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<rss xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:podcast="https://podcastindex.org/namespace/1.0" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" version="2.0"><channel><title>Lavengro: The Scholar, The Gypsy, The Priest</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/lavengro-the-scholar-the-gypsy-the-priest--7127890</link><description><![CDATA[Explore the rich tapestry of language, identity, and cultural encounters in "Lavengro: The Scholar, The Gypsy, The Priest." This podcast invites listeners to delve into narratives that intertwine autobiography and fantasy, reflecting on the human experience through the lens of language and the diverse communities that shape it. Each episode features a new complete audiobook that echoes themes of wandering, existential inquiry, and the struggle for self-expression, resonating with the spirit of a restless seeker. This is not a single story but a series of unique explorations that illuminate the complexities of life, faith, and the pursuit of knowledge. As you journey through the rotating collection, you are encouraged to discover a new book with every episode, each offering profound insights into the intricacies of connection, belief, and the quest for understanding across different cultures and eras.]]></description><atom:link href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/7127890/episodes/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><language>en</language><category>Books</category><copyright>Copyright 1800s Genre</copyright><image><url>https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/ec276109a5d7bf8c66bd9443432b45c5.jpg</url><title>Lavengro: The Scholar, The Gypsy, The Priest</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/lavengro-the-scholar-the-gypsy-the-priest--7127890</link></image><lastBuildDate>Fri, 28 Aug 2026 09:15:49 +0000</lastBuildDate><itunes:author>George Borrow</itunes:author><itunes:owner><itunes:name>1800s Genre</itunes:name><itunes:email>spreaker76@podcastlibrary.org</itunes:email></itunes:owner><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/ec276109a5d7bf8c66bd9443432b45c5.jpg"/><itunes:subtitle>Explore the rich tapestry of language, identity, and cultural encounters in "Lavengro: The Scholar, The Gypsy, The Priest." This podcast invites listeners to delve into narratives that intertwine autobiography and fantasy, reflecting on the human...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Explore the rich tapestry of language, identity, and cultural encounters in "Lavengro: The Scholar, The Gypsy, The Priest." This podcast invites listeners to delve into narratives that intertwine autobiography and fantasy, reflecting on the human experience through the lens of language and the diverse communities that shape it. Each episode features a new complete audiobook that echoes themes of wandering, existential inquiry, and the struggle for self-expression, resonating with the spirit of a restless seeker. This is not a single story but a series of unique explorations that illuminate the complexities of life, faith, and the pursuit of knowledge. As you journey through the rotating collection, you are encouraged to discover a new book with every episode, each offering profound insights into the intricacies of connection, belief, and the quest for understanding across different cultures and eras.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:category text="Arts"><itunes:category text="Books"/></itunes:category><itunes:category text="Religion &amp; Spirituality"/><itunes:category text="Religion &amp; Spirituality"><itunes:category text="Christianity"/></itunes:category><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><podcast:guid>8e9b262d-a4ed-5398-8fc1-8f988b7e7275</podcast:guid><itunes:type>episodic</itunes:type><item><title>Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus (Edition 1831)-Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/frankenstein-or-the-modern-prometheus-edition-1831-mary-wollstonecraft-shelley--74651500</link><description><![CDATA[This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland and Ireland — and, for a period, through the streets of London — as he grows from a young boy to a young man in the first decades of the nineteenth century, attracted to studying various languages, hoping but failing to make his mark as a writer and translator, and then later adopting the life of an itinerant tinker, all the while struggling with intermittent bouts of existential despair and terror. The two figures Borrow denotes as "scholar" and "priest" in his title figure only slightly in the tale, while even Mr Petulengro, a gypsy Borrow befriends, appears only intermittently. According to Borrow, the term "Lavengro" signifies "word master" in the language of the gypsies. Noted Australian author (and, incidentally, self-taught student of Hungarian) Gerald Murnane has described Borrow as his favourite prose stylist. (Summary by Peter Dann)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74651500</guid><pubDate>Fri, 28 Aug 2026 09:02:17 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74651500/frankenstein_or_the_modern_prometheus_edition_1831_mary_wollstonecraft_shelley.mp3" length="252257070" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>George Borrow</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland and Ireland — and, for a period, through the streets of London — as he grows from a young boy to a young man in the first decades of the nineteenth century, attracted to studying various languages, hoping but failing to make his mark as a writer and translator, and then later adopting the life of an itinerant tinker, all the while struggling with intermittent bouts of existential despair and terror. The two figures Borrow denotes as "scholar" and "priest" in his title figure only slightly in the tale, while even Mr Petulengro, a gypsy Borrow befriends, appears only intermittently. According to Borrow, the term "Lavengro" signifies "word master" in the language of the gypsies. Noted Australian author (and, incidentally, self-taught student of Hungarian) Gerald Murnane has described Borrow as his favourite prose stylist. (Summary by Peter Dann)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>31500</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/ec276109a5d7bf8c66bd9443432b45c5.