Books on the BBC

 Good news for bibliophiles, the BBC has commissioned a glut of programmes based around my favourite use for paper- the wonderful book, as part of their Free Your Imagination, Books on the BBC season. Here’s a quick round up of the programmes which have been or are currently being aired as part of the season:

Faulks on Fiction, BBC2, Saturdays at 9pm. Also available on BBCiplayer

Birdsong author Sebastain Faulks hosts a four part series dissecting the features of the British novel. Opening last week by analysing the fictional hero, the second episode looks at the role of the lover within the narrative.

The Beauty of Books, BBC4, Mondays, 8.30pm

Focusing on the craft and presentation of the traditional paper and binding book. From Illuminated Bibles to the humble paperback, this series looks at the beauty of the book as an object as well as for the ideas they contain.

The Birth of the British Novel, BBC4, Mondays, 9 pm

Henry Hitchings explores the lives of 18^th century novelists who helped shape and define the British book market today.

In addition to these, several more shows are in the pipeline to be released later in the year including Fry’s Planet World, a documentary exploring how the spoken word has developed worldwide. The documentary has already received news coverage after a planned visit to Japan was scrapped following comments about the war time events at Hiroshima and Nagasaki on host Stephen Fry’s QI show. The comments were deemed by the Japanese Embassy as making light of the tragedies.

Other less controversial additions to the season include Richard E Grant’s analysis of the importance of the Arabian Nights Tales on Western culture and an in-depth look at the Viking Sagas. In addition, the BBC have adapted numerous works of literature  for the small screen, with Michael Faber’s The Crimson Petal and the White,  DH Lawrence’s Women in Love and a new adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations all vying to keep the public’s attention. 

Needless to say, there is more than enough programming scheduled to keep even the most voracious of readers happy throughout 2011. More information can be found here.