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Mary Beard asks why we are drawn to literature, theatre, TV and film that take us ‘back to school’.

Mary meets ex-teacher and best-selling author Philip Pullman to explore the enduring popularity of school stories and to ask why so many of these stories, from Malory Towers to Harry Potter, are set in boarding schools. They also discuss the powerful presence of the teacher in fiction, from the inspiring and the heroic to the terrible and the tragic.

Mary also hears from actor and singer Layton Williams who is currently playing the schoolboy lead in the stage sensation Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, and from children’s author Liz Pichon, whose Tom Gates stories are set in a primary school. From her Brighton studio, Liz discusses the real-life inspiration behind her characters and reveals how Tom’s classroom is brought to life. Mary will also chat to maths teacher Bobby Seagull, author Patrice Lawrence and Waterloo Road screenwriter Lisa Holdsworth about the lasting power of school stories and their ability to shape the way we think about education.