In recent years there’s been a renaissance of interest in psychedelics in the West, on a scale not seen since the first wave of medical research in the 1950s and 60s. Drugs like DMT, ketamine and psilocybin (the psychoactive compound in magic mushrooms), are now being researched as medications to take alongside therapy for the treatment of various mental health problems. Across this series of interviews, Rose Cartwright explores so-called ‘psychedelic assisted psychotherapy’. What is it? And can it help tackle our mental health crisis? Her guest today is Dr Sara Tai, professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Manchester, who is currently leading research into psychedelic therapy. How might psychedelic therapy help people to become unstuck? How do the potential rewards weigh up against the risks? And what is the likelihood of these psychedelic treatments becoming legalised for medical use within the UK? Producer: Becky Ripley

In recent years there’s been a renaissance of interest in psychedelics in the West, on a scale not seen since the first wave of medical research in the 1950s and 60s. Drugs like DMT, ketamine and psilocybin (the psychoactive compound in magic mushrooms), are now being researched as medications to take alongside therapy for the treatment of various mental health problems. Across this series of interviews, Rose Cartwright explores so-called ‘psychedelic assisted psychotherapy’. What is it? Can it help tackle our mental health crisis? And what are the risks?Her guest today is Dr Robin Carhart-Harris, one of the world’s leading psychedelics researchers, former founder of the Centre for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College London, and now Professor of Neurology, Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences at the University of California. How to these drugs work on the brain? What are the current medical trials indicating? And how are the laws around the medical use of these drugs changing? Producer: Becky Ripley

In recent years there’s been a renaissance of interest in psychedelics in the West, on a scale not seen since the first wave of medical research in the 1950s and 60s. Drugs like DMT, ketamine and psilocybin (that’s the psychoactive compound in magic mushrooms), are now being researched as medications to take alongside therapy for the treatment of various mental health problems. Across this series of interviews, Rose Cartwright explores so-called ‘psychedelic assisted psychotherapy’. What is it? Can it help tackle our mental health crisis? And what are the risks?Her first guest is clinical psychologist Ashleigh Murphy-Beiner from the Psychedelic Research Group at Imperial College, which is working on medical trials with psilocybin and MDMA for the treatment of depression and complex trauma. What is complex trauma and how might psychedelic drugs help to make sense of it? What can we learn from indigenous healers when trialling these drugs within a western clinical framework? And how could psychedelic-assisted therapy play out within the NHS if these drugs become legalised for medical use? Producer: Becky Ripley

Since becoming a parent to a now-toddler, Samira Shackle has been bombarded with advice on social media - sometimes useful, sometimes not-so. She meets Helen Oliver, mother to two teenagers and school counsellor, to discuss navigating this online world and the affect it has on mothers, in particular.Samira Shackle is a journalist and the author of Karachi Vice: Life and Death in a Contested City.Produced by Eliza Lomas for BBC Audio, Bristol.

Since becoming a parent to a now-toddler, Samira Shackle has been bombarded with advice on social media - sometimes useful, sometimes not-so. She meets Lucy Jones, mother-of-three, to discuss navigating this online world and the affect it has on mothers, in particular.Samira Shackle is a journalist and the author of Karachi Vice: Life and Death in a Contested City; Lucy Jones is the author of Matrescence: On The Metamorphosis of Pregnancy, Childbirth and Motherhood.Produced by Eliza Lomas for BBC Audio, Bristol.

Nathan Filer wants to know how to talk to his children about pornography, and in a frank discussion, consults Justin Hancock, a sex and relationships educator.Produced in Bristol by Sally Heaven

Nathan Filer wants to know how to talk to his children about pornography, and in a frank discussion, consults Erika Lust, director and producer of ethical and feminist porn. Produced in Bristol by Sally Heaven

Nathan Filer wants to know how to talk to his children about pornography, and in a frank discussion, consults Sara Pascoe, who has written about porn in her book 'Sex Power Money'. Produced in Bristol by Sally Heaven

'The Real Housewives...' is a reality TV series that follows groups of successful glamorous women as they go about their daily lives. The series began in Orange County in 2006 but quickly spread to other cities in the USA and even further afield, and radio and TV presenter Nikki Bedi absolutely loves them. She is drawn in by the drama of these women as they navigate work and relationships, friendships and family, For this second programme Nikki speaks fellow super-fan Leila Latif about what 'The Real Housewives...' series tells us about ourselves, the portrayal of women on TV, and our notions of race, class, aspiration, and wealth. Presenter: Nikki Bedi Produced for BBC Audio Bristol by Toby Field.

'The Real Housewives...' is a reality TV series that follows groups of successful glamorous women as they go about their daily lives. The series began in Orange County in 2006 but quickly spread to other cities in the USA and even further afield, and radio and TV presenter Nikki Bedi absolutely loves them. She is drawn in by the drama of these women as they navigate work and relationships, friendships and family, For this first programme Nikki speaks to Lauren Zalaznick, a former TV executive who helped devise and develop many of the early series. Lauren and Nikki discuss how the women are chosen, what factors shape what we want to see on our screens, just how 'real' these Real Housewives are, and why some of the criticism aimed at the series is anti-woman. Presenter: Nikki Bedi Produced for BBC Audio Bristol by Toby Field

Benji Webbe's memories of Reggae began with his parents' record collection and the 'blues' parties his brother held when their Dad was away, when the furniture in the front room was replaced with huge wardrobe speakers and curried goat would be cooking in the kitchen. After several attempts to forge a career in Reggae, Benji started writing rock songs with a friend in what became the band Dub War, and the blend of heavy metal riffs with Benji's roots in Reggae and dance hall started opening doors. It's an ethos that's continued with the band Skindred and Benji maintains it's about spreading those same positive messages of peace, love and unity. Aleighcia and Benji talk about the culture of Reggae in South Wales, and how coachloads of people used to come to Cardiff and Newport to listen to the music and see live bands. They talk about Benji's relationship with the genre and how it has come full-circle again with the band Skindred, and why when they go further afield some people are surprised to find out there is any Reggae music (and black people) in Wales. Presenter: Aleighcia Scott Produced by Toby Field for BBC Audio Bristol

