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A A Gill

Andrew Swanston read law at Cambridge, but was inspired to write by his lifelong interest in early modern history. His Thomas Hill novels – The King’s Spy, The King’s Exile and The King’s Return – are set against the backdrops of the English Civil War, Cromwell’s Commonwealth and the early Restoration respectively. He is also the author of Waterloo: The Bravest Man and Beautiful Star and Other Stories. His first historical thriller set during the reign of Elizabeth I – Incendium (published in paperback as The Incendium Plot) – introduced readers to the academic, lawyer and intelligencer Dr Christopher Radcliff, whose adventures continue in Chaos. Andrew Swanston lives in Surrey.

A D Swanston

A E Langsford

A G Hopkins

A. J. BAIME is the New York Times best-selling author of The Arsenal of Democracy: FDR, Detroit, and an Epic Quest to Arm an America at War and Go Like Hell: Ford, Ferrari, and Their Battle for Speed and Glory at Le Mans. Both books are in development for major motion pictures. Baime is a longtime regular contributor to the Wall Street Journal, and his articles have also appeared in the New York Times, Popular Science, and Men’s Journal. He lives in Granite Bay, California. Visit him at facebook.com/ajbaime and trumanbook.com.

A J Baime

A J Jacobs

A J P Taylor

Anthony James Pollard is a British medieval historian, specialising in the fifteenth century and in particular the Wars of the Roses. A leading authority in the field, he is profesor emeritus of Teesside University. His books include North-Eastern England during the Wars of the Roses, Richard III and the Princes in theTower, Imagining Robin Hood: the Late Medieval Stories in Historical Context and Warwick the kingmaker: Politics, Power and Fame.

A J Pollard

A J Rochester

A K Benjamin is a clinical neuropsychologist and the author of Let Me Not Be Mad: A Story of Unravelling Minds.

A K Benjamin

A. L. Berridge read English at Oxford, and taught for ten years before moving into television, where her production credits range from period drama and thrillers to long-running soaps. She has written two previous novels, Top Ten besteller Honour and the Sword and In the Name of the King. Into the Valley of Death is her third novel.

A L Berridge

Alison Gaylin's first job was as a reporter for a celebrity tabloid, which sparked a lifelong interest in writing about people committing despicable acts. More than a decade later, she wrote and published her Edgar-nominated first novel, HIDE YOUR EYES. 
 
She's since published nine more books, including the USA Today and international bestselling Brenna Spector suspense series, which has been nominated for the Edgar, Anthony and Thriller awards and won the Shamus award. 
 
She lives in upstate New York with her husband, daughter, cat and dog.

A L Gaylin

A Maxwell-Hyslop

A McArthur

A P Wavell

A.S. Webb is the Sunday Times bestselling author of Daughter of Chaos, the first instalment of The Dark Pantheon Trilogy. She is inspired by stories rooted in history and mythology, that push the boundaries of imagination and urge us to reflect on what it means to be human.

A S Webb

A. A. Dhand is the author of six previous novels, and has been shortlisted for the CWA Steel Dagger Award. His DI Harry Virdee novels are currently being adapted for TV by the BBC. He was raised in Bradford and spent his youth observing the city from behind the counter of a small convenience store. After qualifying as a pharmacist, he worked in London and travelled extensively before returning to Bradford to start his own business and begin writing. The history, diversity and darkness of the city have inspired all his novels. For more information about A. A. Dhand and his books, follow him on X @aadhand, and on Instagram @aa_dhand.

A. A. Dhand

A. A. Gill

A. A. Milne

A. Anatoli

A. B. Poranek grew up sharing her time between Ontario, Canada and rural Poland, and eventually completed a veterinary degree at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences. A lover of mythology and history, she enjoys exploring both in her writing. Her debut novel, Where the Dark Stands Still, an instant New York Times bestseller, is an ode to Poland's folktales, while A Treachery of Swans transports readers to a world inspired by 17th century France.

A. B. Poranek

A. Bradley

Professor A. C. Grayling is Principal of the New College of the Humanities at Northeastern University, London, and a Supernumerary Fellow of St Anne's College, Oxford. He has written and edited over thirty books on philosophy, history, science and current affairs. For several years he wrote columns for the Guardian newspaper and The Times and was the chairman of the 2014 Man Booker Prize.

A. C. Grayling

A.D. Miller is the author of Snowdrops, The Earl of Petticoat Lane and The Faithful Couple. Snowdrops was a bestseller and was shortlisted for many prizes including the Man Booker and the CWA Gold Dagger. It was translated into 25 languages. As Moscow Correspondent of The Economist A.D. Miller has travelled across the former Soviet Union and covered the Orange Revolution in Ukraine; he is now the magazine’s Culture Editor based in London. 
 
admillerbooks.com

A. D. Miller

A. E. Ellis

A. E. W. Mason

A. Humphreys

A. Igoni Barrett was born in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, in 1979 and lives in Lagos. He is a winner of the 2005 BBC World Service short story competition, the recipient of a Chinua Achebe Center Fellowship, a Norman Mailer Center Fellowship, and a Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center Residency. His short story collection, Love is Power, or Something Like That, was published in 2013. In 2014 he was named on the Africa39 list of sub-Saharan African writers under 40. Blackass is his first novel.

A. Igoni Barrett

The short life of A.J.A. Symons (1900-41) was described by his biographer as an intricate and largely harmless confidence trick. His many interests included the collection of musical boxes and rare books as well as the study and practice of forgery; they left him time to edit an anthology of Edwardian verse and compose studies of H.M. Stanley and other notable figures. He is remembered for The Quest for Corvo, one of the most remarkable biographies ever written, and for co-founding the Wine and Food Society.

A. J. A. Symons

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Jason Hazeley

Simon Evans

David Tyler

One Person Found This Helpful is a lively panel game hosted by the witty Frank Skinner, bringing together an all-star line-up of celebrity guests to revel in the hilarity of online reviews. Over the course of seven entertaining episodes, the guests are challenged to decipher the good, the bad, and the downright baffling reviews, guessing what exactly is being described. With plenty of laughs and unexpected twists, the celebrities might even try their hand at crafting their own amusing reviews, making for a fun-filled celebration of the quirks of internet commentary.

