Great Lives Podcast
Biographical series in which guests choose someone who has inspired their lives.
Episodes to download
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Wendy Cope on John Clare
Tue 5 May 2015
Matthew Parris talks to Wendy Cope about her poetic hero John Clare. From 2015.
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Dame Helen Ghosh on James Lees-Milne
Tue 28 Apr 2015
Matthew Parris talks to the National Trust's Dame Helen Ghosh about James Lees-Milne.
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Kulvinder Ghir on Zoran Music
Tue 21 Apr 2015
Comedian and actor Kulvinder Ghir nominates the life of the artist Zoran Music.
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Rachel Johnson on Ottoline Morrell
Tue 14 Apr 2015
Rachel Johnson author and journalist champions the life of Ottoline Morrell.
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Sir Trevor McDonald on Learie Constantine
Tue 7 Apr 2015
The veteran broadcaster Sir Trevor McDonald chooses the life of Learie Constantine
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Mervyn King on Risto Ryti
Tue 27 Jan 2015
Mervyn King champions the life of the former Prime Minister of Finland Risto Ryti.
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Eve Pollard on Nora Ephron
Tue 20 Jan 2015
Journalist Eve Pollard explores Hollywood screenwriter Nora Ephron with Matthew Parris.
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Michael Dobbs on Guy Burgess
Tue 13 Jan 2015
Michael Dobbs looks back at the life of Cambridge spy Guy Burgess.
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Philippa Langley on Richard III
Tue 6 Jan 2015
Matthew Parris talks to Philippa Langley about the life of Richard III.
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Tom Solomon on Roald Dahl
Tue 30 Dec 2014
Professor Tom Solomon talks about his former patient, writer Roald Dahl.
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Brian Eno on Lord Young of Dartington
Tue 23 Dec 2014
Brian Eno champions the life and work of social reformer Michael Young.
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Laura Bates on Louisa May Alcott
Tue 16 Dec 2014
Laura Bates tells Matthew Parris why Louisa May Alcott of "Little Women" is her Great Life
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Arthur Smith on Emil ZΓ΅topek
Tue 9 Dec 2014
Comedian Arthur Smith tells Matthew Parris about the life of Olympic runner Emil ZΓ΅topek.
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Professor Edith Hall on Lucille Ball
Tue 30 Sep 2014
Matthew Parris invites Professor Edith Hall to nominate her idol.
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Andrew Adonis on Joseph Bazalgette
Tue 23 Sep 2014
Lord Adonis chooses Victorian engineer, aka 'The Sewer King', Sir Joseph Bazalgette
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Stella Rimington on Dorothy L Sayers
Wed 10 Sep 2014
Dame Stella Rimington explains to Matthew Parris why Dorothy L Sayers fascinates her.
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Labi Siffre on Arthur Ransome
Tue 9 Sep 2014
Matthew Parris invites singer songwriter Labi Siffre to nominate his choice of life.
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Tom Shakespeare on Gramsci
Tue 2 Sep 2014
Dr Tom Shakespeare tells Matthew Parris why Antonio Gramsci's is a Great Life.
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Baroness Oona King on Ida B Wells
Tue 19 Aug 2014
Ida B. Wells the African American civil rights activist is chosen by Baroness Oona King
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Jazzie B on James Brown
Tue 12 Aug 2014
Soul II Soul's Jazzie B chooses the life of musician and singer James Brown.
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Jonathan Meades on Edward Burra
Tue 5 Aug 2014
Writer Jonathan Meades nominates the English artist Edward Burra.
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Ernest Hemingway
Tue 27 May 2014
Monty Python's Michael Palin chooses the American writer, Ernest Hemingway.
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Emma Kirkby on Henry Purcell
Tue 20 May 2014
Soprano Emma Kirkby discusses the life of composer Henry Purcell with Matthew Parris
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John Craven on Brunel
Tue 13 May 2014
John Craven proposes Victorian Engineer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, as a great life.
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Isy Suttie on Jake Thackray
Tue 6 May 2014
Isy Suttie chooses Yorkshire-born singer songwriter Jake Thackray
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Deborah Moggach on Arnold Bennett
Tue 29 Apr 2014
The author Deborah Moggach talks about the life of Potteries writer Arnold Bennett.
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Marcus du Sautoy on Jorge Luis Borges
Tue 22 Apr 2014
Blind Argentinian writer Borges is championed by Marcus de Sautoy.
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Sir Mark Walport on Sir Hans Sloane
Tue 15 Apr 2014
Sir Hans Sloane, founder of the British Museum, is championed by Sir Mark Walport.
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Sarah Vine on Dante
Tue 8 Apr 2014
Sarah Vine chooses Dante, author of the Italian literary masterpiece the Divine Comedy
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