Actor Dame Harriet Walter; writer and director Richard Curtis; singer and songwriter Suzi Quatro and former jockey Declan Murphy join Libby Purves for the final edition of Midweek. Richard Curtis CBE is a writer, director and campaigner. His films include Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Bridget Jones's Diary, Mr Bean, Love Actually and The Boat That Rocked. His television comedies include Blackadder and the Vicar of Dibley. He is vice-chair of Comic Relief which he co-founded after visiting Ethiopia during the 1985 famine. He has co-produced the Red Nose Day Live night for the BBC since 1988 and the charity has made over £1 billion for projects in Africa and the UK. Red Nose Day USA is broadcast in May. Declan Murphy is a former jockey who survived a catastrophic fall at Haydock Park in May 1994. His injuries were so severe that the Racing Post published his obituary. In his memoir, Centaur, he recounts his upbringing in rural Limerick, his life as a leading amateur jockey and riding winners in the Champion Chase and Gold Cup. Eighteen months after falling from Arcot and following his painstaking recovery, he got back in the saddle to ride his final winner Jibereen at Chepstow. Centaur by Declan Murphy with Ami Rao is published by Doubleday. Dame Harriet Walter is an actor, acclaimed for her work with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre. She recently played Julius Caesar, Henry IV and Prospero in The Tempest in Phyllida Lloyd's celebrated all-female Donmar Shakespeare Trilogy. She stars in the new film The Sense of an Ending alongside Jim Broadbent and Charlotte Rampling which is based on the Julian Barnes novel. Other roles include the Duchess of Malfi, Hedda Gabler, Cleopatra and Lady Macbeth. Her book, Brutus and Other Heroines - Playing Shakespeare's Roles for Women, is published by Nick Hern Books. Suzi Quatro is a singer and songwriter. Born in Detroit, she made her debut on stage playing bongos in her father's jazz band, The Art Quatro Trio. Her first hit Can the Can reached number one in May 1973 and she went on to become a regular fixture in the British charts with tracks including 48 Crash, Too Big and Devil Gate Drive. In the late Seventies she turned to acting, appearing in Happy Days and starred in the West End in Annie Get Your Gun in 1986. She is a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio 2. Suzi is appearing in the Legends Live tour alongside David Essex; the Osmonds and Hot Chocolate.

Tenor Alfie Boe, poet John Agard, writer Allan Jenkins, and comedian and writer Katy Brand join Libby Purves. Alfie Boe is one of our most popular tenors. He is starring as Billy Bigelow in Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel alongside Katherine Jenkins at ENO's London Coliseum. He has performed in opera and musical theatre alike, from Baz Luhrmann's La Boheme on Broadway to leading the cast of Les Miserables in the West End. The youngest of nine children, he left school to work as a mechanic before being plucked off the shop-floor to stardom. Carousel is at ENO's London Coliseum. John Agard is a poet. Winner of the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry, his new show Roll Over Atlantic is a reimagining of the voyage of Christopher Columbus and his discovery of the 'New World'. Born and educated in Guyana, John came to the UK in 1977. His most famous poems explore identity and belonging and he writes for children as well as adults and is well known for his skill in performing poetry. Roll Over Atlantic is on tour. Allan Jenkins is the editor of the Observer Food Monthly. In his memoir, Plot 29, he recounts his life growing up in foster care with his brother Christopher. Their foster father introduced them to the joys of growing flowers which triggered Allan's lifelong love of gardening. As the boys grew up, their lives took different paths and Allan began to search for the answers to questions about his past. His book follows the course of a year in which he traces the story of his birth parents and finds solace tending his London allotment. Plot 29 - A Memoir is published by Fourth Estate. Katy Brand is an award-winning comedian, writer and actor. She is taking part in the Red Nose African Convoy acting as one of the outriders to a convoy of HGVs travelling from Kenya to Uganda to deliver supplies to Comic Relief funded projects. Katy's show I Was a Teenage Christian explores her youthful fascination with evangelical Christianity. The Red Nose African Convoy is broadcast on BBC One. I Was a Teenage Christian is on tour from May. Producer: Annette Wells.

Comedian and actor Omid Djalili; playwright Jack Thorne; fitness expert Diana Moran and singer and presenter Dashni Morad join Libby Purves. Diana Moran is well known as The Green Goddess who, back in the 1980s and clad in emerald green lycra, encouraged television viewers to shape up. Her new book Sod Sitting, Get Moving! urges people in their 60s, 70s and 80s to exercise and eat healthily to help with fitness, strength and suppleness in their later years. The former catwalk model discovered the joy of keeping fit in her 30s as she convalesced from a major operation, devising her own exercise regime to help her recovery. Sod Sitting, Get Moving! By Diana Moran and Muir Gray is published by Green Tree. Dashni Morad is a television presenter and singer. She is a former Kurdish refugee whose family fled from Iraq and Saddam Hussein's persecution when she was five. The family finally settled in the Netherlands where her broadcasting career blossomed. Dashni set up a charity, Green Kids, which helps children affected by conflict and has established two libraries at refugee camps across Iraqi Kurdistan. She is donating the proceeds of her new single, Love Wins, to Green Kids. Jack Thorne is an award-winning writer whose work spans theatre, film, television and radio. His new musical Junkyard is inspired by the true story of the Lockleaze playground in Bristol - known as 'The Vench' - which was established over 30 years ago and is still operating today. Jack's father built the Vench as part of an outreach scheme to encourage creativity and inventiveness and to give children a taste of manual labour. Jack's theatre credits include Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Hope and Let the Right One In and his television work includes National Treasure and This is England. Junkyard is at the Bristol Old Vic and then on tour. Omid Djalili is an award-winning comedian and actor born in London to Iranian parents. He's currently on a UK tour with Schmuck for a Night in which he tries to make sense of the world around him. He will make his Chichester Festival Theatre debut playing Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof in July. His stage credits include Oliver! and What the Butler Saw in the West End and films include The Infidel, Shaun the Sheep and Gladiator. Schmuck for a Night is currently on tour. Fiddler on the Roof is at Chichester Festival Theatre. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Singer and songwriter Loudon Wainwright III; reggae DJ David Rodigan; former detective Jackie Malton and writer Hisham Matar join Libby Purves. David 'RamJam' Rodigan MBE is a DJ, famed for his selections of reggae and dancehall music. He has played on stations from Capital 95.8 and Kiss to BBC 1Xtra and Radio 2 and is a regular on the club and festival circuit. A 65-year-old white man from Oxford who speaks in RP, he seems the very antithesis of the music that he loves and represents. In 2012 he won the highest reggae sound system honour by winning the World Clash Re-Set contest in New York. His autobiography, Rodigan: My Life in Reggae is published by Constable. Hisham Matar is a Libyan writer and the son of Jaballa Matar, a prominent political activist who opposed Colonel Gaddafi's regime. When Hisham was 19 his father was kidnapped while the family were living in exile in Cairo. Hisham would never see his father again. After the fall of Gaddafi in 2011 Hisham was finally able to return to Libya to try to discover what happened to his father. In his memoir, The Return, he recounts his physical and psychological journey to find his father and rediscover his country. The Return: Fathers, Sons and the Land In Between, is published by Penguin. Jackie Malton is a former detective chief inspector in the Metropolitan Police, best known for being the inspiration for the character of DCI Jane Tennison in the Prime Suspect drama written by Lynda La Plante. Her police career started in Leicestershire and in the Met she went on to work in the Flying Squad of the 1980s. As an openly gay women in the police force during that time she found herself at odds in a male world but went on to forge a successful career before retiring to become a script consultant and addiction counsellor. Loudon Wainwright III is a Grammy award-winning singer and songwriter. In his one man show, Surviving Twin, he connects some of his best songs with the writings of his late father Loudon Wainwright Jr, the highly regarded Life Magazine columnist. The show, which has never been performed in the UK, explores issues such as birth, loss, parenthood, pet ownership and mortality and Loudon intersperses a selection of his father's compositions with songs from his own catalogue. Surviving Twin is at the Leicester Square Theatre. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Singer Patti Boulaye; dancer David Toole; actor Charlie Condou and costume designer Tracy Tynan join Libby Purves. David Toole is an actor and dancer who played a starring role in the 2012 Paralympic Opening Ceremony. Born without the use of his legs, he turned his back on a job with the post office to study at the Laban Centre of Movement and Dance and follow his dream of becoming a dancer. He is performing with Stopgap Dance Company in The Enormous Room, a new touring piece about grief and the relationship between a father and daughter. The Enormous Room is at Lilian Baylis Studio, Sadler's Wells before heading off on tour. Patti Boulaye OBE is a singer and actor. Her autobiography, The Faith of a Child, charts her life growing up in Nigeria during the Biafran War to her West End debut in the musical Hair. In her new show, Billie and Me, she considers the parallels between Billie Holiday's troubled life and her own - at times difficult - experiences. The production starts its UK tour at the Pheasantry in London. The Faith of a Child - The Autobiography is published by Bipada Academy Ltd. Tracy Tynan is a costume designer and writer. The daughter of theatre critic Kenneth Tynan and actor and writer Elaine Dundy, she recounts her story of growing up amid the wreckage of her parents' disintegrating marriage. The couple were at the epicentre of a glamorous show business world - their social circle included Laurence Olivier, Orson Wells and Tennessee Williams. But the bohemian, hard drinking environment came at a cost and Tracy - who describes her life then as being "in a movie with lots of crazy people" - writes candidly about a childhood where the drama happened offstage. Wear and Tear: The Threads of My Life by Tracy Tynan is published by Duckworth. Charlie Condou is an actor best known for his role as midwife Marcus Dent in the British soap opera Coronation Street. He stars in a touring production of The Crucible playing the witch hunter Reverend Hale. In recent years Charlie has written extensively about his experiences co-parenting - he and his partner care for their children with a friend who is also the children's mother. The Crucible starts its tour at the Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Actor Sir Patrick Stewart; comedian and writer Shappi Khorsandi; medic Oscar Duke and charity worker Mischa Pearson join Libby Purves. Mischa Pearson set up the Teapot Project in Ipswich, Suffolk. The charity collects good food from restaurants and supermarkets that would otherwise go to waste and distributes it to the local homeless through charities, youth hostels and churches. As a teenager Mischa was homeless for two years and spent time living in hostels before finding employment in the catering business. Around 4,000 people a month benefit from meals provided by the Teapot Project and there are plans to open a new café with an adjacent food boutique offering ''pay as you feel' produce in the heart of the town. Sir Patrick Stewart is an actor. He plays Professor Charles Xavier in Logan, the latest in the American superhero series of X-Men films. Patrick has appeared on Broadway and West End stages in productions ranging from A Life in the Theatre, The Master Builder, and The Tempest. He recently joined forces with his X-Men co-star Sir Ian McKellen in Harold Pinter's No Man's Land. Perhaps best known as Captain Jean-Luc Picard on Star Trek: The Next Generation, his screen appearances include Dune, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, ConspiracyTheory, Extras I, Claudius, and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Logan is on general release from March 1st. Dr Oscar Duke is currently training to be a GP. He presents Born Too White on BBC Two which explores the discrimination and persecution of people with albinism in East Africa. Born with the genetic condition of Albinism himself, Oscar discovers that there have been 170 attacks on people with albinism in Tanzania in the last 10 years and 70 of these attacks were fatal. Many are killed for their body parts which are believed to have magical powers. Born Too White is broadcast on BBC Two. Shappi Khorsandi is a comedian and writer. She is currently touring her show, Oh My Country! From Morris Dancing to Morrissey in which she celebrates the 40th anniversary of her arrival in Britain from Iran. She describes the show as reclaiming her patriotism by sending a love letter to her adopted land. She also appears on television in Live At The Apollo, Have I Got News for You and Q.I. Her latest novel, Nina Is Not OK, is out in paperback. Oh My Country! From Morris Dancing to Morrissey tours the UK until June. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Broadcaster Michael Mosley; singer and actor Camille O'Sullivan; Baptist minister and writer Peter Laws and artist Pradyumna Kumar join Libby Purves. Peter Laws is an ordained Baptist minister who has written his debut crime novel, Purged. The protagonist is Matt Hunter, a sociology professor who also assists the police tackle religiously-motivated crimes. Peter also hosts a podcast and YouTube show, The Flicks That Church Forgot, which reviews horror films from a theological perspective. Purged by Peter Laws is published by Allison and Busby. Pradyumna Kumar, known as PK, was born in a remote part of Orissa in eastern India. His childhood as an untouchable was one of hardship and prejudice. Yet during these years, he kept a palm leaf bearing an astrologer's prophecy: 'You will marry a girl who is not from the village, not even from the country; she will be musical, own a jungle and be born under the sign of the ox'. It was a prophecy that would come true, but only after a 7,000 mile journey that would take him across continents, on a second-hand bicycle, to be with the woman he loved. The Amazing Story of the Man Who Cycled from India to Europe for Love by Per J Andersson is published by One World. Camille O'Sullivan is a French-Irish singer and actor who is known for her dramatic interpretations of the narrative songs of Jacques Brel, Nick Cave, David Bowie and Radiohead. As an actor she appeared in the Royal Shakespeare Company's Rape of Lucrece, for which she also created original music with Feargal Murray. She also starred in Mrs Henderson Presents alongside Judi Dench and Will Young. She is touring the UK with her new show The Carny Dream, starting in Oxford on 3 March. Michael Mosley is a journalist and presenter. In his new series The Secrets of Your Food he joins James Wong to celebrate the physics, chemistry and biology at work inside the food we eat. Born in India, Michael worked as a banker in the City of London before studying psychiatry. He then joined the BBC, producing a range of science programmes and later moving in front of the camera. He begins his new series in the laboratory where he deconstructs breast milk and travels to Mexico to study the intake of a professional Lucha Libra wrestler - it involves 50 eggs a week. The Secrets of Your Food is broadcast on BBC Two. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Explorer and writer Levison Wood; author Kimberley Chambers; journalist and writer John de St Jorre and performer and playwright Annie Siddons join Libby Purves. Kimberley Chambers is a former market trader, DJ and minicab driver who is now a best-selling author. She came to fiction late in life, writing during her down time as a cabbie. Inspired by her 'colourful life', the books are gritty crime novels with a twist of dark humour set in and around London's East End and featuring a cast of spirited characters. Her latest release, Backstabber is published by Harper Collins. John de St Jorre is a journalist and writer. In his memoir, Darling Baby Mine, he writes about the search for his mother who was erased from the family history. Unable to find so much as a photo of her, the distant memory of a woman laughing while smoking is the only image of her he has. He grew up in wartime Britain under the care of his father and stepmother and it wasn't until he reached adulthood that he began to piece together his mother's tragic story. Darling Baby Mine is published by Quartet. Annie Siddons is a playwright, performer and musician. Her new show How (Not) to live in Suburbia is based on her own experiences of loneliness when she felt adrift as a single mother living in what she calls one of London's 'most married' suburbs. Annie takes a poignant and humorous look at what it is like to live in a community where you don't fit in, the compromises people make for the sake of their children, how chronic loneliness manifests itself and her own personal quest to cure it. How (Not) to live in Suburbia is at the Soho Theatre and later on tour. Levison Wood is an explorer, photographer and author. He spent ten years in the British Army and led expeditions on five continents. He has travelled in over 80 countries and spent a number of years living in the wilds of Africa and Asia. For his most recent expedition, he set out to trek 1800 miles from Mexico to Columbia which was filmed for the Channel 4 series, Walking the Americas. Beginning in the north-eastern tip of Mexico, he tackles the entire length of Central America, through eight countries before attempting to cross the treacherous Darien Gap into Colombia and South America. His book Walking the Americas is published by Hodder and Stoughton. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Actor Stephen Boxer; writer Sheila Kohler; psychiatrist and poet Professor Femi Oyebode and composer Heloise Tunstall-Behrens join Libby Purves. Heloise Tunstall-Behrens is a composer and bee-keeper. Her new work The Swarm, a 60-minute opera performed by the Quorum, follows a swarm of bees in their search for a new home as they encounter a deadly extractor fan, a thunder storm and a fierce debate over two potential sites on which to build a hive. Inspiration for the piece came after Heloise inserted a recording device into her hives during a particularly dynamic phase of swarming. The Swarm is at the Vault Festival, The Vaults, London SE1 . Professor Femi Oyebode is professor of psychiatry and head of department at the University of Birmingham. Winner of the Royal College of Psychiatrists Lifetime Achievement Award, he has also written six volumes of poetry. Professor Oyebode believes medicine is increasingly technology-based, meaning the patient can easily get lost, and he regards medicine as an art rather than a science, a profession in which you apply skills to people. "Every person is different," he says. "As psychiatrists, we are trained to understand human beings and this includes understanding ourselves." Sheila Kohler is a writer. In her memoir, Once We Were Sisters, she tells the story of growing up in the suffocating gentility of 1950s South Africa with her sister Maxine. Her sister's death in a car accident in 1976 galvanised Sheila to start writing as a way of dealing with her grief. The author of 14 works of fiction, her new book addresses her relationship with her sister and, more broadly, the violence underpinning much of her homeland. Once We Were Sisters is published by Canongate. Stephen Boxer is an actor best known for his roles with the Royal Shakespeare Company including Titus Andronicus and King Lear and portraying CS Lewis in Shadowlands. He is currently in Raising Martha, a new dark comedy by award-winning writer David Spicer. The play tackles terrorism, animal rights, and six-foot frogs! Raising Martha is at the Park Theatre, Finsbury Park, London N4. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie; comedian Milton Jones; writer and filmmaker Xiaolu Guo and novelist Arno Geiger meet Libby Purves. Evelyn Glennie is an award-winning percussionist. She played the first percussion concerto in the history of The Proms at the Albert Hall in 1992, which paved the way for orchestras around the world to feature percussion concerti. She also played a leading role role in the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games. Profoundly deaf since childhood, she set out to use her body as a resonating chamber, 'hearing' partly through her bare feet on the floor. As part of the Celtic Connections Festival she is playing a new piece marking the 70th anniversary of the partition of India alongside fellow percussionist Trilok Gurtu. The Rhythm in Me premieres at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. Xiaolu Guo is a Chinese born writer and film-maker. In her memoir, Once Upon a Time in the East, she recounts her tumultuous life from meeting her parents for the first time at six and living in grinding poverty with her illiterate grandparents in a fishing village on the East China Sea. Her story takes her from a run-down shack to film school in a rapidly changing Beijing, navigating the complexities of modern China - censorship, underground art and Western boyfriends. Once Upon a Time in the East: A story of Growing Up is published by Chatto & Windus. Arno Geiger is an Austrian novelist. In The Old King in his Exile he tells the story of his late father August's struggle with Alzheimer's disease. The book is a deeply moving account of his father's illness but also stresses how it brought the two closer together. A remote figure, August didn't talk to his family much about his past - a frugal childhood and wartime experiences as a child soldier - but as his dementia took hold his son discovered more about the man and his character. The Old King in his Exile is published by And Other Stories. Milton Jones is a stand-up comedian, known by many as the king of the one-liners. He's a regular panellist on BBC Two's Mock the Week and Live at the Apollo and , Thanks a Lot Milton Jones! on Radio 4. Later this year he embarks on a new tour, Milton Jones is Out There, taking a philosophical look at his life so far with his 'manifesto of nonsense'. Milton Jones is Out There 2017 tour begins in September at the Richmond Theatre. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Writer Lady Antonia Fraser; comic and actor Stephen K Amos; travel writer Christopher Somerville and poet Inua Ellams join Libby Purves. Stephen K Amos is a comedian and actor. His Radio 4 series What Does the K Stand For? tells the story of his teenage years in 1980s South London. Stephen's parents came from the same town in south-west Nigeria, but met as adults in Lagos and emigrated to the UK in the late 1960s. Stephen is currently performing his new stand-up show. He has performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe every year since 2003, after making his début in 2001. During the 2006 Fringe, he performed the revealing solo show All of Me, in which he publicly acknowledged his own homosexuality to his audience for the first time. What Does the K Stand For? is broadcast on BBC Radio 4. Antonia Fraser is a writer and award-winning biographer. In 1978 she made a trip to Israel with her late husband, the playwright Harold Pinter. In her book, Our Israeli Diary, she recalls their experiences visiting the country during the 30th year of its founding - the first time either of them had travelled to Israel. She writes about the underlying tensions facing the country and their experiences spending time at some of its historically significant sites, revealing insights into the couple's relationship along the way. Our Israeli Diary - Of That Time, Of That Place is published by Oneworld. Christopher Somerville is a travel writer and the walking correspondent for The Times. In his latest book, The January Man, he retraces the paths he first walked along with his late father, John. His father was a senior civil servant at GCHQ in Cheltenham who never spoke about his work or his wartime experiences, but was a great walker. It was through their shared love of walking that father and son developed a bond that lasted until John's death. The January Man - A Year of Walking Britain is published by Doubleday. Inua Ellams is a poet and playwright who won the Edinburgh Fringe First Award in 2009 with his play The 14th Tale. Born in Nigeria to a Muslim father and a Christian mother, his latest one-man show, An Evening with an Immigrant, tells his story - of leaving Nigeria to performing solo shows at the National Theatre, all the while without a country to belong to or place to call home. An Evening with an Immigrant is touring the UK beginning at Brighton Dome. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Presenter and producer Richard Osman; campaigner Peter Willcox; playwright and actor Rikki Beadle-Blair and conservationist Sacha Dench join Libby Purves. Sacha Dench is a conservationist. She's the first woman to cross the English Channel in a motorised paraglider during a 4,500-mile journey following migrating birds from the Russian tundra to Britain. She made her trip to highlight the problems facing the endangered Bewick's swan population. Illegal hunting, newly erected power lines and loss of wetlands all play a part in the swan's dramatic decline in numbers which have almost halved over the last 20 years. Rikki Beadle-Blair MBE is a playwright, actor, producer and choreographer. The artistic director of multi-media production company Team Angelica, he is directing Hashtag Lighty which opens at the Arcola Theatre. Other projects include writing and directing Legendary Children in the House of Fierce and Summer in London which features an entire cast of transgender actors. Born in Bermondsey, he wrote the screenplay for the award-winning film Stonewall and he wrote, directed and performed in the Channel 4 series Metrosexuality. Hashtag Lighty is at the Arcola Theatre, London; Legendary Children in the House of Fierce is at the Old Vic Workrooms, London and Summer in London is at the Theatre Royal Stratford East, London. Peter Willcox has been a Captain with Greenpeace for over 30 years, making him the most experienced captain in the organization. An activist for most of his life, at 12 he marched from Selma to Montgomery behind Martin Luther King Jr. Captain Willcox estimates he's sailed over 300,000 miles in virtually every corner of the globe. In his new book he writes about his adventures confronting naval ships, being bombed by the French secret service and serving time in a Russian jail for protesting against Russian oil drilling in Antarctica. Greenpeace Captain: Bizarre Wanderings on the Rainbow Warrior by Peter Willcox is published by Sandstone Press. Richard Osman is a presenter and producer. Alongside Alexander Armstrong he co-hosts the quiz show Pointless which celebrates its 1000th episode this year. He is team captain on the series Insert Name Here - each episode is about people who share the same first name, and two teams compete to decide the greatest ever bearer of that week's chosen name. During his 20-year career in production Richard worked on shows from Total Wipeout and Deal Or No Deal to Whose Line is it Anyway? Insert Name Here is broadcast on BBC2. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Singer-songwriter Katie Melua, chef Tom Kerridge, writer Alex Wheatle and actor Nigel Havers join Libby Purves and the audience in the BBC Radio Theatre. Katie Melua, the singer and songwriter, was born in Georgia, when it was part of the Soviet Union, and moved to Belfast when she was nine. She returned to her homeland to make her new album, In Winter, working with the Gori Women's Choir. Katie recalls her early years in Georgia, and the very different life she found in Belfast, and she and the 24 members of the Choir perform two songs. Writer Alex Wheatle won this year's Guardian children's fiction prize for his young adult novel Crongton Knights, set around an inner-city estate. Born in 1963 to Jamaican parents living in Brixton, Alex spent much of his childhood in care, and says that a short stint in prison after the 1981 Brixton riots led to a passionate interest in literature, thanks to the advice of a fellow prisoner. Actor Nigel Havers rose to fame as Lord Lindsay in the Oscar-winning film Chariots of Fire, and is renowned for playing charmers, cads and conmen. He's currently playing the Lord Chamberlain in panto at the London Palladium, and his varied career includes roles in Coronation Street, Downton Abbey and a high-profile cameo earlier this year in The Archers. Tom Kerridge is chef and co-owner of The Hand and Flowers pub in Buckinghamshire - the first pub in the world to receive two Michelin stars. He is about to publish Tom Kerridge's Dopamine Diet, which draws on his own experience: he found himself very overweight, a result of the late-night lifestyle of the professional kitchen, and lost more than eleven stones after he devised a diet which remained true to the ideas which underpin his cooking. Producer Paula McGinley.

Actor Sophie Thompson; writer Jonathan Franklin; musician Leon Bosch and actor Brian Wheeler join Libby Purves. As a boy Jonathan Franklin rescued two orphaned tawny owlets and kept them with him at boarding school. His book, Two Owls at Eton, was first published when he was 16 and tells the story of Dee and Dum who lived with him during the summer of 1959. They trashed his room, made him late for many classes and caused mayhem at every turn yet Dum and Dee charmed the entire faculty. The school cat, famous for his mouse-catching prowess, became an unlikely ally and meal provider. Two Owls at Eton is published by John Blake Publishing. Brian Wheeler is an actor who plays 'Brian' in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Born with achondroplasia, he has appeared in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and four Harry Potter films as a banker in Gringotts Bank. His acting career started when he saw an advert for men under four feet six to take part in a film. He applied and ended up getting a part in Star Wars - Return of The Jedi playing an ewok and a jawa. He also spent several years as a clown as part of Gandeys Circus. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is produced by Evolution Pantomimes and is at the Alban Arena. Sophie Thompson is an Olivier Award-winning actress. Her films include Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Emma and Four Weddings and a Funeral. Her theatre credits include Guys and Dolls, Clybourne Park and Stephen Sondheim's Into The Woods. The daughter of actors Phyllida Law and Eric Thompson and younger sister of actor and screenwriter Emma, Sophie recently turned her hand to writing children's books. Illustrated by Rebecca Ashdown, her new book Zoo Boy and the Jewel Thieves is the story of eight-year-old Vince who can talk to animals and lives next door to a zoo. Zoo Boy and the Jewel Thieves is published by Faber and Faber. Leon Bosch is a double bassist who is performing a trio of concerts with his chamber ensemble, I Musicanti featuring world premieres from South Africa and chamber works by Mozart and Schubert. South African born, Leon arrived in the UK in 1982 after time spent as a political prisoner under South Africa's apartheid regime. He was granted refugee status in the UK. Leon Bosch performs at St John's Smith Square, London. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Novelist Ken Follett; scientist Dr Joseph Cook; musician Hannah Peel and Roman Catholic Priest and singer Fr David Delargy join Libby Purves. Fr David Delargy is a Roman Catholic priest and a member of the classical singing trio, the Priests. The group recently released a new album, Alleluia, and manage to balance the responsibilities of parish life in Northern Ireland with a global music career. Friends from an early age, the three later studied in Rome as seminarians and have sung together for 40 years. They grew up during the Troubles and speak of music as a unifying force that brings together people of all faiths. Alleluia by the Priests is released on Sony Red Essential. Dr Joseph Cook is research associate at the University of Sheffield who studies glacial microbiology. He is one of the winners of the Young Laureate award - a category of Rolex's Global Awards for Enterprise 2016. Through his Ice Alive mission, Joseph is exploring polar ice microbes in the vast 'frozen rainforest' of the Greenland ice sheet and communicating how these microbes influence, nutrient and carbon cycles and other aspects of the world and its systems. Ken Follett is an author of thrillers and historical novels whose titles include Eye of the Needle, Edge of Eternity and Fall of Giants. In Granta Magazine he remembers his upbringing and his parents who were members of the Plymouth Brethren church. As a small boy he was barred from watching television and listening to music which led him to reject all forms of faith in later life. After writing his book The Pillars of the Earth, about the building of a fictional medieval cathedral, he returned to his own version of spirituality. Bad Faith by Ken Follet is published in Granta Magazine. Musician Hannah Peel's new album, Awake But Always Dreaming, was inspired by her grandmother who suffered from dementia. The album is about memory - the formation of memories and the devastating loss or slow, insidious damage caused by dementia. This Christmas, Hannah's music also accompanies Alzheimer's Research UK's charity appeal, animated by Aardman and narrated by Stephen Fry. She has also launched Memory Playlist, a project inviting participants to make playlists of their lives. Awake But Always Dreaming is released on My Own Please Label. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Television reporter and writer Tom Mangold; death row survivor Nick Yarris; rally car driver Catie Munnings and Professor Vanessa Toulmin of the National Fairground Archive join Libby Purves. Catie Munnings is an 18-year-old rally car driver. She won the FIA European Rally Championships Ladies' trophy 2016 after only her first season in the sport. At 13 she could execute a perfect handbrake turn and then followed her father Chris, a former rally driver who ran the London Rally School at Brands Hatch, into the sport. When she isn't training in the gym or on the track, Catie has been campaigning to encourage more girls to get into motorsport. Tom Mangold is a television reporter and author who worked as an investigative journalist on the BBC's current affairs series Panorama for 26 years - its longest serving reporter. In his memoir, Splashed!, he recounts his years in the 1950s and 60s on some of Fleet Street's most ruthless newspapers - a time when chequebook journalism ruled. During his career he covered stories from the Profumo Affair to conflicts around the world including Vietnam and Northern Ireland. Splashed! - A Life from Print to Panorama is published by Biteback. Nick Yarris spent 23 years in prison, 22 of them on death row, before DNA evidence finally cleared him in 2003. In 1982 Yarris, a 21-year-old car thief and drug addict from Philadelphia, was sentenced to death for the abduction, rape and murder of a young woman. He spent the next 22 years - much of it in solitary confinement - enduring the casual brutality routinely dished out by guards and inmates. During his time in prison he read up to three books a day and studied the details of his own legal case. Later, as the technology developed, he pressed for post-conviction DNA testing which eventually led to his acquittal. The Fear of 13 Countdown to Execution: My Fight for Survival on Death Row by Nick Yarris is published by Cornerstone. Professor Vanessa Toulmin is director of City and Cultural Engagement at the University of Sheffield. She is also research director of the National Fairground Archive and her collection of circus and fairground material features in a new exhibition at the university. Born into a fairground family herself, her archive also includes material relating to early cinema, world's fairs, magic, wild west shows, menageries, variety, seaside entertainment, and amusement parks. The Spectacle and Wonder exhibition is at the University of Sheffield Library. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Actor Bradley Walsh; novelist Salley Vickers; literary agent Ed Victor and Rabbi Debbie Young-Somers join Libby Purves. Rabbi Debbie Young-Somers is community educator at the Movement for Reform Judaism. Formerly a rabbi at the West London Synagogue of British Jews, she is performing stand-up comedy for the first time at the JW3 Jewish Comedy Festival. She is a regular contributor for Radio 2's Pause for Thought, and has appeared on 4ThoughtTV. The JW3 Jewish Comedy Festival, West Hampstead, London NW6. Salley Vickers is the author of seven novels including Miss Garnet's Angel and The Cleaner of Chartres. She was born in Liverpool where her parents were active members of the Communist Party. She has worked as a university teacher of literature and as a psychoanalyst which triggered her interest in the effects of trans-generational trauma. Her new novel, Cousins, is about the secrets that emerge after a so-called 'night climber' at Cambridge University falls to his death. The story is told through the eyes of three women who were close to him. Cousins is published by Viking. Bradley Walsh is an actor, presenter and comedian. A familiar face on television, he presents the Chase, Keep it in the Family and Live at the London Palladium. His work as an actor includes Coronation Street and Law and Order UK in which he played the lead role of detective sergeant Ronnie Brookes. He has now turned to music, recording a collection of his favourite crooning songs including one he co-wrote - Chasing Dreams. Chasing Dreams is released on Sony Music. Ed Victor is a literary agent who represents a client list including Nigella Lawson, Alastair Campbell, Keith Richards and Rupert Everett. His agency celebrates its 40th birthday this year and he is generally acknowledged to be a game changer in the world of book publishing - elevating agents to key players in the publication process. During his career he nurtured the talents of Douglas Adams and Iris Murdoch who would go years without contacting him and then would call him up every couple of years to say "Ed, I've written a novel." Producer: Paula McGinley.

Singer and songwriter Melanie C; actor and director Douglas Hodge; Ironman competitor John McAvoy and football referee Howard Webb join Libby Purves. Melanie Chisholm, otherwise known as Melanie C, is a singer and songwriter. Formerly one of the Spice Girls, she went solo in 1999 and has enjoyed two number one singles and released four albums. In 2004 she launched her own label, Red Girl Records. She has also starred in musical theatre including Jesus Christ Superstar and Blood Brothers, for which she was nominated for an Olivier Award. Melanie C is touring the UK in 2017 and her new album, Version of Me, is released on Red Girl Records. John McAvoy is a former prisoner who is now a long-distance triathlete. Born into a family which was no stranger to crime, his uncle was a member of the Brink's-Mat robbery gang, John served two prison sentences for armed robbery and conspiracy to commit armed robbery before he was 30. In prison he discovered the indoor rowing machine and turned his back on his criminal past. After his release he competed in Ironman competitions, reaching times close to the world record of 7 hr 45 minutes, and is hoping to turn professional. Redemption - From Iron Bars to Ironman by John McAvoy with Mark Turley is published by Pitch Publishing. Howard Webb MBE followed his referee father into football at the age of 18, becoming a Premier League referee in 2003. He went on to take charge of some of the biggest matches in the footballing calender including the FA Cup final, the Champions League final and the 2010 World Cup Final in South Africa. In his memoir, Man in the Middle, he reveals what it is like to be at the heart of the action in the modern-day game and how he dealt with the most challenging situations from receiving death threats to dealings with elite managers and players. Man in the Middle is published by Simon and Schuster. Douglas Hodge is an award-winning actor as well as a director, singer and composer. He is performing in New Songs 4 New Shows - a gala night taster for the musicals of tomorrow. The event features four individual shows and Douglas appears in Wigmaker for which he wrote the music and lyrics. He started out at the National Youth Theatre and recently played Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Other work includes Albin in La Cage aux Folles which won him a Tony Award for Best Actor and for ten years he worked almost exclusively with Harold Pinter as both actor and director. New Songs 4 New Shows is at the Lyric Theatre, London. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Ken Clarke MP, jazz saxophonist Soweto Kinch, historian Melanie Lamotte and writer and puzzle-historian Alex Bellos join Libby Purves. Alex Bellos is a writer and broadcaster who writes a maths blog and a puzzle blog for the Guardian newspaper. His book Can You Solve my Problems? reveals the story of the puzzle through 125 of the world's best brainteasers, from ancient China to medieval Europe, Victorian England to modern-day Japan, with stories of espionage, mathematical breakthroughs and puzzling rivalries along the way. He has also written a children's book, Football School, which uses football to explain everything from maths to zoology and English to fashion. Can You Solve my Problems? is published by Guardian Faber. Football School is published by Walker Books. During his 46 years as the MP for Rushcliffe in Nottinghamshire, Ken Clarke has been at the very heart of government under three prime ministers. In his memoir, Kind of Blue, he charts his progress from working class scholarship boy to high political office, including four years as Chancellor of the Exchequer. His position on the left of the Conservative party often led Margaret Thatcher to question his true blue credentials, and his passionate commitment to the European project has led many fellow Conservatives to regard him with suspicion - and cost him the leadership on no fewer than three occasions. Kind of Blue - A Political Memoir, is published by Macmillan. Melanie Lamotte is a Junior Research Fellow in history at Newnham College, Cambridge, studying slavery, ethnic prejudice and early modern French colonialism. Born in Paris, she studied at the Sorbonne and at the University of Cambridge. Her fascination with history began ten years ago when she started to investigate her Caribbean origins and reconstructed her family tree, tracing it back three centuries to her slave ancestor, who was taken from the coast of Senegal to work on a sugar cane plantation on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. Soweto Kinch is a jazz saxophonist, bandleader, composer, rapper and presenter of Radio 3's Jazz Now. He is also a double MOBO-award winner and Mercury Prize nominee. He releases his new album Nonogram, which takes its cue from the language of mathematics and geometry. The album's concept revolves around a nine-sided wheel, or nonagon, with each musical point along the wheel exploring a different number or shape. Nonogram is released on Soweto Kinch Recordings. Producer: Annette Wells.

Physicist Helen Czerski; composer Odaline de la Martinez; actor Paapa Essiedu and geologist and gold prospector Jim Richards join Libby Purves. Physicist and oceanographer Helen Czerski studies the bubbles underneath breaking waves and their effects on weather and climate. In her book, Storm in a Teacup, she explains how the same scientific principles behind the little everyday things we see all around us link to some of the most important science and technology of our time because the patterns of physics are universal. She argues that knowing some of the basic principles of physics gives us a new way of looking at and being in the world that surrounds us. Storm in a Teacup - The Physics of Everyday Life by Helen Czerski is published by Bantam Press. Paapa Essiedu is an actor who plays Edmund in the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of King Lear, opposite Antony Sher's Lear. He was on course to study medicine when he decided to change direction and follow his true passion to study drama. His first job was a minor role in the Merry Wives of Windsor for the RSC but he made waves when he stepped up to play Edmund opposite Simon Russell Beale's Lear when the actor he was understudying lost his voice. Last year Paapa played the RSC's first black Hamlet, drawing on his background growing up in London and the cultural references of his Ghanaian family. King Lear is at the Barbican, London. Jim Richards has been a gold prospector, miner and geologist and is currently a mining executive in Australia, working on graphene and sustainable energy. A former geology student and officer in the British Army, he gave up a promising career to pursue his dream of mining for gold in Brazil. In his book, Gold Rush, he recounts tales of piranha-infested rivers in South America, blazing deserts in Australia, the war-torn jungles of Laos, and how his passion cost him numerous relationships and money. Gold Rush - How I found, Lost and Made a Fortune is published by September Publishing. Odaline de la Martinez is a Cuban-American composer and conductor and was the first woman to conduct at the BBC Proms in 1984. She established the London Festival of American Music ten years ago to promote the work of established American composers who were less well known to UK audiences. She also founded her ensemble Lontano which champions new music and celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. The London Festival of American Music is at The Warehouse, London. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Sleep coach Nick Littlehales, Adele Bellis, a survivor of an acid attack, actor Adrian Edmondson and chef Marcus Wareing, join Libby Purves. Nick Littlehales is a sport sleep coach to some of the biggest names in sport including the British Cycling team, top Premiership and International football squads, and Olympic and Paralympic athletes. In his book, Sleep, he explains the strategies we can all use to get a better night's sleep by debunking the myths including why we might need less sleep than we think and the power nap - how we can nap with our eyes open in room full of people. Sleep is published by Penguin Life. Adele Bellis was 22 when she suffered an acid attack arranged by her ex-boyfriend. She was left partially bald and lost her right ear. In her book, Brave, she recounts her experience and her recovery and how she hopes to turn it into a positive experience by educating young people about how to avoid abusive relationships. Brave - How I Rebuilt My Life After Love Turned to Hate is published by Harper Element. Adrian Edmondson is an actor and comedian, best known from The Young Ones, Bottom, and The Comic Strip Presents, with his friend and collaborator, the late Rik Mayall. More recently he has appeared in TV series including One of Us and War and Peace, and in the West End in Waiting for Godot and Neville's Island. He stars in a new adaptation of William Leith's bestselling novel, Bits of Me are Falling Apart, a one-man play about the complexities of middle-age, adapted by himself and Steve Marmion, who directs. Bits of Me are Falling Apart is at the Soho Theatre. Marcus Wareing is the chef of the two Michelin-starred Marcus at The Berkeley, The Gilbert Scott and Tredwell's in London. He has won numerous awards including Young Chef of the Year, a Michelin star at the age of 25, Restaurateur of the Year, and the winner of the first Michelin star for the Savoy Grill in the hotel's history. He is also a judge on MasterChef: The Professionals on BBC Two. His new book, Marcus At Home is published by Harper Collins. Producer: Annette Wells.

Milliner Stephen Jones; professor of Volcanology Clive Oppenheimer; filmmaker Karen Guthrie and former MI5 operative Tom Marcus join Libby Purves. Clive Oppenheimer is professor of Volcanology at the University of Cambridge. He presents Werner Herzog's documentary Into the Inferno which is inspired by Clive's book Eruptions that Shook the World. In the film presenter and director travel to Indonesia, Iceland, Ethopia and North Korea to investigate not only the volcanoes but also the people who live with them and have created their own myths and customs around these foreboding mountains. Into the Inferno is released on Netflix. Karen Guthrie is an artist and filmmaker. She directed the documentary The Closer We Get, a haunting portrait of her family. When her mother Ann suffered a devastating stroke in 2008 Karen returned to the family home and, along with her siblings, helped care for her. In a surprise twist her long absent father, who had been separated from Ann for years, also came back to help look after his former wife. In her film Karen shines a light on the complexities and secrets which underpin her parents' relationship. The Closer We Get is available on DVD. Tom Marcus, who uses this pen name to protect his identity, is a former MI5 surveillance officer. In his book, Soldier Spy, he recounts how he was recruited to the service following a stint in the army which he joined at 16. The book, written with the co-operation of MI5, gives a vivid account of the life of an undercover operative tracking down those who pose a threat to our national security. Soldier Spy is published by Penguin. Milliner Stephen Jones OBE has been creating exquisitely crafted hats for the last 40 years. His clients include rock stars and royalty - from Boy George to Diana, Princess of Wales. His book, Souvenirs, traces the origins of his creativity as a youngster growing up in Liverpool to his days at Saint Martin's School of Art, his arrival on London's street fashion scene and success on the world's catwalks. Stephen Jones: Souvenirs by Susannah Frankel and Stephen Jones is published by Rizzoli New York. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Politician and writer Rory Stewart; Italian musician Zucchero; cellist Nina Plapp and SAS trainee recruit Efrem Brynin join Libby Purves. Nina Plapp is a cellist and winner of the Royal Geographical Society and BBC Journey of a Lifetime award. Together with her cello Cuthbert she sets off from the Isle of Wight to Romania and India in search of the roots of gypsy music. Along the way Nina and Cuthbert join a chorus on a train through the desert, get locked inside a cupboard with singing girls in a Rajasthani village and play with the gypsy musicians at a wedding. Her story is told in Journey of a Lifetime on BBC Radio 4. Rory Stewart OBE is MP for Penrith and The Border and Minister of State at the Department for International Development (DFID). After a period in the army, he joined the Foreign Office, serving in Indonesia and the Balkans and becoming deputy-governor of two provinces in Southern Iraq. His father Brian was a keen walker who accompanied his son on many of his journeys from Iran to Malaysia. Their final walk together takes them along the Marches - the frontier that divides their two countries - Scotland and England. The Marches by Rory Stewart is published by Jonathan Cape. Efrem Brynin is one of the recruits featured in the Channel 4 series SAS: Who Dares Wins in which team of ex-SAS instructors take 25 rookie soldiers deep into the Amazon rainforest. The men take part in a customised version of the jungle phase of SAS Selection which is designed to find a unique kind of soldier for an elite unit. Efrem's son James, a soldier who was killed in Afghanistan in 2013, was due to embark on SAS training before his death and Efrem's aim is to honour his son's ambitions. SAS: Who Dares Wins is broadcast on Channel 4. Zucchero is an Italian musician and songwriter. Born Adelmo Fornaciari, he was nicknamed Zucchero - meaning sugar - by his schoolteacher. In a career spanning three decades, he has achieved international success, not least through his collaborations with artists including Eric Clapton, Miles Davis, Ray Charles, B.B King, Sting, Jeff Beck and Andrea Bocelli. His new album Black Cat features contributions from Bono and Elvis Costello and the guitar work of Mark Knopfler. Black Cat is on Wrasse Records. Zucchero performs at the Royal Albert Hall, London. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Jeremy Paxman; Priscilla Presley; ballet dancer Thiago Soares and writer and photographer iO Tillett Wright join Libby Purves. Priscilla Presley is an actress. She starred in the Naked Gun series of films, the television series Dallas and for the last few years has appeared on the British stage in pantomimes including Aladdin and Snow White. Married to Elvis Presley from 1967 to 1973, she is executive producer of the Wonder of You, an album featuring Elvis's voice with an orchestral accompaniment by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Priscilla also appears as part of a UK arena tour in which Elvis is on screen - accompanied by the orchestra - performing songs including If I Can Dream and Suspicious Minds. The Wonder of You is released on Sony Music. If I Can Dream - Elvis in Concert with The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra starts in Glasgow at the SSE Hydro. Jeremy Paxman is a journalist and broadcaster. In his memoir, A Life in Questions, he looks back on his career including his long stint as the combative presenter of the BBC's current affairs programme, Newsnight. His working life has been defined by questions and the book features many of his legendary encounters with politicians, musicians, Hollywood stars and esteemed writers. A Life in Questions is published by William Collins. iO Tillett Wright is a photographer, writer, film maker, activist and actor who is currently co-hosting a new MTV show called Suspect with Nev Schulman. In his memoir, Darling Days, he recounts his tumultuous life growing up during the 1980s and 1990s in the urban bohemia of New York's Lower East Side. Born female, he describes how, at the age of six, he adopted a new persona - a boy named Ricky. His TED Talk, 50 Shades of Gay, has been watched by more than two million people. Darling Days is published by Virago. Thiago Soares is a Brazilian dancer and a principal of The Royal Ballet. Born in Rio de Janeiro, he initially was drawn to hip hop before taking up ballet aged 12, joining the Royal Ballet in 2002. He is dancing the role of Rasputin in the Royal Ballet's production of Anastasia by Kenneth MacMillan. It tells the true story of Anna Anderson, who claimed to be the Grand Duchess Anastasia, youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II and sole survivor of the brutal assassination of the Russian Royal Family in 1918. Anastasia is at the Royal Opera House, London. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Broadcaster Nicholas Parsons; chef and writer Ken Hom; author Jacqueline Wilson and comic Scott Gibson join Libby Purves Comedian Scott Gibson swapped his job in a call centre for the stand-up stage after surviving a brain aneurysm at the age of 24. Winner of the best newcomer award at the lastminute.com Comedy Awards in 2016, his show Life After Death explores his illness and recovery. Scott Gibson is appearing at the Fringe Comedy Awards Shows at the Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, London. Nicholas Parsons OBE is a broadcaster who has chaired BBC Radio 4's comedy panel game Just a Minute since its inception in 1967. He is also a keen horologist and presents The Incredible Story of Marie Antoinette's Watch on BBC Four which celebrates the work of a master of the timepiece, Abraham Louis Breguet. Nicholas goes in search of the most expensive and exquisite watch ever made - The Marie-Antoinette - also known as The Queen - a case watch designed by Breguet in the 18th century. The Incredible Story of Marie Antoinette's Watch is on BBC Four. Dame Jacqueline Wilson is a writer of children's literature. Her new book Clover Moon tells the story of a young girl trying to survive in Victorian London. Publication also marks the launch of the Jacqueline Wilson Creative Writing Prize which encourages children to take up writing fiction. One of Jacqueline's most successful and enduring creations has been the famous Tracy Beaker who first appeared in 1991. A former Children's Laureate, Jacqueline's books have sold over 40m copies in the UK and have been translated into 34 languages. Clover Moon is published by Doubleday. Ken Hom is a chef and food writer. A leading authority on Chinese cuisine, his first book on the subject was published in 1981 and his first programme for BBC television was broadcast in 1984. In his new autobiography, My Stir-Fried Life, he writes about his childhood in Chicago's Chinatown where he worked in his uncle's restaurant at the age of 11 and how he found social acceptance through food and cooking for others. My Stir-Fried Life is published by Biteback Publishing. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Politician Lord David Owen; singer and harmonicist Paul Jones; sound artist Amie Slavin and origami expert Samuel Tsang join Libby Purves Amie Slavin is a sound artist. She is the director of the Sonophilia Festival - Lincoln's Festival of Sound - which will offer eight days of live music, sound art installations and other activities across the city. Born with a rare form of eye cancer she lost her sight in 1997 and uses her work to stimulate audiences to appreciate the various ways in which sound can represent and illuminate ideas, issues and voices. Sonophilia Festival: Lincoln's Festival of Sound is at various venues across Lincoln. David Owen was foreign secretary under James Callaghan from 1977 until 1979 and later co-founded and went on to lead the Social Democratic Party (SDP). He now sits as an independent social democrat in the House of Lords. In his new book, Cabinet's Finest Hour, he writes about the cabinet meetings of 1940 and examines how Churchill's coalition government worked behind closed doors to bring the war to an end. Cabinet's Finest Hour - the Hidden Agenda of May 1940 by David Owen is published by Haus Publishing. Samuel Tsang has been practising origami since he was old enough to fold. A London city worker by day and origami ninja by night, his book explains how origami can help concentration and memory and lead to mindfulness - or mindFOLDness as he puts it. The Book of Mindful Origami and The Magic of Mindful Origami are published by Yellow Kite. Paul Jones is lead singer of the Manfreds and former lead vocalist and harmonicist of Manfred Mann. Formed in 1962, Manfred Mann's hits include Do Wah Diddy; Pretty Flamingo; Sha La La; and 5-4-3-2-1. Paul turned to acting in 1966 appearing in films and on stage at the National Theatre in the Beggar's Opera and Guys and Dolls. Maximum Rhythm and Blues with the Manfreds is on tour. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Garden writer and broadcaster Monty Don; journalist Ian Hislop; marine biologist Joanna Barker and pastor Gethin Russell-Jones join Libby Purves. Joanna Barker is a marine biologist who works for the Zoological Society of London and specialises in marine and mammal conservation. Her work includes carrying out annual population counts of grey and harbour seals in the Greater Thames Estuary and conserving the European eel population - London's iconic eel which is classified as critically endangered. There are 98% fewer elvers - juvenile eels - arriving in London than in the 1980s. Joanna also developed the Angel Shark Project in the Canary Islands to safeguard the future of endangered angel sharks. Ian Hislop is a journalist and broadcaster. He is the co-writer - with Nick Newman - of a new play, The Wipers Times. Based on their award-winning film, the play tells the story of the satirical newspaper which originated in the spring of 1916. A group of soldiers of the 24th Division of the Sherwood Foresters, led by Captain Fred Roberts, discovered a printing press in the bombed out ruins of Ypres, or, as it was known by the Tommies unable to pronounce it, Wipers. It poked fun at the high command and saluted fallen comrades, using spoof advertisements, agony aunt columns and cod music-hall routines. The Wipers Times is at the Watermill Theatre. Gethin Russell-Jones is a Baptist pastor and writer. In his book, Conchie - What my Father didn't do in the War, he tells the story of his pastor father John who chose to be a conscientious objector during World War Two. At the same time his fiancée was cracking German codes at Bletchley Park. As an adult Gethin investigated his father's story and discovered what led him to make his momentous decision. Conchie - What my Father didn't do in the War, is published by Lion Hudson. Monty Don is a garden writer and broadcaster. His new book, Nigel - My Family and Other Dogs, is the story of his golden retriever and the other dogs who have shared his life over the years. Beloved by the public, Nigel receives fan mail and birthday cards and has inspired social media fan sites. The book is also a tribute to Longmeadow, the Herefordshire garden Monty has created over the last 25 years. Nigel - My Family and Other Dogs is published by Two Roads Books. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets actress Glynis Barber; flamenco composer and guitarist Paco Pena; Pastor Lorraine Jones and champion long distance swimmer Diana Nyad. Diana Nyad was a champion swimmer in her twenties, setting the record around Manhattan Island. In 1978 she made her first attempt to swim from Cuba to Florida, but failed to get across. In her sixties she made four further attempts, finally achieving her dream at the age of 64. Her memoir, Find a Way - One Untamed and Courageous Life, is published by Pan McMillan. Pastor Lorraine Jones lost her son Dwayne Simpson just short of his 21st birthday when he was fatally stabbed in Brixton. Dwayne had created a boxing club for young people to divert them from joining gangs. After his death his mother relaunched the boxing scheme as Dwaynamics. She recently won a Points of Light Award which recognises outstanding individual volunteers. Paco Pena is a flamenco composer and guitarist. His new work Patrias is an exploration of the emotional and cultural impact on Spain of the civil war and the death of one of its most prominent victims, Federico Garcia Lorca. Born in Cordoba, Paco taught himself to play the guitar as a child. Patrias is at Sadler's Wells, London. Glynis Barber is an actress who is best known for her role in the crime series Dempsey and Makepeace. She is appearing in Stalking the Bogeyman based on the story of journalist David Holthouse who was the victim of a violent rape when he was a child. Glynis's television work includes EastEnders and Emmerdale. Stalking the Bogeyman is at Southwark Playhouse, London. If you have been effected by anything you heard on the programme: Survivors UK (www.survivorsuk.org) Napac (napac.org.uk) Safeline (www.safeline.org.uk) Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets illustrator and author Liz Pichon; pianist Melvyn Tan; travel writer Dan Richards and food writer Meera Sodha. Dan Richards is a travel writer. In his book Climbing Days, he is on the trail of his great-great aunt, Dorothy Pilley, a pioneering mountaineer of the early twentieth century. Using Dorothy's 1935 memoir Climbing Days as a guide, Dan begins to travel and climb across Europe, ending up at the serrate pinnacle of his aunt's climbing life, the mighty Dent Blanche in the high Alps of Valais. Climbing Days is published by Faber. Meera Sodha is a food writer and cook. In her book Fresh India she celebrates Indian vegetarian dishes. Many of the recipes were passed down through her family, her mother in particular who was brought up in Uganda but came to the UK after Idi Amin ordered the expulsion of the Asian minority in 1972. The recipes in Fresh India are inspired by Meera's childhood in Lincolnshire: by the rainbow chard that her aunt and uncle used to grow on their allotment, the cabbage that grew in fields behind her house and the mushrooms that were plentiful in her garden. Fresh India is published by Penguin. Melvyn Tan is British Singaporean-born pianist. To celebrate his 60th birthday this year he is exploring a new spectrum of compositions including a new score written for him by Jonathan Dove which he is including in his Cheltenham Music Festival recital. Born in Singapore, Melvyn came to study at the Yehudi Menuhin School at 12. In 1980 he made the decision to specialise in fortepiano and more recently began exploring works on the modern concert grand piano. Melvyn is performing at the Cheltenham Music Festival. Liz Pichon is an illustrator and author. Her 10th book in the Tom Gates series, Super Good Skills (Almost...), is a colourful doodle-your-own extravaganza. After studying graphic design Liz started her career in the music industry, working as an art director before turning her hand to the world of children's books. She later went on to create the bestselling Tom Gates series which has sold over 2m books in the UK alone and has been translated into more than 40 languages. Super Good Skills (Almost...) is published by Scholastic Children's Books. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets farmer and broadcaster Adam Henson; writer Paul Spike; pilot Tracey Curtis-Taylor and theatre student Joe Langdon. Tracey Curtis-Taylor is a pilot who last year followed Amy Johnson's flight from the UK to Australia in her classic open cockpit biplane, Spirit of Artemis. Earlier this year the self-styled bird in a biplane attempted a round-the-world flight which ended when her vintage biplane lost power and crashed after take-off in the Arizona desert. She plans to be back in the skies when her plane is fully repaired. Paul Spike is a writer and journalist. His book Photographs of My Father was first published in 1973, seven years after his father, The Reverend Robert - Bob - Spike, was murdered. Bob Spike was a US church minister who was active in the civil rights movement in 1960s America alongside Martin Luther King Jr. His murder was never solved. Published by Knopf, Photographs of my Father has been reissued to mark 50 years since Bob Spike's death. Joe Langdon is studying theatre studies at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London. His interest in drama was piqued when he was an inmate at a young offenders' institution. He attended workshops organised by the Bristol Old Vic as part of its outreach programme which helps young and disenfranchised people express themselves. This year the Bristol Old Vic celebrates its 250th anniversary. Adam Henson is a farmer and presenter of Adam's Farm on the BBC's Countryfile programme. He took over the Cotswold farm from his father, Joe, who as a champion of rare breeds, opened the Cotswold Farm Park in 1971 and was founder chairman of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. In his memoir, Like Farmer, Like Son Adam delves into his family's theatrical lineage - his grandfather was comedian and actor Leslie Henson and his uncle is the actor Nicky Henson. Like Farmer, Like Son is published by BBC Books. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets Olympic cyclist Chris Boardman; writer Rex Pickett; writer and academic Bella Merlin and performer Natalie James. Bella Merlin is an actor, writer, and professor of acting and directing at the University of California, Riverside. In her book, Facing the Fear, she draws on her own and other actors' personal experiences to address the issue of stage fright and how the complex relationship between the actor and the audience affects the condition. Drawing on neurological research, she also offers practical tips from physical wellbeing to performance strategies. Facing the Fear An Actor's Guide to Overcoming Stage Fright is published by Nick Hern Books. Natalie Nicole James is dancer and circus performer. She plays Mowgli in Metta Theatre's new adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book. The story of a child raised by wolves has been transposed to a contemporary urban jungle featuring street dancing monkeys, a beat-boxing bin man Baloo and graffiti artist Bagheera. The Jungle Book is at Cork's Midsummer Festival and at London Wonderground Festival, Southbank. Chris Boardman MBE won an Olympic gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics – the first British cyclist to win for 75 years. He went on to become the first British rider since Tommy Simpson in 1967 to wear the race leader's yellow jersey in the Tour de France. Now a commentator and presenter, his endeavours both on and off the bike have made him the founding father of the current gold generation of British cyclists. His memoir, Triumphs and Turbulence My Autobiography, is published by Ebury Press. Rex Pickett is a writer and the author of the novel Sideways which became an award-winning film directed by Alexander Payne. Now a play, adapted by the author, Sideways is the story of Miles and Jack, best friends facing their own personal crises who head off to Santa Barbara for a week of wine tastings. Sideways is at the St James Theatre, London. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets biologist and stand-up Simon Watt; motoring journalist Martin Gurdon; hip-hop artist Baba Israel and journalist Cal Flyn. Martin Gurdon is a motoring journalist. In his book, An Estate Car Named Desire, he recounts tales of his car-obsessed childhood in the 1960s - a lost world of Ford Anglias, Triumph Heralds and Morris Minors. During his dysfunctional years at boarding school cars were both his salvation and his undoing. An Estate Car Named Desire - A Life on the Road is published by Duckworth Overlook. Baba Israel is a hip-hop artist. He will be performing The Spinning Wheel at the Roundhouse, as part of The Last Word Festival. The multi-media production explores the life of his father Steve Ben Israel, a New York-based poet, jazz musician, activist, stand-up comedian and member of the Sixties performance collective The Living Theatre. The Spinning Wheel is at The Roundhouse, London NW1. Cal Flyn is a journalist whose book, Thicker than Water, tells the story of her great-great-great uncle, Angus McMillan. Mythologized as a dashing explorer and pioneer who left his native Scotland for Australia during the time of the Highland Clearances, he in fact led a number of gruesome massacres of indigenous people. As she traces his footsteps across Australia, Cal asks how a man could commit such terrible acts and considers the concept of intergenerational guilt. Thicker Than Water - History, Secrets and Guilt is published by William Collins. Simon Watt is a biologist, stand-up, writer and broadcaster. His new comedy science podcast, Level Up Human, explores various ways to improve the human condition. Featuring guests from the worlds of comedy and science, the podcast asks whether we will soon be able to edit the human genome with so-called molecular scissors and examines the case for driverless transport and companion robots. Level Up Human launches at the Cheltenham Science Festival.

