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The Essay Podcast

The Essay

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Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media

Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.

Leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond, themed across a week - insight, opinion and intellectual surprise.

The Essay: InterRail Postcards

The Essay: InterRail Postcards: Episode 4: David Almond

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Factual: Travel

InterRail Postcards

Episode 4

Episode 4: David Almond

David Almond

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David Almond on the adventures and misfortunes he experienced travelling by InterRail.

Children's author David Almond recalls the adventures and misfortunes he experienced travelling around Europe by InterRail.

The Inter-rail Pass recently turned 40: five writers of different ages and backgrounds recall personal journeys and explore how the advent of new technology and the new state of Europe have changed student travel forever

It is just over forty years since the introduction of the first Inter-rail Pass - restricted to travellers of 21 or younger and covering 21 countries for a month's train travel. 

For this series, five writers of different ages and background have recalled the rite of passage entailed in setting off for a month's travel with nothing but a rucksack and an Inter-Rail Pass. Meanwhile, David Almond - amongst the most popular and thoughtful writers for children today - recalls his parallel experience: 

"We hitch-hiked instead, and travelled three summers in a row from Tyneside to Greece, and tried to look down at those who travelled on pre-planned routes in Inter-rail comfort... They were wonderful journeys. But many times, of course - stuck for a couple of freezing nights on a roundabout outside Paris, recovering from a truck crash in Italy, trudging half-starved and penniless across Belgrade with hundreds and hundreds of miles still to go, or simply travelling for hundreds of miles through baking heat with very weird drivers - we lamented the fact that we hadn't stumped up £26 to be part of the Inter-rail adventure". 

David Almond is the author of the award-winning children's novel, Skellig, and more recently, of its Carnegie-short-listed prequel, My Name is Mina. 

Producer: Beaty Rubens

First broadcast in June 2011.

Live music and the arts: broadcasts more live music than any other radio network. Classical music is its core. Genres include world and new music, jazz, speech and drama.

Series in which writers discuss how new technology has changed student travel forever

As the Inter-rail Pass turns 40, five writers recall personal journeys and explore how the changing shape of Europe and the advent of new technology have changed student travel forever

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