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Satires-Decimus Iunius Iuvenalis</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/satires-decimus-iunius-iuvenalis--74615920</link><description><![CDATA[This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland and Ireland — and, for a period, through the streets of London — as he grows from a young boy to a young man in the first decades of the nineteenth century, attracted to studying various languages, hoping but failing to make his mark as a writer and translator, and then later adopting the life of an itinerant tinker, all the while struggling with intermittent bouts of existential despair and terror. The two figures Borrow denotes as "scholar" and "priest" in his title figure only slightly in the tale, while even Mr Petulengro, a gypsy Borrow befriends, appears only intermittently. According to Borrow, the term "Lavengro" signifies "word master" in the language of the gypsies. Noted Australian author (and, incidentally, self-taught student of Hungarian) Gerald Murnane has described Borrow as his favourite prose stylist. (Summary by Peter Dann)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74615920</guid><pubDate>Thu, 27 Aug 2026 09:02:17 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74615920/satires_decimus_iunius_iuvenalis.mp3" length="152905447" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>George Borrow</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland and Ireland — and, for a period, through the streets of London — as he grows from a young boy to a young man in the first decades of the nineteenth century, attracted to studying various languages, hoping but failing to make his mark as a writer and translator, and then later adopting the life of an itinerant tinker, all the while struggling with intermittent bouts of existential despair and terror. The two figures Borrow denotes as "scholar" and "priest" in his title figure only slightly in the tale, while even Mr Petulengro, a gypsy Borrow befriends, appears only intermittently. According to Borrow, the term "Lavengro" signifies "word master" in the language of the gypsies. Noted Australian author (and, incidentally, self-taught student of Hungarian) Gerald Murnane has described Borrow as his favourite prose stylist. (Summary by Peter Dann)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>19094</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/ec276109a5d7bf8c66bd9443432b45c5.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Bert's Treatise of Hawkes and Hawking-Edmund Bert</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/bert-s-treatise-of-hawkes-and-hawking-edmund-bert--74583472</link><description><![CDATA[This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland and Ireland — and, for a period, through the streets of London — as he grows from a young boy to a young man in the first decades of the nineteenth century, attracted to studying various languages, hoping but failing to make his mark as a writer and translator, and then later adopting the life of an itinerant tinker, all the while struggling with intermittent bouts of existential despair and terror. The two figures Borrow denotes as "scholar" and "priest" in his title figure only slightly in the tale, while even Mr Petulengro, a gypsy Borrow befriends, appears only intermittently. According to Borrow, the term "Lavengro" signifies "word master" in the language of the gypsies. Noted Australian author (and, incidentally, self-taught student of Hungarian) Gerald Murnane has described Borrow as his favourite prose stylist. (Summary by Peter Dann)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74583472</guid><pubDate>Wed, 26 Aug 2026 09:02:38 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74583472/bert_s_treatise_of_hawkes_and_hawking_edmund_bert.mp3" length="87370438" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>George Borrow</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland and Ireland — and, for a period, through the streets of London — as he grows from a young boy to a young man in the first decades of the nineteenth century, attracted to studying various languages, hoping but failing to make his mark as a writer and translator, and then later adopting the life of an itinerant tinker, all the while struggling with intermittent bouts of existential despair and terror. The two figures Borrow denotes as "scholar" and "priest" in his title figure only slightly in the tale, while even Mr Petulengro, a gypsy Borrow befriends, appears only intermittently. According to Borrow, the term "Lavengro" signifies "word master" in the language of the gypsies. Noted Australian author (and, incidentally, self-taught student of Hungarian) Gerald Murnane has described Borrow as his favourite prose stylist. (Summary by Peter Dann)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>10910</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/ec276109a5d7bf8c66bd9443432b45c5.