Libby Purves meets poet and artist Frieda Hughes; composer Christopher Gunning; puppeteer Ronnie Le Drew and horticulturalist and gardening judge Jim Buttress. Ronnie Le Drew is a puppeteer. Over his long career he has operated Muffin the Mule, Sweep and Zippy from the children's television series Rainbow. He discovered puppetry as a small boy, performing glove puppet shows for his friends on the south London council estate where he grew up. His biography Zippy and Me, written with Duncan Barrett and Nuala Calvi, will be published by Unbound. Ronnie is performing the Snitchity Titch Show at the Little Angel Theatre, London. Christopher Gunning is an award-winning composer, best known for his theme music to Agatha Christie's Poirot as well as Porterhouse Blue and La Vie en Rose. He started out writing music for commercials and early on in his career he worked as assistant to the late Dudley Moore, who became a regular pianist on a variety of Christopher's jingles and documentary scores. Christopher's latest work is a violin and cello concerto, inspired by his love of Wales. Violin Concerto/Cello Concerto/Birdflight is released on Discovery Records. Frieda Hughes is a poet and artist. The daughter of Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath, Her book, Alternative Values, is the story of her life told through a series of abstract paintings which accompany her poetry. Frieda wrote and painted from an early age and for many years has been a children's writer. She is talking about her life and work at the Salisbury International Arts Festival. Alternative Values is published by Bloodaxe Books. Jim Buttress is a gardener, horticulturalist and RHS judge, known for his trademark bowler hat and clipboard. He has presided over flower shows including Chelsea and Hampton Court and the Britain in Bloom competition for over 25 years. In his memoir, The People's Gardener, he recounts his garden memories including his ten years as superintendent of the Central Royal Parks - on one occasion looking after some elephants which had taken up residence in Hyde Park. His memoir, The People's Gardener, is published by Sidgwick And Jackson. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets wine writer Oz Clarke; photographer Johnny Fenn; playwright Brian Mullin and Emma Sherlock, curator of free-living worms at the Natural History Museum. Emma Sherlock is senior curator of annelids - free-living worms - at the Natural History Museum. She's also co-founder and president of the Earthworm Society of Great Britain. A zoology graduate, she is passionate about changing the public's perception of the humble earthworm. Her current project is studying the Asian worms in the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew. Foreign species of worms are often inadvertently imported into Britain along with plants. There are 34 exotic species living here - mainly in greenhouses - which outnumber the 26 native species. The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD. Brian Mullin is an American-born playwright who is writer in residence at Theatre503. His debut play, We Wait In Joyful Hope, is inspired by the story of his aunt, a former Catholic nun, who brought him up after the death of his mother. She founded one of the first shelters for homeless women in New York City. We Wait In Joyful Hope is at Theatre503, The Latchmere, 503 Battersea Park Road, London SW11. Johnny Fenn was a Gurkha officer for 15 years before becoming a professional photographer. A week after the devastating earthquake in Nepal in 2015, he returned to the middle valleys of the country with his camera. In this area, the main recruitment region for Gurkha soldiers, he photographed local people left devastated after the disaster, recording their courage and dignity in the face of such turmoil. His book, Light and Life in the Middle Hills, is published by Unicorn. Oz Clarke is a wine critic, broadcaster and writer. He combines wine and song in Drink to Music - a festival tour with the Baroque ensemble, Armonico Consort. The show investigates the links between wine from around the world and the music of the Baroque from Bach, Purcell and Vivaldi to the dance music of South America. Oz and Armonico Drink to Music is on tour. Producer: Paula McGinley.

The poet Lemn Sissay meets naturalist and broadcaster Chris Packham; singer and songwriter Ralph McTell; actor and director Ian Ogilvy and paleoanthropologist and stand-up comedian Ella Al-Shamahi. Ian Ogilvy is an actor who is best known for playing Simon Templar in the 1970s TV series The Return of the Saint. He has also appeared in Upstairs Downstairs, I Claudius and films including No Sex Please, We're British. He has written a series of children's books about his hero, Measle Stubbs, which has been translated into over 20 languages. His autobiography, Once a Saint - An Actor's Memoir, is published by Constable. Ella Al-Shamahi is a geneticist turned paleoanthropologist who also performs stand-up comedy. She is a Neanderthal expert who specialises in cave digs in hostile environments including the Yemen and Iraq. Her latest project is to set up her own cave excavation in the Yemen to test the theory that early humans left Africa not only via Egypt and then Israel but also via islands or land bridges in the Red Sea. She is a National Geographic 2015 Emerging Explorer. Chris Packham is a naturalist, filmmaker, writer and photographer, best known as presenter of the children's nature series, The Really Wild Show during the 1980s. He has presented the BBC's Springwatch programme since 2009. His memoir, Fingers In The Sparkle Jar, reflects on being an awkward and unusual child with an intense fascination for wildlife who found solace in the natural world. Fingers In The Sparkle Jar is published by Ebury Press. Ralph McTell is a singer and songwriter who made his debut in 1968 with the album Eight Frames a Second. In 1974 the release of 'Streets of London' earned him an Ivor Novello Award. He is celebrating 50 years on the road with a special performance at the Royal Albert Hall in which all the songs will be chosen by his fans. Ralph McTell's Loyal Command Performance is at the Royal Albert Hall, London. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets singer and songwriter Chris Rea; artist Chris Dobrowolski; former railway detective Graham Satchwell and actor Rosa Hoskins, daughter of Bob. Chris Dobrowolski is an artist and sculptor who spent three and a half months in Antarctica as artist in residence for the British Antarctic Survey. Chris lived and worked alongside scientists, medical professionals, researchers and crew members. Armed with boxes of Antarctic-themed toy figures, including plastic penguins, he set out across the polar ice to capture the essence of this southern wilderness. In his show Antarctica, he tells of his adventures. Antarctica is on tour. Chris Rea is a singer and songwriter and blues guitarist. Born in Middlesborough to an Anglo-Italian family who ran an ice-cream business, he didn't take up the guitar until he was 21. His hits include Fool If You Think It's Over, The Road To Hell and Josephine. He has released a new edition of La Passione, a film and soundtrack based loosely on his dreams as a young boy growing up in the industrial North East and his love of Formula 1. La Passione - Artist's Edition box-set is released on Jazzee Blue. Actor and writer Rosa Hoskins is the daughter of the actor Bob Hoskins, star of The Long Good Friday and Mona Lisa. In her memoir, It's All Going' Wonderfully Well, she recalls some of the life lessons her father taught her such as laugh, be yourself, get angry and love with all your heart. It's All Going Wonderfully Well - Growing Up with Bob Hoskins is published by Hutchinson. Graham Satchwell is a former detective superintendent with the British Transport Police. In his memoir, An Inspector Recalls, he writes about his early days in the police force in the Sixties and Seventies and some of the prevailing attitudes he brushed up against. He describes investigating the Southall Rail crash in 1997 and a highly charged encounter with John McVicar, one time convicted armed robber. An Inspector Recalls - Memoirs of a Railway Detective is published by The History Press. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets writer Hunter Davies; artistic director Daniel Evans; poet Henry Normal and forager and cook Fiona Bird. Fiona Bird is a forager, writer and cook. A former finalist on Masterchef, her new book Let Your Kids Go Wild Outside is full of enthusiasm for the natural world and aims to encourage children to get off the sofa and explore the great outdoors. Fiona lives on the Isle of South Uist where she forages for seaweed which she features in a range of dishes from casseroles and soups to bread and biscuits. Let Your Kids Go Wild Outside is published by CICO Books. Hunter Davies OBE is an author, journalist and broadcaster. He is the author of over 50 books, including biographies, novels, children's fiction and several books about the Lake District.. He wrote the only official biography of the Beatles. In his memoir, The Co-Op's Got Bananas! he reflects on his childhood and coming of age in post-war Britain. The Co-Op's Got Bananas! is published by Simon and Schuster. Daniel Evans is the outgoing artistic director of Sheffield Theatres who is taking on the same role at Chichester Festival Theatre. As a director at Sheffield Theatres his productions include The Effect, The Full Monty and An Enemy of the People. As an actor, his work for the company includes Company, The Pride, Cloud Nine and The Tempest. His performance in Sunday in the Park with George won him his second Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical and a Tony Award nomination. His production of Show Boat is at the New London Theatre. Henry Normal - whose real name is Peter Carroll - is a comedian, producer and poet. As a writer and producer he has won awards for his work on The Royle Family, Gavin and Stacey and the Mrs Merton Show. He also wrote and produced the Oscar-nominated film Philomena. He is performing his poetry at the Stratford-Upon-Avon Literary Festival and his programme A Normal Family, about his son who has autism, returns to BBC Radio 4 later this year. The Stratford-Upon-Avon Literary Festival is at the Stratford Artshouse. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets actor Maureen Lipman; writer and comedian Paul Whitehouse; tightrope walker Chris Bull and farmer Desmond MacCarthy. Chris Bull - otherwise known as Bullzini - is a funambulist or tightrope walker. He is recreating the tightrope walk of Carlos Trower, The African Blondin, at A Day at the Lake in Staffordshire. Trower walked across the lake 100 feet above the water in 1864 and again in 1878, drawing huge crowds 30 years after the abolition of slavery in the UK. Chris first became interested in circus skills as a teenager and learned to juggle while at school. He trained for 12 years seeking out the best artists and teachers in Brazil, Cuba, France and Belgium. A Day At The Lake is at Rudyard Lake in Staffordshire. Maureen Lipman CBE, is an actor and comedian, best known for her homage to Joyce Grenfell in Re:Joyce; as Aunt Eller in Oklahoma and for her role in the Oscar-winning film, The Pianist. Her latest part is in Charlotte Keatley's play, My Mother Said I Never Should at the St James' Theatre, about the relationships between mothers and daughters spanning four generations. She is also appearing in the ITV2 comedy PLEBS. My Mother Said I Never Should is at the St James Theatre, London SW1. Desmond MacCarthy is a gentleman farmer struggling to keep his 17th century manor, Wiveton Hall, afloat while holding on to the country traditions of his childhood. He stars in the television series Normal for Norfolk which follows him as he tries to ensure his café turns a profit, supervises his fruit farm and gets stuck in with the renovation of a dilapidated cottage - which doesn't go at all smoothly. Normal for Norfolk is broadcast on BBC Two. Paul Whitehouse is an actor, performer and writer who has been involved in many of the best-loved comedy shows over the last 25 years including The Fast Show and Harry And Paul. In the comedy drama Nurse, created by Paul Whitehouse and David Cummings, a community mental health nurse makes her rounds to visit her patients in their homes. Most of these patients are played by Whitehouse himself and range from an agoraphobic ex-con; a manic ex-glam rock star and ageing rake Herbert, who hoards his house with possessions and memories. Nurse is broadcast on BBC Radio 4. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets poet Wendy Cope; performer Julian Clary; poet Patrick Deeley and actor and playwright Carmen Aguirre. Wendy Cope OBE is a poet. A former teacher and television critic, she has written on a variety of topics including education, romance, religion, television and psychoanalysis. She has been commissioned by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust to write poems to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the playwright's death. In 2011 she donated her archive of correspondence and diaries to the British Library. Her book Life, Love and the Archers is published by Two Roads. Patrick Deeley is an Irish poet and former teacher and principal. He has published six collections of poetry including Decoding Samara and The Bones of Creation. In his memoir, The Hurley Maker's Son, he tells of growing up in rural Ireland with a wood worker father who made hurley sticks in his Galway workshop. The Hurley Maker's Son is published by Doubleday Ireland. Carmen Aguirre is an actor and playwright. She is the daughter of Chilean revolutionaries who, from the age of six, lived in exile in North America and as a young adult actively fought the Chilean dictatorship herself. In her memoir, Mexican Hooker #1: And Other Roles Since the Revolution, she tells of her personal struggles to find her own identity after the revolution. Mexican Hooker #1: And My Other Roles Since the Revolution is published by Portobello Books. Julian Clary is a comedian, performer and writer. He became a household name in the late 1980s and has appeared on numerous TV shows including Strictly Come Dancing, Have I Got News For You and is a regular panellist on BBC Radio 4's Just a Minute. He has starred in West End productions of Taboo and Cabaret, and appears in panto most years. He is on tour in his one man show, the Joy of Mincing and new children's book, the Bolds to the Rescue, is published by Anderson Press. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Nick Davies is professor of behavioural ecology at the University of Cambridge and an expert on cuckoos. Based at Wicken Fen, the National Trust reserve in Cambridgeshire, Davies has unravelled some of the key mysteries of this trickster of the bird world using stuffed cuckoos and dummy birds eggs. Cuckoos are so swift in laying their eggs (only one is laid per nest and the process is over in as little as 10 seconds), and so clever at disguising their eggs, that host birds are often uncertain whether an odd egg in the clutch is a cuckoo egg or one of their own. Cuckoo - Cheating By Nature by Nick Davies is published by Bloomsbury. Patricia Rozario OBE is an opera singer who is starring in Clocks 1888: the greener which is based on the true histories of ayahs or nannies in India who were employed by British colonials to look after their children and sometimes brought back to England. Born in Mumbai, Patricia studied at the Guildhall School of Music and at the National Opera Studio. She has enjoyed a wide-ranging career in opera, concert work, recording and broadcasting. Her voice has inspired many of the world's leading composers to collaborate with her, notably Arvo Pärt and Sir John Tavener, who alone wrote over 30 works for her. Clocks 1888: the greener is on tour. Lachlan Goudie is an artist whose late father was the Scottish figurative painter, Alexander Goudie. Distinguished as a portrait painter, Alexander painted the Queen, lord chancellors and celebrities including Billy Connolly. He was also notorious for a series of nude self-portraits in which he took on the guise of mythical figures including Bacchus and Neptune. A retrospective of his work is being exhibited at London's Mall Galleries. An artist in his own right, Lachlan spent five years at the Govan shipyard in Glasgow recording the construction of Britain's new aircraft carrier the Queen Elizabeth. Alexander Goudie RP RGI - A Retrospective is at Mall Galleries Sita Brand is a storyteller and founder and director of Settle Stories which runs the annual Settle Stories Festival in Yorkshire. Born in India, she moved to the UK as a teenager. She learned her love of storytelling from her mother, a school librarian, and her father who was a refugee in World War 2. She is passionate about using stories to promote understanding between people and their cultures. She performs Down the Rabbit Hole at the Settle Stories Festival 2016.

Libby Purves meets actor and writer Meera Syal; writer and director James Runcie; former soldier Elliot Ackerman and Philip Hoare, author, broadcaster and whale chaser. Philip Hoare is a writer and broadcaster. He narrates Chasing the Whale, a show inspired by the 19th century journeys of whaling ships from Britain to the South Seas. Philip's stories delve into the log books of history to tell of the dangers and hardships endured by the crews on their epic voyages. The author of the award-winning Leviathan and the Whale, he also recalls his own memories of swimming alongside whales. Chasing the Whale is on tour. James Runcie is a writer, director and filmmaker. He is the author of The Grantchester Mysteries series about full-time priest and part-time detective, Sidney Chambers. Inspired in part by his father, the former Archbishop of Canterbury Robert Runcie's experiences, the series is set in the 1950s. James is visiting professor at Bath Spa University. The second series of Grantchester, based on The Grantchester Mysteries, is on ITV with James Norton as Sidney Chambers. Sidney Chambers and The Problem of Evil is published by Bloomsbury. Elliot Ackerman is an author who spent eight years in the US military as an infantry and special operations officer. He served five tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan and is the recipient of the Silver Star, the Bronze Star for Valor and the Purple Heart. His novel Green on Blue tells the story of an Afghan boy who joins a US-funded militia after his parents are killed and who finds himself trapped in a savage and complex war. Green on Blue is published by Daunt Books. Meera Syal CBE is an actor and writer. Her third novel, The House of Hidden Mothers, deals with the themes of late parenthood and surrogacy. Her first novel Anita and Me is based on her life growing up in Wolverhampton and is now a national curriculum set text. She has starred in the TV series The Kumars at No. 42 and Goodness Gracious Me. Her theatre work includes Beatrice in the RSC's Much Ado About Nothing and Zehrunnisa in David Hare's play, Behind the Beautiful Forevers at the National Theatre. She is appearing with Kenneth Branagh's theatre company as the nurse in Romeo and Juliet at London's Garrick Theatre. The House of Hidden Mothers is published by Black Swan. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets Richard Hines whose story inspired the novel A Kestral for a Knave; novelist Fay Weldon; cartographer John Hessler and actor Ed Zephyr. John Hessler is a specialist in modern cartography at the Library of Congress in Washington DC. He is the founder of the Scaling Lab, a geographical and mathematical collective that uses the theory of complex networks to study geographical and network phenomenon and he has written on data visualization, map design and the foundations of geographical information systems (GIS). He is consulting editor of MAP: Exploring the World which brings together over 300 maps from the birth of cartography to digital maps of the 21st century. MAP: Exploring the World is published by Phaidon. Ed Zephyr is an actor who attended a transgender acting course at London's Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Drawing on his own experiences of transitioning, he is involved in media outreach activities promoting diversity in the arts. He is taking part in BFI Flare - the BFI's LGBT film festival in London. Richard Hines has worked as a teacher, documentary filmmaker and lecturer. His book, No Way But Gentlenesse, tells how his boyhood love of hawking turned his life around. Richard's story inspired the 1968 novel A Kestrel for a Knave written by his elder brother Barry about a young boy's relationship with a kestrel. The book became the film Kes, directed by Ken Loach. No Way But Gentlenesse - A memoir of how Kes, my Kestrel, Changed My Life is published by Bloomsbury. Fay Weldon started out as an advertising copywriter before becoming a writer. She is the author of 34 books including The Life and Loves of a She Devil and The Cloning of Joanna May. Her new novel, Before the War, is a tale of love, death and aristocracy in inter-war London. Fay Weldon is professor of creative writing at Bath Spa University. In 2001 she was awarded a CBE for services to literature. Before the War is published by Head of Zeus. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets commentator Henry Blofeld; clarinettist Emma Johnson; journalist Davis Miller and Pedro Algorta who survived a notorious plane crash in 1972. Davis Miller is a journalist who struck up a 30-year friendship with the heavyweight boxer Muhammad Ali. He is co-curator of the exhibition, I Am The Greatest, at London's O2, which showcases Muhammad Ali's life. The exhibition features more than 100 artefacts and rare personal memorabilia including a full size boxing ring and gold boxing gloves given to Elvis Presley and signed by Muhammad Ali in 1973. Davis is also the author of Approaching Ali about his friendship with Ali. I Am The Greatest is at the O2 in London. Pedro Algorta is one of 16 people who survived a plane crash in the Andes in 1972. The Uruguayan Air Force Plane, chartered by an amateur rugby team and their friends and families, came down in the Andes and was lost without a trace. 70 days later the world discovered that 16 of the 45 passengers were still alive. In his book, Into the Mountains, Pedro Algorta gives his first-hand account of human survival. Into the Mountains is published by LID Publishing. Henry Blofled OBE - aka Blowers - is best known as a cricket commentator. He has been a regular on Test Match Special for the last 40 years. He is famous for his love of buses and pigeons as well as his great passion for the game of cricket. He is currently touring the UK in Blofeld and Baxter - Rogues on the Road which features tales from the commentary box and beyond from TMS with his former producer, Peter Baxter. Blofeld and Baxter - Rogues on the Road is on tour. Emma Johnson MBE is a clarinettist whose career was launched in 1984 when, at the age of 17, she won the BBC Young Musician of the Year. She is the first woman to have a portrait commissioned by the University of Cambridge's Pembroke College since the college was founded over 650 years ago. Her new album An English Fantasy features recordings of four clarinet concertos written especially for her by four English composers. An English Fantasy is released on Nimbus Records. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets shepherd James Rebanks; Helen Scott from the Three Degrees; journalist Caitriona Palmer and American tenor Carl Tanner. James Rebanks is a shepherd, known to his followers as the Herdwick Shepherd. The first son of a shepherd, who was the first son of a shepherd himself, he and his family have lived and worked in and around the Lake District for generations. In his book, The Shepherd's Life, he writes about a shepherd's year, giving an account of rural life and the connection with the land that has often been lost. The Shepherd's Life - a Tale of the Lake District is published by Penguin. Caitriona Palmer is a journalist based in Washington DC. Adopted as a baby, she writes about establishing contact with her birth mother in her book, An Affair with my Mother. Caitriona was raised by loving adoptive parents and enjoyed a happy childhood. She discovered her birth mother, 'Sarah', in her twenties and they developed a close attachment. But Sarah set one condition on this relationship - she wished to keep it a secret. An Affair with my Mother is published by Penguin. Carl Tanner is an American tenor. He plays Luigi in the Royal Opera House's production of Il Tabarro, a role he has previously sung in Buenos Aires and for New York City Opera. Before turning to opera Carl led an eventful life as a truck driver and bounty hunter. A keen and talented singer all his life, his career took off when he was discovered performing in a New York restaurant. Il Tabarro is at the Royal Opera House, London. Singer Helen Scott is one third of The Three Degrees. The longest-running female vocal group in history, The Three Degrees were originally formed in 1963 in Philadelphia. Their hits include When Will I See You Again, Take Good Care of Yourself and A Woman in Love. Their first new studio album in 25 years, Strategy (Our Tribute to Philadelphia), is on SoulMusic Records and they are touring the UK. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets veterinarian and barrister Charles Foster; presenter and writer Janet Ellis; journalist Nina Myskow and comedian Sarah Kendall. Sarah Kendall is an award-winning comedian and writer. Born in Newcastle, New South Wales in Australia, she is a regular cast member of Clare in the Community on BBC Radio 4 and a frequent guest on the Now Show. A Day in October, her new show, takes audiences back to a pool party she attended in 1990 with disastrous consequences. Sarah Kendall: A Day in October is at the Soho Theatre, London. Charles Foster is a writer, traveller, veterinarian and barrister. A keen naturalist, his new book explores what it's like to be a beast: a badger, an otter, a deer, a fox and a swift He lived life as a badger for six weeks, sleeping in a dirt hole and eating earth worms, he came face to face with shrimps as he lived like an otter and he spent hours curled up in a back garden in East London and rooting around bins like an urban fox. Being a Beast is published by Profile Books. Janet Ellis is a television presenter, actor and writer who is best known for presenting the children's television programmes Blue Peter and Jigsaw. A former actor, she recently attended a creative writing course and her first novel, The Butcher's Hook, is a gothic thriller set in Georgian London. The Butcher's Hook is published by Two Roads. Nina Myskow is a journalist and former editor of Jackie magazine which launched in 1964. She's editor-in-chief of Jackie the Musical which starts touring in March. Jackie the Musical revisits the heady days of the 1970s and 1980s, and tells the story of a 50-something divorcée who revisits her stash of well-thumbed Jackie magazines for the same reason she first read them nearly 40 years ago - advice on how best to navigate the opposite sex. Jackie the Musical previews at the Gardyne Theatre in Dundee before touring the UK. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Due to scheduling changes this episode will be broadcast on Radio 4 at 21:30. The full length programme is available online from February 17 2016. Libby Purves meets playwright Rob Askins; actor Mark Lockyer, neuroscientist and stand-up comedian Dean Burnett and cattle warden Ellie Crossley. Rob Askins is a writer and playwright. His play, Hand To God, is a semi-autobiographical story about his teenage years growing up in a small Texas town and attending a church puppet school. Hand To God, is directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel and is at the Vaudeville Theatre, London. In 1995 Mark Lockyer was forced to abandon an acting career after suffering a breakdown. In his one-man show, Living with the Lights On, he tells of his experience living with an undiagnosed bi-polar disorder and his journey through the medical and criminal justice systems to his eventual recovery. Living with the Lights On is touring the UK, starting in Exeter and finishing at London's Young Vic. Dr Dean Burnett is a doctor of neuroscience and a stand-up comedian. He teaches psychiatry at Cardiff University and is the author of the science blog, Brain Flapping. His book The Idiot Brain - a Neuroscientist Explains What Your Head is Really Up To, examines how and why the brain sabotages our behaviour. The Idiot Brain - a Neuroscientist Explains What Your Head is Really Up To, is published by Guardian Faber. Ellie Crossley is warden of the Chillingham Wild Cattle, a rare breed of animals based in Northumberland where they have grazed for over 800 years. The herd numbers around 100 beasts, and have remained genetically isolated for hundreds of years. She is the first female to hold the post of warden.

Libby Purves meets writer and director Sally Wainwright; writer Erwin James; comedian Abi Roberts and author Angela Kiss. Abi Roberts is a stand-up comedian. She is performing her new show, Anglichanka - meaning Englishwoman - in Moscow. She says she's the first UK comedian to perform in Russia - in Russian. The show is based on the story of her adventures in Moscow during the 1990s when she was studying opera at the Conservatoire and became a member of the Russian Orthodox Church. Anglichanka is at the bilingual Moscow Comedy Bar and Club. Angela Kiss is a writer. Born in Hungary, she has lived and worked in London for 10 years. Her book, How to be an Alien in England, is based on the 1940s classic, How to be an Alien by fellow Hungarian George Mikes. Following Mikes's example, she takes an affectionate look at the English and scrutinises their approach to subjects ranging from love and optimism, to the weather, awkwardness and politeness. How to Be an Alien in England - A Guide to the English, is published by September Publishing. Erwin James is a writer and columnist. After a difficult childhood, he committed his first crime at 10 before being jailed for life for murder in 1984. While in prison, he met a psychologist who helped him to confront the truth about his past and to understand how it had shaped him from a young age. The sessions transformed his life and, with his psychologist's encouragement, he enrolled in education classes in prison, gained a BA in History and wrote a regular column about life inside. His memoir, Redeemable - A Memoir of Darkness and Hope is published by Bloomsbury. Sally Wainwright is a writer and director. She began writing for The Archers on BBC Radio 4, before moving into television, writing for Coronation Street and Emmerdale. She has gone on to write award-winning series including At Home with the Braithwaites, Scott and Bailey, Last Tango in Halifax and police drama Happy Valley. In 2015, she was awarded a BAFTA for Best Writer for Happy Valley. The new series of Happy Valley is on BBC One. Producer: Annette Wells.

Lemn Sissay meets broadcaster and writer Dame Joan Bakewell; micro sculptor Willard Wigan; choreographer Gary Clarke and violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja. Willard Wigan MBE is a micro sculptor. He creates minute pieces of art, so small they are almost invisible to the naked eye and can only be viewed through a microscope. His materials range from spiders' webs to grains of sand. His latest exhibition, Homecoming, reflects his view of the Black Country where he grew up and features his latest work - a tiny sculpture of Noddy Holder. Willard Wigan Homecoming is at Light House Media Centre in Wolverhampton. Dame Joan Bakewell CBE is a broadcaster and writer. In her memoir, Stop the Clocks, she muses on the life she has lived through, how the world has changed and considers the values she will leave behind. She sits in the House of Lords as a Labour peer - Baroness Bakewell of Stockport. She is also president of Birkbeck College, University of London. Stop the Clocks - Thoughts on What I Leave Behind is published by Little, Brown. Gary Clarke is a contemporary dancer and choreographer. He grew up in Grimethorpe in the heart of the Yorkshire coalfields and his new show, Coal, is inspired by the mining industry and the miners' strike. Coal addresses the hard-hitting realities of life down the pits and features a soundscape of traditional brass band music mixed with thunderous machinery. Coal - the True story of an Industry and a Community's Fight for Survival premieres at the DanceXchange in Birmingham and then starts a UK tour. Patricia Kopatchinskaja is a violinist. Born in Moldova, her family emigrated to Austria after the fall of communism. At the age of 17 she entered the Vienna Academy of Music. She is performing with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment at the Royal Festival Hall at an event called Changing Minds which addresses the impact of mental health on classical music and composition. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets broadcaster Griff Rhys Jones; concert pianist Mona Golabek; playwright Lee Tannen and horticulturalist Marcelo Sellaro. Lee Tannen is an author and playwright. He has written a play based on his memoir, I Loved Lucy, about his friendship with the legendary comedienne, Lucille Ball. He met her as a 10-year-old and became her close friend and companion until her death in 1989. I Loved Lucy is at the Jermyn Street Theatre, London. Mona Golabek is a concert pianist who tells her mother's story in The Pianist of Willesden Lane. Set in Vienna in 1938 and in London during the Blitz, the one-woman show is the true story of Lisa Jura, a young Jewish pianist dreaming about her concert debut at Vienna's Musikverein concert hall. But with the issuing of new ordinances under the Nazi regime, everything for Lisa changes, except for her love of music, as she is torn from her family and sent onto the Kindertransport to London. The Pianist of Willesden Lane is at the St. James Theatre, London. Griff Rhys Jones is a comedian, writer, actor and presenter. He presents Griff's Great Britain in which he sets out to explore eight quintessentially British areas from downs to highlands and coasts to wolds. He started out as a radio producer and at 26 he began to appear on the sketch show Not the Nine O'Clock News. Jones and his comedy partner Mel Smith became household names, thanks, in part, to their programme Alas Smith and Jones, which ran from 1984 to 1998. Griff's Great Britain is broadcast on ITV. Marcelo Sellaro is a horticulturalist at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew. Born in Brazil, he has a passion for bromeliads and tends Kew's collection which originates from the southern United States, South America and the West Indies. Kew's 21st annual Orchids Festival will feature orchids and other tropical plants adorning the architecture of the glasshouse to create the flora of Brazil during Carnival season. Orchids Festival 2016 is at the Princess of Wales Conservatory, Kew Gardens. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets novelist Gerald Seymour; adventurer and comedian Tim FitzHigham; writer Amy Liptrot and costume designer John Bright. Tim FitzHigham is an adventurer, author and comedian. His new show, the Gambler, is on tour and in preparation he has undertaken some idiosyncratic challenges including cooking under ten feet of water. He has established himself as a man who is infamous for tackling endeavours that no one else would dare to. In previous shows he has paddled paper boats down the Thames; ridden hollowed out logs up the Amazon; run deserts in suits of armour and crossed the Channel in a bath tub. The Gambler is on tour. Amy Liptrot's book, The Outrun tells her story of returning to Orkney after more than a decade away in London. Orkney becomes the central force in her recovery from alcohol addiction; she swims in the bracingly cold sea and tracks Orkney's wildlife including puffins nesting on sea stacks and the rare and secretive corncrake. The Outrun is published by Canongate. Gerald Seymour is a novelist who made his mark with Harry's Game in 1975. Before embarking on his literary career he was a news reporter for 15 years, covering events in Vietnam, Borneo, Aden, Israel, Northern Ireland and at the Munich Olympics. His new novel, No Mortal Thing, is set in the murky world of the Calabrian crime organization known as the 'Ndrangheta. No Mortal Thing is published by Hodder and Stoughton. John Bright is a costume designer for theatre, film and television. He won an Academy Award and BAFTA Award with Jenny Beavan for their work on A Room With A View in 1985. He started out working at Chichester Festival Theatre and later became a key member of the Merchant Ivory filmmaking team. His new website will feature his designs for film, theatre and television and his own personal collection of costumes including garments once belonging to Queen Mary and Margot Fonteyn.

Libby Purves meets lyricist Don Black; puppeteer Sue Buckmaster; author Mike Daligan and Her Majesty the Queen's swan marker, David Barber. Sue Buckmaster is a puppeteer and artistic director of children's theatre company Theatre-Rites. Her theatrical lineage stretches back generations - her great-grandfather was a music hall entertainer who juggled on a revolving table while riding a unicycle. Her show, The Broke 'n' Beat Collective, weaves puppetry with hip hop to explore some of the pressures faced by young people from unemployment to self-harming. The Broke 'n' Beat Collective is touring the UK. Mike Daligan is an author and motivational speaker who has worked in the voluntary sector for over 30 years. He has also travelled to Russia, Bulgaria and Belgium to advise on self- help projects in these regions. In his autobiography, The Other Side of the Doors, he writes about his troubled childhood in London's docklands during the Second World War and the various turns his life has taken ever since. The Other Side of the Doors is published by Edale Press. Don Black OBE is an Oscar-winning lyricist who has written the lyrics for the musical Mrs Henderson Presents... His theatre credits include Tell Me On A Sunday, Aspects of Love with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Sunset Boulevard with Christopher Hampton. He also wrote the lyrics for The Italian Job, Out of Africa, True Grit, and five James Bond movies in collaboration with John Barry. In 2007 he was inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame. Mrs Henderson Presents is based on the story of Laura Henderson who joins forces with the theatre impresario Vivian Van Damm to open the Windmill Theatre in 1937. Mrs Henderson Presents... is at London's Noel Coward Theatre. David Barber is Her Majesty the Queen's swan marker, a role he has held for 22 years. He organises the ceremony of Swan Upping, the annual census of the mute swan population on the River Thames - an event which dates back to the 12th century. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets Si King and Dave Myers - also known as the Hairy Bikers; illustrator Michael Foreman; The Honorable Lady Alexandra Shackleton, granddaughter of Sir Ernest Shackleton and George Hinchcliffe with the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain. Lady Alexandra Shackleton is the granddaughter of Sir Ernest Shackleton. Sir Ernest set up the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, a cross-continent trek that came to be known as the Endurance mission. Endurance departed in August 1914 and by January 1915 it had already become trapped in the Antarctic ice. Two exhibitions document the story - Enduring Eye: The Antarctic Legacy of Sir Ernest Shackleton and Frank Hurley is at the Royal Geographical Society and By Endurance We Conquer: Shackleton and his Men is at the Polar Museum which is part of The Scott Polar Research Institute. The Royal Geographical Society is in Kensington, London and the Polar Museum is based in Cambridge. Michael Foreman is an illustrator and storyteller. His book A Life In Pictures contains previously unseen illustrations from his sketchbooks which give an insight into his inspiration and methodology. Beginning with his childhood in wartime Suffolk, through his early career as a young artist and culminating with his collaborations with authors including Terry Jones and Michael Morpurgo, the book celebrates the places, stories and people that inspired his output. A Life In Pictures is published by Pavilion Children's Books. Painting With Rainbows - A Michael Foreman Exhibition is at Seven Stories - the National Centre for Children's Books in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Si King and Dave Myers are known as The Hairy Bikers. They have written 14 books and celebrated their love of food, travel and motorbikes in a number of TV series. Their latest book, Blood, Sweat and Tyres, tells how two lads from the North East had their childhood challenges and how they met over a curry and a pint on the set of a Catherine Cookson drama. Blood, Sweat and Tyres - The Autobiography is published by Orion Books. George Hinchcliffe is a founder member of the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. He is also its musical director and arranger. A multi-instrumentalist, he has been playing the ukulele since 1960 and has also played with Mary Wells, Michael Nyman and Brian Eno. The Orchestra has re-released the album (Ever Such) Pretty Girls: 20th Century Punk Classics. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets actor Carmen Munroe; composer Denis King and Ralph Montagu, Lord Montagu of Beaulieu. Ralph Montagu, Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, is the nephew of Elizabeth Montagu who is the subject of a new film - The Honourable Rebel. The film tells the story of Elizabeth - Liza - Montagu and is based on her autobiography. She was a musician, actor, linguist and she was recruited by both the UK and US governments to act as a spy during World War Two . The Honourable Rebel stars Dorothea Myer-Bennett with narration by Diana Rigg and is showing in 100 cinemas around the UK. Actor Carmen Munroe is playing Cicely, Duchess of York, in Richard III at the New Diorama theatre. A founder of Talawa Theatre Company alongside Mona Hammond and Yvonne Brewster, she made her West End debut in Tennessee Williams's Period Of Adjustment in 1962 and starred alongside Norman Beaton in the Channel 4 sitcom Desmonds in the 1990s. Although she has starred at the Royal Court, the Tricycle and even the Royal Shakespeare Company in plays by Lorca, Brecht, Shaw and August Wilson, this production marks her Shakespearean debut at the age of 83. Richard III is at the New Diorama Theatre, London Denis King is a composer. He started out in the 50s, at the age of 12 as a member of The King Brothers with brothers Mike and Tony. Since then he has composed over 200 TV themes - his best known being ITV's Black Beauty - and written over 25 musicals including Privates on Parade. His book, Key Changes - A Musical Memoir is self-published. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets crime writer Patricia Cornwell; astrophysicist Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell; musician Simon Nicol and adventurer Benedict Allen. Patricia Cornwell is a writer. Her new novel Depraved Heart features medical examiner Kay Scarpetta who is working on a suspicious death scene when a story involving her niece Lucy demands her investigative skills. Patricia Cornwell has sold over 100 million books. She sold her first novel, Postmortem, while working as a computer analyst at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond, Virginia. Depraved Heart is published by Harper Collins. Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell is an astrophysicist and is visiting Professor of Astrophysics at Mansfield College, Oxford. This year she won the Women of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award. She is best known for discovering pulsars, one of the most significant scientific achievements of the 20th century. At the time she was a PhD student in radio astronomy at the University of Cambridge. Her supervisor Antony Hewish went on to win the 1974 Nobel Prize for Physics, sharing it with the head of the group, Martin Ryle. Benedict Allen is an adventurer known for travelling to extremes without backup. He is the only person known to have crossed the Amazon Basin at its widest and completed the first documented journey of the length of the Namib Desert. He will be appearing at The Adventure Travel Show talking about his 3000 mile journey by horse and camel through Mongolia in the 1990s. The Adventure Travel Show is at London's Olympia. Simon Nicol is a founding member of Fairport Convention, joining the band at its inception in 1967. After vocalists Sandy Denny and Iain Matthews left the band, Simon found himself taking a more prominent role on stage. During the 1970s, Simon took a four-year break from Fairport, rejoining in 1976. He has been the band's main guitarist and lead singer ever since. Fairport Convention is on tour from January. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets photographer Don McCullin; Roman Catholic priest Father Ray Kelly; triathlete and coach Fiona Ford and actor Robert Portal. Fiona Ford is a triathlete and coach. In the same week in 2006 she won both World Championship titles at the International Triathlon Union (ITU) and Aquathlon events. Three years ago, while cycling along the London 2012 Olympic bike route, she was hit by a car and badly injured. Doctors told her she would never run again. But thanks to her grit and determination, she is back on her bike, competing in a triathlon. Back on Track by Fiona Ford is published by Meyer and Meyer Sport. Photographer Don McCullin's early association with a North London gang, The Guv'nors, led to the first publication of his pictures. He went on to cover many of the world's worst wars and humanitarian crises of his time from the civil war in the Congo to the Tet offensive at Hue during the Vietnam War. His photographs document the building of the Berlin Wall and the famine that ravaged Biafra in the 1960s. Unreasonable Behaviour: An Autobiography by Don McCullin with Lewis Chester is published by Jonathan Cape. Don McCullin Conflict - People - Landscape is at Hauser And Wirth, Somerset. Father Ray Kelly worked as a civil servant before becoming a Catholic priest 35 years ago. He'd always loved singing but it wasn't until 2014 when he sang Hallelujah while officiating at a wedding that he became an internet sensation. Since then he has signed a record deal and performed on TV shows around the world from the US to Germany and Australia. His second album, An Irish Christmas Blessing, is on Wrasse Records. Robert Portal is an actor who is playing Phileas Fogg in Around the World in 80 Days at St James Theatre. He is also an adventurer himself, rowing 3000 miles across the Atlantic and taking part in the Marathon des Sables - a six-day, 251 km ultramarathon. His theatre and film work includes Communicating Doors, Henry IV, Mr Turner and The King's Speech. Around the world in 80 Days is at the St James Theatre, London. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets conductor Marin Alsop; producer Sir Michael Codron; designer Wayne Hemingway and comedian Carey Marx. Conductor Marin Alsop is music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra. In 2013 she was the first woman to conduct the Last Night of the Proms, returning again in 2015. She will be conducting the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Singers, presenting music by British composer Judith Bingham, at the Barbican Concert Hall. The concert will also be broadcast on BBC Radio 3. Producer Sir Michael Codron has staged hundreds of productions during his long career - many of them at the time new plays including Harold Pinter's The Birthday Party and Joe Orton's Entertaining Mr Sloane. He is the producer of Mr Foote's Other Leg, a new comedy set in Georgian London which explores society's obsession with the rise and fall of celebrity. Mr Foote's Other Leg is at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket in London. Designer Wayne Hemingway co-founded the Red or Dead fashion label with his wife Gerardine. The couple are the authors of The Vintage Fashion Bible which takes a chronological look at 20th century fashion for men and women. It also offers a practical guide to buying, styling and restoring vintage clothing. The Vintage Fashion Bible by Wayne and Gerardine Hemingway is published by David and Charles Publishers. Carey Marx is a comedian who suffered a heart attack in 2012. He survived and has turned his experience into a stand-up show. Although he says comedy about a heart attack isn't to everyone's taste, he describes writing the show as a cathartic experience. Intensive Carey is on BBC Radio 4. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets jewellery designer Stephen Webster; historian Kenneth O. Morgan; conservation biologist Dr Amy Dickman and musician Jyotsna Srikanth. Dr Amy Dickman is a conservation biologist with a particular interest in the maintenance of threatened wildlife populations on human-dominated land and how to resolve human-wildlife conflict. She is director of Ruaha Carnivore Project (RCP), a community-based lion conservation initiative in Tanzania. A former finalist at the Tusk Conservation Awards, she has just launched Pride, an alliance of lion conservationists at Houston Zoo. Stephen Webster MBE is a jewellery designer. He studied at Medway College of Design in Rochester, Kent, before serving his apprenticeship at Hatton Garden and establishing his business in 1989. His inspirations range from pop culture to Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and his clients include Madonna, Ozzy Osborne and Christina Aguilera. He tells his story in Gold Struck - A Life Shaped by Jewellery, published by Salma Books. Kenneth O. Morgan is a historian, author and a member of the House of Lords. An academic for more than 40 years, he held positions at a number of universities including Swansea and Oxford before retiring as vice-chancellor at the University of Wales in 1995. In his book, Kenneth O. Morgan: My Histories, he looks back at his life to consider how a working historian went about his task at a time of sweeping historical change. Kenneth O. Morgan: My Histories is published by University of Wales Press. Jyotsna Srikanth is a violinist from the Carnatic classical tradition. Before becoming a full-time musician she was a pathologist. She is passionate about bringing the music of Southern India to a wider audience and enjoys collaborating with musicians from a range of musical genres such as jazz, classical and world music including beatboxer Shlomo and flamenco guitarist Eduardo Niebla. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets designer Thomas Heatherwick; chef Michel Roux Jr; entomologist Dr Sarah Beynon and pilot Dorothy Saul-Pooley. Dr Sarah Beynon is an entomologist who has just opened Grub Kitchen, a restaurant with insect dishes on the menu. Based at her bug farm in Pembrokeshire, Grub Kitchen features such delights as cricket falafels and mealworm hummus. Sarah's fascination with the natural world started in childhood - at five she was given her first 'bug box'. In the course of her research she has studied insects around the world including Zambia, Indonesia, Bolivia and Honduras. Grub Kitchen is at Lower Harglodd Farm, Pembrokeshire in Wales. Chef Michel Roux Jr has spent many years working with organisations helping young people to find employment. In the series Kitchen Impossible he puts eight trainees with disabilities through an intensive four week introduction course to catering. The trainees are people who have been "written off" by employers because of their disabilities. Kitchen Impossible with Michel Roux Jr is broadcast on Channel 4. Thomas Heatherwick is a designer whose studio was behind projects such as the UK Pavilion for the Shanghai World Expo in 2010, the Olympic Cauldron for the 2012 London Olympic Games and the design of the New Bus for London. The studio is currently working on the capital's Garden Bridge which will span the Thames between the South Bank and Temple. The bridge, which has aroused much controversy, will serve as a free public space, featuring trees, shrubs, climbing plants, hedges and flowers. Dorothy Saul-Pooley is Master of the Honourable Company of Air Pilots - the first woman to head the organisation in its 85-year history. A lawyer turned pilot and flying instructor, she fell in love with flying at an early age but didn't take her first flying lesson until she reached her early thirties. In 2006 she qualified as a helicopter instructor and her logbook currently records over 9,500 flying hours at the controls of over 85 different types including fixed wing and rotary, piston, jet, glider and microlight aircraft. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets former government minister and broadcaster Michael Portillo; Diana Melly, widow of George with a book about ballroom dancing and bereavement; writer and performer Yang-May Ooi and author and artist Polly Bagnall. At the age of 76, Diana Melly decided to take up ballroom dancing after the death of her husband, George. In her new book, Strictly Ballroom - Tales from the Dance Floor, she sashays through tea dance etiquette, the perils of the Argentine tango and how to stay upright in rough seas on the QE2. Strictly Ballroom - Tales from the Dance Floor is published by Short Books. Polly Bagnall is the co-author - with Sally Back - of Ferguson's Gang: The Remarkable Story of the National Trust Gangsters about a group of eccentrics who combined anarchic stunts and fine dining with saving the English countryside. To preserve their anonymity they wore masks and adopted pseudonyms including Bill Stickers, and Red Biddy. Polly's grandfather, John Macgregor, was the gang member known as the Artichoke. Ferguson's Gang: The Remarkable story of the National Trust Gangsters is published by The National Trust. Yang-May Ooi is a writer and performer. Her play Bound Feet Shoes: A Life Told In Shoes is Yang-May's personal story set against the tradition of foot binding, as practiced by her great-grandmother. The play explores Yang-May's experiences of being a Chinese-Malaysian woman in the UK, her coming out story, cultural reflections of what it means to be a woman, and an exploration into mother-daughter relationships. Bound Feet Blues: A Life Told In Shoes is at Tristan Bates Theatre in London Michael Portillo was an MP for nearly 20 years and held three ministerial positions in the Cabinet. He is now a broadcaster and is a regular guest on weekly politics show, This Week. He has made documentaries on subjects including music, wildlife and the Spanish Civil War. In the book Great Continental Railway Journeys he retraces the journeys from Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide. Great Continental Railway Journeys is published by Simon and Schuster. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets historian Thomas Pakenham; actor Janice Connolly; Asfa-Wossen Asserate, the great-nephew of Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia and ecologist Hugh Warwick. Janice Connolly is an actor and comic who stars in the BBC Radio 2 sit com Barbara Nice, part of the network's Comedy Showcase season. The show is based around her character Barbara, a housewife from Stockport, mother of five and occasional stage-diver. Janice played in a range of punk bands before moving into comedy. She was discovered by Peter Kay and starred as Holy Mary in both series of Phoenix Nights. Barbara Nice is broadcast on BBC Radio 2. Thomas Pakenham, the 8th Earl of Longford, is a writer, historian, photographer and champion of trees. In his latest book, The Company of Trees, he recounts his personal quest to establish an arboretum on the family estate, Tullynally, in Ireland. He writes about his often hazardous plant-hunting expeditions and his efforts to preserve old trees and historic woodland. He is chairman of the Irish Tree Society. The Company of Trees - A Year in a Lifetime's Quest is published by Weidenfeld and Nicolson. Prince Asfa-Wossen Asserate is a member of the Imperial House of Ethiopia. A political analyst, his book King of Kings tells the story of his great-uncle, Emperor Haile Selassie I. The book follows the emperor's story from his early life and coronation to exile and then return to his country where he fought alongside the Allies during World War Two. His downfall and death followed a military coup in Ethiopia in 1974. King of Kings - The Triumph and Tragedy of Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia is published by Haus Publishing. Hugh Warwick is an ecologist and writer who has studied hedgehogs for 25 years. He is the author of A Prickly Affair - My Life with Hedgehogs and is a spokesperson for the British Hedgehog Preservation Society. He is running The Day of the Hedgehog - a hedgehog summit in which experts will launch a ten year conservation strategy for the species. The Day of the Hedgehog is at The International Centre in Telford. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets folk singer Peggy Seeger; cartoonist Stanley McMurtry; composer Milton Mermikides and director Alex Mermikides and auctioneer James Buchanan. Stanley McMurtry MBE, otherwise known as MAC, has been the Daily Mail's cartoonist for the past 46 years. He started out as an animator before becoming a cartoonist, producing daily images for the Daily Sketch and latterly the Mail. Mac views his role as making "dreary news of the daily paper brighter by putting in a laugh". In all of his cartoons, except when making a political statement or when it depicts a tragedy, Mac includes a small portrait of his wife within the picture. MAC's Year 2015 - Cartoons from the Daily Mail is published by Spellbinding Media. Milton Mermikides was diagnosed with leukaemia 11 years ago and his sister Alex became his bone marrow donor. Together they have created Bloodlines, a combination of a dance performance and a medical lecture, which conveys what happens in the body - and in the mind - of someone undergoing last-chance treatment. Bloodlines is part of the 2015 Manchester Science Festival and is at the John Thaw Theatre at the University of Manchester. Peggy Seeger is an American folk singer who, along with her late husband Ewan MacColl, led the folk revival movement of the 1950s and '60s. She is on tour with the album Joy of Living which features new interpretations of MacColl's songs by artists including Martin Carthy, Christy Moore, Steve Earle, Eliza Carthy and Jarvis Cocker. Joy of Living - A Tribute to Ewan MacColl is on Cooking Vinyl. The Ewan MacColl Tribute Tour starts with a concert at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall. James Buchanan founded Amati, an auction house for string instruments. He started out as a porter at Bonhams auction house and after completing his apprenticeship worked at Christie's and Bromptons before setting up his own house in 2012. He quickly realised he had an eye for distinguishing between the real and the fake and has handled instruments worth millions of pounds from the great Italian makers Stradivari and Guarneri del Gesù. The Amati Exhibition is at the Langham Hotel, London. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets writer and comedian Dawn French; Egyptologist Professor Joann Fletcher; Wilfred Frost, son of Sir David Frost and wing walker Nikita Salmon. Professor Joann Fletcher is based in the Department of Archaeology at the University of York where she teaches world mummification and funerary archaeology. Her book, The Story of Egypt, tells Egypt's ancient story by looking into the lives of its working people, as well as the pharaohs, to investigate this ancient society through its people's own words and personal belongings. The Story of Egypt is published by Hodder and Stoughton. Wilfred Frost is the son of the late broadcaster Sir David Frost. A new biography, That Was The Life That Was, by Neil Hegarty recounts the story of how the son of a Methodist minister became the most successful TV host in the world. He was the only person to have met and interviewed every British prime minister since Harold Wilson as well as seven US presidents including the disgraced post-Watergate Richard Nixon. That Was The Life That Was, Frost - The Authorised Biography by Neil Hegarty is published by WH Allen. Dawn French is a writer, comedian and actor who has appeared in shows including French and Saunders, The Comic Strip Presents ..., Murder Most Horrid, Vicar of Dibley, Jam and Jerusalem and Lark Rise to Candleford. Her new novel, According to Yes, is about an English nanny who shakes up a dysfunctional family in Manhattan. According To Yes is published by Michael Joseph. Dawn's show 30 Million Minutes is at the Vaudeville Theatre, London. Nikita Salmon is a wing walker with the Breitling AeroSuperBatics team. She is also a primary schoolteacher. She joined the seven-strong squad after replying to an advert in her local paper and now travels the world performing hair-raising aerial acrobatics. Strapped to the wings of a restored 1940s Boeing Stearman biplane, she performs aerobatic moves including formation loops, rolls, and the mirror - when one aircraft flies upside down and the other aircraft joins underneath. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Dawn Rose started out as a session drummer with bands including 90s group Right Said Fred before becoming a psychologist and music therapist. She is performing in The Happiness Project at the Roundhouse which was devised by a company of young artists, scientists and academics to explore our understanding of happiness and well-being. Dawn will perform a drum duet with one of the teenagers during the performance. The Happiness Project is at the Roundhouse, London. At 12 Gulwali Passarlay was sent away from Afghanistan by his mother to escape the conflict that claimed his father's life. After a harrowing journey across eight countries he arrived in the UK a year later. Now 21, he is in his third year studying politics at the University of Manchester and works with aid organisations and youth groups. His ambition is to return to Afghanistan and become its president in 2035. The Lightless Sky - An Afghan Refugee Boy's Journey is published by Atlantic Books. Sir Dermot Turing is the nephew of the mathematician and codebreaker Alan Turing. The author of a new biography of his uncle, Dermot brings his personal insights, drawn from family sources and Alan's own notebook and diaries. The book explores the impact of Alan's codebreaking work at Bletchley Park and the tragedy of his early death in the wake of his conviction for gross indecency in 1952. Along the way Dermot presents a portrait of Alan the man - his friendships, his loyalty and his extraordinary achievements. Prof - Alan Turing Uncoded by Dermot Turing is published by the History Press. Rhiannon Adam is a photographer and the winner of the Royal Geographical Society's Journey of a Lifetime contest. The contest, established in association with BBC Radio 4, offers individuals the chance to make an exciting and imaginative journey and present it in a radio documentary. Rhiannon, who grew up on a sailing boat in the Atlantic reading romantic stories about The Mutiny on the Bounty, chose to explore the romance and reality of Pitcairn Island. Journey of a Lifetime is broadcast on BBC Radio 4. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets actor Brian Blessed; midwife Mark Harris; artist Alinah Azadeh and environmentalist and peace campaigner Satish Kumar. For 20 years Mark Harris has worked as a qualified midwife, delivering hundreds of babies. He is one of just a small number of male midwives currently practising in the UK. Mark is also founder of the birth education programme Birthing For Blokes, a service providing antenatal classes designed to prepare men for fatherhood. Men, Love and Birth by Mark Harris is published by Pinter and Martin. Actor Brian Blessed is the son of a miner who left school at the age of 15 and worked as an undertaker's assistant before training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. He has played a variety of roles on stage, television and in film including Z-Cars, I, Claudius, the Blackadder series, Flash Gordon and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. He is also an explorer and mountaineer, becoming the oldest man to reach the North Magnetic Pole on foot and to reach 28,000 feet up Everest without oxygen. His autobiography, Absolute Pandemonium, is published by Sidgwick and Jackson. Alinah Azadeh is an artist. She is taking part in a special evening of activities at the Freud Museum in London as part of the Museums at Night Festival. The night will include the first public screening of Alinah's film Burning the Books which is based on her personal experience of debt and explores the themes of gift and generosity, debt and gratitude. All About the Gift is at the Freud Museum, London NW3 5SX. Satish Kumar is a peace and environmental activist. A former Jain monk, he is editor-in-chief of Resurgence and Ecologist magazine which celebrates its 50th anniversary next year. Born in Rajasthan, India, at nine he decided to follow a spiritual life and became a Jain monk, travelling from village to village with few possessions. In 1962, inspired by Bertrand Russell, he embarked on an 8,000-mile peace pilgrimage from India to the US, via Moscow, London and Paris. He is hosting The Resurgence Festival of Wellbeing in London. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets writer Frederick Forsyth; entertainer Sir Bruce Forsyth; costumier Tim Angel and stonemason Louise Tiplady. Tim Angel OBE runs Angels Costumiers which has been dressing the entertainment business for 175 years. The company has supplied costumes for television, theatre and film productions from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Star Wars to The Iron Lady and Morecambe and Wise. The exhibition, Dressed by Angels, tells the history of the costumier and features bespoke costumes made for Fred Astaire, Noel Coward, Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett. Dressed by Angels - 175 Years of Costumes is at the Old Truman Brewery, London E1 6QL. Legendary entertainer Sir Bruce Forsyth has presented the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing, The Generation Game and Sunday Night At the London Palladium. His career has spanned eight decades and is recognised by the Guinness World Records book as the longest TV career of any male entertainer in the world. Strictly Bruce - Stories of My Life, is published by Bantam Press. Frederick Forsyth CBE is a former journalist and author, best known for his thrillers including The Day of the Jackal; The Dogs of War and The Odessa File. In his new book The Outsider, he writes about his own life from becoming a fighter pilot to covering the Biafran War as a foreign correspondent and spying for British Intelligence in the 1960s. The Outsider - My Life In Intrigue is published by Bantam Press. Louise Tiplady is a stonemason and letter carver. Her work features in a new exhibition Cutting a Dash - The Female Line. The exhibition showcases the work of 15 female letter carvers whose skills are helping to ensure that an ancient art remains relevant in 2015. Cutting a Dash is at the Lettering Arts Centre at Snape Maltings, Suffolk, IP17 1SP. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets children's writer Julia Donaldson; author Iain Sinclair; QC Gary Bell and journalist and food writer Michael Booth. Michael Booth is a travel and food writer who became something of a a cultural phenomenon in Japan after his book Sushi and Beyond became a bestseller. The book, which traces his culinary journey across Japan, was transformed into a cartoon series on Japanese television featuring Michael and his family as characters. Michael is attending this year's Hyper Japan Festival to talk about starring in his own animated series. The Hyper Japan Festival is at various locations at the O2 Arena, London. Gary Bell QC is a defence barrister who specialises in fraud cases and is known as BBC's The Legalizer. He grew up in poverty on a Nottingham council estate and his career history includes stints as a lawnmower mechanic, fireman and forklift truck driver. He was also a self-confessed football hooligan who was convicted of fraud before turning his life around and becoming a Queen's Council. His autobiography, Animal QC - My Preposterous Life, is published by Monday Books. Julia Donaldson MBE is former Children's Laureate and the author of over 120 books and plays. Her breakthrough book was the Gruffalo, illustrated by Axel Scheffler, which has sold over 13m copies, won several prizes for children's literature and played in the West End and on Broadway. The shows Gruffalos, Ladybirds and Other Beasts - with Julia Donaldson and the Scarecrow's Wedding - both based on her books - are showing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Edinburgh. Iain Sinclair is a writer, poet and filmmaker, long associated with psychogeography - the study of the effects of the geographical environment on people's emotions and behaviour. In his new book, Black Apples of Gower, he takes a rare excursion out of London to walk along the cliff-top paths of his childhood in South Wales and rediscovers the Gower Peninsula, a place he first explored in his youth. Black Apples of Gower is published by Little Toller Books. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets musician Richard Thompson; writer and broadcaster Peter York; Julie Nicholson - whose daughter Jenny was killed during the 7/7 attacks - and novelist Toby Clements. Peter York is an author, broadcaster and management consultant. His show How To Become A Nicer Type Of Person is at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It's his personal guide to navigating modern life from what to say, what to think to what to wear - he's definitely not fond of what he calls "sports-derived clothing." He also forbids the use of specific words such as passionate, creative, transparent and journey. How To Become A Nicer Type Of Person is at the Assembly George Square Studios, Edinburgh. Former vicar Julie Nicholson's daughter Jenny was killed after a bomb exploded at Edgware Road Underground station on July 7th 2005. Julie's book A Song for Jenny has been adapted into a factual drama by Frank McGuinness with Emily Watson as Julie. The film chronicles the impact of the 7/7 bombings on Julie's life and those around her. It is an unflinching account of grief and how she was unable to find solace in her faith. A Song For Jenny is broadcast on BBC One. Richard Thompson OBE is a musician and songwriter who co-founded Fairport Convention. His new album, Still, features musical references to Django Reinhardt, Les Paul and Hank Marvin. The Americana Music Association recently honoured him with a Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting. Robert Plant, REM, Elvis Costello, Bonnie Raitt and many others have recorded Richard's songs. Still is released on Proper Records. Richard Thompson is touring the UK. Toby Clements is the author of the novel Kingmaker: Broken Faith, the second in his trilogy set against the Wars of the Roses. He became obsessed with this period of history after a school trip to Tewkesbury Abbey where he learned about the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471 when forces loyal to the House of Lancaster were defeated by the House of York under King Edward IV. During the course of his research Toby learned to use the longbow and fight with the poll axe and how to start a fire with a flint. Kingmaker Broken Faith is published by Century. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets former Formula One boss and privacy campaigner Max Mosley; television presenter Jerry Springer; comic and actor Josie Lawrence and adventure cameraman Keith Partridge. Josie Lawrence is a comedian and actor. She is appearing in the improvised panel show Whose Line Is It Anyway? Live along with Greg Proops and Colin Mochrie. She is also performing with the Comedy Players at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. The Players finish their show with a six-person improvised Shakespeare play with a title suggested by the audience. Whose Line Is It Anyway? Live is at the Adelphi Theatre, London. Max Mosley is the former president of the FIA - the governing body for world motor sport. His autobiography, Formula One and Beyond, tells of his early years in the public eye as the son of Oswald and Diana Mosley and his career in Formula One. He also writes about the case he brought against the News of the World for invading his privacy. He is now a seasoned campaigner for the right to privacy. Formula One And Beyond: The Autobiography is published by Simon and Schuster. Jerry Springer is a TV and radio presenter. Born in London, his family moved to the US when he was five-years-old. In addition to hosting the Jerry Springer Show for the last 25 years, he has been the mayor of Cincinnati, a political pundit, lawyer, newscaster and country music recording artist. In 2003 Richard Thomas and Stewart Lee's controversial opera Jerry Springer: The Opera opened in London. Jerry followed it up by appearing in the musical Chicago in 2009. Keith Partridge is an adventure cameraman. He has worked for the BBC on many of its natural history and expedition series and films including the BAFTA-winning Touching the Void, The Edge and Beckoning Silence. In 2012 he won an EMMY Award for Outstanding Cinematography for Human Planet. His book, The Adventure Game, is the story of his life told through many of his experiences from the deep caves of Papua New Guinea to the summit of Mount Everest. The Adventure Game is published by Sandstone Press Producer: Paula McGinley.

