Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth Professor Dame Mary Beard
Sep 5, 2025
Professor Dame Mary Beard, a renowned classicist and public intellectual, shares insights from her vibrant life, from a Shropshire childhood filled with adventure to her academic journey at Cambridge. She discusses early influences, including her parents’ intriguing backgrounds and her love for literature. The conversation touches on the complexities of gender dynamics, her personal challenges, including a traumatic experience in Italy, and the importance of taking intellectual risks. Mary emphasizes the value of laughter and learning from history, all while offering a glimpse into her new podcast.
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Country Den Childhood
- Mary Beard remembers a childhood den built by older boys across a brook with straw bales and labyrinthine rooms. She admired the boys' daring and looked forward to doing the same when she was older.
Bells, Ladders And Bats
- Mary Beard went up ladders into church belfries with her father and found the bells terrifying yet thrilling. She recalls dusty belfries and the shock of the bells striking twelve.
Risk Aversion, Not More Danger
- Mary Beard questions the claim that the world is more dangerous now and blames increased risk aversion instead. She argues modern parenting norms reduce children's freedom more than actual danger does.
