited by Christopher Ricks and Jim McCue, is available in hardback and eBook now.

No Villain

No Villain

by Arthur Miller is at the Old Red Lion Theatre in London until 9 January 2016

Image: Nesba Crenshaw & David Bromley in No Villain, courtesy of Cameron Harle.听

Non-fiction books for Christmas

Non-fiction books for Christmas

Max Hastings recommended reads:

The Railways: Nation, Network and People by Simon Bradley

John le Carre biography by Alan Sisman

Natalie Haynes recommended reads:

Keeping an Eye Open by Julian Barnes

Introducing the Ancient Greeks by Edith Hall

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter John Wilson
Interviewed Guest Christopher Ricks
Interviewed Guest Christopher Bigsby
Interviewed Guest Max Hastings
Interviewed Guest Natalie Haynes
Producer Elaine Lester

Broadcast

  • Thu 10 Dec 2015 19:15

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