One Person Found This Helpful: Series 3

A BBC Radio 4 Comedy Panel Game

Stuart Mitchell

Two hilarious stand-up radio shows from comedian Stuart Mitchell 
 
What is the true cost of happiness? In these two very funny series Stuart Mitchell examines his own cost of living crisis, and then takes a deep dive into the real cost of dying. Delivered in Stuart’s signature light-hearted yet meaningful style, this is a listen that will get you thinking and laughing. 
 
In Stuart Mitchell’s Cost of Living, Stuart looks at his own unbelievable – but absolutely true – life story. A working-class boy with huge aspirations, Stuart achieved everything he dreamed of and more. But he soon came to realise that the cost of having everything was more than he was willing to pay. A morality tale about his time working in Westminster, moving to a highly paid job in banking and willingly losing it all to find happiness, Stuart makes us ponder the true cost of living. His journey of self-discovery is prompted by a visit to one of Gordon Ramsay's restaurants - a meal that makes him question his entire existence… 
 
In Stuart Mitchell’s Cost of Dying he breaks down the true cost of dying. Having hired the same undertaker six times for family members, Stuart aims to find out if can we even afford to kick the bucket. He takes a cheeky look at the costs of end-of-life care, a long, cold look at mortuary fridges and the importance of death certificates. You might want to reconsider a cardboard coffin after listening, and don’t forget the financial costs of lawyers are just as heavy as the emotional ones. In fact, you’ll learn so much about the hidden costs of dying, you may well decide not to bother doing it! 
 
Stuart Mitchell is a well-known Scottish comedian and TikTok star. He is currently the longest-running panelist on BBC Scotland’s Breaking The News, and has made numerous appearances across TV and radio including Chris McCausland’s You Heard It Here First, The Blame Game and The News Quiz. He is also co-creator and star of the Glesga Da Podcast along with Raymond Mearns. 
 
Written and performed by Stuart Mitchell 
Produced by Lauren Mackay 
Sound by Andy Hay and Chris Currie 
Stuart Mitchell’s Cost of Living first broadcast BBC Radio 4, 25th February - 31st March 2024 
Stuart Mitchell’s Cost of Dying first broadcast BBC Radio 4, 12th November - 10th December 2025 
 
©2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Stuart Mitchell’s Cost of Living and Dying

BBC Radio 4 Stand-Up Comedy

Ian Hislop

Ian Hislop takes a hilarious look at some of Britain's oldest jokes 
 The British are rather proud of their sense of humour - but where has that pride come from and what makes it unique?With the help of contemporary comedians, scholars and an appetite for enduring humour, Ian Hislop tracks down the earliest examples of enduring British comedy tropes and jokes, and guides us through some of the vital elements that make up that most curious thing: the British sense of humour.Join Ian as he begins his quest in the dark ages, admittedly not known as a well-spring of comic opportunity. Nevertheless, in the pages of the Venerable Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England, there is wordplay potent enough to have a part in the naming of a nation. How his fellow monks must have laughed. Travelling across the UK, Ian admires the Bishop's seat and discovers the filth hidden behind the Double entendre of the Exeter Book of Riddles. He looks for the earliest examples of visual humour under the seats of New College Oxford Chapel, and wooden carvings that suggest those who made them were never happier than when making people laugh. He discovers the set of a 15th century entertainer who performed for audiences in Nottinghamshire at the time of the Wars of the Roses, and the famous medieval Bestiary which describes the Bonnacon, a mythical beast that appears to have no biblical message beyond its capacity to make the reader laugh. Ian delves into Geoffrey Chaucer's 14th century humble-brag parody, the Tale of Sir Topaz, before arriving in the 17th century, when printing and changes in censorship laws ushered in a new and energetic form of comedy. Finally, Ian explores satirical cartoons and a collection of comic songs with hilarious consequences. This is a must listen for anyone who loves a good belly laugh.Presenter and writer Ian Hislop is perhaps best known for his appearances on the satirical news quiz Have I Got News for You, and he has been the editor of Private Eye since 1986. He&rsquo;s presented many shows on television and radio and is the author of several books. This series also features contributions from Nina Conti, Paul Whitehouse, comedy song writing duo Jo and Joan and parodist Craig Brown.Written and presented by Ian HislopProduced by Tom AlbanFirst broadcast 22 January-2 February 2024&copy;2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Ian Hislop’s Oldest Jokes

A BBC Radio 4 Series

Becky Ripley

Sophie Ward

A fascinating exploration of the psychology behind the seven deadly sinsWhy have we evolved these ugly emotions? What’s going on in the brain and the body when we feel them? And how best can we live alongside them - in ourselves and with others?Becky Ripley and Sophie Ward take a humorous and compelling look at the psychology behind each of the seven deadly sins. Rolling with the order established by Pope Gregory the Great, first up is pride, followed by greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and (finally) lazy old sloth.With contributions from leading experts in the field, including geneticist, writer and presenter Dr Adam Rutherford, Dr Anna Machin from the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford and sexologist Dr Anand Patel, this is a fascinating, funny and revelatory series that explores what makes us who we are and busts some myths along the way.Pride - How can we have confidence without veering into arrogance? Pride can be motivating and self-affirming. But then there’s the ugly side: thinking you’re better than others. How can we have one without the other?Greed - Why do we want money, land, material things – and ultimately control, status, dominance, power? And can we be greedy for the good?Lust - Lust is crucial to the continuation of our species, but it's also a form of neurochemical madness that can lead us astray. How can we best live alongside our drives and desires?Envy - Is the grass always greener? Can we want what others have without being riddled with resentment?Gluttony - Why do we crave what we crave? The odd bit of indulgence isn't such a bad thing - but sometimes we overdo it. We short circuit our dopamine reward systems, and before we know it, we can't stop. Can we control our cravings? And when does a little bit of binging become too much?Wrath - Things can get pretty ugly when our blood starts to boil. Some of us are quick to flip, some of us brood, and some of us push down our anger. Anger is a motivator, a driver for change in the face of a perceived injustice. The question is, how are you going to act on it?Sloth - Is there a place for rest in today’s hyper-productive world? Our brains and bodies need rest in order to recharge. But too much sloth, and you can get stuck in a downward spiral of apathy or depression. How can we get the balance right?Join Becky Ripley and Sophie Ward on a fascinating journey through what it means to be human in today’s modern world.Written and presented by Becky Ripley and Sophie WardProduced by Becky RipleyFirst Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 21 November 2023 – 2 January 2024©2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Seven Deadly Psychologies

A BBC Radio Series

Various

Individuals who have experienced some of society's biggest issues tell their stories - and search for answers 
 
 From climate change, fake news and vaccine hesitancy to mental health, addiction and domestic violence, there are no shortage of societal problems facing the UK right now. But while we are aware these challenges exist, without personal experience it is hard for us to understand what it is like to struggle with them, and harder still to envision potential solutions. 
 