In the 1960s George Price moved to London from Jamaica. George took his knowledge of Jamaican music and started importing records into the UK, becoming the only place to sell vinyl from famed record label Studio One. George sold these records to sound-systems and DJs and in doing so helped establish and grow Reggae music across the UK. He opened his shop Peckings Records in Shepherd's Bush in 1974 and its run today by his sons, Duke and Chris Price. Reggae artist and Radio Wales presenter Aleighcia Scott speaks to George's son Chris about his father and how on Sundays legends like Lee 'Scratch' Perry and Prince Buster would pop round to the house. George started selling records out of a suitcase but people used to come to the house so often that his wife Gertrude insisted that he open a shop. They speak about the roots of Reggae music and why Aleighcia still sticks to those sounds when she performs with her live band. They discuss the enormous popularity of Reggae in countries like Japan, France and Brazil and why you can hear tracks by Rick Astley and Celine Dion dropped into dance hall sets in Jamaica. Presenter: Aleighcia Scott Produced for BBC Audio Bristol by Toby Field.

Jamie Dornan - star of Fifty Shades and The Fall - played conflict photographer Paul Conroy in A Private War. Paul has travelled back from the frontline in Ukraine to talk to Jamie about the role, what he did to prepare, and whether he can still manage a decent scouse accent. Future interviewees in the series include Greg Wise (Mountbatten in The Crown) plus Rosamund Pike who has played both Marie Curie and Marie Colvin. Paul Conroy was working with Marie Colvin when she was killed in Syria. The producer in Bristol is Miles Warde

Presenter Angellica Bell talks to therapist Alice Bearn about starting new chapters in life. From cycling, to running to finding a new job - what are the barriers to making change? Producer: Melanie Pearson A BBC Audio Bristol production for BBC Radio 4

Presenter Angellica Bell approaches life with a mindset of ‘it’s never too late to start something new’. Shaped by personal experiences of bereavement, this mantra has guided her when starting new hobbies and seeking to experience life in a more enhancing, fulfilling way. In this episode, Angellica talks to chef Nadiya Hussain. Nadiya won The Great British Bake Off competition in 2015 and from that life changing moment, she vowed to never to put boundaries on herself again. Angellica and Nadiya explore her journey to GBBO and how that experience completely changed the trajectory of her life and career. Producer: Candace Wilson A BBC Audio Bristol production for BBC Radio 4

Are we as obsessed as ever with not wanting to look old? And does the beauty industry respond to or fuel that desire? BBC business correspondent Dharshini David and cosmetic dermatologist Dr Sam Bunting discuss people's motivation for wanting beauty treatments and procedures, the way advertising has changed over the years, and the ethics of the industry.

Are we as obsessed as ever with not looking old? It's six years since US beauty magazine Allure banned the term "anti-ageing" in its publications, and some big cosmetic brands have tried to portray a more positive attitude towards getting older. But with huge demand for so-called "tweakments" like Botox injections, does the "anti-ageing" narrative still dominate? BBC business correspondent Dharshini David and Times fashion director Anna Murphy discuss the culture of the beauty industry and what is driving people's desire to change the way they look.

Presenter of The Great Pottery Throwdown Keith Brymer-Jones finds that watching people create pottery often moves him to tears. In this episode he talks to psychotherapist Susie Orbach about why we cry and how it can be a form of communication. Produced by Caitlin Hobbs for BBC Audio

Keith Brymer-Jones from the Great Pottery Throwdown has become known for being moved to tears by a pot someone has crafted. In this episode of One to One, he talks to ex-serviceman Craig Mealing who is recovering from PTSD, about dealing with emotions and learning to cry. Produced by Caitlin Hobbs for BBC Audio

Football writer Suzy Wrack talks to urban geographer and professor at Boston University, Loretta Lees, about how growing up on council estates shaped their lives, and led them to studying the impact of space and design. Produced for BBC Audio by Caitlin Hobbs.

Football writer Suzy Wrack meets with Joanne Marsden to share their stories of growing up on council estates. Suzy grew up in on an estate in north east London, while Joanne was born on Park Hill estate in Sheffield; the council block inspired by the French architect Le Corbusier, who designed high-rises with community in mind. They discuss his idea of 'streets in the sky' - landings wide enough for milk floats to drive past high in the air and rows of shops within the estate. Together, they talk about how their experiences shaped their lives and interests in architecture and community - and how the design of spaces and buildings impacts us. Produced by Caitlin Hobbs for BBC Audio in Bristol.

Ellie Gibson has spent her life playing and writing about video games. It is a passion that she enjoys sharing with her son but as a parent she's become interested in the impact games play on the mind and behaviour. It's an emerging area of science and one that's frequently skewed by fevered debates about whether games are "good" or "bad". Ellie's theory is that exploring online worlds and connecting with one another through games is far more constructive than endlessly scrolling through social media, and it's a theory she explores with Professor Andrew Przybylski at the Oxford Internet Institute in the hope that he'll agree. Producer: Toby Field for BBC Audio in Bristol

Keza MacDonald left home at sixteen to work in video games journalism, and when she first met Ellie Gibson on a trip her glasses were held together by sticky tape. Ellie was already established in the industry and became a mentor to Keza. They talk about what it was like being one of only a handful of women working in video games journalism at the time which meant being taken to strip clubs and having to laugh off inappropriate behaviour by male colleagues. Comparing their experiences to today they describe how streaming platforms have created a more open and inclusive gaming culture from women of today, but it is still far more perfect. Produced by Toby Field for BBC Audio in Bristol.

