The chilling ghost stories of M.R.James are as much a part of our Christmas television viewing as the King’s speech. But few realise that M.R. James was both a master of supernatural fiction and a distinguished medieval scholar. Dr. Eleanor Janega and Dr. Patrick J. Murphy discuss how M.R.James deep knowledge of medieval texts and artefacts, and his academic career, infused his stories with an authenticity and depth that set them apart from other works in the genre.

Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega and edited by Nick Thomson. The producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds/All3Media

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