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>H.M.S. Pinafore; Or, The Lass That Loved A Sailor-W. S. Gilbert</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/h-m-s-pinafore-or-the-lass-that-loved-a-sailor-w-s-gilbert--74552148</link><description><![CDATA[This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland and Ireland — and, for a period, through the streets of London — as he grows from a young boy to a young man in the first decades of the nineteenth century, attracted to studying various languages, hoping but failing to make his mark as a writer and translator, and then later adopting the life of an itinerant tinker, all the while struggling with intermittent bouts of existential despair and terror. The two figures Borrow denotes as "scholar" and "priest" in his title figure only slightly in the tale, while even Mr Petulengro, a gypsy Borrow befriends, appears only intermittently. According to Borrow, the term "Lavengro" signifies "word master" in the language of the gypsies. Noted Australian author (and, incidentally, self-taught student of Hungarian) Gerald Murnane has described Borrow as his favourite prose stylist. (Summary by Peter Dann)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74552148</guid><pubDate>Tue, 25 Aug 2026 09:02:09 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74552148/h_m_s_pinafore_or_the_lass_that_loved_a_sailor_w_s_gilbert.mp3" length="30216817" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>George Borrow</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland and Ireland — and, for a period, through the streets of London — as he grows from a young boy to a young man in the first decades of the nineteenth century, attracted to studying various languages, hoping but failing to make his mark as a writer and translator, and then later adopting the life of an itinerant tinker, all the while struggling with intermittent bouts of existential despair and terror. The two figures Borrow denotes as "scholar" and "priest" in his title figure only slightly in the tale, while even Mr Petulengro, a gypsy Borrow befriends, appears only intermittently. According to Borrow, the term "Lavengro" signifies "word master" in the language of the gypsies. Noted Australian author (and, incidentally, self-taught student of Hungarian) Gerald Murnane has described Borrow as his favourite prose stylist. (Summary by Peter Dann)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>3773</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/ec276109a5d7bf8c66bd9443432b45c5.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Frauds, Forgeries, and Fake News Collection-Various</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/frauds-forgeries-and-fake-news-collection-various--74519370</link><description><![CDATA[This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland and Ireland — and, for a period, through the streets of London — as he grows from a young boy to a young man in the first decades of the nineteenth century, attracted to studying various languages, hoping but failing to make his mark as a writer and translator, and then later adopting the life of an itinerant tinker, all the while struggling with intermittent bouts of existential despair and terror. The two figures Borrow denotes as "scholar" and "priest" in his title figure only slightly in the tale, while even Mr Petulengro, a gypsy Borrow befriends, appears only intermittently. According to Borrow, the term "Lavengro" signifies "word master" in the language of the gypsies. Noted Australian author (and, incidentally, self-taught student of Hungarian) Gerald Murnane has described Borrow as his favourite prose stylist. (Summary by Peter Dann)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74519370</guid><pubDate>Mon, 24 Aug 2026 09:08:16 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74519370/frauds_forgeries_and_fake_news_collection_various.mp3" length="105523419" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>George Borrow</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland and Ireland — and, for a period, through the streets of London — as he grows from a young boy to a young man in the first decades of the nineteenth century, attracted to studying various languages, hoping but failing to make his mark as a writer and translator, and then later adopting the life of an itinerant tinker, all the while struggling with intermittent bouts of existential despair and terror. The two figures Borrow denotes as "scholar" and "priest" in his title figure only slightly in the tale, while even Mr Petulengro, a gypsy Borrow befriends, appears only intermittently. According to Borrow, the term "Lavengro" signifies "word master" in the language of the gypsies. Noted Australian author (and, incidentally, self-taught student of Hungarian) Gerald Murnane has described Borrow as his favourite prose stylist. (Summary by Peter Dann)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>13177</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/ec276109a5d7bf8c66bd9443432b45c5.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Maid of Maiden Lane (dramatic reading)-Amelia E. Barr</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/maid-of-maiden-lane-dramatic-reading-amelia-e-barr--74489602</link><description><![CDATA[This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland and Ireland — and, for a period, through the streets of London — as he grows from a young boy to a young man in the first decades of the nineteenth century, attracted to studying various languages, hoping but failing to make his mark as a writer and translator, and then later adopting the life of an itinerant tinker, all the while struggling with intermittent bouts of existential despair and terror. The two figures Borrow denotes as "scholar" and "priest" in his title figure only slightly in the tale, while even Mr Petulengro, a gypsy Borrow befriends, appears only intermittently. According to Borrow, the term "Lavengro" signifies "word master" in the language of the gypsies. Noted Australian author (and, incidentally, self-taught student of Hungarian) Gerald Murnane has described Borrow as his favourite prose stylist. (Summary by Peter Dann)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74489602</guid><pubDate>Sun, 23 Aug 2026 09:08:21 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74489602/6850_maid_of_maiden_lane_dramatic_reading_amelia_e_barr.mp3" length="238049339" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>George