Imagine this: you've spent months, years even, working on a show. Now it's press night. Sat in a silent row, or peppered around the theatre, are the people whose life's work is to criticise yours - the critics. So what’s it like when your lovingly crafted new play opens and you see them out there, ready to tell the world what they think of it? Top theatre director Simon Godwin, who's worked at the National Theatre, the Bristol Old Vic and is now at Washington DC's Shakespeare Theatre Company, bares his soul about how it really feels when the lights go down and the little notebooks come out. Presenter: Luke Jones Producer: Beth Sagar-Fenton

As a journalist who investigates human rights abuses and conflict in countries that can be tricky to operate in, Ramita Navai is good at compartmentalising the trauma she's seen and feels mentally resilient. But when her own father died three years ago, she was - and still is - overwhelmed by the grief. She talks to bestselling author and friend, Richard Osman about his experience of grieving for his estranged father compared with her own. Produced by Caitlin Hobbs for BBC Audio.

Ramita Navai is a foreign affairs journalist who investigates human rights abuses and conflict around the world. She has reported from war zones and hostile territories in over forty countries, and although good at compartmentalising the trauma she's witnessed, nothing could prepare her for the grief she felt when her own father died three years ago. In this episode, she speaks to Mary-Frances O’Connor, an associate professor at the University of Arizona, who runs the grief, loss and social stress (Glass) lab, which explores the effects of grief on the brain and the body. Together, they talk about the impact of grief on the mind and body, and how to navigate through it. Produced by Caitlin Hobbs for BBC Audio

What's it really like wielding the little notebook of doom or glory? Sarah Crompton, theatre critic for What's On Stage and dance critic for The Observer, tells all to broadcaster Luke Jones, who once dipped his toe into that world himself. They talk warm white wine, the imagined audience, vomiting and the most unforgiveable critical gaffe of all. Producer: Beth Sagar-Fenton

BBC Radio 1Xtra's Reece Parkinson meets Dr Lucy Chambers from Diabetes UK to discuss type 1 diabetes, swap stories about travel, and talk about the future for diabetes treatment. Producer: Melanie Pearson

BBC Radio 1Xtra DJ and long distance runner Reece Parkinson meets Welsh athlete Melanie Stephenson-Gray to talk about type 1 diabetes and how it impacts their lives and love of sport. Producer: Melanie Pearson

In 2014 the biologist and presenter Gillian Burke joined a community choir in Falmouth in a bid to strengthen her voice. Singing is Gillian's passion and it's her way of switching off from work and the pressures of life. In this third programme Gillian speaks to the conductor of The Kingdom Choir, Karen Gibson. Karen grew up singing in church and Gospel groups, before graduating to the role of choir conductor on a BBC radio programme called The Gospel Train. She was asked to perform on the 35th anniversary of 'Songs of Praise', and The Kingdom Choir was born. In 2018 they stepped onto the global stage when they were invited to perform at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Gillian asks Karen about her route into Gospel music. They discuss Gospel as a vehicle for hope, and whether there's any tension between performing faith-based music on a commercial stage. And what, if anything, the environmental movement might learn from Gospel music's part in the American Civil Rights Movement. Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Toby Field.

In 2014 the biologist and presenter Gillian Burke joined a community choir in Falmouth in a bid to strengthen her voice. Singing is Gillian's passion and it's her way of switching off from work and the pressures of life. In this second programme Gillian delves deeper into the mechanics of gospel music and asks Musical Director Richard Penrose exactly what makes a Gospel song. They discuss Richard's own route into Gospel music which began when he was a teenager in his home town of Porthleven. Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Toby Field

In 2014 the biologist and presenter Gillian Burke joined a community choir in Falmouth in a bid to strengthen her voice. Singing is Gillian's passion and it's her way of switching off from work and the pressures of life. Ley Adewole is the Director of the Falmouth Community Gospel Choir. Ley began singing in a Pentecostal church in Coventry; she joined various singing groups, got spotted and went on to do session work. She relocated to Falmouth and set-up a gospel music workshop to fill-in the winter months. The choir was born, welcoming in people of all faiths, and even those who can and can't sing. Gillian quizzes Ley on singing with conviction and how the science of singing melds with the emotions of the music. They talk about the gospel music scene in Cornwall and how the Cornish accent influences how the choir sounds. They speak about an early choir performance when Ley was standing on fishing crates in her heels so she could be seen by the choir, and how the music transformed a sceptical audience into one full of men crying into their beer. Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Toby Field

Emma Garland lives in London but was born in Wales. Welsh stand up queen Kiri Pritchard-McLean has returned to her roots in Anglesey and she explores hiraeth in her latest tour ... hiraeth being Welsh for a sense of longing for your home. So what is this draw both of them clearly feel, and can you be Welsh if you don't speak Welsh? Emma Garland was born in the valleys of South Wales and writes about culture for numerous magazines. Kiri Pritchard-McLean's latest show is called Home Truths. The producer in Bristol is Miles Warde

Emma and Mike have done a kind of cultural house swap - Emma left South Wales when she was 18 and is now London-based. Mike left England over two decades ago and has learnt to speak Welsh. So which of them is more Welsh? Emma Garland was born in Ynysybwl. She writes for Dazed, Vice and Rolling Stone magazine. Mike Parker lives in Powys and is the author of Neighbours from Hell and the forthcoming All the Wide Border, which is about the frontier between England and Wales. The producer in Bristol is Miles Warde

Before her life as a financial journalist began, Felicity Hannah could more often be found wearing a top hat, leading tourists round the ghostly streets beneath Edinburgh. She loves sudden startles and that sense of creeping enjoyable fear in person, in books and on screen, but she wants to know why. Why are some humans wired to get a thrill out of fear? Why not all of us? Felicity talks to fear expert Dr Margee Kerr, sociologist and author of Scream: Chilling Adventures in the Science of Fear, about what happens in our bodies when we’re frightened, and how, surprisingly, this can help us build relationships and personal resilience. She asks: what’s the difference between the feelings we experience in a haunted house and genuine terror? Why do children love being chased? Is fear really contagious? Produced in Bristol for BBC Audio by Sarah Goodman.