Alfie Moore is a policeman who is also a stand-up comedian. In his radio series, It's A Fair Cop, he swears his audience in and takes them through a real life scenario to see what sort of officers they'd have made. Alfie began telling jokes about life in the force as a hobby when he was working as a detective for Humberside Police in Scunthorpe. He is currently on sabbatical from the force and is about to embark on a national tour. It's A Fair Cop is broadcast on BBC Radio 4. Lucy Saxon writes fantasy adventure novels. Her new book, The Almost King, is the first in a series of six novels set in the world of Tellus. Lucy began writing at 12 after she was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis or ME. She found herself missing long periods of school which gave her the opportunity to indulge in creative writing. She wrote her first novel, Take Back The Skies, when she was 16 and signed a publishing deal at 17. The Almost King by Lucy Saxon is published by Bloomsbury. Michael Volpe is the general manager and founder of Opera Holland Park. His autobiography, Noisy At the Wrong Times (Battles with myself), tells how he was brought up in difficult family circumstances by his Italian mother in London. In the book he acknowledges his youthful misdemeanours and credits Woolverstone Hall - the prestigious state boarding school he attended - with turning his life around. Noisy At the Wrong Times (Battles with myself) by Michael Volpe is published by Troubador Publishing. Flight by Jonathan Dove is at Opera Holland Park, London. Richard Hudson is an artist and sculptor. His sculptures Adam and Eve are on display for the first time at Masterpiece London - the collecting fair for art, antiques and design - at the Royal Hospital Chelsea. Richard was brought up in a farming family and turned his hand to acting, property development and a stint as a nude muse before finding his vocation as a sculptor in 1995. Masterpiece London at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, London. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood; brewer Jaega Wise; former hostage Robin Plummer and historian Nick Barratt. Jaega Wise is head brewer at Wild Card Brewery. She founded the company with two friends after leaving Loughborough University where she studied chemical engineering. She was inspired by her aunt who brewed different types of beer and wine. Wild Card Brewery now produces over 4,000 litres of beer a week. Wild Card Brewery, Walthamstow, London E17 9HQ. Dr Nick Barratt runs specialist record teams at The National Archives in Kew and has compiled family histories for a number of subjects featured on the BBC series Who Do You Think You Are? In his book, The Forgotten Spy, he turns his attention to his own family history. The book tells the story of his great uncle, Ernest Holloway Oldham, who worked for the Foreign Office during the 1920s and 1930s and sold secrets to the Soviet Union. The Forgotten Spy - The Untold Story Of Stalin's First British Mole by Nick Barratt is published by Blink Publishing. In May 1984 Robin Plummer was an engineer working in Tripoli when he was arrested and imprisoned for nine months. Britain had severed diplomatic relations with Libya in April 1984 after shots fired from the Libyan Embassy killed WPC Yvonne Fletcher. Libya responded by detaining Robin and three other British workers. In his book, A Brush With Madness, Robin writes about coping with captivity including long periods of solitary confinement. Craig Revel Horwood is an actor, theatre director and choreographer who is best known for his role as a judge on the BBC programme Strictly Come Dancing. He is playing Miss Hannigan in a touring production of Annie, The Musical. His theatrical career began in Australia in West Side Story before he moved to Paris where he joined the Lido Du Paris and became principle singer, performing at the Moulin Rouge. His West End theatre credits include Munkustrap in Cats, Miss Saigon and Harry in Crazy for You. Annie opens at the Theatre Royal, Newcastle and is touring the UK. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets Graham Fellows and his alter ego John Shuttleworth; poet and naturalist Matthew Oates; artist and writer William McLellan and fight director Kate Waters. Graham Fellows is an actor and musician who is best known for creating the character John Shuttleworth. John is a fictional singer and songwriter from Sheffield whose back catalogue includes the track Pigeons in Flight. Graham is also the man behind Jilted John who had an eponymous hit in 1978. John Shuttleworth hosts A Knight At the Palladium in aid of multiple sclerosis charities. Guests include Chas and Dave and Sooty and Sweep. A Knight At the Palladium is at the London Palladium. Matthew Oates is a naturalist, writer and poet who has been obsessed by Britain's butterflies since childhood. He has studied many butterflies but no butterfly has entranced him so much as the elusive purple emperor. In his book, In Pursuit of Butterflies, Matthew recaps on a lifetime of butterfly observation with the help of the detailed diaries he has kept since 1971. In Pursuit of Butterflies - A Fifty-Year Affair is published by Bloomsbury Publishing. William McLellan is an artist, writer and musician. His memoir How I got into Art School (and out of prison) tells the story of his imprisonment in the notorious Modelo jail in Barcelona in 1972. During his incarceration he contemplated the activities that led him to prison and his difficult childhood. It is only when he began to sketch in prison that he confronted his troubled past. How I Got Into Art School (and out of prison) is published by Old Street Publishing. Kate Waters - also known as Kombat Kate - is a fight director. She directed the fight choreography for Peter Pan at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre and previously worked on the Old Vic's revival of Michael Frayn's farce Noises Off and the National Theatre's One Man, Two Guvnors. She is also a regular fight director for Coronation Street. Peter Pan is at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, London. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets Ingrid von Oelhafen who was taken from her family in Yugoslavia as a baby and brought up as an Aryan child in the Nazi Party's notorious Lebensborn programme; photographer turned top hat seller Colin Rosie; musician Chi-chi Nwanoku and Tristan Gooley, writer and expedition leader. Colin Rosie is a photographer turned top hat seller. In 2013 he found himself homeless after the collapse of his business. He spent months sleeping rough until financial help from a charity enabled him to start a new business selling top hats. He buys and restores vintage and modern hats from top hats to fedoras and trilbies which he sells on the Last Stop for the Curious stall at London's Spitalfields Market. At nine-months-old Ingrid von Oelhafen was removed from her parents in Yugoslavia by the Nazis and adopted into a German family as part of the Lebensborn programme. Founded by Heinrich Himmler, the Lebensborn programme was established to increase Germany's Aryan population and create a master race. In her book, Hitler's Forgotten Children, Ingrid tells how she finally discovered the truth about her background. Hitler's Forgotten Children by Ingrid Von Oelhafen and Tim Tate is published by Elliott And Thompson. Chi-chi Nwanoku MBE is principal double bass and a founder member of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (OAE) which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. She presents a two-part documentary for Radio 4 - In Search of the Black Mozart - in which she tracks down some of the great black composers and performers of the 18th century. The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment's 30th birthday season begins at the Southbank Centre this autumn. Tristan Gooley is a writer and expedition leader. His speciality is natural navigation - the art of finding your way using nature including the sun, moon, stars, weather, land, sea, plants and animals. His book, The Walker's Guide to Outdoor Clues and Signs, is published by Sceptre. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Lucy Branch is a conservator. She specialises in the conservation of sculptural and architectural bronze and contemporary materials. She has worked on high-profile projects including Eros, Nelson's Column and the Queen Victoria Memorial. She has led the conservation work on some of Britain's best known contemporary sculpture including Ron Arad's The Big Blue and Wendy Taylor's Conqueror. Her novel, A Rarer Gift Than Gold, is published by Clink Street. She is director of the company Antique Bronze Ltd. Hoagy B Carmichael - son of the composer, singer, musician and bandleader Hoagy Carmichael - is co-producer of Stardust Road, a forthcoming musical which celebrates his father's work. Hoagy Carmichael studied law before going on to write hit songs including Stardust, Georgia on My Mind and The Nearness of You. Stardust Road is at St. James Theatre, Palace Street, London. Cormac Murphy-O'Connor was cardinal archbishop of Westminster from 2000-2009. Born to Irish parents and brought up in Reading, he was 15 when he announced he wanted to be a priest. He studied at the English College in Rome and was ordained in 1956. The following year he began his ministry as a priest in Portsmouth. He was ordained bishop of Arundel and Brighton in 1977. In his memoir, An English Spring, he writes about his role in the Church during periods of turbulence and change. An English Spring is published by Bloomsbury. Eddie Pepitone is a US comedian and actor. Born into an Italian-American family in Brooklyn, he took up improvisation in his teens and later became a full time stand-up comedian, leaving the east coast for Los Angeles. He has appeared in many US television shows including Arrested Development; Flight of the Conchords, Monk and ER. Eddie Pepitone's show, What Rough Beast, is at the Soho Theatre, London.

Libby Purves meets singer and actor Anita Harris; polar explorer Paul Rose; art historian Vanessa Nicolson and Zoe Phillips, assistant armourer at the Royal Opera House. Zoe Phillips is senior assistant armourer at the Royal Opera House. She makes and maintains weaponry for opera and ballet productions. Her work ranges from knives, swords, and retractable daggers to leather holsters and scabbards and she is currently working on items for a new Royal Opera House production of Rossini's William Tell. Vanessa Nicolson has worked as an art historian and curator. The daughter of Ben Nicolson and granddaughter of Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson, she was brought up in London and Florence with holidays at Sissinghurst Castle. In her memoir, Have you been Good? she writes about her parents' marriage and the death of her daughter, Rosa, at 19. Have you been Good? is published by Granta Books. Paul Rose is a polar explorer and ocean diver. He presents a new BBC Two four-part series to mark the 50th anniversary of the 268-mile Pennine Way. He was the base commander of Rothera Research Station in Antarctica for the British Antarctic Survey for ten years and was awarded The Queen's Polar Medal. The Pennine Way is broadcast on BBC Two. Anita Harris is a singer, dancer and actor who is sharing her stories and songs as part of the London Festival of Cabaret. Spotted ice-skating at 15 by a talent scout for the Bluebell Girls, she soon found herself performing with the troupe in Las Vegas. She has worked with acts including Morecambe and Wise; Tommy Cooper and Frankie Howerd and appeared in two Carry On films. Anita Harris is performing at the Pheasantry as part of the London Festival of Cabaret. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Gillian Potts is a former army officer and civil servant turned amateur garden designer. She is taking part in BBC television's The Great Chelsea Garden Challenge which offers one amateur designer the chance to design and build a garden on the Main Avenue at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. The Great Chelsea Garden Challenge is broadcast on BBC Two. Bruce Fogle is an author and clinical veterinarian who co-founded Hearing Dogs for Deaf People. Born and raised in Toronto, he spent holidays by Lake Chemong, Ontario. In his memoir, Barefoot at the Lake, he recalls the summer of 1954 when he discovered the beauty and complexity of the natural world. Barefoot at the Lake is published by September Publishing. Mary Black is a singer who has specialised in performing and recording Irish music for the last 30 years. She has just embarked on the Last Call Tour, her final tour outside of Ireland although she will continue to record and perform in her home country. Born in Dublin into a musical family, Mary has performed with Emmylou Harris; Joan Baez and Van Morrison as well as her siblings in The Black Family. Mary Black is on the Last Call Tour. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets director Polly Findlay; writer Huan Hsu; comedian and performer Deborah Frances-White and Jane Dolby, founder of the Fishwives Choir. Huan Hsu is a journalist and academic. In his book, The Porcelain Thief, he tells the story of his great-great-grandfather Liu, a scholar in the late 19th century who lived in the village of Xingang in China. In 1938, as the Japanese army approached, he buried his collection of prized porcelain in a vault in the ground before fleeing with his family. Huan's family eventually settled in the US and the treasure remained buried. It wasn't until eighty years later that he decided to go to China to look for it. The Porcelain Thief is published by Fourth Estate. Polly Findlay is an award-winning director whose production of The Merchant of Venice stars Makram Khoury as Shylock. A former child actor, Polly started out as an assistant director at the National Theatre and her recent productions include Arden of Faversham and Treasure Island. The Merchant of Venice is at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon. Deborah Frances-White is a comedian and writer. Her four-part BBC Radio series, Deborah Frances-White Rolls The Dice, is the story of how she tracked down her biological mother. Adopted at ten days old and brought up in Australia, Deborah began the search for her family after moving to the UK to study. As a performer she has toured the country with solo stand-up shows and performed in London's West End and at the Edinburgh Festival. Deborah Frances-White Rolls The Dice is broadcast on BBC Radio 4. Jane Dolby was a single mother when she fell in love and married the fisherman who lived next door. They had two children together before Colin was lost at sea during a freak storm in 2008 while out fishing in the Thames Estuary. Without a proof of death Jane struggled financially and was supported by the Fishermen's Mission charity. To thank the charity Jane founded the Fishwives Choir which is currently touring the UK. Song of the Sea by Jane Dolby is published by Orion Books.

Carl Davis CBE is a composer and conductor, best known for his film and television music including The World at War; Pride and Prejudice and The French Lieutenant's Woman. He has also created symphonic scores for a range of Charlie Chaplin's movies such as The Gold Rush and City Lights. He conducts a live orchestra in London and Birmingham at the screening of two classic silent movies: Buster Keaton's The General and Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times. Philharmonia at the Movies: The General is at Royal Festival Hall. Friday Night Classics - Charlie Chaplin is at Symphony Hall in Birmingham. The BFI DVD Charlie Chaplin: The Mutual Comedies featuring music by Carl Davis is on general release. Samantha Ellis is a journalist and playwright. Her new play Operation Magic Carpet is based on her own experiences as the daughter of Iraqi-Jewish parents who fled Baghdad before she was born. Featuring a child heroine, the play tackles the stories of second generation immigrants who have never visited the countries their parents came from. Operation Magic Carpet is at Polka Theatre, London. Simon Annand has been a photographer for over 30 years. His work focuses on all aspects of the theatre including production and rehearsal photos, posters and his own project called The Half about actors preparing for the stage. His new exhibition features images of some of Britain's leading playwrights and marks the 10th anniversary of The Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting. 2015 Bruntwood Prize Exhibition: Portraits of Playwrights by Simon Annand is at the Royal Exchange, Manchester. Caitlin Doughty is a mortician and writer. Her book, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, tells the story of her apprenticeship as a mortician at a crematorium in San Francisco. It also tackles society's fear of death and the funeral industry's approach to the dead and their families. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes - and Other Lessons from the Crematorium is published by Canongate. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets wildlife presenter Steve Backshall; writer and academic Mary Chamberlain; pickpocket entertainer James Freedman and retailer Trevor Pickett. James Freedman is a pickpocket entertainer whose new show, Man of Steal, exposes how criminals operate and how people can avoid becoming victims of street crime. The show incorporates his sleight of hand trickery and reflects his lifelong study of criminology and the psychology of thieves. James is also an advisor and educator on the subjects of crime prevention and fraud - particularly the growing areas of bank card fraud and identity theft. Man of Steal is at the Menier Chocolate Factory, London. Mary Chamberlain is Emeritus professor of History at Oxford Brookes University. Her book, Fenwomen, was the first to be published by Virago Press 40 years ago and inspired Caryl Churchill's play Fen. When she was 23 Mary and her husband became involved with the anti-apartheid movement and were recruited as couriers for the ANC. The couple were part of a network of couriers around the world who, at great personal risk, smuggled anti-apartheid literature into South Africa. Her first novel, The Dressmaker of Dachau, is published by The Borough Press. Trevor Pickett is a retailer who sells a range of luxury leather goods from his store in London's Mayfair. After starting out as a Saturday boy in the family bicycle shop in Essex, he now runs Pickett which has sold a collection of fine goods ranging from handbags and briefcases to backgammon sets for the last 25 years. Pickett is at Burlington Gardens, London. Steve Backshall is a wildlife presenter and adventurer. During his career he has been charged by elephants, endured the stings of hundreds of bullet ants and encountered a hostile hippopotamus in South Africa. He also led the first ascent of Mount Upuigma in Venezuela, the first ascent of the North Face of Mount Kuli in Borneo, and explored new cave passages in New Britain and Sarawak. He is on tour to promote his novels, the Falcon Chronicles. The Falcon Chronicles are published by Orion Children's Books.

Libby Purves meets headmaster and writer Sir Anthony Seldon; former rock critic Richard Goldstein; chocolatier Paul Wayne Gregory and singer and songwriter Kimmie Rhodes. Paul Wayne Gregory is an award-winning chocolatier who provided chocolates for the Queen's 80th birthday celebrations. He trained as a pastry chef before learning the art of chocolate artistry in France and Spain under chefs Jean Valentine and Oriol Balaguer. He is currently working on a chocolate art exhibition which will feature sculptures, casts, copies of famous pieces of art such as the Mona Lisa and original chocolate art work by Paul himself. Richard Goldstein is acknowledged as one of the founders of rock criticism who started his career at the Village Voice in 1966. He championed the idea that rock music was a serious art form long before it was acceptable. In his memoir, Another Little Piece of My Heart, he tells how he toured with Janis Joplin, hung out with Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys and was in the front row when Jimi Hendrix burnt his guitar. Another Little Piece of My Heart: My Life of Rock and Revolution in the Sixties is published by Bloomsbury. Sir Anthony Seldon is the headmaster of Wellington College in Berkshire. He introduced happiness - or well-being - lessons at his school and co-founded Action for Happiness which aims to create a happier and more caring society. In his book, Beyond Happiness, Sir Anthony distinguishes between pleasure, happiness and joy and offers an eight-step approach on how to make our lives more meaningful and rewarding. Beyond Happiness: The Trap of Happiness and How to find Deeper Meaning and Joy is published by Hodder & Stoughton. Kimmie Rhodes is a singer and songwriter whose songs have been record by a range of performers including Willie Nelson, Wynonna Judd, Trisha Yearwood, Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris. She grew up in Lubbock, Texas and began her singing career at the age of six with her family gospel trio. Her new album, Cowgirl Boudoir, is dedicated to her mentor - singer and record producer Cowboy Jack Clement. Cowgirl Boudoir is on Sunbird Records. Kimmie Rhodes is on tour.

Libby Purves meets archaeologist Deirdre O'Sullivan of the Greyfriars Research Team which discovered and excavated Richard III; pilot Mark Vanhoenacker; Frances Ross the great-granddaughter of engineer Sebastian de Ziani Ferranti and Penny Horner and Howard Jameson who co-founded the Jermyn Street Theatre. Deirdre O'Sullivan is an archaeologist at Leicester University. A specialist in medieval archaeology and friaries, she is academic advisor to the Greyfriars Project which discovered and excavated the remains of Richard III. The Bones of a King is the official behind-the-scenes story of the excavation of Richard III based on the research of the specialists involved in the discovery. The Bones Of A King - Richard III Rediscovered by the Greyfriars Research Team with Maev Kennedy and Lin Foxhall is published by Wiley-Blackwell. Mark Vanhoenacker is a long haul pilot who operated his first commercial flight in 2003. Formerly a management consultant, becoming a pilot was his childhood dream. In his book, Skyfaring - A Journey with a Pilot, he shares his love of flying from new ways of map making and the poetry of physics to the names of winds and the nature of clouds. Skyfaring - A Journey with a Pilot is published by Chatto and Windus. Dr Frances Ross is the great-granddaughter of Sebastian de Ziani Ferranti, an engineer, whose contribution to World War One is the focus of a new exhibition, the Innovation Race. Following the establishment of the Ministry of Munitions in 1915 when Britain was experiencing a major shell crisis, Ferranti converted his Oldham factory from domestic goods to shells and fuses. The Innovation Race: Manchester's Makers Join the First World War is at the Museum of Science And Industry (MOSI) in Manchester. Penny Horner and Howard Jameson are co-founders of the Jermyn Street Theatre. They staged their first production in the basement of 16b Jermyn Street - formerly a restaurant - in 1994. The theatre is now established as one of London's leading off-West End studio theatres, showcasing new work and forgotten classics from Ibsen's Little Eyolf to the Ivor Novello musical Gay's The Word. The Heart of Things by Giles Cole is at Jermyn Street Theatre.

Libby Purves meets cartoonist Gerald Scarfe; former journalist Eimear O'Callaghan; actor Greg Wise and rock climber Ben Moon. Eimear O'Callaghan is a former BBC news editor whose book Belfast Days is based on the diary she kept in 1972 at the height of the Troubles. The book records her and her family's experiences throughout this turbulent year. From the inconvenience of British Army check-points and power cuts to the horror of shootings, bombings and almost 500 killings, her teenage jottings convey a family and community trying to function normally against a background of violence and bloodshed. Belfast Days: A 1972 Teenage Diary is published by Merrion Press. Gerald Scarfe CBE is a political cartoonist. He started drawing for Punch and Private Eye and is now best known for his work in the New Yorker and the Sunday Times. His latest exhibition, Milk Snatcher, The Thatcher Drawings features his cartoons of former prime minister Margaret Thatcher. It spans a period of 22 years from her days as a member of the shadow cabinet to her leadership of the Conservative Party, her tenure as prime minister and her political decline. Milk Snatcher, The Thatcher Drawings exhibition is at the Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, Co. Durham. Actor Greg Wise returns to the theatre after an absence of 17 years to star in Brad Fraser's play Kill Me Now. He plays Jake Sturdy, a once successful writer, who now cares for his disabled son, Joey, with the support of a motley crew of friends and family. Greg's acting credits include the films Sense and Sensibility and Effie Gray and his theatre work ranges from Richard II to The Recruiting Officer. Kill Me Now is at the Park Theatre, Finsbury Park, London. In 1990 Ben Moon made rock climbing history with the first ascent of Hubble in the Peak District, now widely recognised as the world's first F9a graded climb. A major figure in the sport climbing movement of the 1980s and the bouldering phenomenon of the 1990s, he fell in love with climbing at seven when he was taken to the Lake District on a family holiday. His story is told in Statement - The Ben Moon Story by Ed Douglas, published by Vertebrate.

Mariella Frostrup meets entrepreneur Michelle Mone; comedian and writer Tony Hawks; singer and songwriter Doug Seegers and actor and director Lillete Dubey. Michelle Mone OBE is an entrepreneur and motivational speaker. In her memoir, My Fight to the Top, she tells of growing up in the tough East End of Glasgow and launching a global lingerie business. As a child she had a poster of Richard Branson on her bedroom wall and a paper round at 10. Her company made millions, she mixed in elevated circles but there was heartache along the way. My Fight To The Top is published by Blink Publishing. Tony Hawks is a comedian and author. His new book Once upon a Time in the West...Country is the story of his move from London to Devon two years ago. In the book he writes about leaving the capital and beginning a new life of village halls, committees and tractor-driving. He also takes up the challenge of cycling from one Devon coast to another with a micro-pig called Titch. Once upon a Time in the West...Country is published by Hodder And Stoughton. Doug Seegers is a 62-year-old country singer and songwriter who was a homeless busker living in Nashville until two years ago when he was plucked off the streets to record his first solo album. Doug moved to Nashville from New York in 1997 to pursue his dream of making it as a musician. Battling drug and alcohol addiction, he struggled to make a living before finally getting clean and sober in 2013. Not long afterwards Swedish country music star Jill Johnson discovered him playing in the street and whisked him into a recording studio. The album Going Down to the River is on Wrasse Records. Lillete Dubey is an actor and director who has appeared in over 40 Bollywood and international films. She is artistic director of Mumbai-based English language theatre company, Primetime. Lillete is directing the company's production of Boiled Beans on Toast which traces the lives of six characters in Bangalore as they confront a changing India. Boiled Beans on Toast is at Waterman's Art Centre, Brentford, Middlesex. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets pianist Nicholas McCarthy; actor and director Clarke Peters; shepherdess Amanda Owen and chef and restaurateur Raymond Blanc. Nicholas McCarthy is a pianist who is making his debut at London's Purcell Room at Southbank Centre. Born without his right hand, he went on to study at the Royal College of Music and is the only one-handed pianist to graduate from the institution. At his concert he will perform a wide variety of repertoire including Chopin, Bach, Strauss, Liszt and Gershwin to showcase both his virtuosic and mainstream appeal. Nicholas McCarthy performs at the Purcell Room, Southbank Centre, London. Clarke Peters is an actor, singer, writer and director. His many roles have included Lester Freamon in TV's The Wire and Othello alongside Dominic West's Iago. Clarke performed in the original Paris production of Hair and wrote and starred in the award-winning production of Five Guys Named Moe. He is the narrator in the Louis Armstrong Story at the Bristol International Jazz and Blues Festival, reading excerpts from Armstrong's autobiography and letters. The Bristol International Jazz and Blues Festival is at Colston Hall, Bristol. Amanda Owen is a shepherdess who tends her flock of just over 1,000 sheep at Ravenseat, a hill farm of 2,000 acres at the head of Swaledale in North Yorkshire. In her book, The Yorkshire Shepherdess, she tells of how a rebellious girl from Huddersfield learnt her craft as a shepherdess and how she juggles the demands of her livestock with the demands of raising a large family in such a remote area. The Yorkshire Shepherdess is published by Pan Macmillan. Raymond Blanc OBE is a chef, restaurateur and writer. His new book Kew On A Plate and its accompanying TV series tell the story of his collaboration with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew to create a new kitchen garden. The garden celebrates the heritage and botany of popular plants and reveals their growing and cooking secrets. Born in eastern France, Raymond arrived in the UK in 1972. Five years later he opened his first restaurant which went on to win two Michelin stars. Kew on a Plate with Raymond Blanc - Recipes, Horticulture and Heritage is published by Headline. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets retail guru Mary Portas; opera singer Noah Stewart; glass artist Peter Layton and florist Rosemary Hughes. Peter Layton is an artist and glassmaker known as the grandmaster of glass. His new exhibition, Young Masters, showcases work by some of Britain's best young glass artists working today. Peter began his career in ceramics but was drawn to the immediacy and spontaneity of glassmaking in the Sixties. In 1976 Peter opened London Glassblowing and today it is one of Europe's first and leading hot-glass studios. Young Masters - Rising Stars of Studio Glass is at London Glassblowing. Noah Stewart is an opera singer. For his new tour, So in Love, the tenor will perform some of opera's best loved arias and the music that inspired him as a young boy. Born in Harlem, he won a scholarship to the prestigious Juilliard School and has gone on to sing on some of the world's greatest stages including the Bolshoi Theatre and the Royal Opera House. So In Love is touring the UK. Noah is appearing with English National Opera in the Indian Queen and is playing BF Pinkerton in Madame Butterfly at the Royal Opera House. Mary Portas, aka Mary Queen of Shops, is a retail guru. Her autobiography, Shop Girl, tells how she started life in hand-me-down clothes and rose to become one of the UK's foremost authorities in retail. She began her career as a window dresser at Harvey Nichols, becoming its creative director and a member of the board. She delivered her report on the future of our High Streets to the prime minister in December 2011. The Portas Review outlined 28 recommendations to rescue failing High Streets. Shop Girl A Memoir is published by Doubleday. Rosemary Hughes has been a florist for over 40 years and will be supplying floral arrangements for the reburial of Richard III. She was granted a Royal Warrant in 2008, after becoming supplier of nosegays to the Queen in 2002. King Richard III will be reburied at Leicester Cathedral in March 2015. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets actor Mark Strong; former rugby player Maggie Alphonsi; artist Daphne Todd and blues and jazz singer Carol Grimes. Carol Grimes is a jazz and blues singer and songwriter. Her new show, The Singer's Tale, recreates her life story through spoken word and original music. Carol spent her early life as a busker in London before eventually coming to prominence in 1969 as a member of the band Delivery. The Singer's Tale is at St James Studio Theatre, London. Mark Strong is a film, television and theatre actor. He plays Eddie Carbone in the award-winning production of Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge for which he was named best actor at the 2015 Critics' Circle Theatre Awards. His many television credits include Our Friends in the North and the Buddha of Suburbia. He also starred in Oscar-winning films Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Zero Dark Thirty. A View from the Bridge is at Wyndham's Theatre, London and will be broadcast live to over 550 cinemas across the UK as part of National Theatre Live. Maggie Alphonsi MBE is a former England rugby union player and was part of the team which won the Women's Rugby World Cup in 2014. Following her retirement from rugby, Maggie is now focussed on her bid to compete in the shot put at the 2016 Rio Olympics. A former Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year, she is the first woman in 50 years to be awarded the prestigious Pat Marshall award, a sports personality award chosen by the Rugby Union Writers' Club. Daphne Todd OBE is an artist who is part of the judging panel on BBC One series The Big Painting Challenge in which 10 artists compete to become Britain's best amateur artist. She also has a solo exhibition featuring portraits and landscapes inspired by the Kent and Sussex borders where she lives. The first female president of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters, she won the BP Portrait Award for a painting of her 100-year-old mother shortly after her death. The Big Painting Challenge is on BBC One. Daphne Todd's exhibition is at Messum's gallery in London. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets actor Pam St Clement; academic and journalist Professor John Sutherland and his son Jack; swimmer Adam Walker and concert pianist Sam Haywood. Adam Walker is the only British swimmer to have completed the Ocean's 7 Challenge - seven open water swims including the English Channel, the Strait of Gibraltar and the Molokai Channel in Hawaii. He started the swims in 2008 and faced sharks, whales, treacherous sea conditions and dozens of bouts of sickness during the challenge. Adam Walker: The Ocean's 7 Challenge Lecture is at the Royal Geographical Society, London. Professor John Sutherland is an academic and author. His book, Last Drink to LA, first published in 2001, has been reissued with a new introduction. The book is a meditation on alcoholism and an account of his own decline and recovery. It also details his son's problems with addiction. Father and son are working on Jack's forthcoming book about his own experiences. Last Drink to LA: Confessions of an AA Survivor is published by Short Books. Pam St Clement is an actor best known for her role as Pat Evans in the BBC soap series, EastEnders. Her memoir, The End of an Earring, recounts the death of her mother, her difficult relationship with her father and her itinerant childhood. She attended drama school before working in television and theatre throughout the Sixties and Seventies. She appeared in EastEnders from 1986 to 2012 becoming one of its longest running characters known for her trademark large earrings. The End of an Earring is published by Headline. Sam Haywood is a concert pianist who has performed in many of the world's major concert halls including Carnegie Hall in New York, the Konzerthaus in Vienna and Wigmore Hall in London. As a chamber musician he is a regular duo partner of Joshua Bell and Steven Isserlis and performs with many leading chamber ensembles. His latest CD, Composers in Love, brings together both well-loved and lesser known music inspired by composers' muses. Composers in Love, is released by Blackbird Records. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets actor Bonnie Langford; Nick Wisdom, son of Norman; Tom Vaughan, co-founder of Juliana's Discotheque; Dr Aaron Rosen who devised the Jewish Museum London's exhibition called Love and student Zack McGuiness. Zack McGuinness is a student at Kings College, London where Aaron Rosen lectures in sacred traditions and the arts. Aaron devised the Jewish Museum London's new exhibition called Love which features everyday objects, historic artefacts and works of art inspired by love. For the exhibition Zack donated a tin containing the caul which was wrapped around his neck when he was born while Aaron gave a print in memory of his late sister. Your Jewish Museum: Love is at The Jewish Museum London. Bonnie Langford is a television, film and theatre actor. She stars alongside Robert Lindsay in the West End Musical Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. As a six-year-old she won TV talent show Opportunity Knocks and made her theatre debut at seven in an adaptation of Gone with the Wind. By the age of 12 she was playing Violet Elizabeth Bott in the TV series Just William. She has appeared in a number of productions including Spamalot, Chicago and Sweet Charity. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is at the Savoy Theatre, London. Nick Wisdom is the son of legendary actor, singer and comedian, Sir Norman Wisdom OBE. Nick has created an exhibition about his father, A Lifetime in Showbusiness, featuring handwritten scripts, musical instruments and the Gump suit that became synonymous with his father's comedic onscreen persona, Norman Pitkin. A Lifetime in Showbusiness: A Tribute to Sir Norman Wisdom is at De Montfort Hall, Leicester and is part of Dave's Leicester Comedy Festival. Tom Vaughan is a British businessman and entrepreneur. His first novel, The Other Side of Loss, has just been published. Tom co-founded Juliana's Discotheque with his brother Oliver in 1966. Juliana's started out as a mobile disco and provided the entertainment for debutante balls, country house parties and the Prince of Wales's investiture ball. The Other Side of Loss is published by Pencoyd Press. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets actor Cathy Tyson; Sir Tim Smit, co-founder of the Eden Project; singer and songwriter Adam Cohen and designer Rupert Harry Miller. Cathy Tyson is a television, film and theatre actor. She plays the title role of Marie Curie in Radiance: The Passion of Marie Curie by Alan Alda. She starred opposite the late Bob Hoskins in the 1986 film Mona Lisa for which she was nominated for a BAFTA and a Golden Globe award. She appeared on television in Band of Gold and Grange Hill and on stage in The Taming of the Shrew and The Merchant of Venice. Radiance: The Passion of Marie Curie is at the Tabard Theatre, London. Rupert Harry Miller is a designer and author. His autobiography, Life of a Salesman, tells how he honed his salesmanship skills in Eastern Europe in the 1990s. The story of his colourful antics is clouded by the death of Rupert's brother, Julian, who suffered from haemophilia and died after developing Aids from the contaminated blood he received as part of his treatment. Life of a Salesman is published by Spiffing Covers. Adam Cohen is a Canadian singer and songwriter. His fifth album, We Go Home, was recorded in several locations including the Greek Island of Hydra, where he spent most of his childhood, and Montreal, the city of his birth. Adam is the son of Leonard Cohen, celebrated for songs such as Hallelujah, Bird on the Wire and Suzanne. We Go Home is released on Cooking Vinyl. Adam is touring Europe. Sir Tim Smit is a Dutch-born British businessman who, with John Nelson, rediscovered and then restored the Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall. The gardens had slipped into decline after the estate's workers had left to fight in the First World War. Sir Tim is also co-founder of the Eden Project, an environmental tourist attraction. The Lost Gardens of Heligan celebrates the 25th anniversary of its rediscovery with a photographic exhibition of The Lost Images and a walk through the garden. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets Barbara Winton, daughter of Sir Nicholas Winton who orchestrated the Kindertransport rescue mission; Lord Alf Dubs who was one of the rescued children; actor Anne Reid; inventor Dr John C Taylor and horticulturalist and mixologist Lottie Muir. Dr John C Taylor OBE is an inventor, businessman and collector. He recently designed a new chronophage clock featuring a dragon that waves its tail and swallows a single pearl at the top of every hour. He holds 400 patents and an estimated two billion appliances use his designs including the cordless kettle. The Dragon Chronophage will be showcased at Design Shanghai. Barbara Winton is the daughter of Sir Nicholas Winton who orchestrated the Kindertransport, a rescue mission in which 669 children were evacuated from Czechoslovakia in 1938 and 1939. Barbara's biography tells the story of her father's daring plan to transport mainly Jewish children to be placed with foster parents in the UK. One of the children was six-year-old Alf Dubs, now Lord Alf Dubs. Sir Winton has received several honours including a knighthood and the Czech Republic's highest civilian honour - the Order of the White Lion. If it's not Impossible - The Life of Sir Nicholas Winton is published by Matador. Anne Reid MBE is a film, television and theatre actor. She stars in the BBC One series Last Tango In Halifax, a one-off production of A Little Night Music and will soon reprise her role in the cabaret show Just in Time. After graduating from RADA, she played Valerie Barlow in Coronation Street for over a decade. She received a BAFTA nomination for her role in the film The Mother opposite Daniel Craig. A Little Night Music is at the Palace Theatre, London and Just in Time is at Crazy Coqs, London. Lottie Muir is a horticulturalist and mixologist who is known as the Cocktail Gardener. She runs workshops demonstrating how to make botanical cocktails from foraged ingredients. She created a community garden on the rooftop of the Brunel Museum where she now runs the Midnight Apothecary cocktail bar. The next Wild Drinks Workshop with the Cocktail Gardener is at the Queen of Hoxton Rooftop Terrace in Shoreditch, London. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets hypnotist and self-help writer Paul McKenna; theatre director Jonathan Church; chef Judy Joo and Rear Admiral Kit Layman. Judy Joo is a Korean-American chef. Her new TV series, Korean Food Made Simple, explores South Korea's food markets, culinary traditions and street food. Judy graduated in engineering and worked in New York's financial district before enrolling at the French Culinary Institute. Based in London, she has worked at Claridges, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay and Heston Blumenthal's The Fat Duck. Korean Food Made Simple is broadcast on Food Network UK. Rear Admiral Kit Layman's new book, The Wager Disaster, pieces together the shipwreck of HMS Wager in 1741. Using eyewitness accounts and diary entries, he tells the story of this little-known nautical tragedy involving murder, starvation, mutiny and an epic open boat voyage of 2500 miles through hostile seas. During his 35-year career, Rear Admiral Layman commanded a variety of ships including HMS Argonaut during the Falklands conflict and the aircraft carrier HMS Invincible. The Wager Disaster - Mayhem, Mutiny and Murder in the South Seas is published by Uniform Press. Jonathan Church is artistic director of the Chichester Festival Theatre. He is currently directing Penelope Wilton in Taken at Midnight which tells the story of young Jewish lawyer, Hans Litten, who subpoenaed Adolf Hitler in 1931. Jonathan, who learnt his trade backstage as an assistant electrician and stage manager, recently directed Singin' in the Rain; The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui and The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby. Taken at Midnight is at Theatre Royal Haymarket, London. Paul McKenna is a hypnotist and self-help author. His new book, The 3 Things that will Change Your Destiny Today, aims to enable readers to take control of their lives and make decisions. A former radio presenter, Paul has hosted self-improvement television shows and seminars about hypnosis, weight loss and motivation. The 3 Things that will Change Your Destiny Today is published by Bantam Press. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets cellists Julian and Jiaxin Lloyd Webber; comedian Milton Jones; writer and director Gurinder Chadha and diplomat and poet, Dr Kevin Isaac. Gurinder Chadha OBE is a Kenyan-born writer and director who is best known for her film, Bend it Like Beckham. The comedy tells the story of a young Asian woman's ambition to play football while accommodating the demands of family and tradition. Alongside composer Howard Goodall, Gurinder has transformed the screenplay into a new West End musical. Bend It Like Beckham: The Musical is at the Phoenix Theatre in London from May 2015. Julian Lloyd Webber is an award-winning composer and cellist. His career began at 16 with a scholarship to the Royal College of Music. Later he studied in Geneva under renowned cellist, Pierre Fournier. His wife, Jiaxin Lloyd Webber, is a graduate of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and former principal cello of the Auckland Chamber Orchestra. Following the announcement of Andrew's retirement, the couple have created a new show reflecting on his life and career and featuring music from them both. Julian and Jiaxin Lloyd Webber are on tour in 2015. Dr Kevin Isaac is the High Commissioner for St Kitts and Nevis to the Court of St James. A published poet, he has written several volumes of verse - a talent he discovered thanks to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office after he won an FCO-sponsored poetry competition. His latest collection, Breakfast with my Fathers, was inspired by his father and father-in-law. Breakfast with my Fathers is self-published. Milton Jones is a comedian known for his surreal one-liners and deadpan delivery. He stars in the award-winning Radio 4 programme, Another Case of Milton Jones, and regularly appears on panel shows such as Mock the Week. He is touring his new stand-up show, The Temple of Daft, next year. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets singer Barbara Dickson; actor Mike McShane; medic Dr Sarah Coombes and storyteller Giles Abbott. Dr Sarah Coombes is a consultant with the Ambulance Service of New South Wales (ASNSW). She appears in a new series of Helicopter Heroes Down Under which follows British medics and pilots working in Australia. She is in charge of recruiting new doctors for ASNSW as well as attending emergency calls - covering around 7 million people in a 300-400 km radius. Helicopter Heroes Down Under Series 2 is on BBC1. Barbara Dickson OBE is a Scottish singer and actor. Her new album, Winter, includes 11 of her favourite seasonal songs; such as Silence of the Dawn by ABBA's Benny Andersson. Her hits include Another Suitcase in Another Hall and she has appeared in stage shows including Blood Brothers and John, Paul, George, Ringo... and Bert. Winter is released by Chariot Records. Barbara will be touring the UK in 2015. Mike McShane is an American actor, writer and comedian. He is currently in the Stephen Sondheim musical Assassins, which explores the history of American would-be presidential assassins and those who succeeded - from John Wilkes Booth to Lee Harvey Oswald. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Mike joined the army at 18 before taking up acting at San Francisco State University. He appeared on TV shows such as Whose Line Is It Anyway? and played Friar Tuck in the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Assassins is at the Menier Chocolate Factory, London. Giles Abbott is a professional storyteller. He will be touring his new show, Tongues of Flame, based on the life of British explorer, writer and translator, Richard F Burton. Giles started storytelling in 1999 in response to his sudden and serious, but not total, sight loss the year before. Formerly resident storyteller for the Chelsea Community Hospital School, Giles is a trained voice teacher. Tongues of Flame is touring. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets Barry and Bob Cryer; violin maker Florian Leonhard; adventurer Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent and choirmaster Andrew Gant. Father and son Barry and Bob Cryer have co-written a new show, Mrs Hudson's Christmas Corker. Set in the kitchen of 221b Baker Street, the Christmas special reveals what really happens below stairs at the home of Sherlock Holmes. Veteran comedy writer and performer, Barry is a regular on Radio 4's I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue. Bob is a writer and actor who has appeared in TV shows such as The Bill and Outnumbered. Mrs Hudson's Christmas Corker is at Wilton's Music Hall, East London. Florian Leonhard is a violin maker, restorer and dealer. He matches soloists with violins, mentors young talent and advises artists such as Julian Lloyd Webber. He trained at the prestigious Mittenwald violin school in Germany and has been making and restoring fine violins since he was 18. Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent is a travel writer and adventurer. She is presenting a talk at the Adventure Travel Show about her two month motorcycle trip along the Ho Chi Minh trail. Her other exploits include riding from Thailand to Brighton in a pink tuk-tuk; organising the world's longest horse race in Mongolia and surviving an attempt to reach the Arctic Circle on an old Russian Ural motorcycle with sidecar. Antonia is at The Adventure Travel Show, Olympia. Andrew Gant is a musician, writer, choirmaster and composer. His book, Christmas Carols: From Village Green to Church Choir, reveals the stories behind 22 Christmas carols. He lectures music at the University of Oxford and led Her Majesty's Chapel Royal choir at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. Christmas Carols: From Village Green to Church Choir is published by Profile Books. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets poet and broadcaster Ian McMillan; actors Linda Marlowe and Victoria Tennant and musician Mike Vass. Ian McMillan is a poet and broadcaster. He is poet-in-residence for The Academy of Urbanism and Barnsley FC and presents The Verb on BBC Radio 3. He has been commissioned to write a new poem based on the Christmas Truce International Tournament for young footballers to honour the football games that took place on the Western Front in 1914. His poem The Game: Christmas Day 1914 was inspired by the ideas and images that young players suggested after visiting the battlefields in Belgium. Victoria Tennant is an actor. She has written a biography of her mother Irina Baronova, prima ballerina for the Ballet Russes de Monte Carlo in the 1930s and 1940s. The book charts Irina's escape from Petrograd after the Russian Revolution and her recruitment to the Ballets Russes by the legendary choreographer George Balanchine. She danced her first Swan Lake at 14 and performed the leads in all the company's classics. Irina Baronova and the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo is published by the University of Chicago Press. Mike Vass is a Scottish musician and composer who was diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2013 and became seriously ill. During his recovery Mike read Off in a Boat by Scottish writer Neil Gunn about his sailing trip around the west coast of Scotland in 1937. Mike recreated Neil Gunn's journey in May 2014 and In the Wake of Neil Gunn, the album inspired by his voyage, is released on Unroofed Records. Linda Marlowe is an actor and director who is starring in Miss Havisham's Expectations as the jilted bride from the Dickens novel. In the play Miss Havisham invites the audience to hear her side of the story with all its twists and turns. Linda worked with actor and director Steven Berkoff for over 25 years, appearing in many of his productions including Decadence, The Trial and Metamorphosis. Miss Havisham's Expectations is at Trafalgar Studios. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets musician Keith Ball; wildlife expert Lucy Cooke; writers David and Ben Crystal and Angie Marchese, director of archives at Graceland. Angie Marchese is the director of archives at Graceland, the former home of Elvis Presley. She is curating a new exhibition in London which showcases over 300 artefacts from the Presley family's archives, some of which have never been exhibited outside of Graceland in Memphis. Objects on display include Elvis's American Eagle jumpsuit; the red 1960 MG Roadster from the film Blue Hawaii and the star's personal wallet containing photos of a young Lisa Marie Presley. Elvis At the O2: The Exhibition of His Life is at the O2 Arena. Father and son David and Ben Crystal are writers with a keen interest in language. Their latest collaboration is You Say Potato, a witty look at the differences between our many accents. Ben is an actor, producer and writer and David is a writer, editor and lecturer who is honorary professor of linguistics at the University of Wales. You Say Potato - A Book About Accents is published by MacMillan. Lucy Cooke is an award-winning presenter, writer and founder of the Sloth Appreciation Society. She is a panellist on A Wild Audience with...an event in which five natural history experts share some of their life-changing wildlife experiences. Lucy's talk celebrates the sloth and she reveals why the planet's laziest animal is in fact the true king of the jungle and why she believes being fast is overrated. Her book, The Power of Sloth, is published by Franklin Watts and A Wild Audience with... is at the Lyric Theatre, London. Keith Ball is the son of the late jazz trumpeter Kenny Ball. Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen were famous for hits such as Midnight in Moscow and Samantha. Under the stage name Kenny Ball Junior, Keith now fronts the Jazzmen and pays tribute to his father's legacy. Kenny Ball Junior and his Jazzmen are on tour. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets concert pianist Janina Fialkowska; tailor Edward Sexton; Dolores Payas who translated books written by the travel writer Patrick Leigh Fermor and voice coach Gary Catona. Edward Sexton has been designing and making suits for over 40 years. In 1969 he and Tommy Nutter opened Nutters, the first new establishment on Savile Row for 120 years. Nutters' suits for men and women appealed to the celebrities of the day including the Beatles, Mick and Bianca Jagger, Twiggy and Elton John. Edward, who trained as a master cutter, continues to design stylish and sharply tailored suits from his Knightsbridge studio. Dolores Payás met the late writer and adventurer Patrick Leigh Fermor in 2009 and translated three of his books into Spanish. The two became great friends and in her book Drink Time! Dolores remembers the days they spent together at his house in Greece towards the end of his life. Drink Time! In the Company of Patrick Leigh Fermor by Dolores Payás is published by Bene Factum Publishing. Janina Fialkowska is an award-winning concert pianist who is regarded as one of the world's foremost interpreters of Chopin. She started to study the piano as a child and her career was launched after she won Arthur Rubinstein's inaugural Master Piano Competition in 1974. In 2002 she was diagnosed with a cancerous tumour in her left shoulder which left her unable to move her left limb. She proceeded to learn the concertos and works originally written for the left hand only and transcribed them for her right hand. Her new CD, Chopin Complete Mazurkas, is released on ATMA Classique. She is performing at Wigmore Hall and is touring with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Gary Catona describes himself as a vocal builder. He has worked with a range of performers including Andrea Bocelli, Whitney Houston and Seal. His technique involves working the voice muscles to help build a stronger singing and speaking voice. His new show, the Maestro Presents: The Ultimate Diva, is an online talent show which aims to find and train the next great diva. The Ultimate Diva goes online in 2015. Producer: Annette Wells.

