RADIO

Sarah Dunant, a novelist and cultural historian, is a regular contributor to BBC Radio 4’s A Point of View, where she shares thoughtful reflections on history, politics, art and society. She has also appeared on Bookclub and Book at Bedtime, offering listeners engaging and accessible perspectives on a range of subjects.

  • Unearthing the Past Sarah Dunant The Marchesa

    Unearthing the Past on BBC Radio 4

    To coincide with the publication of The Marchesa, a series of  five fifteen-minute original essays for BBC Radio 4 on the life, letters and times of Isabella d’Este, and the way the best of historical fiction challenges us to make imaginative journeys into very different worlds than our own.

    Monday 30th June - Friday 4th July 2025.

    11.45am on BBC Radio 4. Then on BBC sounds.

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  • Person wearing a red beret and leather jacket, with BBC Radio 4 logo.

    A Point of View on BBC Radio 4

    Sarah Dunant is something of a regular contributor to BBC Radio 4’s A Point of View; a ten minute talk which takes a subject of current interest and looks at it from a different angle from various angles.

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  • Hourglass with blue sand on pebbles

    When Greeks Flew Kites

    Tune into this monthly series on BBC Radio 4 in which historical novelist Sarah Dunant delves into the past for stories and moments that help frame the present, bringing to life worlds that span the centuries.

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  • Book at Bedtime

    Sarah Dunant’s Book at Bedtime was selected as one of the best of this week’s BBC Radio programmes by Simon Parkes. To listen to a reading from Blood and Beauty and an extract from Sarah’s programme on a cultural history of syphilis.

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  • Wooden cross on a mountain peak at sunrise with mountain range in the background.

    Christianity at the Crossroads

    Sarah was a guest on Radio 4’s special programme entitled ‘Christianity at the Crossroads’, discussing a dramatic and perhaps unique – period of time for the worldwide church.

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  • Radio 3 Sunday Feature - A Cultural History of Syphilis

    Radio 3 Sunday Feature - A Cultural History of Syphilis

    In the 1490s a new and terrifying disease struck Naples in southern Italy and swept fire-like across Europe, reaping a dreadful human cost. In this BBC Radio 3 Sunday Feature, the writer Sarah Dunant examines the impact of four centuries of The  Great Pox.  With contributions from historians, doctors and writers.

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