Episode 62 – The Upper Berth by F. Marion Crawford

A Podcast to the Curious - The M.R. James Podcast

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.