Lost Sister Wendy tape released after twenty-eight years

Audiobook album cover

A tape recording of Sister Wendy Beckett reading Julian of Norwich's Revelations of Divine Love, has been been released as an audio CD this week.

Publisher Donna K Triggs, who originally worked with Sister Wendy to create the master recording in 1993, said: "When we finally got hold of the tape again there was a fear it might be suffering from 'Sticky Shed Syndrome'! Luckily my sound engineer was able to do an amazing job of restoring the old analogue tape and Sister Wendy's voice remains as clear and joyful as it was the day I first heard her read Julian's words."

Donna told ICN: "My recollections of her are extremely vivid. I remember detailed discussions of Gerald Manley Hopkins, Karen Armstrong...and Delia Smith! I remember her seeming both physically imposing and delightfully warm. I think my strongest impression is of her vivacity."

Sister Wendy said at the time: "When I was at Oxford I studied Julian in the original and it made a great impression on me. My copy was a very small leather bound book and it had the lovely small of sandalwood that old books sometimes have. Julian is forever associated in my mind with sandalwood and I hope that a sandalwood small comes across in the recording.

Sister Wendy Beckett (1930-2018) became a household name when she presented a series of television programmes for the BBC on Art History. She is the author of over 15 books. She spent the latter part of her life living in seclusion in a Carmelite Monastery in Norfolk.

Revelations of Divine Love written by Dame Julian of Norwich from 1343 to about 1416, is the earliest surviving book in English written by a woman and is considered a devotional classic.

This audio version was adapted for Sister Wendy by Donna K Triggs from a translation by M L Del Mastro.

Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich read by Sister Wendy Beckett Audio CD (ISBN 9781527281189) is available to order from all good bookshops, including Waterstones - see link below.

LINK

For more information and to order see: www.waterstones.com/audiobook/the-revelations-of-divine-love-by-julian-of-norwich/julian-of-norwich/sister-wendy-beckett/9781527281189