SATURDAY 18 JANUARY 2025

SAT 00:00 Midnight News (m0026w8w)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 00:30 The Ideas List (m0026w7d)
5. Fingerprints

Thirty years ago years ago, in March 1995, a fresh-faced Claudia Hammond arrived at the BBC for a job interview as a trainee science producer. It was a big opportunity so she prepared meticulously. She put together a comprehensive list of science and health stories, ready to pitch at the interview to show that she knew a good science story and would be perfect for the role.

Fast forward thirty years and Claudia, now an award-winning broadcaster and presenter of Radio 4’s All in the Mind, is sorting through the drawer of recycled scripts, briefs and notes she keeps to re-use in her printer. Right at the bottom of the inches-thick pile she comes across the list of stories she’d prepared to pitch at that interview three decades earlier.

In this quirky, personal journey, Claudia revisits five ideas from her Ideas List to find out what happened next. She tracks each headline-grabbing story forward through the false-starts and dead ends, the surprises and successes. And she asks what each tale teaches us about the tortuous path of scientific progress.

In this episode Claudia picks up on a story about the FBI, the United States’ domestic intelligence and security service. By the mid-1990s the FBI had 200 million fingerprint records, all kept on individual cards and stored in filing cabinets which took up an acre of floor space. Searching through these records could take so long that police were forced to release suspects before a match could be found.

The FBI’s fingerprint system was clearly - and urgently - in need of digitisation so that it could be kept as computer records. But because each individual record needed a lot of computer memory, an acre of filing cabinets would simply be replaced by an acre of computer servers!

Enter Chris Brislawn from the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico who devised a radical new data-compression system. He tells Claudia how he made the breakthrough using the mathematical theory of wavelets. This allowed the important information about a fingerprint to be separated from the unimportant information and, as a result, vastly reduce the file size.

And the system Chris invented is still used by the FBI today As Craig Watson from the US National Institute of Standards and Technology attests, it was an example of the right idea at exactly the right time.

Producers: Florian Bohr and Jeremy Grange


SAT 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0026w8y)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0026w90)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


SAT 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0026w92)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 05:30 News Briefing (m0026w94)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m0026w96)
Winnie the Pooh and Life

A reading and a reflection to start the day on Radio 4, with Jonathan Rea


SAT 05:45 Something to Declare (m0026w7v)
How to Laugh It Off

In this episode, Jack Boswell explores the Irish concept of "Craic"—a unique blend of humour, storytelling, and community that brings joy and resilience to everyday life.

Joining Jack is stand-up comedian Cat Anderson, who unpacks the elusive essence of Craic. Is it simply about having fun, or does it hold a deeper significance in Irish culture? She explains how Craic is woven into Ireland's rich history, serving as a way to find levity and connection even during the hardest times. Whether in a lively pub or a quiet gathering, Craic is about elevating shared moments with laughter and lightheartedness.

Jack also visits an Irish pub, microphone in hand, to hear firsthand from locals. Through stories and banter, the pub’s patrons reveal how Craic fosters connections, builds community, and even helps navigate life’s challenges with a smile.

This episode highlights how humour, vulnerability, and the art of storytelling can transform our social experiences, offering not only joy but also comfort during difficult times. Whether you're Irish or not, Craic offers a universal lesson - life is better shared with laughter.

Host: Jack Boswell
Producer: Emma Crampton
Senior Producer: Harry Stott
Executive Producer: Sandra Ferrari
Production Coordinator: James Cox
Audio Supervisor: Tom Biddle
Sound Editor: Alan Leer and Lizzy Andrews

A Message Heard production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 06:00 News and Papers (m00274q5)
The latest news headlines. Including the weather and a look at the papers.


SAT 06:07 Ramblings (m0026vsy)
Trees in Winter near Abergavenny

This is Clare’s 25th year of making Ramblings and one thing she has always enjoyed is walking all year round, in any weather. No matter how windy, how cold or how wet she’ll be out recording in the company of an equally weatherproof interviewee. Winter is her favourite season for a stroll and today she’s found someone else who feels the same…

Richard Shimell’s book, Trees in Winter, is about the healing properties of nature and walking especially during the coldest season. When the inclination for so many is to stay indoors, he’s out drawing inspiration for his detailed and beautiful lino-cut prints of winter trees.

Although his book features many prints of Dartmoor trees, he now lives in Grosmont near Abergavenny in south Wales and this is where he leads Clare for a walk up the hill near his home. The Graig Syfyrddin, or just The Graig, is 423m/1388ft and is on the Three Castles walk. Clare and Richard had a wonderfully clear day with far-reaching views.

Find out more about Richard and his book on his website: https://richardshimell.co.uk

Presenter: Clare Balding
Producer: Karen Gregor


SAT 06:30 Farming Today (m00274q7)
18/01/25 - Farming Today This Week: LAMMA machinery show, Climate advice on meat, Foot and Mouth

The Climate Change Committee is revising its advice on eating meat. In 2020, the committee - which is the government's advisor on climate change - recommended people cut their intake of beef, lamb and dairy produce by 20% by 2030 and by 35% by 2050, to reduce the amount of greenhouse gasses produced by livestock in the UK. But now that could change, in the light of progress to reduce emissions though things like livestock breeding and new technologies on farm.

Farmers are being warned to be vigilant after Foot and Mouth disease has killed several buffalo in Germany. Back in 2001 an outbreak of Foot and Mouth in the UK caused the death of millions of animals, through disease and preventative culling. The UK has temporarily banned imports of German meat and dairy, as well as live cattle, sheep and pigs.

And we visit the the LAMMA machinery show - which took place at the NEC in Birmingham this week - to see some innovations in farm kit, and ask farmers whether they feel ready to invest right now.

Presented by Charlotte Smith
Produced by Heather Simons


SAT 06:57 Weather (m00274q9)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SAT 07:00 Today (m00274qc)
18/01/25 - Amol Rajan and Dharshini David

News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


SAT 09:00 Saturday Live (m00274qf)
Monty Don, Beth Jones, Danny Gray, Eve Myles

Gardening Guru Monty Don, who’s sown seeds of sustainability, cultivated lawns of loyal fans, travelled the world and has grown his wise and warm reputation by sharing personal experiences.

Beth Jones is a tattooist whose body-art is empowering breast cancer survivors, proving that inking can be therapeutic and transformative.

Danny Gray has not only redefined men’s grooming with his makeup brand but is also on a mission to break down stigmas in beauty and in men’s mental health.

All that plus the Inheritance Tracks of actor and yellow waterproof trendsetter Eve Myles.

Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Jon Kay
Producer: Ben Mitchell


SAT 10:00 You're Dead to Me (m00274qh)
The Arts and Crafts Movement: William Morris and his circle

Greg Jenner is joined in Victorian England by Dr Isabella Rosner and comedian Cariad Lloyd to learn all about the ethos, practitioners and creations of the Arts and Crafts movement.

Most people have heard of William Morris, one of the leaders of the Arts and Crafts movement that came to prominence in England in the last decades of the 19th Century. His abstract, nature-inspired designs still adorn everything from wallpaper and curtains to notebooks and even dog beds. And the company he founded, Morris & Co., is still going strong. But the history of this artistic movement, and the other creatives who were involved, is less well known.

Arts and Crafts, which advocated a return to traditional handicrafts like needlework, carpentry and ceramics, was a reaction to the Industrial Revolution and included a strong socialist vision: its practitioners wanted everyone to have access to art, and to be able to enjoy homes that were comfortable, functional and beautiful. This episode explores Morris and other creatives both in and outside his circle, including Edward Burne-Jones, May Morris, Gertrude Jekyll and Philip Webb. It looks at the ethos that inspired them, the homes and artworks they created, and asks how radical their political beliefs really were.

If you’re a fan of groundbreaking artistic developments, gorgeous interior design, the intersection between art and politics, and Victorian interpersonal drama, you’ll love our episode on the Arts and Crafts movement.

If you want more from Cariad Lloyd, check out our episodes on Georgian Courtship and Mary Wollstonecraft. And for more British artistic movements, listen to our episode on the Bloomsbury Group.

You’re Dead To Me is the comedy podcast that takes history seriously. Every episode, Greg Jenner brings together the best names in history and comedy to learn and laugh about the past.

Hosted by: Greg Jenner
Research by: Jon Norman-Mason
Written by: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow, Emma Nagouse, and Greg Jenner
Produced by: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow and Greg Jenner
Audio Producer: Steve Hankey
Production Coordinator: Ben Hollands
Senior Producer: Emma Nagouse
Executive Editor: James Cook


SAT 10:30 What's Funny About... (m00274qk)
A Bit of Fry and Laurie

In the first episode of a new series of What's Funny About… Peter Fincham and Jon Plowman are joined by comedy legends Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie to hear the story of how they made their breakout sketch series, A Bit of Fry and Laurie.

Stephen and Hugh talk about the beginnings of their partnership, and finding their place against the backdrop of alternative comedy. They explain their decision to, on the whole, avoid returning characters - a slightly unusual choice in the tradition of sketch programmes. And they unravel for us one of the great mysteries of modern comedy - the origins of “Soupy Twist”!

A Bit of Fry and Laurie is a BBC production, all clips written by Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie.

Producer: Owen Braben
An Expectation Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 11:00 The Week in Westminster (m00274qm)
The Telegraph's Ben Riley-Smith assesses the latest developments at Westminster.

Following a ceasefire deal in Gaza and the Prime Minister's trip to Ukraine, Ben speaks to former Conservative Defence Secretary, Sir Ben Wallace, and the Labour peer, Baroness Ashton, formerly the EU's foreign policy chief, about how the imminent second Trump presidency is already shaping global geopolitics.

After another uncomfortable week for the Chancellor, Ben is joined by the Labour MP and chair of the Treasury Select Committee, Dame Meg Hillier, and former Conservative Treasury Minister, Sir Simon Clarke, to discuss the economic and fiscal outlook for the UK.

Tech entrepreneur, Matt Clifford, who also advises the Prime Minister on artificial intelligence, explains how AI will change the country in the week the government unveiled his AI Action Plan.

And, after the Government's decision to bring an early end to the Latin Excellence Programme, which funds the teaching of Latin in some state schools, Ben catches up with former Education Secretary, Sir Gavin Williamson, who introduced the policy, and Labour MP, Sarah Smith, who used to work in youth services and takes a special interest in education policy.


SAT 11:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m00274pg)
Escaping the LA Fires

Kate Adie introduces stories from Los Angeles, Cambodia, Argentina, Nigeria and Washington DC.

The Los Angeles wild fires have left thousands of people homeless, and caused damage costing billions of dollars. Among those Angelenos who narrowly escaped disaster there is an overwhelming sense of relief - and, for some, a sense of guilt. BBC LA correspondent David Willis tells the story of his own close call.

Cambodia’s 12th Century temple complex, Angkor Wat, is the world’s biggest religious site and a huge tourist attraction. Authorities want to increase visitor numbers, which has led to locals living in the jungle around the site being evicted from their homes. Jill McGivering went to investigate.

Javier Milei was elected president of Argentina a little over a year ago, following an eccentric campaign in which he promised radical economic reform. Charlotte Pritchard visited a chewing-gum factory in Buenos Aires, to find out what business owners think of the progress the country is making so far.

In Nigeria we navigate the bustling urban sprawl of Lagos to find a wildlife sanctuary in an unlikely spot. It's the work of a local school teacher who wants to teach locals about conversation and the importance of biodiversity. Kirsty Lang paid a visit.

Washington DC is making preparations for Donald Trump's inauguration next week. As he enters the White House, the Republicans will control of all three branches of government. Paddy O’Connell looks back to his own time working in Washington, when American voters were seemingly much more willing to share support for both political parties.

Series producer: Serena Tarling
Production coordinators: Sophie Hill & Katie Morrison
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith


SAT 12:00 News Summary (m00274qp)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 12:04 Money Box (m00274pd)
Child Trust Funds and Gilts

A senior MP has backed calls to start automatically paying out hundreds of millions of pounds to young adults if they haven’t claimed government-backed child trusts funds by the time they turn 21. Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, who is also chair of parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, says the move would help nearly half a million people born between 2002 and 2011 access one billion pounds of their own money that they don’t even know about. The government says the idea would be complex and costly.

There has been a lot of talk on the news about gilts and the bond market. We're joined by Russ Mould, the investment director of AJ Bell, to explain what a gilt is and whether you can buy one?

There's less than three months left to boost your state pension by to filling old gaps in your National Insurance record. At the moment people who have not yet reached pension age and those already on the new state pension can fill gaps in their record back as far as 2006. From this April that window will be shut. What should you do, if you think you've got gaps to fill?

And, the couple who boosted their income by more than a hundred pounds a week after listening to Money Box. Find out how they did it.

Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporter: Dan Whitworth
Researchers: Eimear Devlin and Jo Krasner
Editor: Jess Quayle

(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 18th January 2025)


SAT 12:30 The News Quiz (m0026w87)
Series 116

Unconditional Discharge in Charge

This week on The News Quiz, Andy Zaltzman is joined by Nish Kumar, Sara Barron, Glenn Moore and Zing Tsjeng to unpack the week's new stories. The panel look into Donald Trump's unconditional discharge and his looming inauguration, as well as Keir Starmer's unleashing of AI, and Tulip Siddiq's resignation.

Written by Andy Zaltzman.

