SATURDAY 09 SEPTEMBER 2023

SAT 00:00 Midnight News (m001q6pw)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 00:30 Invitation to a Banquet: The Story of Chinese Food by Fuchsia Dunlop (m001q6m4)
Delectable 'eels' and Chongqing chicken in a pile of chillies

Fuchsia Dunlop reads from her new book on Chinese gastronomy. Today, she takes us on a whistle stop tour across continental China to reveal a breathtaking tapestry of culinary wonders.

The award-winning cook and writer tells the story of China's gastronomic culture through a selection of classic dishes. She challenges western pre-conceptions of simplified Cantonese cooking that first took hold when Chinese labourers left their homeland and settled abroad. Instead, she reveals is a sophisticated gastronomy that is finding more and more favour across the globe. From roasted meats, to the versatility of the soybean, braised pomelo pith, noodles and dim sum, Fuchsia takes us on a mouth-watering journey which explores the history, philosophy and techniques of China's diverse and ingenious food heritage.

Fuchsia was the first westerner to train as a chef at the Sichuan Higher Institute of Cuisine, and has been travelling around China, researching and cooking food for 30 years. She has written a number of best-selling books on Chinese food, several of which are now published in translation in China.

Abridged by Richard Hamilton
Produced by Elizabeth Allard


SAT 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m001q6q2)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m001q6q7)
World Service

BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


SAT 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m001q6qc)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 05:30 News Briefing (m001q6qk)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m001q6qr)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg

Good Morning.

As I’ve got older, I’ve become more of an early morning person. I love the hour when the blackbirds herald the coming day, and the finches and bluetits first flock to the feeders. I always start my morning prayers while filling them. Or perhaps giving food to the birds is my worship, an act of homage to the God of all creatures.

There’s a special harmony between the dawn light and dusk light and the timbre of the birdsong, as if the birds too are praying. As Ed Yong wrote in his bestseller "An Immense World", 'animals inhabit sensory realms we humans cannot fathom and apprehend life in wavelengths we scarcely hear. So this a special hour, when weariness morphs into wonder'.

But for many, dawn is very different. Perhaps it’s the end of a hospital night shift, and you’re going home exhausted to catch some sleep, still carrying worries over the man whose oxygen levels just weren’t right.

Or maybe you’ve already been up for hours, mopping the school corridors so that the teachers and children find them clean and tidy when they arrive. How easy it is for day people to take for granted the nightly work force they scarcely see and rarely acknowledge.

Or perhaps pain or worry has kept us awake all night in futile pursuit of elusive sleep, and first light brings us only further exhaustion.

Maybe that’s why the Jewish mystics saw dawn as an hour of potential mercy, when loving kindness hovers over the world waiting to be drawn down into life.

God, help us to bring that love down to earth, and make it real in the tasks that lie ahead of us today.


SAT 05:45 Witness (b01r95hn)
Lebanon hostage crisis

In 1991 Giandomenico Picco, a United Nations envoy, went to Beirut to try to free Western hostages. To talk to the kidnappers face to face, he had to allow himself to be abducted. His negotiations led to the release of 11 people, including John McCarthy and Terry Waite.


SAT 06:00 News and Papers (m001qd8k)
The latest news headlines. Including the weather and a look at the papers.


SAT 06:07 Open Country (m001q6f2)
Fieldnotes from Eternity

Paul Evans explores the rich folklore and natural history of St Melangell church near Llangynog in Powys for a new piece of nature writing. Paul is one of our finest nature writers and in this episode of Open Country he talks us through his creative process, which he describes as "a kind of imaginative hunter-gathering”. Inspired by the ancient yew trees that grow in the churchyard, he listens to their stories, such as the science behind their great age and the legend of Saint Melangell, a nun who fled here from Ireland to avoid an arranged marriage. She protected a hare which was being chased by hounds from a royal hunting party, and was gifted the surrounding Pennant valley by the Prince of Powys who was impressed by her bravery. Here she founded a religious community and became known as the patron saint of hares. Immortal yews, magical hares and the mystic Melangell, there is so much rich material for Paul's next piece of writing, a short essay which he reads at the end of the programme.

Interviewees: Reverend Christine Browne, Priest Guardian of St. Melangell's Church; Professor Jane Cartwright of the University of Wales Trinity St David; Dr. Emma Gilmartin of the Woodland Trust; Lottie Glover of Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust.

Produced by Karen Gregor


SAT 06:30 Farming Today (m001qd8m)
09/09/23 - Farming Today This Week: fruit and veg supply chains, agricultural science and hot weather impacts

Following Government reviews into the dairy and pig sectors, there will now be a new inquiry into the fruit and veg supply chain later this autumn. It follows salad shortages on supermarket shelves and complaints from growers that the price they're paid doesn't always cover the cost of production.

Agricultural research may be a little bit easier after the Government's announcement this week that the UK is to re-join the EU's flagship scientific research scheme, Horizon. We've been excluded from the scheme for the last 3 years because of disagreements with the EU over the Northern Ireland protocol. For the agricultural research institute, Rothamsted Research, that's meant a 20% a drop in EU funding, so the latest news brings fresh hope.

And how do you keep a pig cool in this hot weather? The answer is - give it a bath.

Presented by Charlotte Smith
Producer for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons


SAT 06:57 Weather (m001qd8p)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SAT 07:00 Today (m001qd8r)
Including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


SAT 09:00 Saturday Live (m001qd8t)
Johannes Radebe, Jason Byrne, Louise Boyce, Richard Osman

The sparkling South African Strictly star, Johannes Radebe, who was one half of the history-making same sex male couple, discusses a childhood of bullying, poverty and identity in his new memoir; 'Jojo: Finally Home'.

Louise Boyce, best known by her social-media handle 'Mama Still Got It', has vlogged her journey from model, to mum, to influencer to prove the industry wrong who had once told her that having children would end her career.

Plus, the multi-talented, multi-stented, outright king of live comedy Jason Byrne reveals how he turned his open heart surgery into comedy.

And the former Pointless star and now bestselling crime-writer Richard Osman shares his Inheritance Tracks.

Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Jon Kay
Producer: Ben Mitchell


SAT 10:00 You're Dead to Me (p09fgcnm)
P.T. Barnum

Greg Jenner is joined by historian Professor Benjamin Reiss and comedian Desiree Burch in the 19th century to meet self proclaimed showman P T Barnum.

A man famous for his museums and shows as well as ‘curiosities’ such as General Tom Thumb, Bearded Ladies, and The Fiji Mermaid. But take a deeper dive beyond Barnum’s infamous spin and you’ll find that, contrary to his pop culture image, this showman was far from the greatest.

Produced by Cornelius Mendez
Script by Greg Jenner and Emma Nagouse
Research by Charlotte Potter

The Athletic production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 10:30 The Kitchen Cabinet (m001qd8x)
Series 41

Postbag Edition

Jay Rayner and the panel take a break from the road to host a postbag edition of The Kitchen Cabinet from the comfort of the studio. Joining Jay are cooks and food writers Melek Erdal, Melissa Thompson and Tim Hayward, and food historian Dr Annie Gray.

The team have sorted through the cupboards of the TKC inbox to answer some of your culinary queries. They discuss everything from their go-to salad dressing recipes to various ways you can use tonka beans.

Also, they look back at a series full of controversy, revisiting the touchy subjects of sourdough and fish finger sandwiches.

Producer: Dom Tyerman
Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod
Executive Producer: Hannah Newton

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 11:00 The Week in Westminster (m001qd8z)
Sonia Sodha of The Observer analyses the latest developments at Westminster as politicians return from their summer break. Following the concrete crisis in schools she speaks to the Conservative chairman of the Education Select Committee and former education minister, Robin Walker, and Dame Meg Hillier, Labour chair of the Public Accounts Committee. To analyse the latest revisions in GDP data, which showed the UK had fared much better following the pandemic than previously thought, Sonia is joined by Professor of Economics at Cambridge University, Diane Coyle. As MPs debate the government's Energy Bill Sonia brings together the former Environment Secretary, George Eustice, and Parliament's only Green MP, Caroline Lucas, to discuss whether Tory factionalism is harming the transition to net zero. And, as Keir Starmer's shadow cabinet reshuffle prompts headlines about the 'return of the Blairites', she speaks to Tony Blair's former Chief Whip, Hilary Armstrong, and Times political correspondent, Patrick Maguire.


SAT 11:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m001qd91)
The parents suing over Gambia’s cough syrup scandal

Kate Adie introduces stories from The Gambia, Iran, the USA, Chile and Hungary.

Dozens of bereaved families in the Gambia are taking legal action against an Indian drug manufacturer and Gambian health authorities, after more than 70 infants died after taking apparently toxic cough remedies. Sam Bradpiece heard their stories and traces how these medicines came to market.

As Iran approaches the first anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini, the authorities are already cracking down on signs of public dissent. She was a young woman arrested for "incorrect hijab", whose fate triggered a wave of protest across Iran. Lois Pryce speaks to some of the generation of young women who took to the streets a year ago, and now say they're ready to do so again.

The Capitol riot on the 6th of January 2021 is still roiling American politics - as some high-profile Republican politicians say the people who were involved were patriots who shouldn't be punished. But the courts have issued verdict after verdict against the architects of the disorder. Mike Wendling reports from Washington DC on the sentencing of a leading figure in the chaos - Enrique Tarrio, former leader of activist group the Proud Boys.

In Chile there's been heated debate over how best to mark the fifty years since General Pinochet's military takeover. These days few people deny the killings, torture and disappearances were committed during his dictatorship - but up to a third of Chileans are willing to say the coup was necessary. Jane Chambers considers the nuances of a country torn between left and right.

It's been a terrible year for fruit in Hungary - so Nick Thorpe was prepared to go without his usual annual ritual of making his pear crop into homemade brandy. But as it turned out, an unexpected windfall of 200kilos of sour cherries would fuel an even more potent brew...

00:42 Gambia's cough-syrup scandal
06:29 The death of Mahsa Amini one year on
12:03 Proud Boys leader sentenced
17:14 Pinochet's coup: 50 years on
22:58 Our correspondent's homemade Hungarian brandy


SAT 12:00 News Summary (m001qd95)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 12:04 Money Box (m001qd99)
Saving for Retirement and Hollywood Strikes

This week there have been warnings that millions of people aren't saving enough for retirement and calls for pension contributions to be increased. One thinktank - New Financial - released a report saying that despite the success of auto-enrolment nearly a third of the UK workforce are not saving for a pension at all. Most aren't saving enough and will have smaller pensions in future. The government says auto-enrolment means billions more is being saved into pensions.

If you are one of the millions of people who own shares directly in a UK company then you may have to give them up. There are just two weeks left to have your say about the future of how those shares are held. It's because paper share certificates are on the way out to be replaced by digital versions. We'll discuss what this means. If want to have your say email "digitisationtaskforce@hmtreasury.gov.uk".

If you're wondering where your favourite show on Netflix or Paramount has gone it might be a victim of the strikes in Hollywood where 11,000 writers and more than 150,000 actors have been on strike for the last few months. It means a large number of productions being filmed or produced in the UK have been put on hold, leaving the mainly self-employed crew members with no work and no financial support. We'll hear from those affected.

Plus Royal Mail has announced that the price of posting a letter will rise in October for the second time this year. We'll have the details on that.

Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporters: Dan Whitworth and Sarah Rogers
Researcher: Sandra Hardial
Editor: Jess Quayle

(First broadcast 12pm, Saturday 9th September 2023)


SAT 12:30 The News Quiz (m001q6p4)
Series 112

Episode 1

Andy Zaltzman quizzes the week's news. Providing the answers, hopefully, are, Ian Smith, Lucy Porter, Hugo Rifkind and Zoe Lyons.

In this episode Andy and the panel test the state of schools, the resilience of a reshuffle, and value of vets.

Written by Andy Zaltzman

With additional material by
Cody Dahler
Mike Shephard
and Eleri Morgan

Producer: Sam Holmes
Executive Producer: James Robinson
Production Co-ordinator: Dan Marchini
Sound Editor: Marc Willcox

A BBC Studios Production


SAT 12:57 Weather (m001qd9f)
The latest weather forecast


SAT 13:00 News and Weather (m001qd9k)
The latest national and international news and weather reports from BBC Radio 4


SAT 13:10 Any Questions? (m001q6pc)
Sir John Hayes MP, Dame Diana Johnson MP, Christina McAnea and Anne McElvoy

Alex Forsyth presents political discussion from Skegness Grammar School in Lincolnshire with a panel including the Conservative MP Sir John Hayes, the Labour MP and chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee Dame Diana Johnson MP, the General Secretary of UNISON Christina McAnea and the journalist Anne McElvoy.
Producer: Robin Markwell
Lead broadcast engineer: Chris Hardman


SAT 14:00 Any Answers? (m001qd9p)
Call Any Answers? to have your say on the big issues in the news this week


SAT 14:45 Dementia: Unexpected Stories of the Mind (m001kx98)
Dave

Neurologist Jules Montague and William Miller explore cases of rare dementias to reveal dementia is not what we think it is.

Dr Jules Montague is a dementia specialist, and William has personal experience of its impact having cared for his father, theatre director Jonathan Miller, who died of Alzheimer’s in 2019. Together they explore the science behind the symptoms and the poignant and extraordinary ways in which families navigate their lives as a result of these conditions.

In this episode, they meet Dave and his wife Gill. In 2020 Dave was diagnosed with Dementia with Lewy Bodies - or DLB. This dementia is commonly misdiagnosed at first because of its unusual symptoms. Hallucinations are a typical feature of this condition and cause Dave to see rabbits and cats in his living room, even though he knows they aren’t there.

Details of organisations offering information and support with dementia are available at the BBC Action Line here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1Y8B7y39T07GnTlMsLPJG2S/information-and-support-dementia

Producer: Eve Streeter
Original music: A Brief Encounter by Max Walter
A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 15:00 Drama on 4 (m0014p3r)
Episode 2: Dance of Dice

The Gods, the law, capitalism and politics jostle for power in this modern adaptation of the ancient Indian poem Mahabharata. Dramatised as a gripping family epic set in 21st century Mumbai, this series is powered by the tensions and rivalries of a turbulent business empire.

As one faction is revealed to have loaded the dice and cheated, the oligarch’s family is plunged into a fresh crisis fuelled by jealousy and lust, ending in humiliation and exile.

Dhruv makes a simple offer to Yash - double or quits. The entire business empire will be put on the table in a ‘winner takes all’ roll of the dice. But Dhruv is no longer content to just win, he wants to completely humiliate his opponent.

Now people are starting to question Dhruv’s fitness to run Hasta Enterprises. The different family factions pray to the Gods for guidance. The bankers, lawyers and accountants broker a more pragmatic solution - one final game must be played with a new set of perfect, neutral dice. The stakes couldn’t be simpler - Winner. Takes. All.

The stage is set for an epic conflict.

Written by Ayeesha Menon

Cast

Sanjay: Rajit Kapur
Dhruv: Neil Bhoopalam
Yash: Tavish Bhattacharyya
Kala: Anahita Uberoi
Gita: Shernaz Patel
Padma: Ira Dubey
Shaks: Vivek Madan
Karthik: Sukant Goel
Vihaan: Omkar Kulkarni
Lawyer: Devika Shahani Punjabi
Gopi: Prerna Chawla

Other characters were played by Shivani Tanksale, Abir Abrar, Omkar Kulkarni and Aseem Hattangady.

Sound Supervisor (Mumbai): Ayush Ahuja
Sound Design and Post Production: Wilfredo Acosta
Original Music: Imran Ahmad

Producer (Mumbai): Nadir Khan
Producer: Helen Quigley and Andrew Mark Sewell
Executive Producer: Andrew Mark Sewell
Director: Jatinder Verma

A B7 Media production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 16:00 Woman's Hour (m001qd9t)
Weekend Woman's Hour: Economic Abuse, Should there be a Minister for Men? Rebuilding my life: Martine Wright

Economic abuse was officially recognised under the Domestic Abuse Act in 2021, yet a new study from the charity Surviving Economic Abuse suggests victims are still being let down by the police and the courts. Their CEO Nicola Sharp-Jeffs joins to tell us more about their findings, alongside ITV broadcaster Ruth Dodsworth who shares her own personal experience.

On Tuesday’s programme, the Conservative MP for Don Valley, Nick Fletcher, championed the idea of a Minister for Men. He says statistics show that 75% of people taking their lives are men, that the life expectancy of men is 3.7 years lower than it is for women, that 83% of rough sleepers are men. On Wednesday we heard your views - could a Minister help tackle some of the issues many young men seem to be struggling with, such as masculinity, pornography, consent and their role in society? Could a Minister for Men also make life better for women? And could it be a way to tackle the rise of influencers such as Andrew Tate – a self-declared misogynist?

Have you ever been in a 'situationship'? It's sort of a relationship but you're not exclusive. It's the subject of the debut novel of Taylor-Dior Rumble. The Situationship is published by Merky Books and it's been termed the label's first Rom-Com.

Rebuilding My Life series: When Martine Wright was rescued from the wreckage of a bombed Tube train on what became known as 7/7, her injuries were so severe that she could not be identified. Both her legs were amputated above the knee. 18 years on, Martine speaks about her road to recovery, physically and emotionally.

Is Belfast the new city of love? Well, it’s the backdrop to new Sky Atlantic romcom The Lovers, which follows local supermarket worker Janet and her love affair with English TV presenter, Seamus O’Hannigan who has a whole other life, and a girlfriend, back in London. Roisin Gallagher, who plays Janet, talks about filming in her hometown and the changing perceptions of Northern Ireland’s capital.

Presenter; Anita Rani
Producer: Rabeka Nurmahomed
Editor: Sarah Crawley


SAT 17:00 PM (m001qd9y)
Full coverage of the day's news


SAT 17:30 Political Thinking with Nick Robinson (m001qdb2)
The Paul Nowak One

Nick Robinson talks to the boss of the TUC ahead of hosting his first Congress in his hometown of Liverpool, what it was like working with ministers during Covid and why we need a national conversation on tax


SAT 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m001qdb6)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 17:57 Weather (m001qdb8)
The latest weather forecast


SAT 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m001qdbb)
Terror suspect who fled Wandsworth prison is pulled off bike by plain clothes officer.


SAT 18:15 Loose Ends (m001q6c8)
Jason Donovan, Sara Pascoe, Amy Trigg, Phil Wang, Mega, CMAT, Athena Kugnlenu, Clive Anderson

Clive Anderson and Athena Kugblenu are joined by Jason Donovan, Sara Pascoe, Amy Trigg and Phil Wang for an eclectic mix of conversation, music and comedy. With music from CMAT and Mega.


SAT 19:00 Profile (m001qdbf)
Grant Shapps

The recently appointed defence secretary Grant Shapps is no stranger to getting his teeth into a new job, it’s his fifth cabinet role in less than a year. He's widely seen as a safe pair of hands and an effective communicator but has received criticism over his latest appointment because of his lack of military experience.

A married father of three and a cousin of The Clash guitarist Mick Jones, he survived a car crash at the age of 20, which put him in a coma for a week, and also made a full recovery after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

Mark Coles looks at the life and career of the cabinet veteran who is a spreadsheet whizz, enthusiastic TikToker and licensed pilot.

Presenter: Mark Coles
Production: Alix Pickles, Diane Richardson
Production Coordinators: Maria Ogundele
Sound Engineer: Neil Churchill
Editor: Richard Vadon


SAT 19:15 This Cultural Life (m001qdbh)
Edmund de Waal

One of the world’s most acclaimed ceramicists, Edmund de Waal is renowned for simple, hand-made porcelain pots and bowls which are usually displayed in meticulously arranged groups. His work has been shown in museums and galleries including the V&A, the British Museum, the Frick in New York, and at the Venice Biennale. In 2010 Edmund de Waal became widely known as a bestselling author, after the publication of his family memoir The Hare With Amber Eyes which retraced his Jewish European heritage. A dramatic and tragic story about art, exile and survival, it led him on a journey from Tokyo to Odessa via 19th century Paris and Nazi occupied Vienna.

On This Cultural Life, Edmund de Waal tells John Wilson about being taken to a pottery class at the age of five by his father, an Anglican cleric who worked at Lincoln Cathedral. He immediately fell in love with the process of moulding wet clay into vessels and was determined to become a potter. After leaving school he spent five months in Japan studying the ancient traditions of pottery with various master ceramicists. He remembers how a visit to the Ryoan-ji Temple in Kyoto had a huge impact on his understanding of space, contemplation and spirituality. During his first visit to Japan he also met his great uncle Ignatius Ephrussi from whom Edmund first learned about his European Jewish heritage, his family’s exile from Vienna in the face of Nazi terror, and the collection of small Japanese figurines, known as netsuke, whose story was told in The Hare With Amber Eyes.

Edmund chooses the ceramicist Lucie Rie, another Viennese exile in London, as a major influence on his practise. He describes his working routine in the ceramics studio, and how his pots are often made in response to poetry, citing the work of Romanian-born Paul Celan an American poet Emily Dickinson as particular influences.

Producer: Edwina Pitman


SAT 20:00 Archive on 4 (m001qdbl)
Bryan Magee - Man of Ideas

Philosophy is often thought of as being abstract, difficult and, well, ‘dead’.

Few people in the UK have ever managed to help philosophers reach a wider audience than Bryan Magee, whose BBC interviews with leading philosophers were primetime in the 1970s and 80s. For Magee, far from being a fusty academic discipline with no real world relevance, philosophy was an existential matter of immediate importance.

Magee’s was a life rich with ideas and impact, including nine years as an MP. His legacy and reputation has, however, largely been forgotten today. This edition of Archive On 4 will examine the life and legacy of a man who helped philosophy onto British TV and radio. And, importantly, it will ask what place popular philosophy and public intellectualism occupies in today’s culture, in an age of fragmented, divisive, and discombobulating media discourse.

