Great Lives Podcast
Biographical series in which guests choose someone who has inspired their lives.
Episodes to download
-
Hilary Devey on Gracie Fields
Tue 2 Aug 2016
The life of Dame Gracie Fields is championed by Hilary Devey. From 2016.
-
Frank Turner on Joseph Grimaldi
Tue 31 May 2016
Frank Turner chooses Joseph Grimaldi who changed the face of Clowning forever.
-
-
Charles Moore on Gordon Hamilton-Fairley
Tue 17 May 2016
Cancer pioneer Gordon Hamilton-Fairley, killed by an IRA bomb when he was just 45.
-
Richard the Lionheart
Tue 10 May 2016
Timmy Mallett chooses Richard the Lionheart. With Helen Castor and Matthew Parris.
-
Graeme Lamb on Christine Granville
Tue 3 May 2016
Lt-Gen Sir Graeme Lamb champions wartime spy Christine Granville. Matthew Parris chairs
-
Sudha Bhuchar chooses the life of Zohra Sehgal
Tue 26 Apr 2016
Playwright and actress Sudha Bhuchar nominates the life of actor Zohra Sehgal.
-
Ray Peacock chooses the life of Lenny Bruce
Tue 19 Apr 2016
Comedian Ray Peacock nominates the controversial life of Lenny Bruce.
-
Nancy Dell'Olio chooses the life of Lucrezia Borgia
Tue 12 Apr 2016
Nancy Dell'Olio champions the much maligned Lucrezia Borgia.
-
-
Eliza Manningham-Buller chooses Abraham Lincoln
Sat 23 Jan 2016
Eliza Manningham-Buller on why she regards Abraham Lincoln as a great life.
-
Nitin Sawhney on Jeff Buckley
Tue 19 Jan 2016
Nitin Sawhney champions the life of American singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley
-
Susan Calman on Molly Weir
Tue 12 Jan 2016
Comedian Susan Calman chooses the life of actress Molly Weir.
-
Martin Jennings on Charles Sargeant Jagger
Tue 5 Jan 2016
Martin Jennings nominates the British sculptor Charles Sargeant Jagger.
-
Precious Lunga chooses Wangari Maathai
Tue 29 Dec 2015
Matthew Parris explores the remarkable life of Professor Wangari Maathai.
-
Alvin Hall chooses James Baldwin
Tue 22 Dec 2015
Matthew Parris meets financial guru Alvin Hall, whose hero is James Baldwin.
-
Roger Saul chooses Gertrude Jekyll
Tue 15 Dec 2015
Fashion designer Roger Saul chooses garden designer Gertrude Jekyll
-
Dickie Bird on the life of Sir Leonard Hutton
Tue 8 Dec 2015
Dickie Bird champions his hero Sir Leonard Hutton.
-
Toyah Willcox on Katharine Hepburn
Tue 29 Sep 2015
Toyah Willcox nominates her hero Katharine Hepburn who she met and worked with.
-
Nick Stadlen on Bram Fischer
Tue 22 Sep 2015
Nick Stadlen champions the life of the Afrikaner Revolutionary Bram Fischer.
-
Hannah Rothschild on Thelonious Monk
Tue 15 Sep 2015
Hannah Rothschild looks back at the life of jazz musician Thelonious Monk.
-
Monica Ali chooses Richard Francis Burton
Tue 1 Sep 2015
The author Monica Ali champions the life of the explorer Richard Francis Burton.
-
George Washington Williams
Tue 25 Aug 2015
Ade Adepitan champions the life of George Washington Williams.
-
Michael Howard on Elizabeth I
Tue 18 Aug 2015
Michael Howard, Conservative Party former leader, tells Matthew Parris about Elizabeth I.
-
Vicky Pryce on Melina Mercouri
Tue 11 Aug 2015
Economist Vicky Pryce nominates the Greek film star and politician Melina Mercouri.
-
Ian McKellen on Edmund Hillary
Tue 4 Aug 2015
Sir Ian McKellen nominates mountaineer Edmund Hillary as his inspirational figure.
-
Val McDermid on PD James
Tue 2 Jun 2015
Matthew Parris talks to crime writer Val McDermid about the life of PD James.
-
David Blunkett on Louis Braille
Tue 26 May 2015
Matthew Parris hears from David Blunkett about the life of Louis Braille. From 2015.
-
US Ambassador Matthew Barzun on JG Winant
Tue 19 May 2015
Matthew Parris meets US Ambassador Matthew Barzun to talk about his wartime predecessor.
-
Antonia Quirke on Marlon Brando
Tue 12 May 2015
Marlon Brando - greatest actor of the twentieth century?
Download this programme
Subscribe to this programme or download individual episodes.