Libby Purves meets surrealist painter Patrick Hughes, Pam Dix of Disaster Action, artist and performer Scottee and Dr Bryn Dentinger, mycologist at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Patrick Hughes is a surrealist painter renowned for his optical illusion technique, reverspective, where the parts of a picture which seem farthest away are actually physically the nearest. He is to receive an honorary degree, from the University of London's School of Advanced Study, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to education and research. Patrick's current exhibition New Reverspectives is at Flowers Gallery, London. Pam Dix is the co-author of Collective Conviction: The Story of Disaster Action with Anne Eyre. The book recounts how the charity Disaster Action was founded in 1991 by survivors and bereaved people affected by disasters of the late 1980s, including the King's Cross fire; the Lockerbie bombing and the sinking of the Marchioness. Pam's brother Peter died in the Pan Am 103 bombing in 1988. Since its formation Disaster Action has had a significant influence on emergency planning and management and the way people are treated after disasters. Collective Conviction: The Story of Disaster Action by Pamela Dix and Anne Eyre is published by Liverpool University Press. Scottee is a performer, broadcaster, writer and director. His solo show, The Worst of Scottee, is a reflection on his troubled past in which he looks back over his life and invites some of those he hurt and adversely affected to remember him. The Worst of Scottee is touring. Dr Bryn Dentinger is head of mycology at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew where he studies fungal diversity, distribution and conservation. His career epiphany came at 16 when his mother gave him a copy of a guide to mushrooms and challenged him to identify all the fungi in the family garden. Bryn recently discovered three new species of mushroom in a packet of supermarket porcini after putting the fungi through a DNA barcode test. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets ceramicist Roger Law; sopranos Sophie and Mary Bevan; actor and director Sondra Lee and cruise ship guide Douglas Ward. Sopranos and sisters, Sophie and Mary Bevan, come from a family steeped in musical tradition. Sophie is currently playing Ilia in Mozart's Idomeneo at the Royal Opera House and Mary is performing Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro with the English National Opera at the Coliseum. Roger Law is the satirist and ceramicist who co-created Spitting Image, the television puppet show which aired for over 18 series. Following the end of Spitting Image Roger travelled to Australia, becoming artist-in-residence at National Art School in Sydney. The ceramics he makes today incorporate his own ideas with ancient Chinese tradition. His solo exhibition features pots influenced by his love of Australian marine life. Roger is also presenting a talk at the British Museum alongside its exhibition Ming: 50 years that changed China. His solo exhibition, Roger Law, is at Sladmore Contemporary Gallery. Sondra Lee is an actor, dancer, director and teacher. She is directing Go See by Norris Church Mailer at The King's Head Theatre, London. In 1954 she was heralded on Broadway for her creation of Tiger Lily in Peter Pan and during her long career she collaborated with Jerome Robbins; Federico Fellini and Marlon Brando. She also appeared in Broadway productions of Hello Dolly and Hotel Paradiso. Her book I've Slept With Everybody: A Memoir, written in 2009, is published by BearManor Fiction. Go See by Norris Church Mailer is at The King's Head Theatre, London. Douglas Ward, a former band leader, is the author of The Berlitz Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships. He's completed over 6,000 days at sea, participated in more than 1,000 cruises, 158 transatlantic crossings and countless ship-naming ceremonies. The Berlitz Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships is published by Insight Guides.

Libby Purves meets artist Arabella Dorman; presenter and parish priest the Reverend Richard Coles; former baker Ted the Bread Davies and director Joan Littlewood's former assistant, Peter Rankin. Arabella Dorman is a war artist and portrait painter. Her exhibition, Before the Dawn, features work reflecting her time in Afghanistan over the last five years. The exhibition shows the reality of life for Afghan families and British soldiers at a time of transition with the withdrawal of British and US troops. Before the Dawn is at La Galleria Pall Mall, London. The Reverend Richard Coles is a parish priest in Northamptonshire and presenter of BBC Radio 4's Saturday Live. He was also half of the eighties pop duo the Communards with Jimmy Somerville. In his memoir he reveals his journey from a rock-and-roll life of sex and drugs to a life devoted to God and Christianity. Fathomless Riches - or How I went from Pop to Pulpit is published by Weidenfeld And Nicolson. Ted Davies is a former chef and baker with the RAF. He has written a children's book, Ted the Bread and the Harvest Festival, based on the character Ted, a teddy bear who is a baker in a small Welsh village. The character of Ted the Bread is inspired by Ted's own story when he was stationed in Tobruk in North Africa, baking bread for 2000 service staff a day. Ted the Bread and the Harvest Festival by Ted Davies and Lynn Dulson is published by Wilton 65. Peter Rankin worked as Joan Littlewood's assistant, becoming a close friend of the innovative theatre director. His biography Joan Littlewood: Dreams and Realities draws on their conversations, letters and Littlewood's personal archives to tell the story of how she rose from lowly beginnings to become a dominant figure in British theatre. Joan Littlewood: Dreams and Realities is published by Oberon Books. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets artist Grayson Perry; musician Thomas Lauderdale; former gang member Tracey Miller and magician Drummond Money-Coutts. Drummond Money-Coutts is a magician and illusionist. He presents a new series, Beyond Magic with DMC, in which he travels the world demonstrating his skills with card tricks, stunts and occasional cheating. Each episode recreates a historic trick or stunt. Beyond Magic with DMC is on National Geographic Channel. Grayson Perry is an artist who won the Turner Prize in 2003 and presented the BBC Reith Lectures on BBC Radio 4 in 2013. His book, Playing to the Gallery, is based on those Reith Lectures. He is presenting a three-part series for Channel 4, Grayson Perry: Who Are You? The programmes focus on identity and he creates portraits - from tapestries to sculptures and pots - of diverse people who are trying to define who they are. Subjects include former politician Chris Huhne. There is an accompanying art display at the National Portrait Gallery. Playing to the Gallery is published by Particular Books. Tracey Miller is a former gang member. Known as 'Sour', she was part of a notorious gang that terrorised areas of south London in the 1990s. After serving a prison sentence, she eventually turned her life around and is now a campaigner who urges teenagers not to follow her own path into gang life. Her book Sour - My Story, written with Lucy Bannerman, is published by Harper Collins. Thomas Lauderdale is the founder and pianist with Pink Martini, a 12-piece orchestra from Portland, Oregon. After an early career in local politics, he founded Pink Martini in 1994 to liven up the entertainment then on the bill at political rallies. Once described as somewhere between a "thirties Cuban dance orchestra, a classical chamber ensemble and a Brazilian marching band," Pink Martini has performed its multilingual repertoire on concert stages and with symphony orchestras around the world. Pink Martini is currently on tour - UK dates include the Cambridge Corn Exchange. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets motor cycle racer Guy Martin; former NHS consultant Dr David Drew; writer Sofka Zinovieff and theatre director Mark Bell. Guy Martin is a lorry mechanic, motorcycle racer and presenter. In his new series Speed on Channel 4 he attempts to set new speed records by using the very best of British engineering talent. Among his record attempts he rides a motorbike in the Pike's Peak International Hill Climb in Colorado, racing to an altitude of over 4000m. He also has a go at setting the record for the furthest distance covered in 24 hours on a tandem recumbent. Speed with Guy Martin is on Channel 4. Dr David Drew is a former NHS consultant who blew the whistle on what he says were poor standards of personal care at the hospital where he worked. His book Little Stories of Life And Death tells of his personal experience - how he spoke up for patients and suffered the consequences. Little Stories of Life And Death is published by Matador. Sofka Zinovieff is the granddaughter of Robert Heber-Percy, nicknamed The Mad Boy, and Jennifer Fry. Robert Heber-Percy was the companion of the flamboyant writer, composer and artist, Lord Berners. The couple lived at Faringdon House in Oxfordshire where many of the great minds, beauties and wits of the day would spend weekends including Stravinsky, Picasso and Gertrude Stein. Sofka inherited Faringdon House from her grandfather and writes about her family in The Mad Boy, Lord Berners, My Grandmother and Me, published by Jonathan Cape. Mark Bell is the director of The Play That Goes Wrong which is currently running at London's Duchess Theatre. He trained at Ecole Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq and runs workshops teaching the art of physical theatre. The Play That Goes Wrong is a highly physical comedy packed with finely-tuned farce and Buster Keaton-inspired slapstick. The Play That Goes Wrong is at London's Duchess Theatre. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets gem hunter Guy Clutterbuck; artist Andrew Logan; campaigner Diana Nammi and counter-tenor David James. Guy Clutterbuck is a gem hunter and dealer whose expeditions have led him to countries including Zambia, Mozambique, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka where he buys rough and cut gemstones. During these trips he sources rare gems such as emeralds, rubies, sapphires and aquamarines from local mines. He has donated a 60 carat Mozambican aquamarine - worth £40,000 - to a raffle by Fine Cell Work, a charity which helps prisoners rebuild their lives. Andrew Logan is a sculptor, artist, jewellery designer and the founder of the Alternative Miss World contest. Established in 1972, the Alternative Miss World celebrates the outrageous and the unique. Notable contestants have included Leigh Bowery and Grayson Perry and previous winners include the late Derek Jarman as Miss Crepe Suzette. Andrew Logan's art can be found in public and private collections such as London's Victoria and Albert Museum and the National Portrait Gallery. This year's Alternative Miss World takes place at Shakespeare's Globe. Diana Nammi is chief executive of the Iranian and Kurdish Women's Rights Organisation (IKWRO) which she set up in 2002. She has been instrumental in the campaign to bring honour killers to justice as well as striving to get forced marriages banned in this country. She has just won a Barclays Women of the Year award for her campaigning work on behalf of women from Middle Eastern and North African communities who have been affected by honour based violence and forced marriage. David James is a founder member of the renowned Hilliard Ensemble. Known for its combinations of sacred and medieval music, the group is celebrating its 40th anniversary and performing a series of final concerts. The ensemble's most famous collaboration has been with Norwegian jazz saxophonist, Jan Garbarek, who is taking part in the farewell tour. The Hilliard Ensemble's last performance is at London's Wigmore Hall in December. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets actor Ray Winstone; adventurer Sir Ranulph Fiennes; singer and songwriter Martha D Lewis and animal behaviourist Dr John Bradshaw. Dr John Bradshaw is an animal behaviourist and the founder and director of the Anthrozoology Institute at the University of Bristol. Anthrozoology is the study of interactions between humans and animals. He is one of the presenters of the BBC Two series Cat Watch which uses GPS tracking technology and cat-cams to follow a range of felines from city centre cats to farm cats. Cat Watch 2014: The New Horizon Experiment is broadcast on BBC Two. Cat Sense by Dr John Bradshaw is published by Penguin. Ray Winstone is an actor best known for playing often brutal characters in films such as Sexy Beast, Scum and Nil by Mouth. In his autobiography he writes about growing up in East London where he was a schoolboy boxing champion. His breakthrough came in 1997 when he starred as an abusive husband in Nil By Mouth. He has since worked with directors including Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg and Anthony Minghella. Young Winstone is published by Canongate. Sir Ranulph Fiennes OBE was the first man to reach both poles by surface travel and the first to cross the Antarctic unsupported. In 2009 he became the oldest Briton to reach the summit of Everest. His new book explores how his own ancestors were key players through the centuries of turbulent Anglo-French history that led up to the Battle of Agincourt. Agincourt - My Family, The Battle and The Fight for France is published by Hodder & Stoughton. Martha D Lewis is a singer and songwriter. She is performing at The Trilogy of the Greek Blues festival, inspired by rembetiko singer Roza Eskenazi. Rembetiko music is derived from Greek urban folk music and in her day Roza was feted as the Greek Billie Holiday. Martha, who has just produced an album called Homage to Roza, features in a documentary, My Sweet Canary, about the life of Roza. Rembetika & Beyond: A Journey Into the Greek Blues tour begins at the Millfield Theatre, London and later at the London Jazz Festival. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets hula hoop virtuoso Marawa Ibrahim; biographer Selina Hastings; horse whisperer Gary Witheford and early music specialist, Dr David Skinner. Marawa Ibrahim, otherwise known as Marawa the Amazing, is a virtuoso of the hula hoop. She has performed and taught hula hooping all over the world from Nepal to New York. She now runs workshops in London and coaches her hula troupe, the Majorettes. She will appear in the 2015 Guinness Book of records in the category for 'the longest time hooping with three hoops in high-heeled roller skates.' Writer Selina Hastings has written biographies of Nancy Mitford; Evelyn Waugh and Somerset Maugham. For her new book she turns her attention to her father Jack Hastings, the 16th Earl of Huntingdon. He eloped to Australia where he worked as a jackaroo and to the US and Mexico where he studied with Diego Rivera before becoming an artist. The Red Earl - The Extraordinary Life of the 16th Earl of Huntingdon is published by Bloomsbury. Gary Witheford is a 'horse whisperer'. After a troubled childhood, he found sanctuary in the world of horses, adapting his skills from the work of Monty Roberts and other practitioners from the US. He has helped many top racehorses such as Derby winner Sea The Stars and Brujo who he rescued from a Spanish abattoir. His book, If Horses Could Talk, is published by Racing Post Books (with Brough Scott). Dr David Skinner is the Osborn director of music at Sidney Sussex College, University of Cambridge. Director of Alamire choir, he has produced The Spy's Choirbook originally devised and assembled by Petrus Alamire, a composer, music scribe and spy for Henry VIII. The Spy's Choirbook - Petrus Alamire & the Court of Henry VIII is released by Obsidian Records. A concert will be performed at The British Library where the choirbook is kept. Producer: Annette Wells.

Libby Purves meets trumpeter Alison Balsom; Louise Cordingly, daugther of a POW chaplain in Singapore; comedian Paul Merton and cartogragher Jethro Lennox. Alison Balsom is a solo trumpeter. Three-time Classical Brit award winner and Gramophone Artist of the Year, her big break came when she was a concerto finalist in the BBC Young Musician competition in 1998. Last year she appeared at the Globe Theatre, in Gabriel, showcasing the valveless trumpet and featuring the works of Purcell. She is embarking on a UK tour - The Trumpet Sings Tour - and releases a new album, Paris, on Warner Classics. Louise Cordingly is the daughter of Eric Cordingly MBE who as a young chaplain was held as a prisoner of war in the Far East during World War Two. During his years of captivity he wrote a diary which he kept hidden from his captors. When he returned from the Far East in 1945 he worked as rector of Stevenage and chaplain to the Queen. In 1963 he was consecrated Bishop of Thetford. He died in 1976 but it was not until his wife's death 35 years later that his children discovered his papers and published the book, Down to Bedrock, which features his writings and drawings by fellow prisoners. Down to Bedrock is published by Art Angels. Paul Merton is a comedian, actor and presenter. After making his stand-up debut at London's Comedy Store in 1982, he became a regular with the Comedy Store Players, an improvised comedy group, team captain on Have I Got News For You and a regular on BBC Radio 4's Just A Minute. He has also made several documentaries about early cinema, including Paul Merton's Birth of Hollywood. His autobiography, Only When I Laugh, is published by Ebury Press. Jethro Lennox is a cartographer and editor of the new edition of The Times Comprehensive Atlas of the World. The atlas contains 320 pages of maps and illustrations and depicts how the world has changed since the previous 2011 edition with 5000 place name changes. The Times Comprehensive Atlas of the World is published by HarperCollins. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets bee expert Professor Adam Hart; writer Maria Venegas; writer and former model Sandra Howard and artistic director of the National Youth Theatre, Paul Roseby. Adam Hart is professor of science communication at the University of Gloucestershire. He is the resident bee expert for BBC Two's series Hive Alive which explores the secret world of the honey bee. Using cutting edge technology including thermal, infra-red and endoscope cameras and time lapse photography, the series reveals previously unknown details about their short but active lives. Hive Alive is broadcast on BBC Two. Writer Maria Venegas was born in the state of Zacatecas in Mexico and moved to the US when she was four years old. In her memoir, Bulletproof Vest, she tells the story of her father Jose and his violent past. Estranged from her father for 14 years, Maria eventually made the journey back to Mexico and the old hacienda where they were both born. Working together on his ranch, he told her of his life as a bandit and his mother's pride after he shot a man for the first time at the age of 12. Bulletproof Vest - The Ballad of An Outlaw and His Daughter is published by Granta Books. Sandra Howard was a successful model in the 1960's, appearing on the front cover of Vogue among other major magazines. Now a novelist, her fifth book, Tell the Girl, draws on her own memories of modelling in the sixties and the people she met including Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe. Tell the Girl is published by Simon and Schuster. Paul Roseby is artistic director of the National Youth Theatre (NYT). As part of its new season, the NYT is recreating the old rep system of performing a different show each week featuring 18-15-year-old training actors. The shows include Private Peaceful, Macbeth and Selfie - a radical re-telling of the Dorian Gray story for the selfie generation. A former member of the NYT himself, Paul has worked as a door-to-door salesman, actor and theatre director. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets Emma O'Reilly, the woman who blew the whistle on Lance Armstrong; artist Joshua Sofaer; writer and performer Danny Braverman and dragonfly expert Ruary Mackenzie Dodds. Artist Joshua Sofaer is the man behind The Rubbish Collection, an exhibition at the Science Museum. Part of the museum's Climate Changing programme - a series of events and exhibitions that support its Atmosphere gallery - the exhibition takes a month's worth of the museum's rubbish and looks at the value and volume of what's discarded. The Rubbish Collection is at the Science Museum. Emma O'Reilly worked as a soigneur for the US Postal professional cycling team from the mid-1990s. Confronted by a doping culture she despised, she resigned in 2000 and began to speak out about what was happening in the sport. After breaking cycling's code of silence, she was shunned by the sport and endured a decade of personal attacks, broken relationships and the threat of bankruptcy. Her book, The Race to Truth - Blowing the whistle on Lance Armstrong and cycling's doping culture - is published by Bantam Press. Writer and performer Danny Braverman inherited a shoebox stuffed with thousands of scraps of paper which provided a unique record of 20th century London and Jewish life. From the 1920s to the 1980s Danny's great uncle, Ab Solomons, drew comical and heartfelt pictures on his weekly wage packets before giving them to his wife, Celie. Danny's show, Wot? No Fish!!, invites the audience to discover the history and inner workings of the Solomons family. Wot? No Fish!! is at the Battersea Arts Centre. Ruary Mackenzie Dodds is a writer and dragonfly expert. In 1985 a dragonfly landed on his shirt which became the catalyst for a lifelong obsession with protecting them. In his book, The Dragonfly Diaries, he shares his fascination for these striking creatures and the ups and downs of establishing Britain's first public dragonfly sanctuary. The Dragonfly Diaries is published by Saraband. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Mariella Frostrup is joined by former personal assistant to Nelson Mandela, Zelda la Grange; comedian John Moloney and country-blues musician Rattlesnake. Zelda la Grange grew up in South Africa as a white Afrikaner who supported the rules of segregation. Yet just a few years after the end of apartheid she became Nelson Mandela's trusted assistant for the next 19 years. In her book, Good Morning, Mr Mandela, she tells the story of how a young woman had her life, beliefs and prejudices transformed by the President of South Africa. Good Morning, Mr Mandela is published by Allen Lane. Rattlesnake Annie - known as Rattlesnake - is a country-blues musician. Born of Cherokee heritage on a cotton and tobacco farm in Paris, Tennessee, she began writing songs at 10 and soon afterwards formed a trio with her cousins, The Gallimore Sisters. At16 she was lured to Memphis by blues and rock n' roll where she learnt her craft under the tutelage of Muddy Waters and Lightnin' Hopkins. Her latest album is called World Of Love. John Moloney is a stand-up comedian. He is co-founder of the Balham Comedy Festival which is celebrating 30 years of London's comedy club, Banana Cabaret. Acts performing include Reginald D. Hunter, Susan Calman and Milton Jones. A former language teacher before turning to comedy, John cut his teeth on the Red Wedge tour during the 1980s and became a regular at London's Comedy Store. His new series will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 later this year.

Libby Purves meets audio describer Roz Chalmers; Merlin Holland, grandson of Oscar Wilde; writer and yoga teacher David Charles Manners and David Waterman of the Endellion String Quartet. Roz Chalmers is an audio describer. She provides live or recorded and captioned performances for blind or partially sighted and deaf audiences. She also leads backstage touch tours which allow audiences to meet actors and touch costumes and props. She has worked on a range of productions including the Old Vic's Noises Off and Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake. She is currently working on The Silver Tassie at the National Theatre. Merlin Holland is a writer and editor and the only grandson of Oscar Wilde. Merlin co-wrote The Trials of Oscar Wilde which brings alive his grandfather's courtroom appearances in his libel and criminal trials using the actual words spoken in court. The play features court transcripts and letters discovered in 2000. The Trials of Oscar Wilde is on a UK tour. David Charles Manners is a physiotherapist and yoga teacher who works with musicians, singers and conductors. Some 25 years ago he travelled to the Himalayas where a chance encounter with a Nepalese shaman changed his life. He took part in initiation ceremonies involving the ancient mountain tradition of Shaiva Tantra Yoga and writes about his experiences in his book, Limitless Sky - Life Lessons from the Himalayas, published by Rider Books. David Waterman is a cellist with the Endellion String Quartet which celebrates its 35th anniversary this year. The quartet has worked with a range of guest artists including Joshua Bell, Steven Isserlis and Mitsuko Uchida. The Endellions tour extensively and are performing around the country including the Proms at St Jude's festival in London. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets Rear Admiral David Pulvertaft, an expert on ships figureheads; designer and inventor Tom Karen; writer David Stuart MacLean and actor Rebecca Front. Rear Admiral David Pulvertaft first developed an interest in warship figureheads during his naval service and since retiring has spent nearly 20 years researching the subject. A new exhibition at Tate Britain, British Folk Art, features examples of brightly coloured ships' figureheads including the striking HMS Calcutta. Figureheads of the Royal Navy by David Pulvertaft is published by Pen & Sword Books. Tom Karen is an industrial designer and inventor. He was the managing director of design company Ogle Design which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. Dubbed "the man who designed the Seventies," Tom is behind a range of products including the Reliant Robin; the Bond Bug; the Landspeeder from Star Wars and the Marble Run children's toy. An exhibition of Tom's work, Inspiration in 5000 Sketches, is at the University of Cambridge. In 2002 writer David Stuart MacLean found himself on a station platform in India with no ticket, no passport and no idea of who he was. He was so agitated and tormented by hallucinations that he had to be restrained, he couldn't remember his family or what had brought him to India. In his book, The Answer to the Riddle is Me, he tells the story of this terrifying episode and his long recovery. The Answer to the Riddle is Me - A Memoir of Amnesia is published by Short Books. Rebecca Front is a BAFTA-winning actor and writer. She is best known for her work in television comedy series such as The Thick of It and Grandma's House and dramas including Lewis and Death Comes to Pemberley. Her book, Curious - True Stories and Loose Connections, draws on experiences in her life from the near death by drowning of her father to the uninvited house guest who refused to leave. Curious - True Stories and Loose Connections is published by Weidenfeld & Nicholson. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets St Andrews golf caddie Oliver Horovitz; Lord John Browne of Madingley; artist and journalist Helen Kirwan-Taylor and singer and activist Angelique Kidjo. A golfer and caddie since the age of 12, Oliver Horovitz decided to spend his gap year at the University of St Andrews before going to Harvard. In his book, An Amerian Caddie in St Andrews, he tells how he joined the caddie training programme on the Old Course of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St Andrews. An American Caddie in St Andrews is published by Elliot and Thompson. John Browne (Lord Browne of Madingley) was CEO of BP from 1995 until 2007. His book, The Glass Closet - Why Coming Out is Good Business, examines the risks and rewards of coming out in business. The book explores his own experience as a closeted gay man in the oil industry and features interviews with gay and lesbian people who tell different stories of working for corporations around the world. The Glass Closet - Why Coming Out is Good Business is published by WH Allen. Helen Kirwan-Taylor is an artist and journalist. She was introduced to art as a form of therapy to help her cope with the death of her sister who was killed in 1973. Helen's solo exhibition, WORDS, features word sculptures and prints and is inspired by language and the etymology of words. The pieces use cardboard, wood, glass, leather and draw on influences from psychology, art, fashion and literature. WORDS is at Themes and Variations in Notting Hill, London. Angelique Kidjo is a Grammy award-winning singer, songwriter and activist from West Africa. She is performing at The Other Ball in aid of the charity Arms Around the Child. She's also appearing at the EFG London Jazz Festival later in the year. Her latest album Eve - released on 429 Records - celebrates the power of African women, particularly the women she grew up with in her native Benin. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets Sir Roy Strong; comic Marcus Brigstocke; horsewoman Venetia Williams and singer Polly Bolton at the Hay-on-Wye Festival. Venetia Williams is a horse trainer who specialises in National Hunt Racing. A keen and successful amateur jockey in her youth, Venetia achieved ten jump-racing wins between 1986 and 1988 during which time she also rode in the Grand National. In 1988 Venetia's race-riding career ended following a near-fatal fall in which she sustained a broken neck. Unable to ride, she progressed into the art of training. In 2009 she trained 100/1 shot Mon Mome to win the Grand National. Sir Roy Strong is an historian, lecturer, columnist and writer. He was director of the National Portrait Gallery from 1967 to 1973 and of the Victoria and Albert Museum from 1974 to 1987. His new book Remaking A Garden - The Laskett Transformed is the story of how he remodelled his renowned garden as a tribute to his late wife. Remaking A Garden - The Laskett Transformed by Sir Roy Strong with photographs by Clive Boursnell is published by Frances Lincoln. Marcus Brigstocke is a comedian, actor and writer. Winner of the BBC's New Comedy Award in 1996, his new show Je M'accuse explores elements of his life. The show highlights his stints as a podium dancer and oil rig worker to his childhood eating disorder and love of musical theatre. Polly Bolton is a folk singer and song teacher. She began singing professionally in 1970 in an acoustic folk-rock band, Dando Shaft. She has recorded with singer Alan Stival and Show Of Hands. She runs singing workshops and leads community choirs and likes to experiment acoustically by singing outside - in gorges, on hillsides and by streams.

Libby Purves meets British Museum curator Dr Daniel Antoine; translator and editor Brendan King; artist Hetain Patel and writer Sue Swingler. Dr Daniel Antoine is the curator of human remains at the British Museum. He is overseeing the museum's new interactive exhibition Ancient lives, new discoveries. The exhibition uses state-of-the-art technology to allow visitors to look inside mummy cases and examine what's underneath the wrappings. Visitors will encounter each mummy with accompanying large-screen visualisations which penetrate through the skin to reveal the secrets of mummification. Ancient lives, new discoveries is at the British Museum. Brendan King is a freelance translator, editor and reviewer. Between 1987 and 2010 he worked as Beryl Bainbridge's secretary, helping her prepare some of her novels for publication including The Birthday Boys; Master Georgie and According to Queeney. He also completed the novel she was working on at the time of her death, The Girl in the Polka-Dot Dress, from his copy of the working manuscript. An exhibition of Beryl Bainbridge's paintings, Art & Life: The Paintings of Beryl Bainbridge is at the Cultural Institute, King's College, London. Hetain Patel is a visual artist whose work crosses a number of art forms, with the body and identity as his core concerns. His new solo show, American Boy, is a warm and witty self-portrait created entirely from quotes from American movies and home-grown television. American Boy is at the Lilian Baylis Studio, Sadler's Wells, London. Sue Swingler's new book, The House of Fiction, tells the story of her complicated family background and her relationship with her father Leonard and step-mother, the Australian novelist Elizabeth Jolley. The House Of Fiction - Leonard, Susan and Elizabeth Jolley, is published by Scribe. A drama documentary The House of Fiction, based on Sue's book, will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets songwriter Tony Hatch; cabaret performer Le Gateau Chocolat; adventurer Bob Shepton and entrepreneur Barb Stegemann. Le Gateau Chocolat is a cabaret performer from Nigeria. His latest show, Black, is a portrait of his loves, fears and personal battle with depression. Le Gateau Chocolat has sung for the Queen as part of the Jubilee Flotilla and performed around the world with La Soirée and Le Clique. His solo show has been staged at the Sydney Opera House. Black is at the Soho Theatre, London. Bob Shepton is an ordained minister in the Church of England who now spends much of his time sailing into the Arctic region and climbing mountains. He has sailed approximately 130,000 miles and made over 100 first ascents. Bob has received the Piolet d'Or mountaineering award; the Blue Water Medal; the Tilman Medal and was Yachtsman of the Year in 2013. His autobiography Addicted to Adventure - Between Rocks and Cold Places is published by Adlard Coles Nautical. Tony Hatch is a songwriter and record producer. He wrote many of the era-defining songs of the 1960s including Downtown and Don't Sleep in the Subway for Petula Clark. He also wrote the themes for television series such as Crossroads, Emmerdale and Neighbours. In the Seventies he was a judge on the ITV talent show, New Faces. His work is being celebrated at his Life In Song concert at the Royal Festival Hall. Barb Stegemann is the Canadian CEO of the 7 Virtues perfume brand - a range of fragrances made from flowers and other essences farmed on land where there is conflict or devastation. Barb formed the company after her best friend was seriously wounded in Afghanistan in 2006. She works with local suppliers who supply the essential oils for her perfume. In 2010 Barb pitched and landed a venture capital deal on Canada's version of Dragons' Den. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves is joined by writer and journalist Bridget Keenan; singer and songwriter Gruff Rhys; dancer and choreographer Corey Baker and nature writer Richard Kerridge. Brigid Keenan gave up a career as a fashion journalist to become the wife of a diplomat, living in Nepal, Ethiopia, Syria, the Gambia and Azerbaijan. In her latest book, Packing Up, the couple are posted to Kazakhstan and they are facing their biggest adventure so far - the prospect of retirement. Packing Up - Further Adventures of a Trailing Spouse is published by Bloomsbury. Gruff Rhys is a singer and songwriter who performs solo and with several bands including Super Furry Animals. His latest project, American Interior, was inspired by a trip across the US to retrace the steps of his distant relative John Evans. Evans left Snowdonia in 1792 to find a mythical Welsh-speaking Native American tribe, the Madogwys. Gruff has produced an album, film, book and app and will be performing songs from the album at The Brighton Festival and at the Soho Theatre. Corey Baker is a dancer and choreographer from New Zealand. He is international resident choreographer for this year's International Dance Festival in Birmingham. He is working with members of the public and professional dancers on a piece called A Haka Day Out based on the traditional Maori war dance. Richard Kerridge is a nature writer and leads the MA in creative writing at Bath Spa University. As a child he loved to encounter wild creatures such as newts, lizards and marsh frogs. In his book Cold Blood - part natural history guide, part memoir - he writes about our relationship with nature. Cold Blood - Adventures with Reptiles and Amphibians is published in hardback by Chatto and Windus.

Libby Purves is joined by writer Abbie Ross; director Sir Richard Eyre; poet and and wild swimmer Andrew Fusek Peters and Peter Francis, warden of Gladstone's Library. In 1972 when Abbie Ross was two her cosmopolitan parents moved from London to rural Wales to lead an alternative lifestyle. In her book, Hippy Dinners, she recreates this childhood - in particular her parents' friendships with local hippies and their embarrassing taste for hummus, cheesecloth and yoga. Hippy Dinners - A memoir of a rural childhood is published by Transworld. Sir Richard Eyre CBE is a director of theatre, film, television and opera who brings his latest production of The Pajama Game to London's West End. He started his career in regional theatre before becoming director of the National Theatre in 1987. He has directed numerous productions including Betty Blue Eyes, Quartermaine's Terms and Stephen Ward: The Musical. He won the 2014 Olivier Award for Best Director for his production of Ibsen's Ghosts. His film and television credits include Notes on a Scandal; Iris; Henry IV Parts I and II and Tumbledown for which he won a BAFTA. The Pajama Game is at The Shaftesbury Theatre, London. Andrew Fusek Peters is a poet and storyteller. His new book Dip - Wild Swims and Stories from the Borderlands is the story of his year of wild swimming in rivers, lakes, waterfalls and hidden pools. The book is an honest account of his recovery from a bout of severe depression and how swimming helped him regain a sense of purpose. Dip - Wild Swims and Stories from the Borderlands is published by Rider. Peter Francis is an Anglican priest who became the warden of Gladstone's Library in 1997. Britain's only Prime Ministerial library, it was founded by the Victorian statesman himself and, following his death in 1898, became the national memorial to his life and work. Peter was instrumental in developing the Islamic Reading Room Project, a resource to nurture dialogue between Christians and Muslims.

Libby Purves meets Baroness Jean Trumpington; Pauline Butcher Bird, former secretary to Frank Zappa; science writer David Adam and James Sawyer of the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA). James Sawyer is director of disaster management at the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA). He leads teams which respond to disasters around the world including the tsunami in Japan and the Haiti earthquake. In a BBC Two documentary, Vets in the Disaster Zone, James and his team travel to the Philippines in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan to try and save the lives of animals caught up in the crisis. Vets in the Disaster Zone is on BBC Two. Baroness Jean Trumpington of Sandwich is a former Conservative Minister and one of the oldest members of the House of Lords. In her autobiography, Coming Up Trumps, she looks back over her remarkable life. She writes about her student days in Paris, working as a land girl on Lloyd George's farm, a stint in naval intelligence at Bletchley Park and her long career in politics. Coming Up Trumps is published by MacMillan. David Adam is a science writer and editor at Nature magazine who has suffered from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) for 20 years. In his book, The Man Who Couldn't Stop, he attempts to understand the condition and his own experiences. He writes about the latest neurological research and recounts historical accounts of patients and their treatments. The Man Who Couldn't Stop - OCD and the True Story Of A Life Lost In Thought is published by Picador. In 1967 Pauline Butcher Bird - a young English girl - met the unconventional, avant-garde rock star, Frank Zappa, while he was on a trip to London. Pauline followed him to Hollywood where she lived and worked in Zappa's house amid an entourage of musicians, freaks and other rock stars. Her memoir, Freak Out, has now been adapted into a radio play, Frank Zappa and Me for BBC Radio Four. Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets former athlete Sir Roger Bannister; professor of cybernetics Kevin Warwick; actor Rachael Stirling and writer Diana Darke. Kevin Warwick is a professor of cybernetics and deputy vice-chancellor for research at the University of Coventry. Since 1998 he has been implanting computer chips into his body, some directly communicating with his nervous system. He was dubbed the world's first cyborg when he had a silicon chip implanted in his arm and is currently attempting to get ethical approval to have a chip implanted into his brain. Sir Roger Bannister CBE is a former Olympic athlete who is best-known for being the first person to run the mile in under four minutes in 1954. In his new autobiography, Twin Tracks, Sir Roger tells the full story of the dedication and talent that led to his unprecedented achievement and of his professional life as a distinguished doctor and neurologist. Twin Tracks is published by Biteback. Diana Darke is a writer and translator who has specialised in the Middle East for over 30 years. In 2005 she bought and restored a house in the heart of Damascus. In September 2012, as fighting intensified and millions were forced to flee their homes, she offered her house as a sanctuary to Syrian friends. Up to 40 people continue to find refuge there today. My House in Damascus: An Inside View of the Syrian Revolution is published by Haus Publishing. Actor Rachael Stirling is currently starring in Mike Bartlett's new play, An Intervention, about two friends who make very different decisions in life. Her acting credits range from The Bletchley Circle and Tipping the Velvet on television to theatre productions The Recruiting Officer and An Ideal Husband. Intervention is at the Watford Palace Theatre. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets cabaret performer Eve Ferret, World War Two Hurricane pilot Eric Carter, director and playwright Ray Cooney and photographer Cambridge Jones. Eve Ferret is a cabaret performer. She first performed at the Blitz club in London in the late 70s and early 80s and appeared in the film Absolute Beginners with David Bowie. After a 30 year gap from performing, she is back with a new show Ferret Up the Arts at the Arts Theatre in London. Her first album (as yet unnamed) is also about to be released. She also starts her Don't Be So Shellfish tour of British seaside towns in April. Ferret Up the Arts is at the Arts Theatre, London Eric Carter is the sole survivor of 81 Squadron, a Royal Air Force fighter squadron which took part in a secret mission to the Soviet Union in June 1941. The mission, code named Force Benedict, was initiated to defend the port of Murmansk which was the country's only port not under Nazi occupation. RAF Wing 151 - comprising 81 and 154 Squadrons - had a range of objectives which included teaching Russian pilots to fly Hurricanes, escorting Russian bombers over German lines and flying numerous patrols against the Luftwaffe. Eric's book, Force Benedict, written with Antony Loveless, is published by Hodder & Stoughton. Ray Cooney is a writer, director and actor. His play, Two Into One about a philandering MP is currently at the Menier Chocolate Factory. Ray's theatrical career began as a boy actor in 1946 before he went into repertory theatre and joined the Brian Rix Company at the Whitehall Theatre. His writing career includes the hits Move Over Mrs Markham, Run For Your Wife, Out of Order for which he won an Olivier Award. Two Into One is at the Menier Chocolate Factory. Cambridge Jones is a photographer whose subjects have included several Prime Ministers, members of the Royal Family, Hollywood celebrities and rock stars. His latest exhibition, 26 Characters, at the Story Museum in Oxford features many of Britain's best loved writers and storytellers transforming themselves into their favourite character from a childhood book. Participants include Julia Donaldson, Shirley Hughes, Terry Pratchett and Malorie Blackman. 26 Characters is at the Story Museum in Oxford. Producer: Annette Wells.

Libby Purves meets ventriloquist Steve Hewlett; mountaineer Jamie Andrew; singer and songwriter Ayo and former sheep farmer turned barrister Philip Walling. Steve Hewlett is a comedian and ventriloquist. A ventriloquist since the age of 12, his dummies include Arthur Lager; Simon Cowell and Sinitta and a lamb called Lamb Shank. In 2006 he became the new voice of Archie Andrews - at one time the nation's favourite dummy whose radio programme, Educating Archie, attracted 15m listeners in the 1950s. Steve is touring the UK with his show Thinking Inside The Box. Jamie Andrew is a mountaineer who lost his hands and feet to frostbite after being stranded in a blizzard in the Alps 15 years ago. His close friend and climbing partner died on the mountain. With the help of physiotherapy and prosthetics Jamie learned how to walk again and returned to mountaineering. The documentary The Limbless Mountaineer follows Jamie's progress as he attempts to climb the Matterhorn. The Limbless Mountaineer is broadcast on Channel 5. Ayo Ogunmakin is a singer and songwriter. Born in Cologne to a Nigerian father and Romanian Gypsy mother, her childhood was spent in foster homes after her parents divorced and her mother became a heroin addict. Her father, a part time DJ, introduced Ayo to music from an early age. Her new album Ticket To The World is released on Wrasse Records. Philip Walling is a former sheep farmer who worked as barrister for over 30 years. In his new book, Counting Sheep, he pays homage to his farming roots. The book focuses on the role of sheep in the history of the British countryside and Philip writes about some of the 60 native breeds that thrive in the UK, exploring their past and future. Counting Sheep - A Celebration of the Pastoral Heritage of Britain is published by Profile Books. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets Gary Morecambe, son of Eric; novelist Rebecca Gowers; filmmaker Sara Ishaq and photographer and musician Mike McCartney. Gary Morecambe is the son of the legendary comedian Eric Morecombe. To mark the 30th anniversary of Eric's death the play The Man What Brought Us Sunshine - Morecambe, starring Bob Golding as Eric, is on tour. Gary is the author of a series of books about his father and a biography of Cary Grant. The Man What Brought Us Sunshine - Morecambe is touring the UK. Rebecca Gowers is a novelist and the great grand-daughter of Sir Ernest Gowers, a leading civil servant and author of Plain Words - A Guide to the Use of English. Rebecca has revised and edited the first publication - originally written as a language handbook for civil servants. In this new edition she celebrates the original text and modernises Sir Ernest's advice. Plain Words - A Guide to the Use of English is published by Particular Books. Sara Ishaq is a Yemeni-Scottish filmmaker. Her new film, The Mulberry House, documents her return to Yemen in 2011 10 years after she left - ready to face her past and reconnect with her long-severed roots. She returns to find her family and country teetering on the brink of a revolution. The Mulberry House is being shown as part of this year's Human Rights Watch Film Festival in London. Mike 'McGear' McCartney is a musician and photographer who is touring the UK with his one-man show Sex, Drugs & Rock 'n' Roll (I Wish!). The show chronicles his life through the photographs he's taken along the way. Born and brought up in Liverpool, Mike became part of the comedy, poetry and music trio The Scaffold which became an integral part of the 60's Merseybeat era. Sex, Drugs & Rock 'n' Roll (I wish!) is touring the UK. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets language enthusiast Benny Lewis; literary critic Professor John Carey; flamenco guitarist Eduardo Niebla and comedian Lynn Ruth Miller. Benny Lewis speaks over ten languages including Mandarin Chinese, Arabic, French, German, Portuguese, and Hungarian. As a child he struggled to learn languages at school but in his book, Fluent In 3 Months, he explains how he conquered his lack of skill by mastering a range of learning techniques. His book, Fluent in 3 Months, is published by Collins. John Carey is emeritus Professor of English Literature at the University of Oxford. He is also a book reviewer, commentator on cultural issues and a beekeeper. In his memoir, The Unexpected Professor, he reflects on his life in literature, growing up in wartime and his progression from the family home to Oxford and the heart of academia. The Unexpected Professor - An Oxford Life in Books is published by Faber. Eduardo Niebla is a Spanish flamenco jazz guitarist and composer based in Yorkshire. Born in Morocco, he was brought up in Spain and at eight was playing his guitar on the radio with his sister. He formed his band Atila - regarded by many as one of Spain's great symphonic rock bands - in 1973 before moving to London where he performed with Mother Gong and appeared at the fledgling Glastonbury Festival. He is currently touring the UK. Lynn Ruth Miller, 80, is a comedian who started performing stand-up when she was 71. Born in Ohio, she is a television presenter in San Francisco as well as a teacher, painter and author. Her first book Starving Hearts is an autobiographical novel about her struggle with bulimia and an overwhelming mother. Her new show, Granny's Gone Wild, is at the Soho Theatre. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves is joined by engineer Sam Etherington; Royal Marine turned actor Cassidy Little; ceramicist Emma Bridgewater and anthropologist and writer Professor Merry 'Corky' White. Sam Etherington recently joined Britain's engineering Hall of Fame for his pioneering work on wave energy. The 24-year-old engineer follows in the footsteps of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, George Stephenson, Barnes Wallace and other great British engineers. Sam came up with his design for a multi-axis wave converter after being buffeted by waves while out kitesurfing. Cassidy Little is a former Royal Marine turned actor. He plays the title role in Owen Sheers's play, The Two Worlds of Charlie F, which tells the story of modern warfare from a soldier's perspective. Cassidy studied performance and dance in the US before joining 42 Commando Royal Marines. It was while serving on his second tour in Afghanistan in 2011 that he lost a leg in an IED blast. The Two Worlds of Charlie F is touring the UK. Emma Bridgewater is a pottery designer who founded her ceramics company in Stoke-on-Trent in 1985. Her book, Toast and Marmalade and Other Stories, tells the personal stories behind her pieces - she is known for her quintessentially British designs such as trailing sweet peas, blue hens, tumbling roses, plump figs and black toast. Today the business remains committed to the manufacture of British pottery. Toast and Marmalade and Other Stories is published by Saltyard Books. Merry 'Corky' White is professor of anthropology at Boston University. Her book, Cooking for Crowds, celebrates its 40th anniversary with a new edition. Corky was a student and single parent when she started catering for Harvard academics to earn money in 1970. Every week she catered one or two dinners for 25 and one lunch for 50. She credits Julia Child with saving her from her early kitchen nightmares. Cooking for Crowds is published by Princeton University Press. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets Dr Amy Lehman, founder of The Lake Tanganyika Floating Health Clinic; legendary soprano Dame Kiri Te Kanawa; writer Alex Shearer and champion jockey turned photographer Richard Dunwoody. Dr Amy Lehman is founder and president of The Lake Tanganyika Floating Health Clinic, an NGO which provides medical services to the 12m people who live around the lake. Bordered by four countries - Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia and Burundi - Lake Tanganyika is one of the most remote places in the world. Amy, who sports a vast tattoo of Lake Tanganyika across her back, recently featured in Newsweek magazine's list of 150 Women Who Shake The World. Legendary soprano Dame Kiri Te Kanawa returns to the Royal Opera House as La Duchesse de Crackentorp in Donizetti's La Fille Du Regiment. Born in New Zealand, Dame Kiri studied there and at the National Opera Studio in London, making her debut with The Royal Opera as Countess Almaviva in 1971. She went on to perform internationally as one of the leading lyric sopranos of her generation. In 2004 she launched The Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation to support New Zealand and international singers. La Fille Du Regiment is at the Royal Opera House, London. Alex Shearer is a writer who has written for the stage, radio, TV and film. A children's author, his new book, This is the Life, is his first adult novel. The book is a fictionalised account of his brother's final illness and is based on Alex's experiences as his brother's carer. This Is The Life is published by Blue Door. Richard Dunwoody is a former National Hunt jockey who is now a professional photographer. During his career he rode some 1,700 winners including the legendary Desert Orchid. He was Champion Jockey three times and won the Grand National twice until a neck injury forced him to retire prematurely in 1999. He is the official photographer for the annual Mongol Derby, an equestrian endurance race of 1000 km across the Mongolian steppe. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets educationalist Sacha Corcoran; film fans Austin and Howard Mutti-Mewse; writer Gideon Lewis-Kraus and auctioneer David Probert. Sacha Corcoran is the new principal of Dv8 Academy which opens later this year. Based in East London, Dv8 Academy will teach 16 to 18-year-olds - specialising in the creative industries such as music technology, performance, fashion and event management. After a difficult start as a 16-year-old single mother, Sacha turned her life around and has worked in education since 1994. She was awarded a MBE this year for services to education. As children twins Austin and Howard Mutti-Mewse began writing to Hollywood stars including Lillian Gish, James Stewart and Ginger Rogers. The twins began writing these letters at 11. By 18 they were visiting their favourite actors at home and this unique access captured a bygone age of Hollywood glamour. Their new book, I Used to be in Pictures - An Untold Story of Hollywood, chronicles the life they experienced with some of the greatest names in feature films. I Used to be in Pictures - An Untold Story of Hollywood is published by ACC Publishing Group. Gideon Lewis-Kraus is a writer and journalist. Disillusioned with life as a Fulbright scholar in Berlin in 2007, he set out on three ancient pilgrimages. In his new book, A Sense of Direction, he recounts these journeys which take him from the Camino de Santiago in Spain to a solo circuit of 88 Buddhist temples on the Japanese island of Shikoku and finally to the tomb of a famous Hassidic mystic in the Ukraine. A Sense of Direction is published by One. David Probert is an auctioneer. His career started at Hereford's Old Livestock Market which closed three years ago. David is featured in Chewing the Cud, a documentary about the historic market which features the memories of local people who used it over the years. Chewing the Cud is showing at The Courtyard, Hereford as part of the Borderlines Film Festival. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets plant hunter Tom Mitchell; psychologist Dr Akiko Mikamo; Martin White, professor of theatre at the University of Bristol and comedian Arthur Smith. Tom Mitchell gave up his job as a banker to follow his dream and become a plant hunter. He now travels the world collecting rare and endangered plants which he cultivates from seed to sell from his nursery. He is a galanthophile (a lover and collector of snowdrops) and recently auctioned a new variety of the snowdrop flower - giving the highest bidder the opportunity to name the bulb after their Valentine. Dr Akiko Mikamo is a psychologist who was born and raised in Hiroshima, Japan. In her book, Rising From the Ashes, she tells her father Shinji's story of survival and forgiveness. He was less than a mile away from the site where the atomic bomb exploded in August 1945 when he was 19. Akiko has drawn inspiration from her father who has devoted his life to peace and reconciliation. Rising From The Ashes - A true Story Of Survival And Forgiveness From Hiroshima is published by Lulu. Martin White is professor of theatre at Bristol University who devised the candle lighting for the new Sam Wanamaker Playhouse at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. The theatre is a replica of a Jacobean indoor playhouse and is lit solely by candles throughout performances - just as it would have been 400 years ago. The Knight of The Burning Pestle is at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse at Shakespeare's Globe, London. Arthur Smith is a comedian and writer whose show Arthur Smith Sings Leonard Cohen (Vol 2) is at the Soho Theatre. He performed his first tribute to the Canadian singer-songwriter 14 years ago and in this new production he reflects on life, death and dementia using Cohen classics to accompany his personal observations. Arthur has been a comedian since the early 80s and has also written plays including An Evening with Gary Lineker and The Live Bed Show. Arthur Smith Sings Leonard Cohen (Vol 2) is at the Soho Theatre, London. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets primatologist Ben Garrod; Australian Aboriginal actor Jack Charles; musician Clare Salaman and photographer Colin Jones. Ben Garrod is an evolutionary biologist, primatologist and skeleton builder. His new series Secrets of Bones, part of BBC Four's Life Inside Out season, explores the story of the skeleton and vertebrates of every size and shape. In the course of this six-part series Ben investigates how a single, universal body plan - the skeleton - has shaped the animal kingdom. Each skeleton differs in small but critical ways and those differences can be decoded to reveal an animal's complete life story - not only how it moves, where it lives and what it eats, but also its entire evolutionary journey. Secrets of Bones is broadcast on BBC Four. Jack Charles is an Australian Aboriginal actor, musician and activist. One of Australia's Stolen Generation, he was taken from his mother at a young age and placed in a boys' home for Aboriginal children. His subsequent acting career was regularly interrupted by lengthy stints in jail and his long-term heroin addiction. Now drug free, his one man show, Jack Charles v The Crown, is inspired by his own story. Jack Charles v The Crown is at the Barbican. Clare Salaman is a musician and composer who plays violin, baroque violin, hurd violin, hurdgurdy, nyckelharpa, medieval vielle, rebec, hardanger fiddle and accordion. Her group The Society of Strange and Ancient Instruments is staging Nine Daies Wonder which is based on an Elizabethan journey from London to Norwich by Shakespearian actor Will Kemp. Nine Daies Wonder is touring the UK. Colin Jones is a photographer whose exhibition Fifty Years of The Who captures a young British rock group on the verge of greatness. As a youngster Colin was a member of the Royal Ballet before joining the Observer as a photographer in 1962. His friendship with Pete Townshend gave him access to The Who offstage as well as on - capturing the band's talent and raw energy. Fifty Years of The Who is at Proud Camden, London. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets rollercoaster designer John Wardley; novelist Barbara Taylor Bradford; former showgirl and actor Mandy Rice Davies and comedian Mark Lucero. John Wardley is a rollercoaster designer who is behind some of the most famous rollercoasters in Britain including Oblivion and Nemesis. He also devised special effects for five of the James Bond films including Live and Let Die and The Man with the Golden Gun. As a young boy he was fascinated by illusions, fairgrounds and the mechanics behind them. His autobiography Creating My Own Nemesis is self-published. Barbara Taylor Bradford is a novelist who has sold over eighty million books worldwide since her debut novel, A Woman of Substance, was published in 1979. She started writing for her local paper, the Yorkshire Evening Post, when she was 15 and by 18 she was editing the paper's Women's page. Her new novel, Cavendon Hall, is about two families - the aristocratic Inghams and the Swanns who serve them. Cavendon Hall is published by HarperCollins. Mandy Rice Davis is a former showgirl, known for her involvement in the Profumo affair in the 1960s. After the scandal she moved to Israel where she took up acting. Mandy was an adviser on Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical, Stephen Ward, which charts the rise and fall of the man at the centre of the Profumo affair - osteopath Stephen Ward. Stephen Ward - The Musical is at the Aldwych Theatre, London. Marc Lucero is a comic who won Silver Stand-Up Of The Year (for comedians over 55) at Dave's Leicester Comedy Festival in 2013. His one man show, George Carlin Saved My Life, is inspired by his first trip to the US in 1979. During the trip he met members of his family for the first time and saw the late comic George Carlin perform in Las Vegas. Watching Carlin convinced him to become a stand-up comedian. George Carlin Saved My Life is at the Criterion Theatre as part of Dave's Leicester Comedy Festival. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets journalist and writer Dan Hurley; cellist Steven Isserlis; broadcaster and writer Sally Magnusson and registrar Tommy Hanover. Dan Hurley is a science journalist who writes regularly for the New York Times and Neurology Today. In his new book Smarter: The New Science of Building Brain Power, he tests various cognitive exercises which aim to boost intelligence. The exercises range from learning the Renaissance lute; trying out commercial brain-training programmes and physical training. Smarter: The New Science of Building Brain Power is published by Viking. Steven Isserlis is the renowned cellist, writer and teacher who performs with orchestras around the world. Steven and his sisters have released Julius Isserlis: Piano Music featuring newly discovered work by their Russian Jewish grandfather - pianist and composer Julius Isserlis. Julius, who was a contemporary of Rachmaninov and Scriabin, fled Communist Russia in 1922 and in 1938 escaped from Vienna which was in the grip of the Nazis. Julius Isserlis: Piano Music is on Hyperion Records. Sally Magnusson is a journalist, broadcaster and writer. She has presented a range of programmes including Panorama and BBC Breakfast and currently presents Reporting Scotland and Songs Of Praise. In 1996 she won a Scottish BAFTA for her commentary on the documentary Dunblane: A Community Remembers. In her new book she writes about her mother Mamie's battle with dementia. Where Memories Go: Why Dementia Changes Everything is published by Two Roads. Tommy Hanover is a registrar at Westminster Register Office. He features in a two-part documentary series about day-to-day life at the registry office. The office holds the births, deaths and marriage records of a range of names including Winston Churchill, Joan Collins and Margaret Thatcher as well as members of the Royal Family. Births, Deaths and Marriages is Broadcast on ITV.