 These compelling documentaries, first broadcast on radio under the title 'My Name Is...', introduce us to a range of individuals who have confronted various hardships, telling their stories and following them as they ask difficult questions and endeavour to drive positive change. Among those we meet are Rachel, who has been sectioned multiple times and seeks to challenge the status quo around psychiatric treatment; Katie, a onetime problem gambler investigating how online gambling firms target the vulnerable; Abi, who almost died at the hands of her violent boyfriend and now helps others stay safe; and Fozia, a doctor horrified by the Covid conspiracy theories that leave patients afraid to come to hospital even when they're seriously ill. 
 
 We also hear from others whose stories are less harrowing, but equally absorbing. There's Noga, a 17-year-old youth strike organiser doing everything she can to save the planet; Hamza, a basketball and martial arts coach who believes broadening access to sport can improve opportunities for disadvantaged kids; Lucy, who's looking for love and wondering whether to ditch the dating apps; and 11-year-old Roman, who adores Minecraft and wants to know if his parents' limits on his screen time are fair. 
 
 Offering unique insight into the lives of a host of extraordinary people, these fascinating first-person accounts highlight the complexity of the issues affecting Britons today, and provide diverse perspectives on how we can set about tackling them. 
 
 Production credits 
 Presented by Noga Levy-Rapoport, Rachel Waddingham, Katie, Josh Walker, 'Courtney', Peter Trimingham, Beth Miles, Abi Blake, Imogen Rhodes, Fozia Hayat, Natasha Saunders, Lucy, Roman, Niellah Arboine, Jordan Lee, Anna, Elvis MacGonagall, Hamza Malik, Joshua Styles, Anna, Christina Adane, Natalie, Haroon Mota, Sam, Kate Deeming, Bex Wilson, Laura Brothwell, Claire Randall, Chris Fox 
 
 Produced by Sue Mitchell, Ben Crighton, Lydia Thomas, Miles Warde, Richard McIlroy, Ben Carter, Eliza Lomas, Kevin Core, Mugabi Turya, Seren Jones, Lucy Proctor, Giles Edwards, Beth Hemmings 
 
 Production Coordinators: Anne Smith, Gemma Ashman, Dave James, Sarah Goodman, Helen Surtees, Siobhan Maguire 
 
 Editors: Philip Sellars, Emma Rippon, Gill Farrington 
 
 First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on the following dates: 
 
 My Name is Noga 1 April 2019 
My Name is Rachel 8 April 2019 
My Name is Katie 22 April 2019 
My Name is Josh 6 May 2019 
My Name is Courtney 27 May 2019 
My Name is Peter 6 January 2020 
My Name is Beth 27 January 2020 
My Name is Abi 3 February 2020 
My Name is Immie 10 February 2020 
My Name is Fozia 27 July 2020 
My Name is Natasha 3 August 2020 
My Name is Lucy 17 August 2020 
My Name is Roman 24 August 2020 
My Name is Niellah 31 August 2020 
My Name is Jordan 1 February 2021 
My Name is Anna 8 February 2021 
My Name is Elvis 15 February 2021 
My Name is Hamza 1 March 2021 
My Name is Josh 8 March 2021 
My Name is Anna 16 August 2021 
My Name is Christina 30 August 2021 
My Name is Natalie 6 September 2021 
My Name is Haroon 28 February 2022 
My Name is Sam 7 March 2022 
My Name is Kate 14 March 2022 
My Name is Bex 21 March 2022 
My Name is Laura 25 July 2022 
My Name is Claire 08 August 2022 
My Name is Chris 29 August 2022 
 
 
 © 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

Hardship Britain: Personal Stories of Social Issues Today

A BBC Radio 4 collection

Steven Pinker's 12-part guide to thinking better 
 
'A paean to human potential' The Telegraph 
 
Cognitive scientist Professor Steven Pinker has spent his life thinking about thinking, and now he wants us to join him. With the aid of his critical thinking toolkit, he hopes to help us make smarter choices, become more rational, gain a greater understanding of the confused world we live in - and maybe even become better citizens. 
 
In this fascinating series, produced in partnership with the Open University, he examines the different ways the human brain can be tripped up, from understanding probability to the difference between correlation and causation. Joined by an array of other prominent thinkers, he explores such diverse subjects as whether formulas can predict how well an athlete will perform, why it's dangerous to see patterns in the randomness of everyday experience and why so many of us believe in conspiracy theories. 
 
He also considers the life and death choices made by judges and juries, ponders whether some thoughts are too evil to think, asks why making future predictions can be hard, and wonders: should we eat, drink and be merry, or make sacrifices now to benefit our future selves? And what can the game 'Rock, Paper, Scissors' teach us about preventing a climate catastrophe? In addition, he and his fellow experts discuss how we can stop the news distorting our understanding of the world - and why getting it right might mean admitting you're wrong... 
 
Among his special guests are Tim Harford, presenter of BBC Radio 4's More or Less; Pulitzer Prize-winning author Siddartha Mukherjee; Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; Professor Hannah Fry, co-presenter of Radio 4's popular science show The Curious Cases of Rutherford &amp; Fry; Daniel Kahneman, winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics; and one of the most influential psychologists of the 20th Century, Elizabeth Loftus. 
 
Production credits 
Presented by Steven Pinker 
Produced by Imogen Walford and Joe Kent 
Edited by Emma Rippon 
Think with Pinker is produced in partnership with The Open University 
 
Episode 1: Think twice 
Featuring: Sig Mejdal and Professor Ellen Peters 
 
Episode 2: Methinks it is a weasel 
Featuring: Charlie Munger and Tim Harford 
 
Episode 3: In touch with reality 
Featuring: Jonathan Rauch and Ellen Cushing 
 
Episode 4: Don't expect a zebra 
Featuring: Talithia Williams and Siddartha Mukherjee 
 
Episode 5: You can't think that! 
Featuring: Philip Tetlock and Sally Satel 
 
Episode 6: Future you 
Featuring: Dr Maria Kournikova and Bina Venkataraman 
 
Episode 7: The climate game 
Featuring: Bill Gates and Professor Hannah Fry 
 
Episode 8: Rational soothsaying 
Featuring: Barbara Mellers and Thomas Friedman 
 
Episode 9: Nudges and noise 
Featuring: Daniel Kahneman and Robyn Scott 
 
Episode 10: Sentence first, verdict afterwards 
Featuring: Judge Nancy Gertner and Elizabeth Loftus 
 
Episode 11: Headlines and trendlines 
Featuring: James Harding and Anna Rosling Rutland 
 
Episode 12: Being right 
Featuring: Julia Galef and Daniel Willingham 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 18 November 2021 - 3 February 2022 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P) BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Think with Pinker

How to be a better critical thinker

Vivienne Parry

How much exercise do we need? Is eight hours the right amount of sleep? What is the 'average' libido? When does 'normal weight' become 'overweight' or 'obese'? And how do doctors decide if what's going on inside someone's head is normal? 
 
