North, south, east and west. Almost all societies use the four cardinal directions to orientate themselves, so they should be clear-cut. But Jerry Brotton is here to tell us different: the four compass points are more subjective and various than we might realise.
Brotton talks about his new book, the discoveries he made about how different societies – modern and primitive – feel about the compass points, and argues that they only have meaning, literally and metaphorically, depending on where you stand.
Brotton is Professor of Renaissance Studies at Queen Mary University of London. He is a regular broadcaster and critic as well as author of books including A History of the World in Twelve Maps.