Robert Powell is an actor who is known for his TV and film appearances in projects ranging from Doomwatch to Holby City and the Italian Job to The Thirty Nine Steps. Nominated for a BAFTA award for his role as Jesus in Franco Zefferelli's Jesus of Nazareth, he has appeared on stage in Alan Bennett's Single Spies and Keith Waterhouse's Jeffrey Bernard Is Unwell. This year he plays Agatha Christie's Belgian detective Hercule Poirot in a new production of Black Coffee, her first play. Black Coffee is currently on a UK tour. Mike Rutherford is a musician and songwriter. He is a founding member of rock band Genesis and wrote the lyrics to many of the band's songs including Turn It On Again and Throwing It All Away. He formed his band Mike + The Mechanics in 1985. In his memoir, The Living Years, Mike writes about his career in music and his relationship with his late father. The Living Years - A Tale of Two Generations is published by Constable. Catherine Weate is a voice and dialect coach who has trained students and actors around the world. She has just launched the Real Accent App with her business partner Gavin Howard. For their first project the pair travelled across the US to record ten regional dialects and created a tool to help actors tackle auditions for American parts. The Real Accent App: USA is available on the Apple iTunes App Store. Harry Shearer is an actor, comedian, author and musician. He is best known as the voice of Mr Burns in The Simpsons and Derek Smalls in the mocumentary film This is Spinal Tap. In his latest project he reprises his role as former US President Richard Nixon for TV series Nixon's The One. The series is based on thousands of hours of recordings made by Nixon in the Oval Office between 1971 and 1973. Nixon's The One is broadcast on Sky Arts 1. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets Peter Hain MP; art dealer Philip Mould; author Susie Boyt and fly fisherwoman Lilla Rowcliffe. Philip Mould is a gallery owner, international art dealer and writer who has been dealing in antiques from an early age. He started by collecting and selling 18th Century shoe buckles as a boy and moved on to deal in artwork worth tens of thousands of pounds. He co-presents BBC1's Fake or Fortune with Fiona Bruce and is a regular expert on the Antiques Roadshow. Lilla Rowcliffe is a fly fisher. Now in her eighties, she only took up the sport following the death of her husband and sister when she was in her fifties. Her first catch, in Scotland, was a 45 pound salmon, and since then, Lilla has fished around the world. She has a house close to where fly-fishing lure creator Megan Boyd lived and she features in a documentary, Kiss the Water, about Boyd's life and fly fishing. Peter Hain is the Labour MP for Neath and a former Cabinet minister whose political career spans four decades. He grew up in South Africa under Apartheid before moving to London. Peter's parents Adelaine and Walter were, and continue to be, prominent freedom-fighters. Ad and Wal - A Story of Values, Duty, Sacrifice in Apartheid South Africa is published by Biteback Publishing. Susie Boyt is a writer and the daughter of artist Lucian Freud. Her memoir, My Judy Garland Life, has been adapted for the stage. It tells the story of Susie's admiration for Garland as she was growing up, and how Judy's songs helped Susie through her personal troubles. My Judy Garland Life is at The Nottingham Playhouse.

Libby Purves goes to the panto in a special programme recorded in the BBC Radio Theatre. She is joined by actor Clive Rowe; comedian Jo Brand; actor and writer Henry Winkler and wig designer Richard Mawbey. Clive Rowe is an actor who has played the pantomime dame at the Hackney Empire on many occasions. In 2010 he appeared as Dame Daisy in Jack and the Beanstalk. In 1997 he won an Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical for Guys and Dolls. He is playing King Darius in The Light Princess at The National Theatre. Jo Brand is a BAFTA-winning comedian, actor and writer. She is appearing in her first pantomime as the Genie of the Ring in Aladdin. A former psychiatric nurse, she made her name as a stand-up comic and is a regular panel member on QI and occasional presenter of Have I Got News for You. Aladdin is at New Wimbledon Theatre. Henry Winkler OBE is an American actor, director and children's author, best known for playing The Fonz in the television series Happy Days. He is currently reprising his role as Captain Hook in Peter Pan at Richmond Theatre. His Hank Zipzer stories focus on a 10-year-old boy with dyslexia and are based on his own experiences. Peter Pan is at Richmond Theatre. Richard Mawbey is a wig designer who produces a wide range of work for pantomime, theatre, television and film. His commissions range from Lily Savage as Widow Twankey to the cast of From Here to Eternity. He spent 10 years on the road with the legendary Danny La Rue as his hairdresser and wig designer. Richard has just produced 35 wigs for a production of White Christmas at the Edinburgh Festival Theatre. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets crossword setter John Halpern; historian and travel writer John Julius Norwich; journalist Mary Kenny and actor Imogen Stubbs. John Halpern is a crossword setter. His work features in the Guardian (under the name Paul), the Financial Times (as Mudd) and the Times (Anon). His new book, The Centenary of the Crossword, starts with the story of Arthur Wynne - a journalist from Liverpool who created the first crossword on December 21 1913. The book includes inside information about how crosswords are compiled, tips for solving different types of clues and examples of puzzles from prominent setters around the world. The Centenary of the Crossword is published by Andre Deutsch. John Julius Norwich is an historian, travel writer and broadcaster. The only son of Lady Diana and Duff Cooper, his new book features correspondence from his mother between 1939 and 1952. The letters recount her experiences during the Blitz and life with her society friends Evelyn Waugh and the Mitfords. Darling Monster - The Letters of Lady Diana Cooper to Her Son John Julius Norwich is published by Chatto & Windus. Mary Kenny is an Irish journalist, author, playwright and broadcaster. She has written for over 25 newspapers over a career spanning four decades. In her new book she recalls her life from her days as a young reporter for the London Evening Standard to coping with the responsibility of being a full time carer for her husband. Something of Myself and Others is published by Liberties Press. Imogen Stubbs is an actor and writer. She discovered her passion for acting while studying at Oxford University. She is best known for her stage performances with the Royal Shakespeare Company, notably as Desdemona in Othello opposite Willard White which was directed by Trevor Nunn. She is currently starring in Strangers on a Train by Craig Warner at the Gielgud Theatre, London. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets musician Jamie Cullum; Samaritans Sophie Andrews and Pam Blackwood; scientist and writer Professor Richard Dawkins and comedian and actor Greg Davies. Jamie Cullum is a jazz singer and songwriter who has sold over four million albums worldwide. Primarily a vocalist and pianist, he also accompanies himself on guitar and drums. He hosts Radio 2's jazz show and is about to present Piano Pilgrimage, a Radio 4 series in which he explores the piano's place in modern life. His latest album, Momentum, is released on Island Records. Sophie Andrews called Samaritans for help 30 years ago. Samaritans' volunteer Pam Blackwood answered her call and the two stayed in touch and became friends. Sophie now runs The Silver Line, a helpline for elderly people, and both Pam and Sophie work as volunteers for Samaritans which celebrates its 60th birthday this year. Professor Richard Dawkins is a scientist and writer who found fame with his book, The Selfish Gene. In his memoir, An Appetite for Wonder, he revisits his childhood in colonial Africa and remembers his years at Oxford University's zoology department. In the book he considers the influences that shaped his life and intellectual development. An Appetite for Wonder: The Making of a Scientist is published by Bantam Press. Greg Davies is a stand-up comedian and actor. Best known for his roles as teacher Mr Gilbert in BAFTA award-winning The Inbetweeners and Greg in We Are Klang, he worked as a teacher before becoming a comedian. His latest show, The Back of My Mum's Head, is at Southbank Centre as part of its Winter Festival. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Jo Bell is the first Canal Laureate, appointed by the Poetry Society and the Canal and River Trust to encourage more people to appreciate their local waterways. She has lived aboard her 67ft narrowboat Tinker for a decade, mostly on the canals of the Midlands and North West. She is currently writing new verse inspired by her observations and collating work by other poets who have written about our canals and rivers. Actor June Brown has played Dot Cotton in EastEnders for over 25 years. Her autobiography, Before the Year Dot, traces the first 30 years of her life from her childhood in Ipswich to her days as a gifted stage actor. Like her on-screen persona, June has suffered her share of tragedy including the deaths of her elder sister and her first husband. She trained at the Old Vic Company and her television career started with small parts in Coronation Street, Doctor Who and Minder before she joined the cast of EastEnders. Before the Year Dot is published by Simon and Schuster. James Tormé is a jazz singer and son of the popular vocalist and composer Mel Tormé. James grew up surrounded by jazz legends including Bing Crosby, Peggy Lee, Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald. As well as his own compositions, James pays tribute to his late father by performing songs from Mel Tormé's repertoire including the Christmas Song, written with Bob Wells. James Tormé is performing at The Hippodrome in Leicester Square., Dr Peter Sharrock is an art historian at SOAS, University of London. As a young news reporter, he covered the war in Vietnam during the 1970s. Although witness to a brutal war that decimated much of the region, the experience triggered his lifelong passion for the art and culture of South East Asia. He later became an academic and one of his former students recently donated £20m to SOAS to fund scholarships for students from South East Asia.

Libby Purves meets banker come hip-hop artist Jihan Bowes-Little, journalist Thomas Harding, Kangeroo Dundee, Chris 'Brolga' Barns and wine writer Jancis Robinson. Jihan Bowes-Little is a banker by day and Hip Hop artist by night. While working in The City he would be scribbling lyrics at the same time as trading credit derivatives. After attending an Open Mic night, he decided to pursue a career in music, and now performs under the name Metis. He is about to release his debut single, All In on Warner Music. Journalist Thomas Harding's great-uncle, Hanns Alexander, tracked down and caught the Kommandant of Auschwitz. In his book, Hanns and Rudolf , he tells how his great uncle became one of the lead investigators of the British War Crimes Investigation Team, assembled to hunt down senior Nazi officials. His target was Rudolf Höss who was the Kommandant of Auschwitz Concentration Camp and who oversaw the deaths of over a million men, women and children. Hanns and Rudolf is published by Random House. Chris 'Brolga' Barns has dedicated his life to rescuing orphaned baby kangaroos, whose mothers are victims of speeding cars, their young still tucked up in their pouches. He runs The Kangeroo Sanctuary near Alice Springs in Central Australia. His book, Kangaroo Dundee, is published by Hodder & Stoughton to accompany a new BBC Two six-part series. Jancis Robinson OBE is one of the world's leading wine writers and is wine correspondent for the Financial Times. This year she released the 7th edition of The World Atlas of Wine, written with Hugh Johnson. The World Atlas of Wine is published by Mitchell Beazley. Producer: Annette Wells.

Libby Purves meets former soldier-turned-writer Andy McNab; Cheryl Knight, who is in charge of shoes at the Royal Opera House; author Joseph Boyden and producer John Lloyd. Andy McNab is a former SAS soldier-turned-writer. He was a foundling who joined the infantry with the Royal Green Jackets, progressing to the SAS. In the Gulf War he commanded the Bravo Two Zero patrol and later wrote a book about his experiences. He has just spent the last year as the Reading Agency's literacy ambassador for the 6 Book Challenge visiting prisons and factories to encourage young people to read. Cheryl Knight is opera footwear supervisor at the Royal Opera House and in her spare time performs as Joyce Grenfell in her one-woman show, Turn Back the Clock. The show is Cheryl's tribute to the writer and performer who died in 1979 and is remembered for her witty monologues - including her popular sketch as a harassed nursery school teacher. Cheryl is currently assembling the shoe collection for two Royal Opera House productions - Parsifal and Carmen. Turn Back the Clock is at Waterloo East Theatre. Joseph Boyden is a prize-winning Canadian author whose new book, the Orenda, draws on his own background. He is a descendant of Canada's First Nations and was educated by Jesuits. The Orenda is set in the wilds of 17th century North America when Europeans were colonising the region and the First Nation tribes fought among themselves and suffered under the invaders. The Orenda is published by Oneworld. Producer and writer John Lloyd is best known for his work on comedy programmes including Not the Nine O'Clock News, Spitting Image, the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and QI. He is currently the Radio 4 presenter of the Museum of Curiosity, a spin-off from QI. His new book Afterliff - the New Dictionary of Things There Should Be Words For, written with Jon Canter, is published by Faber and Faber. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets cloth merchants Philip Pittack and Martin White; cartoonist Annie Tempest; author Nicholas Shakespeare and singer and songwriter Dillie Keane. Cloth merchants Philip Pittack and Martin White have 120 years of experience in textiles between them and run Crescent Trading. They have been working together as woollen merchants for 25 years and are based in London's Spitalfields which used to be the centre of Britain's rag trade. Last September a fire destroyed their entire stock but they are back in business in a new warehouse which brims with tweed, worsteds and silks - all woven in Britain. Cartoonist Annie Tempest started writing her Tottering-By-Gently cartoons for Country Life magazine nearly 20 years ago. Her inspiration for Tottering Hall came from her family home, Broughton Hall in North Yorkshire. The characters including Dicky and Daffy, Lord and Lady Tottering, are based on family members - Lord Tottering is inspired by her father. Annie lived in the run-down Broughton Hall from the age of 12 and recalls the draughty hallways and idiosyncratic plumbing in her cartoons. Tottering-by-Gently: The First 20 Years is published by Frances Lincoln. Nicholas Shakespeare is an award-winning novelist and biographer. His acclaimed biography of Bruce Chatwin was published in 1999. His latest book is a personal one and tells the story of his aunt who lived in occupied France during the war. The book investigates how she survived the war and whether she really was the heroine of family myth. Priscilla - The Hidden Life of an Englishwoman in Wartime France is published by Random House. Dillie Keane is an actor and singer/songwriter. She founded the satirical cabaret trio Fascinating Aida in 1983. Now in their 30th year, Fascinating Aida are touring the country with their brand new show, Charm Offensive, which includes a long run at London's Southbank Centre.

Libby Purves meets journalist Andrew Davidson; jazz musician Courtney Pine; actor Rula Lenska and Sikh chaplain Amrik Singh. Andrew Davidson's grandfather Fred was a doctor who served in the Royal Army Medical Corps during the First World War. Posted to the Western Front with the 1st Battalion Cameronians, he packed his folding camera alongside his medical equipment and began to secretly document life in the trenches. Andrew's book, Fred's War, gives a rare insight into life on the front line during the early stages of the Great War. Fred Davidson was one of the first medics to win the Military Cross. Fred's War - A Doctor in the Trenches is published by Short Books. Jazz saxophonist Courtney Pine CBE has spent the past 20 years taking jazz out of its purist confines to a wider audience. Performing his album House of Legends, Courtney is appearing at the EFG London Jazz Festival. The album features his soprano saxophone exclusively for the first time and draws on his African-Caribbean roots, spotlighting the musical styles of merengue, ska, mento and calypso. House of Legends is on Destin-E World Records. Actor Rula Lenska was born Roza Maria Laura Leopoldyna Lubienska to Polish aristocrats - refugees who fled the country during the Second World War. Rula found fame in the 1970s as 'Q' in the television series Rock Follies and her career has included roles in Minder, To the Manor Born, Doctor Who and Coronation Street. On stage she appeared in the Vagina Monologues and Calendar Girls. Rula - My Colourful Life, is published by Biteback Publishing. Amrik Singh is a Sikh chaplain at London's Heathrow Airport. Between his chaplaincy and his role as a Heathrow ramp agent, he lives his life according to Sikh philosophies and traditions and shares his Sikhism with his co-workers and passengers. He recently appeared on 4thought, a moral, religious and ethical TV series on Channel 4. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets conductor John Wilson; lawyer and poet Dan Burt; actor Rita Moreno and Holly Mumby-Croft, mayor of Broughton in Lincolnshire. Conductor and arranger John Wilson formed the John Wilson Orchestra in 1994. The orchestra specialises in authentic performances of classic Hollywood film musical scores including High Society, An American in Paris and Easter Parade. John painstakingly restored many of the original MGM scores which had been lost years before. The John Wilson Orchestra celebrates the golden age of Hollywood in a UK tour. Dan Burt is a businessman, lawyer and published poet. Born into poverty and organised crime in one of Philadelphia's toughest neighbourhoods, Burt was destined to follow his family footsteps into punishing physical work with a sideline in crime. The remarkable change in his fortunes began when he was selected by Cambridge University to read English and went on to study law at Yale. His memoir, You Think It Strange, is published by Notting Hill Editions. Rita Moreno is a singer, dancer and actor. Her big break came when she was cast in Robert Wise's 1961 musical West Side Story for which she won a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award. She subsequently featured in films including Carnal Knowledge and Summer and Smoke and is one of few actors to have won an Emmy, a Grammy, a Tony and an Oscar. Rita is attending a screening and Q and A session for Summer and Smoke which was directed by Peter Glenville. The screening is part of the centenary celebrations for the late British director taking place at the BFI Southbank. Holly Mumby-Croft, 27, is the mayor of Broughton in North Lincolnshire. Broughton has a population of 7,000 and Holly is the youngest person ever to be elected mayor. After several turbulent years as a teenager she became a town councillor at the age of 24 and deputy mayor a year later. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets Thomasina Lowe, daughter of President Kennedy's official photographer; actor and director Paul Michael Glaser; singer Emily Maguire and writer Harry Ritchie. Thomasina Lowe is the daughter of the late Jacques Lowe, President Kennedy's presidential campaign photographer. Jacques had unprecedented access to the personal and professional life of one of the most charismatic and powerful leaders of the 20th Century. He took over 40,000 photographs of JFK at work and with his family, showing both the public and private man. Jacques's priceless negatives, which were stored in the World Trade Center, were destroyed during the events of 9/11. His prints - which he kept at home - form the exhibition My Kennedy Years at Proud Chelsea. His memoir of the same name is published by Thames and Hudson. Paul Michael Glaser is an actor, director and writer, best known for playing David Starsky in the TV series, Starsky and Hutch. His is currently playing Tevye in a UK touring production of the musical Fiddler on the Roof, directed by Craig Revel Horwood. In addition to his work on stage and screen, Paul Michael Glaser writes poetry and children's literature. He is Honorary Chairman of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation. Fiddler on the Roof is touring the UK and Ireland. A classically-trained musician, singer Emily Maguire's song-writing was born out of adversity. In her teens she contracted fibromyalgia pain syndrome, a chronic disorder which affects the central nervous system. Her illness kept her at home where she taught herself to write songs. In her twenties Emily was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and moved to Australia to help stabilise her illness and make music. Emily's breakthrough came in 2007 when she supported Don Maclean on tour, culminating in a show at the Royal Albert Hall. Her new album, Bird Inside A Cage, is released on Shaktu Records. She is currently touring. Harry Ritchie is a writer and former literary editor of the Sunday Times. His latest book, English for the Natives, outlines the rules and structures of the English language as they are taught to foreign students. English for the Natives - Discover the Grammar You Don't Know You Know is published by John Murray. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets Sandra Noel, daughter of the filmmaker Captain John Noel who made The Epic of Everest in 1924; director of the National Theatre, Sir Nicholas Hytner; comedian Jack Whitehall and his father Michael, a theatrical agent and Andrea Coleman, co-founder of Riders for Health. Sandra Noel is the daughter of Captain John Noel, the filmmaker behind the newly restored film of the third attempt to climb Mount Everest. The 1924 expedition culminated in the deaths of George Mallory and Andrew Irvine, sparking an on-going debate as to whether or not they actually reached the summit. Filming in harsh conditions with a specially adapted camera, Captain Noel captured images of breathtaking beauty and considerable historic significance. The Epic of Everest is released in cinemas nationwide to coincide with its world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival. Sir Nicholas Hytner is director of the National Theatre which celebrates its 50th birthday in October. The theatre opened its doors in 1963 at the Old Vic under Laurence Olivier. Early in his career Sir Nicholas, who steps down from the National next year, worked in repertory theatre including the Northcott Theatre Exeter, the Manchester Royal Exchange Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Other London theatre work included Miss Saigon and The Importance of Being Earnest. The National Theatre is marking its birthday with a short season celebrating the people and plays which have contributed to its success over the last 50 years. Jack Whitehall is a comedian and actor who was voted King of Comedy at the 2012 British Comedy Awards. His father, Michael, is a theatrical agent who has been involved in the careers of many actors including Colin Firth, Nigel Havers and Judi Dench. Published by Michael Joseph, their book Him And Me is a portrait of their unique relationship. Former motorcycle racer Andrea Coleman is the co-founder of Riders for Health, a charity that provides motorcycles to deliver healthcare across Africa. After the death of her first husband in a motorcycle race, she started working with African communities to show how motorcycles can help save lives. She has just been awarded a Women of the Year Award. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets pilot Anna Walker; manager of Queens Park Rangers Harry Redknapp; novelist Wilbur Smith and actor and comedian Alexander Armstrong. Anna Walker is a pilot who performs acrobatics and displays at air shows around the world. Born in Brazil, she was six when her father took her up in his plane on the day he got his pilot's licence. At the age of 13 she started gliding and moved on to power flying as a tug pilot. She is the first woman to fly a Hawker Hurricane since the female ferry pilots of the Air Transport Auxiliary who delivered the aircraft to squadrons in WW2. She's flying a North American Harvard and Beech Staggerwing at the Imperial War Museum Duxford's Autumn Air Show. Former football player and manager, Harry Redknapp is the current manager of Queen's Park Rangers. During his long career he also managed Tottenham Hotspur, Portsmouth (twice), Southampton, West Ham and Bournemouth. His autobiography, Always Managing - Harry: My Autobiography, is published by Ebury. Novelist Wilbur Smith was born in northern Rhodesia, now Zambia, in 1933. He trained as a chartered accountant before publishing his first book, When the Lion Feeds, in 1964. He has since written over 30 novels including his latest, Vicious Circle - a thriller set in Africa and the Middle East. He is planning to team up with co-authors on future books to increase his output and boost his American readership. Vicious Circle is published by Pan Macmillan. Alexander Armstrong is a comic actor and presenter and one half of the comedy duo Armstrong and Miller. He presents the quiz show Pointless alongside Richard Osman. Alexander is also performing his Great British Songbook show at the inaugural London Festival of Cabaret with a repertoire ranging from Benjamin Britten to Spandau Ballet's Gold. His new book The 100 Most Pointless Arguments In The World..Solved with Richard Osman is published by Hodder & Stoughton. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets actor Emma Thompson; record breaker Richard Noble OBE; singer-songwriter Linda Thompson and astronomer Dr Paul Abel. Emma Thompson is an actor and screenwriter. She won an Oscar for her role in Howard's End and as screenwriter for Sense and Sensibility. She grew up in a theatrical family - her father Eric Thompson was an actor, director and writer of The Magic Roundabout. In 2012 she wrote The Further Tale of Peter Rabbit to commemorate the 110th anniversary of the publication of Beatrix Potter's The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Her follow-up book The Christmas Tale of Peter Rabbit is published by Frederick Warne. October 4th marks the 30th anniversary of Richard Noble's momentous drive in which he set the world land speed record. Driving Thrust 2, a British jet-propelled car, he reached 633.468 mph. In 1997 he led the team of Thrust SSC which holds the current record. His new project is Bloodhound SSC - a global education initiative which will attempt to break the land speed record again by reaching 1,000 mph in a jet and rocket-powered car. Linda Thompson is a British folk singer, whose new album, Won't Be Long Now, is her first since 2007. Following her divorce from guitarist Richard Thompson in 1982, she spent a decade away from the music scene after suffering from hysterical dysphonia, a form of stage fright. The Grammy-nominated songwriter began to record again in 2002. Won't Be Long Now features collaborations with her son Teddy and a duet with her former husband, Richard. Won't Be Long Now is released on Topic Records. Dr Paul Abel is an astronomer, mathematician and a co-presenter on the BBC's The Sky at Night. He was interested in astronomy from a young age, an enthusiasm fuelled by Sir Patrick Moore with whom he communicated from the age of 12. It was at Sir Patrick's request that Paul joined The Sky at Night team in 2009. His new book, the Stargazer's Notebook, is published by Frances Lincoln. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Jacqui Dankworth is a singer and actor. The daughter of Sir John Dankworth and Dame Cleo Laine, Jacqui recently played a jazz singer in American Lulu, a reworking of Alban Berg's opera. Her new album, Live To Love, features jazz, soul and blues-infused original compositions alongside covers of songs by Wayne Shorter, Johnny Mercer and Donny Hathaway. She is also touring the UK. Live To Love is released on Proper Records. Don Bachardy is a portrait artist and former partner of the writer Christopher Isherwood. They met in California in 1952 and, defying convention, began living as an openly gay couple in an otherwise closeted Hollywood. The Animals is a collection of letters they wrote to each other in their animal guises â€" Dobbin the workhorse (Christopher) and Kitty the white cat (Don). The Animals - Love Letters between Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy is published by Chatto & Windus. Barry Norman is a film critic, writer and broadcaster who presented the BBC's Film Programme from 1972 until 1998. He started out as a gossip columnist for the Daily Sketch and was scriptwriter for the cartoon strip, Flook. In his memoir, See You in the Morning, he writes about his early life and marriage to his late wife Diana. See You in the Morning is published by Doubleday. Alexei Sayle is a comic, novelist and actor who was a central part of the alternative comedy circuit and a star of shows such as The Young Ones and The Comic Strip Presents. He embarks on his first full-length stand-up tour in 17 years.

Libby Purves meets Fred Astaire's daughter, Ava; wildlife cameraman Doug Allan; writer Michael 'Mini' Cooper with filmmaker Franc Roddam and calligrapher Ewan Clayton. Doug Allan is a wildlife photographer and cameraman. Twice winner of the Polar Medal, he's worked on a range of BBC series including Blue Planet, Planet Earth and Frozen Planet. David Attenborough has described him as 'the toughest in the business.' Doug is touring the UK with his personal recollections of filming in some of the most inhospitable places in the world. Michael 'Mini' Cooper is the author of Mini and Me, a book about his life in care and his relationship with filmmaker Franc Roddam. Mini was a troubled child. At nine he set fire to the family home and spent 38 years in and out of jails, secure mental health units and halfway houses. In 1975 Franc directed a BBC documentary featuring 11-year-old Mini which was the start of their enduring friendship. Mini and Me is published by Ziji Publishing. Former monk Ewan Clayton is a calligrapher and professor in design at the University of Sunderland. He is also co-director of the International Research Centre for Calligraphy. His book, The Golden Thread, tells the history of the written word from simple representative shapes to record goods and animals in ancient Egypt to drop-down menus on a macbook Pro. The Golden Thread is published by Atlantic Books. Ava Astaire McKenzie is the daughter of Hollywood legend Fred Astaire. She pays tribute to the musical Top Hat which is based on the RKO feature film. The most successful film of the nine RKO movies Astaire and Ginger Rogers made together, Top Hat premiered at the Radio City Musical Hall in 1935. The new stage musical includes Irving Berlin classics from the film such as Cheek to Cheek, Isn't It a Lovely Day to be Caught in the Rain and Top Hat, White Tie and Tails. Top Hat is at London's Aldwych Theatre.

Libby Purves meets Maria Vasquez who fled Pinochet's Chile with her family; former child actor Robert Henrey; survival expert Ray Mears and hip hop artists the Q Brothers. Maria Vasquez came to Britain from Chile as a child with her parents - refugees fleeing General Pinochet's dictatorship. Her father, a supporter of Salvador Allende's government, had been tortured and imprisoned following the 1973 coup. The family settled first in Sheffield and then Rotherham. Maria is the chair of Chile 40 Years On, a London-based group set up to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the coup. The Royal Court Theatre is marking the event with a series of readings by a range of Chilean writers. Robert Henrey was a child actor who was picked out by director Carol Reed to star in his 1948 film The Fallen Idol. Performing alongside Sir Ralph Richardson, Robert played Phillipe, a young boy caught up in an adult world. His memoir, Through Grown Up Eyes, tells of his life from actor to Roman Catholic deacon. Through Grown Up Eyes is published by Polperro Heritage Press. Ray Mears is a woodsman, photographer and survival expert who has travelled the world studying and teaching the art of survival. He has appeared in TV series including World of Survival, Bushcraft Survival and Ray Mear's Goes Walkabout. He also founded Woodlore, The School of Wilderness Bushcraft which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. His autobiography, My Outdoor Life is published by Hodder. The Q Brothers, Gregory and Jeffery Qaiyum, are writers, rappers and directors. Known as GQ and JQ respectively, the brothers are behind a hip hop adaptation of Othello - Othello: The Remix. Their production transposes the original story of betrayal, jealousy and suspicion to the competitive world of the music industry. Othello: The Remix is at London's Unicorn Theatre. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Mariella Frostrup meets children's author Allan Ahlberg; singer Kiki Dee; writer Nigel McCrery and artist Julie Brook. Writer and former teacher Allan Ahlberg is the author of a series of classic children's picture books including Peepo!, Burglar Bill, Each Peach Pear Plum, and the Jolly Postman. The books were illustrated by his late wife Janet. In his new memoir he writes about his own childhood, growing up in the Black Country in the 1940s. The Bucket - Memories of an Inattentive Childhood is published by Viking. Kiki Dee - born Pauline Matthews - is celebrating 50 years in the music business with a new album. Best remembered for the 1976 hit with Elton John, Don't Go Breaking My Heart, she was the first white British woman to be signed by Tamla Motown in 1970. Her new album A Place Where I can Go with Carmelo Luggeri is released on Spellbound Recordings. Nigel McCrery is a former policeman and the creator of BBC television series Silent Witness and New Tricks. His new book, Silent Witnesses - A History of Forensic Science traces the development of scientific discoveries in criminal detection from fingerprinting to DNA. Silent Witnesses - A History of Forensic Science is published by Random House. Julie Brook is a landscape artist. She takes inspiration for her drawings, paintings and sculptures from inhospitable and remote areas where she spends long stretches of time - often alone. Her latest exhibition Made, unmade features film of her at work digging and moving rocks and stones in the deserts of Libya and Namibia. Made, unmade is at the Wapping Hydraulic Power Station.

Libby Purves meets playwright Mark Ravenhill; former nun turned midwife Eleanor Stewart; spoon maker Barnaby Carder and photographer Stuart Griffiths Playwright and writer in residence at the RSC, Mark Ravenhill has written a new version of Voltaire's classic novel Candide. Ravenhill describes his new play as a response to Voltaire's tale rather than a straight adaptation. Featuring a character called the Dramatist, based on himself, Ravenhill asks the question: Is it possible to be an optimist in today's world? Candide is at the Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon. Eleanor Stewart is a former novice nun who became a midwife. At 18 she began her religious training in France in the early 1960s, leaving behind family and friends in the grip of Beatlemania. After a brief stint as a teacher, she found her vocation in nursing, eventually leaving the convent to become a midwife. She tells her story in Kicking the Habit - From Convent to Casualty in 1960s Liverpool, published by Lion Hudson. Barnaby Carder, known as Barn The Spoon, makes wooden spoons which he sells in his East London shop. After being apprenticed to a furniture maker, he spent three years travelling around forests - sleeping among the trees and carving spoons from their wood. A passionate advocate for the beauty of spoons and the craft of wood carving, he named his shop after himself - Barn the Spoon. Stuart Griffiths is a photographer, writer and lecturer. He began using a camera while serving in the Parachute Regiment in Northern Ireland during the late 80s and early 90s. With his instamatic camera, he documented the everyday reality of the war he experienced - violent riots, the aftermath of bombings and shootings and the gallows humour among soldiers. His book Pigs' Disco is published by Ditto Press. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets actor and comedian Roy Hudd; writer David Harris-Gershon; community reform campaigner Baroness Helen Newlove and cruise ship chaplain Reverend Colin Still. Roy Hudd OBE is an actor, comedian and president of the British Music Hall Society. He narrates a film, Variety of Memories, about Brinsworth House - a nursing home for retired variety performers. Variety of Memories will be screened at Wilton's Music Hall in London as part of celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the British Music Hall Society. Helen Newlove, now Baroness Newlove of Warrington, is a community reform campaigner. Her late husband Garry Newlove was attacked and killed outside their home in Warrington by a gang of youths in 2007. Since his death, she has fought against anti-social behaviour and for the rights of victims and witnesses. In 2010 she took her seat in the House of Lords and later she was appointed Victims Commissioner by Prime Minister David Cameron. Her book, It Could Happen to You, is published by Mainstream Publishing. David Harris-Gershon is a columnist and writer. In the summer of 2002, during historic ceasefire negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians, a bomb was detonated in a cafeteria at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. The blast left David's wife with severe injuries and killed two of the friends who were with her. The experience sent David on a psychological journey which eventually led him to the family home of the man responsible. What Do You Buy the Children of the Terrorist who Tried to Kill Your Wife is published by One World Publications. Reverend Colin Still is a retired Anglican vicar who travels the world as a cruise ship chaplain with the Mission to Seafarers charity. He was recently the focus of a BBC documentary series, The Cruise, in which he travelled on the Balmoral on a 112-day world cruise with 1,700 passengers and crew, taking ninety-two services along the way. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets circus performers Alain and Antoine Carabinier; former police officer James Bannon; pianist James Rhodes and fashion designer Zandra Rhodes. Father and son Alain and Antoine Carabinier are members of Cirque Alfonse, a Canadian company which was formed in Quebec. They are performing at London's Southbank Centre in their show, Timber!, which is inspired by the remote forests where the family is based. Highlights of the show include axe juggling and stunts with lumberjack saws all set to traditional music from Quebec. Timber! is at Southbank Centre, London. James Bannon is a former police officer who went undercover as a hooligan to infiltrate Millwall Football Club back in the late Eighties. His book, Running with the Firm, tells of his experiences inside one of English football's most brutal and fearless gangs. He has since gone on to become an actor and a stand-up comedian. Running With The Firm is published by Ebury. James Rhodes is a classical pianist who has made a name for himself by performing in non-traditional classical venues. For a Channel 4 documentary, Notes from the Inside, he takes his piano into a psychiatric hospital, where he spent time himself, to perform for the patients. Notes from the Inside is part of Mad4Music, a classical music season on Channel 4. He is also playing at the Latitude Festival and at London's Soho Theatre. Zandra Rhodes is one of Britain's best-known fashion designers who helped put London at the forefront of the international fashion scene in the 1970s. To celebrate ten years of London's Fashion and Textile Museum - which she founded - she has created a new exhibition, Unseen. Through sketches, designs and garments, the exhibition shows how she has experimented with colour, print and fabric - as well as with her own image - over the last fifty years. Producer: Annette Wells.

Libby Purves meets singer Natalie Cole; actor Joan Shepard; columnist Liz Jones and comedian Tom Wrigglesworth. Natalie Cole is the multi Grammy award-winning singer/songwriter and daughter of Nat King Cole. Her new album, Natalie Cole en Español, is recorded entirely in Spanish and features duets with her father and siblings. The album is a tribute to her late father, who recorded three albums in Spanish, and her own love of the region's music and culture. Natalie Cole en Español is released on Decca Records Veteran actor Joan Shepard is celebrating 73 years in show business this year. She was born in London and brought up in New York. She made her debut on Broadway at the age of seven, having been spotted in the crowd by Sir Laurence Olivier. She went on to work with Tallulah Bankhead, Quentin Crisp and Lenny Bruce. Confessions of an Old Lady #2 is at St James Theatre, London and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival at Fingers Piano Bar. Liz Jones is fashion editor and columnist for the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday. Columnist of the Year in 2012, her copy features intimate details of her personal life and the lives of her friends and family. Her sharp observations about women in particular have caused rifts with several celebrities. Her autobiography Girl Least Likely to - 30 years of Fashion, Fasting and Fleet Street reveals details of her anorexia, sexual encounters and experiences of cosmetic surgery. Girl Least Likely to - 30 years of Fashion, Fasting and Fleet Street is published by Simon and Schuster Tom Wrigglesworth is a comedian and a regular performer and presenter on BBC Radio 4. He won a Sony Radio award in 2011. His show Tom Wrigglesworth: Utterly at Odds with the Universe is partly a celebration of his grandfather and partly his take on our throwaway society. Tom Wrigglesworth: Utterly at Odds with the Universe is at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival at the Pleasance Courtyard.

Libby Purves meets James Bowen who befriended Bob the cat; author Mary Sheepshanks; surgeon Dr Gino Strada and Ty Jeffries, also known as cabaret star Miss Hope Springs. James Bowen is a street musician and former heroin addict who found Bob the cat in 2007. Bob was badly injured and James nursed him back to health. The pair have been inseparable ever since and Bob helped James recover from drug addiction. The World According to Bob is published by Hodder & Stoughton. Mary Sheepshanks is a poet and author who published her first novel when she was in her sixties. She was brought up at Eton College where her father was a housemaster. At 21 she married the head of a prep school, becoming responsible for the welfare of the staff and 80 boys. Her book, Wild Writing Granny, is published by Stone Trough Books. Dr Gino Strada is an Italian surgeon who co-founded Emergency, an NGO which provides free medical and surgical treatment to victims of war and poverty. The charity operates in a range of war-torn countries including Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan, Sierra Leone and Cambodia. Dr Strada is in London to speak at Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church. Ex-Las Vegas showgirl, pianist and nightclub singer Miss Hope Springs is the creation of composer and lyricist Ty Jeffries. Ty is the son of the late actor and director Lionel Jeffries. He spent his formative years in Hollywood where his father had moved to work on the film Camelot. Family friend Fred Astaire taught Ty to tap dance down Sunset Boulevard. Miss Hope Springs performs every Sunday at The Crazy Coqs Cabaret room, Brasserie Zedel, in London's Piccadilly. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets pig farmer Tracy Mackness, former state defender turned art dealer Rhonda Long Sharp, writer Elisa Seagrave and artist George Butler. Tracy Mackness worked on her dad's stall in Romford market but fell in with the wrong crowd, fraternising with gangsters and the Essex criminal underworld. She was eventually convicted of conspiracy to supply cannabis and was sentenced to ten years in prison. She worked on the prison farm, and now runs her own business breeding pigs and selling sausages at farmers' markets around the UK. Her book, Jail Bird - The Life and Crimes of an Essex Bad Girl is published by Simon & Schuster. Rhonda Long Sharp was a chief deputy state defender for twenty-five years in Indiana, working with prisoners on death row. She is now an art dealer, who set up the Indy Contemporary and Modern Masters Fine Art and Brokerage companies, specialising in well-known artists such as Picasso, Warhol and Dali, as well as local Indianapolis based artists. She will be at the Masterpiece London 2013 art fair at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, London. Elisa Segrave is an author and writer. Her book, The Girl From Station X, is based on her late mother's diaries in which she discovered a very different woman from the one she knew. The diaries started in childhood and dealt with marriage, the loss of a son and her wartime experiences as a code-breaker at Bletchley Park. The Girl From Station X - My Mother's Unknown Life is published by Union Books. George Butler is an artist and illustrator who captures such diverse subjects as the oil fields of Azerbaijan, soldiers in Afghanistan, the G20 riots and the New York Fire Department. Last year he went to Syria to draw the civil war damaged town of Azaz and went on to win the V&A Illustration Award for this work. An exhibition of his work - A Year of Drawing - will be at the Illustration Cupboard Gallery in London. Producer: Annette Wells.

Libby Purves meets film-maker Claire Belhassine, photojournalist Paul Conroy, entrepreneur Douglas Villiers and composer Errollyn Wallen. Claire Belhassine is a British/Tunisian filmmaker whose documentary film, Papa Hedi tells the story of her grandfather Hedi Jouini, whom she discovered was the Frank Sinatra of the Arab world. When he died in 1990 he was considered to be one of the significant Arabic composers of the 20th century. Papa Hedi is being shown as part of the 2013 London Shubbak Festival. Paul Conroy is a former soldier turned photojournalist who was with war correspondent Marie Colvin when she was killed in Syria in 2012. He survived five terrifying days with serious wounds sustained during the shelling, and his eventual escape was via a tunnel under the city. His book Under the Wire - Marie Colvin's Final Assignment is published by Quercus. Douglas Villiers is an entrepreneur, property developer, artist, adventurer and film producer. One of his first ventures was to open the first disco in London back in 1959 - La Discotheque - and one of the first legal casinos. His book, It's Only Rock 'n' Roll - My Unconventional Life is published by Book Guild Publishing. Errollyn Wallen MBE is a composer and musician who recently won the Ivor Novello Award for Classical Music. She has written eleven operas including The Silent Twins about the love-hate relationship of black twin girls and last year composed two pieces for the Paralympic opening ceremony. She is performing at the Wapping Hydraulic Power Station and her work is also currently featured in an installation there entitled Memory, Reflection and the Passing of Time. Producer: Annette Wells.

Mariella Frostrup meets Ruby Wax; mathematician Marcus du Sautoy; writer Wendy Law-Yone and Ian Martin of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. Marcus du Sautoy is the Charles Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science and a Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford. He presents a new series on BBC4, Precision: The Measure of All Things, which explores the history of numerical exactness in our world and how precision has come to rule our lives. Precision: The Measure of All Things is on BBC4 at 9pm. Ruby Wax is a comedian, actress and mental health campaigner. In her book, Sane New World: Taming the Mind, she demonstrates how our minds can send us mad and how we can rewire our thinking to cope with a frenetic world. Sane New World: Taming the Mind is published by Hodder & Stoughton. Author Wendy Law-Yone was born and brought up in Burma before fleeing the country at the age of twenty. Her book Golden Parasol: A Daughter's Memoir Of Burma tells the story of her father, the proprietor of The Nation newspaper, who spent five years as a political prisoner. Golden Parasol: A Daughter's Memoir of Burma is published by Chatto & Windus. Ian Martin is general manager of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. D'Oyly Carte has returned to the stage after lack of funds forced it to stop performances in 2003. Following a rebate from the taxman, the company has made its triumphant return with Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta, The Pirates of Penzance. The show, produced in association with Scottish Opera, is on tour. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets musician and broadcaster Cerys Matthews; Eve Branson, mother of Sir Richard; Margaret and Barry Mizen and actor and writer Emma Decent. Cerys Matthews is a musician, broadcaster and author. Her book, Hook, Line and Singer, is a compilation of family songs with their history and tips on how they should be sung. Hook, Line and Singer is published by Particular Books. She is also appearing at the MBNA Chester Music Festival and is taking part in the 6 Music Prom at the Royal Albert Hall. Eve Branson, Sir Richard's mum, trained as a ballet dancer before enlisting in the Women's Royal Navy Service as a signaller. After the war she became a 'Star Girl' air hostess on British South American Airways. She writes of this adventurous life in her memoir, Mum's The Word - The High Flying Adventures of Eve Branson, published by Author House. Margaret and Barry Mizen are the parents of 16-year-old Jimmy Mizen who was killed during an attack in a bakery five years ago. Since his death Margaret and Barry have dedicated their lives to helping young people play a positive role in their community through The Jimmy Mizen Foundation. The book, Jimmy - A Legacy of Peace, written by Margaret with Justin Butcher, is published by Lion Hudson. Emma Decent is a writer and actor. Her play, Beyond Dreams of Aberystwyth, tells the story of her father's secret past. After his death in 2009 Emma discovered she had a half-sister she knew nothing about. She wrote the play to discover why her father made the decision to abandon his daughter. Beyond Dreams of Aberystwyth is on at Hebden Bridge Little Theatre and the Greenbelt Festival, Cheltenham.

Libby Purves meets Jimmy Connors; Damian Barr; Jonathan Miller and Natalie Coleman. During a colourful and successful career tennis player Jimmy Connors won eight Grand Slam titles including Wimbledon twice, the US Open and the Australian Open. Taught to play by his mother, he was known for his brattish and vulgar behaviour and for his rivalries with the likes of McEnroe, Borg and Lendl. His autobiography The Outsider is published by Bantam Press. Damian Barr is a writer and journalist. His memoir Maggie and Me is about surviving a tough upbringing in Thatcher's Britain. Growing up gay within a chaotic - and at times brutal - family environment, Damian was an isolated and unhappy youngster. But by following Margaret Thatcher's advice to work hard and strive for better, he was able to plan his escape. Maggie and Me is published by Bloomsbury. Dr Jonathan Miller is an author, director, conductor, comedian and neuropsychologist. He is currently directing Rutherford & Son by Githa Sowerby. The play is a powerful drama about a northern industrial family headed by a domineering, single-minded father. Rutherford & Son is at St. James Theatre, London. Natalie Coleman is the winner of BBC Masterchef 2013. She battled her way from 50 contestants to take the crown, winning with a dish of roast pork belly served with a quail scotch egg. The former credit controller - who was taught to cook by her grandmother - tried out her Masterchef dishes on her grandfather. She is appearing at the BBC Good Food Show. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets actor and comedian Hugh Dennis; David Watson, a chorister at the Queen's Coronation; campaigner Carol Highton and author Liz Trenow. Former journalist Liz Trenow comes from a family of silk weavers. Her first novel, The Last Telegram, is set in a silk mill during World War II and draws on her own 300-year-old family history. The Last Telegram is published by Harper Collins. Hugh Dennis is an actor and comedian. He is best known for BBC Radio 4's The Now Show, satirical panel show Mock the Week and BBC sit-com Outnumbered. His book, Britty Britty Bang Bang, explores the changing image of Britain and Britishness. Britty Britty Bang Bang - One Man's Attempt to Understand His Country is published by Headline. In 2005 Carol Highton's son Brian Shields took his own life as a result of spiralling debts to a loan shark. The loan shark was convicted and is currently serving a long prison sentence. Following her son's death, Carol set up The Brian Shields Trust to help others in a similar situation. As a result of her campaigning work Carol was awarded an MBE which she received from Buckingham Palace this week. David Watson was one of three solo choristers who sang at the Queen's Coronation in 1953. His singing talent was recognised early on and at eight he was accepted into the Westminster Abbey choir. He went on to become a Hollywood actor, appearing in Rawhide and Planet of the Apes, and is now a theatrical agent. He features in the documentary Choristers of the Coronation on BBC Radio 4.

Libby Purves meets cook and entrepreneur Levi Roots; Edwin Apps, actor and writer; Lydia Corbett, artist and former muse of Picasso and Don Ward, co-founder of the Comedy Store. Levi Roots is a cook, entrepreneur and musician. Born in Jamaica, he developed his signature sauce from his kitchen in Brixton, south London, selling it out of a bag on his back. He came to fame on the TV series Dragons' Den when he won backing for his Reggae Reggae Sauce brand. His new book, Grill It With Levi - 101 Reggae Recipes For Sunshine and Soul, is published by Ebury. Edwin Apps is a writer, actor and artist who, with his wife Pauline Devaney, created the popular TV comedy series All Gas and Gaiters about life in the Church of England. Now a painter, he is known for his paintings of bishops in unconventional situations. His memoir, Pursued by Bishops, is published by Durand Peyroles. His first UK art exhibition, also called Pursued by Bishops, is at the Parish Church of Saints Peter & Paul in Tonbridge, Kent. Lydia Corbett is an artist. As a young girl she posed for Picasso - when her name was Sylvette David - in more than 40 Girl With A Ponytail portraits. An exhibition called Sylvette: Picasso and The Model is showing at the Kunsthalle Bremen museum in Germany next year and the Francis Kyle Gallery is holding an exhibition of Lydia's own work early in 2014. Don Ward is the CEO of The Comedy Store which he co-founded in 1979 in London's Soho. The company now has clubs in Manchester and Mumbai. He started out as a stand-up himself, hosting rock-n'-roll road shows with the stars of the day including Cliff Richard, Marty Wilde, and Billy Fury. He is also co-executive producer of the The Comedy Store series for Paramount Comedy Channel.

Libby Purves meets engineer and performer Professor Brendan Walker; former Home Secretary Alan Johnson MP; blues musician Johnny Mars and actor and campaigner Amanda Waring. Professor Brendan Walker is an aeronautical engineer and TV presenter. He is known as the Renaissance Showman for his technology-inspired performances and has been dubbed 'the world's only thrill engineer.' In his new four-part series for Channel 4 he examines recent aviation incidents and near misses to discover what they tell us about safety in the sky. Alan Johnson MP was general secretary of the Communication Workers Union before entering Parliament as Labour MP for Hull West and Hessle in 1997. He went on to serve as Health Secretary, Education Secretary and Home Secretary, a post he held from June 2009 to May 2010. He was Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer until his resignation in 2011. His book, This Boy - A Memoir of a Childhood, is published by Bantam Press. Johnny Mars is a blues singer and harmonica player. Born into a sharecropping family in the Deep South, he formed his first band in 1957 and performed at Woodstock. During his career he has played on the same bill as Jimi Hendrix and BB King. He is now involved in a music mentoring scheme called 'Dare to Dream'. He is playing alongside other musicians for the Clod Ensemble who are performing their show Zero at the Brighton Festival and Sadler's Wells. Amanda Waring is the daughter of actor Dorothy Tutin. She is an actor herself and also a campaigner for dignity and compassion in care. She is appearing in her one woman show, For the Love of Chocolate, at the Festival of Chichester. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets actor Brian Cox; adventurer Jason Lewis; artist Adela Jusic and singer June Tabor. Actor Brian Cox has performed in the West End, on Broadway, at the National Theatre and the Royal Court. He is currently playing Jack in Conor McPherson's The Weir at the Donmar Warehouse. Brian joined Dundee Rep as a young man and since then has carved out a successful theatre and Hollywood career - his films include Manhunter, The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy and Coriolanus. The Weir is at the Donmar Warehouse. Jason Lewis is an adventurer who became the first person to circumnavigate the earth using human power. His journey took over 13 years, starting in 1994 and finishing in 2007. Using only the power of his body he travelled 46,505 miles across five continents, two oceans and one sea. His book, The Expedition - Dark Waters, is the first in a trilogy about his experiences and is published by Billy Fish Books. Adela Jusic is a Bosnian artist whose work is part of Conflicted Memory, a show featuring eight female artists who have experienced life in conflict zones. Born in Sarajevo, Adela's work is inspired by her father who was a sniper in the Bosnian army and was himself killed by a sniper's bullet. Conflicted Memory is at the Alan Cristea Gallery in London. June Tabor is widely recognised as one of Britain's leading folk singers. Her style straddles folk and jazz and she often sings unaccompanied. At last year's Radio 2 Folk Awards she won Singer of the Year and, with the Oysterband, she also picked up best group and best album. Her latest band and album - both called Quercus - feature Iain Bellamy on saxophone and Huw Warren on piano. Quercus is released on ECM records and the band are performing at the Salisbury Festival. Producer: Paula Mcginley.

Libby Purves meets shoe designer Marc Hare; filmmaker Leslie Woodhead; choreographer Kate Prince and Howard Raymond, son of Paul - the King of Soho. Shoe designer Marc Hare is known for his stylish handcrafted shoes. His creations are worn by some of the world's most fashionable men including Robert Downey Jr, Javier Bardem and Tinie Tempah. He opened his first shop in London last year and is taking part in The Secret Meaning of Shoes,a talk examining how and why shoes have become such a fetishised commodity. The Secret Meaning of Shoes is part of a series called 37 Things You Need to Know About Modern Britain at The House of St Barnabas, in London. Leslie Woodhead OBE is a documentary maker. He shot the first TV footage of the Beatles performing at the Cavern Club in 1962 and has won many awards for his work. His book, How The Beatles Rocked The Kremlin, tells the story of how the band's music galvanised young Soviets to challenge the communist regime. How The Beatles Rocked The Kremlin - The Untold Story of a Noisy Revolution is published by Bloomsbury. Choreographer Kate Prince is founder and artistic director of dance company ZooNation. Their production of Some Like It Hip Hop has just returned to Sadler's Wells. Referencing Billy Wilder's film and Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, the comical tale of love, mistaken identity and cross-dressing is played out in their trademark style of hip hop, comedy and physical theatre. Some Like it Hip Hop is at the Peacock Theatre. Howard Raymond is the son of Paul Raymond who launched Raymond's Revuebar in London's Soho in 1958. Paul Raymond went on to build up a property empire and publish adult magazines such as Men Only, Mayfair, and Razzle. Howard is an adviser on a forthcoming film about his father called the King of Soho.

Libby Purves meets sailor Matt Rutherford; Matthew Du Aime, son of writer William Wharton; Charlie and Louise Mortimer who have published their father's letters written to them over the course of 25 years and cartoonist Bill Stott. Matt Rutherford is a sailor whose life as a troubled adolescent was turned around by the sport. In 2011 he set off on a solo navigation of the Americas in his boat 'Saint Brendan' which he completed in 309 days. During this epic journey of more than 25,000 miles he faced numerous trials and lost most of his trousers along the way. He is in London to receive the Jester award from the Ocean Cruising Club (OCC) for outstanding contribution to the art of single-handed sailing. Matthew Du Aime is the son of the late writer and painter William Wharton whose memoir, Shrapnel: Tales Not Told, is a frank summary of his experiences in World War Two. Wharton, the author of Birdy and A Midnight Clear, chose not to burden his children with these painful memories, preferring to write about them later in life. Shrapnel: Tales Not Told is published by The Friday Project. Charlie and Louise Mortimer's father Roger, a former racing correspondent, wrote letters to his children spanning 25 years. Dear Lupin featured the letters from Roger to his son and Dear Lumpy is the sequel, from Roger to Louise - affectionately known as Lumpy. Dear Lupin: Letters to a Wayward Son and Dear Lumpy: Letters to a Disobedient Daughter are published by Constable & Robinson. Cartoonist Bill Stott initially worked as a teacher in Liverpool where he built up a successful career as a cartoonist. His work was first published in the late 1970s in Punch and has since appeared in a wide range of publications from The Automobile, Classic Car Buyer and Yachting Monthly to Saga Magazine, Philosophy Now and Railway Modeller. He is appearing at the 10th Shrewsbury International Cartoon Festival. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets nature writer Richard Mabey; Gladys Hudgell and Eva Rodwell who worked at the Tate & Lyle sugar factory in East London; software programmer turned author Ellen Ullman; and artist Pedro Reyes. Richard Mabey is a nature writer. He is the author of some thirty books including Food for Free, Weeds and Nature Cure which was shortlisted for the Whitbread prize. In his new book, Turned Out Nice Again, he weaves together science, art and memory to illuminate our pre-occupation with the weather. Turned Out Nice Again - Living with the Weather is published by Profile Books. Gladys Hudgell and Eva Rodwell worked at the Tate and Lyle factory in East London in the early fifties. Girls who worked there were known as 'sugar girls'. The Sugar Girls - Tales of Hardship, Love and Happiness in Tate and Lyle's East End,is published by Harper Collins. The exhibition Sugar Girls: Working Women of Newham is currently on tour. Ellen Ullman is a former software programmer turned author. Her memoir, Close To The Machine, tells of her life as a software programmer in San Francisco during the formative years of Silicon Valley. Close To The Machine is published by Pushkin Press. Her latest novel, By Blood, is published by Pushkin Press. Pedro Reyes is a Mexican artist whose new show, Disarm, highlights the drug and gun crime crisis in Mexico. He transforms firearms, confiscated by the Mexican government, into an orchestra of fully-workable musical instruments. He has collaborated with John Coxon of Spiritualized to create a limited edition vinyl record as part of his installation. Disarm is at the Lisson Gallery, Bell Street, London NW1. Producer: Annette Wells.