Presenter Angie Hobbs, Professor of the Public Understanding of Philosophy at the University of Sheffield, receives expert analysis and remembrance from a range of contributors:
- Simon Callow, a fan and then friend of Magee’s.
- Henry Hardy, Magee’s executor.
- Barry Lam, the host of Hi-Phi Nation, a popular podcast about philosophy.
- MM McCabe, a professor who’s getting philosophy into prisons.
- Mark Nayler, who is working on a biography of Magee.
- Lord David Owen, a colleague of Magee’s in politics.
- Peter Singer, a philosopher who famously was interviewed by Magee.

We hear Magee in his own words too. Archive material is drawn extensively from his BBC output, including Conversations With Philosophers, Men Of Ideas, and The Great Philosophers, featuring philosophical debates with the likes of Noam Chomsky, Sir Karl Popper, and Iris Murdoch.

With thanks to Hay Festival for additional archive material.

Producers: Jude Shapiro
Executive Producer: Jack Howson
Mix Engineer: Mike Woolley

A Peanut & Crumb production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 21:00 Stone (m000rtym)
Protection

Dad

Detective Series created by Danny Brocklehurst.

Series 9: Protection. Episode 1 'Dad' written by Vivienne Harvey.

DCI Stone's investigation into the tragic stabbing of a teenager comes dangerously close to home.

DCI JOHN STONE....Hugo Speer
DS SUE KELLY....Deborah McAndrew
DI MIKE TANNER....Craig Cheetham
ALICE....Sydney Wade
JOLENE/KAREN/VALERIE.....Angela Lonsdale
YUSEF /SECURITY GUARD.....Eddie Capli
RUBY / FI.....Lucy Dixon
TOLGA / JO JO.....James Cooney

Produced and directed by Nadia Molinari

BBC Audio Drama North


SAT 21:45 Short Works (m001q6nr)
Still Life With Fruit by Jon McGregor

Penelope Wilton reads a new and specially commissioned short story by the multi-award winning writer, Jon McGregor. A bowl of fruit and the story of a life unfold in this delicate portrait.

Radio 4's celebration of the short story continues with the announcement of the 2023 BBC National Short Story Award, and with a new, specially commissioned by one of the nation's foremost writers. Jon McGregor is an award-winning novelist and short story writer. He has been nominated for the Booker Prize for three of his novels, including his 2002 debut If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things, which also went on to win the Betty Trask Prize and the Somerset Maugham Award, and for the BBC National Short Story Award. His third novel, Even the Dogs (2010), earned McGregor the International Dublin Literary Award in 2012, whilst his 2017 work Reservoir 13 scooped up the Costa Book Award.

The shortlisted stories are broadcast from the 11th to the 15th September at 3.30 in the afternoon, and the winner is announced live on Front Row on Tuesday, 26th September. Still Life with Fruit and the shortlisted stories for the his years BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge University are all available to listen to on BBC Sounds.

The producers are Elizabeth Allard and Di Speirs.


SAT 22:00 News (m001qdbp)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 22:15 Screenshot (m001q6p9)
Lovers on the run

Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode hit the road to explore the lovers on the run genre, and celebrate 50 years of Terrence Malick's film debut, Badlands. Since the film’s arrival in 1973, this dreamy and twisted fairy tale has inspired countless tales of lovers escaping dead end towns for the endless road - but it wasn't the first time this story had graced the silver screen.

Mark enlists the help of a friend of the show, film critic Christina Newland. They discuss the hallmarks of the genre, its film noir beginnings, and why cinema is obsessed with tales of lawless lovers.

Ellen then speaks to New Queer Cinema icon, Gregg Araki, who shares his subversive and anarchic take on the genre - and his theory as to why it is a staple of American cinema. Ellen also chats to director,Jonathan Entwistle to discuss relocating his TV show End of The F***ing World to this side of the Atlantic, and whether the genre is intrinsically American.

Producer: Mae-Li Evans
A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 23:00 Brain of Britain (m001q63d)
Heat 4, 2023

(4/17)
In which month of 1066 did the Battle of Hastings take place? Which mathematician is known as the Father of Geometry? Which musical is set on board the SS American? Russell Davies puts these and many other brain-wracking teasers to the contenders in today's heat of the venerable general knowledge tournament, coming from the Radio Theatre in London.

Taking part today and hoping to win a place in the semi-finals are:
Eleanor Ayres from Cambridgeshire
Matt Barr from Bolton
Richard Burr from Colchester
Ruth Downing from London.

Producer: Paul Bajoria


SAT 23:30 Seek the Light (m001q0l4)
I'm Not Who You Think

Singer, story teller and seven-times Radio 2 Folk Awards winner, Karine Polwart brings together her love of science, history and the natural world.

She begins the series with the story of the Sabal Bermudana. This rare palm tree was the pride of Edinburgh’s Royal Botanic gardens and the oldest specimen in their living collection. Sadly the plant’s own desire to seek the light sealed its fate, as its growth threatened to push through the dome of the garden’s iconic Victorian glass house. On the eve of its cutting down, Karine and fellow artist-in-residence Pippa Murphy, hosted a living wake: acknowledging the grief of the gardeners who tended the tree.
But it turns out the Sabal Bermudana had been carrying a secret for all of its 200 year plus life, one which speaks of colonialism’s history of plundering the natural botanical wealth of former colonies. It would seem the palm tree will have the last laugh over those who venerated its rarity. As Karine discovers, the natural world resists being forced into the boxes we try to create for it.

Through song and narration, Karine gives voice to the palm tree, charting its long history and relationship with those who’ve watered, fed and pruned it over the centuries. And she reveals its true identify.

Produced by Peter McManus
Written and presented by Karine Polwart
Music by Karine Polwart and Pippa Murphy

Vocals - Karine Polwart
Piano - Dave Milligan
Small pipes - Gary West
Additional recording - Mattie Foulds

With thanks to Simon Allen, Emma Nicholson, Amy Porteous, Alan Elliot, Shauna Hay, and Ian Edwards of the Royal Botanic Gardens of Edinburgh.

SUNDAY 10 SEPTEMBER 2023

SUN 00:00 Midnight News (m001qdbr)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.


SUN 00:15 Four Sides of Seamus Heaney (m001q692)
Seamus Heaney - The Troubles

Seamus Heaney, Nobel Prize winner and one of the best loved poets writing in English, died in August, 2013. BBC Radio 4 is marking this with Four Sides of Seamus Heaney, four programmes, each on a different aspect of his work, each with a different presenter with personal knowledge of the poet.

Gail McConnell has written about Seamus Heaney and his contemporaries and teaches at the Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen's, Belfast - the university where Heaney studied and taught. Heaney marched on Civil Rights demonstrations and lived in Belfast during the early years of The Troubles.

McConnell, whose father was murdered by the IRA in front of their family home when she was three, considers the pressures Heaney and fellow poets were under, to write for one side or another, and the courage he showed in writing about murders, punishments and the complexities of the north of Ireland.

When the bodies of executed people in the Iron Age were found preserved in bogs in Jutland, Heaney saw a parallel with the atrocities of his own society, such as tarring and feathering, and expressed this in his collection, North. McConnell explores the ensuing controversy with novelist Colm Toibin, and poet Leontia Flynn.

In his next collection, Field Work, Heaney revealed himself as far less certain, questioning himself, his role and writing elegies with great compassion.

We hear Heaney reading some of his finest poems - Whatever You Say Say Nothing, Punishment and The Harvest Bow, which Professor Fran Brearton says is one of the great poems of the 20th century. Rosie Lavan, co-editing Seamus Heaney's Complete Poems, and Colm Toibin, unpack his conviction of the importance, in times of trouble, of poetry.

Presenter: Gail McConnell
Producer: Julian May


SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m001qdbt)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m001qdbw)
World Service

BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


SUN 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m001qdby)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 05:30 News Briefing (m001qdc0)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (m001qdc2)
Lincoln Cathedral

Bells on Sunday comes from Lincoln Cathedral. There are two bells in the north west tower and five in the central tower, including Great Tom of Lincoln weighing just over five tons. The south west tower contains a peal of twelve bells cast and hung by John Taylor and Company in 1913 plus a Flat 6th added in 1948. The tenor weighs just under twenty four hundredweight and is tuned to D. We hear them ringing Lincolnshire Surprise Maximus.


SUN 05:45 Profile (m001qdbf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Saturday]


SUN 06:00 News Summary (m001qdfg)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 06:05 Something Understood (b08q30lx)
The Fifth Element

Academic Dr Sarah Goldingay examines the elements and explores the spiritual significance of the idea of a 'fifth element' which appears in a wide range of faith traditions.

The four elements - earth, air, fire and water - were established in classical Greece in the west and are mirrored in the beliefs of many other ancient cultures around the world. These material elements are at the core of many creation myths. In Genesis, the spirit of God moves upon the face of the water, makes Adam from water and earth, uses wind to clear the land after the great flood and rains fire of destruction on Sodom and Gomorrah.

Sarah notes that, in most of the stories surrounding the four elements, there is another presence, an ethereal force that somehow blends and animates the material four - a fifth element.

Investigating this notion of a metaphysical power that transforms the physical and sparks creativity, Sarah draws upon biblical descriptions of the Holy Spirit, the writings of the first documented alchemist and the differing approaches to improvisation adopted by jazz legends John Coltrane and Keith Jarrett.

Presenter: Sarah Goldingay
Producer: Max O'Brien
A TBI Media production of BBC Radio 4.


SUN 06:35 Natural Histories (b07kpfh9)
Fox

Brett Westwood investigates the biology and culture of the Fox - a creature long believed to be the devil in disguise. With poetry by Ted Hughes and Simon Armitage, the rollocking medieval bestseller Reynard the Fox, a fox seduction in an abandoned ruin, and a stakeout in a Bristol back garden with urban fox expert Professor Stephen Harris.

First broadcast in a longer form on 19th July 2016
Original Producer (2016): Melvin Rickarby
Archive Producer (2023) : Andrew Dawes


SUN 06:57 Weather (m001qdfk)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SUN 07:00 News and Papers (m001qdfm)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.


SUN 07:10 Sunday (m001qdfp)
British Imams "whitewashing" the actions of the Taliban

Former diplomats and politicians from Afghanistan are among around 900 people who've signed an open letter calling on British authorities to investigate what they call a "propaganda" and "whitewashing" campaign by UK Muslim scholars on behalf of the Taliban. William Crawley speaks to one of the signatories of the letter.

Pope Francis is planning to publish a sequel to Laudato Si', his encyclical, or papal teaching letter, on the climate crisis. One of his closest advisers, Cardinal Michael Czerny, explains why.

And the extraordinary story of an Irish Catholic priest who, for many years, secretly worked for the IRA, earning himself a place on the UK's most wanted list.

Presenter: William Crawley
Producers: Dan Tierney and Peter Everett
Editor: Helen Grady


SUN 07:54 Radio 4 Appeal (m001qdfr)
The National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society

Kirsty Young makes the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of The National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society

To Give:
- UK Freephone 0800 404 8144
-You can donate online at bbc.co.uk/appeal/radio4
- 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 ‘The National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society’.
- Cheques should be made payable to ‘The National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society’.
Please note that Freephone and online donations for this charity close at 23.59 on the Saturday after the Appeal is first broadcast. However the Freepost option can be used at any time.

Registered charity number: 1134859


SUN 07:57 Weather (m001qdft)
The latest weather forecast


SUN 08:00 News and Papers (m001qdfw)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the Sunday papers.


SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (m001qdfy)
A fine disregard for the rules

A service from the Chapel of Rugby School to mark both the bicentenary of the invention of the game of rugby, and the start of the Rugby World Cup in France. The readings are taken from the gospels of Matthew and Mark, and all 850 pupils of the school join together in singing the hymns I vow to thee my country, and Guide me, O thou great redeemer. There's also music performed by the current BBC Young Chorister who is a pupil at the school. The service is led by the Assistant Chaplains Lisa Greatwood and Dan Shaw, and the preacher is the Chaplain, Richard Horner.

Director of Music: Richard Tanner
Organist: James Williams
Producer: Ben Collingwood.


SUN 08:48 A Point of View (m001q6pf)
My Love Affair with the Mysterious

Zoe Strimpel discusses the thrills and psychic satisfactions of the spooky.

She argues that the disorientating nature of contemporary society creates the ideal breeding ground for our resurgent interest in things supernatural.

Producer: Adele Armstrong
Sound; Peter Bosher
Production coordinator: Gemma Ashman
Editor: Bridget Harney


SUN 08:58 Tweet of the Day (b020tr6m)
Cormorant

Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs.

Miranda Krestovnikoff presents the Cormorant. Although cormorants are common on rocky and estuarine shores, increasingly they are breeding inland in tree colonies - where branches whitened by their droppings are a giveaway in summer.


SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (m001qdg0)
The Sunday morning news magazine programme. Presented by Katie Razzall


SUN 10:00 The Archers Omnibus (m001qdg2)
Writer, Katie Hims
Director, Rosemary Watts
Editor, Jeremy Howe

Ben Archer ..... Ben Norris
Pip Archer ..... Daisy Badger
Ruth Archer ..... Felicity Finch
Helen Archer ..... Louiza Patikas
Henry Archer ..... Blayke Darby
Natasha Archer ..... Mali Harries
Pat Archer ..... Patricia Gallimore
Susan Carter ..... Charlotte Martin
George Grundy ..... Angus Stobie
Mia Grundy ..... Molly Pipe
Brad Horrobin ..... Taylor Uttley
Chelsea Horrobin ..... Madeleine Leslay
Tracy Horrobin ..... Susie Riddell
Stella Pryor ..... Lucy Speed
Sykesy ..... Jasper Carrott


SUN 11:15 The Reunion (m001qdg4)
The BLK Art Group

In 1979, a group of young black British artists broke onto the British art scene. Collectively, they called themselves the BLK Art Group and, together with other artists like Tam Joseph, they made work that challenged ideas of race and society in Britain in the 80s and early 90s.

It all began when artist Eddie Chambers founded a group known as the Wolverhampton Young Black Artists. The group then later re-branded as the BLK Art Group and included Keith Piper, Marlene Smith, Eddie Chambers and Donald Rodney, all based in the Midlands.

They took their inspiration from a variety of sources, including the American Black Arts Movement of the 60s and 70s, which included artists and writers like Amiri Baraka, Audre Lorde, Larry Neal and Maya Angelou.

The group were all from the British African-Caribbean community and exhibited at a number of galleries across the country. For almost 20 years, they collectively and individually pursued themes of politics, gender, class and race.

Their work has been cited as an inspiration by many black artists that followed, including Chris Ofili and Steve McQueen, both of whom went on to win Turner Prizes.

Joining Kirsty Wark are: artist and curator, Marlene Smith and Wenda Leslie, both founding members of the BLK Art Group, and Eugene Palmer, best known for creating archival and multi-textured pieces, who was also a member of the group; Tam Joseph, whose best-known work Spirit of the Carnival portrayed a traditionally exuberant carnival figure penned in by police wielding riot shields, explored similar themes and was closely associated with the BLK Art Group; and Pogus Caesar who observed and photographed many of the artists and their work.

Producer: Rema Mukena
Series Producer: David Prest
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 12:00 News Summary (m001qdg6)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SUN 12:04 Paul Sinha's Perfect Pub Quiz (m001q649)
Series 2

Episode 1

In each episode of Paul Sinha’s Perfect Pub Quiz, the quizzer, comedian and Rose d’Or winner Paul Sinha invites the audience to tell him their favourite quiz questions, before offering up not just different and surprising questions, but also the fascinating stories behind the answers.

It’s facts, jokes, stories and puns – just the way you like them.

This episode is full of things that have changed since the previous series, including new British cities and a new British Prime Minister, and was recorded in front of a live audience in Brighton.

Written and performed by Paul Sinha
Additional material: Oliver Levy
Additional questions: The Audience

Original music: Tim Sutton

Sound engineer: David Thomas

Producer: Ed Morrish

A Lead Mojo production for BBC Radio 4.


SUN 12:32 The Food Programme (m001qdg8)
The Food Innovators: Radical Thinkers, Big Ideas.

Dan Saladino judges the The Food Innovation Award part of the BBC Food & Farming Awards. He is searching for big ideas that can change the food system. In this programme he meets the three finalists:

Wildfarmed grow cereals, alongside farmers that share their values, using a regenerative farming method that prioritises the health of the soil. They are aiming to create an alternative to industrial farming.

Too Good To Go is an app that lets you rescue unsold food from bakeries, cafes and supermarkets that would have otherwise been thrown away, at a much lower cost.

The Alexandra Rose Charity aims to support low-income families by providing fresh fruit and veg through a voucher scheme and prescription scheme through GPs. The vouchers can be spent in local markets, helping the local economy.


SUN 12:57 Weather (m001qdgb)
The latest weather forecast


SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (m001qdgd)
Radio 4's look at the week's big stories from both home and around the world


SUN 13:30 Seek the Light (m001qdgg)
Out of the Shadows

Singer, story teller and seven-times Radio 2 Folk Awards winner, Karine Polwart brings together her love of science, history and the natural world.

Karine looks up into the dark for a story of discovery, diversity and the righting of a historical wrong.

When young geologist turned planetary scientist Annie Lennox surveyed the night sky of her Aberdeenshire home, little did she realise that one day she'd be giving names to landmarks on our closest neighbours in the solar system. In 2021, while studying for her PhD, Annie discovered an enormous 50km wide crater near Mercury's southern pole. An area that had never been seen in sunlight until until the Messenger mission of 2015.

The crater's distinctive spectral colour and shape caught her eye. As the first person to see it, Annie has the honour of naming it. An accomplished singer and harpist, Annie named it 'Nairne' after the 17th-century Scottish poet and songwriter Lady Carolina Nairne.

All the craters of Mercury are named after famous artists, Burns and Pushkin are there along with Bach and Boccaccio. And it was this dominance of white men that Annie wanted to challenge. The International Atstonomical Union's naming conventions around new discoveries have proven themselves inherently sexist and exclusionary and Annie felt compelled to do waht she could to rebalance it. In her lifetime, Lady Carolina Nairne was responsible for such staples of Scottish folk singing as 'Charlie is my darlin' and 'Caller Herrin', yet she's largely unknown, publishing much of her work anonymously or under pseudonyms. Now there is a corner of the universe that will forever be a testament to her talents.

Produced by Peter McManus
Written and presented by Karine Polwart
Music by Karine Polwart and Pippa Murphy

Vocals - Karine Polwart
Piano - Dave Milligan


SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m001q6nl)
Charlton Adam

How should I integrate grasses into herbaceous borders? Should I persevere with my blueberry plant? How can we make our allotment open day a great success?

This week, Peter Gibbs is in Charlton Adam to answer all these questions and more. Joining him are grow-your-own guru Bob Flowerdew, horticulturist Anne Swithinbank, and plantswoman Christine Walkden.

Alongside the horticultural Q and A, we hear from GQT regular Pippa Greenwood who visits Fairweather’s Nursery to tell us all we need to know about growing agapanthus.

Assistant Producer: Dulcie Whadcock
Producer: Dom Tyerman
Executive Producer: Hannah Newton

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 14:45 Opening Lines (m001qdgj)
The Three Musketeers - Episode 2

The series that takes a look at books, plays and stories and how they work. John Yorke considers Alexander Dumas' great swashbuckler, The Three Musketeers, and his creation of a classic hero in D'Artagnan and an unforgettable villain in Milady de Winter.

In the second of two episodes about the book, John examines how Dumas created this enduring page-turner. He also looks at aspects of the novel that are sometimes overlooked - its wit and humour as well as some very dark passages.

John Yorke has worked in television and radio for nearly 30 years, and he shares his experience with Radio 4 listeners 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. From EastEnders to The Archers, Life on Mars to Shameless, he has been obsessed with telling big popular stories. He has spent years analysing not just how stories work but why they resonate with audiences around the globe and has brought together his experience in his bestselling book Into the Woods. As former Head of Channel Four Drama, Controller of BBC Drama Production and MD of Company Pictures, John has tested his theories during an extensive production career working on some of the world’s most lucrative, widely viewed and critically acclaimed TV drama. As founder of the hugely successful BBC Writers Academy John has trained a generation of screenwriters - his students have had 17 green-lights in the last two years alone.

Contributors:
Dr Edmund Birch – Lecturer in French Literature at Cambridge University.
Adrian Hodges – TV and film Director of 'The Musketeers' BBC TV 2014
Maimie McCoy – actor and 'Milady' in 'The Musketeers'
Reading by Matthew Gravelle

Credits:
Produced by Alison Vernon-Smith
Executive Producer: Sara Davies
Sound by Iain Hunter
Researcher: Nina Semple
Production Manager: Sarah Wright

A Pier production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 15:00 Drama on 4 (m001qdgl)
Milady - Part 2

By Lucy Catherine

The origin story of Milady de Winter, one of the great villains of classic fiction.

Created by Alexandre Dumas, Milady is Cardinal Richelieu's deadly, venemous spy in The Three Musketeers.

In this original, two-part drama, we tell Milady's genesis story, charting her rise from spirited provincial teenager to deadly poltical operative in 17th century Paris and London.

In the previous episode, Milady's husband attempted to murder her after he discovered that she was branded with the fleur-de-lys, a symbol marking her as a convicted criminal. Now Milady drifts to Paris and is about to come under the influence of the most powerful man in France.

Milady . . . . . Anjana Vasan
Cardinal Richelieu . . . . . Carl Prekopp
Athos . . . . . Sam Troughton
De Winter . . . . . Joe Kloska
Felton . . . . . Gavi Singh Chera
D’Artagnan . . . . . Ian Dunnett Jnr
Buckingham . . . . . Ryan Whittle
Rochefort . . . . . Don Gilet
Father Laurent . . . . . Luke Nunn
Baron Sheffield . . . . . Gerard McDermott

Technical team: Keith Graham, Alison Craig, Mike Etherden
Production co-ordinator: Hannah O'Reilly
Sound design: Peter Ringrose
Director: Sasha Yevtushenko


SUN 16:00 Open Book (m001qdgn)
Zadie Smith

In an extended interview Elizabeth Day talks to the novelist Zadie Smith about the richly imagined canvas of her new novel, The Fraud.
Despite once decreeing that she left London for New York in order to avoid writing a historical novel, Zadie Smith has now embraced the art. The Fraud comes almost two and a half decades after the literary sensation of her debut, White Teeth, both are set in Smith’s home turf of North West London. This time she brings to life the 19th century Kilburn of fields and country pubs, weaving together the lives of a Scottish housekeeper with her cousin, a popular but talentless writer, and a former slave who is a star witness in a real life court case, "The Tichbourne Claimant". Zadie Smith talks to Elizabeth about her writing of the novel’s intricate backdrop, her charismatic characters, the nature of truth, and her enduring impatience with the first person novel.