With additional material by: Cody Dahler, Christina Riggs, Mike Shephard and Ben Pope.
Producer: Rajiv Karia
Executive Producer: Richard Morris
Production Coordinator: Jodie Charman
Sound Editor: Marc Willcox

A BBC Studios Audio Production for Radio 4
An Eco-Audio certified Production


SAT 12:57 Weather (m00274qr)
The latest weather forecast


SAT 13:00 News and Weather (m00274qt)
The latest national and international news and weather reports from BBC Radio 4


SAT 13:10 Any Questions? (m0026w8f)
Dr Luke Evans MP, Helen Morgan MP, Karin Smyth MP, Alex Wilson AM

Alex Forsyth presents political debate from Codsall Village Hall in South Staffordshire, with Conservative shadow health minister Dr Luke Evans; Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Helen Morgan; Labour's Karin Smyth who is a minister in the department for health and social care; and the Reform Party's Alex Wilson, a member of the London Assembly.

Producer: Paul Martin
Lead broadcast engineer: Phil Booth


SAT 14:00 Any Answers? (m00274qw)
Call Any Answers? to have your say on the big issues in the news this week.


SAT 14:45 The Archers (m0026w89)
Helen thanks Tom for helping Henry with his homework. Bewildered Tom says he didn’t, but Helen’s gone. Later Tom finds Henry abrupt with him for seemingly ignoring his email, and when he tries to explain Henry cuts him short. Kirsty helped him with his homework; he’s handed it in now. If Tom didn’t know enough about it he should have said. Henry goes to check on the goats, leaving Tom wondering what’s going on. He catches up with Henry but Helen arrives before he can speak to him. Helen senses the atmosphere and finally Henry admits he didn’t like the way Tom bought the Beechwood house over Helen’s head. It’s not okay to do that to family. Chastened Tom offers apologies, which Henry accepts.

Mick tries to comfort Joy and get to the bottom of the issues with Rochelle. Meanwhile Rochelle announces she’s leaving. She came here for comfort and instead feels judged. Mick pleads with her to give her mum a chance, but Rochelle asserts she has nothing left. Refusing Joy’s help, she accepts a lift to the bus station with Mick. On the journey Rochelle insists Joy isn’t the person everyone thinks she is. Their life stopped when her dad left. Her mum’s toxic and Mick needs to get out while he can. Later Mick hears Joy’s side of the story. Rochelle’s a drifter, easily distracted and leaves the minute things get tricky. Mick ventures that Joy might have made things worse by interfering. Joy counters that Mick wouldn’t understand; he doesn’t have children. Offended, Mick leaves.


SAT 15:00 Drama on 4 (m000mcc0)
On a Lost Highway

By Ed Thomas

Remi wakes on a road with no memory of who she is or how she got there. A vivid exploration of identity and sanity from one of Wales' best living playwrights.

Rakie Ayola, Richard Harrignton and Sian Phillips DBE lead the cast in this dark, immersive sonic fable about what it means to be human in 2020. It tells the story of Remi who must try to piece together the fragments of her mind, work out who she is… and what went wrong.

Part of Radio 4's season of drama celebrating some of the most significant writers working in radio with 12 original pieces, On a Lost Highway is also the first audio drama production recorded in BBC Wales’ brand new headquarters in Cardiff's Central Square. Back in 1954 Dylan Thomas revolutionised the world of Radio Drama with the inaugural broadcast of Under Milk Wood. Now BBC Wales’ brand new Dylan Thomas Audio Drama Studio aims to take the medium in new and exciting directions. Though it’s been named in honour of the legendary Welsh poet, the studio looks to the future, not the past. The pace of change in audio is fast – podcasting has created a new frontier for audio innovation – and in their new home, BBC Audio Drama Wales aim to continue to push the evolution of the form.

Ed Thomas is a playwright, director and producer whose award-winning work has been widely distributed to over 100 countries. Most recently, Ed wrote and co directed On Bear Ridge at the Royal Court in a highly successful co-production with National Theatre Wales starring Rhys Ifans and Rakie Ayola. Ed is the founder and creative director of film and TV production company Fiction Factory and co-creator of the TV series Hinterland. His plays have toured all over the UK, Europe, Australia and South America and translated into more than 10 languages.

Remi.... Rakie Ayola
The Lover.... Richard Harrington
Mother.... Sian Phillips
The Stranger.... Valene Kane
Johnny Grecco.... Ronan Summers

Directed by James Robinson
A BBC Cymru Wales Production


SAT 16:00 Woman's Hour (m00274qy)
Weekend Woman’s Hour: Bishop Rose Hudson-Wilkin, Corridor care, AI & IVF

The Right Reverend Rose Hudson-Wilkin, the Bishop of Dover, is a trailblazer, who has been right at the heart of a changing nation for over 40 years. Despite discrimination due to her gender and ethnic minority background, Bishop Rose has never wavered from the call she received to enter ministry at the age of 14. She joined Nuala McGovern to discuss her memoir, The Girl from Montego Bay.

A Royal College of Nursing report, On the Frontline of the UK's Corridor Care Crisis, which came out this week, found that the situation in A&E is the worst it has ever been and that a lack of hospital beds means corridor care has been "normalised". One nurse described caring for a 95-year-old woman dying with dementia who had spent eight hours lying on a trolley in a crowded corridor next to a drunk person who was vomiting and being abusive. Others describe women having a miscarriage in side rooms. Professor Nicola Ranger, Chief Executive of the Royal College of Nursing joined Anita Rani to discuss what is going on.

Holly Bourne, bestselling author of How Do You Like Me Now? and the Spinster Club series, is back with So Thrilled For You, her most personal novel yet. It’s a story about four friends navigating motherhood, career ambition, and societal pressures, all unfolding during a sweltering summer’s day at a baby shower. Holly joined Nuala and explained what inspired this book.

Can AI improve the success rates of women undergoing fertility treatment? Anita discusses the impact of AI on IVF with Dr Cristina Hickman, an embryologist, co-founder of Avenues, and Chair of the Global AI Fertility Society, and Dr Ali Abbara, a Clinician Scientist at Imperial College London, and Consultant in Reproductive Endocrinology at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.

Hermine Braunsteiner was the first person to be extradited from the US for Nazi war crimes. She was one of a few thousand women who had worked as a concentration camp guard and was nicknamed ‘the Mare’ by prisoners because of her cruelty; she kicked people to death. In 1964, Hermine’s past was unknown: She was living a quiet existence as an adoring suburban housewife in Queens, New York when she was tracked down by a reporter from The New York Times who exposed her past. Angharad Hampshire, a Research Fellow at York St John University, joined Nuala to talk about The Mare, her novel based on Hermine’s life.

The all-female, Welsh-language, post-punk trio Adwaith are the only band to have won the Welsh Music Prize twice, for their first two albums. They are about to release their third album, Solas, all about returning to their hometown in Carmarthen. Band members Hollie Singer, Gwenedd Owen and Gwen Anthony performed live in the studio.

Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Annette Wells
Editor: Rebecca Myatt


SAT 17:00 PM (m00274r0)
Israel prepares for release of first hostages

Israel prepares for the release of the first hostages under the ceasefire deal. PM speaks to the British family of a man still being held. Also, Humpback whales in UK waters.


SAT 17:30 Political Thinking with Nick Robinson (m00274r2)
The Rachel Reeves Chancellor One

The Chancellor reflects on her first six months in power and what lies behind her determination that she has "what it takes" to "turn things around".

Producer: Daniel Kraemer


SAT 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m00274r4)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 17:57 Weather (m00274r6)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SAT 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m00274r8)
The first hostage exchange is due to take place tomorrow.


SAT 18:15 Loose Ends (m0027m0s)
Deacon Blue, Paul McKenna, Rachel Sermanni, Julie Wilson Nimmo, Jon Muq

This year the Scottish pop rock band Deacon Blue celebrates 40 years together. Not only is the band going strong – so is the marriage bringing together its lead vocalists Ricky Ross and Lorraine McIntosh. They both join Nihal Arthanayake to reflect on four decades of music-making.

Paul McKenna’s career has taken him from radio DJ to stage hypnotist to self-help book author. His latest offering – Power Manifesting – explores how he’s used manifesting to achieve his goals. He looks at how super-achievers praise this technique and explains how he uses the toolkit in day to day life.

Julie Wilson Nimmo is a star of Scottish TV classics like Balamory, Chewin’ The Fat and Scot Squad. Her current role is slightly different as she and fellow actor and comedian husband Greg Hemphill set off to the Scottish islands to dip in their beautiful seas. Jules and Greg’s Wild Swim sees the couple enjoy the invigoration of cold water swimming, along with chats about mental health, the menopause and much more.

Indie-folk pop singer-songwriter Rachel Sermanni shares music from her latest release – no way blues.

And singer-songwriter Jon Muq who was born in Uganda and has forged a career in Austin, Texas. He performs from his album Flying Away.


SAT 19:00 Profile (m00274nc)
Claudia Sheinbaum

She is the renowned scientist who studied environmental engineering, and went on to hold the role of mayor of Mexico City during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Late last year, Claudia Sheinbaum made further history.

"For the first time in the 200 years of the [Mexican] Republic, I will become the first woman president of Mexico," she said before taking office.

Born in 1962, Claudia Sheinbaum’s father was a chemical engineer and her mother, a biology professor. Both parents descended from Jewish immigrants from Europe who settled in North America.

She’s enjoyed remarkably high poll ratings since taking office, but critics suggest she will live under her mentor’s shadow, and her biggest test is yet to come.

As Donald Trump gets ready to enter the White House for a second time, Claudia Sheinbaum has already had to respond to his suggestion to rename the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America.

So what lies ahead? Stephen Smith has been talking to her friends, colleagues and peers to find out more about Mexico’s history-maker.

Production Team

Producers: Sally Abrahams and Bethan Ashmead Latham
Editor: Ben Mundy
Sound: Neil Churchill
Production Co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele and Jack Young

Credits
Emilia Perez, Trailer
Director, Jacques Audiard; Production companies: Why Not Productions, Page 114, Pathe, France 2 Cinema, Saint Laurent Productions

"Claudia: El Documental", Director: Rodrigo Imaz; @ClaudiaSheinbaumP
https://youtu.be/NDuUL-RQvMU

The Nobel Peace Prize, 2007, Nobelprize.org


SAT 19:15 This Cultural Life (m0026vsc)
Robert Harris

Having worked as a BBC television journalist, and as political editor for the Observer newspaper, Robert Harris published his debut novel Fatherland in 1992. A counterfactual story set in the 1960s that imagines Nazi Germany had won the Second World War, the book was a global bestseller. Since then Robert Harris has written 15 novels, mainly historical fiction which ranges from the ancient Roman politics of Pompeii and his Cicero trilogy, to the Restoration era manhunt of Act Of Oblivion, and Papal thriller Conclave. His most recent novel Precipice is about the romantic relationship between prime minister Herbert Asquith young socialite Venetia Stanley during the First World War.

Robert Harris tells John Wilson about how reading The Origins of the Second World War by the historian A. J. P. Taylor, as a teenager ignited his interest in looking at history from perspectives that challenge the accepted narratives. Later, reading both the fiction and non-fiction of George Orwell inspired him to attempt to make writing about politics into an art form, as Orwell had done in works including 1984.

Producer: Edwina Pitman

Archive used:
Did Hitler Cause The War?, BBC1, 9 July 1961
The Hitler Diaries, Newsnight, BBC2, 8 July 1985
Reading from Fatherland, Robert Harris
Reading from 1984, George Orwell, BBC Radio 4, 2 January 1984
Reading from The Ghost, Robert Harris


SAT 20:00 Archive on 4 (m00274rd)
Ronald v Donald

Phil Tinline journeys back to 1984 to find out what the re-election of Ronald Reagan, an entertainer turned President, can tell us about a second Trump term in the White House.

Reagan cruised to victory 40 years ago with his now famous 'Morning in America' campaign, defined by its sunny optimism. Author and broadcaster Phil Tinline tells the story of that campaign and considers why it was successful. He compares the hopeful tone of 1984 to 2024 US Presidential election and the success of Donald Trump, asking whether brightness has been replaced by a darker tone.

The two Presidents are both former screen stars in their 70s, who gained the nomination by criticising the establishment and offering to be a fresh voice for change. Phil looks at the similarities, and also the differences, between the two Administrations, the leadership styles of the two, and their policy approaches.

Phil was in his early teens in the 1980s, watching the bizarre world of American Politics from the TV screen. He speaks to his daughter Polly who is now growing up with Washington dramas on social media, comparing their two experiences.

Featuring archive from the campaign trail and the defining moments around 1984, Phil considers the legacy of that victory today, comparing the two Presidents. He speaks to Washington insiders from the Trump and Reagan campaigns and also of Walter Mondale, Reagan's opponent.

Contributors:

KT MacFarland, former Deputy National Security Advisor to Donald Trump and speechwriter for the Reagan Administration
Jeffrey Lord, political commentator and former Reagan Administration staff member.
William Galston, Fellow of the Brookings Institution, Wall St Journal Columnist and Democratic Advisor
Max Boot, historian and author of 'Reagan: His Life and Legend'
Sarah Vogel, author of 'The Farmers Lawyer'
And Polly Tinline

Thanks to J Hoberman, author of 'Make My Day: Movie Culture in the Age of Reagan', part of Found Illusions, a trilogy of books on Cold War Hollywood.