When it comes to our health, what constitutes 'normal'? Who decides, and where do they draw the line? Is 'normal' the same for everyone? And if you don't tick the box marked 'normal', do you need treatment or are you simply different? In these 34 episodes, science writer and broadcaster Vivienne Parry attempts to answer these questions, and work out what 'normal' means with regard to our bodies and minds. 
 
Talking to doctors, patients and a wealth of medical and scientific experts, she considers issues ranging from mental health and physical wellbeing to fitness, child development, parenting and sex. 
 
Over the course of eight series, Vivienne explores topics including cancer, blood pressure, giving birth, dyslexia, drinking, depression, ageing and autism. As she tries to build up a picture of what normality looks like, she discovers that in defining 'normal', we create 'abnormal' - and that in reality, 'normal' is anything but. 
 
'Fascinating stuff' - The Guardian 
 
Production credits 
Presented by Vivienne Parry 
Produced by Anna Buckley, Fiona Roberts, Katy Hickman, Erika Wright, Deborah Cohen, Fiona Hill, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Alison Hughes, Julian Siddle and Pamela Rutherford 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 22 August-12 September 2006 (Series 1), 14 November-12 December 2006 (Series 2), 31 July-21 August 2007 (Series 3), 18 September 2007 (The Sex Lives of Us: Sex), 4-25 March 2008 (Series 4), 30 September-21 October 2008 (Series 5), 24 February-17 March 2009 (Series 6), 2-23 March 2010 (Series 7), 19 July-10 August 2011 (Series 8) 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. 
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Am I Normal?

A BBC quest to discover what’s normal

Bridget Christie

The collected radio shows of award-winning stand-up comedian Bridget Christie 
 
'The current queen of crusading UK comedy' - Guardian 
 
Writer, actress and stand-up star Bridget Christie has won numerous awards, performed 12 hit Edinburgh Festival Fringe shows and written the critically-acclaimed comic memoir A Book for Her. She's also created three hilarious and thought-provoking radio series, all of which are included here. 
 
In Bridget Christie Minds the Gap, she gives us her personal take on feminism, asking why it became a dirty word and whether women still need it. From a bookshop fart to the 'Bic for Her' and a fish called Michael, she recalls the key incidents which led her to an epiphany and a call to arms - with the help of token man Fred MacAulay. And in Series 2, she takes her activism to a new level as she deconstructs a yoghurt ad, tries to find an icon who doesn't replace the word 'feminism' with 'bootylicious', and reveals the consequences of wearing an 'End FGM' badge on a popular TV show... 
 
Bridget Christie's Utopia sees her embarking on a comic quest for her Shangri-La. Worried about world events - melting polar ice-caps, Brexit, Donald Trump - she attempts to find a way of living that will calm her anxiety. In these four episodes, she explores political disengagement, spirituality, a new life in the country and being mega-rich: but will any of them make her happy? 
 
And in Bridget Christie: Mortal, recorded from her home during lockdown, she turns her attention to the metaphysical questions we all spend our life avoiding (while being interrupted by cats, chores, children and her own dead self from beyond the grave). Do twins share a soul, or do they get one each? How do you live in the moment? And who's blocked the toilet again? Covering 'Birth', 'Death', 'Life', and 'The Afterlife', this informal, personal series will appeal to anyone mortal. 
 
 
Written and performed by Bridget Christie 
 
Bridget Christie Minds the Gap 
Produced by Alison Vernon-Smith and Alexandra Smith 
With Fred MacAulay 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 7-28 March 2013 (Series 1), 8-29 January 2015 
 
Bridget Christie's Utopia 
Recorded in front of a live studio audience at the BBC Radio Theatre 
Produced by Simon Nicholls and Alison Vernon-Smith 
With special guests Mike Christie, Leyla Hussein, Sister Agatha and Fran Blockley 
A BBC Studios production 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 7-28 February 2018 
 
Bridget Christie: Mortal 
Produced by Carl Cooper 
Sound mixer: Olga M. Reed 
With guest appearances from Bridget Christie's dad, sister Eileen and friend Ash 
A BBC Studios production 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 13 April-4 May 2021 
 
Photo: Tash Pszenicki 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. 
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Bridget Christie: A BBC Radio 4 Stand-Up Comedy Collection

Bridget Christie Minds the Gap, Utopia & Mortal

New Generation Thinkers

The most exciting emerging thinkers of our age present their ideas 
 
Since 2010, the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the BBC have joined forces to find the best and brightest academic minds whose cutting-edge research deserves to be shared with a wider audience. Each year, 10 pioneering scholars are selected as New Generation Thinkers, and given the unique opportunity to bring their groundbreaking work to life on radio. New Generation Thinkers have explored the arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond, and continue to share ideas, bring people into their world, and expand horizons everywhere. 
 
To mark ten years of this incredible scheme, this collection brings together the 100 winners from the past decade. Many have gone on to become prominent public figures, and all have fascinating insights to share. Charlotte Blease questions the relationship between doctors and patients; Sarah Dillon explores roles for women in science fiction and whether the genre is sexist; Anindya Raychaudhuri discusses the 1947 Partition of India and how it is remembered; Edmund Richardson tells the story of Alexander the Great's lost city; and Ben Anderson explains how trespassers in the early 20th Century helped create new attitudes to nature by going off-piste. 
 
