Philip Larkin - Letters To Monica

Episode

First
Broadcast

Repeated

Comments

20101101

20101102 (R4)

Philip Larkin's Letters to Monica span the forty years of their relationship from 1946 when they met, until Larkin's death in 1985. They only came to light after Monica Jones died in 2001, when nearly two thousand letters were discovered in Larkin's house in Hull. This never previously published correspondence, edited by Anthony Thwaite, offers a unique insight into Larkin's most intimate thoughts.

Philip Larkin writes to Monica about his poetry, his lack of inspiration, his mundane life in Belfast and then Hull, his relationship with her, with his friends (notably Kingsley Amis), his parents and with his other lover Maeve. They often discuss books and reading, writers and writing, and their shared love animals and Beatrix Potter. Larkin's letters are infused with the music he's listening to, the work he's immersed in, his general domesticity, the food he's eaten, the sounds from the flats below: they paint a vivid picture of the real world that inspired his poetry.

Read by Hugh Bonneville, who recently appeared in ITV's Downton Abbey and BBC TV's The Silence. He has previously played Larkin in Love Again on BBC 4.

In Episode 1, the letters are introduced by Anthony Thwaite, a close friend of Larkin and the editor of the collection Letters to Monica.

The abridger is Miranda Davies and the producer Lucy Collingwood.

Episode 1:

Larkin arrives in Belfast to take up his new job as librarian at the University and struggles to self- publish a collection of poetry.

Philip Larkin arrives in Belfast to take up his new job as librarian at the University.

20101102

Episode 2: Larkin gives Monica feedback on her conversational style, meets EM Forster and ponders the difficulty of writing a new novel.

Read by Hugh Bonneville, who recently appeared in Downton Abbey and BBC TV's The Silence and played Larkin in Love Again on BBC 4.

The abridger is Miranda Davies and the producer Lucy Collingwood.

Philip Larkin advises Monica on her conversational style and meets EM Forster.

20101103

20101104 (R4)

Read by Hugh Bonneville, who recently appeared in Downton Abbey and BBC TV's The Silence and played Larkin in Love Again on BBC 4.

The abridger is Miranda Davies and the producer Lucy Collingwood.

Episode 3: Larkin successfully gains the Head Librarianship in Hull, has his collection 'The Less Deceived' published and is frustrated by his new neighbours.

Poet Philip Larkin successfully gains the Head Librarianship in Hull.

20101104

20101105 (R4)

Episode 4:

Larkin works on his poem about 'An Arundel Tomb' which he first saw with Monica and ponders the nature of their relationship.

Read by Hugh Bonneville, who recently appeared in Downton Abbey and BBC TV's The Silence and played Larkin in Love Again on BBC 4.

The abridger is Miranda Davies and the producer Lucy Collingwood.

Philip Larkin works on his poem about 'An Arundel Tomb'. An intimate insight into the poet

05 LAST

20101105

20101106 (R4)

Episode 5: Larkin looks back at his life leading up to his fiftieth birthday and despite the success of The Whitsun Weddings, wonders if he has achieved all that he set out to. Anthony Thwaite concludes the episode.

Read by Hugh Bonneville, who recently appeared in Downton Abbey and BBC TV's The Silence and played Larkin in Love Again on BBC 4.

In Episode 5, the letters are concluded with comment from Anthony Thwaite, a close friend of Larkin and the editor of the collection Letters to Monica.

The abridger is Miranda Davies and the producer Lucy Collingwood.

Despite his success, 50-year-old Larkin wonders if he has achieved all he could.

