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Great Lives: Daily Summaries Delivered
by BBC Radio 4
Biographical series in which guests choose someone who has inspired their lives.
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- 2 days ago24 min
Mel Giedroyc on Vera Gedroits
Vera Gedroits was the daughter of a Lithuanian prince and a German-Russian mum. So begins the tale of one of our more extraordinary Great Lives - doctor, author, physician to the imperial court and the first female military surgeon in Russia. Born in 1870, Vera studied in St Petersburg and Lausanne. According to her biographer, she rejected female clothes, enjoyed bear hunting, and started her career as a fearless battlefield surgeon in 1904. Rebellious by nature, she ejected Rasputin from her hospital ward, survived the Russian revolution of 1917, and became a professor of medicine in Kiev where she lived openly with Countess Nirod.Her nominator is comedian and writer, Mel Giedroyc, who says her appearances on the Eurovision Song Contest have been career highlights. Also in studio is Miranda Seymour, author of the brilliant 'I, Vera: The Many Lives of Vera Gedroits, a Radical Princess'.This joyful episode marks the final appearance of Matthew Parris as presenter of Great Lives, a role he has enjoyed for sixty one series over two decades. The producer in Bristol is Miles Warde.
- 1 weeks ago27 min
Lea Ypi on Kant
Kant was born in 18th century Prussia. He showed great intellectual promise as a child, but didn't make a name for himself until his late forties, when he published his lengthy tome on the scope of Metaphysics, called The Critique of Pure Reason, which unleashed what he himself referred to as a 'Copernican revolution' in thought. Renowned for his clockwork routine, strict diet and for barely ever leaving his home town of Konigsberg, Kant was in fact a lively and well-loved lecturer and dinner party host, who had many friends.Choosing the great philosopher is Professor Lea Ypi, from the London School of Economics, who first read Kant at a turbulent time in her life, during a civil war in Albania, when she felt that Kant could help her steer a path between dogmatism and scepticism.In studio with Lea Ypi and the presenter Matthew Parris, is Kings College Kant scholar, Dr John Callanan.The Producer in Bristol is Ellie Richold
- 2 weeks ago27 min
Shaun Keaveny picks Caroline Aherne
Caroline Aherne was born in London on Christmas eve, but her family moved north when she was a toddler. With an IQ of 176, school was easy, so she kept herself busy, mimicking the nuns for the entertainment of her peers. After school, stand-up proved to be too nerve-wracking for her, but following a stint touch-typing for Janet Street Porter at the BBC, she met Craig Cash at a pirate radio station and the rest as they say, is history. Craig and Caroline's professional relationship lasted longer than their romantic one - they went on to write both Mrs Merton and The Royle Family together. Including clips from The Fast Show, The Royle Family, Sister Mary Immaculate and The Mrs Merton Show, as well as excerpts from an interview with friend and comedian John Thomson. The guest nominating Caroline Aherne is the Broadcaster Shaun Keaveny. The expert is David Scott, aka Argh Kid, author of Rebel in Disguise. Presented by Matthew Parris. Produced in Bristol for BBC Studios by Ellie Richold.