With topics ranging from a pirate's cookbook to prison breaks, from shaving to Shakespeare and from Berlin techno music to the Glasgow rag trade, these intriguing radio essays will inform, provoke, stimulate and surprise. 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
 
If you'd like to learn more about New Generation Thinkers, visit the Arts and Humanities Research Council website at ahrc.ukri.org

Instant Expert

100 of the best ideas from New Generation Thinkers

David Mitchell

David Mitchell investigates how the humble meeting took over the world - and what we should do about it 
 
In this fantastic follow-up to Behaving Ourselves: David Mitchell on Manners, the comedian and columnist turns his attention to meetings, examining our love/hate relationship with them and asking how we evolved from getting together for a 'thing' to shouting at each other onscreen via Zoom. 
 
On the agenda: David talks to fellow comedian Russell Kane about the different ways introverts and extroverts behave in meetings; meets Dutch sociologist Wilbert van Vree to sum up several millennia of meetings - from hunter-gatherers, to the Middle Ages, to the modern-day office; and gets some tips from executive coach Sophie Bryan about being a good chairman (and dealing with the awkward person in the room). 
 
Exploring how our meetings culture is spinning out of control, David sits in on a council Zoom meeting in Cheshire (not that one); picks the brains of Imperial College Business School meetings expert Sankalp Chaturvedi, and chats to the former Leader of the House of Commons, Sir David Lidington, about Cabinet briefings and ministerial meetings. And, joining historian and author Professor Margaret Macmillan, he tackles one of the 20th Century's biggest meetings, the 1919 Paris Conference, discovering that there's nothing new about management away-days or brainstorming sessions - they were both being used 100 years ago. 
 
As he learns the secrets of communication, consensus, and coming together productively, can David overcome his scepticism and learn to love meetings? 
 
 
Production credits 
Written and presented by David Mitchell 
With Pete Broadbent, Bishop of Willesden; Cat Brogan; Wilbert van Vree; Russell Kane; Sophie Bryan; Councillor Gill Merry; Councillor Kathryn Flavell; Councillor Laura Crane; Sir David Lidington; Sankalp Chaturvedi; Professor Margaret Macmillan 
Produced by Chris Ledgard 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 13-27 March 2021 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Mitchell on Meetings

Jacob Hawley

Stand-up comedian Jacob Hawley explores every corner of the UK drugs scene, from nightclubs to prisons 
 
In his first BBC radio series, New Comedy Award finalist Jacob Hawley examines one of the most important issues affecting young people today, looking into every aspect of British drug culture to discover its scope and effects. As a recreational drugs user for almost a decade, Jacob thought he knew more than most about the topic - but was shocked by how much he still had to learn. 
 
Beginning with a debate about legalisation, these 16 episodes examine the highs and lows of drug use and abuse, from psychedelics, ayahuasca and chemsex to addiction, County Lines gangs and drugs behind bars and on the streets. Jacob visits a rehab clinic to talk to recovering addicts, meets families who have lost loved ones to drugs and speaks with dealers and policemen to canvass opinions from both sides of the law. In addition, he probes the murky world of doping and performance-enhancing drugs, investigates prescription drug abuse and antidepressants, and looks at the damaging effects of one of the most widely-used drugs in the world: alcohol. 
 
His guests include controversial scientist Professor David Nutt; 'Acid Countess' Amanda Feilding, grime artist and DJ Faze Miyake and Olympic gold medal winner Luke Campbell - and, in a special episode live from the BBC 6Music Festival, Jacob catches up with actor and presenter Tyger Drew-Honey, who discusses his struggle with drink and drugs. 
 
This acclaimed series earned Jacob a Radio Academy Silver Award for Best New Presenter. Enlightening, informative and insightful, it will expand your mind and make you rethink the way you look at drugs. 
 
Created and presented by Jacob Hawley 
Produced by Nick Coupe 
Music by Buddy Peace 
Art by Charles Williams at Made Up 
Jacob Hawley: On Drugs is a BBC Studios production for BBC Sounds 
 
With guests including: Professor David Nutt, Dr Kevin Sabet, Lizzie McCulloch, Jack Barry, Adam Deacon, Sabina Osbourne Gray, Tom Huggins, Carl Donnelly, Amanda Feilding, Harry Shapiro, Joshua Levitas, Elizabeth Burton-Phillips MBE, James Wharton, Denholm Spurr, Monty Moncrieff MBE, Luke Laws, Faze Miyake, Ryan Walker-Edwards, Fiona Measham, Bradley Laurencin, Shaun Attwood, Lawrence Gibbons, Paul Sharky, Joseph Kaz, Dr Michael Shiner, Chloe Petts, Laura Pilcher, Nathan Harmer, Ed Warner, Emily Robinson, Luke Campbell, Thomas Maw, Tyger Drew-Honey, Dr Tom Yerburgh, Michael Ritchie, Nikki Holland, Sonya Jones, Tanayah Sam, Ahir Shah, Angela Barnes, Emma Carrington, Dr David Healy, Lou Sanders, Jon Long, Tom Blackwood, Dr Richard Piper 
 
 
If you've been affected by any of the issues discussed in this podcast, you can find help and support here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1kS7QTDB16PWkywhsXJLzxz/information-and-support-addiction-alcohol-drugs-and-gambling

Jacob Hawley: On Drugs

Exploring the UK drug scene

David Grossman

Aditya Chakrabortty

Gordon Brown

Five eye-opening BBC documentaries about the hidden economic framework that surrounds our every move. 
 
Capitalism is all around us, affecting almost everything we do and impacting our daily lives in myriad ways. This comprehensive collection takes an in-depth look at this all-pervasive economic system, examining its triumphs and disasters and revealing how it puts money and markets at the centre of our world. 
 
In the explosive 10-part series The New Age of Capitalism, Newsnight's David Grossman probes the factors driving the turbo-charged growth in contemporary commerce. Exploring aspects ranging from the 'intangible economy' and AI to the trillion-dollar tech giants, he asks key questions about the way modern capitalism works, and the consequences for society. 
 
Insecure Overachievers sees leaders of elite City firms divulging the secret epidemic of anxiety and insecurity among elite professionals. Exceptionally capable and fiercely ambitious, they are driven by a deep belief in their own inadequacy, fostered by a competitive work culture that takes advantage of their vulnerabilities. 
 
The Bailouttells the compelling story of the race against time to agree a rescue plan to save Britain's banks from going bust. Told by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, with contributions from Alistair Darling, Mervyn King and Robert Peston, this is a blow-by-blow account of how events unfolded during one incredible week in October 2008. 
 
