Idleness in 19th-Century Literature

Is idleness ever a virtue? In a world that seems to privilege utility and productivity above all else, Matthew Sweet considers whether we can rethink the importance of doing nothing. His guests for Radio 4's late night ideas discussion programme are:

Tom Hodgkinson, editor of The Idler and author of books including Idle Thoughts: Letters on Good Living, How to Live Like a Stoic: A Handbook for Happiness Polly Dickson, a literary scholar at the University of Durham, who’s researching the art of doodling Katrien Devolder, Professor of Applied Ethics at the University of Oxford Gavin Francis, doctor and author of many books including The Bridge Between Worlds and coming in Feb 2026 The Unfragile Mind, Making Sense of Mental Health Steve Connor, cultural historian, Director of Research of the Digital Futures Institute, King’s College, London.

Producer: Luke Mulhall