Episodes

Episode	First Broadcast	Repeated	Comments
01	20101101	20101102 (R4)	Philip Larkin's Letters to Monica span the forty years of their relationship from 1946 when they met, until Larkin's death in 1985. They only came to light after Monica Jones died in 2001, when nearly two thousand letters were discovered in Larkin's house in Hull. This never previously published correspondence, edited by Anthony Thwaite, offers a unique insight into Larkin's most intimate thoughts. Philip Larkin writes to Monica about his poetry, his lack of inspiration, his mundane life in Belfast and then Hull, his relationship with her, with his friends (notably Kingsley Amis), his parents and with his other lover Maeve. They often discuss books and reading, writers and writing, and their shared love animals and Beatrix Potter. Larkin's letters are infused with the music he's listening to, the work he's immersed in, his general domesticity, the food he's eaten, the sounds from the flats below: they paint a vivid picture of the real world that inspired his poetry. Read by Hugh Bonneville, who recently appeared in ITV's Downton Abbey and BBC TV's The Silence. He has previously played Larkin in Love Again on BBC 4. In Episode 1, the letters are introduced by Anthony Thwaite, a close friend of Larkin and the editor of the collection Letters to Monica. The abridger is Miranda Davies and the producer Lucy Collingwood. Episode 1: Larkin arrives in Belfast to take up his new job as librarian at the University and struggles to self- publish a collection of poetry. Philip Larkin arrives in Belfast to take up his new job as librarian at the University.
02	20101102		Episode 2: Larkin gives Monica feedback on her conversational style, meets EM Forster and ponders the difficulty of writing a new novel. Philip Larkin's Letters to Monica span the forty years of their relationship from 1946 when they met, until Larkin's death in 1985. They only came to light after Monica Jones died in 2001, when nearly two thousand letters were discovered in Larkin's house in Hull. This never previously published correspondence, edited by Anthony Thwaite, offers a unique insight into Larkin's most intimate thoughts. Philip Larkin writes to Monica about his poetry, his lack of inspiration, his mundane life in Belfast and then Hull, his relationship with her, with his friends (notably Kingsley Amis), his parents and with his other lover Maeve. They often discuss books and reading, writers and writing, and their shared love animals and Beatrix Potter. Larkin's letters are infused with the music he's listening to, the work he's immersed in, his general domesticity, the food he's eaten, the sounds from the flats below: they paint a vivid picture of the real world that inspired his poetry. Read by Hugh Bonneville, who recently appeared in Downton Abbey and BBC TV's The Silence and played Larkin in Love Again on BBC 4. The abridger is Miranda Davies and the producer Lucy Collingwood. Philip Larkin advises Monica on her conversational style and meets EM Forster.
03	20101103	20101104 (R4)	Philip Larkin's Letters to Monica span the forty years of their relationship from 1946 when they met, until Larkin's death in 1985. They only came to light after Monica Jones died in 2001, when nearly two thousand letters were discovered in Larkin's house in Hull. This never previously published correspondence, edited by Anthony Thwaite, offers a unique insight into Larkin's most intimate thoughts. Philip Larkin writes to Monica about his poetry, his lack of inspiration, his mundane life in Belfast and then Hull, his relationship with her, with his friends (notably Kingsley Amis), his parents and with his other lover Maeve. They often discuss books and reading, writers and writing, and their shared love animals and Beatrix Potter. Larkin's letters are infused with the music he's listening to, the work he's immersed in, his general domesticity, the food he's eaten, the sounds from the flats below: they paint a vivid picture of the real world that inspired his poetry. Read by Hugh Bonneville, who recently appeared in Downton Abbey and BBC TV's The Silence and played Larkin in Love Again on BBC 4. The abridger is Miranda Davies and the producer Lucy Collingwood. Episode 3: Larkin successfully gains the Head Librarianship in Hull, has his collection 'The Less Deceived' published and is frustrated by his new neighbours. Poet Philip Larkin successfully gains the Head Librarianship in Hull.
04	20101104	20101105 (R4)	Philip Larkin's Letters to Monica span the forty years of their relationship from 1946 when they met, until Larkin's death in 1985. They only came to light after Monica Jones died in 2001, when nearly two thousand letters were discovered in Larkin's house in Hull. This never previously published correspondence, edited by Anthony Thwaite, offers a unique insight into Larkin's most intimate thoughts. Episode 4: Larkin works on his poem about 'An Arundel Tomb' which he first saw with Monica and ponders the nature of their relationship. Read by Hugh Bonneville, who recently appeared in Downton Abbey and BBC TV's The Silence and played Larkin in Love Again on BBC 4. The abridger is Miranda Davies and the producer Lucy Collingwood. Philip Larkin works on his poem about 'An Arundel Tomb'. An intimate insight into the poet
05 LAST	20101105	20101106 (R4)	Philip Larkin's Letters to Monica span the forty years of their relationship from 1946 when they met, until Larkin's death in 1985. They only came to light after Monica Jones died in 2001, when nearly two thousand letters were discovered in Larkin's house in Hull. This never previously published correspondence, edited by Anthony Thwaite, offers a unique insight into Larkin's most intimate thoughts. Episode 5: Larkin looks back at his life leading up to his fiftieth birthday and despite the success of The Whitsun Weddings, wonders if he has achieved all that he set out to. Anthony Thwaite concludes the episode. Read by Hugh Bonneville, who recently appeared in Downton Abbey and BBC TV's The Silence and played Larkin in Love Again on BBC 4. In Episode 5, the letters are concluded with comment from Anthony Thwaite, a close friend of Larkin and the editor of the collection Letters to Monica. The abridger is Miranda Davies and the producer Lucy Collingwood. Despite his success, 50-year-old Larkin wonders if he has achieved all he could.