The Money Clinic goes behind the scenes as families and couples open up about their finances and their feelings with a relationship counsellor. In frank, intimate discussions, they learn how to deal with the financial issues that are coming between them, and receive practical tips on managing both their cash and the emotional side of money. 
 
And in Our House, we meet young Brighton couple Tacita and Charlie, who are desperate to buy their first home - but a property on the south coast is out of their reach. We follow them as, guided by a team of financial experts, they travel back in time to 1968, 1979, 1988, 1997 and 2009 to see which decade would have given them the best chance to get on the housing ladder. 
 
Copyright © 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
 
The New Age of Capitalism 
Presented by David Grossman 
Produced by Diane Richardson and Matthew Chapman 
Editor: Hugh Levinson 
With: Jonathan Haskel; Stian Westlake; Tim Wu; James Williams; Diane Coyle; Andrew McAfee; Dr Asa Cusack; Professor Ricardo Hausmann; Fran Boait; Professor Sir Charles Bean; Brad Katsuyama; Professor Donald MacKenzie; Edward Luttwak; James Bloodworth; Joshua Kurlantzick; Dr Linda Yueh; Rana Foroohar; Joshua Ryan-Collins; Adam Lashinsky; Barry Lynn 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 10-21 September 2018 
 
Insecure Overachievers 
Presented by Professor Laura Empson of London's Cass Business School 
Produced by Jonathan Brunert 
With: Jeremy Newman; Alex Michel; Jessica Carmody; Gerry Grimstone, Baron Grimstone of Boscobel; David Morley; Yuval Atsmon; Nigel Jones 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 24 September 2018 
 
The Bailout 
Presented by Gordon Brown 
With: Alistair Darling; Mervyn King; Robert Peston; Shriti Vadera, Baroness Vadera; Kirsty McNeill; Tom Fletcher; Nicolas Sarkozy; Sir John Kingman 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 6 October 2018 
 
The Money Clinic 
Presented by Ruth Alexander 
Produced by Smita Patel 
Editor: Emma Rippon 
Relationship counsellor: Dee Holmes from Relate 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 3-24 August 2019 
 
Our House 
Narrated by Katherine Press 
Written and produced by Rosamund Jones and Paul Kerley 
Production co-ordinator: Janet Staples 
Sound engineer: James Beard 
With: Charlie Chatwood; Tacita French; Jonathan Cribb; Professor Sharon Collard; Professor Claire Langhamer 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 26-30 August 2019

This is Capitalism

A BBC Economics Collection

Helen Lewis

Journalist and author Helen Lewis meets groundbreaking thinkers to test out their big ideas 
 
From politics to economics, from tech to the study of how we live, things are changing fast. Old certainties are crumbling, and we need new solutions to shake up the status quo and shape the future. In The Spark, Helen Lewis meets 11 radical thinkers who are bidding to change our world, and puts their ideas under the spotlight to find out what they have to offer compared to the failures of the past. 
 
Part 1 sees her interviewing American economist Emily Oster, who discusses how data-based parenting could have a life-changing impact on pregnancy and child-rearing; social entrepreneur Hilary Cottam, who believes that human connection should be at the heart of the welfare state; Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman, who explains why 'zombie ideas' are holding us back; and social pyschologist Roy Baumeister, who talks about our inbuilt negativity bias and how to defeat it. 
 
In Part 2, CEO and writer Margaret Heffernan argues that preparedness is the best way to deal with uncertainty; artificial intelligence pioneer Stuart Russell explains how we can keep AI under human control; former Frome mayor Peter Macfadyen takes us through his new model for community-based politics; and behavioural scientist Pragya Agarwal discusses our unintentional biases - how they affect our decision making, and ways of overcoming them. 
 
And in Part 3, Helen's guests include economists Paul Collier and John Kay, who call for an end to destructive individualism in favour of mutuality and co-operation; educationalist Kiran Gill, whose organisation The Difference strives to improve the life chances of excluded schoolchildren; and barrister Chris Daw, advocate of a radical plan to abolish prisons and rethink our whole approach to punishment and rehabilitation. 
 
Cogent, credible and compelling, these thought-provoking proposals will give you a whole new perspective on the problems our society faces and how we could solve them. 
 
Copyright © 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. ? 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
Presented by Helen Lewis 
With: Emily Oster, Hilary Cottam, Paul Krugman, Roy Baumeister, Margaret Heffernan, Stuart Russell, Peter Macfadyen, Pragya Agarwal, Paul Collier and John Kay, Kiran Gill, Chris Daw 
Produced by Eliane Glaser, Phil Tinline, Emma Wallace and Sarah Shebbeare

The Spark

11 ideas to change the world

Rory Sutherland

Rory Sutherland explores the stories and psychology behind the most influential marketing campaigns in history, and smashes apart received wisdom with a look at iconoclastic ideas. 
 
Advertising guru Rory Sutherland is a world-leading proponent of behavioural economics. In Hacking the Unconscious, he looks at how this emerging science is used by marketers to influence us and challenges us to reassess which ideas we hold dear. 
 
In Part 1, Marketing, Rory asks why certain ad campaigns, such as Nike's 'Just Do It' and the MND Ice Bucket Challenge, cast such a spell over us. Looking at ten all-time great campaigns - including Coke's iconic 'Hilltop' ad, Dove's 'Campaign for Real Beauty' and De Beers' 'A Diamond is Forever' - he discusses their success with the creative minds that conceived them. 
 
Along the way, he ponders the allure of altruism, asks whether ads can be art, considers what 'Big Data' means for the future of marketing, and shows how a powerful health campaign transformed attitudes, and saved lives. 
 
Part 2, Thought Cages, sees Rory confounding conventional wisdom with his intriguing, subversive and controversial concepts. Is education always a good thing? Would we be better off selecting our MPs by lottery? Plus, he looks at the dilemma the NHS faces - to be successful, or to be loved; speculates if we're really as rational as we think; exposes the fallacy of market research; shows how businesses play on our susceptibility to commitment; and wonders whether online retail will ever replicate the magic of the traditional shopping experience. 
 
As he explores how 'psycho-logic', behavioural quirks and mind hacks could drive change, he formulates a magical series of radical ideas that may provide new solutions to society's problems. 
 
Contributors include novelist Fay Weldon, onetime CEO of Cambridge Analytica, Alexander Nix, New York Times bestseller Bryan Caplan, MP Jess Philips and Nassim Nicholas Taleb, statistician and author of The Black Swan. 
 