Archive credits:

The Reagan Library
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute
CBS News
NBC News
The Miller Center
The New York Historical
KNBC News
Analog Zero
Kansas Politics
Heathsory

Presenter: Phil Tinline
Producer: Sam Peach


SAT 21:00 The Poetry Detective (m0024f63)
The Angry Penguins Hoax

"Dear Sir. When I was going through my brother's things after his death, I found some poetry he had written..."

80 years after his work was first published, Vanessa Kisuule investigates the incredible case of one of Australia's most celebrated poets. It's a story that begins with a mysterious letter and ends with a trial. And it takes us to the heart of some big questions in poetry: What makes a poem good? Who gets to decide that? And - whisper it - is some poetry just nonsense?

With Samela Harris, Michael Heyward, Stephen Orr, Maggie Nolan, David Brooks and Sam Riviere
Readings by Nuala Honan and Flynn Barnard

Produced by Mair Bosworth for BBC Audio


SAT 21:30 This Land (m0021w7r)
The filmmaker and writer Charlie Shackleton explores the rocky ground of the public domain through the contested history of a single song - Woody Guthrie’s This Land Is Your Land.

One of the most famous odes to the public commons ever composed, Guthrie's This Land Is Your Land offers a playful rebuke to the ‘big high wall’ of private property. In this documentary of legal interruptions, Charlie explores the history of the song and asks how much of our shared cultural history is truly shared, and how much should be?

Featuring interviews with Joe Klein (Woody Guthrie's biographer), Jennifer Jenkins (from the Center for the Study of the Public Domain at Duke Law School) and Charlotte Vaughan (Senior Intellectual Property Counsel at BBC Legal) and archive of Nora Guthrie from Songlines in 2009 (presented by John Cavanagh and produced by Fiona Croall), Woody Guthrie from the BBC's Children's Hour in 1944, Pete Seeger from the 1968 documentary Bound for Glory and 'Interview with Flora Robertson about Dust Storms in Oklahoma, August 5, 1940' courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Produced by Charlie Shackleton and Eleanor McDowall
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 22:00 News (m00274rg)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 22:15 The Food Programme (m0026w7b)
What's this emulsifier doing in my food?

Emulsifiers are among the most common food additives found in ultra-processed foods (UPFs), a much-discussed category of foods commonly defined as those made using manufactured ingredients. They are often packaged and have a long shelf life. Research examining the impact of diets high in UPFs suggests higher rates of obesity and diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

However, discussions about labeling these foods as "ultra-processed" have also sparked debates about whether their negative effects are primarily due to their high fat, sugar, and salt content, or whether they stem from the effects of processing itself, particularly the additives they contain.

In this episode, Jaega Wise explores one of the most commonly used additives in UPFs—emulsifiers. She investigates how they work, what they do, their history, associated health concerns, and their potential future developments.

Featuring: Nicola Lando and Ross Brown from the online specialty cooking supplies company Sous Chef; Tim Spector, professor of epidemiology at King’s College London and co-founder of the personalized health app Zoe; food historian Annie Gray; John Ruff, Chief Science Advisor at the Institute of Food Technologists; Professor Barry Smith at the University of London’s Centre for the Study of the Senses; Professor Anwesha Sarkar, an expert in colloids and surfaces at Leeds University’s School of Food Science and Nutrition; and Dr. Benoit Chassaing, a research director at The Institut Pasteur in Paris, who studies microbiota and the health impacts of certain emulsifiers.

Presented by Jaega Wise
Produced in Bristol for BBC Audio by Natalie Donovan


SAT 23:00 What? Seriously?? (m00274m9)
3. Guinea Pigs and the Mafia

Miles Asteri, star of The Traitors in 2024, joins Dara Ó Briain and Isy Suttie in this episode. They learn about the surprising connection between guinea pigs and the mafia - with some diverting conversations about seafaring science experiments, citrus fruits, and small furry animals.

What? Seriously?? is a new podcast which combines comedy with quirky history, hosted by Dara and Isy who unravel an extraordinary real-life tale each week with the help of a celebrity guest.

The stories are definitely true, but also kind of unbelievable at the same time - the sort of stories that make you go ‘What? Seriously??’ when you hear them, but you resolve to tell them in the pub the first chance you get.

Across the series, Dara and Isy will be joined by I’m A Celeb winner Georgia Toffolo, the Aussie comedian Rhys Nicholson, the broadcaster Stuart Maconie, Master Chef star Louisa Ellis, Miles from The Traitors, the comedian Richard Herring, the astronaut Helen Sharman, and Slow Horses star Chris Chung.

‘What? Seriously??’ with Dara Ó Briain and Isy Suttie and special guest Miles Asteri
Format co-developed by Dan Page. Story compiled by Gareth Edwards and Dan Page.
Producer: Laura Grimshaw
Executive Producer: Jon Holmes
An unusual production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 23:30 Counterpoint (m0026v0m)
Series 38

Heat 3, 2025

(3/13)
In the third heat of the 2025 series, Paul Gambaccini's questions cover everything from minimalism to Michael Jackson, the new Master of the King's Music and the pop songs inspired by Bach. One of today's trio of competitors will win a place in the semi-finals and take another step towards the 38th BBC Counterpoint title.

Appearing today are
John Gallagher from Warwickshire
Liz Langley from Buckinghamshire
Jonathan Brick from Hertfordshire

As well as demonstrating their musical general knowledge, they'll each have to choose a special category on which to answer individual questions in Round 2, with no prior warning of the choices.

Counterpoint is a BBC Studios Audio production for Radio 4.

Assistant Producer: Stephen Garner
Producer: Paul Bajoria

SUNDAY 19 JANUARY 2025

SUN 00:00 Midnight News (m00274rj)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4


SUN 00:15 Take Four Books (m0026v0k)
Jonathan Coe

This week Take Four Books, presented by James Crawford, speaks to the award-winning writer Jonathan Coe about his new novel - The Proof Of My Innocence - and explores its connections to three other literary works. Jonathan's three influencing texts were: The Pledge by Friedrich Durrenmatt; Good As Gold by Joseph Heller; and Unexplained Laughter by Alice Thomas Ellis.

Producer: Dom Howell
Editor: Annie McGuire
This was a BBC AUDIO SCOTLAND production


SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m00274rl)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m00274rn)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


SUN 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m00274rq)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 05:30 News Briefing (m00274rs)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (m00274pn)
St Mary’s Church in the village of Newton Valence, Hampshire

Bells on Sunday comes from St Mary’s Church in the village of Newton Valence, Hampshire. Built on a Saxon site the Nave, Chancel and Tower are early English, dating from about 1300. In 2021 the old set of five bells were restored with the oldest bell preserved as a Service bell and the rest retuned and the augmented to a peal of six bells. The Tenor weighs nine and three quarter hundredweight and is tuned to the note of G. We hear them ringing Westminster Surprise Minor.


SUN 05:45 In Touch (m0026v6s)
Repairing your Perkins Brailler; The Blind Professional Wrestler

Where do you go if you need to repair your Perkins brailler? That is the type-writer like machine that allows braillists to produce writing for school, work or leisure. Recent publicity that the UK’s last certified visually impaired repairer of the Perkins, Alan Thorpe, is looking for an apprentice to continue his work, may have left the impression that there's no one else who can repair it for you. This is not the case. We speak to the Royal National College for the Blind (RNC) about the repair service that they offer.

Peter White is rarely surprised by the different things blind people do for a living, but he was surprised by Just James, a blind professional wrestler. In Touch pays a visit to the World Association of Wrestling in Norwich to find out how James Jones developed his wrestling persona, how he goes about his fights as a blind person and to watch one of his shows. Will he win?

Presenter: Peter White
Producer: Beth Hemmings
Production Coordinator: David Baguley
Website image description: Peter White sits smiling in the centre of the image and he is wearing a dark green jumper. Above Peter's head is the BBC logo (three separate white squares house each of the three letters). Bottom centre and overlaying the image are the words "In Touch" and the Radio 4 logo (the word ‘radio’ in a bold white font, with the number 4 inside of a white circle). The background is a bright mid-blue with two rectangles angled diagonally to the right. Both are behind Peter, one is a darker blue and the other is a lighter blue.


SUN 06:00 News Summary (m00274mj)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 06:05 Beyond Belief (m0026v5m)
Pharisees: a byword for hypocrisy?

The word hypocrite gets used with such regularity – and Jesus himself had form using the term.

How did the Pharisees became a byword for hypocrisy and is it fair? Was Jesus wrong about the Pharisees? Is the view of the Pharisees changing?

To discuss Giles Fraser is joined by Amy-Jill Levine, Professor of New Testament Studies Emerita at Vanderbilt University and co-author of ‘The Pharisees’, James Alison a Catholic Theologian and Dr Stephen de Wijze, a philosopher and Senior Lecturer in Political Theory at Manchester University.

Producer: Alexa Good
Assistant Producer: Linda Walker
Editor: Tim Pemberton


SUN 06:35 On Your Farm (m00274ml)
Mick's Wood

The moving story of woodsman Mick Pointon, who found peace among his trees following a life-changing injury and the tragic loss of his daughter.

Anna Jones talks to Mick about coming to terms with disability, the trees which brought comfort and peace in the darkest of times, and how Mick’s friends and family built an accessible, wheelchair-friendly path so the woodsman can return to his beloved wood.

Produced and presented by Anna Jones.


SUN 06:57 Weather (m00274mn)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SUN 07:00 News and Papers (m00274mq)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.


SUN 07:10 Sunday (m00274ms)
Gaza Ceasefire, Pope Francis' memoir, Franklin Graham

Ed Stourton and guests, from the Middle East and the UK, reflect on the start of the Gaza Ceasefire.

Pope Francis has brought out a memoir - "the first by a sitting pontiff" according to the publishers. Two Catholic writers with contrasting views on Francis’ papacy review the book for us.

And the American Evangelical leader Franklin Graham speaks to ‘Sunday’ ahead of his prominent role at Donald Trump’s second Presidential inauguration.

Presenter: Ed Stourton
Producers: Dan Tierney and Bara'atu Ibrahim
Editor: Chloe Walker


SUN 07:54 Radio 4 Appeal (m00274mv)
The Prader-Willi Syndrome Association UK

Colette Love makes the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of the Prader-Willi Syndrome Association UK. The charity has a support line offering expert advice to families affected by this rare condition.

To Give:
- Freephone 0800 404 8144
- Freepost BBC Radio 4 Appeal. (That’s the whole address. Please do not write anything else on the front of the envelope). Mark the back of the envelope ‘Prader-Willi Syndrome Association UK’.
- Cheques should be made payable to ‘Prader-Willi Syndrome Association UK’.
- You can donate online at bbc.co.uk/appeal/radio4

Registered Charity Number England and Wales: 1155846, Scotland: SC053700. If you’d like to find out more about the charity’s work, visit *https://www.pwsa.co.uk
*The BBC is not responsible for content on external websites

Producer: Katy Takatsuki


SUN 07:57 Weather (m00274mx)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SUN 08:00 News and Papers (m00274mz)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the Sunday papers


SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (m00274n1)
Celebrating the Nicene Creed

At the start of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Poet and priest the Revd Dr Malcolm Guite celebrates and explores the Nicene Creed, in the year marking the seventeen hundredth anniversary of the Council of Nicaea in 325, which first formulated its beautiful, illuminating words. Malcolm is joined in leading worship by his colleague The Revd Canon Susanna Gunner, and other friends from the market town where he lives in Norfolk. The Nicene creed invites us into the mystery of God as Trinity, a communion of love. Producer: Philip Billson


SUN 08:48 A Point of View (m0026w8h)
Trump, Washington and America First

As Donald Trump prepares to re-enter the White House, Mark Damazer reflects on America's leadership in the world.

Eavesdropping on a focus group recently, Mark tells us that the country's leadership was seen as 'a burden and a luxury - and a luxury they wanted to do without.'

'There was a time when large chunks of the world were grateful for American involvement...but gratitude is now more thinly expressed', he says. 'And Donald Trump well understands that.'

In this new world order, Mark argues, 'we have our work cut out to find a response.'

Producer: Adele Armstrong
Sound: Peter Bosher
Production coordinator: Liam Morrey
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith


SUN 08:58 Tweet of the Day (m00274n3)
Trai Anfield on the Cattle Egret

A new series of Tweet of the Day for Sunday morning revealing personal and fascinating stories from some fresh voices who have been inspired by birds, their calls and encounters.

When it comes to reliability, for safari leader and wildlife photographer Trai Anfield the cattle egret is as reliable as it can get. Out on safari these miniature white cowboys are always hitching rides on buffalo. the contrast is a photographers dream and always provides a good day for her students.

Producer : Andrew Dawes, BBC Audio, Bristol
Studio Engineer : Ilse Lademann


SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (m00274n5)
Ceasefire begins in Gaza

Coverage from Israel and the Palestinian Territories as fighting in Gaza pauses. Plus: Gordon Brown tells us about his anti-poverty initiative.


SUN 10:00 Desert Island Discs (m00274n7)
Harriet Wistrich, lawyer

Harriet Wistrich is one of the country’s most prominent human rights lawyers. In 2016 she founded the Centre for Women’s Justice and over the course of her career, she has won landmark victories in very difficult legal cases. She has helped women imprisoned after killing their abusers regain their freedom. She’s also represented women seeking justice from the Metropolitan Police over their deployment of undercover police officers who have had relationships and children with female activists.

