Familiar rhymes. Hidden histories.
THE RHYME & REASON PODCAST
What if the nursery rhymes we learnt as children were echoes of royal rivalries, religious conflict, political satire and everyday life?
In the Rhyme & Reason podcast, author and speaker Susan Ackroyd follows the historical clues hidden within familiar verses and explores the people, events and competing interpretations connected with them.
Listen again to the rhymes you thought you knew. You may never hear them in quite the same way.
Small rhymes. Remarkable histories.
Choose an episode below and press play to listen directly from this website. Each episode begins with a familiar nursery rhyme and follows its trail through history, language, politics and storytelling.
EPISODE 1
COMING
18 AUGUST
ABOUT THE PODCAST
Small rhymes. Remarkable histories.
Nursery rhymes are among the first pieces of language many of us remember. Their rhythms remain familiar long after childhood, but the worlds behind them are rarely simple.
Some have been connected with monarchs and courtiers. Others may contain traces of religious conflict, political protest, social change or ordinary life. Many were passed down orally and recorded long after they first appeared, leaving room for debate about where they began and what they originally meant.
In each episode, Susan places a familiar rhyme within its wider historical setting, examines the evidence and invites listeners to consider the possibilities.
MEET YOUR HOSTS
Susan Ackroyd & Lynda Beckingham
Susan Ackroyd is the author of Rhyme & Reason, an illustrated exploration of the origins and historical settings connected with traditional nursery rhymes.
A former English and history teacher, Susan brings together a lifelong interest in language, research and storytelling. Through her book, podcast and public talks, she invites curious listeners to look beyond the familiar words and discover the remarkable stories that may lie behind them.
Lynda Beckingham arrived in Australia in the 1980s for what was meant to be a two-week visit. Forty-five years later, Australia has become her home.
Much of Lynda’s working life was spent in Early Intervention, supporting babies and children who were deaf or hard of hearing, before working with school students with diverse needs. Her passion has always been language and literacy.
A tree change brought Lynda to the beautiful Hartley Valley, where she has formed deep and lasting friendships. A shared love of books and history has created a special connection between Susan and Lynda, bringing them together through their appreciation of stories and the past.
CONTINUE THE STORY
Explore Rhyme & Reason
The podcast is only the beginning.
In Rhyme & Reason, Susan explores 26 traditional nursery rhymes and the historical personalities, political conflicts and social conditions that may have influenced them.
Illustrated by Nicol Reid, the book offers an engaging journey through English history for curious readers, history enthusiasts and anyone who has ever wondered where our nursery rhymes came from.
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