Copyright © 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
Presented by Rory Sutherland 
Produced by Steven Rajam and Michael Surcombe 
 
Hacking the Unconscious 
Featuring: Shelina Janmohamed, Steve Henry, Roger Greenaway, Nicola Raihani, Sara Pascoe, Geoffrey Miller, Daryl Fielding, J Courtney Sullivan, Fay Weldon, Scott Bedbury, Liz Dolan, Byron Sharp, Alexander Nix, Nick Hall, Lord Norman Fowler, Sammy Harari, Sir Nick Partridge, Jacqueline Gold, Jennifer Jacquet, Matt Brosnan 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 1-12 May 2017 
 
Thought Cages 
Featuring: Natalie Perera, Bryan Caplan, Nicholas Gruen, Jess Philips, Diana Fleischman, Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Helena Cronin, Dave Trott, Ben Page, Nichola Raihani, Robin Hanson, Oliver Payne, Natalie Nahai, Leigh Caldwell, Jonathan Haidt, Owain Service, Sue Benson, Dan Ariely, Katherine Lewis, David Dalziel 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 19-30 November 2018

Hacking The Unconscious

Claudia Hammond

Our understanding of the human mind has been shaped by 200 years of accidents, inquiries, tests and observations. Here are the stories behind 33 of psychology's most famous and influential experiments, and their creators. 
 
Award-winning broadcaster and psychology lecturer Claudia Hammond uncovers the often surprising and sometimes dark histories behind landmark studies such as The Stanford Prison Experiment, Harlow's Monkeys, Little Albert, and the Marshmallow Test. Can their lessons be applied to us today, were they even correct in the first place, and - in some cases - should these experiments have happened at all? In addition to covering topics like memory, parenting, gender, dreams, superstition and phobias, Mindchangers recounts how Abraham Maslow defined humans' hierarchy of needs, Anna Freud revealed the importance of child observation, Solomon Asch proved how we conform to what's expected of us, and Carl Rogers' patient-centred approach changed psychotherapy forever. 
 
Why do we hear our name immediately when it's whispered in a crowded room? What really happened when people were asked to administer life-threatening electric shocks, and what can it tell us about the rise of Nazism? What does Chinese Whispers tell us about memory? How did an experiment with a doll alert us to the dangers of imitative behaviour? Can eyewitness testimony be trusted? And what can we learn about language from a boy raised by wolves? Mindchangers provides the fascinating answers to all of these questions, and many more.

Mindchangers

A BBC Radio 4 History of Psychology

Robin Ince

Kate Williams

Byron Vincent

Emma Barnett

Will Self

Felicity Ward

This collection brings together history, science, philosophy and comedy to explore our age-old search for meaning. We live in an age of self-improvement and self-examination - lifehacking, wellbeing, self-care, mindfulness retreats - but this seemingly very modern phenomenon is a pursuit that dates back for millennia. 
 
Join comedian Robin Ince to explore how the ancient Greeks aimed to get happier, healthier and richer. 
Will Self asks some of Britain's key scientists, philosophers and faith leaders to share their conclusions on the meaning of our existence. 
Historian Kate Williams investigates the Grandfather of Self-Help, Samuel Smiles' 1859 book Self Help, and its lasting influence. 
In 'Hell is Other People', performer Byron Vincent attempts to overcome his paralysing fear of social situations. 
Emma Barnett traces the multi-billion dollar mindfulness industry to its Buddhist roots to discover whether it's just another health fad. 
Comedian Felicity Ward tries to solve her mental health issues, one app at a time. 
Sian Williams presents a practical guide to boosting brain power through exercise, relaxation, stimulation, sleep and diet. 
 
From the ancient Greeks to the present day and even into the future, The Examined Mind provides an unique insight into our constant quest to be better people.

The Examined Mind

A BBC radio collection exploring the history, philosophy and science of self-help

Oliver Burkeman

Oliver Burkeman explores the virtues of negativity and shows how it can be a surprisingly powerful route to joy, success and satisfaction

The Power of Negative Thinking

and how it can be a powerful route to joy, success and satisfaction

Henry Normal

Henry Normal uses poetry, storytelling and comedy to tackle big subjects with his trademark humour. This collection includes five of his funny and moving BBC Radio 4 shows: 
 
A Normal Family is centred around Henry's son, Johnny, who was diagnosed with autism. Through stand-up and poetry, Henry explores what this means for Johnny, for himself, and for his wife, Angela. 
 
A Normal Life continues to draw on Henry's experiences of bringing up a child with autism, and tackles the subjects of life, death, loneliness, loss, human frailty and other classic conversation stoppers. 
 
A Normal Love sees Henry explore love, romance and other unreasonable expectations. 
 
A Normal Imagination looks at the reasons why humans create. 
 
A Normal Nature is an exploration of unsung nature, from the point of view of a busy urban human. 
 
These extended episodes include material never broadcast on the radio. 
 
‘It's a rare and lovely thing: half an hour of radio that stops you short, gently demands your attention and then wipes your tears away while you have to have a little sit down’ - The Guardian 
 
A Normal Life was awarded a Silver ARIA for Best Comedy/Entertainment production at the 2017 Radio Academy Awards. 
 
Written and performed by Henry Normal. 
Produced by Carl Cooper. 
A BBC Studios Production.

A Normal…Family, Life, Love, Imagination & Nature

The BBC Radio 4 stand up shows

Why is everyone so angry nowadays, and what is it doing to the world? 
 
In the developed world we live in a blessed epoch, a time and a place where life has never been better. Infant mortality has been all but abolished, we have greater personal choice than ever before, we have access to technology that would have been seen as the stuff of science fiction little more than a decade ago. We are safer and wealthier than at any time in human history. So why are we so damn angry about everything? 
 
On-line, in the street, in the ballot box, anger is the most dominant public emotion of our age. So what are we so angry about, and how is our anger shaping our world? We know the issues that people seem to be angry about - the iniquities of globalisation, diversity, democratic disconnect - but why has anger become our default emotion when responding to the state of the world- and what is anger doing to the world we live in? 
 
Oliver Burkeman is an award-winning feature writer for the Guardian. He writes a popular weekly column on psychology, ‘This Column Will Change Your Life’, and has reported from London, Washington and New York.

Why Are We So Angry?

And what is it doing to the world?

