2. The Wisdom of Winter

Alexandra Harris tells the story of how the weather has written and painted itself into the cultural life of Britain.

Our thoughts have been expressed through certain weathers. In the literature that survives from the 8th, 9th and 10th centuries, it is often winter that speaks loudest. Though that winter is a fierce challenge, it is also surprisingly beautiful, exposing the white bones of the world as a kind of truth.

Music by Jon Nicholls.

Producer: Tim Dee

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2016.