Book List – Sunday 10 September and Thursday 14 September

The Fraud by Zadie Smith
White Teeth by Zadie Smith
On Beauty by Zadie Smith
Swing Time by Zadie Smith
NW by Zadie Smith
The Autograph Man by Zadie Smith
Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson
The Blue Flower by Penelope Fitzgerald


SUN 16:30 Four Sides of Seamus Heaney (m001qdgq)
Seamus Heaney - The Translator

Seamus Heaney, Nobel Prize winner and one of the best loved poets writing in English, died in August 2013. Radio 4 is marking this with Four Sides of Seamus Heaney, four programmes each on a different aspect of his work, each with a different presenter with one thing in common - they knew the poet well.

Seamus Heaney was a prolific poet but, as he said, 'lyric poetry isn't a full-time job; you wait for the surges and hope that they will come.' So, from his schooldays until his death, to keep his hand in, Heaney engaged in translation. When The Translations of Seamus Heaney was published late last year readers were amazed by its size, more than 600 pages.

Theo Dorgan, poet, novelist, translator and Irish speaker surveys the range and depth of the translations and discovers these excursions into around forty languages are an interrogation of Heaney's own. Irish English is inflected by the syntax of Irish - he translates the medieval poem Buile Shuibhne, Sweeney Astray. There is a good deal of Scots in the speech of Northern Ireland - Heaney translates the makar Robert Henryson. He takes on the founding text of English - Beowulf - and the foundations of European literature - Sophocles' Philoctetes as The Cure at Troy (interpolating the much quoted by US Presidents lines about hope and history rhyming) and Virgil's Aeneid.

Seamus Heaney, like James Joyce, translated himself out of Ireland and into the wider world. He travelled, befriended and was influenced by Derek Walcott, from St Lucia, Russian exile Joseph Brodsky and Czeslaw Milosz, from Poland.

Theo Dorgan hears from Marco Sonzoghni, editor of the monumental Translations, from Colm Toibin, and there are readings of his translations by the poet himself.

Presenter: Theo Dorgan
Producer: Julian May


SUN 17:00 File on 4 (m001q6d4)
The Crooked House

The Crooked House: One summer’s night the Crooked House, known as Britain’s wonkiest pub, caught fire. Less than 48 hours later the ruins were knocked to the ground, completely destroying an iconic symbol of the Black Country. The pub gained its name, and worldwide fame, from its crazy angles caused by mining subsidence. But its loss is now being mourned amid calls for it to be rebuilt brick by brick. File on 4 tells the story behind the destruction of the Crooked House.

Presenter: Adrian Goldberg
Producers: Fergus Hewison, Emma Forde and Phil Marzouk
Assistant Producers: Ella Rule and Patrick Kiteley
Production Coordinators: Tim Fernley and Jordan King
Technical Producer: Kelly Young
Editor: Carl Johnston


SUN 17:40 Profile (m001qdbf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Saturday]


SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m001qdgs)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 17:57 Weather (m001qdgw)
The latest weather forecast


SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m001qdh0)
Rishi Sunak raises concerns with China after arrest of Commons staff suspected of spying


SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (m001qdh3)
Amber Haque

It's the first week back to reality in September and we'll talk crumbling schools…and crumbling politicians. Are single people being discriminated against? Will Manchester United ever be sold? How do we talk to terrorists? How do we talk to our parents? And what’s the best prank you’ve ever played? Join Amber to find out hers…

Presenter: Amber Haque
Producer: Elizabeth Foster
Production Co-ordinator: Lydia Depledge-Miller
Studio Manager: Sue Stonestreet


SUN 19:00 The Archers (m001qdh5)
When Pip pops into Brookfield, Ruth suggests she changes her plan of a picnic with Stella and Rosie and joins them for lunch. Pip turns the offer down but then worries to Stella – she’s paranoid they gave away their new relationship on Friday. Pip would hate Ruth to find out before they tell her, but at the same time isn’t ready to tell her mum. Stella makes clear what makes it tricky is that Ruth is Pip’s mum and Stella’s friend. They’re not concerned about Ruth’s attitude to them being in a gay relationship.
Over lunch at Brookfield, Paul is stunned to learn that it’s Josh’s birthday this week. He can’t believe Josh hasn’t told him already. Josh insists to Paul and his parents that he has no plans to mark the occasion. Later, as they drive home, Josh complains about Paul showing him up by being the perfect guest. Paul asks Josh why he’s so miserable and Josh admits he’s not looking forward to turning twenty-six. Paul insists that Josh makes a plan and invites people to celebrate.
Back from their picnic, Pip panics that Rosie saw her and Stella kissing. Stella’s sure that Rosie’s eyes were closed before she kissed Pip, but Pip’s not so sure. Stella encourages her to try to find out from Rosie what she saw. Pip says she’s never considered how she would talk to her daughter about her meeting someone; she’d just cross that bridge when she came to it. Maybe you’re now at that bridge, replies Stella.


SUN 19:15 Whatever Happened to Baby Jane Austen? (m0016hgz)
Series 1

Episode 3

Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders star as respected novelist Florence and movie star Selina, in a sparkling comedy series about two sisters at war, by Veep writer David Quantick.

Selina’s close personal ex-husband Andrew has died and – much to Florence’s rage and fury - left her a small Picasso. Meanwhile the murky waters of daughter Lucy’s parentage are stirred as Florence’s PA Mrs Ragnarrok has a mysterious meeting with Jonathan, who happens to be Lucy’s father. Unaware of any of this, Lucy continues to plan the round-the-world yacht voyage that everyone has completely forgotten she is about to undertake.

Critical reaction to the first episode, originally broadcast in December 2020:
“The leads’ natural chemistry, plus David Quantick’s witty script… make for an enjoyable comedy with series potential” The Observer

“It’s as slick, dark and funny as one would expect – but surely this cannot be a one-off? The ending alone leaves us begging for a series” Radio Times

“French and Saunders sparkle with a magic that is so rarely heard in new radio comedies that I’d almost forgotten it was possible” Daily Telegraph

Cast:
Florence - Dawn French
Selina - Jennifer Saunders
Mrs Ragnarrok – Rebecca Front
Lucy - Lisa McGrillis
All the men - Alistair McGowan

Written by David Quantick
Producer: Liz Anstee

A CPL production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 19:45 Invasive Species (m001qdh7)
Episode 4

Helen McAlpine reads a speculative serial from Rachelle Atalla, set in a near future with uncomfortable parallels to our present.

The knotweed outbreak has affected almost everyone in the village, and Fran's increasingly wild theories about the spread put her at odds with her neighbours.
Producer: Eilidh McCreadie

Rachelle Atalla is an award-winning Scottish-Egyptian novelist, short story writer and screenwriter based in Glasgow. Her debut novel The Pharmacist was shortlisted for Best Fiction at the Scottish National Book Awards. In March, she published her climate-focused second novel Thirsty Animals. Her short stories have been published widely and she is the recipient of a Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award. In screenwriting, her first feature was developed with BBC Film and she is developing an adaption of The Pharmacist with Compact Pictures.


SUN 20:00 More or Less (m001q66q)
Covid deaths, North Sea gas and Chloe Kelly's World Cup penalty

Covid related deaths are rising in England and Wales - but what do the figures really tell us? Also the UK's GDP during the pandemic has been revised upwards. Tim Harford and team ask why and discuss what it tells us about the UK's economic performance compared to other countries. Is North Sea gas really four times cleaner than gas from abroad? It's a claim recently made by the government. And we ask whether Chloe Kelly's penalty shot at the World Cup was really faster than the Premier League's fastest goal last season.

Presenter: Tim Harford
Series Producer: Jon Bithrey
Reporters: Nathan Gower, Natasha Fernandes
Editor: Richard Vadon
Production Coordinator: Maria Ogundele


SUN 20:30 Last Word (m001q6nw)
Mohamed Al-Fayed, Dorothy Goodman, Professor Anthony Bryceson, Denyse Plummer

Matthew Bannister on

Mohamed Al-Fayed, the controversial businessman who owned Harrods department store and Fulham Football Club. His son Dodi died in the car crash that killed Princess Diana.

Dorothy Goodman, the educationalist who helped to found the consumer affairs magazine that became known as “Which?”.

Professor Anthony Bryceson, the tropical medicine expert who was kidnapped by guerrilla forces in Laos.

Denyse Plummer, the singer who overcame prejudice to be crowned Calypso Monarch in her home islands of Trinidad and Tobago

Interviewee: Tom Bower
Interviewee: Harriet Goodman
Interviewee: Professor Sir David Warrell
Interviewee: Carl 'Beaver' Henderson

Producer: Gareth Nelson-Davies

Archive Used:
Mohamed AL Fayed, Press Interview, BBC News, 01/03/1990; Mohamed Al Fayed refused British Passport, BBC News, 06/05/1999; The death of Princess Dianna and Dodi Al Fayed, BBC Radio, 31/08/1997; Mohamed Al Fayed interview, Tabloid Tales: Mohamed Al Fayed, BBC ONE, 31/03/2004; Inquest into the death of Princess Diana, BBC News, 04/2008; Dorothy Goodman interview, Which? 60 Years of Which, Source: which.co.uk, 08/07/2022; Kitchen Gadget (1950), Pathe News, 16/10/1950 ; Denyse Plummer interview, Woman Making A Difference, TT Online, YouTube uploaded 17 /05/2020


SUN 21:00 Money Box (m001qd99)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:04 on Saturday]


SUN 21:25 Radio 4 Appeal (m001qdfr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:54 today]


SUN 21:30 Loose Ends (m001q6c8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:15 on Saturday]


SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (m001qdhd)
Have "Chinese spies" infiltrated Westminster? Leila Nathoo discusses the latest allegations with her panel: former Justice Secretary, Sir Robert Buckland; Labour peer Jenny Chapman; and the former government special adviser, Mo Hussein. They also talk about the forthcoming by-elections and the challenges facing both main parties, and consider whether the prison system is in crisis. The programme also includes an interview with Baroness Verma, President of the all-party group on India, reflecting on the recent G20 summit. Journalist Hugo Gye - political editor of the "i" newspaper - brings additional insight and analysis.


SUN 23:00 Life Changing (m001lrcq)
Speechless

Being a TV news anchor was everything to Polly Evans until she was forced to re-evaulate her identity. Her turning point happened in the spotlight – in front of an audience of hundreds of thousands – when she felt deeply exposed and humiliated. It was caused by a physical condition called Adductor Spasmodic Dysphonia, but Polly’s journey since then has been one of self-knowledge and finding fulfilment in other ways, including a new career.

She braves the studio for the first time to tell this story to Dr Sian Williams.


SUN 23:30 Beyond Belief (m001q63s)
Faith and Politics

The former SNP leadership contender Kate Forbes, found herself at the centre of a political storm about her religious views. In response to interviews questions, she said the idea of having children outside of marriage conflicted with her Christian faith and confirmed that she was anti-abortion. Ms Forbes also said she would not have voted for same-sex marriage if she had been a politician in 2014 when the law passed. The backlash against these views led SNP colleagues to abandon her campaign in droves.

In her first major broadcast interview after withdrawing from the leadership race, Kate Forbes said “We live in a world where it’s our duty and responsibility to coexist in a compassionate, caring, loving way. There is no doubt – people put this to me all the time – that if I had perhaps not been honest, and not been truthful, if I had tried to make certain things more palatable, or politically correct, then would I have been more successful? Perhaps”.

This inspires a discussion on relationship between faith and politics and whether the two can work together.

In a special episode of Beyond Belief, recorded in front of a live audience at the Religion Media Festival in London.

Aleem is joined by:

NICK FLETCHER, Conservative MP for Don Valley, who’s talked in the past about the way in which he sees himself as a Christian first and politician second

RUTH CADBURY, Labour MP for Brentford and Isleworth, who’s a Quaker. She was among the MPs who signed an early day motion calling for the abolition of parliamentary prayers

DABINDERJIT SINGH OBE is former director of the National Audit Office and for decades has played a prominent role in government-Sikh relations.

REV SALLY HITCHENER is an Anglican priest, Associate Vicar at St Martin-in-the-Fields, charity co-founder and LGBTQ+ rights activist.

Producer: Linda Walker and Katharine Longworth
Presenter: Aleem Maqbool
Assistant Producer: Naomi Wellings

MONDAY 11 SEPTEMBER 2023

MON 00:00 Midnight News (m001qdhh)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.


MON 00:15 Thinking Allowed (m001q6c0)
Boxing and Kickboxing

BOXING AND KICKBOXING: Can they transform lives? Boxing has long been cited as a potential cure for a range of social ills, including criminal justice failures, poor mental health and childhood trauma, yet little research has been carried out into how and why such claims exist. Laurie Taylor talks to Deborah Jump, Reader in Criminology at the Manchester Metropolitan University, about the potential of boxing as a mechanism for change among vulnerable groups.

Also, Amit Singh, Leverhulme Early Career Fellow in the Sociology Department at the University of Manchester discusses his study of a kickboxing gym in East London where people struggle to gain an identity as a ‘fighter’, one that transcends race, class, sexuality and gender.

Producer: Jayne Egerton


MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (m001qdc2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:43 on Sunday]


MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m001qdhl)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m001qdhq)
World Service

BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


MON 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m001qdhs)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


MON 05:30 News Briefing (m001qdhv)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m001qdhx)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg

Good Morning.

I can’t help thinking of this day in 2001, which we’ve come to know simply as nine / eleven. I remember exactly how I learnt what was happening.

I answered the phone. ‘Have you spoken to my son,’ said my friend in a panicked voice.

‘Why, what’s up?’ I innocently asked.

‘He’s in New York. Haven’t you seen?’ Realising I’d no idea, she told me to switch on the television and hung up.

A lot of people alive that day knows precisely where they were when they heard about the twin towers. We watched, transfixed, in horror. When the second tower collapsed it felt as if the entire earth was trembling.

The graph of a shock flattens, but in some corner the nerves still hold the trauma of the first impact. Grief changes, reconfiguring the soul, but it doesn’t go away.

My heart goes out to those whose lives were shattered that day. I’ve stood at the memorial at Ground Zero, silent and overawed.

It doesn’t feel as if the wounds of which those appalling attacks were both symptom and cause have truly healed. Some notion, fictional perhaps, of a world largely at peace, perished that day.

But the vision hasn’t died. John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’, with its famous line telling us that we may all be dreamers was a much played song in the aftermath of the terror and we still pray that the world will one day be as one.

In the Jewish year this is a season of reflection and reparation, leading up to the New Year. I hope that in some way, all of us can be healers amidst the world’s great wounds.


MON 05:45 Farming Today (m001qdhz)
11/09/23 Sustainable supply chains for top fruit growers; Scotland's 'outcomes for farming'; pine martens spotted in Yorkshire

Top fruit farmers say they're not being paid enough by retailers for their crop, and lose money on fruit which doesn't reach the top specifications.

Scottish farmers press for food production to be higher up the government's agenda when it comes to the First Minister's 'programme for government'.

And why a rare pine martin was spotted in Yorkshire, miles from where it would usually be spotted.

Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Rhiannon Fitz-Gerald.


MON 05:56 Weather (m001qdj1)
The latest weather forecast for farmers.


MON 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b0378xsn)
Common Gull

Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about the British birds inspired by their calls and songs.

Michaela Strachan presents the common gull. In spite of their name Common Gulls aren't as common or widespread as some of our other gulls. Most of the breeding colonies in the UK are in Scotland. In North America their alternative name is Mew gull because of their mewing cat-like cries.


MON 06:00 Today (m001qdlm)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


MON 09:00 Is Psychiatry Working? (m001jcbd)
Healing and Recovery

Although psychiatry helped writer Horatio Clare when he was in crisis, some people in difficulty, their families, clinicians, psychologists and psychiatrists themselves will tell you there are serious questions about the ways psychiatry understands and treats some people in trouble. And so this series asks a simple question: is psychiatry working? In the following series, accompanied by the psychiatrist Femi Oyebode, Horatio traces a journey through crisis, detention, diagnosis, therapy, and recovery. In this episode, they look at healing and recovery.

If you need support with mental health or feelings of despair, a list of organisations that can help is available at BBC Action Line support:

Mental health & self-harm: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1NGvFrTqWChr03LrYlw2Hkk/information-and-support-mental-health-self-harm
Suicide/Emotional distress: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4WLs5NlwrySXJR2n8Snszdg/information-and-support-suicide-emotional-distress

or you can call for free to hear recorded information on 0800 066 066.

Presenters: Horatio Clare and Femi Oyebode
Producer: Emma Close
Assistant Producer: Lucinda Borrell
Editor: Clare Fordham
Sound Mix: James Beard


MON 09:30 Shock and War: Iraq 20 Years On (m001k83m)
10. Legacy

Have new generations of Iraqis got the freedom they were promised? What is the legacy within Iraq today particularly for a new generation seeking democracy? And how do those directly involved in events reflect on the legacy of war twenty years on?

Presenter: Gordon Corera
Series Producer: John Murphy
Producers: Ellie House, Claire Bowes
Sound Designer: Eloise Whitmore, Naked Productions
Production coordinators: Janet Staples, Brenda Brown
Series Editor: Penny Murphy


MON 09:45 Adam Smith: What He Thought and Why It Matters by Jesse Norman (m001qdlt)
Episode 1

On the 300th anniversary of the birth of Adam Smith, author Jesse Norman explores his life and captures the febrile surroundings of Enlightenment Edinburgh. Considering Smith’s legacy, he dispels the myths and debunks the caricatures that have grown around the economist in the centuries since he first presented his ideas.

Abridged by Rosemary Goring
Read by Robin Laing
Producer: Eilidh McCreadie

Jesse Norman is the Conservative MP for Hereford and South Herefordshire and Minister of State in the Department for Transport. Previous publications include a celebrated study of Edmund Burke, and his debut novel 'The Winding Stair', a historical thriller set in the Elizabethan court, was published in the summer.


MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (m001qdm1)
Millie Bobby Brown, Arlo Parks, Martha's Rule

Millie Bobby Brown is a 19-year-old actress best known for her award-nominated performance as Eleven in Stranger Things, and for producing and starring in Enola Holmes. Now she has written a debut novel, Nineteen Steps, based on her grandmother’s life in the East End of London during the Second World War. She joins Nuala to talk about why she wanted to write the novel and why it’s so personal for her.

In recent months there’s been increasing momentum for what has been called Martha’s rule which would give patients the power to get an automatic second medical opinion from other experts. This comes after the death of 13-year-old Martha Mills who died in hospital. An inquest concluded that her death had been preventable. So what difference could Martha’s Rule make to how much say patients have to question the decisions made by doctors? Paediatrician and health campaigner Dr Guddi Singh wants to empower people so that medical care works in their best interests and joins Nuala.

Three quarters of police officers and staff accused of violence against women are not suspended by their force. That’s according to a joint investigation by the Independent newspaper and Refuge Charity. Nuala is joined by Ellie Butt, Head of Policy at Refuge.

Mercury Prize Winning Musician Arlo Parks has turned her hand to poetry with her debut book, The Magic Border. It combines original poetry, song lyrics and images and she joins Nuala for an interview and live reading of one of the poems.

Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Emma Pearce

Opener 00:00
Martha’s Rule 01:23
Police accused of violence against women 12:50
Millie Bobby Brown 23:49
Arlo Parks 42:48


MON 11:00 The Gift (m001qdm5)
1. Fraud

It's the go-to Christmas present for the person who already has everything. A gift that promises to tell you who you really are and how you're connected to the world.

Millions of us have spat into a tube and sent a vial of our DNA to a company like Ancestry and 23andMe. Their tests promise to unlock the truth of our heritage - perhaps even a future foretold in our genes.

Across six episodes, Jenny Kleeman meets the men and women whose lives changed forever after they opened a box that contained a DNA test. Exposing scandals, upending identities, solving mysteries and delivering life-changing news - Jenny investigates what happens when genealogy, technology and identity collide.

Episode 1: Fraud

A scandal deep in the heart of London's Harley Street is exposed when a man in his eighties receives a DNA test Christmas present from his daughter.

Presenter: Jenny Kleeman
Producer: Conor Garrett
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke
Executive Producer: Philip Sellars
Production Co-ordinator: Gill Huggett


MON 11:30 Analysis (m001nglr)
Does work have to be miserable?

How can employers in all sectors of the UK economy get the best out of their workers, retain experienced staff, improve productivity and increase profits at the same time?

The principles of "Job Design" seem to promise all of these benefits. It's a process of work innovation which focuses on people, their skills, their knowledge and how they interact with each other and technology, in every workplace, in every sector of the economy.

Proponents claim it gives workers a voice in their workplace, allows them to balance their work and home lives, stops burnout and could get more of the economically inactive back in employment. But what evidence is there that it works - and how difficult would it be to implement changes in the workplace?

