Introduction

Mary Wellesley is joined by Mark Ford to talk about the medieval as it appears in Thomas Hardy and in the wider Victorian imagination. The roots of 19th century medievalism go back to the late 18th century but they became really part of popular culture, particularly in the Victorian period. There's one aspect of Hardy that makes him seem very, very much kind of a forward-looking writer who is presaging what it was like to live after people have stopped believing in God. But there's this other equally strong pull in him, as you say, towards the past. More details at the end of this episode.