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The Buchan Tradition

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BBC Radio 4 - The Buchan Tradition

Nick Rankin explores the literary legacy of the writer John Buchan.

One hundred years on from the first publication of the best selling novel The Thirty Nine Steps, Nick Rankin assesses the literary legacy of the Scottish writer John Buchan.

A century after its first print run, the famous novel The 39 Steps continues to sell worldwide. It's never been out of print.

The book's author, John Buchan, wasn't just a master of the suspense thriller, he also wrote poetry, short stories, essays, biographies and histories - all on top of his ambitious career as editor, publisher, intelligence officer, civil servant, politician, churchman, peer and, at the end of his life, Governor-General of Canada.

The writer Nicholas Rankin examines Buchan's literary legacy through the lens of two of his descendants who have themselves become authors - James Buchan is one of John's grandsons, a former FT Middle East correspondent who now writes both fiction and non-fiction; while Ursula Buchan, a granddaughter of John Buchan, is a distinguished gardening journalist and social historian.

With additional contributions from best selling novelist William Boyd and literary critic Kate MacDonald, James and Ursula reflect in a personal way on the influence John Buchan has had on their own writing and the significance of his books today.
 

Producer: Dan Shepherd
A Far Shoreline production for BBC Radio 4

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