Spooky tour guide turned financial journalist Felicity Hannah wants to know why being scared can feel so good. Why do we frighten ourselves for fun? Why do we love scary stories and terrifying TV? She asks Neil Gaiman, author of Coraline, The Graveyard Book, Neverwhere and The Sandman – a storyteller who knows all about the power of fear to fascinate and delight us. Felicity and Neil talk about what scares them the most, when fear loses its thrill, and, of course, ‘horror for four year olds’. Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Sarah Goodman.

Faranak Amidi, World Service radio presenter and women's affairs reporter, talks to anthropologist Dr Martha Newson, who has studied rave, about why humans have always partied, how it can bond us, and whether rave can change society for the better. Producer: Beth Sagar-Fenton

Faranak Amidi, World Service radio presenter and women's affairs reporter, talks to DJ Eris Drew about how rave culture triggered massive changes in each of their lives. For Faranak, it meant rebelling against the strict culture of her home country of Iran, and finding a new life elsewhere. And for Eris, it meant even more profound questions about identity. But what is it about the "motherbeat", as Eris calls it, that makes it so powerful? Producer: Beth Sagar-Fenton

Vee Kativhu has a kind of fame incomprehensible to most people aged over 40. She makes videos in which she struggles with essay deadlines, gives study tips and celebrates getting the keys to her first flat. Tens of thousands of people watch each vlog she posts, so with so much of her life public, how does she maintain her privacy? Producer Sally Heaven

Sophie Ellis-Bextor has the kind of fame which brings with it high profile television shows and recognition in the street. Her mum, Janet Ellis was in millions of living rooms every week but the only perk Sophie can remember was jumping the queue at Madame Tussauds. Mother and daughter talk about fame, and how the whole experience has changed over the decades. Producer Sally Heaven

A move from China to the UK aged 9 meant a new language for journalist and broadcast editor at The Spectator, Cindy Yu. How did that change her upbringing and view of the world? She meets Asifa Majid, professor of language, communication and cultural cognition at the University of York. Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Chris Ledgard

Journalist and broadcast editor at The Spectator, Cindy Yu, moved from China to the UK aged 9. That meant switching languages. So how did that change her childhood and her view of the world? Cindy meets Leslie, who moved from the US to Mexico at a similar age. Leslie says it was traumatic at the time but now she feels the experience was a positive one, and she is proudly bilingual. Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Chris Ledgard

Jackie Weaver was the name on everyone's lips when she successfully shut down several unruly attendees of a local government Zoom meeting. So what does instant fame feel like?

The writer Anna Freeman speaks to Sheyi Thomas, who runs an escape room in Dalston. Anna delves into the world of escape rooms and explores how creating the experience of escape for people in a safe and cathartic way can be useful when facing our own fears. Producer for BBC Audio in Bristol: Caitlin Hobbs

In this episode of One to One, the writer Anna Freeman speaks to Brian Robson. In 1962, Brian was so desperate to return home to the UK from Australia, that he hatched a plan to mail himself home in a crate. He became the first person in history to fly for nearly five days in a crate across the Pacific Ocean; an incredibly dangerous feat. Anna hears how behind this daring tale was a young man willing to risk his life, just to make it home. Producer for BBC Audio in Bristol: Caitlin Hobbs

In this episode of One to One, writer Anna Freeman speaks to escape artist Miranda Allen. Together they explore their mutual love of escapes as a concept, and the delicate balance of peril and catharsis that makes Miranda's work so compelling. Producer for BBC Audio in Bristol: Caitlin Hobbs

Journalist Kieran Yates hears from people who have taught themselves new skills as adults and overcome fears or hesitation. In this programme, Kieran speaks to Colin Brien who, in his seventies, is entering the world of technology and learning how to stay connected. Kieran meets Colin at a community hub in Romford and hears how technology has opened up the world for him, enabling him to keep in touch with friends and family. Colin tells how learning to dance has seen him through lockdown and Kieran asks him if he can inspire her to get on a bike - something she's still learning to do. Producer for BBC Audio in Bristol: Caitlin Hobbs

Like much of the country, the last year has seen people picking up new skills to pass the time, from cooking, yoga or becoming knitting experts. But what about the small things that many people have learned before adulthood? In this set of programmes, journalist Kieran Yates explores how adopting seemingly simple skills in later life - that maybe we missed out on learning when we were younger, or that we have to face now - can lead to radical changes in our well-being. In this programme she speaks to Yewande Adesida, a cyclist who, in her twenties, decided to switch from her career as a competitive rower to a racing track cyclist. Kieran meets Yewande at Herne Hill velodrome and asks her just how much getting on a bike as an adult opened up the world for her, and as somebody who can't ride a bike herself, sees if Yewande can help get her pedalling. Producer for BBC Audio in Bristol: Caitlin Hobbs

What happens when you do something you thought you could never do? In this programme, journalist Kieran Yates speaks to Ellie who has been managing her agoraphobia for a few years, to hear how she has learned the mighty task of how to leave the house. Kieran hears how Ellie has faced up to her fears and learnt how to cope through breathing and disco music. Producer for BBC Audio in Bristol: Caitlin Hobbs

What do you think of when you hear the words "A.I." or "Artificial Intelligence"? Thanks to science-fiction it's often strange-looking humanoids or futuristic robots hell-bent on destruction. But as Kriti Sharma points out, we are probably using A.I. hundreds of times a day without even thinking about it. It could be, she says, a bank deciding whether to accept or reject your application, or an algorithm might decide whether you get a job interview or what exam grade you receieve. She made her first robot when she was a teenager, and has gone on to use A.I. to help the victims of domestic abuse and to challenge the rise of what she sees as subservient female online assistants. Kriti is now an advisor on A.I. to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. Marcus Smith is a content creator from Bristol and a digital native. He is fascinated by technology's impact on us and has studied the effects of online gambling on young people. For 'One to One', Marcus is looking at the 'tech for good' movement and speaks to two leading figures in the tech industry - one who argues that it is currently a force for bad, and one who tries to work with tech to harness the good. For this second programme, Marcus asks Kriti why she thinks A.I. often has in-built gender and race biases, and hears how she is tackling this by inviting more people from varied backgrounds into the design process. Producer: Toby Field