After studying PPE at Oxford, Harriet moved to Liverpool and began her career working in film and documentaries. She retrained as a lawyer in her early thirties and in 1990 co-founded the pressure group Justice for Women.

Harriet lives in London with her partner, the journalist Julie Bindel.

DISC ONE: I Will Survive - Gloria Gaynor
DISC TWO: No Woman, No Cry (Live At The Rainbow Theatre, London / June 1, 1977) - Bob Marley and the Wailers
DISC THREE: Puff the Magic Dragon - Gregory Isaacs
DISC FOUR: Rumanian Freilach - Daniel Ahaviel
DISC FIVE: Back to Black - Amy Winehouse
DISC SIX: Ain’t Nobody - Chaka Khan
DISC SEVEN: Police And Thieves - Junior Murvin
DISC EIGHT: Shame Shame Shame - Shirley & Company

BOOK CHOICE: Middlemarch by George Eliot
LUXURY ITEM: A fridge with an endless supply of white wine
CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: I Will Survive - Gloria Gaynor

Presenter: Lauren Laverne
Producer: Sarah Taylor


SUN 11:00 The Archers Omnibus (m00274n9)
Writer: Liz John
Director: Jessica Bunch
Editor: Jeremy Howe

Brian Aldridge…. Charles Collingwood
Helen Archer…. Louiza Patikas
Tom Archer…. William Troughton
Ruth Archer…. Felicity Finch
Neil Carter…. Brian Hewlett
Susan Carter…. Charlotte Martin
Justin Elliott…. Simon Williams
Miranda Elliott…. Lucy Fleming
Mick Fadmoor…. Martin Barrass
Rex Fairbrother…. Nick Barber
Joy Horville…. Jackie Lye
Rochelle Horville ..... Rosie Stancliffe
Adam Macy…. Andrew Wincott
Azra Malik…. Yasmin Wilde
Kirsty Miller…. Annabelle Dowler


SUN 12:15 Profile (m00274nc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Saturday]


SUN 12:30 I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue (m0026v98)
Series 82

Episode 6

Back for a second week at the City Hall in Sheffield, panellists Milton Jones, Lucy Porter, Miles Jupp and Tony Hawks compete with one another, with Jack Dee the unimpressed umpire. Piano accompaniment is provided by Colin Sell.

Producer: Jon Naismith
A Random production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 12:57 Weather (m00274nf)
The latest weather forecast


SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (m00274nh)
Gaza ceasfire comes into force

A ceasefire comes into force in Gaza - as both sides await the release of hostages and prisoners.
We speak to a former Israeli prime minister, a Palestinian diplomat, and a man who served in Donald Trump's first administration.


SUN 13:30 The Coming Storm (m00274nk)
S2: Inauguration - Bonus Episode

Over two series this podcast has followed a cast of characters who propelled Trump into the White House – twice. Many of them are now likely to take power and inject their reality-bending world views into America’s health, security and intelligence infrastructure. Who are they and what do they believe?

There's Kash Patel, Trump's pick for FBI director. He was deeply embedded in the Russiagate saga. Several bit-part players in our episodes who've now been promised influence. Elon Musk of course.

And then there's Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Son of a murdered Senator, nephew of a murdered president, he believes many of America's three-letter agencies represent a threat to national health and security.

Presenter: Gabriel Gatehouse
Producer: Lucy Proctor


SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m0026w7x)
Postbag Edition: Barbican

What vegetables could I grown that aren't native to the UK? Are there any punk-ish plants that thrive in a hot and humid room? Which plant would make a great building structure?

Peter Gibbs and a team of gardening experts explore the various locations of the beautifully brutalist Barbican Centre in London, all while digging into the GQT postbag to answer your gardening conundrums.

Joining Peter are ethnobotanist James Wong, garden designer Juliet Sargeant and Head Gardener Matthew Pottage. Leading them around various locations is the Barbican Centre's Head Gardener Marta Lowcewicz.

Producer: Bethany Hocken
Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod
Executive Producer: Carly Maile

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 14:45 Opening Lines (m00274nm)
The Plague

John Yorke looks at Albert Camus’ classic, The Plague. Published in 1947 it’s often thought to be an allegory for the Nazi occupation of Paris where Camus was living during the war. But the huge rise in its popularity during the pandemic speaks to the book’s enduring appeal. A seemingly simple narrative is actually a complex and layered exploration of how man responds to tragedy and finds meaning in an essentially meaningless world. Professor Andrew Hussey and Dr Raj Persaud contribute their thoughts on how the book inspires them professionally and personally.

John Yorke has worked in television and radio for 30 years and shares his experience as he unpacks the themes and impact of the books, plays and stories that are being dramatised in BBC Radio 4’s Sunday Drama series. As former Head of Channel Four Drama and Controller of BBC Drama Production he has worked on some of the most popular shows in Britain - from EastEnders to The Archers, Life on Mars to Shameless.  As creator of the BBC Writers Academy, he's trained a generation of screenwriters - now with over 70 green lights and thousands of hours of television to their names.  He is the author of Into the Woods, the bestselling book on narrative, and he writes, teaches and consults on all forms of narrative - including many podcasts for R4.

Contributors:
Andrew Hussey OBE, Writer and Professor of Cultural History, University of London
Dr Raj Persaud, Consultant Psychiatrist, author and broadcaster

Producer: Alison Vernon-Smith
Executive Producer: Sara Davies
Reader: Matthew Gravelle
Sound: Sean Kerwin
Production Hub Coordinator: Nina Semple

A Pier production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 15:00 Behind the Scenes at the Museum (m00274np)
Episode 3

Ruby Lennox’s family is ostensibly ordinary. But behind the scenes, secrets, lies and inexplicable coincidences are waiting to be found.

In Kate Atkinson’s beguiling Behind the Scenes at the Museum, the effervescent Ruby pulls at threads at to unravel a tragi-comic story of family love, loss and heartbreak that spans a century. Starring Rosie Cavaliero, Kate O'Flynn and Samuel James.

Behind the Scenes at the Museum won the Whitbread Best Book of the Year in 1995, and is now dramatised by one of our very best audio writers, Katie Hims, for BBC Radio 4. This is the final episode.

Ruby’s growing up, and in doing so, she must unearth the ghosts of her past, that have lain buried for a lifetime.

CAST
Ruby ..... Rosie Cavaliero
Bunty ..... Kate O’Flynn
George ..... Samuel James
Young Ruby ..... Maddie Evans
Young Patricia ..... Lauren Patel
Clive ..... Ian Dunnett Jnr
Nell ..... Jessica Turner
Older Patricia ..... Jane Slavin
Alice ..... Ruth Everett
Jean-Paul ..... Charlie Anson
Bernard ..... David Hounslow
Daisy ..... Shreya Lallu

Dramatist ..... Katie Hims
Director ..... Anne Isger
Production Co-ordinators ..... Jenny Mendez and Maggie Olgiati
Sound ..... Keith Graham, Ali Craig, Andy Garratt

A BBC Studios Audio Production for BBC Radio 4

KATIE HIMS

Katie has written extensively in audio drama including multiple leading adaptations for BBC Radio 4: Thomas Hardy's Tess of the D'ubervilles, George Eliot's Middlemarch, Edna O'Brien's The Country Girls and The Martin Beck Killings by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo.

Katie was also lead writer on BBC's Home Front and other radio work includes Black Eyed Girls (winner of the BBC Audio Drama Award for Best Original Drama), Lost Property (winner of the BBC Audio Drama Award for Best Original Drama), The Gunshot Wedding (winner of The Writer’s Guild Best Original Radio Drama) and The Earthquake Girl (winner of the Richard Imison Award).

In TV Katie is developing an original grounded sci-fi drama with Hooley Productions, and has episodic experience on BBC's long running series Casualty. In theatre, Katie is currently on attachment at the National Theatre. Her recent stage work includes a contemporary retelling of Kafka's The Trial which ran at The Unicorn Theatre in 2023 and received 4 and 5 star reviews.


SUN 16:00 Take Four Books (m00274nr)
Paul Theroux

The award-winning travel writer and novelist Paul Theroux talks to Take Four Books about his latest short story collection - The Vanishing Point - and explores three other works that have helped to shape his writing. Paul's choices were: A Simple Heart by Gustave Flaubert (1877); Two Brothers by V S Pritchett (1932); and Riders In The Chariot by Patrick White (1961).

Producer: Dominic Howell
Editor: Annie McGuire
This was a BBC Audio Scotland production


SUN 16:30 Counterpoint (m00274nt)
Series 38

Heat 4, 2025

(4/13)
Another three music lovers from around the UK compete for a place in the semi-finals, aiming to prove who's the musical mastermind of 2025. Along the way they face Paul Gambaccini's questions and will have to identify a wide variety of musical extracts, including a bossa nova adaptation of Mozart and an a cappella choir singing Depeche Mode. Each competitor will also have to pick a special subject on which to answer their own individual questions, with no advance warning of what the choice of categories will be.

Taking part today are
Jim Maginnis from Lurgan in County Armagh
Rob Mansfield from Brighton
Gill Morris from Eastbourne.

Counterpoint is a BBC Studios Audio production for Radio 4.

Assistant Producer: Stephen Garner
Producer: Paul Bajoria


SUN 17:00 Witness History (w3ct5yq5)
The world's first general purpose electronic computer

In 1946, one of the world’s first electronic computers was unveiled in Philadelphia, in the USA.

It was called the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer, or ENIAC, and was initially designed to do calculations for ballistics trajectories.

It was programmed by six female mathematicians.

Rachel Naylor speaks to Gini Mauchly Calcerano, whose dad John Mauchly co-designed it, and whose mum, Kay McNulty, was one of the programmers.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.

(Photo: Computer operators programming the ENIAC. Credit: Corbis via Getty Images)


SUN 17:10 The Verb (m00274ny)
TS Eliot Prize Readings - highlights of a year in poetry

Ian McMillan presents highlights from the TS Eliot Prize Readings - extraordinary poetry from 2024.

Poetry books featured :

Raymond Antrobus 'Signs, Music' (Picador Poetry)
Hannah Copley 'Lapwing' (Pavilion Poetry)
Helen Farish 'The Penny Dropping' (Bloodaxe Books)
Peter Gizzi 'Fierce Elegy' (Penguin Poetry)
Gustav Parker Hibbett 'High Jump as Icarus Story' (Banshee Press)
Rachel Mann 'Eleanor Among the Saints' (Carcanet Press)
Gboyega Odubanjo 'Adam' (Faber & Faber)
Carl Phillips 'Scattered Snows, to the North' (Carcanet Press)
Katrina Porteous 'Rhizodont' (Bloodaxe Books)
Karen McCarthy Woolf 'Top Doll' (Dialogue Books)


SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m00274p0)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 17:57 Weather (m00274p2)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m00274p4)
Three Israeli hostages have been released by Hamas, hours after a ceasefire started in Gaza.


SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (m00274p6)
Claudia Hammond

What would you do if you were in the woods when you came across a cello full of bees? Well, if you’re the cellist Dr Kate Kennedy you play it of course. Meanwhile, In Touch's Peter White climbs into the ring to learn about the world of pro-wrestling in Norwich. We’ll also hear about the simple hand gesture that’s led to threats against women in South Korea, as well as dissect the sociolinguistics of the ‘Grundy’ accent. Plus, you may be able to dance, or jive and perhaps you're having the time of your life, but do you know your English grammar? Josephine McDermott discovers a history of the BBC teaching English around the world that was under our noses the whole time, with the assistance of ABBA.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Anthony McKee
Production Coordinator: Jack Ferrie


SUN 19:00 The Archers (m00274p8)
Susan secures seats from Joy on the panto coach for herself and Neil. Fallon and Susan exchange views on mother daughter relationships and Joy moves the topic on, confirming Rochelle’s not around this weekend.

Vince is interested to hear that Harrison won’t be captaining the cricket team next season. He was a hell of a cricketer himself back in the day. He’d love to do it. Joy suggests he puts himself forward. Vince shares his notion of running a panto works outing for his staff. Joy agrees everyone loves a panto.

Neil tells Emma he’s thinking of searching for his biological parents. Emma’s relieved – she’d thought his preoccupation lately might have been because he was ill. Neil admits his visit to the doctor was sort of what triggered this plan. Susan’s put a message online and now they’re waiting for responses. He hopes Emma’s ok with it. Emma reassures Neil – she and Chris just want whatever he wants. She thinks it’s brilliant he finally feels ready. Neil admits that until now he’s been happy he’s had such good foster parents and never felt the need to look elsewhere. Also that he’s a bit afraid to find out who his dad might be, and how he was conceived. Who would that make him? Emma declares warmly that Neil’s the kindest man on the planet, and they all love him dearly. Later Neil worries to Susan they may have left it too late. His birth parents must be in their eighties at least. However Susan receives a notification – they’ve had a reply.


SUN 19:15 Illuminated (m00274pb)
Anger and Us

Siblings Sam and Bon Stone are angry. Sam directs her anger inwards while Bon’s anger can be explosive. Through sharing parts of their lives with each other for the first time, they explore how we process anger and whether we can change it.

With contributions from Noel Oganyan of Forrest Flowers (recorded at the New Cross Inn, London in November 2024) and Ronnie Turner, founder of The Anger Clinic.