Presenter: Pauline Mason
Producer: Ravi Naik
Editor: Clare Fordham

Contributors:
Patricia Findlay, Professor of Work and Employment Relations, University of Strathclyde and Director of the Scottish Centre for Employment Research.
Kate Bennett, Labour ward coordinator at Liverpool Women's Hospital.
Damian Grimshaw, Professor of Employment Studies, King's College London, and former head of research at the International Labour Organisation.
Dame Diane Coyle, Bennett Professor, University of Cambridge and a director of the Productivity Institute.
Rachel London, Deputy Chief People Officer at Liverpool Women's Hospital.
Jenna Brimble. Midwife in the continuity of care team at Liverpool Women's Hospital.
Heejung Chung, Professor of Sociology and Social Policy, University of Kent.
Emma Stewart, Flexible working consultant and co-founder, Timewise.
Dr Charlotte Gascoine independent researcher and consultant on flexible and part-time working
Paul Dennett, Mayor of the City of Salford
Jim Liptrot, Managing director, Howorth Air Tech.
Stacey Bridge, Financial accounting assistant, Howorth Air Tech.


MON 12:00 News Summary (m001qdmr)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


MON 12:04 You and Yours (m001qdn7)
UK Holidays, Wilko and Octopus buys Shell

What's the latest with Wilko? A big deal to save the stores seems to have collapsed...so what happens next?

Staying with the high street - shoppers still seem to be turning to discount stores - so is that good news for pound shops?

Summer's the most important time of year for UK holiday destinations - so how did the sector cope with the cost of living crisis and July's rain? We'll get a view from two tourist hotspots.

You might have seen social media posts advertising short-term sublets of people's rentals properties - we'll find out what's going on.

Also on the programme - we ask Octopus what its acquisition of Shell Energy means for customers and find out how Chinese electric car companies are faring in the UK market.

PRESENTER: RIMA AHMED

PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY


MON 12:57 Weather (m001qdnw)
The latest weather forecast


MON 13:00 World at One (m001qdpc)
Forty-five minutes of news, analysis and comment, with Sarah Montague.


MON 13:45 Intrigue (m001qdpr)
The Immortals - Ep 6: Longevity Escape Velocity

Many of the longevity innovators in the Valley want to extend human life. But there are others who are trying to eliminate death. A lot of them.

The tech billionaires who have never been told ‘no’ are driven to tackle the most insurmountable problems. They believe they can solve death by re-engineering the human in code. Problem is, it’s unlikely to happen in their natural lifetime.

But technology is on their side. Every year, computing power doubles. Once a decade, the amount of change produces a whole new paradigm. And that is what they’re banking on.

Science, combined with the rapid acceleration of technological change will keep them alive decade on decade until such time as they can achieve ‘longevity escape velocity’ - eternal life.

In this series, technology reporter and psychologist Aleks Krotoski explores the frontiers of the extreme longevity pioneers. They've made their money in Silicon Valley. And with their technology solutions - PayPal, Facebook, cryptocurrencies - they've ushered in the world that we live in today, with all its unintended consequences. Some of them now want to solve the "problem" of aging, or even death, and they are making bigger strides than we may think.

Can they? Should they?

A Pillowfort production for BBC Radio 4

New episodes released Mondays. If you're in the UK, listen to the full series of Intrigue: The Immortals first on BBC Sounds: bbc.in/3WEQS5W


MON 14:00 The Archers (m001qdh5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Sunday]


MON 14:15 This Cultural Life (m001qdbh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:15 on Saturday]


MON 15:00 Brain of Britain (m001qdq5)
Heat 5, 2023

(5/17)
Another four contenders join Russell Davies for the first of the northern-based contests in this year's Brain of Britain season. An enthusiastic audience at the BBC's Salford studios will find out who's going through to the semi-finals and taking a step closer to the title.

What are the five colours of the Olympic rings? What's the first of the Ten Commandments? What was the protest group The Anti-Heptagonists opposed to? The Brains today will have to grapple with these and many more questions from all fields of knowledge, as well as tackling questions from a listener hoping to Beat the Brains with questions he or she has supplied.

Taking part are:
Jean Burtonwood from Huddersfield
Brian Craythorne from Belfast
Rob Greenhill from Leicester
Gill Hollis from Lichfield.

Assistant Producer: Stephen Garner
Producer: Paul Bajoria


MON 15:30 BBC National Short Story Award (m001qdqm)
BBC National Short Story Award 2023

Comorbidities by Naomi Wood

Charlotte Ritchie reads the first story in this year's BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge University.

After the realisation that heir sex life isn’t exactly on fire, a couple with two young children decide they must take action. But how to spice things up?

Reader: Charlotte Ritchie is an acclaimed stage and TV actor, known most recently for her roles in Ghosts, Call the Midwife and Fresh Meat.

Writer: Naomi Wood is the author of The Godless Boys and the award-winning Mrs. Hemingway, which won the British Library Writer’s Award and the Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Award. She teaches at the University of East Anglia and lives in Norwich.

Producer: Justine Willett


MON 16:00 History's Secret Heroes (p0fqng2f)
4. Claude, Marcel and the Soldier with No Name

Two eccentric French artists, Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore, risk their lives to perform an extraordinary act of resistance on the island of Jersey.

Helena Bonham Carter shines a light on extraordinary stories from World War Two. Join her for incredible tales of deception, acts of resistance and courage.

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

Producer: Clem Hitchcock
Executive Producer: Paul Smith
Written by Alex von Tunzelmann


MON 16:30 Beyond Belief (m001qdr3)
Ashes to Ashes

‘We always put our hand on the coffin and use their name, tell them how loved they were. And then just as the door opens, we wish them well on their journey.”

Crematorium Manager Jenny Hamilton tells Aleem Maqbool how she and her team approach their work with the deceased at the Clyde Coast and Garnock Valley Crematorium on the West Coast of Scotland, and how her profession connects to her Christian faith.

Aleem is joined by a panel to discuss how the different ways we process the body after death, has been informed by faith, and what the human body represents within different religions.

How will religions respond to new ways of human decomposition that are being explored, such as alkaline hydrolysis or water cremation, which is being piloted in the UK later this year, and terramation or human composting?

Sally Berkovic, author and a volunteer for a Chevra Kadisha, a group that helps prepare Jewish bodies for funeral, joins Aleem to share her experiences. She's joined by Reverend Andrew Dotchin, who is looking into the theology of alkaline hydrolysis for the Church of England, and Hindu teacher Seeta Lakani.

The discussion raises the question, who is our death rites and rituals for: the deceased, or those left behind?

Producer: Rebecca Maxted
Series Producer: Katharine Longworth
Editor: Tim Pemberton


MON 17:00 PM (m001qdrd)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines


MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m001qdrr)
The Government is facing calls to declare China a threat to the UK's democracy


MON 18:30 Paul Sinha's Perfect Pub Quiz (m001qds4)
Series 2

Episode 2

In each episode of Paul Sinha’s Perfect Pub Quiz, the quizzer, comedian and Rose d’Or winner Paul Sinha invites the audience to tell him their favourite quiz questions, before offering up not just different and surprising questions, but also the fascinating stories behind the answers.

It’s facts, jokes, stories and puns – just the way you like them.

This week's show comes from Manchester, and is packed full of facts that may surprise you, just as they surprised a room full of Mancunians.

Written and performed by Paul Sinha
Additional material: Oliver Levy
Additional questions: The Audience

Original music: Tim Sutton

Sound engineer: Jerry Peal

Producer: Ed Morrish

A Lead Mojo production for BBC Radio 4.


MON 19:00 The Archers (m001qdqh)
Helen collects Lee from the airport. He’s full of enthusiasm for California. His spirits quickly sink as Helen fills him in on what happened in his absence. Lee is angry that Helen didn’t tell him over the phone at the time. She explains she wanted to protect him. While stuck in traffic, Helen apologises to Lee, admitting withholding information from him was a mistake. Lee offers Helen an American sweet but she refuses and admits she’s lost her appetite recently. When she realises Pat hasn’t spoken to Lee, Helen says there is something else she needs to tell him.
Jim recommends Lark Rise to Candleford to David, but David’s too busy to fit in time to read. He’s feeling overwhelmed by the extra things they’ve taken on. When Jim hears they’re in need of entertainment for the Harvest Supper, he recommends his piano teacher who has an excellent repertoire.
On his way out of the shop, David almost knocks over a woman who’s coming in. She confidently warns him to not rush about otherwise he could cause an injury. Jim’s impressed by the woman who just says she’s a bossy type. Jim lends her cutlery and a plate so she can eat the lunch things she’s bought. Later, as he’s closing up, Jim overhears her leaving a cross voicemail. She reveals it’s for her brother to whom she is like a second mother. She returns the plate and cutlery and also advises that Jim goes to the GP to have a mole on his hand checked.


MON 19:15 Front Row (m001qdsg)
The British Museum’s missing gems, a drinking game drama, National Short Story Award

Front Row gets an exclusive look at some of the treasures confirmed as missing by the British Museum, as art dealer, academic and whistleblower Dr Ittai Gradel, who says he bought them in good faith on eBay, returns them.

Deborah Frances White, the comedian and writer behind the hit podcast The Guilty Feminist, joins Samira to discuss her debut play, Never Have I Ever. Named after the confessional drinking game, at its heart is an explosive dinner party dissecting identity politics and infidelity, running at the Minerva Theatre in Chichester.

And we hear how writer Cherise Saywell transformed the making of a cup of coffee by a refugee neighbour into a special act of hospitality in her shortlisted National Short Story Award tale, Guests.

Missing Treasures 1:22
Deborah Frances White 16:05
Cherise Saywell 28:47
Fake Encores 37:29


MON 20:00 Lego Overboard (m001qdsv)
In 1997 a freak wave washed 62 containers into the sea off a cargo ship near the coast of Cornwall. Inside one were five million pieces of Lego. By a strange quirk of fate, many of the Lego pieces had a sea theme. This is the story of the community of beachcombers trying to track down the miniature octopuses, scuba tanks, life rafts, flippers, sharks and some very rare green dragons still washing ashore today. Beachcomber Tracey Williams set up the social media account Lego Lost At Sea, allowing people to share their finds. She leads BBC reporter Robin Markwell on a journey around the Cornish coastline looking for the tiny toys. On the way they meet fishermen still bringing up Lego in their nets, families brought together by dragon-hunting and an artist making sculptures out of millions of pieces of microplastic. Lego Overboard is a tale about the joys of treasure-hunting with a serious message about the long-lasting legacy of plastic pollution in our seas.

Producer: Robin Markwell for BBC Audio in Bristol


MON 20:30 Crossing Continents (m001q69h)
Surviving Greece's migrant boat disaster

In the early hours of 14th June, a heavily overcrowded, rusty fishing trawler carrying as many as 750 migrants capsized off the coast of Greece. The passengers - men, women and children from countries including Pakistan, Egypt and Syria - were fleeing conflict and poverty, hoping to start safer and more prosperous lives in Europe.

After its engine broke down, the boat drifted for several hours while desperate passengers made distress calls and waited for rescue. Only 104 people survived the sinking. More than 600 may have drowned, making this one of the deadliest disasters in Europe’s ongoing migration crisis.

For Crossing Continents, Nick Beake travels to Greece to meet survivors of the sinking, who are now living in a refugee camp outside Athens. He hears how they endured a four-day voyage, during which several passengers died due to a lack of food, water and ventilation on board. Brutal smugglers forced them to board the dangerous boat, and confiscated water bottles and life jackets to make room for extra passengers.

Many of the survivors have accused the Greek coastguard of causing the sinking by attempting to tow the heavily overloaded vessel. Greek authorities have denied these claims. Nick meets a Greek activist who volunteers for an emergency hotline that received distress calls from passengers on the ship. She explains that the June 14th disaster is not the first time the Greek coastguard has come under scrutiny, and it has previously been accused of using aggressive and illegal tactics to deter migration.

Presented by Nick Beake
Producer: Viv Jones
Studio mix: Graham Puddifoot
Series Editor: Penny Murphy


MON 21:00 The Archbishop Interviews (m001n1vs)
Zarifa Ghafari

In this series, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has conversations with public figures about their inner lives. What do they believe? How does that shape their values and actions?

This week's guest is the Afghan human rights campaigner, Zarifa Ghafari.

Producer: Dan Tierney.


MON 21:30 Is Psychiatry Working? (m001jcbd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


MON 22:00 The World Tonight (m001qdt5)
Morocco earthquake: death toll continues to rise

It’s been three days since the 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck Morocco. We hear more about the response to the disaster from a former Moroccan Tourism Minister.

Also on the programme: the arrest of a researcher in Parliament accused of spying for the Chinese Communist Party reignites the debate about how the UK handles relations with Beijing; and we remember Professor Sir Ian Wilmut – one of the leaders of the team that created the world’s first cloned mammal – Dolly the sheep.


MON 22:45 The Exhibitionist by Charlotte Mendelson (m001qdth)
Episode 6

Set in London over a weekend in 2010, this is a darkly humorous book about a bohemian middle class family with a patriarchal monster at its centre.

A lot is riding on Ray Hanrahan's art exhibition, the first for a decade. He summons his family and friends to the decaying family home to celebrate the occasion, starting with a dinner on the Friday evening. His wife, Lucia, an artist in her own right, has sidelined her own career to allow her husband's to flourish and to bring up their three children, Leah, Jess and Patrick.

Leah has not yet left home and devotedly looks after her ailing father. Her younger sister, Jess is a teacher and has flown the nest to Scotland where she lives with her boyfriend Martyn. Patrick, Lucia's son from a previous relationship, lives in a caravan at the bottom of the garden, struggling with his mental health and dreaming of becoming a chef.

As the family gathers, Lucia is consumed by thoughts of someone new and exciting in her life and wondering anxiously why her gallery manager is so persistently trying to get hold of her. Ray will not be happy if it is news of her success. Meanwhile, Jess is also harbouring a secret which means that she too will be facing some life changing decisions.

Charlotte Mendelson is an award- winning author and The Exhibitionist was long listed for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2022. Her other works include Daughters of Jerusalem, When We Were Bad and Almost English.

Written by Charlotte Mendelson
Reader: Tracy-Ann Oberman
Abridger: Sara Davies
Producer: Alexa Moore
Sound Designers: Sean Kerwin and Iain Hunter
Music: Autumn Leaves by The Bill Evans Trio

A Pier production for BBC Radio 4


MON 23:00 The Food Programme (m001qdg8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:32 on Sunday]


MON 23:30 Today in Parliament (m001qdty)
All the news from Westminster with Sean Curran, as the Prime Minister reports back on the G20 summit.

TUESDAY 12 SEPTEMBER 2023

TUE 00:00 Midnight News (m001qdv8)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.


TUE 00:30 Adam Smith: What He Thought and Why It Matters by Jesse Norman (m001qdlt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 on Monday]


TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m001qdvn)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m001qdw2)
World Service

BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


TUE 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m001qdwh)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


TUE 05:30 News Briefing (m001qdwx)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m001qdx8)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg

Good Morning.

In our previous home we had Jewish neighbours on one side, and, on the other, a Christian lady. Soon after we moved in, she commented to the Jewish couple that the new resident – meaning me - had taken up the French horn, but wasn’t very good at it. ‘Don’t worry,’ they replied, as they told us later, ‘He’ll soon give it up.’

They were right. I was practicing blowing the shofar, the ram’s horn, in preparation for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year which begins this coming weekend, when the shofar’s cry will punctuate our prayers.

But for whom does the shofar sound?

The instrument has a history. It recalls the ram offered by Abraham, when, at the last moment, God told him not to sacrifice his son. Thereafter it came to represent all the sacrifices the Jewish People were forced to make through many exiles and persecutions, when no voice from heaven intervened hence the shofar’s call became a cry for life, all and every life. I remember saying, before blowing the shofar days after 9/11, ‘This is for all human sorrow, all loss, and all hope.’

But a shofar is not a human artefact. It comes from the world of nature, and it calls out for the animals too. I hear in it the curlew’s cry and the sharp retorts of seabirds at dusk. It’s an articulation of the deep togetherness of all life.

The shofar’s most tender sound is like weeping; its longest note expresses the indestructibility of hope.

May it sound for all life, heralding a year which carries us from sorrow to joy.


TUE 05:45 Farming Today (m001qdxq)
12/09/23 Bird flu and game; Dolly the sheep creator dies; giving away apple crop; Colorado potato beetle.

Two cases of avian flu have been confirmed on game farms in Cheshire and Staffordshire, where pheasant and partridge are produced for shooting. Every year more than 40 million partridge and pheasant are released into the wild from game farms, to populate land for shooting. In May the RSPB called for more restrictions on releasing game birds into the countryside, to reduce the risk of new strains of avian flu, but the British Association for Shooting and Conservation says a ban on releases of game birds is not the answer.

Sir Ian Wilmut who led the research team that produced Dolly the cloned sheep at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, has died at the age of 79. The team used a cell from the mammary gland of a dead adult sheep to create a living animal that was genetically identical to the donor. The work laid the foundations for stem cell research, a technology which aims to cure many of the diseases of ageing by enabling the body to regenerate damaged tissue.

All week we're picking out the stories from top-fruit farming - that's apples, pears, plums and cherries. One fruit grower in Kent says he is giving away all his crop to charity, because he says he can’t make any money selling it.

The Canary Islands have banned imports of UK seed and eating potatoes to their Islands after Colorado beetles were found in potatoes in Kent and Hampshire in July. Each year, the UK exports 50 thousand tonnes of potatoes to Spain, and the Canary Islands are the fourth largest export market for seed potatoes from Scotland. The government's Animal and Plant Health Agency says the Spanish National Plant Protection Organisation has agreed to import potatoes again under new criteria and the APHA is discussing this with the sector.

Presenter = Anna Hill
Producer = Rebecca Rooney


TUE 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b038qj2c)
Roseate Tern

Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs.

Brett Westwood presents the Roseate Tern. One of the rarest of the UK's breeding seabirds, the Roseate Tern is exquisitely graceful. Roseate means flushed with pink and seen close this bird does have a faint pinkish wash on its chest in summer, but from a distance, it's the brilliant-white freshly-laundered look of its back and wings that distinguishes a Roseate Tern from its greyer relatives, the Common and Arctic Terns.


TUE 06:00 Today (m001qdlb)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


TUE 09:00 The Life Scientific (m001qdln)
Paul Murdin on the first ever identification of a black hole

Astronomer Paul Murdin believes a good imagination is vital for scientists, since they're so often dealing with subjects outside the visible realm.

Indeed, over a long and successful career his imagination has taken him on a journey through space, discovering various new and unusual celestial occurrences - notably the first successful identification of a black hole, Cygnus X-1.

Paul tells Jim Al-Khalili how he spent much of his career at the Royal Greenwich Observatory, working with astronomers around the world on some of the most advanced telescopes ever built. He headed up the Astronomy section of the UK’s Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council, was Director of Science for the British National Space Centre and even has an asteroid named after him.

This list of achievements is testament to the fact that Paul has never let his disability hold him back; a leg brace and walking sticks have been part of his life since contracting polio in childhood. But he maintains that as long as you have curiosity and a vibrant imagination, nothing should stand in your way.

Produced by Lucy Taylor.


TUE 09:30 One to One (m001qdlv)
Nikki Bedi and Lauren Zalaznick

'The Real Housewives...' is a reality TV series that follows groups of successful glamorous women as they go about their daily lives. The series began in Orange County in 2006 but quickly spread to other cities in the USA and even further afield, and radio and TV presenter Nikki Bedi absolutely loves them. She is drawn in by the drama of these women as they navigate work and relationships, friendships and family,

For this first programme Nikki speaks to Lauren Zalaznick, a former TV executive who helped devise and develop many of the early series.

Lauren and Nikki discuss how the women are chosen, what factors shape what we want to see on our screens, just how 'real' these Real Housewives are, and why some of the criticism aimed at the series is anti-woman.

Presenter: Nikki Bedi
Produced for BBC Audio Bristol by Toby Field


TUE 09:45 Adam Smith: What He Thought and Why It Matters by Jesse Norman (m001qdm0)
Episode 2

On the 300th anniversary of the birth of Adam Smith, author Jesse Norman explores his life and captures the febrile surroundings of Enlightenment Edinburgh. Considering Smith’s legacy, he dispels the myths and debunks the caricatures that have grown around the economist in the centuries since he first presented his ideas.

In 1746 Smith returns home from Oxford inspired by dazzling and subversive texts - such as Hume’s ‘Treatise of Human Nature’ - to reflect on human nature and wider society.

Abridged by Rosemary Goring
Read by Robin Laing
Producer: Eilidh McCreadie

Jesse Norman is the Conservative MP for Hereford and South Herefordshire and Minister of State in the Department for Transport. Previous publications include a celebrated study of Edmund Burke, and his debut novel The Winding Stair, a historical thriller set in the Elizabethan court, was published in the summer.


TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (m001qdm4)
Dr Shazia Malik, Charlotte Regan, Female surgeons, Poison pen letters, The Knock special series

They say current disparities in women’s health across England mean there are far too many cases where women’s voices are not being heard. But the decision to only speak to women up to the age of 55 has provoked a backlash. Nuala McGovern is joined by consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Shazia Malik, a sub-specialist in reproductive medicine.

The film Scrapper follows 12-year-old Georgie living happily alone in a council house in London following the death of her mum. But when her absent father Jason turns up out of the blue, her world is disrupted. We talk to director Charlotte Regan about her debut feature film who says she wanted to show British working class life as something that can be joyful and fun.

A new survey shows that nearly a third of female NHS surgeons have been sexually assaulted by a colleague over the past five years. Nuala speak to Tamzin Cuming, a consultant surgeon and chair of the Women in Surgery forum at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, who says it’s a #MeToo moment for surgery.

Before the age of social media, there was still plenty of trolling in written form. Emily Cockayne, author of the new book Penning Poison, joins Nuala to discuss her research into the history of poison pen letters; that is, messages sent anonymously, seemingly with the intention to unsettle the recipient. Emily has traced the stories of such missives to all corners of English society from 1760 to 1939.

We start our new series 'The Knock' which details the stories of two women whose lives were changed when they were told that a loved one had been arrested for sexual offences against children.

Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Lisa Jenkinson
Studio Manager: Tim Heffer
Reporter Jo Morris


TUE 11:00 The Archbishop Interviews (m001n8dv)
Nick Cave

In this series, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has conversations with public figures about their inner lives. What do they believe? How does that shape their values and actions?

This week's guest is the songwriter, poet and author, Nick Cave.