- 3 weeks ago27 min
Tony Juniper on EO Wilson
Edward Osborne Wilson was a pioneer across several fields of biology, from entomology to biodiversity. He is best known for his expertise on ants, his work developing the field of Sociobiology and for his 'Half-Earth' goal. Born in Alabama in 1929, a fishing accident at the age of 7 left him blind in one eye and he turned his attention to the little things that could be held between finger and thumb. Ed Wilson recorded several hundred species of ants and was the first to discover how they communicated through pheromones. Nominating him is the Ecologist, and Chair of Natural England, Dr Tony Juniper. The expert is Dr Paula Ehrlich, President and CEO of the EO Wilson Biodiversity Foundation. Paula knew Ed well and joins the discussion from North Carolina.Presented by Matthew Parris and produced for BBC Studios by Ellie Richold
- Oct 5, 202627 min
Russell Kane on Iris Murdoch
Iris Murdoch was born in Ireland in 1919, grew up in London and was educated in Bristol and Oxford. She's famous both as a novelist and a philosopher, and she won the Booker Prize in 1978 for The Sea, The Sea. Her nominator is Russell Kane, who is full of admiration for her work. This compelling discussion of what makes Iris great includes contributions from her friend and biographer, Peter Conradi; and from Miles Leeson, Director of the Iris Murdoch Research Centre in Chichester.Great Lives is presented by Matthew Parris and produced by Miles Warde. Other guests in this final series of Great Lives include Ruby Tandoh on children's author Brian Jacques; Pauline Black of The Selector on Poly Styrene of X Ray Spex; and Mel Giedroyc on her ancestor, Russia's first female military surgeon, Princess Vera Gedroits.
- Sep 28, 202627 min
Ruby Tandoh on Brian Jacques author of the Redwall series
Brian Jacques was a docker, sailor, boxer, trucker, milkman, poet and a folk singer too. Then he wrote his Redwall series of children's fantasy novels and became an overnight forty year success. His books were immensely successful, particularly in the United States where President Obama was photographed buying them for his daughters. Choosing this rich and extraordinary life is Ruby Tandoh, baker, columnist and author of Crumb! and All-Consuming: Why We Eat The Way We Eat Now. Her interest in Brian stems from a childhood love of reading his books, particularly the descriptions of the feasts.In studio with Ruby is Trevor Hyett, formerly of Granada TV and a regular on the folk scene with Brian Jacques; plus there are revealing archive clips of Brian performing, and you'll hear the voice of Mick Ord who worked with Brian at BBC Radio Merseyside, where he had a regular Sunday show.The presenter is Matthew Parris and the series is produced in Bristol by Miles Warde
- Sep 21, 202627 min
Eric Ashby, Silent Watcher of the New Forest
Eric Ashby was a quiet pioneer. He lived in the New Forest in the south of England, where he painstakingly filmed the local wildlife, particularly badgers, foxes and deer. His occasional films were introduced by Sir Peter Scott who dubbed him the Silent Watcher. Paying tribute here to Eric Ashby's life and work - in a special programme recorded at Bristol's Natural History Unit - is James Aldred, author of The Man Who Climbed Trees. This is about his adventures filming in the forest canopy. Also contributing to the show is Chris Packham who knew Eric Ashby as a boy. Chris Packham is one of Britain's best known naturalists, presenter of Springwatch and more recently Evolution on the BBC. James Aldred's other publications include A Wagon In The Woods.A revealing, occasionally contentious episode about a shy yet determined man who made headlines with his clashes with the local hunt.Presented by Matthew Parris and produced in Bristol by Miles Warde
- Aug 15, 202627 min
Pauline Black of The Selecter on Poly Styrene of X-Ray Spex
Poly Styrene was born Marie Joan Elliot-Said in 1957 and went on to become front woman of X-Ray Spex. When Pauline Black first saw her on Top of the Pops, Poly was wearing a red military jacket and cap. Her attitude, says the lead singer of ska band The Selecter, was captivating. Helping tell the story of Poly's tough upbringing, bright career and sadly early death are her daughter, Celeste Bell, plus the writer Zoe Howe. Together they wrote Dayglo - The Poly Styrene story."She was an artist, a maverick, an individual, and an eccentric. She marched to the beat of her own drum with little care for societal norms and expectations." Celeste BellPauline Black first came to prominence in the late 1970s with The Selecter, since when she won a best actress award as Billie Holliday in All or Nothing At All, narrated Soul Britannia for BBC TV, and toured with Gorillaz. She still performs across Europe with The Selecter.The producer in Bristol is Miles Warde
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About Great Lives
Biographical series in which guests choose someone who has inspired their lives.
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