Letters To The Overrated And The Underrated

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Comments

Dear Katherine Mansfield...

20240212

The living tend to get upset, or the wrong end of the stick. But you can say what you like to the dead. You can confess your deepest fears and anxieties. Also, the dead tend to have that - you know - eternal perspective...

Ian's correspondences begin as he drops a quick line to the late New Zealand-born author and critic Katherine Mansfield.

Ian Sansom drops a line to late New Zealand-born author and critic Katherine Mansfield.

Dear Joseph Conrad...

20240213

Dear Joseph Conrad,

There's a splendid sky outside: you'd absolutely love it; you'd be able to make something of it. It's all blue and black and silver, with just a little hint of dark pink on the horizon, a sort of long, slightly curling, insolent lip: a cruel early morning landscape...

Ian's epistolary adventures continue with a few missives to late Polish-British novelist Joseph Conrad.

Ian Sansom pens imaginary missives to late Polish-British novelist Joseph Conrad.

Dear Clarice Lispector...

20240214

Dear Clarice Lispector,

You can't judge a book by its cover. Except that we do judge a book by its cover, of course, and looks do matter – and you looked absolutely extraordinary...

From the puffed up and overpraised, to those he thinks may have been unfairly discounted, Ian Sansom is writing imaginary correspondences to some key figures from modern literary history.

Now Ian supposes the late Brazilian novelist Clarice Lispector is receiving his dispatches.

Ian Sansom fires off a quick line or two to late Brazilian novelist Clarice Lispector.

Dear Octavia Butler...

20240215

Dear Octavia Butler,

I've just been binge-watching Severance on Apple TV: it's a dystopian-future kind of thing. It's OK. I think you'd enjoy it...

Apparently it's the turn of the late American sci-fi writer Octavia Butler to receive some of Ian's dispatches.

Ian Sansom is sending imaginary dispatches to late American sci-fi writer Octavia Butler.

Dear John Le Carre...

20240216

Dear John le Carré,

I'll use your pseudonym, John le Carré, or your cover name, or whatever you called it, if you don't mind. I don't suppose you'd want me to call you by your actual name, David Cornwell...

Ian rounds up his series of fanciful communications, with a few letters to the late English-Irish spy novelist John le Carré.

Ian Sansom is writing uncoded messages to late English-Irish spy novelist John le Carre.

From the puffed up and overpraised, to those he thinks may have been unfairly discounted, Ian Sansom is writing to some key figures from modern literary history.

Episodes

Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Comments
01	Dear Katherine Mansfield...	20240212	The living tend to get upset, or the wrong end of the stick. But you can say what you like to the dead. You can confess your deepest fears and anxieties. Also, the dead tend to have that - you know - eternal perspective... Ian's correspondences begin as he drops a quick line to the late New Zealand-born author and critic Katherine Mansfield. Ian Sansom drops a line to late New Zealand-born author and critic Katherine Mansfield.
02	Dear Joseph Conrad...	20240213	Dear Joseph Conrad, There's a splendid sky outside: you'd absolutely love it; you'd be able to make something of it. It's all blue and black and silver, with just a little hint of dark pink on the horizon, a sort of long, slightly curling, insolent lip: a cruel early morning landscape... Ian's epistolary adventures continue with a few missives to late Polish-British novelist Joseph Conrad. Ian Sansom pens imaginary missives to late Polish-British novelist Joseph Conrad.
03	Dear Clarice Lispector...	20240214	Dear Clarice Lispector, You can't judge a book by its cover. Except that we do judge a book by its cover, of course, and looks do matter – and you looked absolutely extraordinary... From the puffed up and overpraised, to those he thinks may have been unfairly discounted, Ian Sansom is writing imaginary correspondences to some key figures from modern literary history. Now Ian supposes the late Brazilian novelist Clarice Lispector is receiving his dispatches. Ian Sansom fires off a quick line or two to late Brazilian novelist Clarice Lispector.
04	Dear Octavia Butler...	20240215	Dear Octavia Butler, I've just been binge-watching Severance on Apple TV: it's a dystopian-future kind of thing. It's OK. I think you'd enjoy it... Apparently it's the turn of the late American sci-fi writer Octavia Butler to receive some of Ian's dispatches. Ian Sansom is sending imaginary dispatches to late American sci-fi writer Octavia Butler.
05	Dear John Le Carre...	20240216	Dear John le Carré, I'll use your pseudonym, John le Carré, or your cover name, or whatever you called it, if you don't mind. I don't suppose you'd want me to call you by your actual name, David Cornwell... Ian rounds up his series of fanciful communications, with a few letters to the late English-Irish spy novelist John le Carré. Ian Sansom is writing uncoded messages to late English-Irish spy novelist John le Carre. From the puffed up and overpraised, to those he thinks may have been unfairly discounted, Ian Sansom is writing to some key figures from modern literary history.