Milton marathon for anniversary

Milton, who was blind, dictated the whole of Paradise Lost to a scribe

A marathon reading of John Milton's epic Paradise Lost is being held to mark the 400th anniversary of the author's birth.

Enthusiasts from Cambridge University are performing the rare live reading in a 12-hour internet broadcast.

The marathon covers all 12 books of the 1667 work, some 10,000 lines of poetry.

It gives an expansive retelling of the Creation, the defeat of the rebel angels under Satan, and the fall of Adam and Eve.

Each book has been assigned to a senior member of the University's English Faculty, who will tell the story with the help of one or more readers using props and lighting as needed.

Non-stop

Due to its huge volume there have been few live performances of the poem by Milton, who studied at Cambridge's Christ's College.

Dr Gavin Alexander, a fellow of Christ's, said: "Poetry has always been something to read out or sing, but increasingly since Milton's day people have tended to read it silently or in private.

"It's not often that a performance on this scale is attempted, but the whole point of Milton's anniversary celebrations is to try new things and show that he still has the ability to grab new readers."

A live video feed is available via the university's Milton 400 website throughout Thursday, although the organisers are keen to point out it will not be "a non-stop performance".

"There will be breaks, pauses, and delays throughout the day, so don't be surprised if you can't hear anything for a few minutes."

Anyone who misses the reading will be able to download a podcast from the website after the event.

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