Libby Purves meets amateur scientist Ruth Brooks; interior designer Nicky Haslam; tax adviser Kieran Holmes and composer and producer Nitin Sawhney. Ruth Brooks is a former teacher turned amateur scientist. In 2010 she won Radio 4's So You Want to be a Scientist competition with her quest to discover whether snails have a homing instinct. Her book A Slow Passion: Snails, My Garden and Me tells of her scientific journey. A Slow Passion - Snails, My Garden and Me is published by Bloomsbury. Nicky Haslam is an interior designer whose clients have included Mick Jagger; Rupert Everett and Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber. His new book Folly de Grandeur celebrates his country home, a former Tudor hunting lodge in Hampshire. Folly de Grandeur - Romance and Revival in an English Country House is published by Jacqui Small Books. Kieran Holmes is an Irish tax adviser who currently heads Burundi's revenue authority - the Office Burundais des Recettes. Since his appointment in 2010 he has tackled the country's corrupt tax system and helped it move towards greater economic self-sufficiency. He has also worked in Lesotho, Yemen and Swaziland. Nitin Sawhney is a producer, composer, DJ and multi-instrumentalist. A Mercury Music Prize nominee and MOBO winner, he has collaborated with a range of musicians including Sting; Paul McCartney; Taio Cruz and Anoushka Shankar. His Radio 2 series, Nitin Sawhney Spins the Globe, celebrates sounds from around the world. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets Dr Kevin Fong; Lin Jammet, son of artist Dame Elisabeth Frink; actor Leslie Jordan; and chef Wolfgang Puck. Dr Kevin Fong is a consultant anaesthetist at University College Hospital, London. His career has included working with NASA on the effect of zero gravity on the human body and being part of an emergency response team in a hospital trauma unit. In his book Extremes - Life, Death and the Limits of the Human Body, he draws on these experiences to explore how the body responds to extremes of heat, cold, disease and trauma. Extremes - Life, Death and the Limits of the Human Body is published by Hodder & Stoughton. Lin Jammet is the only child of British artist Dame Elisabeth Frink. The Lightbox in Woking is marking the 20th anniversary of her death with the first major retrospective for more than 25 years. The exhibition features a number of personal items such as the tools she used to create her sculptures. A new edition of Elisabeth Frink Catalogue Raisonne of Sculpture 1947-93 is published by Lund Humphries. Wolfgang Puck is the chef and founder of Cut at 45 Park Lane. Born in Austria, Wolfgang was taught to cook by his mother and began his formal training at14. He opened his flagship restaurant Spago in Los Angeles in 1982, becoming one of the country's first celebrity chefs. For several years he has been the culinary mastermind behind the annual Academy Awards dinner. Actor and raconteur Leslie Jordan brings his new one-man show Fruit Fly to London. In the show he asks: "Do gay men really become their Mothers?" and tells of how his own mother, Miss Peggy Sue, continues to inspire him today. The show also relates his colourful life and experiences growing up gay in America's Deep South. Fruit Fly is at the Leicester Square Theatre. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets escapologist Jonathan Goodwin; artist Simone Sandelson; jazz singer Curtis Stigers and gardener Christine Walkden. Jonathan Goodwin is an escapologist whose feats are inspired by vaudeville showmen and escape artists such as Harry Houdini and Charles Blondin, the high-wire walker. In his new TV series, 'The Incredible Mr Goodwin', Jonathan attempts a series of stunts from beating a bear trap to climbing one of London's tallest buildings - unaided. The Incredible Mr Goodwin is on Watch at 9pm. Simone Sandelson is an artist who fought for a reprieve for Jack Alderman, the longest serving prisoner on death row until his execution in 2008. Her new exhibition, 'Behind the Picture', stems directly from her campaigning work and personal experiences. The show features paintings inspired by objects including her correspondence with Jack Alderman and provisions abandoned at the Antarctica British Survey Base camp over 50 years ago. Behind the Picture is at the Crane Kalman Gallery in London. Curtis Stigers is a jazz vocalist, saxophonist, guitarist and songwriter. After a major pop career with hits including 'I Wonder Why' and 'You're All That Matters To Me', he reinvented himself as a jazz singer. His new album is called 'Let's Go Out Tonight' and his 'Up Close & Personal' acoustic tour celebrates both his jazz and pop career. Let's Go Out Tonight is on the Concord label. Christine Walkden is a gardener, author and broadcaster. She has been a horticulturist since the age of ten when she obtained her first allotment. She travels widely to track down new plant species including Iran, Kashmir, China, Mexico, Chile and South Africa. Her new book 'Christine Walkden's No-Nonsense Container Gardening'is published by Simon & Schuster. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets Will Moult, a Romanian orphan who was adopted by a British couple after the fall of the Ceausescu regime; actor Diana Quick; theatre director Cal McCrystal and sculptor Nic Fiddian-Green. Will Moult was adopted by a British couple in 1990 after the fall of the Ceausescu regime in Romania. More than 20 years later he returns to the country in search of his birth mother for an ITV1 documentary, From Romania with Love. Actor Diana Quick is appearing in Richard Greenberg's The American Plan at the Theatre Royal Bath. Diana's repertoire ranges from Troilus and Cressida to The Threepenny Opera. She has also curated the Aldeburgh Documentary Festival. The American Plan is at The Ustinov Studio, Theatre Royal Bath. Cal McCrystal is directing Alan Ayckbourn's Mr Whatnot at the Royal & Derngate Theatre in Northampton. He is a physical comedy specialist who worked on One Man, Two Guvnors and the Sacha Baron Cohen film The Dictator. A former clown, he also works with physical theatre company Spymonkey and Cirque du Soleil. Mr Whatnot is at the Royal & Derngate, Northampton. Nic Fiddian-Green is a sculptor known for his equine sculptures, notably his striking head of a drinking horse at Marble Arch - a permanent work of art for London. His latest work, Christ Rests In Peace, is a continuation of his quest to create the face of Christ. It is an 8 foot head of Jesus cast in lead with the crown of thorns and finished in gold leaf. The sculpture is on display at Southwark Cathedral in London during Lent and Holy Week. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets poet and playwright Owen Sheers; Stephen Grady, a former member of the French Resistance; musical star Michael Ball and brewer Ffion Jones. Owen Sheers is a poet, author and playwright. In 2012 he spent a year as artist-in-residence for the Welsh Rugby Union. His book, Calon - A Journey to the Heart of Welsh Rugby, uses his unprecedented access to players and coaching staff to discover what drives a Welsh rugby player. Calon - A Journey to the Heart of Welsh Rugby is published by Faber and Faber. Stephen Grady was 14 and living in Northern France when the Second World War began. His English father worked for the Imperial War Graves Commission. At 16, Stephen was recruited by the French Resistance and took part in a series of daring missions for which he was later awarded the Croix de Guerre. His memoir, Gardens of Stone - My boyhood in the French Resistance, is published by Hodder and Stoughton. Michael Ball is one of Britain's leading musical stars in the West End and on Broadway. He recently appeared in the title role of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street. He donned a fat suit to play Edna Turnbald in Hairspray for which he won a Laurence Olivier Award. His new album Both Sides Now is released on Union Square Music. Ffion Jones has just been appointed the first female brewer at SA Brain brewery in Cardiff. The company was founded by Samuel Arthur Brain and his uncle Joseph Benjamin Brain in 1882. After passing her exams earlier this year, Ffion has just brewed her first beer - a braggot flavoured with honey and spices. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Tenor Toby Spence has performed with the Royal Opera in Covent Garden; the Metropolitan Opera; the English National Opera and the Hamburg Opera. In 2012 he was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, returning to singing later that year. He will appear at the Royal Opera House as the Earl of Essex in a new production of Benjamin Britten's 'Gloriana' in June. With his brother he is producing the Wardsbrook Concerts, a new song recital series, at Ticehurst in East Sussex later this year. Photographer Sonia Audhali's exhibition, 'Little Yemen', captures rare images of the Yemeni community in the West Midlands. It's a collection of photographs showing life in the home, at work, during prayer and at leisure. Sonia's identity as both British and Yemeni influences her approach to celebrating a dual heritage. 'Little Yemen' is at mac Birmingham. Andrew Solomon is a writer and lecturer on politics, culture and psychology. For his book 'Far From the Tree - A Dozen Kinds of Love' Andrew spoke to 200 families to explore the differences between parents and their children. The book recounts the experiences of parents whose children have a disability or a mental illness, those born out of rape and those who commit crimes. Drawing on his experience as a gay man of straight parents, the book is a tribute to the unconditional love of parents for their children. 'Far From the Tree - A Dozen Kinds of Love is published by Chatto & Windus. Esther Woolfson's book 'Field Notes from a Hidden City - An Urban Nature Diary' is a record of a year spent observing the natural world from her window in Aberdeen. Esther writes about the animals who live among us - the birds; the rats and squirrels; the spiders and the insects. 'Field Notes from a Hidden City' is published by Granta. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Psychologist Dr Bertolt Meyer is the presenter of a Channel 4 documentary, How To Build A Bionic Man. In the programme Bertolt, who was born without a left hand, meets scientists who are developing advanced prosthetic arms and legs, as well as artificial eyes, hearts and lungs and even hybrids between computer chips and living brains. Bertolt has had a prosthetic hand since childhood and believes science is moving so fast that it's time to ask ethical questions about just how far this new technology could go. 'How To Build A Bionic Man' is broadcast on Channel 4. Ronald 'Trader' Faulkner is an actor who has worked with a range of performers including Sir John Gielgud; Noel Coward; the Oliviers and his friend and mentor Peter Finch. Born in Australia - his father was a silent film star and his mother a ballerina - Trader came to London in the Fifties. Alongside his acting, Trader also mastered flamenco and was awarded the Spanish Order of Merit for his contribution to the spreading of Spanish culture through the arts. His memoir 'Inside Trader' is published by Quartet Books. For the last 20 years Scott Albrecht and his wife Maria have welcomed over 300 homeless people into their home. Some of these people arrived straight off the streets, others were referred by individuals or agencies. Today the family - the Albrechts have four children - takes in women and children who have been trafficked or suffered abuse in their own countries. Jessica Fox is a writer who left behind her job at NASA in Los Angeles in 2008 to work in a small bookshop on the west coast of Scotland. She didn't head to Scotland looking for love but found it in the shape of the bookshop owner. Her deepening love for the bookshop owner and Scotland is recounted in her book 'Three Things You Need To Know About Rockets', published by Short Books. Producer: Paula McGinley.

In 2004 Rob Forkan and his three siblings lost their parents in the tsunami in Sri Lanka and narrowly escaped death themselves. Penniless, hungry and without documents it took the children a week to hitchhike 200km before they were able to return to Britain. Rob and his brother Paul have now set up a footwear business selling flip flops. A portion of their profits will go towards their 'Orphans for Orphans' initiative which supports a school in India. In 2014, the 10th anniversary of the tsunami, they are hoping to set up a children's home in India as a memorial to their parents. Sir Michael Parker is the producer behind over three hundred public events including the Royal Tournament and the Queen's Silver Jubilee celebrations. His new book gives the inside story of the chaos behind some of the events he managed - successfully hidden from spectators and audiences around the world, and often much to the Queen's amusement. His book, 'It's All Going Terribly Wrong - The Accidental Showman' is published by Bene Factum Publishing. Hannah Lowe's debut collection of poems, Chick, is about her late father, a Chinese-Jamaican migrant who disappeared at night to play cards or dice in London's East End. Chick was her father's gambling nickname. After his death Hannah investigated his secret world, visiting the casinos where he played and meeting the men he gambled alongside. Chick is published by Bloodaxe Books. Jimmy Osmond is the youngest member of the Osmond family. He is about to begin a UK tour of 'Boogie Nights The 70s Musical - In Concert' along with brothers Merrill and Jay, performing their hits Crazy Horses and Love Me For A Reason. Boogie Nights The 70s Musical plays 50 dates across the UK. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves looks back over the last decade with guests, writer and broadcaster Peter Snow, theatre director Sir Trevor Nunn, adventurer Debra Searle and paralympian Mike Brace. Peter Snow CBE is a writer and broadcaster. He has presented a number of documentaries with his son Dan including 'Battleplan: The Battle for Alamein' and 'Battlefield Britain'. His book 'When Britain Burned the White House', about the British destruction of US public buildings during the Anglo-American war of 1812, is published next year. Sir Trevor Nunn CBE is a theatre director. He is a former artistic director of both the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre. He has directed some of the most critically acclaimed and popular productions in recent decades. He is currently directing two shows in London's West End, Cole Porter's 'Kiss Me Kate' and Alan Ayckbourn's 'A Chorus of Disapproval'. Kiss Me Kate is at the Old Vic and Chorus of Disapproval is at the Harold Pinter Theatre. Debra Searle MBE is an adventurer, television presenter and is a Trustee of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. In 2001 she set off with her then husband on the Atlantic Rowing Challenge from Tenerife to Barbados. But after only 14 days he withdrew from the race, leaving Debra to finish alone. During the last decade she achieved a new world record in a dragon boat across the English Channel. She also competed in the longest canoe race in the world. Mike Brace CBE is former chairman of the British Paralympic Association and director of Vision 2020UK. He is currently a director of UKAD, the UK's Anti-doping agency for sport. He was in Singapore in 2005 when London won the 2012 Olympic bid. Blinded at 10 in a firework accident, he represented Great Britain at cross-country skiing at six Paralympic Games, three World Championships and two European Championships. Producer: Annette Wells.

Maddy Prior MBE is one of the founding members of Steelye Span - the band credited with bringing folk music into the electronic age and making it commercially successful. Andy Watts is musical director of the Carnival Band which has been performing Christmas carols with Maddy every year for 25 years. Their repertoire features obscure and ancient versions of traditional carols and a different take on more familiar material. 'The Best of Maddy Prior and The Carnival Band - A Christmas Caper'' is released on Park Records Simon Callow CBE is an actor, director and writer who is currently appearing in his one-man show, Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol. A new edition of his biography of Charles Laughton is published this month to mark 50 years since Laughton's death. Simon has a strong association with the work of Charles Dickens and has played the writer on stage, film and television. A Christmas Carol is at the Arts Theatre, London. Eddie Johnson is a former publican and the author of Tales From The Two Puddings, a memoir about his life and career. In 1962 he became licensee of the notorious Two Puddings pub in Stratford, East London. Known as one of London's busiest and most fashionable pubs, it attracted a cast of disparate characters including actors, writers, singers, musicians and infamous gangsters. 'Tales From The Two Puddings' is published by Fifty First State Press. An exhibition of photographs from the book will be on display at the Bishopsgate Institute, London from January. John Lang is a British seafarer who has served both the merchant service and the Royal Navy. In a naval career spanning 33 years he commanded two submarines and a frigate. He retired from the Navy with the rank of Rear Admiral in 1995 and was appointed head of the UK's Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) two years later. His book 'Titanic - a fresh look at the evidence by a former Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents' is published by Seafarer books. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets actor John Lithgow; climber Nick Bullock; Shelby Holmes, who comes from a family of fairground showmen, and David Green, grandson of composer Ignatz Waghalter. Shelby Holmes comes from five generations of fairground showmen and is now studying English at Trinity College, Oxford. Her childhood was filled with stories of her ancestors: her great-great-great-great-grandmother was Ellen Brown, niece of Mr Brown, the close friend of Queen Victoria who entertained the royal children with his travelling animal menagerie. John Lithgow is a Broadway star and Emmy-award-winning television actor. He is currently performing the title role in 'The Magistrate', Arthur Wing Pinero's farce set in Victorian London. Lithgow is a versatile character player whose previous performances range from a transsexual ex-football player in The World According To Garp to an extraterrestrial in 3rd Rock From The Sun. 'The Magistrate' is at the National Theatre, London. Nick Bullock is a climber who was once employed as a prison officer. Working in a maximum-security jail with some of Britain's most notorious criminals, he felt trapped in a world of aggression and fear until he discovered the mountains. His book 'Echoes - One Climber's Hard Road to Freedom' takes him from Pakistan to Peru in his search for a new way to see the world. 'Echoes' is published by Vertebrate Publishing. David Green's Jewish Polish-German grandfather was Ignatz Waghalter, a successful composer who was forced to leave Berlin for the US when the Nazis came to power. After the war Waghalter's music lost its popularity and in 1949 he died in relative obscurity in New York. In 1988 David Green discovered his grandfather's long lost music in the family attic. This missing music has now been recorded by the Royal Philharmonic and violinist Irmina Trynkos. Waghalter's complete violin repertoire is released on Naxos Records. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets silversmith Jocelyn Burton; biographer Michael Holroyd; Strictly Come Dancing judge Bruno Tonioli and memory champion Jonathan Hancock. Jocelyn Burton is an award-winning silversmith, known for her witty and often maverick pieces. She was the first woman to become a freeman of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths and to win the Prince Philip City & Guilds Medal for silversmithing. She is currently celebrating 40 years of her work in an exhibition, 'The Art of Silver,' at the Royal jewellers Bentley & Skinner. Michael Holroyd is the acclaimed biographer of George Bernard Shaw and Lytton Strachey. In his book, 'On Wheels', he traces his relationship with cars through a lifetime of biography. 'On Wheels - Five Easy Pieces' is published by Chatto & Windus. Bruno Tonioli is a dancer-turned-choreographer and TV personality. He is best known as a judge on the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing, and its US version, Dancing With the Stars. In his autobiography, 'My Story', he tells how he escaped the confines of his upbringing in Northern Italy to follow his dreams. 'My Story' is published by Headline. Jonathan Hancock is a primary school teacher and a former World Memory Champion. He devised the National Junior Memory Championships in association with the Learning Schools Foundation. The competition, which takes place next March, uses memory techniques as an aid to learning. He is also the author of several books including 'Brilliant Memory Training'. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets musician Joe Brown; theatre producer Bill Kenwright; artist and taxidermist Katrina van Grouw and writer Liam Carson. Joe Brown MBE is one of the original rock 'n'roll stars to come out of the UK. Over the last five decades he has played guitar with Gene Vincent; Eddie Cochran and Johnny Cash and topped the charts with his band Joe Brown and the Bruvvers. His new album, 'The Ukulele Album', is a tribute to the instrument and includes his version of Pinball Wizard; Mr Blue Sky and The Ace of Spades. Joe Brown is currently touring the UK. Bill Kenwright CBE is a leading West End theatre producer and film producer. He is also chairman of Everton Football Club. He is currently a judge on a new Sky Arts series, the Nation's Best Am Dram. During the course of the series amateur theatre groups compete to perform in the West End helped by celebrity mentors including Roger Allam; Richard Wilson and Dame Harriet Walter. Katrina van Grouw is a fine artist; taxidermist and a former curator of the ornithological collections at the Natural History Museum. Her book, 'The Unfeathered Bird', features over 300 drawings representing 200 bird species. Each drawing is based on an actual specimen that she prepared. 'The Unfeathered Bird' is published by Princeton University Press. Writer Liam Carson is the founder and director of the IMRAM Irish Language Literature Festival which showcases the Irish language in modern literature. In his memoir, 'Call Mother A Lonely Field', he writes about his father's love of language and the complex relationship between a son thinking in English and a father dreaming in Irish. 'Call Mother A Lonely Field' is published by Seren. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets former Lady-in-Waiting to the Queen, Lady Pamela Hicks; tattoo artist Ami James; costume designer Deborah Nadoolman Landis and chef Fergus Henderson. Ami James is a tattoo artist and star of the US reality TV series Miami Ink & NY Ink which follow Ami and his team in his tattoo shops. He has just opened his first London venture, Love Hate Social Club in Notting Hill with Huey Morgan of 'Fun Lovin' Criminals'. Lady Pamela Hicks is the daughter of Lord Louis Mountbatten and was Lady-in-Waiting to the Queen when she was a princess and following her coronation. In her memoir, 'Daughter of Empire,' Lady Pamela tells of her extraordinary family and her time in India when her father was the last Viceroy. 'Daughter of Empire - Life as a Mountbatten' is published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson. Professor Deborah Nadoolman Landis is a costume designer and curator of the Hollywood Costume exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. She is also chair of the David C Copley Centre for Costume Design at University of California, Los Angeles. The exhibition features classics such as Dorothy's blue and white gingham pinafore dress from The Wizard of Oz and more contemporary outfits including Meryl Streep's costume in The Iron Lady. Chef Fergus Henderson MBE, known for his enthusiasm for offal, co-founded St John Restaurant in London in 1994. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 1998 and in 2005 had deep brain stimulation surgery which helped his mobility. His book 'The Complete Nose to Tail', written with baker Justin Piers Gellatly, is published by Bloomsbury. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets Olympian Ian Thorpe; penguin expert Pablo Garcia Borboroglu; former ballet dancer Clair Symonds and musician Hyperpotamus. Pablo Garcia Borboroglu is an international penguin expert. He is the founder and president of the Global Penguin Society, an international science-based conservation coalition dedicated to the survival and protection of the world's penguin species. Ian Thorpe is a freestyle swimmer and one of Australia's greatest ever Olympians. At the age of 14 he became the youngest male swimmer ever to represent his country and went on to win nine Olympic medals - five of them gold. His autobiography 'This Is Me' is published by Simon & Schuster. Clair Symonds danced with the Iranian National Ballet prior to the overthrow of the Shah. During her time with the company she fell in love with and married an Iranian dancer. In her book 'Romance and Revolution' she describes what life was like as an outsider, living and working in pre-revolutionary Iran. 'Romance and Revolution - A Leap of Faith at the Iranian National Ballet' is published by Mantua Books. Hyperpotamus has been described as a 'one-man orchestra without the orchestra'. A Spanish multi-vocal solo artist, he produces music using only his voice, a few microphones and a loop pedal. After spending six months honing his craft in the underground tunnels of Madrid's metro system, he was playing in front of thousands of people all over Spain. He has since released two albums and toured worldwide. He is performing at Ray's Jazz in London's Soho on Thursday November 15th. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets philanthropist Dame Stephanie Shirley; opera singer Bryan Hymel; former soldier and poet Theo Knell and street entertainer Tom Balmont. Tom Balmont is a professional street entertainer at London's Covent Garden Piazza where he can be seen unicycling, sword-swallowing and fire-juggling. He is also a member of the Lion Rampant Medieval Display Society, specialising in juggling and sword jumping. Dame Stephanie Shirley is a technology entrepreneur turned philanthropist. At the age of five she escaped Nazi Germany on the Kindertransport before going on to set up a computer programming company which made her a millionaire many times over. But she has given away most of her fortune and became the Government's founding Ambassador for Philanthropy. Her autobiography 'Let It Go' is published by Andrews UK. Theo Knell is a former member of the SAS and a poet. He joined the British Army in 1970 aged 18 and remained in the service for next 22 years. He served all over the world from Northern Ireland to the Middle East, Central Africa and the Far East. His book 'Hell For Heroes' is published by Coronet. It tells of his warfare experiences and includes examples of his war poetry. Bryan Hymel is an American tenor. He is playing Robert in Robert le Diable at the Royal Opera House from December. It's a gothic tale in which the hero, Robert, resorts to the supernatural in his struggle to regain his fortune. Bryan can also can be seen as Enee in David McVicar's Les Troyens which is showing in selected cinemas from November. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves is joined by Gina Campbell, daughter of speed record breaker Donald; journalist and writer Roger Clarke; Rod Davis of the Quarrymen and playwright Jonathan Lewis. Roger Clarke is a journalist, film critic and the author of 'A Natural History of Ghosts: 500 Years of Hunting for Proof.' He grew up in a supposedly haunted house on the Isle of Wight and become obsessed with ghosts as a child. His book explores the history and class structure of a very British fascination with the supernatural. 'A Natural History of Ghosts: 500 years of Hunting for Proof' is published by Particular Books. Gina Campbell is the daughter of Donald Campbell who died attempting to break the world water speed record on Coniston Water in 1967. Her book 'Daughter of Bluebird' tells of her experience growing up as part of the Campbell dynasty and how it subsequently shaped her life. 'Daughter of Bluebird' is published by Northern Books. Jonathan Lewis is a playwright who swapped military training at Sandhurst for the theatre. Based on his time spent in a military hospital, his play 'Our Boys' is an account of the tedium and terror that young soldiers face when recovering from injuries incurred in the line of duty. 'Our Boys' is playing at London's Duchess Theatre. Rod Davis is one of the original members of the Quarrymen, a skiffle group formed by John Lennon at Quarry Bank School in Liverpool in 1956. Rod was the banjo player but left the band to go to university and the Quarrymen eventually evolved into the Beatles with the arrival of Paul McCartney and George Harrison. The Quarrymen reformed in 1997 and are still performing. The Quarrymen will be performing at The Thunderbolt, Bristol in December. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets former actor Fiona Fullerton; Jemima Dury, daughter of Ian; solar physicist Dr Helen Mason and dog whisperer, Cesar Millan. Dr Helen Mason is a solar physicist at the University of Cambridge. She appears in a BBC Four programme 'Seven Ages of Starlight' which tells the epic tale of the stars through seven ages. The film starts with their births in the clouds of dust and gas that lurk in deep space to their various ends as enigmatic white dwarfs, explosive supernovae and mysterious black holes. Fiona Fullerton is a former actor whose roles included a Bond girl in 'A View to a Kill' with Roger Moore. While appearing in the popular TV series Angels she began a correspondence with a prisoner, Anthony 'Alex' Alexandrowicz, who was serving a life sentence. She writes about their friendship in her book 'Dear Fiona - Letters from a Suspected Soviet Spy' published by Waterside Press. Jemima Dury is the daughter of the late Ian Dury. Her book 'Hallo Sausages, The Lyrics of Ian Dury' is a collection of his lyrics written for the Blockheads and his first band Kilburn and the High Roads. 'Hallo Sausages, The Lyrics of Ian Dury' is published by Bloomsbury. Cesar Millan is self-taught dog trainer and presenter of the TV series 'The Dog Whisperer'. Born and raised in Mexico, he went to America to pursue his dream of working with dogs. Oprah Winfrey; Scarlett Johansson; Will Smith and Nicolas Cage have all had their dogs trained by him. He is in the UK to promote his 2013 'Trust Your Instincts Tour'. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets Michael Palin; surfer Easkey Britton; author and forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs and singer and songwriter Barb Jungr. Easkey Britton is an Irish surfer who recently surfed in Iran - a country not known for its surfing culture. Her surfing has taken her around the world - she was the first Irish person to surf the frightening Teahupoo waves in Tahiti and the first woman to ride the giant wave Aileens at the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare. Her trip to Iran is the subject of a documentary by French filmmaker Marion Poizeau. Michael Palin CBE is a comedian, actor, writer and travel documentary maker. His latest journey takes him to somewhere he had never been in his 25 years of travelling - Brazil. For a new BBC One series he explores the fifth largest country on earth which is next in line to host both the World Cup and Olympic Games. There is a book to accompany the series published by Weidenfeld & Nicholson. Kathy Reichs is a forensic anthropologist and bestselling author. She is one of only fifty-six people certified by the American Board of Forensic Anthropology. She is also professor of anthropology at the University of North Carolina in Charlotte and an examiner for the province of Quebec in Canada. Her latest novel featuring Dr Temperance Brennan, 'Bones Are Forever', is published by Random House. Singer and songwriter Barb Jungr's latest album 'Stockport to Memphis' charts a metaphorical journey - not just her own route through life but that of her own parents' escape to the UK from war-torn Europe. It also pays tribute to her father-in-law, the painter Frank Bowling, who came to the UK from Guyana as a young man. 'Stockport to Memphis' is released on Naim Jazz Records. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets cartoonist Steven Appleby; folk singer and Mercury Prize nominee Sam Lee; broadcasters Des Lynam and Christopher Matthew and spider expert Jan Beccaloni. Jan Beccaloni is the curator of arachnida and myriapoda at the Natural History Museum in London. The class arachnida includes a diverse group of arthropods: spiders, scorpions, ticks, mites, harvestmen, and their cousins. Jan is the conservation officer for the British Arachnological Society. Folk musician Sam Lee has been nominated for this year's Mercury Prize for his debut album 'Ground of Its Own'. The album is made up of traditional material, largely discovered through Sam's extensive research and exploration of long forgotten songs. He sourced most of his material direct from English gypsy and Irish and Scottish traveller communities. 'Ground of Its Own' is released on The Nest Collective label. Steven Appleby is a cartoonist and illustrator. His new book 'Guide to Life' is a collection of his strip Loomus which appears in the Guardian newspaper. From dodgy Christmas presents to born-again nudists, his cartoons provide an idiosyncratic guide to everyday family life. 'Guide to Life - the collected Loomus cartoons' is published by Guardian Books. Broadcasters Des Lynam OBE and Christopher Matthew present the series Touchline Tales on BBC Radio 4. In the programmes they visit sporting venues around the country to observe, reminisce and simply trade tales about some of the greatest pleasures in their lives. A CD 'Best of Touchline Tales' is available and a new series begins in November. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets golfer Sam Torrance; actor Jane Asher; editor of the Oldie Richard Ingrams and novelist Bernard Cornwell. Golfer and commentator Sam Torrance is the winner of 21 European Tour titles. He was also a member of the European Ryder Cup team eight times and sunk the winning put in 1985 for the first European win in 28 years. He captained the team to victory in 2002. His book, 'Out of Bounds - Legendary tales from the 19th Hole' is published by Simon & Schuster. Richard Ingrams is editor of the 'Oldie' and former editor of 'Private Eye'. His book, 'Quips & Quotes - A Journalist's Commonplace Book' is a collection of memories and inspirations from a lifetime in journalism. He writes about the influences in his life from his boyhood to old age using quotes, poetry, cartoons and photographs. 'Quips & Quotes - A Journalist's Commonplace Book' is published by Oldie Publications. Bernard Cornwell is a writer of historical fiction. He is the author of over fifty novels including the popular Sharpe series which was made into a TV series featuring Sean Bean as Colonel Richard Sharpe. His latest book 1356 is about the battle of Poitiers. 1356 is published by Harper Collins. Jane Asher is an actor, cake maker, author and campaigner. She plays Donna Lucia d'Alvadorez in Brandon Thomas's comedy classic 'Charley's Aunt' at the Menier Chocolate Factory. She has been working professionally in film, theatre and radio since she was 5 years old - her first appearance was in the film Mandy. Her other film roles include Alfie with Michael Caine while recent stage appearances were in Festen and Bedroom Farce directed by Sir Peter Hall. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Andy Torbet spent ten years in the British forces as a paratrooper, diver and bomb disposal officer before turning his hand to television. He co-presents the BBC Two series Operation Iceberg in which a team of adventurers and scientists travel to the Arctic to chart the life cycle of icebergs. The former Prime Minister, Sir John Major, uses his own unconventional family past to tell the story of British music hall in his book, 'My Old Man: a personal history of Music Hall'. His father Tom Major was a music hall performer who, with his first wife Kitty, toured as Drum and Major. Sir John reflects on his father's life and explores the origins of music hall in the pleasure gardens of the 18th century to its decline with the arrival of radio and cinema. 'My Old Man: a personal history of Music Hall' is published by Harper Press. Caitlin Moran is a columnist and writer. Her new book Moranthology is a collection of her columns written during the last 20 years. She looks back on her early life, raised with seven siblings on a Wolverhampton council estate, and how she turned to writing and journalism at 15. Moranthology is published by Ebury. Colin Blumenau is an actor who is directing Mansfield Park at the Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds. He is also directing a rehearsed reading of Lovers' Vows, the scandalous play which is featured in Jane Austen's novel. Written by Elizabeth Inchbald, the play causes consternation in Mansfield Park with its moral ambiguity and daring themes. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Hardeep Singh Kohli meets Dr Pamela Stephenson, wildlife film-maker Alan Root, creator of Biba, Barbara Hulanicki and soprano Nadine Mortimer-Smith. Soprano Nadine Mortimer-Smith is an opera singer and founder of Opera in Colour. She had a promising and secure career in the City but five years ago gave it all up to pursue her passion for opera. In 2009 she won 'Most Promising Voice' at the Voice of Black Opera competition. She will be performing in Naked Opera at the Forge in London. Alan Root OBE is an acclaimed wildlife film-maker. Born in London in 1937, he moved to Kenya as a young boy and after leaving school at sixteen soon found himself behind the camera. He and his wife Joan Thorpe produced many award-winning wildlife films including 'Baobab: Portrait of a Tree'; 'Safari by Balloon'; 'The Year of the Wildebeest' and 'Castles in Clay', which was nominated for an Oscar. His memoir, 'Ivory, Apes & Peacocks - Animals, Adventure and Discovery in the wild places of Africa ' is published by Chatto & Windus. Psychologist Dr Pamela Stephenson is a former actress and comedian. In her autobiography, 'The Varnished Untruth' she tells of her complicated childhood in Australia, before making a move to London, and being a woman in a man's world on 'Not The 9 O'Clock News'. 'The Varnished Untruth' is published by Simon and Schuster. Barbara Hulanicki OBE is a fashion designer who established the boutique Biba with her husband. With its cutting edge yet affordable fashion, the Biba store and label transformed the High Street shopping experience in the 1960s and 70s. Young working women shopped alongside models and celebrities including Sonny and Cher, Yoko Ono, Mick Jagger, Twiggy and Brigitte Bardot. An exhibition celebrating her work, 'Biba and Beyond' is at the Brighton Museum and Art Gallery. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Hardeep Singh Kohli meets social historian Dr Pamela Cox, Pam Ayres, John Taylor of Duran Duran and comedian Sean Hughes. Social historian Dr Pamela Cox presents a new three part series, Servants - The True Story of Life Below Stairs, which uncovers the reality of servants' lives from the Victorian era through to the Second World War. Pam herself is the great-granddaughter of servants. Servants - The True Story of Life Below Stairs will be broadcast on BBC Two. Pam Ayres is a writer and broadcaster who has been entertaining audiences for over 35 years since winning the talent show Opportunity Knocks, with her take on the comic detail of everyday life. Her autobiography, 'The Necessary Aptitude' is published by Ebury. She is also touring the UK and will be presenting the fourth series of 'Ayres on the Air' on Radio 4 Extra and later on Radio 4. John Taylor is the bass player and a founding member of the band Duran Duran. His autobiography, 'In The Pleasure Groove' recounts the bands thirty year history, his addiction to drugs and alcohol and tells stories of his times hanging out with Andy Warhol, Mick Jagger, and Bryan Ferry. 'In The Pleasure Groove' is published by Little Brown. Comedian Sean Hughes' was the youngest ever winner of the Perrier Award and has also won a Fringe First for his short plays, 'Dehydrated' and 'Travellin' Light'. His latest show, 'Life Becomes Noises' deals with the death of his father and their relationship using puppetry and costumes, in front of a theatrical set. 'Life Becomes Noises' is touring the UK from October. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Polar explorer Felicity Aston is the first woman to ski across Antarctica alone. The 1744km, 59-day journey was completed in January 2012. She will be speaking about this journey for the Transglobe Expedition Trust event Here, There & Everywhere at the Royal Geographical Society on September 10th. Musician and activist Billy Bragg celebrates the centenary of singer-songwriter Woody Guthrie with a four date tour in September. Bragg curated this tribute to Guthrie's legacy and will perform songs based on the lyrics Guthrie left behind before his death in 1967. In collaboration with the band Wilco, Billy is also releasing the CD Mermaid Avenue - the complete sessions. Chefs Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi were born in Jerusalem in the same year - Sami on the Arab east side and Yotam in the Jewish west. Nearly 30 years later they met in London and discovered they shared a language, a history, and a love of great food. In their new book 'Jerusalem', they feature recipes from this vibrant and diverse city. 'Jerusalem' is published by Ebury Press. Wayne Phillips is a boxing coach who is one of the trainers for 'Punchline', a performance project which is part of the Cultural Olympiad. 'Punchline' brings together boxers and dancers with youngsters - many not in education or employment - to create a performance in a boxing ring. The work showcases their talents and also explores their personal stories and struggles. The show opens at the Preston Guild arena and will then be performed at three boxing clubs across the region: the Rotunda, Runcorn ABC and Wild Card ABC. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves is joined by Clarence Adoo, a member of the British Paraorchestra, Simon Gough, to talk about his relationship with his great uncle, the poet Robert Graves, sports writer Duncan Hamilton and poet/rapper Kate Tempest. Musician Clarence Adoo is a founding member of the British Paraorchestra. Set up by the conductor Charles Hazlewood, the orchestra is made up of disabled musicians playing a range of instruments from the harp to the sitar. Clarence was a top trumpeter with the Northern Sinfonia when he was paralysed from the neck down in a car accident in 1995. He now makes music on a computer called 'Headspace'. The orchestra features in a Channel Four documentary Paraorchestra and they will be performing at the Southbank in London as part of the Unlimited festival. Simon Gough is the son of actor Michael Gough and actress-cum-journalist Diana Graves. In his book, The White Goddess - An Encounter, Simon recalls the complicated relationship with his great-uncle, the poet Robert Graves. The book describes Simon's time with Graves in Deya, Majorca, and his uncle's beautiful muse Margot who they were both in love with. The White Goddess - An Encounter is published by Galley Beggar Press. Duncan Hamilton is a sports writer and two-time winner of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year. His book, 'The Footballer Who Could Fly' was inspired by his father's devotion to Newcastle United. But it is also an exploration of the bond between father and son through 'the beautiful game' and how football became their only connection. 'The Footballer Who Could Fly' is published by Century. Kate Tempest is a poet, rapper, playwright and writer. Her new show 'Brand New Ancients' is an hour long spoken story that she tells over a live orchestral score. The story follows two families as they intertwine and collide. 'Brand New Ancients' runs at the Battersea Arts Centre in London from September 4th, as part of the theatre's Cook Up season. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets Stella Rimington, former head of MI5; food writer Claudia Roden; biologist Dr Alan Rabinowitz and Kate Bond of experimental theatre group You Me Bum Bum Train. Kate Bond co-founded You Me Bum Bum Train in 2004. A performance journey for one audience member - or passenger - at a time, You Me Bum Bum Train has been variously called live art, interactive comedy and experimental theatre. Passengers participate in a variety of situations from hosting their own chat show to running a kebab shop. You Me Bum Bum Train is part of the London 2012 Festival and performances run from July 19th-26th and August 15th-September 19th Dame Stella Rimington joined the Security Service M15 in 1968. During her career she worked in all the main fields of the Service including counter-subversion, counter-espionage and counter-terrorism. She became the first female director general in 1992. Her latest novel featuring MI5 agent Liz Carlyle, The Geneva Trap, is published by Bloomsbury. Dr Alan Rabinowitz is one of the world's leading big cat experts. He is currently the CEO of Panthera, a non-profit organization devoted to saving the world's wild cat species. In a new film for the BBC's Natural World series, Tiger Island, he goes to Sumatra to visit a project that is rehabilitating man-eating tigers in an attempt to save them from extinction. Natural World - Tiger Island will be broadcast on 26th July at 8pm on BBC Two. Claudia Roden is a renowned food writer and oral historian who was born and brought up in Egypt as part of a Jewish family. Her most famous book The New Book of Middle Eastern Food, published in 1968, introduced Middle-Eastern cuisine to home cooks the world over. For her latest book about Spanish food Claudia spent five years researching and writing about the history, people and culture of Spain. The Food of Spain - A Celebration is published by Penguin/Michael Joseph. Producer: Paula McGinley.

A long-distance motorcycle rider who has ridden solo around the world, Lois Pryce is a co-founder of the Adventure Travel Film Festival. Her first trip was from Alaska to Buenos Aires and since then she has travelled across Africa from Tunis to Cape Town and has just returned from Brazil where she led an all women team of motorcyclists. She also plays banjo in a bluegrass band called 'The Jolenes' who are performing at the festival. 'The Adventure Travel Film Festival' runs from August 17th-20th in Sherborne, Dorset. Clive Stafford Smith is a lawyer specialising in defending people accused of the most serious crimes. He's also the founder and director of Reprieve. Based in the US for 26 years, he now works from the UK where he continues to defend prisoners on Death Row. In his book 'Injustice' he examines the case of Kris Maharaj who has been on Death Row for 25 years. 'Injustice' is published by Harvill Secker. Christos Tsirogiannis is a forensic archaeologist who investigates the theft of antiquities from ancient sites and museums. For several years Christos was the only archaeologist working for the Greek Police Art Squad in his native Athens. Now based at Cambridge University, he says the plundering of ancient artefacts is increasing as countries with the richest archaeological heritage are sinking further into financial crisis. Nick Phillips is starring in In Water I'm Weightless performed by National Theatre Wales as part of the London 2012 Festival. Nick was a trained dancer who broke his back in an accident 15 years ago and now uses a wheelchair. Taking a provocative look at the body and disability, In Water I'm Weightless is performed by a cast of six actors and dancers with disabilities. In Water I'm Weightless is at the Cardiff Millennium Centre July 26th-August 4th. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves is joined by minibus millionaire Dave Fishwick who has set up his own bank, parfumeur Jean-Claude Ellena, Linda Hope, daughter of Bob and former money launderer, Ken Rijock. Dave Fishwick is a self-made minibus millionaire from Burnley who has set up his own bank. Frustrated with the reluctance of High Street banks to lend, he set up Burnley Savings and Loans which offers help to local businesses struggling to get finance. He can be seen on Channel 4 in 'Bank of Dave' from this week. The book 'Bank of Dave,' which accompanies the series, is published by Virgin Books. In 1980s Miami, Ken Rijock, a Vietnam veteran and successful lawyer, was one of the world's most successful money launderers, working as a middleman between the Colombian drug cartels and the Mafia. However, after a client testified against him, he went undercover for the FBI and now works with banks and governments to track the new generation of money launderers. He tells his story in 'The Laundry Man', published by Penguin/Viking. Jean-Claude Ellena is a parfumeur and has been Hermes' first 'parfumeur exclusif' since 2004. Based in Grasse, home to the French perfume industry, he is the author of The Diary of a Nose - A Year in the Life of a Parfumeur. The book explains what day to day life is like for a parfumeur; how the creation of a new scent begins and how the five senses come into play when creating a perfume. The Diary of a Nose - A Year in the Life of a Parfumeur is published by Particular Books. Linda Hope is the daughter of comedian and entertainer Bob Hope. Linda is launching an exhibition about her father called 'World of Laughter' at the Greenwich Heritage Centre. Bob was born in Eltham, south London before emigrating to the US with his family when he was four years old. The exhibition will tell the story of Hope's early years; his rise to be star of stage and screen; his devotion to the men and women of the military and his love of golf. The 'World of Laughter' is at the Greenwich Heritage Centre. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves is joined by Olympian Fatima Whitbread, composer Mark-Anthony Turnage, Dr Chris Bird of Medecins Sans Frontieres and former Wall Street trader turned academic, Frank Partnoy. Composer Mark-Anthony Turnage has teamed up with the charity 'Music in Prisons' to create a piece of music with inmates from HMP Lowdham Grange. The 12 minute composition 'Beyond This' will be featured as part of the Southbank Centre's New Music 20x12 programme - a weekend dedicated to music composition in the UK. Fatima Whitbread is a former British javelin thrower and multiple medal-winner. She won bronze in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and silver at Seoul in 1988. In her autobiography, 'Survivor', she tells how athletics became her saviour after being abandoned as a baby and a childhood spent in and out of children's homes. 'Survivor' is published by Virgin Books. Dr Chris Bird is a journalist turned paediatrician. He has just returned to the UK from a mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo with Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders). Working as a foreign correspondent for the Guardian and Reuters, Chris reported on the fighting in Chechnya and the war in Kosovo. He then became a doctor to help alleviate the suffering he witnessed as a journalist. Frank Partnoy is a former Wall Street trader who is currently Professor of Law and Finance at the University of San Diego. A self-confessed procrastinator, he reveals in his new book 'Wait - The Useful Art of Procrastination' the science behind our decision-making disasters and successes at work and at home, in matters of love, and in government. Wait - The Useful Art of Procrastination' is published by Profile Books. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets artist Derek Boshier; writer/curator Rachel Lichtenstein; film maker Rebecca Thomas and garden designer Matthew Childs who survived the 7/7 London bombings. Derek Boshier was one of the leading pop artists of the 1960s. A contemporary of David Hockney and Peter Blake, he featured in Ken Russell's 1962 film Pop Goes the Easel. An exhibition of his graphic work including his set designs for David Bowie and album cover artwork for The Clash, is at the Pallant House Gallery, Chichester, until October. Rachel Lichtenstein is an internationally exhibited artist, writer and curator. Her book Diamond Street: the Hidden World of Hatton Garden is published by Hamish Hamilton and is part of a trilogy of books exploring London market streets including Brick Lane and Portobello Road. Writer-director Rebecca Thomas was raised a Mormon in Las Vegas. Her debut feature film Electrick Children is a coming of age film about a young Mormon girl growing up in a fundamentalist Mormon community. Matthew Childs is one of this year's garden designers at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show. A former advertising man, he was inspired to pursue a career in gardening after surviving the 7/7 London bombings in 2005 with severe injuries to his legs. His design at Hampton Court Palace entitled "Light at the end of the tunnel", is about hope and recovery. The RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show runs from July 3-8th. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves is joined by sixties singer Frank Ifield, former director of communications to Tony Blair, Alastair Campbell, Tommy Robert, of the fashion label Mr Freedom and magician Romany. Australian singer and yodeller Frank Ifield achieved four No. 1 hits between 1962 and 1963 including I Remember You. A then unknown band called the Beatles supported him on tour. Now a promoter, Ifield is back in the UK to celebrate fifty years since his hits with rock star Nicki Gillis. Alastair Campbell was director of communications to Tony Blair when he was Prime Minister. The fourth volume of Campbell's diaries starts on September 11th 2001 and ends on the day he leaves Downing Street in August 2003. It covers the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, WMD and the death of weapons inspector David Kelly. Alistair Campbell - The Burden of Power: Countdown to Iraq is published by Hutchinson. Tommy Roberts is regarded as one of the most influential designers in post-war British fashion and design. From kaftans, bells and beads at Kleptomania in Swinging Sixties London, to hot pants and satin baseball jackets at Mr Freedom, Roberts dressed David Bowie, Mick Jagger and Elizabeth Taylor. The book 'Mr Freedom - Tommy Roberts, British Design Hero' by Paul Gorman is published by Adelita. Magician Romany, known as The Diva of Magic, is a former street entertainer and salsa champion. Described as a cross between Bette Midler and Mary Poppins, she is the only woman to hold the Magic Circle Stage Magician of the Year Award. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves is joined by seahorse expert Amanda Vincent, Carmen Bugan, who grew up under the Ceausescu regime in Romania, theatre director Lucien Bourjeily and crime writer Lynda La Plante. Dr Amanda Vincent is a marine biologist and one of the world's leading experts on seahorses. She is currently based at Cambridge University's Department of Geography and runs Project Seahorse which is developing conservation schemes to protect the declining seahorse population around the world. Carmen Bugan grew up in Romania under Nicolae Ceausescu. One day in 1983, her father was arrested for protesting against the regime. In her memoir, 'Burying the Typewriter 'she tells how her father had been typing pamphlets on an illegal typewriter and burying it in their garden. Her father was imprisoned for three years and her family were placed under surveillance, surrounded by microphones and informed on by their neighbours. Burying the Typewriter: Childhood under the Eye of the Secret Police is published by Picador. Lucien Bourjeily is a Lebanese film maker and theatre director. His show '66 Minutes in Damascus' will be staged at Shoreditch Town Hall as part of The London International Festival of Theatre (LIFT) from June 19-24. It's an interactive theatre experience in which audiences are put in the position of tourists being detained in Syria. Lynda La Plante CBE is an author, screenwriter and former actress who wrote the TV dramas Widows and Prime Suspect. Her new novel 'Backlash' is the latest in her 'Above Suspicion' thriller series. Lynda was awarded the Dennis Potter Writers Award by BAFTA. 'Backlash' is published by Simon & Schuster. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Simon Jordan made his fortune in the mobile phone industry and in 2000, at the age of 32, he bought Crystal Palace Football Club. Ten years later the club was in administration and Jordan had lost everything. As well as recounting his own rise and fall in football, the book lifts the lid on how the national game works from the vast sums of money paid to footballers to the top-level activities at the heart of the sport. 'Be Careful What You Wish For' is published by Yellow Jersey Press. Robin Millar is a record producer and musician. His 1984 production of 'Diamond Life' by Sade was named one of the best ten albums of the last 30 years at the 2011 Brit Awards. Robin has worked with a range of artists including Sting, Eric Clapton, Chrissie Hynde and Elvis Costello. He was born with retinitis pigmentosa and has been registered blind since the age of 16. In March this year Robin underwent a 12 hour operation to install a bionic retina in his right eye in a clinical trial to help research into future treatment for blindness. Steve Benbow is an urban beekeeper who started his first bee hive on the roof of his tower block in south London ten years ago. Today he runs 30 sites across the city and his bees live on top of Tate Modern and the National Portrait Gallery. His book follows a year in his life as a beekeeper. 'The Urban Beekeeper A Year of Bees in the City' by Steve Benbow is published by Square Peg. Samantha Spiro is a double Olivier award-winning actor. She is playing Katherine in The Taming of the Shrew at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London. Samantha played Barbara Windsor in the play Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick and Dolly Levi in the Open Air Theatre's production of Hello, Dolly! In Regent's Park in 2010. The Taming of the Shrew runs from June 23 - October 13 2012. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets actor Jack Lowden; Bobby Teale, a former associate of The Kray twins; Bernard Lynch, an openly gay Roman Catholic priest and sculptor Sophie Dickens. Actor Jack Lowden plays athlete and devout Scottish Christian Eric Liddell in the new stage production of the film 'Chariots of Fire' directed by Edward Hall. The play tells the stories of Liddell and Harold Abrahams who both won gold medals at the 1924 Olympics in Paris. 'Chariots of Fire' is at the Hampstead Theatre in London. Bernard Lynch is an openly gay Roman Catholic priest. Ordained in 1971, he spent two years as a missionary in Zambia before being sent to New York for postgraduate studies. For 15 years he was Theological Consultant to the Board of Directors of Dignity New York -- an organisation for Lesbian, Gay, Transgendered and Bisexual Catholics and their friends. He founded the AIDS/HIV Ministry of Dignity New York in 1982, which continues its work to the present day. In 1998 he married, in the presence of a Catholic priest, his life partner. They had their Civil Partnership in 2007. Last year he was suspended by his order the Society of African Missions because of his comments at the Protest the Pope march in 2010. His book 'If It Wasn't Love, Sex, Death and God' is published by Circle Books. His previous book, 'A Priest On Trial' was published by Bloomsbury. Bobby Teale and his brothers, David and Alfie were part of notorious Kray twins' circle - they were part of the Firm. Bobby was initially drawn to the twins' glamorous world but after he witnessed Ronnie and Reggie becoming more violent, he turned his back on the brothers and became a police informant. Bobby's evidence helped the police convict the Krays. He then fled the country and it wasn't until forty years later that he was reunited with his brothers who'd thought he was dead. Their story is told in 'Bringing Down The Krays', published by Ebury Press. Sophie Dickens is a sculptor who uses muscular movement, the power beneath the skin, to characterise her work. To celebrate athleticism in this Olympic year, she was commissioned to make a judo sculpture by the British Judo Association. She then created a bronze sporting series that includes sequences of athletes in sports such as fencing, weightlifting, wrestling and gymnastics. These make up her solo show at the Sladmore Contemporary Gallery in London. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves is joined by actor and comedian Omid Djalili, former girl gang member, Chyna, travel journalist and writer Brian Jackman and folk musician Tim Edey. Omid Djalili is an award-winning British-Iranian actor and comedian. He is currently starring in Joe Orton's play 'What the Butler Saw'. Omid has appeared in films including The Mummy, Gladiator, and The Infidel and on stage played the role of Fagin in Oliver! What the Butler Saw is at London's Vaudeville Theatre. Writing under the pseudonym 'Chyna', the author gives a graphic account of life in a girl gang which she joined at the age of 12. Her gang of ten members operated in the estates of south London fighting, stealing and dealing drugs. Now 24, Chyna has turned her life around and works for the community charity 'foundation4 life' which helps young people extricate themselves from the grip of local gangs. 'How I escaped a Girl Gang' is published by Coronet. Brian Jackman is a travel journalist and writer. He is the author, with Jonathan and Angie Scott, of 'The Marsh Lions,' which was originally published thirty years ago and has just been reissued. For five years the authors followed the Marsh pride of lions of the Masai Mara, painstakingly recording the daily drama of life and death on the African plains. The Marsh Lions - The Story of an African Pride is published by Bradt. Tim Edey is a folk musician who started playing Irish folk music at the age of four. At this year's Radio 2 Folk Awards Tim won Musician of the Year and Best Duo (with Brendon Power) and is touring with the Chieftains later this year. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves is joined by journalist Angela Rippon, photographer & filmmaker Jim Lee, musician Vusi Mahlasela, and Marian Partington, whose sister was a victim of Frederick and Rosemary West. Journalist Angela Rippon features in the Channel 5 series, 'War Hero in My Family', where celebrities trace the stories of their relatives contributions during times of war. Angela didn't meet her father John until she was three years old, because he'd spent World War Two serving with the Royal Marines. As she grew up, he told her funny stories of life at sea, but rarely about the harsh realities of war and now Angela goes in search of what his war was really like. 'War Hero in My Family' is on Channel 5. Jim Lee is a fashion photographer and film maker. He photographed the Rolling Stones and the Beatles and collaborated with Ossie Clark, Versace and Yves St Laurent. He is the subject of a book entitled 'Arrested' - written by Peter York and there is also an exhibition of Jim's work at Somerset House in London. 'Arrested' by Peter York is published by Ammonite Press. Marian Partington's sister Lucy went missing in December 1973. Over twenty years later in 1994, Marian learned that her sister's remains had been discovered at No. 25 Cromwell Street, Gloucester, the home of serial killers Frederick and Rosemary West. In her book, 'If You Sit Very Still', she explores the territory of traumatic loss, and the restoration of the human spirit. She now works in prisons to raise awareness about restorative justice, working with the Forgiveness Project. 'If You Sit Very Still' is published by Vala Publishing Co-operative. Vusi Mahlasela is a South African singer-songwriter, poet and activist. His music, generally described as "African folk", was an inspiration to many in the anti-apartheid movement with themes including the struggle for freedom, forgiveness and reconciliation. His new album, 'Say Africa' includes a tribute to his maternal great, great, great grandfather, the prophet/healer Mokalanyane, who some believed had the gift of making rain. Producer: Annette Wells.

