2. Forbidden Library

Charlotte Higgins discusses some literary labyrinths, including the mysterious, forbidden library in Umberto Eco's novel The Name of the Rose.

And she describes the extraordinary mappa mundi at Hereford Cathedral, a medieval "cloth of the world" (with the island of Crete and its "eleven course labyrinth" - the lair of the Minotaur - particularly prominent). But as Higgins observes, Hereford's mappa mundi is "not just a diagram of space, it is a map of time and destiny..."

Series exploring more of our ancient fascination with mazes and labyrinths, and reflects on their significance - in art and in mythology, in literature and in life.

Written and read by Charlotte Higgins.

Abridged and produced by David Jackson Young.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 2018.