Jeremy Irons, Tilda Swinton and Hilary Mantel are collaborating to read Coleridge’s most famous poem.
The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner, a 150-verse 18th century poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, has been divided into 40 readings.
The readers, who also included Alan Bennett and Lemn Sissay, each recorded a sequence of three to four verses to be broadcast online, day by day.
Once complete, it will be available to listen to as “one symphonic piece”.
Author Philip Hoare, who curated the project, said: “It is no coincidence, perhaps, that this poem is the first great work of English literature to speak to isolation and loneliness.
“For those facing restricted access to culture in these difficult times, the Ancient Mariner Big Read offers a new digital work of art to be experienced at home – in a wild voyage into the unknown and watery world.”
The readings are accompanied by works from artists including Cornelia Parker, Marina Abramovic, and Gavin Turk.
The poem is at www.ancientmarinerbigread.com