Producer: Dan Tierney.


TUE 11:30 Three Faces of WH Auden (m001qdmc)
Episode 1

It starts with that face - a wedding cake left out in the rain, as he himself described it. WH Auden was undoubtedly one of the greatest and most recognisable poets of the Twentieth Century, and one of the things that made him stand out was the strength of his work across different subjects. Most poets would be thrilled to be remembered for their love poetry, their metaphysical poetry, or their political poetry - Auden was an exceptional exponent of all three.

In this new three-part series marking 50 years since Auden’s death, Michael Symmons Roberts sets out to consider those three different aspects of Auden’s massive body of work, beginning with a look at the political poet who in his early years was perhaps the leading voice of the British cultural left.

As a young man in the 1930s Auden wrote powerful works such as ‘Spain’ that served as an ideological call to arms. Going on to witness the reality of battle in both Spain and China, he distanced himself from such poems and from the very idea that verse could make any practical political difference at all - “for poetry makes nothing happen” as he wrote in his elegy to W.B. Yeats.

Michael travels to Austria, where Auden spent his summers for the last fifteen years of his life and hears how the older poet remained politically active through helping writers in the Communist bloc in spite of this aversion to directly engaged verse. He also looks at those great poems of Auden’s later career, including ‘The Fall of Rome’, that offer a more mythological reading of political events than the works of the 1930s that made him such a dominant figure in the cultural landscape.

Contributors include Alan Bennett, Katherine Bucknell, Carl Phillips, Zaffar Kunial, Timo Frühwirth, Sandra Mayer.

Producer: Geoff Bird

Poems referenced in this episode include:

As I Walked Out One Evening
Spain
September 1st 1939
The Shield Of Achilles
The Fall Of Rome
Night Mail
Funeral Blues

All published by Faber & Faber


TUE 12:00 News Summary (m001qdn2)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


TUE 12:04 You and Yours (m001qdnn)
Call You and Yours: The cost of vets.

Call You & Yours wants to hear from listeners about the cost of taking a pet to the vet.

The Competition and Markets Authority is investigating vets' charges and want the public to get in touch.

And we want to hear from you too .

When you took your pet to the vet, did you get a good service; was it value for money; were charges clear? If you are a vet tell us what you think.

Email us at youandyours@bbc.co.uk and leave us a phone number where we can call you back or after 11am on Tuesday call us on 03700 100 444.

PRESENTER: RIMA AHMED

PRODUCER: KEVIN MOUSLEY


TUE 12:57 Weather (m001qdp7)
The latest weather forecast


TUE 13:00 World at One (m001qdpp)
Forty-five minutes of news, analysis and comment, with Sarah Montague.


TUE 13:45 Intrigue (m001qdq3)
The Immortals - Ep 7: Vitalik

Vitalek Buterin is the billionaire founder of Ethereum, one of the most successful blockchains and cryptocurrencies in the world. With his fortune, he is attempting to solve the problem of death by creating a longevity state - which will fast track life everlasting, without the need for regulation.

They will crowdsource their longevity solutions and organise them through the blockchain. His north star is the Fable of the Dragon Tyrant.

In this series, technology reporter and psychologist Aleks Krotoski explores the frontiers of the extreme longevity pioneers. They've made their money in Silicon Valley. And with their technology solutions - PayPal, Facebook, cryptocurrencies - they've ushered in the world that we live in today, with all its unintended consequences. Some of them now want to solve the "problem" of aging, or even death, and they are making bigger strides than we may think.

Can they? Should they?

A Pillowfort production for BBC Radio 4

New episodes released Mondays. If you're in the UK, listen to the full series of Intrigue: The Immortals first on BBC Sounds: bbc.in/3WEQS5W


TUE 14:00 The Archers (m001qdqh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Monday]


TUE 14:15 This Thing of Darkness (p0b22s80)
Series 2

Part 5

The winner of the British Podcast Award for Best Fiction 2021 returns with a gripping drama about trauma, obsession and why we harm the things we love.

Part 5 of 7

Written by Anita Vettesse with monologues by Eileen Horne.

Dr Alex Bridges is an expert forensic psychiatrist and psychotherapist, assessing and treating perpetrators of violent crime. She also runs a trauma therapy group.

When her professional worlds come dangerously close, Alex is faced with a dilemma: what if the only way to protect someone from harm is to betray their trust?

Dark secrets are revealed as Sarah and Paul’s lives collide. And the lies we tell our loved ones to get their attention are exposed as the Lotus Group continue to work through their various traumas.

Alex … Lolita Chakrabarti
Ros ….. Lois Chimimba
Sarah ….. Melody Grove
Paul ….. Robert Jack
Dawn ….. Neshla Caplan
Kelly ….. Veronica Leer
Malcolm ….. Michael Nardone
Rowena ….. Wendy Seager

Series created by Lucia Haynes, Eileen Horne, Gaynor Macfarlane, Anita Vettesse and Kirsty Williams.
Series consultant: Dr Gwen Adshead
Produced by Kirsty Williams and Gaynor Macfarlane

A BBC Scotland Production directed by Kirsty Williams


TUE 15:00 The Kitchen Cabinet (m001qd8x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 on Saturday]


TUE 15:30 BBC National Short Story Award (m001qdqw)
BBC National Short Story Award 2023

Guests by Cherise Saywell

Natalie is a young Australian woman, carefree and adrift. A mother, Bilen is a similarly young Eritrean woman, less carefree and adrift in a different way. The two neighbours live in close physical proximity, kept apart by a contested swimming pool. They are brought together by a shared coffee ceremony, but wider tensions percolate underneath the surface…

Reader: Nahel Tzegai has starred in Miracle Workers, The Swimmers and Cold Storage (forthcoming). Most recently she appeared at the National Theatre in Grenfell: in the words of survivors.

Writer: Cherise Saywell is author of two novels, Desert Fish and Twitcher. Her short stories have previously won the Pindrop, Mslexia and V.S. Pritchett prizes She currently works for the Royal Literary Fund's Bridge Project and lives in Edinburgh.

Producer: Ciaran Bermingham


TUE 16:00 Moving Pictures (m001f4tq)
The Campo Santo, Venice by Turner

Cathy FitzGerald invites you to discover new details in old masterpieces.

Each episode of Moving Pictures is devoted to a single artwork - and you're invited to look as well as listen, by following a link to a high-resolution image made by Google Arts & Culture. Zoom in and you can see the pores of the canvas, the sweep of individual brushstrokes, the shimmer of pointillist dots.

This episode takes a closer look at a masterpiece in the collection of The Toledo Museum of Art. In The Campo Santo, Venice, JMW Turner gives us a warm day on the Venetian lagoon, where fishing boats bob and the city shimmers in the sun's glare. It's beautiful - somehow lit from within - and full of rewarding details, from a mysterious gondola passenger to Turner's ridiculously audacious, playful use of paint.

To see the super high-resolution image of the work made by Google Arts & Culture, visit www.bbc.co.uk/movingpictures. Scroll down and follow the link to explore the high-resolution image of The Campo Santo, Venice.

Interviewees: Ian Warrell, Francesca Whitlum-Cooper, Franny Moyle, Christine Riding and Larry Nichols.

Producer and Presenter: Cathy FitzGerald

Executive Producer: Sarah Cuddon
Mix Engineer: Mike Woolley
Art History Consultants: Leah Kharibian and Robert Schindler

A White Stiletto production for BBC Radio 4

Picture credit: J.M.W. Turner, The Campo Santo, Venice detail, 1842, Toledo Museum of Art, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey, 1926.63


TUE 16:30 Great Lives (m001qdr8)
Lady Eve Balfour

An aristocrat in an eye patch, a jazz saxophonist, a crime novelist and a pioneering organic farmer.

Lady Eve Balfour was born in 1898 into the political elite - her uncle was A J Balfour, who was Prime Minister from 1902-05. But from the age of 12 she wanted to be a farmer and, after studying at agricultural college, made her dream a reality.

She started experimenting with organic farming, and eventually published a book called The Living Soil, which lead to her founding the organic farming body, the Soil Association. Seen as somewhat of a crank, she faced opposition from fellow farmers and politicians alike.

Meanwhile, her personal life was as fascinating as her agricultural life. She lived in a run-down farmhouse with her female partner, played saxophone in a jazz band and co-authored a series of best-selling crime novels.

Presenter, Matthew Parris, is joined by former Director of the Soil Association, Patrick Holden, and Sarah Langford, a farmer and author who claims a "borderline obsession" with Lady Eve.

Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons


TUE 17:00 PM (m001qdrm)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines


TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m001qds5)
But figures from the Office for National Statistics show the rate of unemployment rose


TUE 18:30 Suggs: Love Letters to London (m000570j)
Soho

A side of London you’ve never heard before - seen through the eyes of a national treasure.

Soho is, and always has been, a haven for society’s misfits and non-conformists. But like most parts of London, Soho doesn’t sit still – it’s always changing and shifting.
But there are constants – its multiculturalism. It’s multi-racial, stylish and tolerant.

At its heart, Soho is still a place where you can be free from judgement. Join Suggs, with special guest Paul Weller, as they sing, chat and joke about Soho.

Performed by Suggs
Written by Suggs with Owen Lewis
Featuring: Paul Weller
Directed by Owen Lewis
Musical Director: Owen Parker
Executive Producer: Richard Melvin
A Dabster production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 19:00 The Archers (m001qdsj)
As they score their sheep, Ruth asks David if he thinks Pip’s OK. She’s noticed she’s a bit on edge. David puts Pip’s behaviour down to just being busy. Ruth wonders if Pip has had a row with the woman she’s involved with. Later, after thinking back to Friday at the pub, Ruth wonders if Pip’s new girlfriend is Stella. David isn’t convinced and suggests that Stella is simply supporting Pip. They wonder instead if it could be a mum Pip has met at the school gates.
Natasha outlines her and Tom’s proposal for the Tearoom. In order to cash in on Grey Gables making Ambridge more of a destination she thinks it needs to be more aspirational. When Helen’s hesitant about chasing confirmation of Grey Gables using Bridge Farm cheese, Natasha tells her she shouldn’t feel like she’s hassling – it’s just business. Natasha suggests that Fallon and Emma both become Bridge Farm employees rather being independent. Natasha’s confident she can break this news to Fallon.
Helen and Pat mull over Natasha’s proposal. Pat understands that change has to happen to not get stuck in the past. Helen doesn’t think Fallon will be happy about it but first they need to know if the proposal is realistic. Pat asks about Helen’s GP appointment. Helen says she plans to cancel it as her usual GP is away and she thinks Pat and Lee are enough support for her. Pat pleads for Helen to get professional help and Helen agrees to go the appointment on Friday.


TUE 19:15 Front Row (m001qdsw)
The impact of the Hollywood strikes, author K Patrick, the iconic chant from the Halo video game

Front Row looks at the impact of the Hollywood strikes. Film critic Leila Latif, Equity UK’s Secretary General Paul Fleming, and Lisa Holdsworth, screenwriter and Chair of the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain explain the impact and the knock on effect on UK film and TV.

The theme to the video game Halo has become one of the best known pieces of game music ever released. Earlier this year fans from around the world were invited to join a virtual choir of thousands to sing the iconic chant. The BBC's Will Chalk signed up to take part.

Author K Patrick, talks about their short story, It’s Me, which has been nominated for this year’s BBC National Short Story Award.

Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe
Producer: Julian May

Hollywood Strikes 01:09
Halo Chant 19:56
K Patrick 34:16


TUE 20:00 File on 4 (m001qdt6)
The Dark Side of Ballet

Hayley Hassall investigates accusations of bullying and body-shaming at some of the UK’s elite ballet schools. File on 4 and Panorama have spoken to more than 50 ex-students of the Royal Ballet School and Elmhurst Ballet School who attended between 2004 and 2022. Many described developing eating disorders, while some said they had been left with mental health problems. One retired ballerina File on 4 has spoken to has begun legal action against the Royal Ballet School for the treatment she says she suffered there. The two ballet schools dispute the accounts given to the BBC and say they are working hard to change the culture, and put health and wellbeing at the forefront of their priorities

Reporter: Hayley Hassall
Producer: Paul Grant
Editors: Carl Johnston and Clare Fordham


TUE 20:40 In Touch (m001qdtj)
Guide Dogs Q&A

We are hosting a question and answer session with the charity Guide Dogs. Many of you have been sending us your very considered questions and concerns about various aspects of how the organisation operates; including waiting lists, training methods, eligibility for new and replacement guide dogs and more. Answering these questions is Pete Osborne, who is is Guide Dogs' Chief Operations Officer.

Presenter: Peter White
Producer: Beth Hemmings
Production Coordinator: Liz Poole
Website image description: Peter White sits smiling in the centre of the image, wearing a dark green jumper. Above Peter's head is the BBC logo (three individual 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 a white circle). The background is a bright mid-blue with two rectangles angled diagonally to the right. Both are behind Peter, one of a darker blue and the other a lighter blue.


TUE 21:00 Is Psychiatry Working? (m001qdtv)
Live from Hay Festival

This is a special edition of the series - Is Psychiatry Working - from The Hay Festival. Presented by writer Horatio Clare and psychiatrist Femi Oyebode and featuring special guest Consultant Liaison Psychiatrist and writer, Dr Chloe Beale.


TUE 21:30 The Life Scientific (m001qdln)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (m001qdv5)
Thousands feared dead in Libya floods

Thousands may have died after storm waters swept through parts of north eastern Libya. We hear from those caught up in the deluge.

Also on the programme:

The Government is reportedly poised to ban single-use vapes. We hear about their impact on one family - from the father of two teenage daughters who've become addicted to e-cigarettes.

And the man who identified a stolen Van Gogh painting when it resufaced in an IKEA bag.


TUE 22:45 The Exhibitionist by Charlotte Mendelson (m001qdvj)
Episode 7

Set in London over a weekend in 2010, this is a darkly humorous book about a bohemian middle class family with a patriarchal monster at its centre.

A lot is riding on Ray Hanrahan's art exhibition, the first for a decade. He summons his family and friends to the decaying family home to celebrate the occasion, starting with a dinner on the Friday evening. His wife, Lucia, an artist in her own right, has sidelined her own career to allow her husband's to flourish and to bring up their three children, Leah, Jess and Patrick.

Leah has not yet left home and devotedly looks after her ailing father. Her younger sister, Jess is a teacher and has flown the nest to Scotland where she lives with her boyfriend Martyn. Patrick, Lucia's son from a previous relationship, lives in a caravan at the bottom of the garden, struggling with his mental health and dreaming of becoming a chef.

As the family gathers, Lucia is consumed by thoughts of someone new and exciting in her life and wondering anxiously why her gallery manager is so persistently trying to get hold of her. Ray will not be happy if it is news of her success. Meanwhile, Jess is also harbouring a secret which means that she too will be facing some life changing decisions.

Charlotte Mendelson is an award- winning author and The Exhibitionist was long listed for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2022. Her other works include Daughters of Jerusalem, When We Were Bad and Almost English.

Written by Charlotte Mendelson
Reader: Tracy-Ann Oberman
Abridger: Sara Davies
Producer: Alexa Moore
Sound Designers: Sean Kerwin and Iain Hunter
Music: Autumn Leaves by The Bill Evans Trio

A Pier production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 23:00 Call Jonathan Pie (m001qdvx)
Episode 4: Race

After a night of riots in Sam’s home town, Pie makes a stupid remark and Sam takes umbrage. Pie takes to the airwaves to prove his non-racist credentials, but ends up looking like a slice of Gammon on the side of the road. Sam and Pie make up and soon Jules is thinking that she herself might be a bit racist because she didn’t like a film that Sam likes. It's all gets a bit silly really.

Jonathan Pie ..... Tom Walker

Jules ..... Lucy Pearman

Sam ..... Aqib Khan

Roger ..... Nick Revell

Agent ..... Daniel Abelson

Voiceovers ..... Bob Sinfield and Rob Curling


Callers ... Cole Anderson-James, Ellie Dobing, Sarah Gabriel, Ed Kear, Hope Leslie, Thanyia Moore and Jonathan Tafler


Writer ..... Tom Walker

Script Editor ..... Nick Revell
Additional Material ..... Daniel Abelson

Producers..... Alison Vernon-Smith
 and Julian Mayers
Production Coordinator ..... Ellie Dobing

Original music composed by Jason Read
Additional music Leighton James House




A Yada-Yada Audio Production.


TUE 23:30 Today in Parliament (m001qdwb)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament

WEDNESDAY 13 SEPTEMBER 2023

WED 00:00 Midnight News (m001qdwq)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.


WED 00:30 Adam Smith: What He Thought and Why It Matters by Jesse Norman (m001qdm0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 on Tuesday]


WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m001qdx5)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m001qdxm)
World Service

BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


WED 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m001qdy2)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


WED 05:30 News Briefing (m001qdyj)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m001qdyy)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg

Good Morning.

My son is an accomplished climber. I’m not; I’ve no head for heights.

‘I can’t do this,’ I said as we stood at the summit of Benn Eighe, a beautiful mountain in the northwest of Scotland. I stared uneasily at the ridge ahead, the grey scree falling steeply away below.

‘It’s not as bad as it looks,’ my son assured me. Mercifully he was right, ninety per cent of the way. For the rest, I took as my motto ‘Don’t look now,’ and stared firmly at my hands, not at the drop beneath.

The climb (which, I admit, was wonderful in the end) reminded me of the ancient description of the Jewish New Year, coming this weekend, when ‘all who enter the world pass before God like bnei maron.’ Unsure what those Hebrew words meant, later rabbis suggested they might refer to the steep ascent up Mount Meron in the Galilee, so narrow no two can walk side by side.

It's a metaphor of how God sees each of us as a unique individual, solely responsible for our choices and actions.

‘But that’s not true,’ commented a friend. ‘What about those in front of and behind us? And the people whose voices we carry inside us, in our heads and hearts? We’re never truly alone.’

I’m less sure. Our mass communication era is also an age of deep isolation. Social media aren’t a substitute for a community which cares. Loneliness is real.

So I pray that however lonely life’s path, we try to walk side by side, and where the way is too steep and narrow, we reach out a hand from before or behind, and give each other the courage to keep going.


WED 05:45 Farming Today (m001qdzb)
This year the warm and still weather has led to a surge in flea beetles, which can destroy oil seed rape, while it's still in the early stages of growth in the fields. Farmers used to rely on neonicotinoid chemicals to protect the plants and kill flea beetle larvae, but they have been banned. We speak to a farmer who's been spraying his crop at night to try and tackle the pest, but now he's having to re-sow much of his crop, some of it by drone.

This year's sugar beet harvest, known as a 'campaign', has just started. The harvest last year was poor and the cost of processing sugar-beet rose dramatically. Farmers and businesses which want to use British sugar in their products are hoping for a better season this year.

Picking apples has always been labour-intensive, but things are changing with the development of new machinery to aid - or even replace - pickers. One such machine is called the REVO and it’s being used this year by a major grower in Kent. Adrian Scripps has 250 hectares and produces up to 200 million apples a year from its orchards near Tonbridge, it's invested in a fleet of harvesting platforms.

Presenter = Anna Hill
Producer = Rebecca Rooney


WED 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b03bkc54)
Red-legged Partridge

Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about the British birds inspired by their calls and songs.

Wildlife Sound Recordist, Chris Watson, presents the Red-legged Partridge. The red-legged partridge, which are sometimes called French partridges, are native to Continental Europe and were successfully introduced to the UK as a game bird in the 18th century. Seen from a distance, crouching in an arable field, they look like large clods of earth, but up close they have beautiful plumage.


WED 06:00 Today (m001qdsz)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


WED 09:00 More or Less (m001qdtn)
Skin cancer, London rents and your great-great-great-granddaughter

A BBC report quoted a study that said 1 in 4 men and 1 in 5 women in the UK will get skin cancer in their lifetime. Tim Harford and the team look into the detail. Also London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan said London’s average rent will hit £2,700 a month next year, with the average take home salary £2,131. How accurate are the figures and what do they tell us about the affordability of the capital’s rental properties? We fact check Donald Trump’s recent claim that 35,000 Americans died building the Panama Canal. And as noughties band Busted re-release Year 3000 with the Jonas Brothers, just how many greats should be in front of “granddaughter” in that famous lyric?

Presenter: Tim Harford
Series Producer: Jon Bithrey
Reporters: Natasha Fernandes, Daniel Gordon, Nathan Gower and Tom Farmer
Editor: Richard Vadon
Production Co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele


WED 09:30 Life Support (m001j4jq)
Pharmacists

Five episodes where two different people at different stages of their careers, meet for the first time to share and contrast their experiences of working in the health service. One is about to retire, while the other still has years of employment ahead of them. Revealing and surprising insights emerge as the participants compare the pressures of the past with those we hear so much about today. In this episode we hear from two pharmacists. Shaheen, has been a community pharmacist for the last 37 years. She runs her own pharmacy now, but she started working in a chemist's store at the age of fifteen when her father fell sick and she had to help her mum support the family. Back then she remembers chemists making and selling their own homemade remedies, rather than selling branded goods. She’s in conversation with Linsey who qualified as a pharmacist in 2021. She’s never known the job not to be busy, particularly since the pandemic. One day she'd love to own her own pharmacy, but currently has no idea how she'll be able to afford it.

Produced by Gill Kearsly and Nick Holland
Editor: Clare Fordham
Sound: Graham Puddifoot
Production Coordinators Sabine Schereck and Maria Ogundele


WED 09:45 Adam Smith: What He Thought and Why It Matters by Jesse Norman (m001qf4l)
Episode 3

On the 300th anniversary of the birth of Adam Smith, author Jesse Norman explores his life and captures the febrile surroundings of Enlightenment Edinburgh. Considering Smith’s legacy, he dispels the myths and debunks the caricatures that have grown around the economist in the centuries since he first presented his ideas.

In 1760 Adam Smith is a respected academic in Glasgow but a career change and continental travel beckon.

