Arthurian poem is among best of medieval English literature [audio 1st 12min]

Award-winning journalist Andrew Marr starts the week by discussing 18th-century Londoners' sense of London itself with poet Simon Armitage. It's Christmas at Camelot and a giant green knight on a green horse canters into the hall and challenges any knight to strike him with an enormous axe, on condition that he is allowed to return the blow the following year. Sir Gawain accepts the challenge. What follows is an adventure story and morality tale, steeped in magic and mystery. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is one of the classic poems of medieval English literature, yet the identity of its author is unknown. Simon Armitage has completed a new translation and talks about the story, the alliterative style and the challenges of translating a medieval language. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is published by Faber and Faber. Joining the discussion are documentary producer John Smithson, film director Sophie Fiennes and art critic Waldemar Januszczak.