Original music by Jennifer Walton
Produced by Sam Stone
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 19:45 Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley (m001v3j8)
Be Kind

We could all use a little kindness in our lives. Surprisingly, a little altruism can actually have big benefits for our own health! Michael discovers that small acts of kindness can not only boost your mental health and improve your relationships but also boost the immune system. Dr Tristan Inagaki from the San Diego State University explains to Michael how her research has revealed that those performing acts of kindness had lower levels of systemic inflammation, which could reduce the risk of many major diseases. Meanwhile, our volunteer Sam enjoys finding ways to consciously incorporate kindness into his week.

Series Producer: Nija Dalal-Small
Science Producer: Catherine Wyler
Researcher: Sophie Richardson
Researcher: Will Hornbrook
Production Manager: Maria Simons
Editor: Zoe Heron
A BBC Studios production for BBC Sounds / BBC Radio 4.


SUN 20:00 Word of Mouth (m0026vt0)
The Language of Genetics

Adam Rutherford joins Michael Rosen to make sense of the heavily-loaded and often unscientific language that we use to talk about genetics, inheritance, ancestry and race. Adam is a geneticist, science writer, and lecturer in Biology and Society at University College London. His work tries to make sense of what our genes do (or don't) tell us about our similarities and our differences. He writes about this stuff in many of his books, including ‘How To Argue With A Racist’ and ‘Where Are You Really From?’

Subscribe to the Word of Mouth podcast and never miss an episode: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/b006qtnz

Produced for BBC Audio Bristol by Becky Ripley


SUN 20:30 Last Word (m0026w81)
Tony Slattery, Rosalind Savill, Paddy Hill, Noreen Riols

Matthew Bannister on

The comedian and actor Tony Slattery. Sir Stephen Fry reflects on his friend’s talent – and struggle with addiction and poor mental health.

Dame Rosalind Savill, the respected director who brought new audiences to the Wallace Collection in London.

Paddy Hill, one of six men wrongly convicted of carrying out pub bombings in Birmingham in 1974.

Noreen Riols, who helped to train S.O.E. agents for undercover work during the Second World War

Producer: Ed Prendeville

Archive:
Birmingham Six Case Reopens, BBC News, 1990; Release of the Birmingham Six, BBC News, 1991; Hard Talk, BBC, 2000; BBC Radio 4, 1974; Anti-IRA Marches, BBC News,1974; Whose Line Is It Anyway? Theme Tune composed by Philip Pope; Whose line is it Anyway?, Season6 Episode 6, A Hatrick Production, C4 Television Corporation; Whose line is it Anyway?, Season7 Episode 1, A Hatrick Production, C4 Television Corporation; The Cambridge Footlights Revue, 20/05/1982; STEPHEN FRY:THE SECRET LIFE OF THE MANIC DEPRESSIVE, 23/08/2007; What's the Matter with Tony Slattery, 05/06/2020!; Saturday Live, 31/08/2013; History: Secret Agent, 08/01/2001; Witness History, Secret Operations Executive. 05/09/2013; Masterclass Sèvres Porcelain, with Dame Rosalind Savill, Colnaghi Foundation, YouTube upload, 15/05/2020; The Wallace Collection, YouTube, upload, 01/10/2009; A Beautiful Thing: A Passion for Porcelain, BBC, 18/06/2013


SUN 21:00 Money Box (m00274pd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:04 on Saturday]


SUN 21:25 Radio 4 Appeal (m00274mv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:54 today]


SUN 21:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m00274pg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:30 on Saturday]


SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (m00274pj)
What will Donald Trump's second term mean for the UK? On the eve of his inauguration, Ben Wright and guests discuss

Ben Wright is joined by the Labour MP and former journalist, Paul Waugh; Shadow Cabinet minister Jesse Norman; and Leslie Vinjamuri - expert on US politics at the think tank Chatham House. They discuss the implications of Donald Trump's second term in office for the UK and the world. Ben interviews the leader of Reform UK, Nigel Farage - who says pro-Europeanism will put Keir Starmer in a weak position, in negotiations with the incoming President. Katy Balls - political editor of The Spectator brings additional insight and analysis. The panel also consider drinking culture in the Palace of Westminster.


SUN 23:00 In Our Time (m0026vs5)
The Battle of Valmy

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss one of the most consequential battles of recent centuries. On 20th September 1792 at Valmy, 120 miles to the east of Paris, the army of the French Revolution faced Prussians, Austrians and French royalists heading for Paris to free Louis XVI and restore his power and end the Revolution. The professional soldiers in the French army were joined by citizens singing the Marseillaise and their refusal to give ground prompted their opponents to retreat when they might have stayed and won. The French success was transformative. The next day, back in Paris, the National Convention abolished the monarchy and declared the new Republic. Goethe, who was at Valmy, was to write that from that day forth began a new era in the history of the world.

With

Michael Rowe
Reader in European History at King’s College London

Heidi Mehrkens
Lecturer in Modern European History at the University of Aberdeen

And

Colin Jones
Professor Emeritus of History at Queen Mary, University of London

Producer: Simon Tillotson

Reading list

T. C. W. Blanning, The French Revolutionary Wars, 1787-1802 (Hodder Education, 1996)

Elizabeth Cross, ‘The Myth of the Foreign Enemy? The Brunswick Manifesto and the Radicalization of the French Revolution’ (French History 25/2, 2011)

Charles J. Esdaile, The Wars of the French Revolution, 1792-1801 (Routledge, 2018)

John A. Lynn, ‘Valmy’ (MHQ: Quarterly Journal of Military History, Fall 1992)

Munro Price, The Fall of the French Monarchy: Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette and the
baron de Breteuil (Macmillan, 2002)

Simon Schama, Citizens: A Chronicle of the French Revolution (Penguin Books, 1989)

Samuel F. Scott, From Yorktown to Valmy: The Transformation of the French Army in an Age of Revolution (University Press of Colorado, 1998)

Marie-Cécile Thoral, From Valmy to Waterloo: France at War, 1792–1815 (Palgrave Macmillan, 2011)

In Our Time is a BBC Studios Audio Production


SUN 23:45 Short Works (m0026w7z)
My Mother Said My Name by Luiza Sauma

An original short story specially commissioned by BBC Radio 4 from the author Luiza Sauma. Read by Thalissa Teixeira.

The Author
Luiza Sauma was born in Rio de Janeiro and raised in London. She is the author of two novels ‘Flesh and Bone and Water’ (2017) and ‘Everything You Ever Wanted’ (2019), both published by Viking. ‘Everything You Ever Wanted’ was shortlisted for the Encore Award and recommended by Florence Welch’s book club Between Two Books. Luiza’s writing has been published in the Guardian, the Telegraph, the Independent and many others. She has an MA in Creative and Life Writing from Goldsmiths, where she won the Pat Kavanagh Award.

Writer: Luiza Sauma
Reader: Thalissa Teixeira
Producer: Michael Shannon

A BBC Audio Northern Ireland Production for BBC Radio 4.

MONDAY 20 JANUARY 2025

MON 00:00 Midnight News (m00274pl)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4


MON 00:15 Crossing Continents (m0026v6x)
The Gambia: When migrants are forced to go home

Each year young people from the tiny West African nation of The Gambia try to reach Europe through “The Backway” - a costly, perilous journey over land and sea.

Many do not make it. In recent years, the EU has done deals with several North African nations to clamp down on irregular migration. Though human rights groups say the treatment of migrants can be brutal - allegations the authorities deny. But each year thousands of African migrants say they have no choice but to return home.

It can be a struggle to return. Some are traumatised by their experience and face stigma for having failed to reach Europe. Others are already planning to try again.

For Crossing Continents, Alex Last travels to The Gambia to find out what happens to migrants who've risked everything to get to Europe, but end up back home.

Reporter: Alex Last
Producer: Ellie House
Local producer: Frederic Tendeng
Sound mix: David Crackles
Production coordinator: Gemma Ashman
Series Editor: Penny Murphy


MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (m00274pn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:43 on Sunday]


MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m00274pq)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m00274ps)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


MON 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m00274pv)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


MON 05:30 News Briefing (m00274px)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4


MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m00274pz)
Mining for Cheese

A reading and a reflection to start the day on Radio 4, with Jonathan Rea


MON 05:45 Farming Today (m00274q1)
20/01/25 - Warnings over the future of the Scottish salmon industry, succession on farms, fencing

There has been a 'lack of progress' from the Scottish Government in implementing reforms recommended for the salmon farming industry, according to MSPs. Members of the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee in the Scottish Parliament warned that such delays could be 'detrimental to the long-term viability' of the sector.

Farmer protests against the introduction of inheritance tax are continuing up and down the country, with more planned for the end of the month. But many agree that the row has at least made families talk about what should happen when one generation passes on the farm to the next. Professor Matt Lobley from Exeter University says while around 60% of farmers in their 60s have a successor lined up, the transfer of ownership can be a painful process.

This week we'll be looking at some of the jobs that need to be done at this time of year to ensure the maintenance of the farm all year round. Today it's fencing, vital for keeping animals in, and your neighbours' animals out.

Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.


MON 05:57 Weather (m00274q3)
Weather reports and forecasts for farmers


MON 06:00 Today (m00274s0)
Justin Webb in Washington DC and Nick Robinson in Jerusalem

News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


MON 09:00 Start the Week (m00274s2)
Music and movement; mind and body

Music as Medicine is the latest work by the neuroscientist and best-selling author Daniel Levitin. In it he explores the healing power of music, and the cutting edge research which examines how sound affects the brain. The dance critic Sara Veale is interested in movement. In Wild Grace she tells the untold history of the extraordinary women who were the pioneers of modern dance. While Nwando Ebizie is a practitioner of both music and movement, and is interested in using the latest neurological studies in her art. She will perform the works, Solve et Coagula (arr. Mark Knoop) and All the Calm of a Distant Sea at the Southbank Centre, London (23rd January) as part of the BBC Radio 3 Unclassified concert.

Producer: Katy Hickman


MON 09:45 Café Hope (m00274s4)
Travel and chat

Douglas Fraser tells Rachel Burden how the community bus scheme in Glenfarg in Perthshire has helped with reconnecting people as well as providing transport.

Café Hope is our virtual Radio 4 coffee shop, where guests pop in for a brew and a chat to tell us what they’re doing to make things better in big and small ways. Think of us as sitting in your local café, cooking up plans, hearing the gossip, and celebrating the people making the world a better place.

We’re all about trying to make change. It might be a transformational project that helps an entire community, or it might be about trying to make one life a little bit easier. And the key here is in the trying. This is real life. Not everything works, and there are struggles along the way. But it’s always worth a go.

You can contact us on cafehope@bbc.co.uk


MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (m00274s6)
Israel-Gaza ceasefire, Donald Trump's inauguration, Runner Elise Downing

After 15 months of devastating conflict, a ceasefire agreement has been reached between Israel and Hamas, and three female hostages – Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher - have been released and are now back in Israel. This release is the first of several expected over the next six weeks, with a total of 33 hostages to be returned. Ninety Palestinian prisoners were released overnight in exchange for the hostages, the Israeli prison service has said - most of them women and teenage boys. The UN estimates that 1.9 million people in Gaza have been internally displaced since the start of the most recent conflict, some 90% of the population. The humanitarian situation remains critical, with widespread destruction and significant damage to infrastructure including hosptials and severe shortages of food, fuel, medicine, and shelter. Datshiane Navanayagam speaks to BBC Chief Correspondent Lyce Doucet. We also hear from Ghada Al-Kourd in Deir al-Balah in the centre of the Gaza strip, and Sharone Lifschitz, whose parents were taken hostage by Hamas in October 2023.

Geneticists from Trinity College Dublin and archaeologists from Bournemouth University have found evidence of female political and social empowerment during Britain’s Iron Age. DNA sampled from a burial site in Dorset shows that two-thirds of the women were closely related, suggesting that women lived in the same communities and passed on their land and wealth to their daughters, while unrelated men tended to join the community from elsewhere. This type of social structure, known as “matrilocality” is the first documented instance in European pre-history and challenges the assumption that most societies were patrilocal. Dr Lara Cassidy, an Assistant Professor of Genetics at Trinity College Dublin who led the research, discusses the findings.

President-elect Donald Trump will be inaugurated today in Washington D.C. It is of course his second term, having previously served as the 45th US president, he will now also become the 47th. So what will a second Trump presidency mean for women, both in the US and around the world? Datshiane is joined by Jennifer Ewing from Republicans Overseas and the BBC’s Holly Honderich to discuss.

Elise Downing is known for running 5,000 miles self-supported around the British coast over the course of 10 months. She was not only the youngest person, but also the only female to have completed the challenge. Along the way she saw Britain at its wild and wonderful best. She has now written Walk Britain, packed with inspiring car-free ideas on how to get out and explore stunning locations – from the Cornish coast to the Yorkshire Dales and the Isle of Arran.  She joins Datshiane to talk about some of the 90 different routes across that can be completed on foot, all accessible by public transport.

Presented by Datshiane Navanayagam
Producer: Louise Corley


MON 11:00 The Body Politic (m00274s8)
Pre-natal screening

The politics of the human body is at the centre of intense debate in the UK and beyond. Thanks to science, technology and a fast-moving political landscape, humans are increasingly able to intervene in the natural processes of life – how we are conceived, how we are born and how and when we die. But what are the limits to this intervention, how should we decide and who should decide?