Abridged by Rosemary Goring
Read by Robin Laing
Producer: Eilidh McCreadie

Jesse Norman is the Conservative MP for Hereford and South Herefordshire and Minister of State in the Department for Transport. Previous publications include a celebrated study of Edmund Burke, and his debut novel The Winding Stair, a historical thriller set in the Elizabethan court, was published in the summer.


WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (m001qdv7)
The Killing Kind author Jane Casey, AI in IVF treatment, The Knock - Evie's story

Crime author Jane Casey joins Nuala McGovern to talk about a new six part TV adaptation of her best selling book The Killing Kind. The legal thriller starring Emma Appleton has themes such as stalking and coercion as she plays a lawyer who tries to rebuild her life after getting too close to a former client. Emma also joins Nuala in the studio.

In the second part of our series The Knock, Jo Morris talks to a woman we are calling Evie who chose to stand by and support her brother after he pleaded guilty to sex offences against children. Why did she make that decision and what has it cost her?

Some British women are now being offered IVF treatment using artificial intelligence. The software is used to help select the best embryo for implantation. So how might AI improve the chances of a successful pregnancy? Nuala is joined by Suzanne Cawood, Director of Embryology at the Centre for Reproductive and Genetic Health, a private clinic in London, which has been using AI and offering it as an 'add-on' to patients. We also hear the regulator the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority's position on such practices.

In a historic ruling, the Mexican Supreme Court has decriminalised abortion at the federal level. The two leading candidates in next year’s elections in will both be women, meaning that Mexico expects to have its first ever female leader. So, is the country having a feminist revolution? Nuala speaks to Daniela Philipson-Garcia, a PhD scholar and specialist on Mexico's gender policies.


WED 11:00 Lego Overboard (m001qdsv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 on Monday]


WED 11:30 Alexei Sayle's Strangers on a Train (m00199gr)
Series 1

London to Glasgow

Author, actor and comedy icon, Alexei Sayle continues his travels across the country by rail in the second of his six part series for Radio 4.

Alexei’s mission is to break the golden rule of travelling by train and actually talk to his fellow passengers in a quest for conversations that reveal their lives, hopes, dreams and destinations. There’s humour, sadness and surprise as people talk about what is going on in their lives and, as Alexei passes through familiar towns and cities, he also tells stories and memories from his career and childhood.

Alexei has a lifelong "ticket to ride" in his DNA. His father was a railway guard and the Sayle family benefitted from free travel in the UK and across Europe. As a boy, Alexei and his family roamed far and wide from the family home in Anfield, Liverpool. At a time when most people thought an exciting trip by train was to Brighton or Blackpool, Alexei travelled thousands of miles to mysterious towns with unpronounceable names in far flung corners of the continent.

In each programme in the series, Alexei embarks on a rail journey, taking a chance on who he might meet and inviting them to have a conversation with him. In this episode, he travels from London to Glasgow and meets Roshny and Sharon, on holiday from Indonesia, who have just fulfilled a lifetime’s dream of watching Liverpool play at Anfield. He also talks to Laurence who has been to his public speaking club which he joined to overcome his extreme shyness and Kirsty who has lived most of her life on a sheep farm overlooking the stunningly beautiful Holy Loch in Argyll and Bute.

Producers Peter Lowe and Nick Symons
A Ride production for Radio 4


WED 12:00 News Summary (m001qf60)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


WED 12:04 You and Yours (m001qdw3)
Wilko, Compostable waste at home, Collectables

As many Wilko's stores begin closing their doors we hear from a former employee who started work with the retailer age 16. Plus Diane Wehrle from MRI Springboard and Dr Amna Khan, a senior lecturer in consumer behaviour and retailing at Manchester Metropolitan University, discuss what it all means for the future of the high street.

On 1 October, the Government's ban on certain types of single-use plastics comes into force. To what extent is compostable packaging the solution? Rima talks to Professor Mark Miodownik, who runs the Plastic Waste Hub at University College London, and Hoa Doan from sustainable packaging start-up Notpla.

And as Netflix's King of Collectables confirms its second series, we delve into the emerging world of modern collectables with Andrew Ewbank from Ewbanks Auction House and collector Rob Duffy.

PRESENTER - RIMA AHMED
PRODUCER - CATHERINE EARLAM


WED 12:57 Weather (m001qdwj)
The latest weather forecast


WED 13:00 World at One (m001qdwy)
Forty-five minutes of news, analysis and comment, with Sarah Montague.


WED 13:45 Intrigue (m001qdxf)
The Immortals - Ep 8: The Prophet

A new philosphical movement is gathering steam in Silicon Valley, one that promises immortality by using technology to solve the problem of death. This movement is led by Oxford philosopher Nick Bostrom.

Professor Bostrom is the author of Fable of the Dragon Tyrant, the original manuscript of the modern immortality movement. It was published in 2005 in the Journal of Medical Ethics as a response to what Bostrom described as the absurdity of the inevitability of accepting ageing and death. Far from being a one-off, the Fable is one of the core texts that form part of a moral philosophy of the future of humanity called transhumanism. Adherents believe that we will achieve immortality by merging with artificial intelligence and becoming “post-human", and that the next step in our human evolution is nigh.

In this series, technology reporter and psychologist Aleks Krotoski explores the frontiers of the extreme longevity pioneers. They've made their money in Silicon Valley. And with their technology solutions - PayPal, Facebook, cryptocurrencies - they've ushered in the world that we live in today, with all its unintended consequences. Some of them now want to solve the "problem" of aging, or even death, and they are making bigger strides than we may think.

Can they? Should they?

A Pillowfort production for BBC Radio 4

New episodes released Mondays. If you're in the UK, listen to the full series of Intrigue: The Immortals first on BBC Sounds: bbc.in/3WEQS5W


WED 14:00 The Archers (m001qdsj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Tuesday]


WED 14:15 Drama on 4 (m0018hjy)
The Making of a Monster

Connor is a bright, mixed race Newport teenager, but his life is in danger of spiralling out of control, fuelled by his confusion and despair over who he is and why his father is largely absent from his life. Autobiographical drama about second chances, written and performed by Welsh Children's Laureate, Connor Allen.

CAST

Adult Connor.....Connor Allen
Little Man.....Jace Henry
Teenage Connor.....Jailen O'Daim
Mum.....Siwan Morris
Jonny/ Operator.....Gabin Kongola
Dad.....Kev McCurdy
Form Teacher/ Trolley Lady.....Claire Cage
Police Officer/ Judge.....Dick Bradnum

Production co-ordinator......Eleri McAuliffe
Sound design.....Nigel Lewis

Directed by Emma Harding for BBC Audio in Wales


WED 15:00 Money Box (m001qdxw)
Money Box Live: Pensions, Actually

This week we're talking about pensions for the next generation and taking your questions and comments.

Writer and director Richard Curtis is with us to consider why green investments could be the key better engagement when it comes to young people.

Also joining us, Sophie Smith, News Editor of Pensions Age and Helen Morrisey, Head of Retirement Analysis from Hargreaves Lansdown.

Presenter: Felicity Hannah
Producer: Sarah Rogers
Researcher: Luke Smithurst
Editor: Jess Quayle

(First broadcast, 3pm on the 13th September, 2023)


WED 15:30 BBC National Short Story Award (m001qdy8)
BBC National Short Story Award 2023

It's Me by K Patrick

A beautiful story about ‘queer instinct’ and how queer memory shifts and changes as it needs to. A shy and tentative bookworm is working in a coffee shop but is desperate to get back to their Truman Capote novel whenever they can. There is a desire to have been called Bulldog at school just like Capote was. There is the joy from wearing an ex-boyfriend’s bomber jacket. The wish to be strong like the delivery driver they mirror. The coffee shop manager and the customers are all woven into the story as the morning rush begins but then a crowd of office workers arrive and there is something familiar about one of them called Elle and the connection between barista and customer unravels.

Reader: Ell Potter is an actor, writer and award-winning narrator. Ell's most recent work has been The Last Show Before We Die at this year's Edinburgh Festival.

Writer: K Patrick's poetry has appeared in PoetryReview, Granta and Five Dials, and was shortlisted for The White Review Poet’s Prize in 2021, the same year that K was shortlisted for The White Review’s Short Story Prize. In 2020 they were runner-up in the Ivan JuritzPrize and the Laura Kinsella Fellowship.
Their debut novel, Mrs S was selected as an Observer Best Debut of the Year, and K was named a Granta Best of Young British Novelists for 2023. Their debut poetry collection, Three Births, will be published by Granta Poetry in 2024, and they live in Scotland.

Producer: Tracey Neale


WED 16:00 Thinking Allowed (m001qdyq)
Water Ways

Water Ways: Laurie Taylor wades into the deep end with an exploration of human relationships with water. He talks to Veronica Strang, Professor of Anthropology, affiliated to Oxford University, whose latest study takes us from nature worship to the environmental crisis. Early human societies worshipped ‘nature beings’, including water serpent deities who manifested the elemental and generative powers of water. Such beliefs supported collaborative co-existence with the non-human world. How might an understanding of the role and symbolism of water serpents help us turn back the tide of ecological disaster?

They’re joined by Anna Mdee, Professor in the Politics of Global Development at the University of Leeds, who argues that water poverty isn't confined to the Global South, but takes a different form in the western societies, impacting around 20% of households in England and Wales.

Producer: Jayne Egerton


WED 16:30 The Media Show (m001qdz2)
Who will buy The Telegraph?

Who’s going to buy The Daily Telegraph and the Spectator? The titles have been up for sale since June, after Lloyds seized control from the Barclay family. Also in the programme, a government taskforce to tackle Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs), and George Osborne launches a podcast with Ed Balls, his former political adversary.

Guests: George Osborne, co-host, Political Currency, Paul Staines, founder, Guido Fawkes, Jane Martinson, author of a forthcoming book about the Barclay family called You May Never See Us Again, Fiona O’Brien, London bureau director, Reporters Without Borders, and Dr Susan Karamanian, dean of the College of Law, Hamad Bin Khalifa University

Sound engineer: Emma Harth

Produced by: Simon Richardson


WED 17:00 PM (m001qdzh)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines


WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m001qf07)
Thousands more are missing as the scale of the disaster becomes clear


WED 18:30 Please Use Other Door (m001qf0k)
Series 2

Episode 1

Can you change your sexual orientation at will? Is it ever fair to blame the children for a divorce? What happens if a therapist brings their own emotional baggage to the treatment room?

Performed by; Jason Forbes, Will Hartley, Rosie Holt, Rebecca Shorrocks, Witney White and Toby Williams.

The series of four is written by; Ed Amsden and Tom Coles, Simon Alcock, Sarah Campbell, Julian Dutton, Robert Darke, Julian Dutton, Sophie Dickson, Paul F Tayler, Jim Campbell, Alex Nash & Sam South, Matt Harrison, Katy Swainston, Rhyan Orrick, Charlotte Patterson, Peter Tellouche, Cody Dahler, Davina Bentley, Jon Long and Bill Dare.

Production Co-ordinator Caroline Barlow
Sound Design Rich Evans
Original music by Bill Dare, produced by Iona Vallance
Produced and created by Bill Dare
BBC Studios Production for Radio 4


WED 19:00 The Archers (m001qf0m)
Pat gets teary while discussing Flower and Produce preparations with Usha. The event reminds her of Jennifer. With the reappearance of Helen’s eating disorder, Pat really feels the absence of her sister-in-law. Usha comforts her. Helen momentarily joins them and afterwards Pat worries that Helen overheard them talking. Usha assures her that Helen wouldn’t have heard.
Helen’s pleasantly surprised to hear from Ian that Grey Gables wants to make a regular cheese order. Ian suggests going to the pub to celebrate. Over their drinks, Helen apologises for rigging the cheese competition. Ian tells her to forget about it – she’s been through a lot and deserves a break. Helen’s still waiting to hear from her solicitor about Rob’s appeal. She’s on edge every time the phone rings.
Paul’s unimpressed with Josh’s birthday plan – a drink at The Bull with a few relatives. After Paul presses him to do something bigger, Josh agrees that Paul can invite those who are coming to the pub to see a mate’s band in Felpersham. Once at the venue, Josh is glad Paul forced him to go. He really likes the music as well as the girl playing the violin. Paul encourages him to approach her but Josh doesn’t want to make a fool of himself. When they get home Paul suggests Josh books the band for the Harvest Supper – then he could ask out the violin player. Josh is initially unsure but then goes ahead and messages his friend in the band.


WED 19:15 Front Row (m001qf10)
Katherine Rundell on Impossible Creatures, the rise of crafts on social media

Katherine Rundell on her new children’s fantasy book, Impossible Creatures. It's a story of two worlds, ours and one where the animals of myth and legend still survive, and thrive. A fantasy which does not shirk from dark themes, and was inspired by the metaphysical poetry of John Donne.

The next finalist in the National Short Story Award is South African writer Nick Mulgrew . His story, The Storm, is set in suburban Durban describes a toxic family dynamic against a backdrop of the dramatic and dangerous thunderstorms he remembers from his own childhood.

Traditional crafts are associated with homeworking: individuals squirrelled away in studios producing things that end up in galleries or shops. But social media has completely changed that for makers - whose films can attract the interest of the public for reasons as varied as teaching, selling, relaxing or even ASMR, and which at the same time open that craft and maker to a wider world. We talk to two makers – Florian Gadsby, a potter who sells online to his 1.39m followers on YouTube and 788 thousand on Instagram, and Marion Deuchars, illustrator of 20 books, who also has an online audience of thousands.

Presenter: Samira Ahmed
Producer: Kirsty McQuire

Katherine Rundell 1:00
Crafts 14:36
Nick Mulgrew 31:34


WED 20:00 AntiSocial (m001q6mv)
Counting sexual partners

Does your sexual history matter, and is it relevant whether you’re a man or a woman?

A viral tweet criticised a woman for having a high 'body count' - a term used to describe how many sexual partners a person has had. It’s a popular topic on platforms like TikTok, where some people boast about their big numbers, but others are critical of people with high body counts. Claims that women are less attractive if they’ve slept with lots of people have led to arguments about double standards and sexism. We look at how this debate emerged, the origins of 'slut-shaming,' and what we know about how many sexual partners the average Briton has had.


WED 20:45 Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley (m001jc6p)
Lift Some Weights

Lifting weights is obviously great for your strength, but it can also boost your brain power, improve your immune system, and even reverse signs of cellular ageing.

Michael enlists Jenny, a self-confessed weight-lifting novice, to try strength training at home using milk bottles and a sturdy rucksack. He speaks to Dr. Teresa Liu-Ambrose at the University of British Columbia, Canada, who has recently found that strength training can lead to better memory. She reveals how activating your muscles can release special chemicals called myokines which, astonishingly, can travel around the body and cross your blood-brain-barrier where they can have beneficial effects on your brain.


WED 21:00 When It Hits the Fan (m001qf1p)
Elon Musk, 'sorry not sorry' and being booed

David Yelland and Simon Lewis lift the bonnet on the world of crisis managers and spin doctors as they watch the week’s biggest PR disasters unfold. In each episode our hosts go behind the scenes of the latest news stories and find out how, where and when it all began to hit the fan.

In this episode, David and Simon discuss Elon Musk and how to manage the PR of the world’s most powerful people. What was the most unexpected “sorry not sorry” interview of the week - Liz Truss or Luis Rubiales? And what do you do if you’re the French President, Emmanuel Macron, and you get booed in front of 80,000 rugby fans?

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


WED 21:30 The Media Show (m001qdz2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:30 today]


WED 22:00 The World Tonight (m001qf23)
Rescuers call for help for stricken Libyan town

Also in the programme; the family of Sara Sharif arrive back in the UK to arrest on suspicion of her murder; and a US newspaper group is appointing a Taylor Swift correspondent.


WED 22:45 The Exhibitionist by Charlotte Mendelson (m001qf2k)
Episode 8

Set in London over a weekend in 2010, this is a darkly humorous book about a bohemian middle class family with a patriarchal monster at its centre.

A lot is riding on Ray Hanrahan's art exhibition, the first for a decade. He summons his family and friends to the decaying family home to celebrate the occasion, starting with a dinner on the Friday evening. His wife, Lucia, an artist in her own right, has sidelined her own career to allow her husband's to flourish and to bring up their three children, Leah, Jess and Patrick.

Leah has not yet left home and devotedly looks after her ailing father. Her younger sister, Jess is a teacher and has flown the nest to Scotland where she lives with her boyfriend Martyn. Patrick, Lucia's son from a previous relationship, lives in a caravan at the bottom of the garden, struggling with his mental health and dreaming of becoming a chef.

As the family gathers, Lucia is consumed by thoughts of someone new and exciting in her life and wondering anxiously why her gallery manager is so persistently trying to get hold of her. Ray will not be happy if it is news of her success. Meanwhile, Jess is also harbouring a secret which means that she too will be facing some life changing decisions.

Charlotte Mendelson is an award- winning author and The Exhibitionist was long listed for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2022. Her other works include Daughters of Jerusalem, When We Were Bad and Almost English.

Written by Charlotte Mendelson
Reader: Tracy-Ann Oberman
Abridger: Sara Davies
Producer: Alexa Moore
Sound Designers: Sean Kerwin and Iain Hunter
Music: Autumn Leaves by The Bill Evans Trio

A Pier production for BBC Radio 4


WED 23:00 Influencers (m001qf2x)
Series 1

Episode 3

Katy Brand and Katherine Parkinson write and star in a new comedy about the world of influencing, where they play Ruth and Carla – two wannabe stars of the online business world.

They are bound together by a carefully controlled image that can lead to lucrative product placements and well-paid endorsements - but only if the PR is played just right. And that’s a problem because, behind the scenes, things are not always as harmonious as they seem.

Episode 3: Glow Up
Ruth and Carla discuss the perils and consequences of getting too much dietary fibre, and then decide to test a much-sought after home ‘sauna-body-bag' - with a faulty zip.

Carla – Katy Brand
Ruth – Katherine Parkinson

Written by Katy Brand and Katherine Parkinson
Producer: Liz Anstee

A CPL production for BBC Radio 4


WED 23:15 Welcome to the Neighbourhood with Jayde Adams (p0fpwzbw)
Jessica Fostekew

Jayde Adams and Jessica Fostekew dive into the world of community apps and messageboards.

This week - a car in a front hedge, the mysterious animal of Pontypridd, and a dead pheasant is up for grabs.

Producer: Cornelius Mendez
An unusual production for BBC Radio 4


WED 23:30 Today in Parliament (m001qf3j)
Sean Curran reports on Prime Minister's Questions. MPs debate sewage dumping and plans to close station ticket offices in England.

THURSDAY 14 SEPTEMBER 2023

THU 00:00 Midnight News (m001qf41)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.


THU 00:30 Adam Smith: What He Thought and Why It Matters by Jesse Norman (m001qf4l)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 on Wednesday]


THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m001qf52)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m001qf5j)
World Service

BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


THU 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m001qf5y)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


THU 05:30 News Briefing (m001qf69)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m001qf6k)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg

Good Morning.

It’s a year today since Queen Elizabeth II was laid in state in Westminster Hall and some quarter of a million people began to file past in tribute.

I was privileged to be accepted as a volunteer chaplain to what simply became known as ‘the queue.’ It was a most moving experience. There were people of all ages, backgrounds and faiths. There were young children whose parents bravely kept them entertained; there were current service personnel; there were veterans who said when I asked them, ‘She was our Commander-in-Chief, wasn’t she?’

During three three-hour shifts, less than half the time for which some people queued, I didn’t witness a single moment of impatience or hear a bad-tempered word.
I’d approach someone with a banal comment like, ‘Your legs must be weary,’ and be told in reply: ‘If she can serve for seventy years, I can stand for seventeen hours.’ I’d ask if a group had come far, and they’d respond: ‘She was the grandmother of the nation’

The world’s presidents considered an audience with Her Majesty at Buckingham Palace the greatest of honours. But Paddington Bear was not a whit less welcome to tea. Few monarchs in history have combined royalty, dignity and humility.

It wasn’t only royalists who came to pay tribute. Some people made this quite clear. There are legitimate criticisms of monarchies.

But ‘the queue’ was about something different. It showed how people valued something more enduring that the turbid world of the moment: stability, constancy, dedication, and faithful service.

Whatever our own sphere of life, may we too serve faithfully.


THU 05:45 Farming Today (m001qf6t)
Westmorland Show

Farmers at the Westmorland Show in Cumbria give their reaction to news that the government has pledged to fast-track payments under its new support scheme. In England, the Sustainable Farming Initiative replaces the EU's direct payments system. But delays in its implementation have made farmers nervous about cash flow as the old payments are being cut before the new scheme is in place.
We're talking about ‘top fruit’ all this week. Plums have often been seen as the 'Cinderella' top fruit - overlooked by growers who chase greater profits in apples, pears and cherries. But a three-year trial at the National Institute of Agricultural Botany, NIAB, in East Malling in Kent has been researching how to increase a plum tree’s productivity and extend its growing season.
And we meet the man in charge of judging the egg competition - looking at shape, texture, colour and the insides of the egg itself
Presented by Caz Graham


THU 05:58 Tweet of the Day (m0002rm1)
Geoff Sample's Orphean Warbler

For wildlife sound recordist Geoff Sample hearing the jazz like notes of the Orphean warbler on the island of Lesvos reminds me of the legend of how the bird got its name.

All this week Geoff will be selecting his bird species from the Tweet of the Day archive which can be heard again on the Tweet of the Week Omnibus.

Producer : Andrew Dawes


THU 06:00 Today (m001qdwl)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


THU 09:00 In Our Time (m001qdx1)
Albert Einstein

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the man who, in 1905, produced several papers that were to change the world of physics and whose name went on to become a byword for genius. This was Albert Einstein, then still a technical expert at a Swiss patent office, and that year of 1905 became known as his annus mirabilis ('miraculous year'). While Einstein came from outside the academic world, some such as Max Planck championed his theory of special relativity, his principle of mass-energy equivalence that followed, and his explanations of Brownian Motion and the photoelectric effect. Yet it was not until 1919, when a solar eclipse proved his theory that gravity would bend light, that Einstein became an international celebrity and developed into an almost mythical figure.