Borrow</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland and Ireland — and, for a period, through the streets of London — as he grows from a young boy to a young man in the first decades of the nineteenth century, attracted to studying various languages, hoping but failing to make his mark as a writer and translator, and then later adopting the life of an itinerant tinker, all the while struggling with intermittent bouts of existential despair and terror. The two figures Borrow denotes as "scholar" and "priest" in his title figure only slightly in the tale, while even Mr Petulengro, a gypsy Borrow befriends, appears only intermittently. According to Borrow, the term "Lavengro" signifies "word master" in the language of the gypsies. Noted Australian author (and, incidentally, self-taught student of Hungarian) Gerald Murnane has described Borrow as his favourite prose stylist. (Summary by Peter Dann)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>29726</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/ec276109a5d7bf8c66bd9443432b45c5.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Running Water-A. E. W. Mason</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/running-water-a-e-w-mason--74449019</link><description><![CDATA[This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland and Ireland — and, for a period, through the streets of London — as he grows from a young boy to a young man in the first decades of the nineteenth century, attracted to studying various languages, hoping but failing to make his mark as a writer and translator, and then later adopting the life of an itinerant tinker, all the while struggling with intermittent bouts of existential despair and terror. The two figures Borrow denotes as "scholar" and "priest" in his title figure only slightly in the tale, while even Mr Petulengro, a gypsy Borrow befriends, appears only intermittently. According to Borrow, the term "Lavengro" signifies "word master" in the language of the gypsies. Noted Australian author (and, incidentally, self-taught student of Hungarian) Gerald Murnane has described Borrow as his favourite prose stylist. (Summary by Peter Dann)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74449019</guid><pubDate>Sat, 22 Aug 2026 09:07:26 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74449019/5569_running_water_a_e_w_mason.mp3" length="248837065" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>George Borrow</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland and Ireland — and, for a period, through the streets of London — as he grows from a young boy to a young man in the first decades of the nineteenth century, attracted to studying various languages, hoping but failing to make his mark as a writer and translator, and then later adopting the life of an itinerant tinker, all the while struggling with intermittent bouts of existential despair and terror. The two figures Borrow denotes as "scholar" and "priest" in his title figure only slightly in the tale, while even Mr Petulengro, a gypsy Borrow befriends, appears only intermittently. According to Borrow, the term "Lavengro" signifies "word master" in the language of the gypsies. Noted Australian author (and, incidentally, self-taught student of Hungarian) Gerald Murnane has described Borrow as his favourite prose stylist. (Summary by Peter Dann)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>31073</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/ec276109a5d7bf8c66bd9443432b45c5.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Astrophel and Stella-Sir Philip Sidney</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/astrophel-and-stella-sir-philip-sidney--74415847</link><description><![CDATA[This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland and Ireland — and, for a period, through the streets of London — as he grows from a young boy to a young man in the first decades of the nineteenth century, attracted to studying various languages, hoping but failing to make his mark as a writer and translator, and then later adopting the life of an itinerant tinker, all the while struggling with intermittent bouts of existential despair and terror. The two figures Borrow denotes as "scholar" and "priest" in his title figure only slightly in the tale, while even Mr Petulengro, a gypsy Borrow befriends, appears only intermittently. According to Borrow, the term "Lavengro" signifies "word master" in the language of the gypsies. Noted Australian author (and, incidentally, self-taught student of Hungarian) Gerald Murnane has described Borrow as his favourite prose stylist. (Summary by Peter Dann)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74415847</guid><pubDate>Fri, 21 Aug 2026 09:08:04 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74415847/astrophel_and_stella_sir_philip_sidney.mp3" length="48482480" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>George Borrow</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland and Ireland — and, for a period, through the streets of London — as he grows from a young boy to a young man in the first decades of the nineteenth century, attracted to studying various languages, hoping but failing to make his mark as a writer and translator, and then later adopting the life of an itinerant tinker, all the while struggling with intermittent bouts of existential despair and terror. The two figures Borrow denotes as "scholar" and "priest" in his title figure only slightly in the tale, while even Mr Petulengro, a gypsy Borrow befriends, appears only intermittently. According to Borrow, the term "Lavengro" signifies "word master" in the language of the gypsies. Noted Australian author (and, incidentally, self-taught student of Hungarian) Gerald Murnane has described Borrow as his favourite prose stylist. (Summary by Peter Dann)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>6054</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/ec276109a5d7bf8c66bd9443432b45c5.