Broadcaster and columnist Sonia Sodha gets behind divides and polarisation to discover nuance, complexity and compelling stories around the beginning and the end of human life.

In this episode we explore the dilemmas facing women in pregnancy as advances in genetic screening and testing offer information about the foetuses they're carrying. We travel to Denmark where a national screening programme has led a to a big drop in the numbers of babies born with Down Syndrome. We talk to families with children with Down Syndrome, doctors and other experts about this controversial area of bio ethics and the societal consequences of individual choice.

Producer: Leala Padmanabhan
Sound design: Hal Haines


MON 11:45 The History Podcast (m001z66b)
Shadow War: China and the West

Shadow War: 1. The Escape

Could growing tensions lead to conflict? The rise of China is the defining challenge of our times – how far to co-operate, compete or confront? But has the West taken its eye off the ball? BBC Security Correspondent Gordon Corera looks at the points of friction in recent history, from espionage to free speech, the battle over technology and claims of political interference. This is a story about the competition to shape the world order. He speaks to politicians, spies, dissidents and those who’ve been caught up in the growing tension between China and the West.

Presenter: Gordon Corera
Series Producer: John Murphy
Producer: Olivia Lace-Evans
Sound Designer: Eloise Whitmore (Naked Productions)
Programme Coordinator: Katie Morrison
Series Editor: Penny Murphy


MON 12:00 News Summary (m00274sb)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


MON 12:04 You and Yours (m00274sd)
Probate Delays, Funeral Streaming Scam and Lab-grown Gemstones

The time taken to get a grant of probate is coming down but not for everyone. If you apply online and don't make mistakes it can be no more than three weeks but if there are complications and it is conducted on paper it'll take a lot longer; why is that?

Animals have always been popular online. In the beginning animal memes and pictures drove masses of engagement but as some find the online world to be a more unpleasant space, new 'kinder' platforms are springing up. Like Kelp Social. What is it and can it thrive in a world where anger drives traffic and online income.

Today is Blue Monday. apparently the unhappiest day of the year. Can that be true?

Can't afford a diamond? How about one grown in a laboratory. They are cheaper, more sustainable and there are no worries about exploitation in their production but are laboratory grown gems really a substitute for the real thing dug out of the ground?

The criminals stealing money off online mourners with fake funeral service streaming.

PRESENTER: WINIFRED ROBINSON

PRODUCER: KEVIN MOUSLEY


MON 12:57 Weather (m00274sg)
The latest weather forecast


MON 13:00 World at One (m00274sj)
Southport attacker pleads guilty

Axel Rudakubana admits murdering three girls. Plus, by the end of the day Donald Trump will be back in power - we'll ask an economic advisor what he'll do with it.


MON 13:45 Human Intelligence (m00274sl)
Collectors: Sei Shōnagon

Naomi Alderman wonders at lady-in-waiting, writer and all-round entertainer Sei Shōnagon, who wrote The Pillow Book over a thousand years ago in the Japanese imperial court.

The Empress and her entourage lived in a closed world, glimpsed through half-shut blinds, while political machinations went on all around them. Poetry and wit were highly prized; and Sei Shōnagon was unmatched. In dark times, she picked out the beauty and absurdity in everyday life; and pulled together poetry, anecdote, essays and lists to create a whole new genre in Japanese – miscellany.

Special thanks to Naomi Fukumori, Associate Professor and Director of The Institute for Japanese Studies at The Ohio State University.

Excerpts from The Pillow Book translated by Meredith McKinney (Penguin Classics 2006).

Produced by BBC Studios Audio in partnership with The Open University.


MON 14:00 The Archers (m00274p8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Sunday]


MON 14:15 Hennikay (m00274sn)
Series 2

Episode 6 Abigail’s… Partly

Bill Bailey stars as Guy Starling, a middle aged man who, after 45 years, and for reasons quite unknown to him, is suddenly revisited by his imaginary childhood friend, Hennikay.

Things are looking up for Guy Starling. His work is going well and his friendship with Marika is starting to blossom into romance. And even Hennikay, his imaginary, 11-year-old childhood friend, has stopped driving him mad.

However, for Hennikay, things aren’t so straightforward. He realises that at the age of 58, Guy is finally growing up. And growing away from him. Having been 11 years old all his life, Hennikay is happy in his immaturity but is wise enough to know that maybe it’s time he left Guy to live in his grown-up world without him being around so much.

When Guy visits a new client called Abigail Finch, a bestselling writer of self-help books who in spite of being full of advice for other people lives a rather sad and lonely life, Hennikay decides she is someone that maybe could benefit from his friendship. And so for the first time, he leaves Guy to his own devices and introduces himself to Abigail. Who, not surprisingly, thinks she is finally having the nervous breakdown she always suspected was coming.

But then, being a writer, she decides to use her ‘madness’ to write her next book and her and Hennikay become ill-matched literary partners.

Bill Bailey is joined by guest star Monica Dolan in this warm, funny look at childhood, adulthood and some of the follies of modern life - where an invisible boy might be the one with all the answers.

Written by David Spicer

Guy: Bill Bailey
Hennikay: Max Lester
Marika: Elizabeth Carling
Patsy: Jessica Dennis
Abigail: Monica Dolan

Producer: Liz Anstee
ACPL production for BBC Radio 4


MON 14:45 Marple: Three New Stories (m001gj5x)
Miss Marple's Christmas by Ruth Ware

Miss Marple's Christmas (Part 4)

Agatha Christie’s iconic detective is reimagined for a new generation with a murder, a theft and a mystery where nothing is quite what it seems.

Miss Marple's Christmas by Ruth Ware
Dinner might have been ruined after Miss Marple unmasked a jewel thief, but the guests at Gossington Hall are spellbound as the intrepid detective reveals her working.

Read by Georgie Glen
Abridged and produced by Eilidh McCreadie

Almost 50 years since the publication of Agatha Christie's last Miss Marple novel, 'Marple: Twelve New Stories' is a collection of ingenious stories by acclaimed authors who also happen to be Christie devotees.


MON 15:00 Great Lives (m00274sq)
A N Wilson selects Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"I've chosen him because I think he was possibly the most interesting human being who has ever lived". A N Wilson

Born in the middle of the 18th century in Frankfurt, Goethe went on to become the pre-eminent figure in German literature. As well as writing plays and poetry (including Faust) he was a statesman, a scientist, an artist and a critic. Queen Victoria was a huge fan of his work and his philosophy, but his fame in this country subsequently suffered because of anti-German sentiment.

Joining A N Wilson in the nest of Goethe worshippers is Dr Charlotte Lee, Director of German at Cambridge.

She notes that Goethe's "immense charisma" was there physically as well. But was he a nice man? Wilson argues that we shouldn't even ask such questions of someone like Goethe. "I just don't feel asking whether he was nice or not gets you anywhere."

Presented by Matthew Parris and produced for BBC Studios Audio by Ellie Richold


MON 15:30 History's Heroes (m00274ss)
History's Youngest Heroes

History's Youngest Heroes: 7. The Visionary Julian of Norwich

In Norwich, a woman locks herself in a tiny cell for years. Despite limited contact with the outside world, she becomes one of the first women to write in the English language.

Nicola Coughlan shines a light on extraordinary young people from across history. Join her for 12 stories of rebellion, risk and the radical power of youth.

A BBC Studios Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

Producer: Suniti Somaiya
Assistant Producer: Lorna Reader
Executive Producer: Paul Smith
Written by Alex von Tunzelmann
Commissioning editor for Radio 4: Rhian Roberts


MON 16:00 The Coming Storm (m00274nk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 13:30 on Sunday]


MON 16:30 PM (m00274sv)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines.


MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m00274sx)
President Trump has been sworn in for his second term in the White House. And, a teenager has admitted murdering three girls at a dance class in Southport last summer.


MON 18:30 Just a Minute (m00274sz)
Series 94

1. A red phone called Kevin

Sue Perkins challenges Paul Merton, Laura Smyth, Julian Clary and Desiree Burch to speak for 60 seconds without repetition, deviation or hesitation. Subjects include shopping centres, snake oil, and a slip of the tongue.

Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls
Sound Editor: Marc Willcox
Producer: Rajiv Karia
An EcoAudio certified production.

A BBC Studios Audio Production for Radio 4.


MON 19:00 The Archers (m00274t2)
Pip and Josh debate the pros and cons of the beaver scheme. Pip claims it’s an expensive vanity project driven by Justin. Josh counters that the views of Pip and their dad are just weird. He reckons Pip’s just doing it for their dad’s approval, which he himself doesn’t need, as he’s more evolved than she is. Pip’s incredulous – she has a child and a relationship while Josh lives in a house share and cares for chickens. How is that more evolved! Later Pip shares her frustration with Stella, who thinks the whole argument is a bit ridiculous. Josh calls Pip to correct her; he’s in a relationship too. He just doesn’t see Nina as often as he'd like; he’s actually in love with her. Pip feels mean and apologises. Josh tells her not to worry; he expects his relationship with Nina will probably just die a slow death.

Brian confides to Stella he worries their concerns over the beavers aren’t being taken seriously. They have to consider the safety of the Am. Pip points out Brian poisoned the Am, and irritated Brian takes his leave. Pip apologises to Stella for her comment, but Stella maintains Pip made a good point.

Vince shares his panto outing idea with Freddie, confirming he’ll pay for it. He also mentions the cricket captaincy. Freddie explains he doesn’t have a say in those decisions, though later he agrees Vince could be great for the team given his history. He’d need to live nearer the village though. Vince tells Freddie to leave it with him.


MON 19:15 Front Row (m00274t4)
The Brutalist director Brady Corbet and star Adrien Brody, Sidney Poitier season at BFI

The Brutalist's director Brady Corbet and star Adrien Brody talk about making the hotly anticipated film. With a season of Sidney Poitier's films underway at the British Film Institute and a play about a key moment in his early, Retrograde, transferring to London's West End in March we discuss the legacy of the great actor with - writer, Ryan Calais Cameron and programmer, Jonathan Ali. Natalie Andrews of the Wall Street Journal discusses the cultural elements of the 47th President's inauguration ceremony.

Presenter: Samira Ahmed
Producer: Ruth Watts


MON 20:00 Rethink (m0026vt2)
Rethink… political labels

At the last General Election Britain’s traditional parties of left and right, Labour and the Conservatives, collectively amassed their lowest vote share ever - well under 60%. Three out of seven Brits voted for Reform UK, the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party or one of Britain’s many regional or nationalist parties. Does this result suggest that British politics is now too complicated to be understood by the labels left and right?

In Europe, some new parties like the German Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance have been labelled both far left and far right. Many similar parties seem to be having success by suggesting that they’re throwing off old political labels and offering something radically new in their place.

Studies say voters struggle to place policies along a left/right spectrum, and many don’t define themselves along left/right lines. So how can we have a shared political sphere if we can’t agree on terms? Are our political labels of left and right outdated? Are they due a rethink?

Presenter: Ben Ansell
Producer: Viv Jones
Editor: Clare Fordham
Contributors:
Sara Hobolt, Sutherland Chair of European Institutions at the London School of Economics and Political Science
Claire Ainsley, Director of the Project on Center-Left Renewal at the Progressive Policy Institute. and previously the Executive Director of Policy to Sir Keir Starmer
Giles Dilnot, Editor of Conservative Home and previously special advisor to James Cleverly at the Foreign Office and Home Office


MON 20:30 BBC Inside Science (m0026vt4)
UK AI & science-optimised pasta

Artificial intelligence is the big talking point of the week, with UK PM Sir Keir Starmer announcing a drive to unleash its full potential.

It’s already being used in healthcare, but recent studies have exposed both strengths and weaknesses.

We’re joined by Dr James Kinross, a surgeon and researcher at Imperial College London, to discuss the positives and the pitfalls.

Also this week, we talk all about what a Trump presidency might mean for science; why powerful winds are driving the deadly fires in LA – and anyone for science-optimised pasta? Marnie is helped by a physicist to make the perfect Cacio e Pepe.

Spoiler alert: Recipe below!

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton
Producers: Sophie Ormiston & Gerry Holt
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth 

To discover more fascinating science content, head to bbc.co.uk search for BBC Inside Science and follow the links to The Open University.

Science-backed Cacio e Pepe:

For two servings:
- 240 g pasta
- Black pepper
- 160 g pecorino cheese
- 4g corn starch in 40ml water

Dissolve the corn starch in water and heat until it forms a gel. Let this cool before combining it with the cheese and black pepper. Cook the pasta, then drain, keeping some of the water. Let it cool then mix the pasta with the sauce. Enjoy!


MON 21:00 Start the Week (m00274s2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


MON 21:45 Café Hope (m00274s4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 today]


MON 22:00 The World Tonight (m00274t6)
Trump declares a new 'golden age' at inauguration

Donald Trump has become president of the United States for a second time.

We assess President Trump's words - and actions - on his first day back in office.

And we speak live about what his presidency means for the UK - with the only Labour politician who attended the inauguration.


MON 22:45 Turtle Diary by Russell Hoban (m00274t8)
Episode 6

In a tank of golden-green water at London Zoo, three giant sea turtles swim in futile circles. They are born to navigate, by some mysterious instinct, across thousands of miles of ocean - but these turtles are going nowhere.

