Oxford Lives - Episode 66 CS Lewis Special with Professor Simon Horobin
Release Date: 07/25/2025
Oxford Lives - Episode 71 with Father Richard Finn
Oxford Lives
You may have been intrigued by the Friars who wander around the city centre in white habits. If you happen to know they are called Blackfriars, you may be puzzled. If you're aware of the Blackfriars Priory as a place of worship and/or a part of the University, you may be plain baffled as to how those two sides fit together. Here to explain all, and to tell us how he fits into all this, is Dominican Archivist, Dr Richard Finn. Father Richard is a member of the Theology Faculty and the Classics Faculty at the University of Oxford, lectures in Augustine and Church History; and his Archivist role...
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Oxford Lives - Episode 70 with Dame Anneliese Dodds
Oxford Lives
In this very special episode of Oxford Lives we are lucky enough to be able to interview The Right Honourable Dame Anneliese Dodds. Anneliese has been kind enought to take time out of her busy schedule (you'll hear all about that!) to talk about her life in Oxford: as a student, resident, and MP for Oxford East. We also touch on Anneliese's time as an MEP for South East England during a tumultuous period in recent British History. Sit back, relax, and listen to this riveting chat with one of the city's most vehement champions.
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Oxford Lives - Episode 69 with Sylvia Vetta
Oxford Lives
Today's guest is freelance writer, author and campaigner, Sylvia Vetta. Sylvia began writing features on antiques for The Oxford Times . She soon went on to cover art, history and science-related events. This led to her long-running profile series, Oxford Castaways, set on the mythical island of Oxtopia. Sylvia has a lifelong passion for China. Her extensive interviews with Stars Art movement founder, Qu Leilei, inspired her bestselling novel Brushstrokes in Time. In this extended interview we talk about her life growing up in Luton, leading to a lifelong passion for public libraries, the...
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Oxford Lives - Episode 68 Martin Stott
Oxford Lives
In this latest episode of Oxford Lives we interview documentary photographer, writer, and sustainability campaigner, Martin Stott. Martin has contributed photographs to a huge range of publications, broadcast media and agencies and his lens has taken him all around the world from Bhopal to Iceland to Nicaragua. His latest photobook Bartlemas: Oxford's Hidden Sanctuary is out now. Links: https://martin-stott.com
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BONUS - Nick Gill plays a bit more for us!
Oxford Lives
We enjoyed the Nick Gill performances on the previous podcast, we thought we'd give you a little but extra. So here it is - enjoy!
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Oxford Lives - Episode 67 Nick Gill
Oxford Lives
Today’s guest is jazz pianist, musicologist and entertainer, Nick Gill. A huge figure on the Oxford music scene, Nick specialises in pre-war jazz styles from "Fats" Waller to Billie Holiday via the Great American Songbook. Later this month, Nick will be presenting The Life and Works of Billie Holiday at Florence Park Community Centre, a personal tribute to the first lady of jazz. In this lively interview we talk about Nick’s musical journey and the life of Lady Day herself. LINKS: FORTHCOMING GIGS Saturday September 13th The Lady Sings the Blues - The Life and Works of...
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Oxford Lives - Episode 66 CS Lewis Special with Professor Simon Horobin
Oxford Lives
Today’s guest is Simon Horobin – philologist, author, and Professor of English Language and Literature and Tutorial Fellow at Magdalen College, Oxford. Simon has just written a fascinating account of CS Lewis’s life in Oxford. From undergraduate days at University College to his 29-year tutorial stint at Magdalen, not to mention his many boozy hours spent in the company of the Inklings at the Eagle and Child, Simon paints a fully-rounded picture of the Narnia author's love affair with the city. Expect revelations galore as we present a life both complex and compartmentalised....
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Oxford Lives - Episode 65 Oxford Pub Special (Part Two)
Oxford Lives
In this second part of our pub special with Jeremy Smith, we embark upon a virtual pub tour of East Oxford, starting at the Plain and ending in Florence Park. On our wobbly journey, we encounter ghost pubs, insurance scams, and even a murder. And if you think you can cope with that, we've even thrown in a Wetherspoons. We apologise for the sound in advance - we didn't quite get as good a recording as Part One. Hopefully you'll get the gist and to, quote a city centre hostelry, receive "an education in intoxication". In collaboration with Curious Minds. Links:
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Oxford Lives - Episode 64 Oxford Pub Special (Part One)
Oxford Lives
In this second collaboration with Curious Minds, we embark upon the first of two virtual pub tours around the city with podcast regular, Jeremy Smith. In Part One we explore the City Centre’s numerous drinking dens, both past and present. In the second half we return to cut a boozy path through the oft overlooked delights of East Oxford. Expect ale anecdotes galore, quirky historical facts and the odd bad joke. Links:
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Oxford Lives - Episode 63 Oxford Crime Writers Special (Part Two)
Oxford Lives
Part Two of our special edition Oxford Lives collaboration with Curious Minds: Murder They Wrote. This panel discussion features many of Oxford's top crime writers: Colin Wade (Murder at the Manor, The Devil's Code), Jacquii John (Matilda's Magical Tails, Evie the Brave and her Sidekick Cleo co-written with Paul Blake) Jake Lynch (Blood on the Stone), and Annabel McGoldrick (Mind Over Murder, co-written with Jake Lynch). In this second part, we focus on our authors' personal work and their connection to Oxford. We also examine the phenomenon of...
info_outlineToday’s guest is Simon Horobin – philologist, author, and Professor of English Language and Literature and Tutorial Fellow at Magdalen College, Oxford. Simon has just written a fascinating account of CS Lewis’s life in Oxford. From undergraduate days at University College to his 29-year tutorial stint at Magdalen, not to mention his many boozy hours spent in the company of the Inklings at the Eagle and Child, Simon paints a fully-rounded picture of the Narnia author's love affair with the city. Expect revelations galore as we present a life both complex and compartmentalised.
Links:
https://www.magd.ox.ac.uk/people/professor-simon-horobin/
https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/9781851245642?gC=5a105e8b&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20226739100&gbraid=0AAAAADsTpAS4lPj9I1YqLS-cn_UML3d1M&gclid=Cj0KCQjwkILEBhDeARIsAL--pjx7Rc-7XnplauOgiNsfE1bpsqY7-i3fkTESa-pMmkcDHugNwnNlAawaAjXhEALw_wcB