Joining Libby Purves will be bat expert Dr Rodrigo Medellin, filmmaker Hannah Rothschild, playwright Michael Ashton and former diplomat Sir Roger Carrick. Dr Rodrigo Medellin is a scientist and bat expert. He will become the first recipient of the Whitley Fund for Nature's Gold Award for outstanding achievement in nature conservation in recognition of his efforts to de-demonise vampire bats. He has also successfully re-established Mexico's lesser long-nosed bats which are about to be taken off of the endangered species list. He is International Union for Conservation of Nature (UCN) Ambassador for the 'International Year of the Bat'. Hannah Rothschild is a writer and filmmaker. She is also the great niece of Pannonica Rothschild who left her husband and five children to live among the black jazz musicians in New York and whose great love was the legendary Thelonious Monk. Hannah first heard about her eccentric great aunt at the age of 11 and has been investigating her life ever since. Her book, 'The Baroness - the search for Nica, the rebellious Rothschild' is published by Virago. The documentary 'The Jazz Baroness', directed by Hannah, is also available on DVD by 3DD Productions. Michael Ashton was a human rights lawyer before he served a prison sentence for fraud. In prison he learnt playwriting through the Synergy Theatre Project, winning an award for his first play 'The Archbishop and the Antichrist'. His new play, 'The Beekeeper' - based on true events - tells the story of the relationship between the camp's Kommandant and a prisoner who survived Auschwitz because he was a skilled beekeeper. 'The Beekeeper' is at Waterloo East Theatre, London. Sir Roger Carrick is a former British diplomat. His book, 'Diplomatic Anecdotage - Around the World in 40 Years' recounts his memories of life working in the British diplomatic service. Roger has been posted around the world from Bulgaria to Berkeley and Indonesia to Australia. He was shadowed by the secret police in Sofia, witnessed the 1968 riots in Paris, and negotiated the withdrawal of British troops from Singapore. His career includes positions as ambassador to Indonesia and High Commissioner to Australia. 'Diplomatic Anecdotage - Around the World in 40 Years' is published by Elliott & Thompson. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves is joined by food writer Ruth Joseph, musical theatre star Maria Friedman, documentary maker Michael Cockerell and grandson of Agatha Christie, Mathew Prichard. Ruth Joseph is a cook and food writer. Food has always been intrinsic to Jewish life and to her own - from the age of eleven Ruth cared for her late mother who had anorexia as a direct result of her experiences during the Holocaust. Ruth's new cook book, co-written by Simon Round, 'Warm Bagels & Apple Strudel' combines traditional and modern influences - for example explaining why chicken is synonymous with the Friday night Shabbat dinner and unleavened bread with the Passover feast. 'Warm Bagels & Apple Strudel' is published by Kyle Cathie. Maria Friedman is one of Britain's leading musical stars. Three-time Olivier award-winner, she's appeared in many Sondheim musicals including Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park with George, A Little Night Music, Passion and Anyone Can Whistle as well as Chicago and The King and I. She is performing in a one-off concert Maria Friedman - Sondheim & Me, as part of Chickenshed's Talking Points programme, at The Rayne Theatre, in London. Michael Cockerell is an award-winning documentary maker. His latest film features four controversial and colourful characters who regularly made headlines in the Seventies. Sir Jimmy Goldsmith, the billionaire financier; the Metropolitan police commissioner Sir Robert Mark who was on a mission to root out corruption from Scotland Yard; campaigning Labour peer Lord Longford and General Sir Walter Walker who sought to set up his own private army to save the country from a takeover by the Marxists. 'The Lost World of the Seventies' forms part of BBC Two's current Seventies season. Mathew Prichard is Agatha Christie's grandson and chairman of Agatha Christie Limited. He has edited the book 'The Grand Tour' about Agatha's trip around the British Empire in 1922. The book is a collection of Agatha's letters and photographs which she sent mainly to her mother from her year-long round-the-world trip. 'The Grand Tour - Letters and photographs from the British Empire Expedition 1922 is published by HarperCollins. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves is joined by Olympian James Cracknell, actor and children's author Susannah Corbett, lawyer Nick Freeman aka Mr Loophole and chef Gennaro Contaldo. James Cracknell is the two time Olympic gold medallist and six time World Champion rower. Now turned adventurer, he can be seen in the new series The World's Toughest Expeditions in which he takes on some of the most arduous expeditions in history. These endeavours range from tracing the steps of Colonel Fawcett's infamous 1925 expedition to the Amazonian jungle to David Livingstone's 1853 journey across Southern Africa in which James takes on the same Zambezi rapids. The World's Toughest Expeditions with James Cracknell is on Discovery Channel. Actor and children's author Susannah Corbett is the daughter of the late actor Harry H Corbett, of Steptoe and Son fame. Susannah has written a biography of his life, 'The Front Legs of the Cow' which tells of how he rose from the slums of Manchester to become one of the best known television stars of his generation. 'The Front Legs of the Cow' is published by The History Press. Nick Freeman is a criminal defence lawyer. Known as Mr Loophole, he uses legal technicalities to get his clients acquitted for driving offences - hence his moniker. His clients have included Sir Alex Ferguson, David Beckham, Ronnie O'Sullivan, Katie Price and Jimmy Carr. His book, 'The Art of the Loophole Making The Law Work For You' is published by Hodder and Stoughton. Gennaro Contaldo is a chef who taught Jamie Oliver all he knows about Italian cooking. He is currently appearing in the BBC2 series Two Greedy Italians Eat Italy alongside his friend Antonio Carluccio. In the series the two men explore Italy in search of people, produce and tradition. There is a book to accompany the series published by Quadrille Publishing. Two Greedy Italians is on BBC Two. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves is joined by former Speedway star Barry Briggs, actors Roberta Taylor and Peter Guinness, author Dacre Stoker, and bridge designer Richard La Trobe-Batemen. Dacre Stoker is the great grand-nephew of Bram Stoker, author of Dracula. A long-lost journal written by the young Bram Stoker was recently discovered in the attic of his great grandson. The notebook reveals some of Bram's private thoughts and his developing style before he wrote Dracula. Assisted by a team of Dracula scholars and historians, Dacre Stoker and Dr Elizabeth Miller have connected the dots between the contents of the notebook and Stoker's later work. 'The Lost Journal of Bram Stoker' is published by Robson Press. Barry Briggs was one of the most accomplished and popular speedway riders of all time. Born in Christchurch, New Zealand, he came to the UK in the Fifties at 17 to pursue a speedway career and went on to win four World Championship titles. During his career 'Briggo' rode for top clubs including Wimbledon, Hull and Swindon, wowing crowds of 90,000. Along the way he taught Steve McQueen how to slide a speedway bike. His autobiography 'Wembley and Beyond - My Incredible Journey' is published by Sphere. Roberta Taylor and Peter Guinness are actors who met whilst at drama school. This real life couple are performing together in the play Reunion by John Caine, playing a couple in their sixties who are in the throes of a life or death decision. Peter's character has motor neurone disease and wants to end his life; however if he is to end it, he needs the help of his wife, played by Roberta. The couple debate the issues around assisted dying in their small kitchen over the course of 24 hours. Reunion is at London's Jermyn Street Theatre. Richard La Trobe-Bateman is a furniture maker who has now turned his skill and passion to designing bridges. He has built wooden bridges from the National Pinetum in Bedgebury to the Tassajara Monastery in California. His work is in public collections at the Victoria and Albert Museum, Crafts Council and Royal Society of the Arts. His latest exhibition, 'Making Triangles' is at the Crafts Study Centre, University for the Creative Arts, Farnham Surrey. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets Dick Robinson, the Royal Shakespeare Company's new artistic director Greg Doran; broadcaster Sir Trevor McDonald and Lord and Lady Fitzalan Howard. Dick Robinson is the great nephew of Sister Edith Appleton who was a nurse in France during the First World War. Sister Edith recorded her experiences in her diaries - contrasting the horrors of her job with her love of the natural world. The diaries provide a record of the terrible effects of gas attacks and shell shock as well as a personal insight into nursing care during that period. War Diaries - a Nurse at the Front, The First World War Diaries of Sister Edith Appleton is published by the Imperial War Museum with Simon and Schuster. Greg Doran has recently been appointed artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, taking up his new role in September. He joined the company as an actor in 1987 before switching to directing. He is currently rehearsing Julius Caesar, set in modern day Africa, as part of the World Shakespeare Festival. His production of David Edgar's new play Written on the Heart is about to open at the Duchess Theatre in London. Sir Trevor McDonald OBE broadcaster, presenter and former ITV newsreader is presenting a new three part series for ITV, 'The Mighty Mississippi' which discovers how the river has played a central role in American history. He travels 2500 miles up the Mississippi to explore its place as the backdrop to some of the most painful chapters of life in America's Deep South. Lord and Lady Fitzalan Howard live at Carlton Towers, near Selby in Yorkshire. They feature in a new Sky Atlantic TV series The Guest Wing in which four stately home owners show how they have kept their properties running by opening their doors to weddings, corporate events and even dog shows. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves is joined by artists Gavin Turk and Deborah Curtis; Falklands veteran Tony Banks; writer Donald McRae and composer and arranger Barbara Moore. Barbara Moore is a composer, arranger and singer and former member of the Sixties backing group, the Ladybirds. Barbara, who turned eighty this year, is credited with re-orchestrating Alan Freeman's 'Pick of the Pops' theme tune as well working with many artists from Elton John to Dudley Moore, Sandy Shaw and Adam Faith. Tony Banks served with the Parachute Regiment in the Falklands War. To mark the 30th anniversary of the conflict, he has published his memoir, 'Storming the Falklands' in which he tells of his war and its aftermath. The book describes how he went back to the Falklands to help him come to terms with his experiences and how he returned a trumpet to an Argentine soldier which he had taken as a war trophy. 'Storming the Falklands - My War and After' is published by Little Brown. Donald McRae is a sports writer and author and the only two-time winner of the prestigious William Hill Sports Book of the Year. Born in South Africa in 1961, he grew up under the apartheid regime with his parents and sister. He left the country in 1984 to avoid military service which brought him into conflict with his parents. His memoir 'Under Our Skin' is based on these experiences and is published by Little Brown. Artists Gavin Turk and Deborah Curtis set up 'The House of Fairy Tales', an arts charity which came out of their own passion to make art engaging for children. Their new project, the Mystery of the Hidden League and the Misplaced Museum is a story-based adventure trail and interactive installation at Hall Place, Bexley, Kent. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves is joined by financial expert Alvin Hall; Greek-Cypriot singer-writer Alkinoos Ioannidis; foreign correspondent Alex Crawford and the owner of Dartmoor Zoological Park, Benjamin Mee. Alvin Hall is a financial educator and author. He presented the BBC series Your Money or Your Life, in which he offered practical, financial and psychological advice to people to help them take control of and fix their finances. His latest book The Stock Market Explained - Your Guide to Successful Investing is published by Hodder & Stoughton. Alkinoos Ioannidis is a Greek-Cypriot singer-songwriter. He studied classical guitar and theatre before signing a record deal and has now released eleven solo albums. His influences include traditional Cypriot and Byzantine music. He has just released his first album in the UK, Local Stranger (on Wrasse Records) and is performing a five date tour. Alex Crawford OBE is Sky News's Special Correspondent who became a household name last year when she was the first reporter to broadcast live from Green Square in Tripoli. She was praised for her live on-screen reporting of the Battle of Tripoli as the rebels advanced on the square. Her book 'Colonel Gaddafi's Hat' is published by HarperCollins. Benjamin Mee and his family bought Dartmoor Zoological Park in 2005 shortly before his wife's death. His story of dealing with grief while taking on the responsibility for the zoo and its animals has just been turned into a Hollywood film starring Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson. The film is based on Benjamin's 2008 memoir We Bought a Zoo: The Amazing True Story of a Young Family, a Broken Down Zoo, and the 200 Wild Animals That Change Their Lives (published by HarperCollins). Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves is joined by Timothy and Shane Spall; theatre director Barrie Rutter; biologist Juliane Koepcke, who survived a plane crash in the Peruvian jungle when she was 17, and musician and writer Grant Gordon. After spending a summer on the Thames, Shane and actor husband Timothy Spall headed out to sea on their Dutch barge Matilda, with only a road atlas and a vast amount of ignorance. A decade before Timothy had been diagnosed with acute leukaemia and was given days to live. Shocked at how life can pass you by they decided that when, and if, Timothy got better, they would buy a boat. The Voyages of The Princess Matilda by Shane Spall is published by Ebury. Barrie Rutter is the founder and Artistic Director of Northern Broadsides theatre company. This year marks the 20th anniversary of their first production, Richard III. His distinctive approach to theatre is fuelled by his passion for language and his celebration of the richness and muscularity of the Northern voice. The productions are known for being unpretentious, simple and stark, making the audience focus on the language. Juliane Koepcke grew up in Lima and the rainforests of Peru where her parents founded the Panguana ecological research station. On Christmas Eve 1971, she boarded an internal flight from Lima to Pucallpa with her mother. The plane carrying 92 passengers crashed into dense Amazonian jungle killing everyone on board apart from Juliane. Landing in the jungle, she survived for ten days before being rescued. Now a biologist herself, she continues to fight to save the rainforests of Peru. Her book When I Fell from the Sky is published by Nicholas Brealey publishing. Grant Gordon is a musician, formerly with The Divine Comedy and producer of the TV series Big Brother and I'm A Celebrity. In his book 'Cobras in the Rough' he tells of how he and his father's relationship was cemented by their shared love of golf. Following the sudden death of his father in 2009, Grant goes to India in pursuit of the golf courses built by the British Raj to try and come to terms with his death. Cobras in the Rough is published by Constable and Robinson. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves is joined by former boxer Sugar Ray Leonard; singer and songwriter Gilbert O'Sullivan; actor and dancer Adam Cooper and scenographer Pamela Howard. Gilbert O'Sullivan is a three time Ivor Novello-winning singer and songwriter responsible for the hits 'Alone Again (Naturally)' and the UK No.1s 'Clair' and 'Get Down'. This year he is celebrating 45 years in the music industry by releasing his greatest hits album, 'A Singer and His Songs - The Very Best Of Gilbert O'Sullivan' and embarking on a UK tour. Former boxing champion Sugar Ray Leonard was known as an artist and a showman in the ring, having gruelling encounters with Roberto Duran, Thomas Hearns and Marvin Hagler. His autobiography, 'The Big Fight' tells of his humble beginnings through to an Olympic gold medal, championship titles, retirements and comebacks as well as drug and alcohol abuse. The Big Fight is published by Ebury Press. Adam Cooper is a former Principal dancer with the Royal Ballet, who has now turned to acting and choreography. He is currently playing Don Lockwood in the musical, Singin' In The Rain at London's Palace Theatre. Pamela Howard OBE is a scenographer and theatre director. She is curating an exhibition, The Art of Chichester Festival Theatre: A Celebration, to mark the 50th anniversary of Chichester Festival Theatre. The exhibition celebrates the ways in which visual theatre artists responded to the challenge of designing for the first purpose-built thrust stage in the UK. The Art of Chichester Festival Theatre: A Celebration is at Pallant House Gallery, Chichester. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves is joined by singer David Essex; fashion designer Ozwald Boateng; conservationist Dame Daphne Sheldrick and actor and artist James Burke-Dunsmore. Ozwald Boateng is a British menswear designer who received his first suit at the age of five. A new documentary, 'A Man's Story', charts his career from the opening of his own store on London's Savile Row, to becoming creative director of French fashion house Givenchy. Away from the catwalk, the film reveals the toll the business has taken on his personal life. A Man's Story is out in UK cinemas. David Essex is a musician and actor. Initially unsuccessful as a drummer and singer, his lucky break was in 'Godspell' in 1971. Within a year he was starring in the film 'That'll Be the Day' and had his first No. 1 single, Rock On. In a career spanning forty years, he went on to star in the West End musicals 'Evita' and 'Mutiny', which he wrote. He also recently appeared in Eastenders as Eddie Moon. 'Over the Moon: My Autobiography' is published by Virgin Books. Dame Daphne Sheldrick worked alongside her husband David, the legendary warden of Kenya's Tsavo East National Park, rearing and rehabilitating orphaned wild animals. Since David's death in 1977, Daphne has become internationally known for her work with orphaned elephants and rhinos, establishing the 'David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust' in his memory. Her book Love, Life and Elephants: An African Life Story is published by Penguin/Viking. James Burke-Dunsmore is an actor and director who specialises in playing Jesus Christ in passion plays around the country. He plays Jesus Christ in The Passion of Jesus in London's Trafalgar Square on Good Friday. He is also an artist whose work is inspired by wildlife. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets actor Pauline Quirke who is probably best known for the BBC comedy series 'Birds of a Feather' playing loveable loud-mouth Sharon Theodopolopodous. Her first acting role was in Dixon of Dock Green and most recently she appeared in 'Emmerdale'. She has also set up the Pauline Quirke Academy, teaching acting to young people. Her book, 'Where Have I Gone?' is published by Bantam Press. Shelley Bridgman is a psychotherapist and stand-up comedian who recently won the first ever Silver Stand Up comedy award for the over 55s at the Leicester Comedy Festival and Palestinian director Amir Nizar Zuabi who is directing 'A Comedy of Errors' as part of the World Shakespeare Festival. Photographer Dennis Morris started taking photographs as a young boy and at eleven had one of his photographs printed on the front page of the Daily Mirror. In his book Growing Up Black, he charts not just the history of the black British experience but Britain itself, capturing intimate moments within the black community and domestic life in 1960s and 70s Hackney, East London, where he lived. Growing Up Black is published by Autograph ABP. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves is joined by Hans Klok, Adrian Jackson, Sabrina Jean, Mary M Talbot and Dave Kelly. Illusionist Hans Klok, reputedly 'the fastest magician in the world', has been performing magic since he was ten years old. He recently played shows at Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas, where Pamela Anderson was his glamorous assistant. He brings his homage to Harry Houdini, The Houdini Experience, to London. The show combines daredevil stunts, illusions and tricks. The Houdini Experience is at the Sadler's Wells Peacock Theatre. Adrian Jackson is a writer and director, who set up the theatre company 'Cardboard Citizens'. His latest play 'A Few Man Fridays' tells the story of how the British Government evicted 2000 islanders from the Chagos islands in the Indian Ocean during the cold war to make way for a US military base. Sabrina Jean's family were part of that community who eventually settled in the UK. She is secretary of the UK Chagos Support Association. A Few Man Fridays is at London's Riverside Studios. Scholar Mary M Talbot's latest book 'Dotter of her Father's Eyes' is part biography and part personal history which contrasts two coming of age narratives; that of Lucia, the daughter of James Joyce, and that of the author herself who is the daughter of an eminent Joycean scholar. Dotter of her Father's Eyes by Mary M Talbot with illustrations by Bryan Talbot is published by Jonathan Cape. Dave Kelly lost his sight fifteen years ago to a rare eye condition, retinitis pigmentosa. After two years of struggling to adjust to his condition, he was inspired to set up his own charity, Daisy UK. The charity runs sports sessions for the disabled, including blind football and wheelchair basketball. The project will use funding from Sport Relief to run one day sports courses for young people, both disabled and able bodied, and their carers. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves is joined by actor Sir Antony Sher and jazz saxophonist Barbara Thompson. She also meets Professor Sean Street an historian, writer, presenter and poet. His new book 'The Poetry of Radio - The Colour of Sound' explores the relationship between poetry and radio, and examines the concept of 'poetic making' in sound. Jazz saxophonist and composer Barbara Thompson and her husband the drummer Jon Hiseman feature in a BBC Four documentary 'Playing Against Time', part of BBC Four's Jazz weekend, in which Barbara uses music and creativity to help her cope with Parkinson's disease. Sir Antony Sher stars in Nicholas Wright's new play 'Travelling Light' at the National Theatre. The play recounts the story of a Hollywood director in his sixties looking back on how his career began in a small village in Eastern Europe in the early years of the 20th century. The story pays tribute to the Eastern European immigrants who became major players in Hollywood's golden age of cinema. Libby also talks to biographer Jonathan Croall whose father was John Stuart a star of the silent screen who, unlike many, successfully survived into the 'talkies' era. Always a rather distant figure, it wasn't until after his death that Jonathan learnt more about him from the scrapbooks he had left behind, revealing his experiences on the Western Front during the First World War. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves is joined by actor Katherine Kelly; Dr Steve Peters, psychiatrist with the British Cycling Team; former US army chief Rhonda Cornum; and BBC presenter Clare Balding. Katherine Kelly played brassy barmaid Becky McDonald in ITV's Coronation Street for five years. She is now in The National Theatre's production of She Stoops to Conquer, a comedy offering a celebration of chaos, courtship and the dysfunctional family. Dr Steve Peters is a consultant psychiatrist who has worked in the clinical field of psychiatry for over 20 years. Since 2001 he has been resident psychiatrist to the British Cycling Team. His mind management techniques have been credited in helping to transform the performances of not only Olympic cyclists but also other Olympic Sports such as Taekwondo and Canoeing. His book 'The Chimp Paradox - The Mind Management Programme for Confidence, Success and Happiness' is published by Vermilion. Rhonda Cornum was a flight surgeon with the 229th Attack Helicopter Regiment who was shot down and captured in February 1991 during the first Gulf War. Her decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Purple Heart. She retired from the US Army on 31st January 2012. She is delivering a lecture on resilience at the Young Foundation in London. Clare Balding is currently presenting a 30-part BBC Radio 4 series charting how sport has shaped the British and how Britain has shaped sport, Sport and the British. She also presents the BBC's horseracing coverage of events including the Grand National, Royal Ascot and the Derby and was a presenter of both the Olympic and Paralympic Games from Beijing in 2008, Athens in 2004 and Sydney in 2000. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves is joined by Lord Kenneth Baker; charity worker Rudi Richardson; playwright Ishy Din and columnist and author Michele Hanson. Lord Kenneth Baker, former Home Secretary and a former Chairman of the Conservative Party, is a cartoon enthusiast. He talks about an exhibition at London's Cartoon Museum - HER MAJ: 60 Years of Unofficial Portraits of the Queen - which celebrates the Queen's reign through cartoons by some of our greatest caricaturists including Ralph Steadman and Steve Bell. Rudi Richardson is the founder of Streetlytes, a charity for the homeless, which he set up after 33 years drifting in and out of addiction, prison and life on the streets. He was born in a women's prison in post-war Germany to a German Jewish mother and black American father. Adopted by an African American couple, he was brought up in California but, as he explains on the programme, he was deported back to Europe in his late forties. Rudi ended up on the streets in London but in a remarkable turnaround he set up the Streetlytes charity. His mission he says is "to rescue those who stand in the shoes I stood in - the addicts, the homeless, the broken." Ishy Din describes himself as a taxi-driver from Middlesbrough who now writes plays. His new production Snookered is about young Asian men struggling to find their identity in modern Britain. Michele Hanson is a columnist and writer. She discusses her memoir which recounts her youth in 1950s Ruislip. Michele laments the agony of being the only Jewish girl in her group of school friends and her comic but overbearing mother. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves is joined by Graham Short, Peter Tatchell, Gary Mulgrew and Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace. Graham Short is known as "the world's smallest engraver" for his miniature masterpieces. He has spent almost fifty years honing his craft, going to physical and mental extremes to produce the highest quality engravings. His latest work, The Word of God, is the first chapter of the Qur'an engraved on the head of a pin, which follows on from his first pin on which he engraved the Lord's Prayer. Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell turns sixty today. This year also marks 45 years since his first human rights campaign in 1967 which was against the death penalty in Australia. Also July is the 40th year of London LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender) Pride Parade; he helped to organise the first one in 1972 and has attended every parade since. Gary Mulgrew became known as one of the 'Natwest Three' when he was extradited to the US and served a prison sentence for banking fraud. His book, Gang of One, tells of his time serving in one of America's toughest prisons, Big Spring in Texas. Gang of One is published by Hodder & Stoughton. Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace, stars of BBC's Strictly Come Dancing, bring their creation, Midnight Tango to London's West End. Set in a late-night bar in downtown Buenos Aires, it brings to life all the drama, sensuality and elegance of the tango. Midnight Tango is on at the Aldwych Theatre. Producer: Paula McGinley.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Antony Woodward, Sandy Gall, Nick Coleman and Rosie Wilby. Antony Woodward is a writer and amateur microlight pilot. Fifteen years ago he took part in the Round Britain Rally, a three day competition flying in flimsy machines around the UK. He crashed and almost killed himself. Having stopped flying for years, Antony attempts to enter the rally again - and face his fears for a BBC Two documentary, Wonderland: The Real Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines. Sandy Gall is a journalist, broadcaster and former ITN news presenter. Sandy has been visiting Afghanistan for the last thirty years and has made three documentaries about the country during the Soviet invasion. With his wife he set up the Sandy Gall Afghanistan Appeal charity which provides support to people who have lost limbs in combat. He is the author of War Against The Taliban Why It All Went Wrong In Afghanistan. Nick Coleman is a writer and music journalist. Music had been an integral part of his life for as long as he could remember, but Sudden Neurosensory Hearing Loss changed that irrevocably. Unable to enjoy his greatest passion in life he tries to restore his ability not only to hear but to think about and feel music again. He tells his story in his book 'The Train in the Night: A Story of Music and Loss'. Rosie Wilby is a musician turned comedian who looks back at the emotional rollercoaster of chasing stardom at the height of Britpop in 'How (not) to make it in Britpop' - as part of National Storytelling Week. Producer: Paula McGinley.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Tasmin Little, John Akomfrah, Andrew Higgins and Sir Stephen Waley-Cohen. Tasmin Little is the acclaimed violinist who features in a BBC Four documentary celebrating Vaughan Williams's 'The Lark Ascending', which is a piece dear to her heart. The documentary tells the intriguing story behind the nation's most popular piece of classical music as voted for by more than 25,000 radio listeners last year. John Akomfrah is an award-winning film director and one of the founders of the Black Audio Film Collective. His new film, 'The Nine Muses', shot in Alaska, looks at the history of mass migration to post-war Britain using Homer's poem The Odyssey as a starting point. Dr Andrew Higgins is a vet. In 1974 he was posted to Oman during the Dhofar War as one of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps who was brought in to help win the hearts and minds of the local population. He was responsible for looking after the Jebali people's livestock - goats, camels and sheep - as well as the Sultan of Oman's horses, pedigree dogs, exotic birds, bears and hyenas. Since 1994 theatre owner and manager Sir Stephen Waley-Cohen has been the producer of Agatha Christie's play The Mousetrap which celebrates its 60th Anniversary this year. In 1997 he founded Mousetrap Theatre Projects which has introduced thousands of disadvantaged young people to the theatre. Producer: Paula McGinley.

This week Libby Purves is joined by guests Winnie and Frank Tovey, Simon Russell Beale, Noo Saro-Wiwa and Anne Wallace. Winnie and Frank Tovey spent sixteen years in the fifties and sixties in India where Frank was a medical missionary. They were active in providing clinics to cure leprosy, surgery and physiotherapy to restore function and treat deformity and have written about their experiences in the book 'Cor Blimey! Where 'ave you come from?, published by Little Knoll Press. Simon Russell-Beale is the acclaimed stage and screen actor who has played every major Shakespearean and classical drama lead over the last twenty years. He is currently playing Stalin in the National Theatre production of 'Collaborators' by John Hodge. He can also be seen in the films Deep Blue Sea and My Week With Marilyn. Noo Saro-Wiwa is a travel writer and daughter of the political activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, who was murdered in Nigeria in 1995. She was brought up in the UK but used to hate visiting Nigeria every year on holiday as a child. In her book 'Looking for Transwonderland', she describes her own journey back, ten years after his death. Looking for Transwonderland is published by Granta. Anne Wallace has worked in the fish and chip shop business in Stockport for the last forty-five years. She recently won a NatWest Everywoman Gaia Award for Enterprise. When the recession hit and neighbouring shops closed down, she bought the shop next door and opened it as a coffee shop, Startpoint, where they offer everything from providing IT skills to the elderly, to courses in Tai Chi and crochet. Producer: Annette Wells.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Alistair Sutcliffe, Martha Fiennes, Celia Imrie and Amanda Vickery. Alistair Sutcliffe is a GP who became the first man to summit the highest mountain on each of the seven continents at the first attempt. He subsequently suffered a near fatal brain haemorrhage, and he describes his recovery as the most difficult climb of all in his book 'The Hardest Climb', published by Blue Moose. Martha Fiennes is a filmmaker, whose films include Onegin and Chromophobia. She also directs television commercials. For her latest project she has created her first digital installation, Nativity, a completely self-generating technological art-work based on the Christmas Nativity scene, on display in a specially constructed chalet in London's Covent Garden piazza. Celia Imrie plays Dotty Otley who plays Mrs Clackett, in Michael Frayn's 'Noises Off' at the Old Vic. She is perhaps best known for her regular characters in the award-winning TV series Acorn Antiques and Dinnerladies. Her many screen credits include Calendar Girls, Hilary and Jackie, and Aunt Una Alconbury in the Bridget Jones films and she will soon be seen on the big screen in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Amanda Vickery is the historian, writer and broadcaster and Professor of Early Modern History at Queen Mary College, University of London. She presents a BBC Two documentary 'The Many Lovers of Miss Jane Austen' to mark the 200th anniversary of the publication of Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen's first novel. She explores her enduring popularity through her plots and characters. Producer: Lucinda Montefiore.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Susie McKenna, Peter Bougourd, Professor John Wallwork and Matthew Herbert. Susie McKenna is Creative Director of the Hackney Empire. A professional actor by training, she grew up in the world of variety, travelling all over the country with her performer parents, and first took to the stage when she was three. She has written and directed this year's Hackney Empire pantomime, 'Cinderella'. Peter Bougourd was second Cox of the St Peter Port lifeboat, Guernsey. This month is the 30th anniversary of two of the RNLI's most memorable launches: the St Peter Port lifeboat was launched to the cargo ship Bonita, in hurricane force conditions. Of the 29 that the lifeboat rescued, only one died from his injuries in hospital. Six days later, the Penlee lifeboat Solomon Browne was launched to the coaster Union Star which had foundered against the Cornish cliffs. The lifeboat was lost and there were no survivors from either boat. It is the worst disaster in the recent history of the RNLI. Professor John Wallwork performed the world's first triple transplant - heart, lungs and liver, the UK's first successful heart lung transplant and oversaw the UK's first mechanical heart transplant. He features in a BBC Inside Out documentary, 'The Heartman', which follows him as he performs his last transplant at Papworth Hospital before he retires after forty years. 'The Heartman' is on BBC East. Matthew Herbert is a musician and composer who works principally turning everyday sounds into music. His latest work is an album called ONE PIG, which records the 24 week lifecycle of a pig from birth to table and beyond. ONE PIG is released on Accidental Records. Producer: Lucinda Montefiore.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Runa Khan Marre, Charles Hazlewood, Matthew Bourne and Gebisa Ejeta. Runa Khan Marre is preserving the unique cultural heritage of Bangladeshi boat-building through her living museum on the riverbank near Dhaka. She is one of six global innovators who is in London to receive a Rolex Award for Enterprise. The Rolex Awards for Enterprise will take place at the Royal Geographical Society. Charles Hazlewood is an award-winning conductor who works regularly with great orchestras around the globe including the BBC Concert Orchestra. In a documentary for BBC Four, 'Scrapheap Orchestra', he sets about trying to create an entire orchestra of 44 instruments made entirely from scrap, culminating in performances at the 2011 BBC Proms. 'Scrapheap Orchestra' is on BBC Four. Matthew Bourne is the renowned choreographer. He and his ballet company New Adventures' returns to Sadler's Wells this Christmas with their much loved production of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker! Originally created in 1992 for the ballet's centenary, this year it celebrates its own 20th birthday. Gebisa Ejeta is one of the world's leading, and award-winning plant scientists who has been developing drought-resistant crops for Africa. He is now an adviser to President Barack Obama as well as being a World Food Prize Laureate and Distinguished Professor at Purdue University, USA. He will be taking part in a BBC World Service event, 'Exchanges at the Frontier, at the Wellcome Collection. Producer: Lucinda Montefiore.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Jeremy Wade, Jacqui Thompson, Chris Mullin and Professor Roger Kneebone. Jeremy Wade is a former science teacher turned extreme fisherman. He presents the award-winning TV series 'River Monsters' in which he travels to remote rivers in the Congo, Amazon rainforest and the mountains of India tracking down large, weird and little-known fish. His book 'River Monsters' is published by Swordfish. Jacqui Thompson's husband Gary, a reservist with the RAF Regiment, was killed in Afghanistan on 2008. Since his death, Jacqui and her five daughters have been helped by the RAF Benevolent Fund. Money raised at this years British Military Tournament will go to the three armed forces charities; ABF The Soldier's Charity in association with The Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity and The Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund. Chris Mullin was Labour MP for Sunderland South from 1987 to 2010, serving as chairman of the influential Home Affairs Select Committee and as Minister in three departments. For sixteen years he kept a witty and irreverent diary of the daily life of an MP and it is now a play A Walk On Part at the Soho Theatre. His diaries have appeared as three books, A View from the Foothills, Decline and Fall, and A Walk on Part - all published by Profile Books. Roger Kneebone is Professor of Surgical Education at Imperial College London. He's presenting his first 'Professor Kneebone's Incredible Inflatable, Pop-Up Anatomy Lesson' at the Wellcome Collection as part of the Performing Medicine season, a series of performances, conversations and workshops exploring the fertile relationship between performance and anatomy. Producer: Lucinda Montefiore.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Warwick Davis, Sheena Byrom, Sir Willard White and Sierra James. Warwick Davis is the actor who made his movie debut aged eleven as Wicket the Ewok in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi and played Professor Flitwick in the Harry Potter films. He is currently starring in the new BBC observational comedy 'Life's Too Short ', written by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, which follows Warwick's day-to-day frustrations of being short. Sheena Byrom has spent the last thirty-five years as a midwife. In her book, 'Catching Babies' she recounts her long career in the NHS, from training in the 1970s to overseeing the first home water birth in her area of Lancashire. 'Catching Babies' is published by Headline. Bass-baritone Sir Willard White is performing "Christus" in three productions of Bach's St Matthew Passion at Ambika P3, a disused concrete factory under London's Marylebone Road. This is the first major project of 'Vocal Futures', a charitable foundation launched to inspire a new generation of classical music followers. Sierra James is the American founder of Ba Futuru, a grassroots charity in Timor Leste which works with thousands of children, as well as local police and teachers, helping them with conflict resolution through art and other creative therapies in this strife-torn country. She is in London to receive an award from the STARS Foundation. Producer: Lucinda Montefiore.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Gareth Malone, Stella Duffy, Reginald D Hunter and Jessica Douglas-Home. Choirmaster Gareth Malone returns with the fourth series of the RTS and BAFTA award-winning series. This time he goes to Devon, to Chivenor barracks, to work with the forces community from the time the battalion is deployed to their homecoming. His task is to work for six months with the wives - and try to give them a voice and to unite them - and the base - through the power of song. The Choir: Military Voices is on BBC Two. Stella Duffy is the novelist and playwright. She is directing 'TaniwhaThames', a new play about home and belonging, the inspiration coming from her two most beloved places - London and New Zealand. She was born in London but moved with her family to a small town in New Zealand when she was five. TaniwhaThames, written and devised by the theatre company, Shaky Isles, is at Ovalhouse Theatre, South London. Reginald D. Hunter is the American born, stand-up comedian, known on the UK comedy circuit as one of its most distinctive and controversal performers, often dealing with the issues of race which he feels is important. His DVD, Reginald D Hunter LIVE has just been released and he is currently on tour with 'Sometimes even the devil tells the truth'. Jessica Douglas-Home's 23 year old grandmother, Lilah Wingfield travelled to India in 1911 for the great Delhi Durbar, when George V had himself crowned Emperor of India with enormous pomp. Her book, 'A Glimpse of Empire', based on diaries and photographs of her grandmothers', is published to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Durbar. There are also two exhibitions of Lilah's photographs in Dehli and at Indar Pasricha Fine Arts in Connaught Street, London W1. A Glimpse of Empire is published by Michael Russell. Producer: Lucinda Montefiore.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Arlene Phillips, Max Zachs, Antonio Carluccio and Simon Clothier. Ukulele player Simon Clothier worked in construction on sites including the iconic Wembley Stadium and Olympic 2012 until his musical talent was recognized by his fellow workers. Construction has now been put on hold as he goes on tour with his band in the new year and has a new album out, 'Songs from a Small Guitar', and a single 'Over and Done', which is in aid of the Children's Society. Max Zachs is appearing in the Channel 4 series 'My Transsexual Summer' which follows seven transgender men and women as they come together to share their intimate and on-going experiences of changing gender. Max was born female and three years ago began his physical transition to becoming male. He is also a Reform Jew, attends synagogue regularly, and hopes to enter Rabbinical School to fulfil his goal of becoming Britain's first trans-gender Rabbi. Antonio Carluccio is the much loved and respected Italian food writer, chef and restaurateur. He is appearing in a new series of the campaigning food series 'The Great British Food Revival' on BBC Two and his mission is to revive the fortunes of the British beetroot. Arlene Phillips created the dance group Hot Gossip in the seventies and went on to become a world renowned choreographer for theatre, film, pop concerts and music videos. She was also a judge on the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing for six series. She has just published the book 'Dance to the Musicals - the fun way to fitness' and is published by Kyle. Producer: Lucinda Montefiore.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Ceri Levy, Rita Tushingham, Gillian Lynne and Gisli Örn Gardarsson. Ceri Levy is a film-maker, birdwatcher and co-curator of a new exhibition, 'Ghosts of Gone Birds' which features eighty artists, including Sir Peter Blake, Ralph Steadman and Margaret Atwood, each of whom has depicted an extinct or endangered species of bird. Ghosts of Gone Birds is at the Rochelle School, London E2. Rita Tushingham's breakthrough movie 'Taste of Honey' is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a screening in Liverpool, her hometown, as part of this year's 'Homotopia Festival'. Rita won a Bafta and a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Jo, a young girl with a difficult mother, leaving home, living with a gay flatmate and getting pregnant. Gillian Lynne is the former ballerina, theatre director and renowned choreographer, best known for her iconic choreography of shows including 'Cats' and 'Phantom of the Opera'. Her memoir, 'A Dancer in Wartime - one girl's journey from the Blitz to Sadler's Wells' is published by Chatto & Windus. Gisli Örn Gardarsson is an Icelandic actor and director, who originally trained as a gymnast. His theatre company Vesturport is best known for its gymnastic productions, circus skills and leftfield set designs which he is about to bring to the RSC at Stratford-upon-Avon in David Farr's new version on the much loved myth of Robin Hood. 'The Heart of Robin Hood' is at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford over Christmas. Producer: Chris Paling.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Richard Rycroft, Sir Terry Wogan, Matt Croucher and Sona Jobarteh. After a long career in the police force, Richard Rycroft became an actor and also a stand-up comedian. He says that the two roles of policeman and actor are quite similar, but his only frustration as an actor is that no one will cast him as a policeman - he's just not convincing in that role apparently! He is appearing as the CEO in the improvisational show, 'The Office Party' which is running at London's Pleasance Theatre. Sir Terry Wogan has been a radio and TV broadcaster since the sixties, first in Ireland and then the BBC. He retired from his Radio 2 show 'Wake Up to Wogan' in 2009, which boasted a regular eight million listeners, including the TOGS - Terry's Old Geezers and Gals. His book, 'Wogan's Ireland', which was also a BBC series, recalls his memories of Ireland, from the politics to the personal. 'Wogan's Ireland' is published by Simon & Schuster. Matt Croucher GC joined the Royal Marines aged sixteen. He served in Iraq and in Afghanistan, where in 2007 he was awarded the George Cross when he jumped on a live grenade to protect his men in Afghanistan. Now an ambassador for the Royal British Legion, he has written the book 'The Royal British Legion: 90 Years of Heroes - the official 90th anniversary tribute', which is published by Collins. Sona Jobarteh is the first female Kora virtuoso from the prestigious West African Jobarteh Griot family, coming from a long line of hereditary musicians. She is also a singer, producer, film composer and multi-instrumentalist and is the granddaughter of the master Griot Amadu Bansang Jobarteh. She is performing at the Nour Festival at Leighton House Museum, London W14. Her latest CD 'FASIYA' is out on West African Guild Records. Producer: Chris Paling.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Gloria Elliott, Des Bishop, Michael Morpurgo and Stanley Jackson. Gloria Elliott is the Chief Executive of the Noise Abatement Society. Her father, John Connell founded the society in 1959 when he realised that there was no authority to turn to about noise complaints, that noise was in his words, ' the forgotten pollutant'. The Noise Abatement Society are collaborating with 'Sounding Brighton' for Brighton & Hove White Night where a series of sonic artworks, produced especially for the occasion, will challenge notions of sound in public spaces. Des Bishop is a stand-up comedian. His book 'My Dad Was Nearly James Bond' tells the story of his dad who, as a model and actor in the sixties, nearly became James Bond, but gave it all up to raise a family. For years, Des had wanted to write a show about his dad, and when he was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2009, the insights that emerged during his dad's illness triggered his stand up show and now the book. 'My Dad Was Nearly James Bond' is published by Penguin. Michael Morpurgo is the children's author of books including War Horse and Private Peaceful. This month, the National Army Museum is launching its largest exhibition to date, War Horse: Fact & Fiction. The exhibition explores Michael Morpurgo's book to tell the real-life stories of horses in war and how they have shaped history from the Charge of the Light-brigade to the present-day. Stanley Jackson is a celebrity booker. Through his company, Performing Artistes, he hires famous people for corporate events. In his book 'Get Me A Celebrity' he gives advice on how to write a well-crafted speech and discusses the role of agents and the crucial role of TV exposure. 'Get Me A Celebrity' is published by Ecademy Press. Producer: Chris Paling.

This week Libby Purves is joined by David M.Wilson, Fred Baier, Buddy Greco and Kathryn Tickell. Dr David M Wilson is a polar historian and a great-nephew of Dr Edward Wilson, the Chief of the Scientific Staff, who died with Captain Scott in Antarctica. His book, 'The Lost Photographs of Captain Scott' features photographs from that ill-fated expedition that have never been seen before. There will also be an exhibition - 'The Heart of the Great Alone', marking the centenary of Scott's expedition at the Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace and at the Natural History Museum. 'The Lost Photographs of Captain Scott' are published by Little, Brown. Fred Baier is the British maverick furniture maker who was catapulted to fame by the Crafts Council in the 1970s and toured as a celebrity British export. His work has redefined contemporary furniture with a combination of mercurial intelligence, a playful sense of maths, engineering and colour. An exhibition of his work is at the Craft Study Centre in Farnham, Surrey and is also currently in the V&A's Postmodernism exhibition. Buddy Greco is the legendary singer and pianist. His previously unreleased album Live At The Sands (recorded in Las Vegas in 1967) is being released this month. Now 85, he is still regularly performing around the world. During his career he performed with the Rat Pack for many years and alongside many major artists, including the Beatles. Kathryn Tickell is a folk musician. She is touring with a new show "Northumbrian Voices", which is based on interviews and recordings she has done over the years with family members and old musicians from whom she learnt tunes and songs. Three generations of musicians perform, including her father, a formidable Geordie singer in his seventies. Producer: Chris Paling.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Peter Brookes, Alexandra Fuller, Albie Sachs and Niamh Cusack. Peter Brookes is the political cartoonist for The Times newspaper and the current British Cartoonist of the Year. His book, 'Hard Times' is his latest collection of outrageous sketches of contemporary and political life. 'Hard Times' is published by Biteback Publishing. Alexandra Fuller is a writer. Her new book 'Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness' is an exploration of her family; at its heart is the story of her mother, Nicola. Born on the Isle of Skye and raised in Kenya, Nicola holds dear the values most likely to get you killed in Africa: loyalty to blood, passion for land and the holy belief in the restorative power of all animals. 'Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness' is published by Simon & Schuster. Albie Sachs is a former high-court judge of the Constitutional Court of South Africa and one of the architects of the South African constitution. During the apartheid years, whilst in exile in Mozambique, his car was blown up by South African security agents and he lost an arm and an eye. He republishes his book 'The Soft Vengeance of a Freedom Fighter', an account of his journey, and his country's, from apartheid to a new South Africa with a moving chapter in which he tries to explain to his young son about apartheid. 'The Soft Vengeance of a Freedom Fighter' is published by Souvenir Press. Niamh Cusack is an Irish actor who has worked extensively in theatre and television. She became a household name in 1992 in ITV's 'Heartbeat' and was recently seen as Edith Davenport in the critically acclaimed production of Rattigan's 'Cause Célèbre' at The Old Vic, She is currently starring as Widow Quinn in JM Synge's 'The Playboy of the Western World' at The Old Vic in London. Producer: Chris Paling.

Angie Beasley is the Director of Miss England. A former beauty queen, she won over twenty-five titles including Miss Cleethorpes, before going on to work for Miss World impressario, Eric Morley. Her memoir, Frog Princess, is published by Penguin Fiction. For the past forty years, Neil Powell has worked with dogs - in mountain search and rescue, drowned victim recovery, collapsed structure searching, and drug detection. Together they have participated in countless rescues and saved many lives throughout the world from Turkey to Scotland (Lockerbie) to Pakistan. He is also a founder member of the British International Rescue Dog team. His book 'Search Dogs and Me: One Man and his Life-saving Dogs' is published by Blackstaff. Muyiwa is a gospel singer, radio presenter and station director of Premier Gospel radio station. He will be performing with Riversongz at the Metropolitan Black Police Association's "Celebration of Life" concert at the Royal Festival Hall, Soutbank Centre. Hugh Lupton is a professional storyteller. He is also the great nephew of writer Arthur Ransome and will be performing at the storytelling festival, 'Settle Stories', a piece entitled The Homing Stone, based on the story of how his great uncle travelled across Russia during the 1917 Revolution to collect folktales and how he became swept up in events of the time. Producer: Chris Paling.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Dan Brodsky-Chenfeld, Imran Khan, Freer Spreckley and Virginia Ironside. Dan Brodsky-Chenfeld is a seven times World Champion in the sport of skydiving. He did this despite surviving a plane crash that killed sixteen of the twenty-two people on board, including a close friend and teammate, which left him seriously injured. He now runs Skydive Perris in Southern California, one of the largest skydiving centres in the world. His book 'Above All Else' is published by Skyhorse Publishing. Imran Khan is the former international cricketer who is now the chairman of the political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. A renowned fast bowler, he made his Test Match debut for Pakistan in 1971 and as Captain lead them to their first ever Test series win in India. Born only five years after Pakistan was created in 1947, his book 'Pakistan: A Personal History' draws on the experiences of his family and his wide travels within his homeland. 'Pakistan: A Personal History' is published by Bantam Press. As a child, Freer Spreckley was a pupil at Summerhill, a progressive school in Suffolk. Founded by legendary educator AS Neill in 1921, celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, it is notable for the fact that it does not require any of its pupils to attend lessons. Freer was a real wild child who came out of Summerhill unable to read of write, travelled the world becoming a hippy but has gone on to become successful in many social enterprise projects. He appears in the book 'After Summerhill: What happened to the pupils of Britain's most radical school?' by Hussein Lucas, published by Herbert Adler. Virginia Ironside is a writer and columnist. After starting her career as a journalist, she decided to apply for the job of agony aunt at Woman magazine. She stayed there for ten years, going on to work as problem page editor for the Sunday Mirror and Today. She currently writes the Dilemmas column for the Independent every Monday, and a monthly column for the Oldie and has just started a new career as a performer, touring the UK with the 'Virginia Monologues', which examine life, death and grand-mother-hood. Producer: Chris Paling.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Carol Mellin, Steve Walker, Lucy Bailey and Molly Birnbaum. Carol Mellin is a sheep farmer and sheep dog trainer. She is competing in the 4th International Sheep Dog Society World Trials, taking place on the Lowther Estate, near Penrith in Cumbria. A total of 240 dogs and their handlers from twenty-three competing nations will take part. It will be shown on More4 this week. Steve Walker is Programme Director of the Ley Community in Oxfordshire, a successful drug rehabilitation centre, where he was treated in the late 1980s and early 1990s. His book 'Steve: Unwanted' tells of his life as a drug addict and dealer before his life was turned around, and saved, by the Ley Community. Steve: Unwanted is published by Short Books. Lucy Bailey is joint Artistic Director of the Print Room which she founded with Anda Winters in 2008. It took them three years to convert a small fifties warehouse into a simple flexible theatre space, seating under one hundred people. This autumn they are joining forces with the Young Vic to stage a double bill of Harold Pinter's work - One for the Road and his black comedy Victoria Station. Molly Birnbaum was an aspiring chef studying at cookery school in America when she was badly injured in a road accident. As a result, she lost her sense of smell. In her book 'Season to Taste', she looks at the science behind olfaction and tells how she gradually rediscovered the scented world. 'Season to Taste' is published by Granta. Producer: Chris Paling.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Laura Whitfield, Alastair Hignell, Matteo Pistono and Nigel Havers. Laura Whitfield was a child swimming champion before becoming an actor. She is appearing in the Channel 4 observational documentary series, 'Seven Dwarves', which follows the lives of seven dwarf actors as they live together and perform in a production of Snow White. Alastair Hignell CBE was a gifted sportsman who played rugby for England and county cricket for Gloucestershire. Forced to retire early through injury, he turned, via teaching, to broadcasting, becoming a commentator for both the BBC and ITV. In 1999 he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. In his book 'Higgy: Matches, Microphones and MS' he tells of his journey of discovery about living with disability. 'Higgy: Matches, Microphones and MS' is published by Bloomsbury. Matteo Pistono is a writer and practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism. After first going to Tibet to deepen his meditation skills he was shocked by the stories he heard of Tibetans being tortured in Chinese prisons. After becoming a student of a venerated meditation master he began couriering messages to him from the Dalai Lama in India. His memoir, 'In the Shadow of the Buddha' is published by Hay House. He will be giving a talk at the Free Word and The Tibet Society in London during his visit to the UK. Nigel Havers is appearing in a new play 'Basket Case', written by Nick Fisher. A comedy about a divorced couple in Wiltshire drawn together for a day by the death of their elderly dog. He plays golf-mad smoothie Guy. 'Basket Case' opens in Northampton before touring the UK. Producer: Chris Paling.

This week Anita Anand is joined by Jane Wernick, Douglas Edwards, Prof Gordon Turnbull and Anne Hunter. Jane Wernick is a structural engineer whose work has included the London Eye, the Treetop Walkway at Kew Gardens and the Young Vic Theatre. She is currently involved in 'Living Architecture', a not-for-profit organisation which designs and builds houses of outstanding architectural merit around Britain that can be rented for holidays, retreats or musical rehearsals. Douglas Edwards became Google's first director of consumer marketing and brand management and was responsible for setting the tone and direction of the company's communication with their users. In his book, 'I'm Feeling Lucky: The Confessions of Google Employee Number 59', he takes us inside the hyper-energized world of the 'Googleplex'. 'I'm Feeling Lucky' is published by Allen Lane. Professor Gordon Turnbull is recognised as one of the UK's leading practitioners in the treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Now Lead consultant in PTSD at the Capio Nightingale Hospital in London, he has spent his career fighting for the disorder's official recognition. His work has included conducting unprecedented debriefings of British prisoners of war and British hostages released from Lebanon including John McCarthy, Jackie Mann and Terry Waite. His book 'Trauma' is published by Bantam Press. Anne Hunter grew up in care and had a long career as a social worker. She responded to an appeal through the Leeds Metropolitan University for people who had spent part of their lives in foster/institutional care and who wanted to explore their lost heritage as part of a Heritage Lottery Funded exhibition. This exhibition accompanies a new play, 'Where's Your Mama Gone?', by Brian Daniels. Anne will be involved in hosting some of the the post-show discussions. 'Where's Your Mama Gone?' is at the New End Theatre, Hampstead. Producer: Chris Paling.

This week Anita Anand is joined by David Westhead, Thapelo Motsumi, Kamin Mohammadi, Pauline Black and Paul Magid. David Westhead is an actor and filmmaker who organised a photographic course for disadvantaged teenagers from Johannesburg townships. Thapelo Motsumi was one of the young people who attended the course and is now working as a professional photographer. An exhibition of their photographs, 'Wembley to Soweto', is at the Oxo Gallery in London. Kamin Mohammadi is a journalist who fled the Iranian revolution in 1979 aged nine with her mother, father and sister, leaving behind their large, close-knit family. They came to London where she found a very different world. It took her nearly twenty years to return to her homeland and she tells her story in the book 'The Cypress Tree', which is published by Bloomsbury. Pauline Black is the actor/director and lead singer with 2-Tone band, The Selecter. Born of Anglo-Jewish/Nigerian parents, she was adopted by a white, working class family from Essex in the fifties. Never quite at home there, she escaped her small town background, and discovered a different way of life, making music. Her memoir, 'Black by Design', is published by Serpent's Tail. Paul Magid is part of The Flying Karamazov Brothers, the anarchic Californian jugglers who are performing in London for the first time in seventeen years. He founded the group on the streets of Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco in the 1970s, born out of the old beat generation and the anti-war movement. 'The Flying Karamazov Brothers' is at London's Vaudeville Theatre.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Rev. Nicholas Holtam, Rye Barcott, William Rees-Mogg and Sue Tilley. Rev. Nicholas Holtam has been vicar of St Martin in the Fields for the last sixteen years. He will be ordained as Bishop of Salisbury on 22nd July. In a new book, 'The Art of Worship', he reflects on the pictures in the National Gallery that have inspired him during his time at St Martins. 'The Art of Worship' is published by Yale University Press. As an American college student on his way into the US Marines, Rye Barcott spent the summer in the Nairobi slums to better understand the ethnic violence he would face in uniform. There, he forged a friendship with a community organiser and a widowed nurse and subsequently set up the organisation, Carolina for Kibera (CFK). He tells his story in the book 'It Happened on the Way to War', published by Bloomsbury. William Rees-Mogg is the journalist and former Editor of The Times. During his long career he has also been Chairman of the Arts Council, Head of the Broadcasting Standards Council, and Vice-Chairman of the BBC. In his memoirs he looks back over his life and reflects on some of the people and events of his times, including Rupert Murdoch and the war with the print unions, Margaret Thatcher, and Mick Jagger. 'Memoirs' is published by Harper Collins. Sue Tilley is an author and model as well as manager at a Jobcentre in London's West End. During the 1990s she was the artist Lucian Freud's muse and his nude portrait of her - 'Benefits Supervisor Sleeping' - became the most expensive painting ever sold by a living artist back in 2008. She is taking part in Wayne Hemingway's Vintage festival at the Southbank. In the "Soundtrack of Their Lives" catwalk show, she presents her personal take on the fashion and music of the eighties.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Justin Vivian Bond, Ruth Leon, Kenneth Cranham and Noel Tovey. Justin Vivian Bond is the American actor, singer and performance artist, formerly of the cabaret duo, Kiki & Herb. A Tony Award nominee, he returns to London to perform his solo show as part of the Soho Theatre's Comedy and Cabaret season. His new album is titled 'Dendrophile'. Ruth Leon is a writer and broadcaster specialising in all performing arts. She is also the widow of the theatre critic Sheridan Morley and has written a memoir, 'But What Comes Next?' about their life together. 'But What Comes Next?' is published by Constable. Kenneth Cranham is one of our best known stage, film and TV character actors, currently in the National Theatre production of 'The Cherry Orchard'. After becoming a household name in the eighties in television's 'Shine on Harvey Moon', he has gone on to star on stage and screen, most recently in films including 'Made in Dagenham' and 'Layer Cake'. 'The Cherry Orchard' is at the National Theatre. Noel Tovey is an internationally successful actor, dancer, choreographer and campaigner and was director of the indigenous welcoming at the Sydney Olympics. His life story , 'Little Black Bastard', is at Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, London E1, part of the Origins - Festival of First Nations 2011.