Two isolated single people in their early 40s are both beset by ‘turtle thoughts’ and separately begin to conceive of a plan to return them to the sea.

William G is a divorced father, a junior assistant in a bookshop, he lives in a bedsit in Putney and has no idea where his two daughters are. Neaera H is a children's author and illustrator who has run out of ideas for her next book. Their diaries reveal the quiet sadnesses and dramas of their parallel lives and the shared enterprise that brings them together.

It's a story about hope and despair, loneliness and the heroic eccentricity of two individuals who feel compelled to act in a world which feels to both of them as if it is careering towards madness.

Turtle Diary is a modern classic, first published exactly 50 years ago. 2025 also marks the centenary of Russell Hoban's birth. One cover review calls Turtle Diary “life-saving”; novelist Max Porter said that it “has medicinal qualities. I only need to think about it and I’m in a better mood.”

"This lovely human fable seems to me one of the best things of its kind - a fine and touching achievement." John Fowles

"Worth rejoicing in ... a banquet of whimsical delights. Each Russell Hoban book is surprising ... but you also know what you're getting, which is curiosity, wonder and a world-encompassing empathy." John Self, The Guardian

Russell Hoban was an American writer born in 1925. His works span many genres, including fantasy, science fiction, mainstream fiction, magical realism, poetry, and children's books. He lived in London from 1969 until his death in 2011.

Written by Russell Hoban
Read by Daniel Weyman and Katherine Parkinson
Abridged and produced by Jill Waters
The Waters Company for BBC Radio 4


MON 23:00 Limelight (p0ctycls)
Exemplar - Series 1

Episode 4

A modern day thriller set in the north east of England. Starring Gina McKee as Jess, a lone wolf scientist with a troubled past whose passion for sound makes her the UK’s leading audio forensic examiner. Jess and Maya examine audio forensic evidence from a nightclub shooting.

Exemplar: an audio recording made by a forensic analyst to recreate the precise audio conditions of a piece of evidence in a criminal or civil case.

Exemplar is based on an idea from Ben and Max Ringham, and written by Ben Ringham, Max Ringham and Dan Rebellato.

Jess ..... Gina McKee
Maya ..... Shvorne Marks
Nish Gopaul ..... Asif Khan
Danny ..... Deka Walmsley
Sophie ..... Fenella Woolgar

Writers: Ben and Max Ringham, with Dan Rebellato
Showrunner: Dan Rebellato
Audio forensic consultant: James Zjalić
Sound recordist: Alisdair McGregor
Studio assistant: Oyin Fowowe
Production coordinator: Darren Spruce
Sound design: Lucinda Mason Brown and David Chilton
Original music/Sound consultants: Ben and Max Ringham
Directors: Polly Thomas and Jade Lewis
Executive producer: Joby Waldman

A Reduced Listening production for BBC Radio 4.


MON 23:30 Today in Parliament (m00274tb)
Sean Curran reports as the Health Secretary announces delays to the hospital building programme in England - and on how one MP has lost five stone since September.

TUESDAY 21 JANUARY 2025

TUE 00:00 Midnight News (m00274td)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


TUE 00:30 The History Podcast (m001z66b)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:45 on Monday]


TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m00274tg)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m00274tj)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


TUE 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m00274tl)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


TUE 05:30 News Briefing (m00274tn)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4


TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m00274tq)
Displaying God’s Image

A reading and a reflection to start the day on Radio 4, with Jonathan Rea


TUE 05:45 Farming Today (m00274ts)
21/01/25 - Farm Assurance Review, sandeel court case and calf weaning

"Too many farmers feel farm assurance is 'done to them' rather than 'delivered with them'." That's the finding of an independent review into farm assurance, which looked at whether schemes like Red Tractor and RSPCA Assured are working well for farmers and supply chains.

A UK decision to ban vessels from catching sandeels in the North Sea is being challenged in court by the EU in the first battle of it's kind since Brexit. Sandeels are small fish which are vital food for protected seabirds like puffins and kittiwakes, and the UK wanted to protect that food source. But the ban is being challenged by the European Union saying it breaches the post-Brexit trade deal.

And January might seem a quiet time on the farm, but we visit one farm in Devon where it's a busy time for weaning, after they calved close to 100 cows in December.

Presented by Anna Hill
Produced by Heather Simons


TUE 06:00 Today (m00274zq)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


TUE 09:00 Young Again (m00274zs)
22. Chiwetel Ejiofor

Kirsty Young asks BAFTA-winning actor Chiwetel Ejiofor what advice he would give his younger self.

Known for his iconic performances in 12 Years a Slave and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ejiofor reflects on a tragedy that shaped his childhood, being cast by Steven Spielberg when he was just 19, and making the move into directing. He also discusses the inspiration he found in the works of Shakespeare and learning to stop being a perfectionist.

A BBC Studios Audio production.


TUE 09:30 Inside Health (m00274wy)
Can you really boost your immune system?

From kombucha to cold water swims, sleep to supplements, so many things are claimed to help enhance your immune system. We investigate the evidence, and ask if it's possible to avoid catching a virus this winter (and still leave the house).

Plus, James braves 3.9 degree water to see for himself if cold water swimming has any affect on our immune systems.

Guests:
Margaret McCartney - Resident GP and expert in evidence-based medicine
John Tregoning - Professor in Vaccine Immunology at Imperial College London
Eleanor Riley - Professor of Immunology and Infectious Disease at University of Edinburgh

Presenter: James Gallagher
Producer: Hannah Robins
Content Editor: Holly Squire

The programme was produced in partnership with the Open University.


TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (m00274zv)
Trudie Styler, Broadcasting to Afghan women, Author Kate Fagan

Trudie Styler has had a career spanning decades, from starting out as an actress for the Royal Shakespeare Company to the last 20 years as a film-maker. Trudie’s newest film Posso Entrare: An Ode to Naples sees her exploring the streets of the Sanita district of the city, meeting residents and finding out more about Naple's history of conflict and violence – and how people are working to heal those wounds. She joins Datshiane Navanayagam to tell us about what she discovered and her career in film.

Begum TV is a satellite television channel that broadcasts from Paris into Afghanistan. Its hosts are all women, and they are bringing education and entertainment to those women and girls having their rights stripped away in Afghanistan. Founder Hamida Aman joins Datshiane to tell us more.

Kate Fagan has been a US basketball player, an ESPN journalist and has written three non-fiction books. Now she is publishing her first novel, The Three Lives of Cate Kay.

Presenter: Datshiane Navanayagam
Producer: Laura Northedge


TUE 11:00 Screenshot (m0026w8c)
Time Travel

How does film and TV make time travel real? Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode take a quantum leap into the world of time travel and time loops on screen, from Back To The Future to Groundhog Day.

Mark speaks to theoretical physicist Sean Carroll about how movies like Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and Interstellar have handled the science of time travel - and whether it really is just the stuff of fantasy. And he talks to Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Knives Out director Rian Johnson about the dramatic allure of playing with time, and about Rian's 2012 film Looper, which starred Bruce Willis as a criminal sent back to the past to be eliminated by his younger self.

Meanwhile, Ellen explores a sub-genre less concerned with mechanics and physics, and more with emotion and moral dilemmas - the time loop story. She speaks to Black Doves screenwriter Joe Barton about his time loop TV series The Lazarus Project. And film critic Anne Billson runs her through some examples of the genre she finds most - and least - captivating, from Palm Springs to About Time.

Produced by Jane Long
A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 11:45 The History Podcast (m001z6hx)
Shadow War: China and the West

Shadow War: 2. The Canary in the Coalmine

Could growing tensions lead to conflict? The rise of China is the defining challenge of our times – how far to co-operate, compete or confront? But has the West taken its eye off the ball? BBC Security Correspondent Gordon Corera looks at the points of friction in recent history, from espionage to free speech, the battle over technology and claims of political interference. This is a story about the competition to shape the world order. He speaks to politicians, spies, dissidents and those who’ve been caught up in the growing tension between China and the West.

Presenter: Gordon Corera
Series Producer: John Murphy
Sound Designer: Eloise Whitmore (Naked Productions)
Programme Coordinator: Katie Morrison
Series Editor: Penny Murphy


TUE 12:00 News Summary (m00274zx)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


TUE 12:04 You and Yours (m00274zz)
Call You and Yours - Working From Home

In this week's Call we're talking about working from home. It felt like it was here to stay after the huge shift brought about by the enforced working from home that came with the Pandemic. But a string of big name employers have tightened up their rules, insisting workers spend more days a week in work with some ending hybrid working altogether. This week the former boss of M&S Stuart Rose told the BBC's Panorama programme that working from home is "not proper work" and that it makes us less productive. But is that true?

Many work-from-home employees believe the lack of commute time means they can achieve both more in work and at home, they can't comprehend going back to how things were before.

But on the flip side, working from home has impacted towns and cities, left many offices vacant and may be open to abuse - its been reported that the number of golf games played during the working week has risen 350%.

There are many people who've been excluded from the benefits of remote working as the majority of jobs in the UK don't allow for it. So it also creates a two tier workforce.

Is it time for us to get back to work? Is working from home working for you? What are the pros and cons and on balance is it worth it? Tell us about your experience?

Email us - youandyours@bbc.co.uk and from 11am on Tuesday call us on 03700 100 444

PRODUCER: CATHERINE EARLAM
PRESENTER: WINIFRED ROBINSON


TUE 12:57 Weather (m0027501)
The latest weather forecast


TUE 13:00 World at One (m0027503)
PM: Southport murders should be a "line in the sand"

Keir Starmer says a new threat is posed by "loners, misfits, young men in their bedrooms". We'll ask whether the government's current counter-terror strategy needs re-writing.


TUE 13:45 Human Intelligence (m0027505)
Collectors: Denis Diderot

Naomi Alderman looks at the remarkable way Denis Diderot connected ideas and people. In 18th-century Paris, he edited one of the very first encyclopaedias: twenty-eight volumes with tens of thousands of articles on everything from the concept of liberty to cutting-edge medical research, the manufacture of silk stockings and a recipe for apricot jam. Diderot was the perfect man for the job – energised by veering from one subject to the next and undeterred by fierce opposition from the Church or even a government ban on the entire project.

Special thanks to Kate Tunstall, Professor of French and Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones Fellow in Modern Languages at Worcester College, University of Oxford.

Produced by BBC Studios Audio in partnership with The Open University.


TUE 14:00 The Archers (m00274t2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Monday]


TUE 14:15 This Thing of Darkness (m001v3l0)
Series 3

The Elephant in the Room

by Frances Poet with monologues by Eileen Horne

Part Two – The Elephant in the Room

Dr Alex Bridges is an expert forensic psychiatrist and psychotherapist, assessing and treating perpetrators of serious crime.

This gripping drama explores the psychological impact of murder on teenage perpetrators and follows the fortunes of participants in a Long Sentence therapy group.

How much do childhood experiences impact the mind of a murderer?

Dr Alex Bridges ….. Lolita Chakrabarti
Anthony ….. Lorn Macdonald
Finn ….. Reuben Joseph
Twitch …. Brian Ferguson
Simon ….. Shaun Mason
Donna/The Governor….. Karen Bartke
Dani ….. Elysia Welch
Dead Elvis….Andy Clark

Sound Design: Fraser Jackson

Series Consultant: Dr Gwen Adshead

Series format created by Lucia Haynes, Audrey Gillan, Eileen Horne, Gaynor Macfarlane, Anita Vettesse and Kirsty Williams.

Thanks to Victoria Byrne, Barlinnie Prison, Vox Liminis Distant Voices Project and Prof Fergus McNeill.

Produced by Gaynor Macfarlane and Kirsty Williams

A BBC Scotland Production directed by Gaynor Macfarlane


TUE 15:00 The Gift (m0024w8r)
Series 2

2. Switched - Part 2

After discovering who she really is, Claire has decided to tell her side of the story.

It’s the perfect gift for the person who already has everything. It promises to tell you who you really are, and how you’re connected to the world. A present that will reveal your genetic past – but could also disrupt your future.

In the first series of The Gift, Jenny Kleeman looked at the extraordinary truths that can unravel when people take at-home DNA tests like Ancestry and 23andMe.

For the second series, Jenny is going deeper into the unintended consequences - the aftershocks - set in motion when people link up to the enormous global DNA database.

Reconnecting and rupturing families, uprooting identities, unearthing long-buried secrets - what happens after technology, genealogy and identity collide?

Presenter: Jenny Kleeman
Producer: Conor Garrett
Production Coordinator: Gill Huggett
Editor: Philip Sellars
Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke

The Gift is a BBC Studios Audio production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 15:30 Thinking Allowed (m0027507)
Playgrounds

After the Second World War, a vast experiment took place in which adventure playgrounds transformed bombsites and waste ground in the UK, creating opportunities for children, beyond the sanitised safety of more conventional play spaces with swings and see saws. Laurie Taylor talks to Ben Highmore, Professor of Cultural Studies at the University of Sussex about the range of people whose celebration of children's imaginative capacities re-invented the notion of play, from Northern Europe to North America. Designers, social reformers, and even anarchists, saw these sites of fun as the foundation for the creation of citizens and agents of social change.

What remains of those post war playgrounds, in the here and now, and what can the astonishing ambition of those spaces tell us about the power of play in an age of risk aversion?

Producer: Jayne Egerton


TUE 16:00 Dreaming of Connie Converse (m00268xb)
Poet Emily Berry explores the music and mystery of Connie Converse.