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Sir Christopher Wren Scientist, Scholar and Architect-Lawrence Weaver</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/sir-christopher-wren-scientist-scholar-and-architect-lawrence-weaver--74367677</link><description><![CDATA[This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland and Ireland — and, for a period, through the streets of London — as he grows from a young boy to a young man in the first decades of the nineteenth century, attracted to studying various languages, hoping but failing to make his mark as a writer and translator, and then later adopting the life of an itinerant tinker, all the while struggling with intermittent bouts of existential despair and terror. The two figures Borrow denotes as "scholar" and "priest" in his title figure only slightly in the tale, while even Mr Petulengro, a gypsy Borrow befriends, appears only intermittently. According to Borrow, the term "Lavengro" signifies "word master" in the language of the gypsies. Noted Australian author (and, incidentally, self-taught student of Hungarian) Gerald Murnane has described Borrow as his favourite prose stylist. (Summary by Peter Dann)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74367677</guid><pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 2026 09:08:17 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74367677/sir_christopher_wren_scientist_scholar_and_architect_lawrence_weaver.mp3" length="122771772" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>George Borrow</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland and Ireland — and, for a period, through the streets of London — as he grows from a young boy to a young man in the first decades of the nineteenth century, attracted to studying various languages, hoping but failing to make his mark as a writer and translator, and then later adopting the life of an itinerant tinker, all the while struggling with intermittent bouts of existential despair and terror. The two figures Borrow denotes as "scholar" and "priest" in his title figure only slightly in the tale, while even Mr Petulengro, a gypsy Borrow befriends, appears only intermittently. According to Borrow, the term "Lavengro" signifies "word master" in the language of the gypsies. Noted Australian author (and, incidentally, self-taught student of Hungarian) Gerald Murnane has described Borrow as his favourite prose stylist. (Summary by Peter Dann)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>15331</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/ec276109a5d7bf8c66bd9443432b45c5.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Parallel Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans Vol. 3-Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/parallel-lives-of-the-noble-greeks-and-romans-vol-3-lucius-mestrius-plutarchus--74328994</link><description><![CDATA[This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland and Ireland — and, for a period, through the streets of London — as he grows from a young boy to a young man in the first decades of the nineteenth century, attracted to studying various languages, hoping but failing to make his mark as a writer and translator, and then later adopting the life of an itinerant tinker, all the while struggling with intermittent bouts of existential despair and terror. The two figures Borrow denotes as "scholar" and "priest" in his title figure only slightly in the tale, while even Mr Petulengro, a gypsy Borrow befriends, appears only intermittently. According to Borrow, the term "Lavengro" signifies "word master" in the language of the gypsies. Noted Australian author (and, incidentally, self-taught student of Hungarian) Gerald Murnane has described Borrow as his favourite prose stylist. (Summary by Peter Dann)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74328994</guid><pubDate>Wed, 19 Aug 2026 17:48:46 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74328994/parallel_lives_of_the_noble_greeks_and_romans_vol_3_lucius_mestrius_plutarchus.mp3" length="166321662" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>George Borrow</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland and Ireland — and, for a period, through the streets of London — as he grows from a young boy to a young man in the first decades of the nineteenth century, attracted to studying various languages, hoping but failing to make his mark as a writer and translator, and then later adopting the life of an itinerant tinker, all the while struggling with intermittent bouts of existential despair and terror. The two figures Borrow denotes as "scholar" and "priest" in his title figure only slightly in the tale, while even Mr Petulengro, a gypsy Borrow befriends, appears only intermittently. According to Borrow, the term "Lavengro" signifies "word master" in the language of the gypsies. Noted Australian author (and, incidentally, self-taught student of Hungarian) Gerald Murnane has described Borrow as his favourite prose stylist. (Summary by Peter Dann)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>20769</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/ec276109a5d7bf8c66bd9443432b45c5.