With

Richard Staley
Professor in History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Cambridge and Professor in History of Science at the University of Copenhagen

Diana Kormos Buchwald
Robert M. Abbey Professor of History and Director and General Editor of The Einstein Papers Project at the California Institute of Technology

And

John Heilbron
Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley

Producer: Simon Tillotson

Reading list:

Ronald W. Clark, Einstein: The Life and Times (first published 1971; HarperPaperbacks, 2011)

Albert Einstein (eds. Jurgen Renn and Hanoch Gutfreund), Relativity: The Special and the General Theory - 100th Anniversary Edition (Princeton University Press, 2019)

Albert Einstein, Out of My Later Years (first published 1950; Citadel Press, 1974)

Albert Einstein (ed. Paul A. Schilpp), Albert Einstein: Philosopher-Scientist: The Library of Living Philosophers Volume VII (first published 1949; Open Court, 1970)

Albert Einstein (eds. Otto Nathan and Heinz Norden), Einstein on Peace (first published 1981; Literary Licensing, 2011)

Albrecht Folsing, Albert Einstein: A Biography (Viking, 1997)

J. L. Heilbron, Niels Bohr: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, 2020)

Walter Isaacson, Einstein: His Life and Universe (Simon & Schuster, 2008)

Max Jammer, Einstein and Religion (Princeton University Press, 2002)

Michel Janssen and Christoph Lehner (eds.), The Cambridge Companion to Einstein (Cambridge University Press, 2014)

Dennis Overbye, Einstein in Love: A Scientific Romance (Viking, 2000)

Abraham Pais, Subtle Is the Lord: The Science and the Life of Albert Einstein (Oxford University Press, 1982)

David E. Rowe and Robert Schulmann (eds.), Einstein on Politics: His Private Thoughts and Public Stands on Nationalism, Zionism, War, Peace, and the Bomb (Princeton University Press, 2007)

Matthew Stanley, Einstein's War: How Relativity Triumphed Amid the Vicious Nationalism of World War I (Dutton, 2019)

Fritz Stern, Einstein’s German World (Princeton University Press, 1999)

A. Douglas Stone, Einstein and the Quantum: The Quest of the Valiant Swabian (Princeton University Press, 2013)

Milena Wazeck (trans. Geoffrey S. Koby), Einstein's Opponents: The Public Controversy About the Theory of Relativity in the 1920s (Cambridge University Press, 2014)


THU 09:45 Adam Smith: What He Thought and Why It Matters by Jesse Norman (m001qdxj)
Episode 4

On the 300th anniversary of the birth of Adam Smith, author Jesse Norman explores his life and captures the febrile surroundings of Enlightenment Edinburgh. Considering Smith’s legacy, he dispels the myths and debunks the caricatures that have grown around the economist in the centuries since he first presented his ideas.

Smith’s joy on the positive reception to ‘The Wealth of Nations’ is tempered by news about close friend David Hume.

Abridged by Rosemary Goring
Read by Robin Laing
Producer: Eilidh McCreadie

Jesse Norman is the Conservative MP for Hereford and South Herefordshire and Minister of State in the Department for Transport. Previous publications include a celebrated study of Edmund Burke, and his debut novel The Winding Stair, a historical thriller set in the Elizabethan court, was published in the summer.


THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (m001qdxx)
Nadiya Hussain, Morocco earthquake, Equal pay, Wilderness

Last week, Birmingham City Council effectively declared bankruptcy, issuing a section 114 notice, after it admitted an equal pay liability of £760m. Now the GMB, the UK's third largest Trade Union, says female care workers in Sunderland have been underpaid for years compared with the mostly male litter-pickers, and are making a similar claim against their council. Anita hears the latest from Rhea Wolfson, head of the GMB's National Equal Pay Department.

Since winning the Great British Bake Off in 2015, Nadiya Hussain has published seven cookery books, presented numerous TV shows and been awarded an MBE for services to broadcasting and the culinary arts. Nadiya joins Anita to talk about her latest book and BBC Two series, Nadiya’s Simple Spices, in which she concentrates exclusively on recipes from her Bangladeshi heritage, and creates recipes with eight spices.

The death toll from last Friday’s earthquake in Morocco has reached nearly 3,000 people. Three hundred thousand people are said to have been affected, including 100,000 children. The aftermath of earthquakes poses numerous challenges to women and children who are said to suffer the most during humanitarian emergencies. Anita speaks to Ridwana Wallace-Laher, CEO of the Penny Appeal, who has been working in Morocco, and the actor Laila Rouass, a British-Moroccan representative for Education for All, a charity which provides schooling for girls in Morocco.

Wilderness is a new Prime Video psychological thriller series which stars Jenna Coleman and Oliver Jackson-Cohen. It's the story of a young British couple, Liv and Will, who seemingly have it all. But their glamorous new life in New York changes dramatically when Liv learns Will has been seeing another woman. Liv's heartbreak turns into fury and revenge. Anita is joined by Marnie Dickens, the writer and creator of the series.

Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Rebecca Myatt
Studio manager: Bob Nettles


THU 11:00 Crossing Continents (m001qdyb)
Missing in Syria

There are one hundred thousand missing Syrians, according to the UN, who’ve been detained or have disappeared since the beginning of the uprising in Syria twelve years ago and the civil war that followed. Most of their families have no idea where they are and whether they’re alive or dead. Many are paying thousands of dollars for information about them which almost always comes to nothing. Lina Sinjab reports from Turkey and Beirut where she’s been talking to Syrian refugees about the desperate measures they'll go to in their search for their missing relatives.

Presenter: Lina Sinjab
Producer : Caroline Bayley
Editor: Penny Murphy
Sound Engineer: Rod Farquhar


THU 11:30 Great Lives (m001qdr8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:30 on Tuesday]


THU 12:00 News Summary (m001qdys)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


THU 12:04 You and Yours (m001qdz5)
Gap Finders - Howard Carter from Incognito

Today's Gap Finder is Howard Carter, the founder of Incognito, the insect repellent that has all natural ingredients.

Howard had the idea for the company when he went travelling in his 40s and was bitten by mosquitos. He fell ill with malaria in India, despite taking anti-malarial tablets and spraying himself with DEET based insect repellent.
A year later he went travelling in Thailand and this time contracted Dengue fever. He was treated at the London School of Tropical Medicine and nearly died.
Howard had the idea for a new all natural insect repellent because he felt DEET, the common ingredient in many repellents on the market didn't work effectively enough, and he also had misgivings about how safe it was; to spray on himself and for the environment.

He spent years perfecting his formula using an ingredient called PMD which is derived from the citronella plant, perfecting the formula to last as long as possible when sprayed on your skin.

Along with his business partner Patricia Carter, Howard launched Incognito which is now stocked in major high street stores.

PRESENTER: RIMA AHMED
PRODUCER: LYDIA THOMAS


THU 12:32 All Consuming (m001qg04)
Microchips

It’s not an understatement to say that microchips are now everywhere - from phone chargers to our beloved pets, there’s probably a microchip embedded within. But who invented them and how do they dictate computing power?

Amit Katwala and Charlotte Stavrou dig their hands into a bowl of microchips for this episode of All Consuming.

They meet Ken Shirriff, a former engineer at Google, who explains the crucial role of transistors in microchips, which are tiny switches etched into the silicon wafer.

When the first microchip was invented in the 1950s there were just three transistors, but some microchips can now contain billions. Over the decades, this has hugely increased computing power and changed our daily lives.

But microchip fabrication plants - called ‘fabs’ to those in the industry - require large volumes of water. Amit and Charlotte speak to Anurag Bajpayee, the co-founder of a company that recycles water at microchip manufacturing plants and Dr Yu Shu, a researcher at Oxford University, who is working on a novel method of creating microchips which are less harmful to the environment.

We end our tour of the world of microchips with a visit to the University of Sussex quantum lab where they’ve recently had a breakthrough in quantum microchips, which could change the world in a way that we can’t yet compute.

Producer: Emily Uchida Finch
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4


THU 12:57 Weather (m001qdzj)
The latest weather forecast


THU 13:00 World at One (m001qdzw)
Forty-five minutes of news, analysis and comment, with Sarah Montague.


THU 13:45 Intrigue (m001qf08)
The Immortals - Ep 9: Nerd Rapture

The immortalist movement in Silicon Valley shares a lot with evangelical religions, says Dr Emile P Torres, a philosopher and former Nick Bostrom acolyte. In both, he explains, there’s a heaven in which the faithful will experience unsurpassed bliss and delight, and an apocalypse, which will separate out the people who can go there.

After a decade at the epicentre of the transhumanist research community, Emile became concerned with the number of apocalyptic stories of techno-utopia that were being shared online. Was this philosophical movement becoming radicalised? When Emile raises the question, the consequences are swift and severe. Excommunicated, harassed and threatened.

With influential and powerful technology billionaires as some of its faithful, is Emile right? Is this movement really one of the most dangerous secular ideologies?

In this series, technology reporter and psychologist Aleks Krotoski explores the frontiers of the extreme longevity pioneers. They've made their money in Silicon Valley. And with their technology solutions - PayPal, Facebook, cryptocurrencies - they've ushered in the world that we live in today, with all its unintended consequences. Some of them now want to solve the "problem" of aging, or even death, and they are making bigger strides than we may think.

Can they? Should they?

A Pillowfort production for BBC Radio 4

New episodes released Mondays. If you're in the UK, listen to the full series of Intrigue: The Immortals first on BBC Sounds: bbc.in/3WEQS5W


THU 14:00 The Archers (m001qf0m)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Wednesday]


THU 14:15 Drama on 4 (m0000nfr)
When The Pips Stop

By Oliver Emanuel

It’s 2:13pm on a remote Scottish island where the only inhabitants are two sisters.

One of them hasn’t spoken to the other for over two years.

They’re listening to The Archers, and then Radio 4 goes off-air.

Now they have to learn to live together and without the one thing they each cherish: Radio 4.

Starring Shauna Macdonald and Jessica Hardwick

Additional voices: Jakob Jakobsson and Ken Mitchell.

We’re indebited to Ian Messiter and the Ian Messiter Estate for kindly allowing us to create our version of Just a Minute.

Additional research supplied by Dr James Purdon (University of St Andrews)

Cast:

Older… Shauna Macdonald
Younger … Jessica Hardwick
Icelandic man…Jakob Jakobsson
Radio Announcer … Ken Mitchell

Directed by Kirsty Williams

Image by Steve Beesley


THU 15:00 Open Country (m001qf11)
Felixstowe with Carolyn Quinn

Carolyn Quinn has family links to Felixstowe, a place she’s visited frequently over the years, enjoying walks along the Edwardian seafront, soaking up its old world charm. For Open Country she returns to take a closer look at this Suffolk town, including how it’s been shaped by the enormous presence of Felixstowe Port, the largest container port in the UK.

She begins her journey with David Gledhill at Felixstowe Museum who gives a quick overview of the richly historic area. From there she walks round the corner to Landguard Nature Reserve, overlooked by the port’s enormous cranes. Ranger, Leonie Washington, shows her the reserve's internationally important habitat of vegetated shingle. It supports species like the incredibly rare Stinking Goosefoot and provides habitat for ground-nesting birds like the ringed plover.

Next, Carolyn pops on a hard-hat and enters the Port itself, where Paul Davey shares some facts and figures about this bewilderingly huge place. Then it’s onto the Wildlife Trust’s Trimley Marshes reserve. It was created to replace habitat destroyed when the Port expanded around 30 years ago. Carolyn asks Andrew Excell whether this wetland habitat makes up for the lost mudflats.

And finally, the seaside holiday scene: Billy Butlin opened an amusement park here in 1931 and later sub-let it to showman and entrepreneur, Charlie Manning, who renamed it Manning's Amusements. Charlie's grandsons, Charlie Jr and Jonny, still run it but have also established Beach Street, where traders operate out of - what else - repurposed shipping containers. Carolyn meets Jonny and his mother, Sarah, who shares memories of the early days.

Note: The parody of the shipping forecast was written by Les Barker and included on the album ‘Guide Cats for the Blind’ created by Clive Lever.

Producer: Karen Gregor


THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (m001qdfr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:54 on Sunday]


THU 15:30 BBC National Short Story Award (m001qf1f)
BBC National Short Story Award 2023

The Storm by Nick Mulgrew

Dirk and Clement are pulled into an elaborate show of machismo courtesy of a divorcee dad with something to prove. Something unsettling brews in this tragi-comic story of toxic masculinity, not just the ominous weather.

Reader: Cokey Falkow is an actor, writer and comedian originally from Durban, South Africa. Recent credits include War Of The Worlds, Jurassic World Dominion, Suspicion, The English, Inside Man and Lenny Henry's 3 Little Birds (forthcoming)

Writer: Nick Mulgrew grew up in South Africa and New Zealand. He is the founder and publisher of the poetry press uHlanga, and is the author of two collections of poetry, two volumes of short stories and two novels. Previously shortlisted for The White Review Prize, Nick also received the Nadine Gordimer Award for his collection, The First Law of Sadness. Nick lives in Edinburgh.

Produced and abridged by Ciaran Bermingham


THU 16:00 Taste (m001n1pr)
Episode 2: The Tribe

'Taste' is considered a highly individual cultural attribute, an indicator of personality and refinement.

Exploring how personal taste meets the public realm, Zakia Sewell talks to the artist Rene Matic who's adopted their father's skinhead culture and their mother's love of leopard prints; Liza Betts, Researcher and Lecturer in Cultural and Historical Studies at London College of Fashion, UAL, who considers the tussle between brands and subcultures and how 'taste' can be a tool of control; Polly Putnam, curator of Crown To Couture, currently on display at Kensington Palace; and Laura Hawkins, Fashion Features Editor at Vogue.

Presented by Zakia Sewell
Produced by Alan Hall
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4
(Image credit: Buster Grey Jung)


THU 16:30 BBC Inside Science (m001qf1x)
The halfway point for sustainable development

In 2015 the UN adopted 17 sustainable development goals aiming to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure people everywhere enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030. Ahead of a summit next week in New York marking the half way point, presenter Gaia Vince speaks to Saleemul Huq, director of the International Centre for Climate Change and Development in Bangladesh, and Olive Heffernan, a science author and journalist focused on oceans and climate to find out how the world is doing.

In July, a new chair was elected to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change which is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change. Professor Jim Skea is a leading figure in the global push to decarbonise, adapt and innovate our way to net zero, and previously led Scotland’s Just Transition Commission. He speaks to Gaia about his new role and the importance of the IPCC.

And this week we mark the death of renowned embryologist Professor Sir Ian Wilmut, who led the team that created Dolly the sheep in 1996. Gaia is joined by Roger Highfield, Science Director of the Science Museum Group, to discuss the scientific and cultural impact of the world’s first cloned mammal from an adult animal cell.

Presenter: Gaia Vince
Producers: Laura Northedge, Hannah Robins, Alice Lipscombe-Southwell and Emily Bird.
Research: Patrick Hughes


THU 17:00 PM (m001qf2c)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines


THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m001qf2t)
It is the first time he has suggested one of his key pledges may be unachievable


THU 18:30 My Teenage Diary (m001qf36)
Series 11

3: Amy Gledhill

My Teenage Diary with Rufus Hound features six celebrities who will read from the diaries they kept during their formative years.

This week, comedian Amy Gledhill spills the beans on an action-packed summer of love in Hull, 2004. She tells of her early sexual adventures and reminisces about a time spent going to gigs, meeting boys and feeding jammy dodgers to peacocks.

Host: Rufus Hound
Guest: Amy Gledhill
Sound Production and Design: Jerry Peal
Producer: Harriet Jaine
A Talkback production for BBC Radio 4


THU 19:00 The Archers (m001qf3p)
When Lottie suggests setting up Pip with someone she knows, Pip comes clean about her new relationship status. Pip’s relieved to share her news with a friend and explains that her mum knows she’s with a woman but doesn’t yet know it’s Stella. Ruth calls and invites Madison and Lottie over to Brookfield for dinner that evening.
Ruth, Pip and Lottie chat over the meal. Pip recommends that Lottie bring Madison along to the Flower and Produce Show even though she and Rosie will be away. Ruth praises Usha’s work on the event. Lottie wants to attend her ex-boyfriend’s engagement party and wonders what to wear. Pip tells her she’ll look great in anything and that she’s beautiful. She seeks agreement from her mum. While Ruth’s out of the room, Lottie flags to Pip that Ruth thinks Lottie is Pip’s girlfriend – she could see sudden realisation on Ruth’s face. Pip says she will explain but not right away. Lottie can see the funny side.
Things are tense between Helen and Lee while there’s still no news from the solicitor on Rob’s appeal. Lee’s trying to be nice but Helen doesn’t want to be treated like she’ll break. Lee tells Helen he rang a helpline for eating disorders to get some advice. He wants to do the right thing but doesn’t know what that is. They reconnect as they reflect on the last few months and share a hug. They’ve missed one another. Helen finally gets a call from Dominic – Rob’s application has been denied. It’s over!


THU 19:15 Front Row (m001qf46)
Paul Simon and Charlie Mackesy, the V&A’s Chanel exhibition and author Kamila Shamsie.

When the artist Charlie Mackesy, best-known for his book The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, heard Paul Simon’s most recent album, the acclaimed Seven Psalms, he was inspired to create a sketch for each ‘psalm’. They both join us on Front Row.

In the last of our interviews with all the authors shortlisted for the BBC National Short Story Award we talk to Kamila Shamsie about her story Churail.

Gabrielle Chanel opens at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and Das Rheingold, the first part of Wagner’s Ring Cycle opens at the Royal Opera House in London. Head of Fashion at the Telegraph, Lisa Armstrong and writer Philip Hensher join us to review them both.

Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe
Producer: Olivia Skinner

Paul Simon 1:10
Chanel 11:12
Kamila Shamsie 22:04
Das Rheingold 30:52


THU 20:00 The Briefing Room (m001qf4p)
Who do we think we are now?

Two years ago we looked at Britain’s political geography and the role of identity and party loyalty. In this special programme in front of a live audience, David Aaronovitch and guests discuss what’s changed since then.

David talks to:

Paula Surridge, political sociologist from the University of Bristol
Rosie Campbell, Professor of Politics at King's College, London
Rob Ford, Professor of Political Science at the University of Manchester

Producers: Claire Bowes, Kirsteen Knight and Ben Carter
Editor: Richard Vadon
Sound Mix: Graham Puddifoot


THU 20:30 Blood on the Dance Floor (p0fhr0fv)
6. Take Back the City

The untold story of the murder of a gay police officer in Northern Ireland in 1997

Belfast 1997. But not just any part of Belfast, gay Belfast. A place you've probably never heard of before. Cigarette smoke, aftershave and expectation fill the air in the only openly gay bar in the country. Sat having a drink on a night out is Darren Bradshaw. He was just 24 years old when he was shot dead in front of hundreds of people. His brutal murder by terrorists sparked fears of a return to all out violence as the new Labour government under Tony Blair sought to bring peace to Northern Ireland - on the road to the Good Friday Agreement.

This is the untold story of his life and murder. A story of both love and eventually betrayal.

Presenter Jordan Dunbar grew up in the city, he was a comedian and drag performer on the Belfast scene and yet this murder and Darren's life was never talked about. As a child of the ceasefire, his knowledge of LGBT life in Northern Ireland all came after the Good Friday Agreement. His history was based on the Loyalist and Republican - the Orange or Green versions and the rainbow had never come up.

Following Darren's story brings to life the struggle of being gay in The Troubles, how Belfast got its first Pride parade only in 1991 and its very first gay club in 1994 -The Parliament - where Darren was tragically shot dead.

It's a community surviving as well as thriving against a backdrop of violence and discrimination. He meets the original drag queens, DJs and club pioneers determined to claim back the city centre from the terrorists and create a safe place of their own.

Determined to piece together for the first time how Darren was killed that night and why, Jordan uncovers stories of bigotry, bravery and betrayal.

Presenter: Jordan Dunbar
Series Producer: Paul Grant
Technical Producer: Craig Boardman
Assistant Commissioner: Lorraine Okuefuna
Commissioning Editors: Richard Maddock and Dylan Haskins
Editor and Executive Producer: Carl Johnston


THU 21:00 BBC Inside Science (m001qf1x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:30 today]


THU 21:30 In Our Time (m001qdx1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


THU 22:00 The World Tonight (m001qf5d)
Demands for investigation into Libya floods

Politicians in Libya are demanding an official investigation into floods that wiped out parts of the city of Derna. Thousands of people were killed after two dams collapsed during a storm at the weekend. Many Libyans have blamed poor infrastructure maintenance. The United Nations has also criticised the country's alert system.

Also in the programme: it has emerged that a Russia pilot tried to shoot down a RAF surveillance plane believing he had permission to fire in an incident last year; and we visit the historic India Club in London as it prepares to close its doors for the last time.


THU 22:45 The Exhibitionist by Charlotte Mendelson (m001qf5v)
Episode 9

Set in London over a weekend in 2010, this is a darkly humorous book about a bohemian middle class family with a patriarchal monster at its centre.

A lot is riding on Ray Hanrahan's art exhibition, the first for a decade. He summons his family and friends to the decaying family home to celebrate the occasion, starting with a dinner on the Friday evening. His wife, Lucia, an artist in her own right, has sidelined her own career to allow her husband's to flourish and to bring up their three children, Leah, Jess and Patrick.

Leah has not yet left home and devotedly looks after her ailing father. Her younger sister, Jess is a teacher and has flown the nest to Scotland where she lives with her boyfriend Martyn. Patrick, Lucia's son from a previous relationship, lives in a caravan at the bottom of the garden, struggling with his mental health and dreaming of becoming a chef.

As the family gathers, Lucia is consumed by thoughts of someone new and exciting in her life and wondering anxiously why her gallery manager is so persistently trying to get hold of her. Ray will not be happy if it is news of her success. Meanwhile, Jess is also harbouring a secret which means that she too will be facing some life changing decisions.