Connie Converse was ahead of her time. She began writing songs on guitar in New York City in 1949. She wrote of loneliness and rebellion, of ambition, judgement and desire -- in a manner rarely heard from women at that time: witty yet melancholy, defiant but ethereal.

Sitting somewhere between George Gershwin and Joni Mitchell, Connie Converse was a singer-songwriter before that phrase had currency. There was no one else like her.

Perhaps that's why she never really found an audience. She left New York City in 1961, moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan and gave up writing songs.

And then she disappeared.

At least, that's the way the story is often told.

In 1974 Connie Converse wrote letters to friends and family suggesting that she was leaving Ann Arbor to start afresh elsewhere. She drove away in her Volkswagen Beetle and was never heard from again.

There were apparent sightings over the years. A private investigator was no help. Her car was never found.

Almost everything we know about Connie Converse comes from a large filing cabinet, left behind at her brother's house after she drove away, but not thoroughly examined until his retirement many years later. It presents a carefully organised window onto Connie Converse's life: letters, pictures, essays, political activism, mementoes and recordings, all indexed and itemised. She wanted to disappear, but not without leaving a legacy.

In the filing cabinet was an explanatory letter, which begins: "Let me go."

Half a century later, many people can't let her go.

Her songs of wit and vulnerability were out of time in the 1950s but have found a listenership today. She's a cult artist of the streaming era.

Emily Berry dreams about Connie Converse in the company of biographer Howard Fishman, musician Emma-Lee Moss (formerly known as Emmy the Great) and poet Jack Underwood. Including extracts from an interview with Philip and Jean Converse by Dan Dzula and David Herman.

Includes Playboy of the Western World performed by Margot, Jo Equality Lampert, and Emma-Lee Moss. Recorded live at the Hum, Manhattan Inn, Brooklyn 2016. And Trouble performed by Jack Underwood.

Howard Fishman's biography of Connie Converse is called To Anyone Who Ever Asks: the Life, Music and Mystery of Connie Converse.

With grateful thanks to Dan Dzula.

Connie Converse photograph courtesy of the Musick Group / Heroic Cities LLC.


TUE 16:30 When It Hits the Fan (m0027509)
Power and influence in the (medieval) court of Trump

In the wake of Donald Trump’s inauguration, David Yelland and Simon Lewis decode what it means for how the 47th US president does business.

For the tech billionaires in the court of King Donald, as in the days of yore, proximity to power is key. The court can be a risky place if your king is capricious, so stay close, give him what he wants and prove your loyalty – and hope you can still look yourself in the mirror.

Also, what TikTok, crypto and the PR tactic of “flooding the zone” reveal about how the Trump presidency may play out.

Producer: Eve Streeter
Editor: Sarah Teasdale
Executive Producer: William Miller
Music by Eclectic Sounds
A Raconteur Studios production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 17:00 PM (m002750c)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines.


TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002750f)
He says the UK must rethink how it protects its citizens, after the Southport murders.


TUE 18:30 Janey Godley: The C Bomb (m001xdgt)
Series 2

3. Motherhood, Marriage and George Clooney

Facing her own mortality, Janey finds herself reflecting on motherhood and how the pressures on women have changed.

She also speaks honestly about dealing with a terminal diagnosis within her relationship, but is challenged on claims of marital harmony by daughter Ashley.

However as she confesses to some of the mistakes she feels she made as a mother, she is met with compassion and understanding.

Also in this episode, as an atheist, she wonders how things might go at the pearly gates if she’s been wrong this whole time - and explains how George Clooney saved the day.

Reflecting on the past with honesty, vulnerability and empathy for those who let her down, she continues to find humour and insight in both the darkness and the ridiculous.

A mix of stories told onstage to a hometown audience, and candid conversations with her daughter Ashely Storrie, recorded in the living room of the home they share.

Produced by Julia Sutherland
Featuring Ashley Storrie

A Dabster production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 19:00 The Archers (m00274wd)
Outside a hotel in Southport nervous Neil prepares to meet the person who found him as a baby. Susan allays his anxiety. He looks lovely and his gift of flowers is perfect. She suggests he goes in, and gives him a kiss. He does so. Nelly declares the flowers her favourites and the ice is broken. She admits she’s wondered about him every day since she found him. Neil fills her in on his life and family, declaring himself lucky. Nelly’s glad, and explains more details about the day she found him. She hadn’t wanted Neil to be taken away from her. They’d visited him at the children’s home, and Neil shares some memories of that time. They laugh that Nelly reading him The Three Little Pigs might be the reason he’s a pig farmer. She was upset but realistic when he was moved away, and pleased things worked out for him in the end.

Meanwhile anxious Emma calls Susan, wondering how it’s going. Susan reports Neil’s coming out of the hotel and seems to be crying – she’d better go. However Neil’s happy, and invites Susan inside to meet Nelly. They each thank one another for their respective roles in caring for Neil. Susan declares Nelly his guardian angel, and Nelly’s touched. She confesses she has no clue who Neil’s mother might have been.

Back at Ambridge View Susan suggests that Nelly seemed to hesitate when asked about knowing who Neil’s birth mother could be. Emma suddenly has the thought that Nelly could be Neil’s mother. Neil reckons that’s daft. She can’t be.


TUE 19:15 Front Row (m002750h)
Anora director Sean Baker, Caryl Phillips's new novel, Somerset House exhibition on Soil

Anora is one of the leading contenders in the current film awards season - and its star Mikey Madison looks likely to get an Oscar nomination too. Its director Sean Baker explains how he uses both violence and comedy to explore the story of a son of a Russian oligarch who becomes entangled in the world of a sex worker in New York.

Caryl Phillips talks about his new novel, Another Man in the Street about a young Caribbean man's search for a new home in 1960s London and the other people, all migrants in different ways, who become part of his life there.

And Soil is more than dirt - co-curators Claire Catterall and May Rosenthal Sloan explain how a new exhibition at Somerset House in London sheds light on how the ground under our feet has played a crucial role in human civilisation, with 50 artists in the show using sculpture, painting, tapestry and video to explore its qualities.

Presenter: Samira Ahmed
Producer: Paula McGrath


TUE 20:00 Shadow of War - A Tainted Anatomy (m00274w0)
Anatomist and forensic anthropologist Professor Sue Black investigates how the actions of Nazi-sponsored anatomists continue to be felt today.

During World War Two, anatomists across Germany exploited the increased number of corpses to further their research. That included using the bodies of five British Prisoners of War who died in captivity. With no consideration for consent or medical ethics, these researchers were allowed to continue to use research material gained from unethical sources for decades after the end of the war.

Families are now grappling with learning the terrible truth about what happened to their relatives.

Why did this happen? Why was nothing done about it? And why has it taken so long to come to light?

Producer: Emily Esson
Audio mix: Fiona Johnstone
Executive Producer: Kate Bissell

A BBC Audio Scotland production for BBC Radio 4.


TUE 20:40 In Touch (m002750l)
SEND Crisis; Period Detection

In Touch assesses the findings of a report that looks at the ways special educational needs care is being delivered to the children who need it. The report gives little to no mention of the challenges of specific groups of pupils and so, with the help of Rachael Hewett of the Vision Impairment Centre for Teaching and Research at Birmingham University and the Thomas Pocklington Trust's Tara Chattaway, we review the implications of a system in crisis for visually impaired pupils.

When it is your time of the month and you're visually impaired, it can be tricky to know when your period has arrived. In Touch looks at an upcoming device that is aiming to provide women with information about their menstrual cycle in an accessible way. The device and corresponding app, is called FlowSense. Muna Daud is the founder and CEO and she provides information on how the device works. Leanne Best and Tassia Leefe, both describe the unique challenges they have with their periods as visually impaired women.
FlowSense are looking for more women to test out their prototypes. If you are interested, you can contact Muna Daud via email: Muna@flowsense.co. Or visit their website: flowsense.co

Presenter: Peter White
Producer: Beth Hemmings
Production Coordinator: David Baguley
Website image description: Peter White sits smiling in the centre of the image and he is wearing a dark green jumper. Above Peter's head is the BBC logo (three separate white squares house each of the three letters). Bottom centre and overlaying the image are the words "In Touch" and the Radio 4 logo (the word ‘radio’ in a bold white font, with the number 4 inside of a white circle). The background is a bright mid-blue with two rectangles angled diagonally to the right. Both are behind Peter, one is a darker blue and the other is a lighter blue.


TUE 21:00 Crossing Continents (m002750n)
Death Marches: uncovering the truth beneath the soil

How a town in Poland – once in Germany - is discovering its troubling past.
80 years ago Soviet troops liberated Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi extermination camp. Over 1.1 million people, mainly Jews, were murdered there. However, there is an aspect of those terrible days which is less well known and which 80 years later is still being uncovered and still resonating: the death marches.
As Soviet troops approached, in January 1945, SS soldiers at Auschwitz-Birkenau forced some 60,000 prisoners to march west, in freezing temperatures. Weak with hunger and disease, those who fell behind were shot.
This is the story of how eight decades on the search for the truth behind one of those death marches is being uncovered. For years the history of a death march passing through the once proud German community of Schönwald was hidden.
It is also the story of how descendants of the original inhabitants of Schönwald are having to confront the role some of their relatives may have played in the Nazi project, and how today’s Polish inhabitants of the town, which is now called Bojków, are grappling with what happened on their streets.
Amie Liebowitz’s own great-grandmother was murdered Auschwitz-Birkenau, while her great-aunt was rescued by the Soviet forces. She speaks to those on both sides – German and Polish – who are uncovering this history.

Presenter: Amie Liebowitz
Producer: John Murphy
Production co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman
Editor: Penny Murphy

Archive of Gita Stein from USC Shoah Foundation (1995)


TUE 21:30 The Bottom Line (m0026vsk)
A Four Day Week: Less Work for More People?

Evan Davis explores if working the traditional five day week could be replaced by working four, eight hour days. Could working more efficiently benefit employees and bosses? With Joe Ryle, director of the 4 Day Week Campaign, Claire Daniels, CEO of Trio Media and Jen Thompson, managing director of the Crate Brewery.


TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (m002750q)
January 6th rioters freed by Trump pardons

Trump has pardoned some 1,500 people involved in the January 6th riot in the US Capitol four years ago, including those convicted of violent acts. We speak to one man who has received a pardon and a police officer who was at the Capitol that day. We also hear from a former director of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency about Trump's deportation plans.

Here in the UK, there have been calls for the far-right group “Patriotic Alternative” to be banned after an undercover BBC investigation exposed extreme racist views among some of its supporters and members.

And a trip down an emotionally dark memory lane, as we visit a new exhibition casting a nostalgic eye over emo music and culture.


TUE 22:45 Turtle Diary by Russell Hoban (m002750s)
Episode 7

In a tank of golden-green water at London Zoo, three giant sea turtles swim in futile circles. They are born to navigate, by some mysterious instinct, across thousands of miles of ocean - but these turtles are going nowhere.

Two isolated single people in their early 40s are both beset by ‘turtle thoughts’ and separately begin to conceive of a plan to return them to the sea.

William G is a divorced father, a junior assistant in a bookshop, he lives in a bedsit in Putney and has no idea where his two daughters are. Neaera H is a children's author and illustrator who has run out of ideas for her next book. Their diaries reveal the quiet sadnesses and dramas of their parallel lives and the shared enterprise that brings them together.

It's a story about hope and despair, loneliness and the heroic eccentricity of two individuals who feel compelled to act in a world which feels to both of them as if it is careering towards madness.

Turtle Diary is a modern classic, first published exactly 50 years ago. 2025 also marks the centenary of Russell Hoban's birth. One cover review calls Turtle Diary “life-saving”; novelist Max Porter said that it “has medicinal qualities. I only need to think about it and I’m in a better mood.”

"This lovely human fable seems to me one of the best things of its kind - a fine and touching achievement." John Fowles

"Worth rejoicing in ... a banquet of whimsical delights. Each Russell Hoban book is surprising ... but you also know what you're getting, which is curiosity, wonder and a world-encompassing empathy." John Self, The Guardian

Russell Hoban was an American writer born in 1925. His works span many genres, including fantasy, science fiction, mainstream fiction, magical realism, poetry, and children's books. He lived in London from 1969 until his death in 2011.

Written by Russell Hoban
Read by Daniel Weyman and Katherine Parkinson
Abridged and produced by Jill Waters
The Waters Company for BBC Radio 4


TUE 23:00 Now You're Asking with Marian Keyes and Tara Flynn (m002750v)
The 'Functioning Alcoholic' Problem

Alcoholism and the idea of the 'functioning alcoholic' is one of the serious topics tackled by Marian and Tara in this final edition of series 4 - alongside ways to choose your battles with a petulant 11 year-old daughter, and a conundrum encountered by a listener getting an intimate email meant for someone else.

Each week, Marian and Tara do their best to shed their particular brand of warmth, wit and wisdom onto listeners' questions with topics big and small.

We continue to be inundated with emails but everything gets read and we're always on the lookout for new questions, queries and conundrums to include on the show for the next series.

Got a problem you want Marian and Tara to give you a hand with? Email: marianandtara@bbc.co.uk.

Producer: Steve Doherty.
A Giddy Goat production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds


TUE 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002750x)
Susan Hulme reports as MPs question the Home Secretary about the inquiry into the stabbings in Southport.