The Essay: Becoming Animal

Original version

BBC Radio 3 is a radio channel that started transmitting on the 30th September 1967. It replaced Third Programme.

BBC Radio 3

Radio 3

The Essay Podcast

The Essay

Discussion & Talk

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: Becoming Animal: Toby Litt

Ned Beauman

Toby Litt

Becoming Animal

BBC Radio 3 - The Essay, Becoming Animal, Toby LittClose menu

Writer Toby Litt is inspired by the world of the brown hare. 

Writer Toby Litt is inspired by the world of the brown hare, in a series where writers imagine life as an animal of their choice.

In our world of dissolving distinctions, five contemporary writers imagine life as an animal of their choice and investigate the boundaries between animal and human - each with the help from different animal experts. In this edition, writer Toby Litt is inspired by the world of the brown hare.

In other essays in the series, Isabel Galleymore clings to the side of a rock pool as a limpet, Belinda Zhawi imagines herself into the world of the southern African plains zebra, Ned Beauman builds dams with the Devon beaver and Sarah Kosar flies with the soprano pipistrelle bat.

Producers Kate Bland and Toby Withers.
Becoming Animal is a Cast Iron Radio production for BBC Radio 3.
Photo credit Mauricio Molizane de Souza

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.

Five writers each choose different animals and imagine what it's like to become them.

Belinda Zhawi, Sarah Kosar, Toby Litt, Isabel Galleymore and Ned Beauman each choose a different animal and with help from species experts, imagine what it's like to be it.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

The Essay

Becoming Animal

Toby Litt

Genres

Brand

Series

BBC Radio 3

About BBC Radio 3