This week Libby Purves is joined by guests including Princess Campbell, Simon Day, Clare Peake and Henry Winkler. Princess Campbell was one of the first black ward sisters working in the NHS; she was one of a pioneering group of African-Caribbean workers who began to challenge barriers of prejudice. Her uniform goes on display at M-Shed, Bristol's new city museum in the old 1950s transit sheds at Prince's Wharf on the historic waterfront. Simon Day is the actor and stand-up comedian, probably best known from 'The Fast Show'. He publishes his memoir, 'Comedy and Error' in which he writes about his life as a celebrity as well as his childhood growing up in SE London, being sent to borstal for petty thieving, and about his addiction to drugs, money and success. 'Comedy and Error' is published by Simon & Schuster. Clare Peake is the daughter of the writer Mervyn Peake, author of the Gormenghast series of novels. Her memoir, 'Under a Canvas Sky', tells of her bohemian childhood and the impact of her father's Parkinson's disease on her life. Radio 4 is broadcasting several programmes about Mervyn Peake and Gormenghast: 'A Hundred Years of Mervyn Peake' and 'The History of Titus Groan' in the classic serial slot. 'Under a Canvas Sky' is published by Constable. Henry Winkler is the American actor, director and children's author, best known for playing 'The Fonz' in television's 'Happy Days'. He is in the UK and will be touring the country visiting schools with 'First News', the national newspaper for children, on the My Way! Tour. He'll be introducing British schoolchildren to his Hank Zipzer stories (published by Walker Books), which focus on a ten year-old boy with dyslexia and are based on his own past experiences.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Phil Davison, Sylvia Holder, Iris Krass and Bill Collison. Phil Davison is a craft-maker who worked as a couture pattern cutter to top London designers before learning the ancient art of cross-stitch on an exchange trip to Arkansas. Since then he has combined his obsession with street-art and cross-stitch, creating 'Urban Cross Stitch' kits with new designs that appeal to a new generation of stitchers. He also runs 'Cupcake, Cocktail and Cross Stitch' evenings. His first book 'Twisted Stitches' is published by Fil Rouge Press. Sylvia Holder was a London PR consultant on a business trip to India when she first met Venkat, a young Indian boy on a beach, and subsequently agreed to pay for his education. Sadly, at the age of twenty seven, just when all his efforts were beginning to show results for him and his family, he was killed in a road accident. Sylvia set up the Venkatraman Memorial Trust, in his memory, to support thousands like him, changing lives for the better. Iris Krass was fifteen when she was interned by the Japanese during the Second World War, along with her mother and younger brother and sister between 1942 and 1945. A new book 'Stolen Childhoods' by Nicola Tyrer, tells the previously untold stories of the children and their experiences of being interned. 'Stolen Childhoods' is published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson. Bill Collison started out running a small greengrocers in Lewes, East Sussex, which expanded into a cafe and deli, known as Bill's Produce Store. He then opened up in Brighton, which soon became THE go-to destination for food-lovers and is continuing to expand. His book 'Cook, Eat, Smile' is published by Salt Yard.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Meeta Raval, Kate Allatt, Gene David Kirk and Nell Gifford. Meeta Raval is recognised as a rising star of the new generation of opera singers and is one of the contestants in the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition. She attended Wells Cathedral School and was the first Head Girl Chorister in the country. The competition will be broadcast on BBC Two, BBC Four, BBC Two Wales, Radio 3, Radio Wales and Radio Cymru. Fell-runner and mother of three, Kate Allatt's life was torn apart when she suffered a massive stroke leading to locked-in syndrome. Totally paralysed, she became a prisoner inside her own body and her family were warned that she may never walk, talk or lead a normal life again. However, through her own determination she made a remarkable recovery and did run again. Her book 'Running Free: Breaking out from locked-in syndrome' is published by Accent Press. Gene David Kirk is Artistic Director of London's Jermyn Street Theatre, who served in the Royal Air Force before embarking on a career in theatre. To mark the 100th birthday of one of the greatest playwrights in history, he directs Tennessee Williams 'A Cavalier for Milady' at the Jermyn Street Theatre, the only published work of his that has never been produced. Nell Gifford is the founder of Gifford's Circus which she set up eleven years ago. An Oxford graduate, she spent her gap year working in a circus, and never looked back, setting up her own circus eleven years ago, with the aim of recreating the magic of the traditional English travelling show. Their latest production is Tolstoy's 'War and Peace' which they are performing around the West of England this summer.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Carol Furtado, Col Sgt Simon Panter, Vince Hill and Barry McGuigan. Carol Furtado is lead dancer in 'The Merchants of Bollywood', a theatrical dance extravaganza, charting the history of the world's largest and most prolific film industry. 'The Merchants of Bollywood' is at the Peacock Theatre, London. Colour Sgt Simon Panter features in 'Our War' on BBC Three which marks the 10th anniversary of the war in Afghanistan by using footage shot by the soldiers themselves. Part one, 'Ambushed', tells the story of the 1st Royal Anglian's bloody tour in Helmand Province, and the death of 19-year-old Private Chris Gray in a Taliban ambush. Singer Vince Hill rose to fame in the sixties with the million-selling No. 1 record 'Edelweiss'. In a career spanning fifty years, considered one of the most respected vocalists in the business, his melodic, modulated delivery earned him the title of 'the singer's singer'. His memoir, 'Another Hill to Climb' is published by Bank House Books. Barry McGuigan is the former World Featherweight boxing champion, known as 'The Clones Cyclone', who won the title in 1985 and defended it twice. A Catholic from the Republic of Ireland, he married his Protestant childhood sweetheart, and united people across sectarian and religious divides during a difficult time in the country's history. His autobiography 'Cyclone: My Story' is published by Virgin Books.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Professor Nicky Clayton, Bill Roedy, Edward Petherbridge and Steve Greenhaugh. Nicky Clayton is Professor of Comparative Cognition at Cambridge University and is an expert in bird behaviour. She is also passionate about dance and now combines these two strands as the Rambert Dance Company's first 'Scientist in Residence'. She is working with the Rambert on a new production, "Seven for a Secret, Never to be Told" and will be at this year's Hay Festival. Bill Roedy is the former Chairman and Chief Executive of MTV. In his book, 'What Makes Business Rock', he tells the story of how he built MTV into a global phenomenon. 'What Makes Business Rock' is published by Wiley. Edward Petherbridge is a distinguished stage actor who has had a long and varied career. He was part of Laurence Olivier's National Theatre Company at the Old Vic and starred as Lord Peter Wimsey in the BBC adaptation of the Dorothy L. Sayers Mysteries. He is currently playing the prophet Teresias in Sophocles' 'Antigone' (translated by Timberlake Wertenbaker) at London's Southwark Playhouse. Steve Greenhaugh worked as an RSPCA inspector in Lancashire for twenty-eight years. His book ' A Seal Pup in My Bath' tells of his training and early career rescuing thousands of injured, abandoned and abused animals from stranded cats and injured birds, to joining on police raids on quail fighting rings. 'A Seal Pup in My Bath - Tales From an RSPCA Inspector' is published by Constable.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Dr Kevin Jones, Vic Armstrong, Vidal Sassoon and Peter Jefferson. Dr Kevin Jones is an NHS Consultant in Acute Medicine at the Royal Bolton Hospital and is also a comedian. He features in a short film, 'Dying for a Laugh', along with stand-up comedians including Shappi Khorsandi, Ricky Tomlinson, and Dave Spikey, all reflecting (and joking) about the taboo subject of death. The film supports National Dying Matters Awareness Week which aims to get people talking more openly about end of life care and dying. Vic Armstrong is a British-born stuntman and director. He has worked in the movie industry for forty years, as stunt double for Indiana Jones, James Bond and Superman, and has directed action scenes for three James Bond movies, 'Mission Impossible 3' and 'I Am Legend', to name but a few. His autobiography, 'The True Adventures of The World's Greatest Stuntman' is published by Titan Books. Vidal Sassoon is known as the man who 'changed the world with a pair of scissors', with the Bauhaus-inspired hair styles he pioneered in the 1960s and his 'wash and wear' philosophy. His life story is a true rags to riches one, told in a new film Vidal Sassoon The Movie which traces his path from his early days in an orphanage in the East End, to his time as a soldier in Israel, his beginnings on Bond Street and ultimately to international success and celebrity. Peter Jefferson is a former BBC announcer who read the shipping forecast on Radio 4 for over forty years. He's now written a book detailing the history of this British institution and looking at its broader cultural influence. 'And Now the Shipping Forecast' is published by UIT Cambridge.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Jon Cousins, Paul Broda, Suggs and Patsy Rodenburg. Jon Cousins set up the website 'Moodscope' to help people manage their moods. Through his own personal experience of suffering from depression he used research by an American psychologist to create a site that lets fellow sufferers monitor their own wellbeing through a brief, daily online test. The results produce a "happiness number" that comforts those worried about their own state of mind, and the results can also be e-mailed to concerned friends or relatives. Paul Broda is a micro-biologist. His memoir 'Scientist Spies', centres on the lives of his mother, father and stepfather, the latter two spies who passed nuclear secrets to the Russians in the 1940s. He also describes how from early childhood his own life was shaped by his family life and influences. 'Scientist Spies - a memoir of my three parents and the Atom Bomb' is published by Matador. Suggs, real name Graham McPherson, is the singer, actor, broadcaster, but is probably best known as the frontman of the pop/ska band 'Madness'. He is performing his first solo show 'LIVE SUGGS! The Rambunctious Recollections of the Madness Front Man' - a 'stand-up memoir' - as he looks back on his life as he reaches fifty. He's also in the Radio 4 Saturday play Deep Down and Dirty Rock 'n' Roll about two musicians in mid-life meltdown. Patsy Rodenburg has been Head of Voice at the Guildhall School for the last twenty-six years. She is about to direct Richard III at the school. Recently listed number 15 in the Times' most influential people in theatre list, she is acknowledged as one of the world's leading voice coaches. Richard III is at the Bridewell Theatre, Fleet Street, EC4.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Baroness Jenkin, Walter Schwarz, Doreen Mantle and Gary Cockerill. Anne Jenkin, Baroness Jenkin of Kennington is a PR consultant. She was made a member of the House of Lords in recognition of her charitable and political work for the Conservative Party. She is taking part in a fundraising and awareness campaign, 'Live Below the Line', for the charity 'Restless Development'. The campaign is challenging people to live below the poverty line, by spending just one pound a day on food and drink for five days. Walter Schwarz was The Guardian newspaper's foreign correspondent from 1964 to the 1990s. He reported from Nigeria, Israel, France and as a War Correspondent in India/Pakistan during the 1972 conflict. In his memoir 'The Ideal Occupation' he tells of his many adventures and misadventures including his deportation from Nigeria and time spent in prison in Biafra during the Civil War. Actor Doreen Mantle is probably best known for her role as Mrs Warboys in the BBC's 'One Foot in the Grave'. She has also worked extensively in television and on the stage in productions of My Fair Lady, Keep It in the Family, The Seagull and Hamlet and toured Britain in Billy Liar. She also starred in the 1983 film 'Yentl' alongside Barbra Streisand and last October she joined the cast of Coronation Street. Her latest role is in a production of Ibsen's Little Eyolf at the Jermyn Street Theatre. Gary Cockerill is a celebrity make-up artist who has worked on television programmes including 'Ten Years Younger' and 'This Morning'. He grew up in South Yorkshire and after a brief time as a child actor, worked as a miner, before pursuing his make-up career. His autobiography 'From Coal Dust to Stardust' is published by Harper Collins.

Libby Purves is joined by Wayne Bartholomew, Mary King, Roger Garfitt and Randle Siddeley Wayne Bartholomew is the general manager of the Lake District hotel The Damson Dene in Windermere which features in a 'fly on the wall' series on Channel 4 called The Hotel. Mary King is a singing coach, singer and conductor and Director of the Southbank Centre's VoiceLab. Mary will be training 750 singers who will be taking part in the Messiah Concert at the Chorus! Festival at the Southbank with the acclaimed orchestra/choir The Sixteen. Roger Garfitt is a poet who has written a memoir called The Horseman's Word which is published by Cape. Randle Siddeley is a landscape architect. He also holds the title The Lord Kenilworth. His book Garden draws on his long career, taking the reader through gardens he has created, both large and small, town and country, British and international. It is published by Frances Lincoln. Producer: Chris Paling.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Dion Dublin, Robert Irwin, Gary Wiltshire and Molly Naylor. Dion Dublin is a retired English footballer turned amateur percussionist and musician. He has invented a percussion instrument called "The Dube". During his football career he played for teams including Norwich City, Manchester Utd, Aston Villa and Celtic and was capped four times for England. Since retiring he has become a football pundit for Sky and has co-presented 5 Live's 606 and currently the BBC's Late Kick Off East programme. Robert Irwin is a writer on the history and culture of the Islamic world and is Middle East editor of the TLS. In his book, 'Memoirs of a Dervish' he tells of how he left Oxford in the summer of 1964 and went to Algiers, while a military coup was taking place there, in search of enlightenment. 'Memoirs of a Dervish - Sufis Mystics and the 60s' is published by Profile Books. Gary Wiltshire worked as a market trader, van boy for R. White's Lemonade, porter at Smithfield and betting shop board man before becoming a licenced bookmaker. He became famous for losing £1.4 million when jockey Frankie Dettori rode seven winners at one meeting at Ascot in September 1996. Now a racing pundit for the BBC and Sky Sports, he is also known as 'The Belly from the Telly'. His book 'Winning it Back - the autobiography of Britain's biggest gambler' is published by Racing Post Books. Molly Naylor is a poet, scriptwriter and puppeteer. Her latest work is inspired by events that took place in London on 7th July 2005. 'Whenever I get blown up I think of you' tells of how Molly moved to London full of naive dreams and high hopes, until that day in July 2005, when she found herself on an underground train blown up by terrorists and her life takes a different direction. During the tour, Whenever I Get Blown Up I Think Of You will be broadcast as a BBC Radio 4 play to mark the anniversary of London's 7/7 terrorist bombings.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Raghu Dixit, Beata Zatorska, Linda Nolan and Brian Deighton. Raghu Dixit is an Indian crossover musician from Mysore. He founded the Raghu Dixit Project, an open house for musicians and artistes from different genres to come together, collaborate and create a dynamic sound and expression. He is a former Microbiologist and a proficient Indian Classical Dancer and his latest CD is entitled 'Raghu Dixit'. Beata Zatorska was born and raised in Communist Poland in the sixties and seventies by her grandmother, a professional chef. In 1981 she moved to Australia and became a doctor. After twenty years away, she returned to the village in Poland where she was brought up and rediscovered her grandmother's family recipes. Her book 'Rose Petal Jam - Recipes and stories from a summer in Poland' is published by Tabula Books. Linda Nolan is one of the Nolan sisters, originally from Ireland, who are probably best known for their hit song 'I'm in the Mood for Dancing'. Four members of the group, Maureen, Linda, Bernie and Coleen have written their autobiography 'Survivors' which tells of their rise to fame during the seventies and eighties. 'Survivors' is published by Sidgwick and Jackson. Brian Deighton is Head Gardener at Castle Howard in Yorkshire, the 18th-century residence set within 1,000 acres of breathtaking landscape. He and his team have just won the annual Christie's Historic Houses Association's 'Garden of the Year Award'. His pride and joy is the rose garden, which he has tended for thirty years, and remembers the filming of Brideshead Revisited at the house back in the eighties. He is also the voice of the gardening 'Mole' in TV's Creatures Comforts.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Joshua Foer, Marianne Talbot, Tom Renouf and Lydia Carmichael. Joshua Foer's book 'Moonwalking with Einstein' tells of his year spent investigating memory, in which he talks to experts around the world including neuroscientists, chess masters and 'memory historians'. He also undertakes training under a Memory Grand Master, and finds himself in the finals of the US Memory Championship, among competitors who can recite pi to ten thousand decimal places. 'Moonwalking with Einstein is published by Allen Lane. Marianne Talbot is Director of Studies in Philosophy at the University of Oxford's Department of Continuing Education. Her book 'Keeping Mum' tells of her personal journey, looking and caring for her own mother who suffered from dementia. 'Keeping Mum: Caring with someone with dementia' is published by Hay House. Dr Tom Renouf served in the legendary Black Watch during the Second World War. In his book, 'Black Watch', he tells the story of the 51st Highland Division and how, as a raw recruit he and his teenage comrades fought in the Battle for Normandy against the fanatical 12th Hitler Youth SS Division, going on to liberate Holland. They were the first to cross the Rhine, with his division capturing the world's most wanted man, Heinrich Himmler. 'Black Watch' is published by Little Brown. Lydia Carmichael is a former pupil of the Foundling Hospital in Berkhamsted, whose experiences of being brought up in care there are featured in a major new exhibition at London's Foundling Museum. The exhibition 'Foundling Voices' features the experiences of seventy-four former foundlings whose memories of their childhoods in the first half of the 20th century are graphically preserved in audio interviews, photographs and film.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Travis Meinolf, Vernon Rapley, Prof Lewis Wolpert and Rachel Clare. Travis Meinolf is an 'action weaver' who travels around the world engaging communities in interactive weaving, drawing on human connections, conversations and stories and embeds them into cloth woven on the move. He is interested in the symbolism and meaning of cloth and has been observing the way people in Libya are representing themselves through sewing their own flags. As part of an event organised by 'Curious About Craft', he will work with the local community in Birmingham. Vernon Rapley is Director of Security at the V&A. Formerly Detective Sergeant, he led London's Metropolitan Police Art and Antiques Unit until June 2010. With a team of just three full time police officers, he was dedicated to the policing of the world's second largest art market, recovering an average of £7 million of stolen and laundered art each year. He will be giving two lectures - Introducing Fakes and Forgeries at the V&A and one in aid of Venice in Peril at the Royal Geographical Society. Professor Lewis Wolpert is a developmental biologist, and is Emeritus Professor of Biology as Applied to Medicine at University College, London. In his new book 'You're Looking Very Well' he explores the scientific and social implications of getting old, and tackling every aspect of the subject from ageism to euthanasia to anti-ageing cream. 'You're Looking Very Well' is published by Faber & Faber. Rachel Clare is director of 'Crying Out Loud' which brings the most memorable international physical theatre companies to the UK. This spring, 'Groupe Acrobatique de Tanger' bring their dizzyingly evocative Chouf Ouchouf on tour, which weaves together contemporary performance and traditional Moroccan acrobatics, evoking the danger, joy and urgency of a Moroccan medina.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Ben Goddard, Dame Catherine, Jeff Pearce and David Wood. Ben Goddard is playing the role of Jerry Lee Lewis in the musical 'Million Dollar Quartet' inspired by the actual event that took place on 4th December 1956 at Sun Records in Memphis, when Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis came together to make music for the first and only time. 'Million Dollar Quartet' is at the Noel Coward Theatre, London WC2. Dame Catherine was a banker before becoming a Benedictine Nun. She co-founded The Benedictine Nuns of Holy Trinity Monastery, East Hendred, the first community of contemplative Benedictine nuns to be established in England for more than fifty years. They are using the internet and other innovations in order to make their message work in the 21st Century and are launching online retreats this month. Jeff Pearce was born in the slums of Liverpool in 1953, and from an early age he worked with his mother selling second hand clothes on a market stall. Leaving school at fourteen, unable to read or write, he embarked on an amazing journey, becoming a millionaire by the time he was thirty, losing everything in the nineties recession. Within ten years, however, he won the highest accolade in the fashion business, 'Independent Retailer of the Year 2002' at the Drapers Annual Awards. His memoir A Pocketful of Holes and Dreams is published by Penguin. David Wood is a children's dramatist, author, actor, director, composer and magician. He wrote his first play for children in 1967 and has since written over seventy more. His adaptation of 'Goodnight Mister Tom' together with three of his other adaptations, 'George's Marvellous Medicine', 'The Tiger Who Came to Tea' and 'Shaun the Sheep' - the latter two, David directed - are simultaneously touring the UK. Also 'David Wood's Storytime' is at the Arts Theatre, London during Easter.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Jean-Marie Akkerman, Sir Cameron Mackintosh, Katie Piper and Laura Lee. Jean-Marie Akkerman, a fourth generation circus performer, is founder of Cirque Nova, the only circus in the world working specifically with people who have physical, learning and mental health disabilities . Among is his liberating ideas has been to adapt trapeze swings to enable wheelchair-users to fly through the air upside down. Cirque Nova is one of the Comic Relief supported projects. Sir Cameron Mackintosh is the theatre producer who, over the last thirty years, has produced a string of hits - from Cats and Miss Saigon to Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables and My Fair Lady. Opening this month is his first new musical in ten years, 'Betty Blue Eyes', based on Alan Bennett and Malcolm Mowbray's comic film 'A Private Function'. 'Betty Blue Eyes' is at the Novello Theatre. Katie Piper was badly scared after a horrific acid attack destroyed her face two years ago. Since then she has shown extraordinary determination to overcome the physical and emotional damage wrought by the attack. A new four-part documentary for Channel 4, 'Katie: My Beautiful Friends', follows her over a year as she continues her recovery and sets up a charity to help others living with disfigurement. Laura Lee is the CEO of Maggie's Centres. Fifteen years ago she was an oncology nurse working in Edinburgh. One of her patients, Maggie Keswick Jencks had terminal cancer and through her long sessions of chemotherapy she and Laura began to discuss whether it was possible to build somewhere that could offer support to anyone affected by cancer. The result was Maggie's Centre, which Laura ran and they went on to build another fifteen centres. The centres were designed by top architects and they are currently feature in an exhibition at the V&A in London.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Clarence B Jones, Carodoc King and Yangzom Brauen. Clarence B Jones was the co-author of the 'I Have a Dream' speech and a close confidant to Martin Luther King himself. He was there, on the road, collaborating with the great minds of the time, and hammering out the ideas that would shape the civil rights movement. He is the sole survivor of those who had direct participation in these events. His book 'Behind the Dream', co-written by Stuart Connelly, is published by MacMillan. Carodoc King is a leading literary agent. In his memoir 'Problem Child' he tells of his childhood growing up in the 1950s in a large and eccentric family in Essex. He was treated harshly by his mother, sent to boarding school aged six and when he was fifteen found out he was adopted and a year later his parents removed him from school and ejected him completely from the family. With a natural survival instinct he got a place at Oxford, and thirty years later he goes in search of his natural family. 'Problem Child' is published by Simon & Schuster. Yangzom Brauen's grandmother Kunsang was one of Tibet's youngest nuns, who escaped the Chinese invasion of her country with her young family. They fled over the Himalayas to India, where they spent several years in refugee camps where both her husband and younger child died. She and her daughter eventually went to live in Switzerland, where Yangzom was born. She is now an actress living in Los Angeles and very involved with the Free Tibet movement. Kunsang is still alive and in her nineties. Their story is told in the book 'Across Many Mountains: Three Daughters of Tibet', published by Harvill Secker.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Mary Wilson, Larry Lamb, Siza Mtimbiri and Arthur Jeffes. Mary Wilson is the singer and a founding member of sixties group The Supremes. On the legendary Motown record label, they were able to cross racial boundaries to become one of the most successful musical acts of all time - the only group to have five consecutive number one hits. She's now an author, motivational speaker, and an international spokeswoman for the 'Humpty Dumpty Institute', a humanitarian organisation in which she speaks against landmines. She is currently touring the UK. Actor Larry Lamb is probably best known for his roles in two of the UK's best-loved television series as the villain Archie Mitchell in 'Eastenders' and as loveable dad Mick in 'Gavin and Stacey'. In his memoir, 'Mummy's Boy' he looks back at his own difficult relationship with his father, and how that in turn shaped his own close relationship with his son, George. 'Mummy's Boy' is published by Hodder. Siza Mtimbiri was brought up in one of the poorest parts of Zimbabwe, one of seven siblings. His family was devastated by HIV/AIDS. Today he is a PhD student at Cambridge University and a Gates Scholar. He has founded a charity called 'Hope Academy and Medical Center' that will bring education and health care to communities in rural Zimbabwe. Arthur Jeffes' father Simon founded the Penguin Cafe Orchestra in the seventies but died in 1997 of a brain tumour. At that point the group stopped playing completely but after a series of reunion concerts at the Union Chapel in 2007, to mark ten years since his death, Arthur decided to get a group of musicians together to play the music of the Penguin Cafe Orchestra, plus his own, new compositions. This month they release their first album, 'A Matter of Life' and in March the label re-released two Penguin Cafe Orchestra albums - 'Union Cafe' and 'Concert Program'.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Eva Petulengro, Izzeldin Abuelaish, Rebecca Peyton and Mark Todd. Eva Petulengro is a member of the last generation of true Romany gypsies who spent her childhood on the road with her family. She read palms on Brighton Pier and became one of the country's leading clairvoyants and astrologers, with famous clients including The Beatles and Michael Crawford. Her book 'The Girl in the Painted Caravan - Memories of a Romany Childhood' is published by Pan MacMillan. Izzeldin Abuelaish is a Palestinian doctor and infertility expert who was born and raised in the Jabalia refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. On 16th January 2009 he witnessed the death of his three daughters and a niece, by shell-fire and his response, moments after the attack, was broadcast live on Israeli television. His steadfast, active advocacy for peace and reconciliation, despite his loss, has earned him international recognition, including a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. He tells his story in his book 'I Shall Not Hate: A Gaza Doctor's Journey on the Road to Peace and Human Dignity', published by Bloomsbury. Rebecca Peyton is the sister of Kate Peyton, the BBC producer who was shot dead within hours of arriving in Mogadishu, Somalia, on assignment. Rebecca knew early on that she wanted to make a show about her experience of Kate's murder and wrote 'Sometimes I Laugh like my sister', her one-woman show which is about to tour the UK. Mark Todd Mark is Chief Executive of Ocean Youth Trust South and has just been announced as the inaugural winner of the MCA Award for Command Commitment to Sail Training. The Ocean Youth Trust takes over 450 young people sailing each year, two thirds from disadvantaged backgrounds or vulnerable in some way, including children with special needs and homeless teenagers. The aim of the training is not primarily about teaching them to sail but to help them develop skills and qualities that will be valuable in everyday life.

This week Sian Williams is joined by Sean Foggett, Andrew Barrow, Magsie Hamilton-Little and David Morrissey. Shaun Foggett is the UK's answer to 'Crocodile Dundee'. His passion is crocodiles; and he's been keeping twenty-seven of them in the back garden of his semi-detached house in Oxfordshire. Shaun's efforts to open the UK's first Crocodile Education and Conservation Centre are the subject of the TV documentary Croc Man, which is on the Discovery Channel. Andrew Barrow is a writer and journalist. At the age of twenty-two his younger brother Jonathan was killed in a car crash. He left behind the manuscript of a novel, 'The Queue', in which he prophesised his own death. Jonathan and his book form the framework of Andrew's new book which tells the story of his eccentric family. 'Animal Magic - A Brother's Story' is published by Jonathan Cape. On July 7th 2005, Magsie Hamilton-Little was a student at the School of Oriental and African Studies when she witnessed the carnage caused by a suicide bomber on a London bus. Feeling helpless that she couldn't help the injured and at a loss to reconcile the hatred behind the attacks with the Islamic world she had been studying, she went in a search for understanding. She bought a ticket and flew to Kabul and in the course of her journey encountered the warmth and humanity of the Afghan people in their struggle to survive. Dancing with Darkness - Life, Death and Hope in Afghanistan is published by Max Press. Actor David Morrissey has appeared in numerous television and film productions including The Deal, Five Days, Blackpool, State Of Play and Captain Corelli's Mandolin. His latest work is in Andrew Davies' new three-part drama serial 'South Riding' for BBC One. He plays landowner Robert Carne, a man on the brink of financial disaster, in an adaptation of the novel by Winifred Holtby, which tells of the lives and loves of a 1930s Yorkshire town.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Fiona Stanford, Mark Henderson, Father Ray and Raymond Gubbay. Fiona Stanford is married to a high ranking army officer, a former commander of the Welsh Guards. Her book 'Don't Say Goodbye', is the story of the men and women who are left behind when their partners go to war, with first hand accounts from mothers, wives, girlfriends and children. She was prompted to write the book after the death of one of her closest friends husbands', Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Thorneloe who was killed in Afghanistan. Proceeds from the book will go to the Welsh Guards Afghanistan Appeal. 'Don't Say Goodbye' is published by Hodder & Stoughton. In 2003 Mark Henderson was one of eight backpackers taken hostage whilst trekking in the Colombian jungle. He was eventually released after 101 days. In a bizarre twist, eleven months after his release, Mark received an email from Antonio, one of his kidnappers. This email was the start of a five-year correspondence between hostage and kidnapper that eventually drew Mark back to the very jungle where he'd been held hostage, and to a meeting with his kidnapper. The documentary film 'My Kidnapper' is the film Mark made of this extraordinary reunion. Anglican priest Father Ray has been leading his central London parish for the last three years. He has transformed his parish, building a community where many struggle with feelings of anonymity. But now he is prepared to jeopardise all his work for the truth. In a 'First Cut' film for Channel 4, it follows him as he shares a personal secret with his congregation: that he is gay. First Cut: Father Ray Comes Out, is on Channel 4. Raymond Gubbay is the theatre producer and impresario, known for stripping back the elitist veneer from high culture events in Britain, and adding a bit of promotional sparkle. For his latest venture, he is once again bringing Puccini's 'Madam Butterfly' to the Royal Albert Hall, flooding it with 10,000 gallons of water to create a Japanese water garden setting, and playing to 9,000 people each night.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Sophie Thompson, Patrick Cockburn, Kevin Skelton and Fred Sirieix. Sophie Thompson is the award-winning stage, film and television actor who is currently reprising her role in the critically acclaimed Clybourne Park, an hilarious satire which explores the fault line between race and property. Written in two parts, over two generations in 1959 and 2009, the company play a different role in each act. Clybourne Park has just transferred to the West End and is playing at Wyndham's Theatre. Patrick Cockburn is Iraq correspondent for the Independent. Seven years ago he was halfway around the world in Afghanistan when he learned from his wife that their son Henry had been admitted to a hospital mental health ward having appeared to have suffered a mental breakdown. Ten days later, Henry was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. In their book, 'Henry's Demons', Patrick and Henry give their extraordinary account of Henry's rapid descent into mental illness and of Patrick's journey towards understanding the changes in his son. 'Henry's Demons: Living with Schizophrenia' is published by Simon & Schuster. Kevin Skelton's wife Mena was one of the twenty-nine people killed in the IRA bombing of Omagh, the single worst atrocity in thirty years of violence in Northern Ireland. In the weeks and months that followed, Kevin found it difficult to cope. In his book 'Sent By An Angel', he tells how a year before his wife died, they had taken a young girl, Andreea, from a Romanian orphanage for a two-week holiday to their home. He was able to gain strength from continuing to support the orphanage and Andreea, organising charitable trips to Romania. 'Sent By An Angel' is published by Hay House. Fred Sirieix is General Manager at one of London's top restaurants and can currently been seen in BBC Two's Michel Roux's Service, training and mentoring eight young people for a career in front-of-house. The idea for the programme came from an initiative 'Galvin's Chance' that Fred and Chris Galvin came up with two years ago to help disadvantaged young people aged 18 to 24 years old, to give them the chance to train to become world-class hospitality staff in the restaurant business.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Bran Symondson, Joan Woodcock, Greg Hicks and Phillip King. Bran Symondson is a serving soldier in the British Army Reserve. Whilst on a six month tour of Afghanistan he became fascinated by the Afghan National Police (ANP), their ethos and their daily existence in the war with the Taliban. When he was given the opportunity to return and document these characters as a civilian photographer in 2010, with the Sunday Times, he was able to capture a unique perspective on the current conflict. An exhibition: The Best View of Heaven is from Hell is at Idea Generation Gallery, London E2. Joan Woodcock was sixteen when she began her nursing career as a cadet nurse, a career that spanned over forty years in NHS nursing. Working on hospital wards, casualty units and out in the community, as well as prison and a police unit dealing with sexual assault, Joan has seen it all. 'Matron Knows Best - the true story of a 1960s NHS nurse' is published by Headline. The actor Greg Hicks plays King Lear in the Royal Shakespeare Company's season at the Roundhouse. A stalwart of the RSC and classical theatre in general, he's also a talented musician, playing a mean blues harp and is an expert in the Brazilian martial art form of 'capoeira'. Phillip King is a sculptor. He was tutored by the legendary Anthony Caro and worked as assistant to Henry Moore. He represented Britain at the Venice Biennale in 1968 and was President of the Royal Academy from 1990 to 1999. Born in Tunis in 1934, his work is influenced by the sense of strong colour and light that he remembers from living there. His show of new and old work is currently at Flowers Gallery, to coincide with the Royal Academy's 'Modern British Sculpture', both in London.

This week Libby Purves is joined by David M Lutken, Lee Mack, David Threlfall and Janet Street-Porter. David M Lutken is an American actor and writer. He is the co-writer (with Nick Corley) and the star of a new musical, 'Woody Sez', about Woody Guthrie, who according to The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was "the original folk hero; a man who, in the Thirties and Forties, transformed the folk ballad into a vehicle for social protest and observation, and paved the way for the likes of Bob Dylan". 'Woody Sez - the Life and Music of Woody Guthrie' is at the Arts Theatre, London. Lee Mack is a writer and comedian who has established himself as one of the UK's biggest comedy stars. The last twelve months alone have seen him extend his 2010 national tour 'Going Out' twice, return as resident team captain on TV's 'Would I Lie To You?' and he now returns to BBC One with the award-winning sitcom 'Not Going Out' for a fourth series. David Threlfall is the acclaimed actor probably best known for playing Frank, the head of the Gallagher clan, in the critically acclaimed Channel Four drama Shameless, created by Paul Abbott. Set on Manchester's Chatsworth estate, it charts the rollercoaster lives and loves of the dysfunctional Gallagher family. An 8th series of 'Shameless' is on Channel Four. Janet Street-Porter is the writer and journalist, former editor of the Independent on Sunday and TV executive, who has had a successful career in the media spanning nearly forty years. In her latest book Don't Let the B*****ds Get You Down (published by Quadrille), she gives her advice on everything from how to survive in the recession and how to cut the crap and live life by your own rules.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Lorraine Pascale, Wilbert Rideau, Dame Kelly Holmes and Stephen Hough. Lorraine Pascale was spotted aged 16 by a model scout whilst shopping in Covent Garden. She was whisked off to New York to model for Chanel, Lagerfeld and John Galliano and was the first British black model on the cover of American Elle magazine. She's now left the catwalk to qualify as a professional chef, baker and patissiere and is about to appear in a new series for BBC Two, Baking Made Easy, in which she shares her baking secrets. Wilbert Rideau was sentenced to death for murder in 1961 at the age of 19. He robbed the local bank in an ill-thought-out and bungled robbery, killing the bank teller. He spent the next 44 years in prison. While in there he edited the prison magazine The Angolite, which became the first prison magazine to publish uncensored news in the world and won national journalism awards. "In the Place of Justice" (Profile) is his autobiography. Former athlete Dame Kelly Holmes won two gold medals at the 2004 Athens Olympics for the 800 and 1500 metres. Since her retirement from athletics in 2005 she has set up the charity the Dame Kelly Legacy Trust which helps disadvantaged young people to fulfil their potential, written her autobiography and taken on other challenges. She has just written a new motivational book 'Just Go for It!', published by Hay House. Stephen Hough is a pianist, composer and writer. Last year he became the first British instrumentalist to play a solo recital on the main stage of Carnegie Hall in 20 years. He will be the soloist in the opening event at the Southbank Centre celebrating Hungary's European Union Presidency, playing Liszt's Piano Concerto No 1 in E flat which will begin worldwide bicentenary celebrations of the composer's life and works.

This week Libby Purves is joined by John Sergeant, Rufus Sewell, Wasfi Kani and Tom Pey. John Sergeant is the former political editor of ITN. Since appearing on Midweek in 2002 ahead of the publication of his autobiography 'Give Me Ten Seconds' he has left political journalism behind in favour of writing, acting, presenting and making documentaries about everything from Grimefighters to Indian railways to tourism. He also won a place in the nation's heart when he took part in the BBC's 'Strictly Come Dancing'. Rufus Sewell is probably best known for period roles such as Will Ladislaw in 'Middlemarch' and Charles in 'Charles II: the Power and the Passion' and Channel 4's 'Pillars of the Earth'. He is about to star in three films for BBC One as the fictional Italian detective Aurelio Zen. Set in and around Rome, and based on the best-selling novels by the late Michael Dibdin. Wasfi Kani OBE is the founder and director of Grange Park and Pimlico Opera which is one of the leading small scale touring companies. There are two strands to its work: an autumn tour and an annual prison project. In addition to the annual tour Pimlico Opera spends six weeks a year working inside Her Majesty's Prisons culminating in public performances in which inmates share the stage with professionals. Ten years ago Tom Pey was Policy Director of Guide Dogs for the Blind. He is author of 'Bang, You're Dead' which tells of how a childhood accident caused him to lose his sight many years later. By then, a highly successful businessman, Tom was plunged into a nightmare world in which he lost his job, his money and self-esteem. In October this year he became Chief Executive of the Royal London Society for the Blind.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Gordon Buchanan, Les Persaud, Reece Shearsmith and Vicki Amedume. Gordon has worked as a wildlife cameraman for nearly twenty years, specialising in filming dangerous predators, including tigers and leopards in Bhutan, jaguars in the Amazon, and lions in Africa. In 'The Bear Family and Me' on BBC Two, Gordon spends a year with a family of wild Black Bears in the forests of Minnesota. Les Persaud's sixteen year old son Stefan was killed in South London after a minor row between him and another teenager. Out of this tragic event, he came up with the idea of mentoring children caught up in gang culture, got his son's friends together and set up 'The Options Project', which goes into primary schools to help children understand the consequences of knives and knife crime. Reece Shearsmith is the actor and writer who first came to prominence as the co-writer and one of the stars of the cult BBC comedy series 'The League of Gentlemen'. He is also co-writer and star of the BBC's 'Psychoville'. He has appeared as 'Leo Bloom' in 'The Producers' and 'Art' in the West End and can currently be seen in 'Ghost Stories' at the Duke of York's Theatre, London. Vicki Amedume is a contemporary circus performer and aerialist who founded 'Upswing' circus in 2004. Upswing will be performing their latest work, 'Fallen' as part of the London International Mime Festival (LIMF). It is a powerful story of what it means to be a woman and mother, alone in a foreign land, weaving dance, aerial and circus with African spirituality, and is based on Vicki's own mother's story of coming to the UK from Ghana. 'Fallen' is at South Bank Centre's Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall, London.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Professor Chris Rapley, Boyd Clack, Elisabeth Parry and Jamelia. Professor Chris Rapley MBE is the Director of the Science Museum in London. Before that he was Director of the British Antarctic Survey. The new high tech, interactive 'Atmosphere' gallery opened last week and aims to outline the basics of climate science and explain about human activity and our impact on weather patterns. The Science Museum will be the first and only museum in the UK to display an Antarctic ice core, an object many scientists consider to be pivotal in the study of climate science. The 'Atmosphere' gallery is at the Science Museum, London SW7. Boyd Clack is a Welsh actor, writer and musician. In his memoir 'Kisses Sweeter Than Wine' he tells of how an ordinary lad from Tonyrefail via Vancouver learns to cope with the early loss of his father and abandonment by his widowed mother. After leaving the Welsh valleys to seek fame and fortune in Australia and Canada, it was a chance audition at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff that ultimately changed his life and set him on a course to become a cult actor. 'Kisses Sweeter Than Wine' is published by Parthian Books. Elisabeth Parry sang with the Staff Band of the Royal Army Medical Corps as a soprano soloist during the Second World War and toured with them in Britain and the Middle East. She was voted Forces sweetheart for Paiforce (Pacific and Iraq Force). She went on to launch the Wigmore Hall Lunch Hour Concerts for young musicians, sang for a Glyndebourne First Night and set up and ran her own opera touring company for fifty-six years. Her memoir Thirty Men & A Girl - A Singer's Memoirs of War, Mountains, Travel, and always Music is published by Allegra. Jamelia is the MOBO award-winning R&B singer songwriter. She features in a new Channel Four series 'The House That Made Me' in which celebrities examine how the past has shaped the person they are today. They visit their former homes, which have been transformed to look as they did when they were teenagers and are reunited with family and old friends and acquaintances, some of whom they haven't seen since they left home. 'The House That Made Me' is on Channel Four.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Klaus Kruse, Bryn Terfel, Sir Patrick Stewart and Becky Unthank. Klaus Kruse is a German director, scenographer, performer and poet. His research into audience/performance spatial relationships and the effecting potential of space within a theatrical experience led him to co-found 'Living Structures'. 'Cart Macabre' is their newest work and two years in the making, part theatre, part installation, it is on at The Old Vic Tunnels, described as "a nightmare fairground ride through a dreamlike landscape". Bryn Terfel is the Welsh bass-baritone who rose to prominence when he won the Lieder Prize in the 1989 Cardiff Singer of the World Competition. Now considered as one of the world's greatest living opera singers, his new album 'Carols and Christmas Songs' is released on Deutsche Grammophon and the new single 'White Christmas' is hotly tipped as the Christmas No. 1. Sir Patrick Stewart is the acclaimed actor, known for successfully bridging the gap between the theatrical world of the Shakespearean stage and contemporary film and television. He is about to bring 'Macbeth' to BBC 4, recreating the role he originally played when it was staged by the Chichester Festival Theatre, then in the West End and on Broadway, directed by Rupert Goold. Becky is one of the Unthank Sisters; highly acclaimed Northumbrian folk singers and clog dancers and the lead vocalists in "The Unthanks" band. This year they took a journey around England to experience living folk dance traditions in action. Along the way they discovered the most surprising dances, ceremonies and rituals. 'Still Folk Dancing...After All These Years' is on BBC 4.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Xander Rawlins, Jane Milligan, Mary Ward, Mark Logue and Matthew Kelly. Xander Rawlins is a Captain in the Grenadier Guards. He releases his debut single '1000 miles Apart' this month, a song that was written whilst he was serving on the front line in Afghanistan's Helmand Province. He performed off-the-cuff concerts which he found was a way of bringing everyone together, and his two acoustic guitars travelled with him throughout his 6 month, 8000 mile tour of duty. Mark Logue is the grandson of Lionel Logue, the Australian speech therapist to King George VI, soon to feature in a film with Colin Firth. Mark is custodian of the Logue Archive and has written a book, 'The King's Speech', with Peter Conradi, based on recently discovered diaries of his grandfather. His grandfather was famously dubbed by one newspaper in the 1930s 'The Quack who saved a King'. 'The King's Speech is published by Quercus. Jane Milligan is an actor and the youngest child of the comic genius Spike Milligan. Mary Ward OBE, a former teacher co-founded the theatre company Chickenshed in 1974 with the aim of involving everyone, often people who had been excluded from other places. Chickenshed will be performing the show Badjelly's Bad Christmas, based on the children's book Badjelly The Witch, which Spike Milligan wrote for his daughter Jane when she was six years old. It's on at the Rayne Theatre, Southgate, London, N14 4PE with a cast made up of performers aged from 7 to 50+ years. Matthew Kelly is the award-winning actor who is playing King Arthur in Monty Python's Spamalot in Birmingham this Christmas. Winner of an Olivier Award for Best Actor for Of Mice and Men, he returned returned to acting after a successful television career presenting ITV's Stars In Their Eyes and Game for a Laugh. Spamalot is at the New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Nina Conti, Anne Downie, John Stewart and Ann Martin-Davis. Ventriloquist Nina Conti returns to London's Soho Theatre, following a sell out run at this year's Edinburgh Festival, with her new solo show, 'Talk to the Hand'. Familiar favourite, the incorrigible Monk is joined by a host of new characters, including poetry penning Owl, mischievous Granny and vodka swilling Lydia. 'Talk to the Hand' is at the Soho Theatre. Anne Downie is a Scottish actor and writer who has worked in many of the major Scottish theatres. She is currently performing in Ena Lamont Stewart's 'Men Should Weep', a moving and funny portrayal of impoverished 1930s Glasgow, written in 1947. It was voted one of the top hundred plays of the 20th century in the NT2000 millennium poll. 'Men Should Weep' is at the Lyttelton Theatre. John Stewart began his career in photography in the 1950s, having previously served in the British army during WWII, including three and a half years as a Japanese POW. His first ever portrait was of Picasso, followed by Matisse. His photographs have appeared in Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Life and Esquire and in museums and major collections around the world. Now in his nineties, he has his first major retrospective in London at the Wilmotte Gallery at Lichfield Studios, Notting Hill, which will feature forty never before seen still life images, spanning his 60 year career. Pianist Ann Martin-Davis and her duo partner, soprano Susan Legg, discovered previously unheard, unperformed and unrecorded music by lost composer, Peter Pope. For the next two years they played musical detective, eventually discovering that Pope gave up his promising composing for love and religion. They've released an album 'Heaven-Haven - The Songs of Peter Pope' (on Nimbus records), and will be touring with Pope's song-cycle 'Five Landscapes'; a setting of the T.S. Eliot poetry of the same name, as part of their latest programme Landscape which they will be performing in extreme locations throughout next year.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Samantha Bond, Seckou Keita, Ryan Bingham and Brendan Cole. Samantha Bond is the actor, probably best known for her role as 'Miss Moneypenny' in the James Bond films starring Pierce Brosnan. She has appeared in many television series, including the BBC Comedy 'Outnumbered' as Aunt Angela and on stage in 'Amy's View' opposite Dame Judi Dench. She is currently playing the scheming Mrs Cheveley in Oscar Wilde's classic 'An Ideal Husband' at the Vaudeville Theatre, The Strand. Seckou Keita is a Senegalese born Kora player and drummer, who has been called the 'Hendrix of the Kora'. This year he launched a partnership with the International Committee of the Red Cross in which he will donate 50% of all the proceeds made from his latest album, 'The Silimbo Passage'. Ryan Bingham is an Oscar-winning songwriter and country singer. An ex-Rodeo rider from New Mexico, he co-wrote, with T. Bone Burnett, 'The Weary Kind' which featured on the soundtrack of the 2009 film 'Crazy Heart', which won Jeff Bridges an Oscar for his portrayal of a washed-up country star. He is currently on a short UK tour and has a new album 'Ryan Bingham and the Dead Horses: Junky Star' out on Wrasse Records. Brendan Cole is probably best known as one of the fourteen professional ballroom dancers on 'Strictly Come Dancing'. He is a trained ballroom dancer whose speciality is Latin American. He has been in 'Strictly' since its inception and won the first season with his dance partner Natasha Kaplinsky. His new DVD 'Live and Unjudged' which features his theatre tour, fellow Strictly professionals, a fourteen piece band and his brother Scott, also a professional dancer is out now.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Michael Allen, Giles Coren, Ludovico Einaudi and Priscilla Coleman. Michael Allen is a Chelsea Pensioner who served in the the Royal Engineers and Royal Military Police for twenty-four years before becoming a Chelsea pensioner in 2007. During his career he served all over the world including Germany, France, North Africa, Borneo and Hong Kong and was a bodyguard to Sir Alec Douglas-Hume. He's one of the Pensioners performing on their new album 'Men in Scarlet' released on Rhino Records. Giles Coren is the writer, critic, columnist and television presenter. In a new series on BBC Two, 'Giles and Sue Live the Good Life', Giles and Sue Perkins celebrate the 35th anniversary of one of the UK's best-loved sitcoms by going back to 1975 and trying their hands at self-sufficiency, recreating Tom and Barbara Good's lifestyle. Ludovico Einaudi is an Italian pianist and composer. Playing to sell out audiences around the world, his music appears in films and television shows including Channel 4's This Is England '86 and the BBC's Top Gear and Holby City, as well as film soundtracks for I'm Still Here, This is England and The Reader. He will be touring the UK in November to coincide with the release of a new album 'The Royal Albert Hall Concert' and DVD. Priscilla Coleman has been a court artist for over 20 years and works for ITN. Her sketches are featured in a new book 'Court Scenes' which mark many of the most important trials of that period including her first sketch of the Jeffrey Archer/Monica Coghlan libel trial, to the Heather Mills/Paul McCartney divorce and the freeing of the Birmingham Six. 'Court Scenes: The court art of Priscilla Coleman' is published by Wildy, Simmonds & Hill, and includes commentary by Paul Cheston, court correspondent of the London Evening Standard. There will also be an exhibition of Priscilla's work at the Royal Courts of Justice.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Jo Wilding, Michele Dotrice, Ronald Blythe and Jane Green. In 2003 Jo Wilding spent several months in Iraq before, during and after the invasion, documenting civilian casualties and writing a weblog which became a book, 'Don't Shoot the Clowns'. She also set up and ran a small circus working with traumatised and internally displaced children there. A new play, Don't Shoot The Clowns, by Paul Hodson, inspired by Jo's book, is currently touring the UK. Michele Dotrice an actor probably best known for playing Betty, the long-suffering wife of Frank Spencer in comedy 'Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em'. She comes from a great acting dynasty, the daughter of actor Roy Dotrice and wife of the late Edward Woodward. She is currently starring in JB Priestley's comedy 'When We Are Married' at the Garrick Theatre. Ronald Blythe is a writer whose career began in 1960 with the publication of 'A Treasonable Growth', a novel set in Suffolk and reissued this year. However much of his considerable achievement has been non-fiction, most notably 'Akenfield', a portrait of an English village in the middle years of the 1960s, his Wormingford Diary in the Church Times, and his essays on John Clare and Penguin editions of Hazlitt and Hardy. His latest book 'Aftermath: Selected Writings 1960-2010' is published by Black Dog Books. Jane Green is an amateur astronomer. She first became interested in astronomy during her sixteen year career at sea, first in the Merchant Navy and then as an officer on cruise ships when she gave informal guided tours of the night sky during outdoor cocktail parties on deck. She is the author of the new Haynes Astronomy Manual: The Practical Guide to the Night Sky.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Sheridan Smith, Sir Johnny Scott, Andrew Sharp and Alan Titchmarsh. Sheridan Smith is the actor probably best known for her many award-winning television roles which include the comedies Two Pints of Lager & A Packet of Crisps, Gavin and Stacey and Benidorm. She has recently taken the West End by storm in the hit musical Legally Blonde, playing the role of college sweetheart Elle Woods and has extended her run until next year. Legally Blonde: The Musical is at the Savoy Theatre. Sir Johnny Scott is a historian, broadcaster, countryside campaigner and farmer. He wrote and co-presented the BBC2 series Clarissa and the Countryman and writes for magazines and periodicals on field sports, food, farming and rural issues. His new book, 'A Book of Britain' celebrates the landscape and people, and reveals why, through centuries of careful management, conservation and cultivation, Britain looks as it does. 'A Book of Britain' is published by Collins. Master butcher Andrew Sharp comes from a family with a five hundred year butchery heritage. He features in a new BBC series 'Turn Back Time' in which the British high street is brought to life, transporting a parade of empty shops in Shepton Mallett, Somerset and a group of shop-keeping families, back to the beginnings of the high street in the 1870s before shooting them through a century of high street change right up until the modern day. 'Turn Back Time - the history of the High Street' is on BBC One. Alan Titchmarsh is the broadcaster, writer and gardener. For his latest book 'When I was a Nipper' he looks back at 1950s Britain and takes us on a personal and nostalgic journey in search of treasured values and traditions and asks what can we learn from that era of austerity today? 'When I was a Nipper' is published by BBC Books.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Simon Fisher Turner, Maggi Hambling, Sheila Steafel and Rumer. Composer Simon Fisher Turner is a former child actor and teenage pop idol. He has written a new score for the documentary The Great White Silence (1924) which is a record of Captain Scott's last Polar expedition (1910 -1912). The world premiere screening, newly restored by the BFI National Archive, is one of the highlights of the 54th BFI London Film Festival. Maggi Hambling is one of Britain's most celebrated artists. Since the unveiling in 2003, her Scallop sculpture on Aldeburgh Beach in Suffolk has never been far from controversy. In her book, 'The Aldeburgh Scallop' she traces her love of the sea back to her earliest childhood and records how this lifelong passion has fired her work, culminating in the Scallop sculpture. 'The Aldeburgh Scallop' is published by Full Circle Editions. Actress Sheila Steafel grew up in apartheid-torn South Africa during the thirties and forties before coming to London aged seventeen to study drama. She built up a reputation as an accomplished comedy actress, appearing in numerous popular television series including the Frost Report but she's possibly best known as 'Miss Popsy Wopsy' in the BBC's old time music hall, The Good Old Days. Her autobiography 'When Harry Met Sheila' is published by Apex Publishing. Rumer is a Pakistan-born singer-songwriter, brought up in the New Forest. After a decade of trying to make it in the music business she has finally being recognised by such luminaries as Elton John and Burt Bacharach and A-listed by Radio 2. Her new single, 'Aretha' is out now and she is performing at the Radio 2 Electric Proms at the Roundhouse.

Libby Purves is joined by Vicki Butler-Henderson, Derren Brown and Dave Spikey. Vicki Butler-Henderson presents Fifth Gear on Channel 5. As well as presenting, she is also well known for her racing, holding a Race International 'C' Class licence. Her first book, 'Vicki Butler-Henderson's 100 Sexiest Cars' is published by Carlton Books. Derren Brown has been dubbed the 'psychological illusionist'. He's a performer who combines magic, suggestion, psychology, misdirection and showmanship in order to seemingly predict and control human behaviour, as well as performing mind-bending feats of mentalism. His new book 'Confessions of a Conjurer' is structured around the various stages of a conjuring trick, combined with autobiography. Published by Channel 4 Books. Dave Spikey is an award-winning comedian. The recipient of two British Comedy Awards, he co-wrote and co-starred in the acclaimed 'Phoenix Nights' as the inimitable Jerry St Clair. Before becoming a professional comedian he worked in the NHS as a Chief Biomedical Scientist in Haematology at the Royal Bolton Hospital. His autobiography, Under the Microscope: My Life is published by Michael O'Mara Books.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Segun Lee-French, Ray and Vi Donovan, Mary Coughlan and Simon Winchester. Segun Lee-French is a Nigerian/Mancunian a singer, poet, composer, playwright and film-maker. His latest work is an autobiographical play 'Palm wine and stout' which tells of his journey, with his mother, to a small Nigerian village to meet his dad who he'd only met once before. 'Palm wine and stout' is on tour. Ray and Vi Donovan's son Christopher was murdered in 2001. Since then they have done voluntary work visiting prisons to make offenders more aware of their effects on victims, through a programme called The Sycamore project, run by Prison Fellowship. They are among the curators of 'Art by Offenders', an exhibition organised by the Koestler Trust, in which people whose lives have been changed by crime curate art works by prisoners. Art by Offenders is on Spirit Level, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre. Mary Coughlan is the Galway born singer renowned for her ability to inhabit each song with a voice of lived experience. Since she rose to international fame in 1985 with her seminal album 'Tired and Emotional' she has battled with addiction, problems in her personal life and career ups and downs. But she's now back with a new single 'Your Angel' and an autobiography, 'Bloody Mary' published by Hatchette Books. Simon Winchester OBE studied geology before becoming a journalist and writer. As a reporter he covered events from Bloody Sunday to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the Falklands war. In his latest book, 'Atlantic' he tells the story of this great ocean from its birth to its eventual extinction millions of years in the future. "Atlantic: a vast ocean of a million stories" is published by Harper Press. He'll also be appearing at the Cheltenham Literary Festival.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Paul Burns, Kit Chapman, David Cohen and Jane Davis. Paul Burns is a former soldier who survived an IRA bomb at Warren Point in Northern Ireland on 27th August 1979. He went on to become the first disabled member of the elite Red Devils parachute display team, and was a member of "Time and Tide", the first ever disabled crew to sail around the world. His story is featured in the BBC One series My Story. Kit Chapman is the owner of The Castle Hotel in Taunton, Somerset which his family have run since the 1950s. He was born into a long line of glamorous hoteliers: his grandfather Henry Pruger was once General Manager of London's Savoy and responsible for re-establishing the hotel's pre-eminence. His book My Archipelago is published by Mercer Books. David Cohen is a writer and psychologist. When he was twelve he was abandoned by his parents. He knew he'd be put in an orphanage if anyone found out, so he made sure no one did. His book, Home Alone, is published by JR Books. Dr Jane Davis is Director of The Reader Organisation, which she founded in 1997. Whilst working as a teacher at the University of Liverpool she began to develop the read-aloud and personal response model in her classes and she set up the first 'Get Into Reading' group in a small library in Birkenhead in 2001 with young single mums. There are over 230 'Get Into Reading' groups. The book, A Little, Aloud, edited by Angela Macmillan is published by Chatto & Windus.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Philip Townsend, Alexei Sayle, Tony Fitzjohn and Harriet Mead. Philip Townsend is the celebrated sixties photographer who was renowned for taking the Rolling Stones' first ever photo shoot. In a new exhibition at The Lowry, over sixty images documenting the people, the style and the musical revolution of that decade will be on show, many for the first time including Grace Kelly, Twiggy, The Beatles and private fashion shows at Mary Quant's HQ. Mister Sixties: Philip Townsend's Portraits of a Decade is at The Lowry, Salford Quays. Alexei Sayle is the writer and stand-up comedian who was a central part of the alternative comedy circuit and a star of shows such as The Young Ones. In his newly published memoir he tells of his growing up in Stalinist household in the 1950s and 60s in Liverpool and how it made him want to leave home and become a stand up comic. Stalin At My Homework is pubished by Hodder. Tony Fitzjohn was George Adamson's assistant at Kenya's Kora National Reserve for over eighteen years where they re-introduced lions back into the wild. He now runs the Mkomazi National Park in Tanzania and is one of the world's leading field experts on the relationship between man and African wildlife. His book Born Wild is published by Viking. Harriet Mead is a wildlife artist and the first woman to be elected President of the Society of Wildlife Artists in its 48-year history and the youngest. Working mainly in steel, she uses found objects to construct sculptures of the wildlife around her, using a MIG welder that she describes as a "sewing machine with sparks". The international wildlife exhibition, The Natural Eye, is at the Mall Galleries in London.