Actress Tuppence Middleton has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). It's not something she's really talked about before, except with a therapist. That is, until now. In this series, she's on a mission to find out more about the disorder - and herself - and to bust some myths along the way. Today, she talks journalist David Adam, writer of the best-selling book 'The Man Who Couldn't Stop' with the strap-line 'OCD and the true story of a life lost in thought.' David's OCD was triggered by an illogical obsession with contracting HIV/AIDS in the 1980s. He says each era has its "bogeyman". What might this mean for people today, in the age of coronavirus? Photo credit: Robert Harper. Producer: Becky Ripley.

Actress Tuppence Middleton has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). It's not something she's really talked about before, except with a therapist. That is, until now. In this series, she's on a mission to find out more about the disorder - and herself - and to bust some myths along the way. Today, she talks to screenwriter and author Rose Cartwright, who wrote her memoir 'Pure' after a ten-year struggle with 'Pure O'. What is Pure O? Why are the intrusive thoughts that come with it often violent or sexual? And why do so many people with Pure O suffer in silence? Photo credit: Robert Harper. Producer: Becky Ripley.

Actress Tuppence Middleton has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). It's not something she's really talked about before, except with a therapist. That is, until now. In this series, she's on a mission to find out more about the disorder - and herself - and to bust some myths along the way. Today, she talks to clinical psychologist Dr Gazal Jones. What's going on in the brain? How does it affect people differently? And what's the best way to get treatment? Photo credit: Robert Harper. Producer: Becky Ripley.

Have you ever scrolled through social media and been surprised by an advert for something you were looking at the other day? This is no accident. Every view, every like, every click is stored, assessed and calculated, and allows the companies who run these platforms to target you with increasingly accurate advertising. But if you're not paying for the platform you're using, is there anything wrong with that? Well yes, according to Tristan Harris, one of the contributors to the successful Netflix documentary, The Social Dilemma. Social media may have started as a means of staying in touch with friends but it has led to multi-million pound businesses which use an economic model that competes for our attention, and Tristan fears this is doing society irrevocable harm. Marcus Smith is a content creator from Bristol and a digital native. He is fascinated by technology's impact on us and has studied the effects of online gambling on young people. For 'One to One' Marcus is looking at the 'tech for good' movement and speaks to two leading figures in the tech industry - one who argues that it is currently a force for bad, and one who tries to work with tech to harness the good. For this programme Marcus asks Tristan where he thinks we've gone wrong, and what social media companies, regulators and society should be doing about it. Producer: Toby Field

Can mothers and daughters ever truly be friends? In this episode of the One to One series, BBC News correspondent Sima Kotecha speaks to her mother Hansa about their own relationship; from the love they have to the topics that are absolutely off limits. Produced by Caitlin Hobbs for BBC Audio in Bristol

BBC News correspondent Sima Kotecha talks to the cook and writer Ella Risbridger about friendship - from declaring someone your best friend after a drunken party to longer term, deeper relationships. Are group friendships better than one on one relationships, and how much can you really depend on friends when the chips are down? Produced by Caitlin Hobbs for BBC Audio in Bristol

BBC journalist Sabet Choudhury donated a kidney to his mother five years ago. He says it was not a difficult decision to make. Once he heard she only had 3 years to live unless he stepped up, his decision was already made. The transplant transformed her life and Sabet says it opened his eyes to the whole issue of organ donation. During his personal donation journey he discovered that there is a lack of organ donors from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities in the UK and this can lead to extra-long waits for a transplant. In this, the last of three programmes, Sabet talks to Saj Khan, a teacher from Birmingham who has experience of the emotional highs and lows of waiting for a kidney. Saj had his first transplant as a very young man, but sadly the kidney failed just after he graduated and he has spent years and years waiting for a new kidney. Produced by Jo Dwyer for BBC Audio in Bristol

Five years ago BBC journalist Sabet Choudhury donated a kidney to his mother. She’d been given just three years to live and the transplant transformed her life. Sabet, who is of Bangladeshi origin, says it wasn’t a difficult decision to make once he realised she could be waiting for years, because of a shortage of Asian donors in the UK. In this, the second of three programmes, Sabet talks to Faruk Choudhury. He is no relation, but he was Lord Mayor of Bristol in 2013 and he set out to increase the number of blood and organ donations from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities in the city. This was happening at the same time that Sabet was coming to terms with his mum’s failing health and his decision to donate, so he followed the Lord Mayor’s project closely and sees it as part of his own donation story. Produced by Jo Dwyer for BBC Audio in Bristol

Five years ago Sabet Choudhury donated a kidney to his mother. It transformed her life. Sabet, a BBC journalist, says the experience changed his life for the better too. He’s now fitter and healthier than before and he’s forged a closer relationship with his parents. Organ donation was never on his radar before his mother became so ill, but it’s an issue that’s very real to him now. In this, the first of three programmes, Sabet talks to Kay Hamilton, his Kidney Coordinator, who played such an important part in his donation journey – and someone he has kept in close contact with since his operation. Produced by Jo Dwyer for BBC Audio in Bristol

For more than 30 years arts journalist and broadcaster Rosie Millard has reported on people following their dreams and striving for success in the unpredictable world of the creative arts. But just what is success and failure, particularly in the creative industries? And who makes that judgement anyway? The fairy story we love to hear is that all you need to do is follow your dream, and success will be yours. But for many the dream does not materialise. They don’t get that lucky break. For others it’s just a long hard slog, and then there are those who reframe their ambitions as they go through life. In this programme Rosie talks to amateur actor and director Ben Hopwood about living his own dream - on his own terms. Produced by Jo Dwyer for BBC Audio in Bristol