Charlotte Mendelson is an award- winning author and The Exhibitionist was long listed for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2022. Her other works include Daughters of Jerusalem, When We Were Bad and Almost English.

Written by Charlotte Mendelson
Reader: Tracy-Ann Oberman
Abridger: Sara Davies
Producer: Alexa Moore
Sound Designers: Sean Kerwin and Iain Hunter
Music: Autumn Leaves by The Bill Evans Trio

A Pier production for BBC Radio 4


THU 23:00 Tim Key's Late Night Poetry Programme (m000gmgt)
Rome

By Tim Key

Comedy. Tim Key broadcasts live from his trailer in Rome, where he’s shooting a film directed by the legendary Sir Hayden Higgins. With Tom Basden, Katy Wix, Miles Jupp and Carlotta Morelli.

Key…. Tim Key
Lord…. Tom Basden
Megan…. Katy Wix
Sir Hayden…. Miles Jupp
Pamela…. Carlotta Morelli

Directed by James Robinson
A BBC Cymru Wales Production


THU 23:30 Today in Parliament (m001qf65)
Susan Hulme reports as MPs ask how the UK can help the people of Libya after catastrophic flooding.

FRIDAY 15 SEPTEMBER 2023

FRI 00:00 Midnight News (m001qf6g)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.


FRI 00:30 Adam Smith: What He Thought and Why It Matters by Jesse Norman (m001qdxj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 on Thursday]


FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m001qf6q)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m001qf6z)
World Service

BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


FRI 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m001qf74)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


FRI 05:30 News Briefing (m001qf7b)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m001qf7g)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg

Good Morning.

Tonight brings the Jewish New Year, when we celebrate ‘the birthday of the world’. It’s a time to honour all creation as, in the ancient words, ‘all life passes before God.’
It marks the beginning of ten days of repentance, when we rethink our values and conduct. It’s a solemn yet joyous time. But as I speak, anguish fills my heart.

Our Ukrainian family has been with us for over a year. They want to go home, but the men, still in Kharkov, rightly say it’s too dangerous.

In the Middle East any agreement between Israel and Palestine seems as remote as ever, yet I know so many on both sides who just want to live in mutual respect.

My heart aches for nature. When, in the biblical story, Noah first releases the dove over the devastated world, it can find no resting place for the sole of its foot. For so many animals their homes and habitats are gone and their species, dismayingly diminished, just about clings on.

These great crises, of climate, nature and humanity, bring feelings of helplessness and disempowerment.

But there isn’t nothing we can do. We can act against oppression, upholding fairness and justice. We can show kindness, whatever our sphere of endeavour. We can join local groups or national campaigns, caring for parks or rivers. When we do so, we strengthen each other’s spirits and restore our sense of purpose.

The thirteenth century Catalunian Jewish poet, Abraham Chazzan, wrote a new year’s prayer:
May the old year and its curses end, the new year and its blessings begin.
May we be the instruments of those blessings.


FRI 05:45 Farming Today (m001qf7j)
15/09/23 Small abattoirs and extra funding; Sheep on Hampstead Heath

Many small local abattoirs have been shutting down in the last decade, It's hard to pin down a precise number, but the government has announced it is setting up a £4 million small abattoir fund to ensure more don’t go out of business. These small local abattoirs play a vital link in the supply chain for farmers who want to slaughter their livestock locally and sell the meat themselves either from the farm or at farmers markets. We hear from the Royal Countryside Fund which has campaigned to save them, and also an abattoir owner who welcomes the money, but says it won't be enough to stop more from closing.

Sheep used to be a common sight on Hampstead Heath in London before grazing was phased out in the 1940s and 1950s. Now, the City of London Corporation has teamed up with community groups to bring them back, as part of a week-long trial. A small flock of five rare breed ‘Norfolk Horn’ and ‘Oxford Down’ ewes are grazing an area in the north-west of the heath.

Presenter = Caz Graham
Producer = Rebecca Rooney


FRI 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b03k5cbg)
Lesser Redpoll

Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs.

David Attenborough presents the lesser redpoll. You can spot Lesser Redpolls hanging like tiny acrobatic parrots among the slender twigs, while a rain of papery seeds falls down around them. They're lively birds which allow you to get fairly close, and then sometimes flocks will explode en masse for no apparent reason and fly around calling.


FRI 06:00 Today (m001qfm8)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


FRI 09:00 The Reunion (m001qdg4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 on Sunday]


FRI 09:45 Adam Smith: What He Thought and Why It Matters by Jesse Norman (m001qfmv)
Episode 5

On the 300th anniversary of the birth of Adam Smith, author Jesse Norman explores his life and captures the febrile surroundings of Enlightenment Edinburgh. Considering Smith’s legacy, he dispels the myths and debunks the caricatures that have grown around the economist in the centuries since he first presented his ideas.

Norman concludes by asking how Smith’s remarkable legacy can be applied to our thinking about capitalism in the present day

Abridged by Rosemary Goring
Read by Robin Laing
Producer: Eilidh McCreadie

Jesse Norman is the Conservative MP for Hereford and South Herefordshire and Minister of State in the Department for Transport. Previous publications include a celebrated study of Edmund Burke, and his debut novel The Winding Stair, a historical thriller set in the Elizabethan court, was published in the summer.


FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (m001qfml)
Anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini, Comedian and author London Hughes, Dr Elise Inglis memorial, The Knock discussion

It’s been one year since the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini sparked protests and outrage across the world. Anita Rani is joined by author Arash Azizi and human rights researcher Azade Pourzand to take a look at where women in Iran stand now, and the long-term impact that’s still being felt.

Dr Elsie Inglis was a Scottish woman known as the ‘Serbian Mother from Scotland’, who founded four Scottish Women’s Hospitals in Serbia during World War One. Together with more than 1,000 woman from Britain and the Commonwealth, she helped to save the lives of allied and enemy soldiers alike. To find out more about her and why she isn’t better known in the UK, Anita speaks to three women who are in Serbia to honour her memory at a special ceremony: Carole Powell, Dr Iram Kamran Qureshi and Caroline Ferguson.

This week, in a new series called The Knock, we’ve heard the stories of two women whose lives were changed when they were told that a loved one had been arrested for sexual offences against children. Anita talks to Deborah Denis, Chief Executive of the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, and Rachel Armitage, Professor of Criminology the University of Huddersfield about the impact of 'the knock' on the families and friends of men arrested for these crimes. They’ll discuss what support families need, and what they are calling for.

The comedian London Hughes has written a memoir, Living My Best Life, Hun. In it, she details her decision to leave the UK, where she experienced bullying and rejection, and go to live in LA, where she quickly became a star. She joins Anita to talk about writing her memoir, turning rejection into opportunity and romanticising her life.

Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Lottie Garton


FRI 11:00 The Briefing Room (m001qf4p)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 on Thursday]


FRI 11:30 What's Funny About ... (m001qfmq)
Series 3

One Foot in the Grave

Peter Fincham and Jon Plowman talk to David Renwick and Richard Wilson and hear the story of how they created One Foot In The Grave – their sitcom that dominated the airwaves throughout the 1990s.

Richard reveals why he was so nervous about taking on the part of Victor Meldrew, turning it down when it was first offered to him, and how the huge success of Victor impacted the parts he’s been offered ever since (clue - lots of grumpy ones!).

They talk with great affection about the dramatic moments among the comedy, and how important they were to making the sitcom more than just a funny show, as well as the great joy (and occasional frustrations) of finding yourself the owner of a famous catchphrase.

Also, David opens up about the controversial finale to the series, as he and Richard reveal how, all these years on, they feel about the decision to end Victor’s story the way they did.

Original One Foot In The Grave clips written by David Renwick
One Foot In The Grave is a BBC production.

Producer Owen Braben
An Expectation production for BBC Radio 4


FRI 12:00 News Summary (m001qfn2)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


FRI 12:04 Archive on 4 (m001qdbl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 on Saturday]


FRI 12:57 Weather (m001qfn7)
The latest weather forecast


FRI 13:00 World at One (m001qfnc)
Forty-five minutes of news, analysis and comment, with Jonny Dymond.


FRI 13:45 Intrigue (m001qfnk)
The Immortals - Ep 10: After the Dragon

The idea of living forever has captivated us for millennia, but rarely do people imagine what would happen the day after the fountain of youth is discovered. Today’s technology entrepreneurs pushing an immortality agenda - through their investments and their influence - seem only focussed on the pursuit.

Whether or not immortality is a distant possibility, how do we cope with living longer en route to forever? Where’s the planning for that? It’s a great opportunity for innovative thinkers but, from what we’ve seen over the last two decades of technological disruption, these real but smaller goals aren’t nearly as enticing as the big ones.

In this series, technology reporter and psychologist Aleks Krotoski explores the frontiers of the extreme longevity pioneers. They've made their money in Silicon Valley. And with their technology solutions - PayPal, Facebook, cryptocurrencies - they've ushered in the world that we live in today, with all its unintended consequences. Some of them now want to solve the "problem" of aging, or even death, and they are making bigger strides than we may think.

Can they? Should they?

A Pillowfort production for BBC Radio 4

New episodes released Mondays. If you're in the UK, listen to the full series of Intrigue: The Immortals first on BBC Sounds: bbc.in/3WEQS5W


FRI 14:00 The Archers (m001qf3p)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Thursday]


FRI 14:15 Limelight (m001qfnt)
The System - Series 3

The System - Method 1: Denial

Five Methods for Overcoming Mortality.

Ben Lewis’ award-winning thriller returns for a third and final season.

Maya and Jake were once close siblings. Now they’re divided in an increasingly divided world.

Maya’s infamy as an activist fighting for social change and climate consciousness has pushed her to the margins, whilst Jake’s commitment to serve king and country has placed him at the centre of a society increasingly intolerant of people on the fringe.

But Maya and Jake’s worlds are about to collide in what will become a fight for survival. For them. And for us.

Cast:
Jake … Jack Rowan
Maya… Siena Kelly
Coyote…Divian Ladwa
Carly…Lois Chimimba
Ash…Ian Dunnett Jnr
Matt Finch … Rhashan Stone
Voice of the Game…Ryan Sampson

Original music and sound design by Danny Krass
A BBC Scotland Production directed by Kirsty Williams


FRI 14:45 Close Encounters (m001mlhy)
Sir Paul Smith & Cecil Beaton

The first of Martha Kearney's new series celebrating portraits and portraiture through the eyes of ten Great Britons. Her guest is the internationally acclaimed fashion designer Sir Paul Smith, who's chosen a photograph from the 1920s of Stephen Tennant and the celebrated photographer Cecil Beaton.

After three years of closure for major refurbishment and expansion the National Portrait Gallery, just off London's Trafalgar Square is about to re-open. To mark the occasion the gallery, along with BBC Radio 4 have launched a celebration of great Britons, with Martha Kearney hosting a Close Encounter between the likes of Sir Tim Berners-Lee, Dame Katherine Grainger, Edward Enninful and Arlo Parks and a portrait they choose to champion. For Sir TIm Berners-Lee it's the Suffragette campaigner Christabel Pankhurst, for Dame Katherine Grainger it's the first English woman to swim the channel, the largely forgotten Mercedes Gleitze.

In each episode we find out about the subject of the portrait, the moment at which their image was captured for posterity and the importance of image and identity for those who find themselves at the centre of the nation's attention today. It's also a chance for Martha's guests to get a look behind the scenes as the gallery prepares for its grand re-opening.

Producers: Tom Alban and Mohini Patel


FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m001qfp0)
Postbag: Great Dixter Gardens

Where’s the best place to ripen tomatoes? How do I get my cosmos plant to flower? What’s the best way to ripen harvested seeds?

Kathy Clugston and the GQT panellists have taken a trip to one of the UK's most loved gardens, the breath-taking Great Dixter Gardens in East Sussex, to answer pressing horticultural queries sent in by our listeners.

Ready and waiting with tips and tricks are garden designer Juliet Sargeant, expert plantsman Matt Biggs and curator of RHS Wisley, Matthew Pottage.

Treating the team to a tour is the estate is head gardener, Fergus Garrett.

Producer: Dom Tyerman

Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod

Executive Producer: Hannah Newton

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4


FRI 15:40 BBC National Short Story Award (m001qfp6)
BBC National Short Story Award 2023

Churail by Kamila Shamsie

A young woman seeks to transcend the constraints of her overbearing father in this haunting, contemporary tale which combines the duel traditions of Pakistani folklore and feminist gothic in the spirit of Charlotte Perkins Gilman.

Reader: Zoha Rahman is a British-Pakistani actor best know for her ground breaking role in Spider-Man: Far From Home, in which she played the first Muslim character in a Marvel film.

Writer: Kamila Shamsie is the author of eight novels, which have been translated into over 30 languages. Home Fire (2018) won the Women’s Prize for Fiction, was long listed for the Man Booker Prize, and shortlisted for the Costa Prize. A Vice-President and Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Manchester, she was one of Granta’s ‘Best of Young British Novelists’ in 2013. She grew up in Karachi, and now lives in London. Her most recent novel is Best of Friends (2022), which was shortlisted for the Indie Book Awards.

Producer: Ciaran Bermingham


FRI 16:00 Last Word (m001qfpb)
Mike Yarwood, Ada Deer, Sir Ian Wilmut, Dorothy Purdew

Matthew Bannister on Mike Yarwood, whose impressions of famous people made him one of TV’s biggest stars in the 1970s and 80s.

Ada Deer, the Native American campaigner who became head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs under President Clinton.

Professor Sir Ian Wilmut, the embryologist who led the team that created Dolly the Sheep – the first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell.

Dorothy Purdew, who left school at fourteen but went on to build up the Champneys chain of health farms and spa resorts.

Interviewee: Emma Freud
Interviewee: Gyles Brandreth
Interviewee: Ben Wikler
Interviewee: Dr Bill Ritchie
Interviewee: Stephen Purdew

Producer: Gareth Nelson-Davies

Archive used:
Mike Yarwood sketch as Prime Minister Ted Heath, Christmas with the Stars, BBC One, 25/12/1972; Denis Healy sketch, Look – Mike Yarwood, BBC one, 07/02/1976; Harold Wilson sketch, The Best of Mike Yarwood, BBC One, 23/04/1976; Mike Yarwood interview, On the Ropes, BBC Radio 4, 01/12/1995; Mike Yarwood impressions Nixon/Cooper/Moore, Listen – Mike Yarwood, BBC Radio 2, 08/12/1973; Emma Freud as Princess Diana, Mike Yarwood’s Royal Variety Show, Thames Production, 30/09/1986; Ada Deer interview, NPR Radio, uploaded 17/08/2023; Ada Deer interview, YouTube, uploaded 04/01/2013; Native American Experience, Ada Deer, Communications for Change, 01/01/1976; Professor Sir Ian Wilmut interview, Life Scientific, BBC Radio 4, 11/10/2016; Dolly The Sheep – BBC News, BBC Archive; Dorothy Perdue , Champneys, ITV, YouTube uploaded 04/07/2014;


FRI 16:30 More or Less (m001qdtn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Wednesday]


FRI 17:00 PM (m001qfph)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines


FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m001qfpt)
The Prime Minister said the breed was a "danger to our communities"


FRI 18:30 The News Quiz (m001qfpy)
Series 112

Episode 2

Andy Zaltzman quizzes the week's news. Providing the answers, hopefully, are, Lucy Porter, Tom Ballard, Anushka Asthana, and Mark Steel.

In this episode Andy and the panel search for the world's most obvious spy, the world's most awkward train ride, and the UK's worst road.

Written by Andy Zaltzman

With additional material by
Cody Dahler
Mike Shephard
and Christina Riggs

Producer: Sam Holmes
Executive Producer: James Robinson
Production Coordinator: Katie Baum
Sound Editor: Marc Willcox

A BBC Studios Production


FRI 19:00 The Archers (m001qfq2)
Writer, Katie Hims
Director, Jess Bunch
Editor, Jeremy Howe

David Archer ….. Timothy Bentinck
Josh Archer ….. Angus Imrie
Pip Archer ….. Daisy Badger
Ruth Archer ….. Felicity Finch
Helen Archer ….. Louiza Patikas
Natasha Archer ….. Mali Harries
Pat Archer ….. Patricia Gallimore
Lee Bryce ….. Ryan Early
Ian Craig ….. Stephen Kennedy
Usha Franks ….. Souad Faress
Jim Lloyd ….. John Rowe
Paul Mack ….. Joshua Riley
Azra Malik ….. Yasmin Wilde
Stella Pryor ….. Lucy Speed
Lottie ….. Bonnie Badoo


FRI 19:15 Screenshot (m001qfq6)
Video games on screen

Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode delve into the relationship between gaming and the movies, with help from a crack squad of video game experts.

Mark is joined by pop culture critic Kayleigh Donaldson, who helps guide him through the messy and complicated history of game adaptations on the big screen, from Super Mario Bros to Doom. He also speaks to Duncan Jones, director of the first video game film to cross $400m at the international box office - 2016's Warcraft. They discuss the challenges of adapting the cult role-playing game for a cinema audience.

And Ellen asks the big question of whether video games can be considered an art form on the same level as film. To help her on her quest, she first speaks to critic Kambole Campell about why games get called 'cinematic' and whether the gaming world has auteurs.

Ellen then talks to cinephile and game director Sam Barlow, about his highly successful - and highly innovative - video games Her Story, Telling Lies and Immortality. Sam explains how experimental directors like Nicolas Roeg and Peter Greenaway have influenced his work, which employs live footage of actors, rather than motion capture or graphics.

Producer: Jane Long
A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4


FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (m001qfq8)
Dame Meg Hillier MP, Sir Phil Redmond, Mark Spencer MP and Sharon Todd

James Cook presents political discussion from Cowley Sixth Form in St Helens, Merseyside with a panel including the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee Dame Meg Hillier MP, the TV producer and screenwriter Sir Phil Redmond, Food and Farming Minister Mark Spencer MP and the CEO of the Society of Chemical Industry Sharon Todd
Producer: Robin Markwell
Lead broadcast engineer: Tom Parnell


FRI 20:50 A Point of View (m001qfqb)
In the Spite House

AL Kennedy discusses the addictive nature of hate.

'Religion', she writes, 'was once called the opium of the masses; hate is now the Oxycontin of the masses. That low thrum of resentment, spikes of rage, hate gives them a logic, an addictive rush.'

Producer: Adele Armstrong
Sound: Peter Bosher
Production coordinator: Gemma Ashman
Editor: Bridget Harney


FRI 21:00 Intrigue (m001qfqd)
The Immortals - Omnibus 2

Over the last 100 years, we’ve seen global life expectancy double. Could it happen again?

Technology reporter and psychologist Aleks Krotoski explores the frontiers of the extreme longevity pioneers. They've made their money in Silicon Valley. And with their technology solutions - PayPal, Facebook, cryptocurrencies - they've ushered in the world that we live in today, with all its unintended consequences. Some of them now want to solve the "problem" of aging, or even death, and they are making bigger strides than we may think.

Can they? Should they?

A Pillowfort production for BBC Radio 4


FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (m001qfqg)
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective


FRI 22:45 The Exhibitionist by Charlotte Mendelson (m001qfqk)
Episode 10

Set in London over a weekend in 2010, this is a darkly humorous book about a bohemian middle class family with a patriarchal monster at its centre.

A lot is riding on Ray Hanrahan's art exhibition, the first for a decade. He summons his family and friends to the decaying family home to celebrate the occasion, starting with a dinner on the Friday evening. His wife, Lucia, an artist in her own right, has sidelined her own career to allow her husband's to flourish and to bring up their three children, Leah, Jess and Patrick.

Leah has not yet left home and devotedly looks after her ailing father. Her younger sister, Jess is a teacher and has flown the nest to Scotland where she lives with her boyfriend Martyn. Patrick, Lucia's son from a previous relationship, lives in a caravan at the bottom of the garden, struggling with his mental health and dreaming of becoming a chef.

As the family gathers, Lucia is consumed by thoughts of someone new and exciting in her life and wondering anxiously why her gallery manager is so persistently trying to get hold of her. Ray will not be happy if it is news of her success. Meanwhile, Jess is also harbouring a secret which means that she too will be facing some life changing decisions.

Charlotte Mendelson is an award- winning author and The Exhibitionist was long listed for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2022. Her other works include Daughters of Jerusalem, When We Were Bad and Almost English.

Written by Charlotte Mendelson
Reader: Tracy-Ann Oberman
Abridger: Sara Davies
Producer: Alexa Moore
Sound Designers: Sean Kerwin and Iain Hunter
Music: Autumn Leaves by The Bill Evans Trio

A Pier production for BBC Radio 4


FRI 23:00 Americast (m001qfqm)
The Age of Biden

Is Joe Biden too old to win another go in the White House? And could his son derail his campaign? The Americast team talks through the challenges the president is facing in the run-up to the next election.

Barack Obama's former spokesperson and podcaster Tommy Vietor gives us his thoughts on Biden's achievements and viral moments, as well as his 2024 chances, with some critics obsessed by his age and sceptical about Vice President Kamala Harris.

And the gang tries to guess the Republican presidential candidate from the songs that supposedly "stir their souls".

HOSTS:
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter
• Sarah Smith, North America editor
• Marianna Spring, disinformation and social media correspondent

GUEST:
• Tommy Vietor, host of 'Pod Save America' and 'Pod Save the World'

GET IN TOUCH:
• Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB
• Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480
• Email Americast@bbc.co.uk
• Or use #Americast

Find out more about our award-winning "undercover voters" here: bbc.in/3lFddSF.

This episode was made by Rufus Gray, Catherine Fusillo and Hayley Clarke. The technical producer was Daffyd Evans. The series producer is Daniel Wittenberg and the senior editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

BBC SOUNDS CHAPTERS:
03:10 – Joe Biden's age
15:50 – Tommy Vietor interview
35:00 – Republican soul songs


FRI 23:30 Today in Parliament (m001qfqp)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament