2: The Oldest Paper in the World

Slightly Foxed - A podcast by Slightly Foxed: The Real Reader's Quarterly

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In Episode 2: The Oldest Paper in the World Gail, Hazel and Jennie talk to Frances Wood, librarian, sinologue and former head of the Chinese Collection at the British Library; Andrew Hawkins recounts the story of the oldest paper in the world; and we find out which books our readers are hoping for this Christmas. [www.foxedquarterly.com/pod](https://foxedquarterly.com/pod) Books Mentioned * Ernest H. Shepard illustrated [Winnie-the-Pooh](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/a-a-milne-winnie-the-pooh/) and Wind in the Willows. His memoirs are [Drawn from Memory and Drawn from Life](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/drawn-from-memory-no-44-drawn-from-life-no-45/) * [A Country Doctor’s Commonplace Book](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/a-country-doctors-commonplace-book/) * [Issue 60 of Slightly Foxed](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/slightly-foxed-issue-60-published-1-december-2018/) * David Seabrook, [All the Devils Are Here](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/david-seabrook-all-the-devils-are-here/) * Jonathan Coe, [Middle England](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/jonathan-coe-middle-england/) * Peter Frankopan, [The Silk Roads: A New History of the World](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/peter-frankopan-silk-roads/) * Max Hastings, [Vietnam](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/max-hastings-vietnam/) * Philip Kerr, [Greeks Bearing Gifts](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/philip-kerr-greeks-bearing-gifts/) * Germain Greer’s White Beech is out of print, but we may be able to get hold of second hand copies. Please [get in touch](https://foxedquarterly.com/help/) for details * Michael Palin, [Erebus: The Story of a Ship](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/michael-palin-erebus-story-of-a-ship/) * Sebastian Fauks, [Paris Echo](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/sebastian-faulks-paris-echo/) * BB’s books are [Brendon Chase](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/bb-brendon-chase-classic-childrens-books/), [The Little Grey Men and Down the Bright Stream](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/bb-little-grey-men-down-the-bright-stream-classic-childrens-books/) * Andrew Roberts, [Churchill: Walking with Destiny](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/andrew-roberts-churchill-walking-with-destiny/) * Hilary Spurling, [Anthony Powell: Dancing to the Music of Time](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/hilary-spurling-anthony-powell/) * Carys Davies, [West](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/carys-davies-west/) * Sally Rooney, [Normal People](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/sally-rooney-normal-people/) * Rachel Kushner, [The Mars Room](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/rachel-kushner-mars-room/) * Katie Stewart’s Times Cookery Book is out of print, but we may be able to get hold of second hand copies. Please [get in touch](https://foxedquarterly.com/help/) for details * Julian Barnes, [The Pedant in the Kitchen](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/julian-barnes-pedant-in-the-kitchen/) * Nigel Slater, [The Christmas Chronicles](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/nigel-slater-christmas-chronicles/) * Qiu Xiaolong’s Detective Chen series begins with [Death of a Red Heroine](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/qiu-xiaolong-death-of-a-red-heroine/) * Frances Wood, [Hand-grenade Practice in Peking](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/hand-grenade-practice-in-peking/) Related Slightly Foxed Articles & Illustrations * [Luna North](https://www.lunanorth.co.uk/) produced the cover for [Issue 59](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/slightly-foxed-issue-59-published-1-september/) of Slightly Foxed, Autumn 2018 * Frances Wood’s article, [The Oldest Paper in the World](https://foxedquarterly.com/british-library-the-oldest-paper-in-the-world/), appeared in [Issue 27](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/slightly-foxed-issue-27/) of Slightly Foxed, Autumn 2014 Other Links * The [Slightly Foxed Readers’ Day 2018](https://foxedquarterly.com/slightly-foxed-readers-day-2018-art-workers-guild/) took place on 9 November at the [Art Workers’ Guild](http://www.artworkersguild.org/). Our speakers were: * [Miranda Seymour](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/miranda-seymour-byrons-wake-slightly-foxed/), who talked about Byron's wife and daughter, Annabella Milbanke & Ada Lovelace * Edmond Gordon, whose biography [The Invention of Angela Carter](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/edmund-gordon-invention-angela-carter/) won the [Slightly Foxed Best First Biography Prize 2017](https://foxedquarterly.com/category/best-first-biography-prize/) * [Penelope Lively](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/penelope-lively-life-in-the-garden/) and Ursula Buchan discussed two of their passions; writing and gardening * [St Jude’s](http://www.stjudes.co.uk/) artists: [Angie Lewin](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/slightly-foxed-issue-27/), Chloe Cheese and Christopher Brown * Tom Hodgkinson, editor of [The Idler](https://www.idler.co.uk/) magazine * Details on our Writing Competition can be found [here](https://foxedquarterly.com/slightly-foxed-writing-competition-2019/) * [The Diamond Sutra](https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/the-diamond-sutra#) is still available to see in the British Library * Slightly Foxed is printed and bound by [Smith Settle](http://smithsettle.com/) * The Birth of a Book video can be seen [here](https://foxedquarterly.com/birth-of-a-book-traditional-printing-methods/) * [](https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/hand-grenade-practice-in-peking/) * Music and sound effects: Music for reading from The Oldest Paper in the World is Meditations on Life by Matthew Huffaker, [Teknoaxe](http://www.teknoaxe.com/) and made available under [Creative Commons 4.0 license](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) (no changes made). Sound effect of sleigh bells thanks to Gowler Music via [FreeSound.org](https://freesound.org/home/) under [Creative Commons Attribution Licence 3.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/) (no changes made). * The Slightly Foxed Podcast is hosted by Philippa Lamb and produced by [Podcastable](https://www.podcastable.co.uk/)