What constitutes success and failure, particularly in the creative industries? And who gets to make that judgement anyway? Rosie Millard has reported on people following their dreams and striving for success in the unpredictable world of the creative arts throughout her 30 years as an arts journalist and broadcaster. She says in many cases there is the same narrative arc, that luck and persistence will win the day. All you need to do is follow your dream, and success will be yours. But this is just a fairy tale, surely! So what does success and failure really mean in the artistic world? Many people don't ever achieve the success they wanted or expected, for others it’s just a long hard slog, and then there are many whose ambitions are reframed as they go through life. In this programme Rosie talks to Norwegian opera singer Patrick Egersborg, who has written a blog about the beginning of the end of his dream. Produced by Jo Dwyer for BBC Audio in Bristol

Rosie Millard has reported on people following their dreams and striving for success in the unpredictable world of the creative arts throughout her 30 years as an arts journalist and broadcaster. In the background, there lurks the same narrative arc: that luck and persistence will win the day. All you need to do is follow your dream, and success will be yours! But nothing's ever simple. Many people don't ever achieve the success they wanted or expected, for others it’s just a long hard slog, and then there are many whose ambitions are reframed as they go through life. Rosie explores what constitutes success and failure, particularly in the creative industries. And who gets to make that judgement anyway? In this programme, she asks author Debbie Bayne, who is in her early sixties and still unpublished, how and why she keeps on writing. Produced by Jo Dwyer for BBC Audio in Bristol

18 year old Mya-Rose Craig, aka Birdgirl is a very keen birdwatcher having seen over half the world’s’ birds in her global travels. What she doesn’t see as a British Bangladeshi are many like herself in the forests, fens, mountains and other rural landscapes in the UK. In recent years she has run Nature Camps to actively encourage Black and Visible Minority ethnic people outdoors. In this, the second of two programmes, she shares her experiences and challenges with Zakiya Mckenzie: postgraduate student, writer in residence with the Forestry Commission in 2019 and Ambassador for Black and Green- a group which works to connect Bristol’s African and Caribbean communities with the city’s environmental sector. Producer Sarah Blunt

In the first of two programmes exploring how we can increase diversity outdoors in the rural landscape, 18 year old Mya-Rose Craig, aka Birdgirl talks to Rhiane Fatinikun about Black Girls Hike which she founded about a year ago to enable black women to benefit from the comradery of other black women and enjoy the tranquillity of rural areas. Mya-Rose Craig is a very keen birdwatcher having seen over half the world’s birds in her global travels. But what she doesn’t see as a British Bangladeshi are many people like herself in the forests, fens, mountains and other rural landscapes in the UK. In recent years she has run Nature Camps to actively encourage Black and Visible Minority ethnic people outdoors. The two women share their experiences and views about how we can remove the barriers, challenge stereotypes and reinforce the message that the outdoors is for everyone. Producer Sarah Blunt.

Poet and runner Helen Mort talks to retired Olympic track and field athlete Anyika Onuora about body image in sport. In the last of three programmes about body modification and the relationship between how we present ourselves physically to the world and how we feel, Helen swaps experiences with Anyika about striving for ’the perfect image‘ and the effects training and competitive sport have on the body’s shape. Anyika reveals her lack of confidence about her body and how she managed this whilst living her life in the public eye in front of vast crowds and TV cameras. Producer Sarah Blunt

How significant is our hair when it comes to projecting an image of ourselves and how we feel? In the second programme about body modification, poet Helen Mort talks to hair stylist Niamh Kavanagh about the role of hair in expressing our personality. Throughout her life Helen has changed the colour and style of her hair and also had her head shaved. She is fascinated by people’s responses to hair and what it says about them and us. Niamh has also experimented with her own hair as well as cutting and styling clients’ hair, which involves trust, empathy and skill. Producer Sarah Blunt

Tattooed poet Helen Mort talks to Tattooist Lou Hopper about “getting inked”. In the first of two programmes about body modifications, Helen explores the body as a canvas and tattoos as an art form. Why do people choose to decorate their skin with tattoos? How do they make the wearer feel? What responses do tattoos evoke ? Are tattoos a way of projecting our personality? What do visual modifications reveal about an individual? Producer Sarah Blunt

What are you: an introvert or an extrovert? Russell Kane is a comedian, so he has always assumed he's a textbook loud-mouthed extrovert. But now he's not so sure. Across this series of interviews, Russell explores exactly what we mean by the terms "introvert" and "extrovert". He questions whether it is useful to define people in this way and whether we have a cultural bias towards one personality type over the other. In this third and final interview, Russell talks to fellow comedian Angela Barnes about playing the extrovert for work. Is there a disconnect between her on-stage and off-stage versions of self? And if so, are both authentic? Producer: Becky Ripley

What are you: an introvert or an extrovert? Russell Kane is a comedian, so he has always assumed he's a textbook loud-mouthed extrovert. But now he's not so sure. Across this series of interviews, Russell explores exactly what we mean by the terms "introvert" and "extrovert". He questions whether it is useful to define people in this way and whether we have a cultural bias towards one personality type over the other. In this second of three parts, Russell talks to author Jessica Pan about her year of "living dangerously" as an introvert pretending to be an extrovert in order to open up her world. What did she learn? How did it change her? And what advice does she have for other naturally introverted people? Producer: Becky Ripley

What are you: an introvert or an extrovert? Russell Kane is a comedian, so he has always assumed he's a textbook loud-mouthed extrovert. But now he's not so sure. Across this series of interviews, Russell explores exactly what we mean by the terms "introvert" and "extrovert". He questions whether it is useful to define people in this way and whether we have a cultural bias towards one personality type over the other. In this first of three parts, Russell asks psychotherapist and author Mark Vernon about the origins of the terms "introvert" and "extrovert" as coined by psychoanalyst Carl Jung in 1921. How have Jung's definitions been interpreted over the last 100 years? And can his theories help us better understand ourselves? Producer: Becky Ripley

Having celebrated her 81st birthday this year and her 70th with a high speed boat ride down the River Thames, Diana Davies has no intention of leaving her own bungalow and moving in to a retirement home. Age, she argues, is a number not a condition. But how do you keep control of your life if very well meaning family and friends try to persuade you to be less independent as you get older? In this, the last of three conversations about taking control of your life, paralympic athlete and adventurer Karen Darke talks to Diana about her life choices, maintaining her independence and her hopes and fears for the future. Producer Sarah Blunt Photo of Diana Davies. Copyright Holly Hall.