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Selection from Poems-Alexander Pushkin</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/selection-from-poems-alexander-pushkin--74185005</link><description><![CDATA[This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland and Ireland — and, for a period, through the streets of London — as he grows from a young boy to a young man in the first decades of the nineteenth century, attracted to studying various languages, hoping but failing to make his mark as a writer and translator, and then later adopting the life of an itinerant tinker, all the while struggling with intermittent bouts of existential despair and terror. The two figures Borrow denotes as "scholar" and "priest" in his title figure only slightly in the tale, while even Mr Petulengro, a gypsy Borrow befriends, appears only intermittently. According to Borrow, the term "Lavengro" signifies "word master" in the language of the gypsies. Noted Australian author (and, incidentally, self-taught student of Hungarian) Gerald Murnane has described Borrow as his favourite prose stylist. (Summary by Peter Dann)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74185005</guid><pubDate>Tue, 18 Aug 2026 09:08:30 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74185005/selection_from_poems_alexander_pushkin.mp3" length="26691113" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>George Borrow</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland and Ireland — and, for a period, through the streets of London — as he grows from a young boy to a young man in the first decades of the nineteenth century, attracted to studying various languages, hoping but failing to make his mark as a writer and translator, and then later adopting the life of an itinerant tinker, all the while struggling with intermittent bouts of existential despair and terror. The two figures Borrow denotes as "scholar" and "priest" in his title figure only slightly in the tale, while even Mr Petulengro, a gypsy Borrow befriends, appears only intermittently. According to Borrow, the term "Lavengro" signifies "word master" in the language of the gypsies. Noted Australian author (and, incidentally, self-taught student of Hungarian) Gerald Murnane has described Borrow as his favourite prose stylist. (Summary by Peter Dann)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>3333</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/ec276109a5d7bf8c66bd9443432b45c5.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Monday or Tuesday-Virginia Woolf</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/monday-or-tuesday-virginia-woolf--74138531</link><description><![CDATA[This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland and Ireland — and, for a period, through the streets of London — as he grows from a young boy to a young man in the first decades of the nineteenth century, attracted to studying various languages, hoping but failing to make his mark as a writer and translator, and then later adopting the life of an itinerant tinker, all the while struggling with intermittent bouts of existential despair and terror. The two figures Borrow denotes as "scholar" and "priest" in his title figure only slightly in the tale, while even Mr Petulengro, a gypsy Borrow befriends, appears only intermittently. According to Borrow, the term "Lavengro" signifies "word master" in the language of the gypsies. Noted Australian author (and, incidentally, self-taught student of Hungarian) Gerald Murnane has described Borrow as his favourite prose stylist. (Summary by Peter Dann)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74138531</guid><pubDate>Mon, 17 Aug 2026 09:08:37 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74138531/monday_or_tuesday_virginia_woolf.mp3" length="58158943" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>George Borrow</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland and Ireland — and, for a period, through the streets of London — as he grows from a young boy to a young man in the first decades of the nineteenth century, attracted to studying various languages, hoping but failing to make his mark as a writer and translator, and then later adopting the life of an itinerant tinker, all the while struggling with intermittent bouts of existential despair and terror. The two figures Borrow denotes as "scholar" and "priest" in his title figure only slightly in the tale, while even Mr Petulengro, a gypsy Borrow befriends, appears only intermittently. According to Borrow, the term "Lavengro" signifies "word master" in the language of the gypsies. Noted Australian author (and, incidentally, self-taught student of Hungarian) Gerald Murnane has described Borrow as his favourite prose stylist. (Summary by Peter Dann)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>7263</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/ec276109a5d7bf8c66bd9443432b45c5.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Heptameron of the Tales of Margaret, Queen of Navarre, Volume 3-Marguerite of Navarre</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/heptameron-of-the-tales-of-margaret-queen-of-navarre-volume-3-marguerite-of-navarre--74102573</link><description><![CDATA[This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland and Ireland — and, for a period, through the streets of London — as he grows from a young boy to a young man in the first decades of the nineteenth century, attracted to studying various languages, hoping but failing to make his mark as a writer and translator, and then later adopting the life of an itinerant tinker, all the while struggling with intermittent bouts of existential despair and terror. The two figures Borrow denotes as "scholar" and "priest" in his title figure only slightly in the tale, while even Mr Petulengro, a gypsy Borrow befriends, appears only intermittently. According to Borrow, the term "Lavengro" signifies "word master" in the language of the gypsies. Noted Australian author (and, incidentally, self-taught student of Hungarian) Gerald Murnane has described Borrow as his favourite prose stylist. (Summary by Peter Dann)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74102573</guid><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 09:07:51 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74102573/heptameron_of_the_tales_of_margaret_queen_of_navarre_volume_3_marguerite_of_navarre.mp3" length="114410249" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>George Borrow</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland and