Joe Moran has spent his life trying to get to grips with his shyness. In this Field Guide to Shyness, he explores the hidden world of reticence, navigating the myriad ways scientists and thinkers have tried to explain and cure shyness, and uncovering the fascinating stories of the men and women who were 'of the violet persuasion'.

"It feels like coming late to a party when everyone else is about three beers in and entering that state that allows them to have fluent exchanges that settle on some pre-agreed theme as if by magic."

In a culture where it's good to talk, where workplaces favour collaboration and talking things out, what place is there for people like King George VI, Prime Minister Clement Attlee, and Moran himself, who are tongue tied by shyness? And do stammerers get a kind hearing that's not always granted to those who are merely unwilling or incoherent speakers?

Read by Nigel Planer
Written by Joe Moran
Abridged and produced by Hannah Marshall
A Loftus production for BBC Radio 4. Show less