How do you take control of your life when you find yourself facing a crisis or unexpected events turn everything that is familiar and certain upside-down? In the second of three conversations about taking control of your life, Paralympic athlete and adventurer Karen Darke talks to single mother and property developer Justine Shuttleworth. Six years ago Justine became very ill. She sought medical advice but her condition didn't improve. She felt isolated and fearful as the physical and mental effects got worse. Over the course of 18 months she saw 14 doctors, nine psychiatrists and a hormone specialist. Eventually she was diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease. Here, she shares her experiences and describes how she regained control of her life. Producer Sarah Blunt

How do you take control of your life when you find yourself facing a crisis or unexpected events turn everything that is familiar and certain upside-down? Paralympic cyclist and athlete Karen Darke began her working life as a geologist until a climbing accident resulted in her paralysis from the chest down. Overnight her life radically changed but today she’s a full time athlete and became Paralympic Champion in Rio in 2016. In the first of three conversations about taking control of your life she talks to former Syrian Banker and author of 'Lessons from a Warzone', Louai Al Romani. When the war broke out in Syria in 2011, Louai was Head of Finance and Strategy at Banque Bemo Saudi Fransi. Here, Louai describes what he learned about coping in such difficult conditions, and how he developed the resilience and skills to ensure the bank not only survived the first 4 years of the Syrian crisis, but even thrived in the most challenging of times. Producer Sarah Blunt.

Since she was a university student, Katya Adler has been fascinated by the idea of personality - how personalities are formed, how they can change, and whether we even really have a fixed set of characteristics. For the third and final part of this One to One series about personality, Katya speaks to Wiebke Bleidorn, professor of social and personality psychology and head of the Personality Change Lab at the University of California, Davis. Wiebke talks to Katya about how the field of personality psychology has evolved, discusses her research into how stable personality traits are and reveals whether it is possible to change someone's personality. Producer: Camellia Sinclair

For the second in this interview series about personality - what it is, how it's formed and how it can change - Katya Adler talks to Simon Hattenstone, features writer at The Guardian newspaper. For over two decades, Simon has interviewed famous personalities, pulling back their masks to reveal the essence beneath - what motivates them, what drives them, what they are really like. Katya talks to Simon about how he tries to get under the skin of his interviewees, how the personalities of his interviewees change and what place there is in the interview for the personality of the person asking the questions. Producer: Camellia Sinclair

For more than twenty years, from war zones to the seats of political power, Katya Adler has interviewed, observed, told people's stories. And she's always been fascinated by what makes people tick - their personality. Can we change or fake it? In the first of three programmes, Katya meets Olympic athlete and Vice President of Headway, James Cracknell, who suffered an injury to the brain a decade ago which caused some of his personality traits to change. Katya and James discuss the impact of the injury on James's personality, the extent to which personality is observed by people around us and how our personalities can evolve. Producer: Camellia Sinclair

Elsie Owusu meets Lord Chris Smith, the former Secretary of State for Culture and chair of the Millennium Commission, to discuss what he feels is his architectural legacy: from the Eden project to the Dome and beyond. Across three editions of One to One, Elsie - an architect - has been exploring the connection between architecture, art and justice. In today's discussion Lord Smith mulls over his time in office and discusses what he's proudest of: the reintroduction of free museum entrance, and what he's perhaps less happy to recall: the Millennium Dome. Producer: Karen Gregor

The artist, Yinka Shonibare CBE, talks to the architect Elsie Owusu about his ambitious and challenging project in Nigeria where he is building two residential centres for artists. One will be in Lagos, the other in the rural setting of Ijebu, which will be based on a working farm. Yinka is a wheelchair user, and he discusses his idea of "enabling architecture", as well as the importance of providing employment for local people, and spreading the word about Nigeria's vibrant cultural life. Producer: Karen Gregor

Architect Elsie Owusu discusses the refurbishment of the Supreme Court building with Lady Hale. The creation of the Supreme Court in 2009 was a defining moment in UK legal history. And in architectural history, too. It was decided to refurbish the century-old Middlesex Guildhall which stands in London's Parliament Square. At the time it housed seven Crown Courts and was, according to Lady Hale, 'cluttered and gloomy'. Lady Hale, who has recently retired as the first female President of the Supreme Court, was involved in the renovation process, and worked alongside Elsie Owusu who was one of the architects. Just over 10 years on, they get together to discuss what they wanted to achieve: a building of 'light and transparency' which would mirror the aims of the Supreme Court itself. Producer: Karen Gregor

What happens when you become obsessed by words? What happens when this obsession becomes so severe that your life becomes a frenzied narrative filling your every waking moment ? How do you escape? Verity Sharp meets Tim Parks who shares his experiences of a painful chronic condition brought about by a constant mental and physical tension, related to his work as a writer. When doctors couldn’t explain his symptoms, he was forced to look elsewhere. He didn’t give up writing. He has learned to be idle. Producer Sarah Blunt.