Ireland — and, for a period, through the streets of London — as he grows from a young boy to a young man in the first decades of the nineteenth century, attracted to studying various languages, hoping but failing to make his mark as a writer and translator, and then later adopting the life of an itinerant tinker, all the while struggling with intermittent bouts of existential despair and terror. The two figures Borrow denotes as "scholar" and "priest" in his title figure only slightly in the tale, while even Mr Petulengro, a gypsy Borrow befriends, appears only intermittently. According to Borrow, the term "Lavengro" signifies "word master" in the language of the gypsies. Noted Australian author (and, incidentally, self-taught student of Hungarian) Gerald Murnane has described Borrow as his favourite prose stylist. (Summary by Peter Dann)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>14287</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/ec276109a5d7bf8c66bd9443432b45c5.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Diatessaron A Harmony of the Four Gospels-Tatian</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/diatessaron-a-harmony-of-the-four-gospels-tatian--73382797</link><description><![CDATA["Diatessaron: A Harmony of the Four Gospels" by Tatian presents a unique synthesis of the four canonical gospels, merging their narratives into a single, cohesive account of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. This work is significant for its early attempt to create a unified story from the diverse perspectives found in the gospels, reflecting the quest for understanding and clarity in faith. Hearing this audiobook now invites listeners to explore the enduring themes of unity, interpretation, and the search for truth within spiritual texts. Tatian's harmonization continues to resonate as it challenges us to consider how we perceive and relate to foundational narratives in our own lives.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73382797</guid><pubDate>Mon, 03 Aug 2026 11:46:20 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73382797/diatessaron_a_harmony_of_the_four_gospels_tatian.mp3" length="187974101" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>George Borrow</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>"Diatessaron: A Harmony of the Four Gospels" by Tatian presents a unique synthesis of the four canonical gospels, merging their narratives into a single, cohesive account of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. This work is significant for its...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA["Diatessaron: A Harmony of the Four Gospels" by Tatian presents a unique synthesis of the four canonical gospels, merging their narratives into a single, cohesive account of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. This work is significant for its early attempt to create a unified story from the diverse perspectives found in the gospels, reflecting the quest for understanding and clarity in faith. Hearing this audiobook now invites listeners to explore the enduring themes of unity, interpretation, and the search for truth within spiritual texts. Tatian's harmonization continues to resonate as it challenges us to consider how we perceive and relate to foundational narratives in our own lives.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>23473</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/ec276109a5d7bf8c66bd9443432b45c5.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Lavengro The Scholar The Gypsy The Priest - George Borrow - Part 3</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/lavengro-the-scholar-the-gypsy-the-priest-george-borrow-part-3--72675418</link><description><![CDATA[This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland and Ireland — and, for a period, through the streets of London — as he grows from a young boy to a young man in the first decades of the nineteenth century, attracted to studying various languages, hoping but failing to make his mark as a writer and translator, and then later adopting the life of an itinerant tinker, all the while struggling with intermittent bouts of existential despair and terror. The two figures Borrow denotes as "scholar" and "priest" in his title figure only slightly in the tale, while even Mr Petulengro, a gypsy Borrow befriends, appears only intermittently. According to Borrow, the term "Lavengro" signifies "word master" in the language of the gypsies. Noted Australian author (and, incidentally, self-taught student of Hungarian) Gerald Murnane has described Borrow as his favourite prose stylist. (Summary by Peter Dann)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72675418</guid><pubDate>Fri, 26 Jun 2026 09:00:18 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/72675418/lavengro_the_scholar_the_gypsy_the_priest_george_borrow_part_3.mp3" length="65681700" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>George Borrow</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland and Ireland — and, for a period, through the streets of London — as he grows from a young boy to a young man in the first decades of the nineteenth century, attracted to studying various languages, hoping but failing to make his mark as a writer and translator, and then later adopting the life of an itinerant tinker, all the while struggling with intermittent bouts of existential despair and terror. The two figures Borrow denotes as "scholar" and "priest" in his title figure only slightly in the tale, while even Mr Petulengro, a gypsy Borrow befriends, appears only intermittently. According to Borrow, the term "Lavengro" signifies "word master" in the language of the gypsies. Noted Australian author (and, incidentally, self-taught student of Hungarian) Gerald Murnane has described Borrow as his favourite prose stylist. (Summary by Peter Dann)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>8211</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>borrow,gypsy,intermittent,intermittently,lavengro,murnane,petulengro,priest,scholar,taught</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/ec276109a5d7bf8c66bd9443432b45c5.