Episode 62 – The Upper Berth by F. Marion Crawford
A Podcast to the Curious - The M.R. James PodcastShow Notes
Mike and Will take a cruise across the pond in the good ship Kamchatka – but who’s hiding in The Upper Berth? Joining us to narrate F. Marion Crawford’s classic tale is reader Rupert Simons, who tells us that he’s found a cheap cabin for his trip from The Hook to Harwich next week…
Show notes:
F. Marion Crawford was a very successful writer who penned comparatively few ghost stories and as chiefly known for his historical novels.
The Upper Berth was originally published in “The Broken Shaft: Tales in Mid-Ocean”, an anthology of tales told by passengers on a stranded ocean liner. Friend of the show Dewi Evans (whom we interviewed at JamesCon in Episode 51) has written an excellent post about this collection on his blog.
Ruthanna Emrys and Anne Pillsworth have written an excellent essay on this story, mentioned in our show. Anne suggests that “Bertie” is the ghost of a man who justs wants the bed for which he paid!
There is a short film adaptation of ‘The Upper Berth’ by Mansfield Dark. You can watch it online but it’s also available as an extra on the DVD ‘The Story of a Disappearance and an Appearance’.
Our fabulous cover art came from illustrator and designer Mike Godwin, whose website is full of wonderful things and links to his Etsy shop.
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