Great Lives Podcast
Biographical series in which guests choose someone who has inspired their lives.
Episodes to download
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Vera Brittain
Fri 9 Nov 2018
Baroness Shirley Williams discusses her mother, the feminist and pacifist Vera Brittain.
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Christina Lamb on Benazir Bhutto
Tue 25 Sep 2018
Christina Lamb, author and journalist nominates Benazir Bhutto as her great life.
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Mark Carwardine on Douglas Adams
Tue 18 Sep 2018
Douglas Adams the author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
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Cherie Blair on Dame Rose Heilbron
Tue 11 Sep 2018
Cherie Blair chooses her role mode, England's first woman judge, Rose Heilbron
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Greg Jenner on Gene Kelly
Tue 4 Sep 2018
'Horrible Histories' consultant Greg Jenner on his all time favourite - Gene Kelly.
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Helen Glover on Alison Hargreaves
Tue 28 Aug 2018
Olympic rower Helen Glover nominates the mountaineer Alison Hargreaves who died on K2.
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Patricia Greene on Bess of Hardwick
Tue 21 Aug 2018
Patricia Greene, the actress who plays Jill Archer, nominates Bess of Hardwick as her hero
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Simon Evans on JS Mill
Tue 14 Aug 2018
Comedian Simon Evans nominates JS Mill, author of On Liberty.
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Erica Wagner on Roald Amundsen
Tue 7 Aug 2018
Matthew Parris on Roald Amundsen, first man to the South Pole.
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Hanif Kureishi on David Bowie
Tue 31 Jul 2018
Hanif Kureishi nominates his friend David Bowie as his hero.
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Barbara Stocking on Catherine the Great
Tue 29 May 2018
Catherine the Great is chosen by Dame Barbara Stocking. Matthew Parris presents.
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Suzy Klein on Hedy Lamarr
Tue 22 May 2018
Hedy Lamarr, actress, inventor, and the most beautiful woman in the world.
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Mica Paris on Josephine Baker
Tue 15 May 2018
Soul singer Mica Paris tells Matthew Parris why Josephine Baker is her heroine.
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Simon Callow on Orson Welles
Tue 8 May 2018
Matthew Parris meets the actor Simon Callow to discuss the life of Orson Welles.
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Tej Lalvani on Richard Feynman
Tue 1 May 2018
Tej Lalvani nominates the physicist and bongo playing Richard Feynman as his great life.
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Laura Serrant on Audre Lorde
Tue 24 Apr 2018
Laura Serrant chooses the poet and activist Audre Lorde. From 2018.
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Adrian Utley of Portishead on Miles Davis
Tue 17 Apr 2018
Miles Davis chosen by Adrian Utley of Portishead.
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Ayesha Hazarika on Jayaben Desai
Tue 10 Apr 2018
Ayesha Hazarika champions her hero Jayaben Desai who led the Grunwick strike in 1976.
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Jim Moir on Captain Beefheart
Tue 3 Apr 2018
Jim Moir, aka Vic Reeves, chooses the life of Don van Vliet - Captain Beefheart.
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Liza Tarbuck on Nikola Tesla
Tue 23 Jan 2018
Liza Tarbuck nominates Nikola Tesla as her great life. Matthew Parris presents.
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Justin Marozzi on Herodotus
Tue 16 Jan 2018
Herodotus - father of history or father of lies? Matthew Parris presents.
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Gisela Stuart on Joseph Chamberlain
Tue 9 Jan 2018
Gisela Stuart nominates Joseph Chamberlain as her great life.
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Hertha Ayrton
Tue 2 Jan 2018
Helen Arney, scientist and geek songstress, nominates pioneer physicist Hertha Ayrton.
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Louise Richardson on Daniel O'Connell
Tue 19 Dec 2017
Louise Richardson nominates Daniel O'Connell, hero of Catholic emancipation in 1829.
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Cornelia Parker on Marcel Duchamp
Tue 12 Dec 2017
Marcel Duchamp, father of conceptual art, is fellow artist Cornelia Parker's great life.
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Will Gregory on Flann O'Brien
Tue 5 Dec 2017
Goldfrapp's Will Gregory takes the stage to nominate Irish writer Flann O'Brien.
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Helena Morrissey on Rachael Heyhoe Flint
Tue 26 Sep 2017
City boss Helena Morrissey champions the life of Rachael Heyhoe Flint as her great life.
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Andrea Catherwood on Constance Markievicz
Tue 19 Sep 2017
Constance Markievicz, Irish rebel countess and the first woman elected to Parliament.
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Nicholas Stern on Muhammad Ali
Tue 12 Sep 2017
Muhammad Ali is economist Nicholas Stern's great life as he tells Matthew Parris.
Great Rock and Roll Lives
Stories of inspiration from great musicians from Bowie to Billie Holliday
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