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Derek Mahon, Professor Gerta Vrbová, Ang Rita Sherpa, Helena Shenel

Matthew Bannister on poet Derek Mahon, physiologist Gerta Vrbová, mountaineer Ang Rita Sherpa, voice coach Helena Shenel.

Pictured: Derek Mahon

Matthew Bannister on

Derek Mahon, one of Ireland’s greatest poets of recent times, whose work 'Everything’s Going To Be Alright' was read on Irish TV and radio at the start of the Covid lockdown.

Professor Gerta Vrbová, who spent her youth fleeing Nazi persecution, then carried out pioneering work on the interaction between muscles and nerves.

Ang Rita Sherpa, the only person to have climbed Mount Everest ten times without using supplemental oxygen.

Helena Shenel, the voice coach who helped many celebrated performers – including Shirley Bassey, Annie Lennox and Peter Gabriel – to overcome problems with their singing.

Interviewed guest: Sean O’Brien
Interviewed guest: Peter Hilton
Interviewed guest: Uma Shahani
Interviewed guest: Ang Tshering Sherpa
Interviewed guest: Bhadra Sharma
Interviewed guest: Nikki Slade

Producer: Neil George

Archive clips from: Derek Mahon, Radio Ulster 15/01/1984; Arts Extra Special - Derek Mahon: A Celebration, Radio Ulster 16/12/2008; Poetry Please, Radio 4 28/01/2007; New Poems, Radio 3 19/08/1974; Gerta Vrbová: Oral History, Imperial War Museum 15/04/2003; 60 Minutes Australia, Nine Network 05/10/2018; Last Rites of Ang Rita Sherpa, Nepal Tourism TV 23/09/2020; Slate: Shirley Bassey, Â鶹ԼÅÄ One Wales 16/09/1993; Saturday Live, Radio 1 06/04/1985.

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28 minutes

Last on

Sun 18 Oct 2020 20:30
Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio 4

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Derek Mahon

Born 23 November 1941; died 2 October 2020, aged 78. 

Last Word spoke to poet, critic and playwright Sean O’Brien.

Professor Gerta Vrbová

Born 28 November 1926; died 2 October 2020, aged 93.

Last Word spoke to her son Peter Hilton, and her former pupil Uma Shahani, lecturer of Life Sciences at Glasgow Caledonian University. 

Ang Rita Sherpa

Born 2 July 1948; died 21 September 2020, aged 72.

Last Word spoke to fellow mountaineer Ang Tshering Sherpa, and Kathmandu-based journalist Bhadra Sharma.

Helena Shenel

Born 11 January 1931; died 17 September 2020, aged 89.

Last Word spoke to voice coach Nikki Slade.

Broadcasts

  • Fri 16 Oct 2020 16:00
    Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio 4
  • Sun 18 Oct 2020 20:30
    Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio 4

Podcast

  • Last Word

    Radio 4's weekly obituary programme