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Lavengro The Scholar The Gypsy The Priest - George Borrow - Part 2</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/lavengro-the-scholar-the-gypsy-the-priest-george-borrow-part-2--72675417</link><description><![CDATA[This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland and Ireland — and, for a period, through the streets of London — as he grows from a young boy to a young man in the first decades of the nineteenth century, attracted to studying various languages, hoping but failing to make his mark as a writer and translator, and then later adopting the life of an itinerant tinker, all the while struggling with intermittent bouts of existential despair and terror. The two figures Borrow denotes as "scholar" and "priest" in his title figure only slightly in the tale, while even Mr Petulengro, a gypsy Borrow befriends, appears only intermittently. According to Borrow, the term "Lavengro" signifies "word master" in the language of the gypsies. Noted Australian author (and, incidentally, self-taught student of Hungarian) Gerald Murnane has described Borrow as his favourite prose stylist. (Summary by Peter Dann)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72675417</guid><pubDate>Thu, 25 Jun 2026 09:00:18 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/72675417/lavengro_the_scholar_the_gypsy_the_priest_george_borrow_part_2.mp3" length="277420012" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>George Borrow</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland and Ireland — and, for a period, through the streets of London — as he grows from a young boy to a young man in the first decades of the nineteenth century, attracted to studying various languages, hoping but failing to make his mark as a writer and translator, and then later adopting the life of an itinerant tinker, all the while struggling with intermittent bouts of existential despair and terror. The two figures Borrow denotes as "scholar" and "priest" in his title figure only slightly in the tale, while even Mr Petulengro, a gypsy Borrow befriends, appears only intermittently. According to Borrow, the term "Lavengro" signifies "word master" in the language of the gypsies. Noted Australian author (and, incidentally, self-taught student of Hungarian) Gerald Murnane has described Borrow as his favourite prose stylist. (Summary by Peter Dann)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>34678</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>borrow,gypsy,intermittent,intermittently,lavengro,murnane,petulengro,priest,scholar,taught</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/ec276109a5d7bf8c66bd9443432b45c5.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Lavengro The Scholar The Gypsy The Priest - George Borrow - Part 1</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/lavengro-the-scholar-the-gypsy-the-priest-george-borrow-part-1--72675415</link><description><![CDATA[This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland and Ireland — and, for a period, through the streets of London — as he grows from a young boy to a young man in the first decades of the nineteenth century, attracted to studying various languages, hoping but failing to make his mark as a writer and translator, and then later adopting the life of an itinerant tinker, all the while struggling with intermittent bouts of existential despair and terror. The two figures Borrow denotes as "scholar" and "priest" in his title figure only slightly in the tale, while even Mr Petulengro, a gypsy Borrow befriends, appears only intermittently. According to Borrow, the term "Lavengro" signifies "word master" in the language of the gypsies. Noted Australian author (and, incidentally, self-taught student of Hungarian) Gerald Murnane has described Borrow as his favourite prose stylist. (Summary by Peter Dann)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72675415</guid><pubDate>Wed, 24 Jun 2026 16:58:10 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/72675415/lavengro_the_scholar_the_gypsy_the_priest_george_borrow_part_1.mp3" length="284963758" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>George Borrow</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[This unusual narrative by eccentric self-taught English linguist, traveller and one-time bible salesman George Borrow combines elements of autobiography, fantasy and anti-Catholic polemic. We follow Borrow around the countryside of England, Scotland and Ireland — and, for a period, through the streets of London — as he grows from a young boy to a young man in the first decades of the nineteenth century, attracted to studying various languages, hoping but failing to make his mark as a writer and translator, and then later adopting the life of an itinerant tinker, all the while struggling with intermittent bouts of existential despair and terror. The two figures Borrow denotes as "scholar" and "priest" in his title figure only slightly in the tale, while even Mr Petulengro, a gypsy Borrow befriends, appears only intermittently. According to Borrow, the term "Lavengro" signifies "word master" in the language of the gypsies. Noted Australian author (and, incidentally, self-taught student of Hungarian) Gerald Murnane has described Borrow as his favourite prose stylist. (Summary by Peter Dann)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>35621</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>borrow,gypsy,intermittent,intermittently,lavengro,murnane,petulengro,priest,scholar,taught</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/ec276109a5d7bf8c66bd9443432b45c5.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item></channel></rss>
