Big Ol' List of Useful Podcasts: HSC English Edition

[darcyynic]

Hey there!

HSC English can be a wild ride – it is challenging, but the more you put in the more you will get out of it! And an excellent way to get ahead of the pack and to build up your confidence in English is by incorporating podcasts into your study.

Podcasts are INCREDIBLE resources – I relied on them pretty heavily during my HSC. Not only are they great for consolidation of content, but they also enabled me to study while I wasn't studying – I listened to them on my way to work, while I was cooking, before school, when I went for walks, during my free time, etc. I get bored really quickly, so I listened to podcasts which related to my schoolwork whenever I was doing something else. Ultimately, it enabled me to consolidate vast amounts of content without having to sit at my desk for hours on end.

Because they were so useful I decided to compile a massive list of podcasts which could be helpful for the new HSC syllabus. As the English syllabus is pretty nebulous, I couldn't include a podcast for every text, but I have included the following sections: Theory, Shakespeare, Specific Texts/Authors, and Creative Writing.

This is by no means a definitive list, so if you have any others that you'd like to add feel free to comment below!

Theory

The Postmodern Psyche (Open Yale – Theory of Literature): https://oyc.yale.edu/english/engl-300/lecture-15
The New Historicism (Open Yale – Theory of Literature): https://oyc.yale.edu/english/engl-300/lecture-19
The Classical Feminist Tradition (Open Yale – Theory of Literature): https://oyc.yale.edu/english/engl-300/lecture-20
African-American Criticism (Open Yale – Theory of Literature): https://oyc.yale.edu/english/engl-300/lecture-21
Post-Colonial Criticism (Open Yale – Theory of Literature): https://oyc.yale.edu/english/engl-300/lecture-22
Queer Theory and Gender Performativity (Open Yale – Theory of Literature): https://oyc.yale.edu/english/engl-300/lecture-23
The Individual (In Our Time): https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0054631

Shakespeare

Hamlet
Hamlet (University of Oxford): https://podcasts.ox.ac.uk/hamlet
Hamlet (In Our Time): https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09jqtfs
Hamlet (Literature of Crisis – Stanford): https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/shakespeare-hamlet/id384233897?i=1000085093171&mt=2
Surprise Party: Hamlet (Party Bard): http://partybard.libsyn.com/surprise-party-hamlet-2011

The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice (University of Oxford): https://podcasts.ox.ac.uk/merchant-venice-0
The Merchant of Venice (The Shakespeare Sessions): https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06964dqThe Tempest
The Tempest (University of Oxford): https://podcasts.ox.ac.uk/tempest-1
Caliban 2020: The Isle is Full of Noises (Party Bard): http://partybard.libsyn.com/caliban-2020-the-isle-is-full-of-noises

A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (University of Oxford): https://podcasts.ox.ac.uk/midsummer-nights-dream
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (The Shakespeare Sessions): https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06btvrw

Henry IV Part 1
Henry IV Part 1 (University of Oxford): https://podcasts.ox.ac.uk/henry-iv-part-1

Richard III
Richard III (University of Oxford): https://podcasts.ox.ac.uk/richard-iii

General
Shakespeare and Voice (University of Oxford): https://podcasts.ox.ac.uk/shakespeare-and-voice-0
Shakespeare and the Stage (University of Oxford): https://podcasts.ox.ac.uk/shakespeare-and-stage-0
Shakespeare: For and Against (The Shakespeare Sessions): https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06dn7bl
My Own Shakespeare: Stephen Fry and Hilary Mantel (The Shakespeare Sessions): https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p069r2q1
Shakespeare and Literary Criticism (In Our Time): https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00545dp
Shakespeare’s Life (In Our Time): https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00547ct
Actresses on Shakespeare (Shakespeare Unlimited): https://soundcloud.com/folgershakespearelibrary/actresses-on-shakespeare
Shakespeare League Baseball (No Holds Bard): https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/noholdsbard/episodes/2016-03-22T22_22_11-07_00
William Shakespeare (Do Go On): https://omny.fm/shows/do-go-on/59-william-shakespeare?in_playlist=do-go-on
Shakespeare and Religion (Beyond Belief) – Religious Focus: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b047wnz2
 

Specific Texts/Authors on the Syllabus or Potential Related Texts

Jane Austen
Jane Austen’s Manuscripts Explored (University of Oxford): https://podcasts.ox.ac.uk/jane-austens-manuscripts-explored-0
Jane Austen (The History Chicks): http://thehistorychicks.com/episode-38-jane-austen-2/
Jane Austen (Beyond Belief) – Religious Focus: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08sltc8

The Crucible
Salem Witch Trials (Do Go On): https://omny.fm/shows/do-go-on/88-salem-witch-trials?in_playlist=do-go-on

Robert Frost
Robert Frost Part One (Open Yale – Modern Poetry): https://oyc.yale.edu/english/engl-310/lecture-2
Robert Frost Part Two (Open Yale – Modern Poetry): https://oyc.yale.edu/english/engl-310/lecture-3

Hag-Seed
Lucky Felix: Margaret Atwood’s Hag-Seed (Party Bard): http://partybard.libsyn.com/lucky-felix-margaret-atwoods-hag-seed

Frankenstein
Frankenstein (Beyond Belief) – Religious Focus: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0bjzq68
200 Years of Frankenstein (The Infinite Monkey Cage): https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07m5dz0

1984/George Orwell
Orwell (Great Lives): https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01mqpgh

All the Light We Cannot See
All The Light We Cannot See (Mamamia Book Club): https://www.mamamia.com.au/podcasts/mamamia-book-club/the-prize-winner-all-the-light-we-cannot-see-antho/

Mrs Dalloway
Mrs Dalloway (In Our Time): https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b048033q

Creative Writing (Complete Series)

The Writing University Podcast: http://podcast.uiowa.edu/iwp/the-writing-university-podcast.xml
Ann Kroeker Writing Coach: http://annkroeker.com/podcasts/
Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for better Writing: https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/grammar-girl-quick-and-dirty-tips-for-better-writing/id173429229?mt=2
Mythcreants (focused on spec-fic): https://mythcreants.com/blog/category/podcast/
Beautiful Writers Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/beautiful-writers-podcast/id1047012231?mt=2

Best of luck,
Darcy