There's a ritual of the modern workplace - one you've heard and most likely indulged in yourself. It's the call and response we go through when you ask a workmate how they're doing: "Busy!" "So busy." It is pretty obviously a boast disguised as a complaint. And our simultaneously grim and half chuckled reply comes as a kind of congratulation: "Ha, better than the opposite." When did we start doing that? 
 
As if he didn't have enough to do, Oliver Burkeman explores this epidemic of busyness to reveal that it may not be what it at first seems. He asks if we are talking ourselves into feeling overwhelmed with busyness, and if our problem with busyness is not that we do not have the time but rather we literally do not have the head space. He questions whether people have become addicted to busy, either because it makes them feel like heroes fighting the odds, or because problems can be avoided by never sitting still. 
 
Finally, he examines whether the solution to busyness is perhaps not to work harder and organise ourselves, but to indulge in a little idleness. 
 
Oliver Burkeman is an award-winning feature writer for the Guardian. He writes a popular weekly column on psychology, ‘This Column Will Change Your Life’, and has reported from London, Washington and New York. 
 
Produced by Peter McManus. 
This programme was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 as 'Oliver Burkeman Is Busy.'

Addicted to Busy

Why life has got so hectic

Francine Stock

Francine Stock sets out to explore the elusive quality that is charisma. 
 
Can charisma – variously combining charm, magic and power – ever really be pinned down? 
 
Moving from St Paul’s coining of the word in the first century of the Christian Era right up to the present day, charisma continues to be a powerful influence, not always for the good, in the fields of politics, banking, terrorism, theatre and film. 
 
Along the way, Francine takes in early medieval mystics such as Margery Kempe and Joan of Arc; the Elizabethan belief in the so-called "Royal Touch" and its different manifestations today; the powerful healing claims of Franz Mesmer; and radical charismatic leaders from Garibaldi to Osama Bin Laden. She explores the power and appeal of charisma with stars such as Sarah Bernhardt; self-made businessmen such as W.K.Kellogg, Henry Ford and Steve Jobs; totalitarian leaders including Hitler, and new forms of political extremism such as the so-called Islamic State; civil rights leaders, Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama; and the volatile world of contemporary banking. 
 
There is a continuing hunger for charisma; can this gift of grace be turned to a shared advantage? 
 
Produced by Beaty Rubens 
 
©2018 BBC Worldwide Ltd (P)2018 BBC Worldwide Ltd

Charisma

An exploration of that elusive quality

David Mitchell sets out on a vigorous but impeccably polite investigation into the confusing world of manners. Are they really in decline, as many would have us believe? Or are we just throwing off the shackles of the Victorian obsession with etiquette? 
 
Over the course of the series, David eats his lunchtime sandwiches with children in a primary school, and later goes to a street market to see manners - good and bad - in action. He explores where our manners come from with Professors Steven Pinker from Harvard University and the author Henry Hitchings. What do we mean by 'civility' and 'good manners' in public places? Why are people still pinching vicars' bottoms, and what can the state do to improve standards of public behaviour? And, David asks, how is the digital age changing our sense of public space? 
 
Produced by Chris Ledgard.

Behaving Ourselves

David Mitchell on Manners

Timandra Harkness

We seem to have forgotten how to argue about important things without descending into tribalism, insults, and generally thinking the worst of our opponents. This is no good. We'll never get out of the bitter divisions cleaving society if we don't learn to disagree fruitfully. 
 
In this series, Timandra Harkness explores the best ways to disagree with other people - constructively. 
 
She examines how clashes of interests, competing moral visions, factual disputes, arguments about strategies and even different personal preferences over which film to watch at the cinema can all be managed better. 
 
With the help of a trade union negotiator, an expert on neighbour disputes, and scientists, Timandra examines how best to deal with competing points of view, and – when it comes to personal preferences – asks why we try so hard to find reasons for what we want to do or believe. 
 
And she has a disagreement over the merits of disagreement. 
 
Produced by Martin Rosenbaum.

How to Disagree

A beginner's guide to having better arguments

Adam Buxton

Adam Buxton takes a sideways look at some of our confusing modern ideas, and explains why you're definitely doing it all wrong. 
 
Across five episodes he explores the worlds of work, parenting, diet, the environment and family. 
 
Is the idea of a 'dream job' - one that inspires and fulfils us and makes our lives worth living - really possible? Does your toddler eat strictly rationed organic produce, or are they allowed to eat what they want? Does installing solar panels and despairing over plastic bottles make a difference if we continue to jet off on holidays and eat imported guava?! 
 
It doesn't really matter what you answer to these incessant questions, as long as you know that you are wrong wrong wrong! 
 
Produced by Emily Knight.

You're Doing It Wrong

Peter White

In Blind Man's Bete Noire, Peter White explores some of the things which annoy him most about his blindness. The four programmes include The Countryside, Holidays, Being Introduced to Other Blind People and Going Slowly.  Produced by Cheryl Gabriel.

Blind Man's Bete Noire

Four Programmes presented by Peter White

Guy Claxton

Bill Lucas

Being creative is a state of mind. Techniques may help, though some, like brainstorming, can, surprisingly, do more harm than good. And the climate at work and play matters too. But essentially, creativity is an attitude. We either meet life's challenges with a spirit of adventure, or we keep trying to make it fit old habits that don't work any more. Creativity is not about what you do for a living, or how you dress. Accountants and receptionists need creativity as much as designers and song-writers. Creativity is not just for budding Mozarts and Einsteins. In uncertain times, we all need to be able to come up with fresh ideas, to sort out the good ones, and make them work. You don't want to move to Scotland, but I don't want to carry on in this dead-end job. Dad is getting frail, but the house isn't big enough to have him. We are afraid to let Sophie go to France, but she says that is "so not fair!" Creativity is about discovering other possibilities that we have not dreamed of yet. Be Creative is about how to grow the kinds of minds that think new things

Be Creative

Essential Steps To Revitalise Your Life

The year is 1Q84. This is the real world, there is no doubt about that. But in this world, there are two moons in the sky. Discover the 1Q84 Trilogy by Haruki Murakami.

1Q84

365 Days of Art

A BBC Christmas

A Black Book Thriller

A Box Full of Murders

A Cal Leandros Novel

A Christmas Mystery

The intelligent and capable police commissioner Guido Brunetti confronts crime in and around his home town of Venice.

A Commissario Brunetti Mystery

A DC Smith / Kings Lake Investigation Series

A Daisy Story

Chronicling the lives of over three hundred characters, unrivalled for its scope and humour, this is a unique evocation of life in twentieth-century England.

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