The Essay: New Generation Thinkers

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The Essay: New Generation Thinkers: Rehabilitating the Reverend John Trusler

Rehabilitating the Reverend John Trusler

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Sophie Coulombeau challenges the way we look at failure in the story of a C18 entrepreneur

Sophie Coulombeau challenges the way we look at failure in the story of an 18th century cleric and entrepreneur. Recorded with an audience at the York Festival of Ideas 2018.

Sophie Coulombeau tells the story of John Trusler, an eccentric Anglican minister who was the quintessential 18th-century entrepreneur. He was a prolific author, an innovative publisher, a would-be inventor, and a 'medical gentleman' of dubious qualifications. Dismissed by many as a conman and scoundrel, today, few have heard of the man but his madcap schemes often succeeded, in different forms, a century or two later. In his efforts we can trace the ancestors of the thesaurus, the self-help book, Comic Sans, professional ghostwriting, the Society of Authors, and electrotherapy. New Generation Thinker Sophie Coulombeau argues that telling his story can help us to reinterpret and rehabilitate the very idea of 'failure'. 

Recorded with an audience at the York Festival of Ideas 2018.

New Generation Thinkers is a scheme run by the BBC and the AHRC to select ten academics each year who can turn their research into radio. 
Producer: Jacqueline Smith.

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.

New Generation Thinkers discuss the lessons we can learn today from figures of the past.

Five-part series recorded at the York Festival of Ideas in which New Generation Thinkers discuss with an audience the lessons we can learn today from forgotten figures of the past.

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