British literature

An old Scottish epicurean tradition is being revived by a small group of sheep farmers in Vermont.

The Takeaway: Novelist J.G. Ballard, famed for novels such as Crash and Empire of the Sun died over the weekend. His style was so distinctive that there’s now an adjective, ‘ballardian’ that describes his dystopian, bleak style.

Sunday marked the 250th birthday of renowned Scottish poet Robert Burns. David Stenhouse, a radio producer for the BBC, tells us why Scotland is counting on Burns to bring in millions of dollars to the Scottish economy in 2009.

Terence Wrong is the producer and executive producer of the ABC News documentary series Hopkins, which gives viewers an intimate look at life and death and work inside Baltimore’s John Hopkins Hospital. The six-part program was shot over four months, and premieres Thursday night.

The BBC’s Rebecca Jones speaks with Hilary Mantel, this year’s winner of Britain’s most prestigious literary prize, the Man Booker.