Main content

The Tiger Who Came to Tea

Essays on the small, underappreciated aspects of famous artistic pieces. Literary critic Sam Leith on his fascination with a background figure in Judith Kerr's classic book.

It’s in the minutiae of masterpieces that we feel their thrill and power.

In this series of The Essay, five leading cultural voices choose a great work of art and talk about a small, underappreciated aspect of the piece that carries great meaning for them.

Spectator Literary Editor Sam Leith explores his fascination with a background figure in Judith Kerr’s classic picture book ‘The Tiger Who Came to Tea’.

Producer: Sam Peach

Available now

14 minutes

Broadcast

  • Wed 27 Sep 2023 22:45

Death in Trieste

Death in Trieste

A 1760s murder still informs ideas about aesthetics, a certain sort of sex, and death.

Watch: My Deaf World

Watch: My Deaf World

Five compelling experiences of what it is like to be deaf in 21st-century Britain.

The Book that Changed Me

Five figures from the arts and science introduce books that changed their lives and work.

Download The Essay

Download The Essay

Download all the episodes from the series and listen at your leisure.

Podcast