The Century that Wrote Itself

In a new three-part series for BBC Four, author Adam Nicolson takes an intimate look at the diarists and letter writers of the 17th century who produced the first great age of self-depiction. The Century That Wrote Itself explores how, at a time of great upheaval in England, writing was both a means of escape and of fighting for what you believed. It was a time when account books became confessionals, and letters became weapons against the authorities. In the first episode, The Written Self, Adam traces our modern sense of self back to the time when ordinary people first took up the quill. From a Quaker woman who used the written word as an instrument of revolution (imprisoned after sparking debates with her pamphlets and leaflets fighting for free speech, a free press and for the rights of women as preachers), to an ambitious shepherd who traded one of his sheep in return for lessons in reading and writing, the programme explores how rising literacy allowed people to re-write the country’s future - and their own.

English
  • TheTVDB.com Series ID 268637
  • Status Ended
  • First Aired April 10, 2013
  • Recent April 24, 2013
  • Average Runtime 60 minutes
  • Genres Documentary
  • Original Language English
  • Episode Screenshot Format 16:9 Screencap
  • Favorited This series has been favorited by 2 people.
  • Created April 11, 2013 by
    Administrator admin
  • Modified April 11, 2013 by
    Administrator admin
Season From To Episodes
All Seasons
Specials 0
Season 1 April 2013 April 2013 3
Unassigned Episodes 0
Season From To Episodes
Unassigned Episodes 3
Absolute ordering places all episodes in a single ordered season. This is generally used for anime.
Season From To Episodes
Season 1 0
Unassigned Episodes 3

No actors for this record.

Name Number of Episodes Dates
Claire Whalley 1 04/10/2013
Name Number of Episodes Dates
Adam Nicolson 1 04/10/2013

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