Could idling help free us from the treadmill of work and increase our creativity? Is boredom conducive to creativity? In the first of two programmes we hear from psychoanalyst, Professor of Modern Literary Theory at Goldsmiths University of London, author and practising idler Josh Cohen. He talks to Verity Sharp about the value of idling, how a much more relaxed attitude to life is not a hindrance but can encourage creativity and why being bored can be positive! Producer Sarah Blunt

In 2015 Arabella Dorman hung a boat upside down in a Piccadilly church. The boat had been carrying refugees in the eastern Mediterranean, but now it was a piece of art, a symbol of 'exile and desperation' as well as courage and hope. Cartoonist Gerald Scarfe, who reported from Vietnam and Northern Ireland, wants to know if there is a different way to report the news, so here he talks to Arabella about whether her boat worked. The producer in Bristol is Miles Warde

When photographer Paul Conroy was injured during a Syrian rocket attack in 2012, his first thought was probably not how this might change reporting of the war. Two other journalists died in the same attack - Remi Ochlik and Marie Colvin. Paul survived, wrote a book which became the basis for a famous documentary, and then worked as consultant on a major film, A Private War. Does his story represent a more powerful way of understanding the war? Five decades ago Gerald Scarfe went to Asia for The Daily Mail to cover the Vietnam war. He drew it, and here he shares his experiences with Paul as they discuss whether there are different ways to bring back the news. Future programmes in this series to include artist Arabella Dorman. The producer in Bristol is Miles Warde

What does it mean to "look at" something? Do an artist and a scientist look at a sunset in the same way? Jay Elwes talks to the artist Simon Periton, whose work includes the installations in the new Farringdon Crossrail station. Simon explains how he looks for ideas in everyday objects, taking inspiration from windows, leaves and even empty tin cans. Producer: Chris Ledgard

How do different people look at the world around them? Do a scientist and an artist see a sunset the same way? In the first of two programmes, we meet the Nobel prize winning astrophysicist, John Mather. Dr Mather is the Senior Project Scientist on the James Webb Space Telescope, the successor to the Hubble. He talks to the journalist Jay Elwes about the "telescope of the imagination", and how technology can help us look back through space and time to picture our universe in its early days. Producer: Chris Ledgard

Acclaimed gardening writer, Alys Fowler, tries to work out where she wants to live, in the city or the countryside, with the help of poet, Gregory Leadbetter. Alys grew up in deepest rural England but for years has found happiness in the city of Birmingham, her small garden and local allotment. But she's starting to feel the pull of the countryside again, and the access to the natural world it offers. However, Gregory - through the lens of poetry - discusses how paying close attention to nature wherever you are can have a profound effect. Producer: Karen Gregor

Acclaimed gardening writer, Alys Fowler, tries to work out where she wants to live, in the city or the countryside, with the help of outdoor counsellor, Dr. Ruth Allen. Alys grew up in deepest rural England, but for years has lived in Birmingham. She loves the city, and her small garden and allotment, but is starting to feel a pull to return to her roots. But should she? If she does, will the countryside offer her what she feels is missing from her life, a deeper connection with nature, or does the city provide all she needs? Producer: Karen Gregor

In approximately half of couples experiencing difficulty conceiving, part of the problem lies with the male. Despite this, male infertility is a largely under-researched and taboo subject. To find out why, and what needs to be done, Benjamin Zephaniah meets consultant urologist Kevin McEleny, who leads the Male Fertility Service at the Newcastle Fertility Centre in the International Centre for Life. Producer Sarah Blunt. Support Organisations Fertility Network UK offers information, advice and support for anyone suffering from infertility related problems. http://fertilitynetworkuk.org The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority is the UK's independent regulator overseeing the use of gametes and embryos in fertility treatment and research. The website offers details of licensed fertility clinics across the UK. www.hfea.gov.uk NHS Fertility https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/infertility/causes/

Terri Clothier discusses how her husband’s fertility problems affected her and their relationship. When Terri married Richard (who we heard from in the previous programme ) she knew she wanted a family. They both did. Terri imagined life with two children. But this hasn’t happened. They were unaware that Richard had a fertility problem. Whilst friends and family were starting their own families Richard and Terri felt alone and isolated. A feeling they describe as grieving. Producer Sarah Blunt. Support Organisations Fertility Network UK offers information, advice and support for anyone suffering from infertility related problems. http://fertilitynetworkuk.org The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority is the UK's independent regulator overseeing the use of gametes and embryos in fertility treatment and research. The website offers details of licensed fertility clinics across the UK. www.hfea.gov.uk NHS Fertility https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/infertility/causes/

Benjamin Zephaniah is infertile. This is not something you hear men readily admit. It has been a taboo subject. This has resulted in many men with fertility problems feeling isolated and guilt-ridden whilst also grieving for the child they cannot have by natural methods. Richard Clothier describes his experiences. Benjamin meets Richard’s wife Terri in the next programme. Producer Sarah Blunt Support Organisations Fertility Network UK offers information, advice and support for anyone suffering from infertility related problems. http://fertilitynetworkuk.org The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority is the UK's independent regulator overseeing the use of gametes and embryos in fertility treatment and research. The website offers details of licensed fertility clinics across the UK. www.hfea.gov.uk NHS Fertility https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/infertility/causes/

David Gregory-Kumar is a BBC journalist, and a gay dad. For this edition of One to One, he speaks to Sophie Mei Lan about her experience of growing up with a gay dad and step-dad. Sophie Mei Lan is a journalist, blogger and vlogger in her early 30s. She grew up, from the age of 3, partly with her gay dad and step-dad. She talks to David about the severe bullying she faced in high school, and how she learned to cope. But she also recalls the lighter, if rather excruciating, moment when she was mistaken for her dad's child-bride. Now that Sophie herself is a mum she sees a world that is more tolerant, and David agrees, but shares his feelings about living in Birmingham, a city where there have been protests against the teaching of LGBT equality in primary schools. Producer: Karen Gregor

David Gregory-Kumar talks about parenting with fellow gay dad, Chris Hurlston. David is a BBC journalist, and he's also a gay dad. Across three editions of One to One he is exploring different aspects of gay parenting. Today he meets Chris Hurlston whose children were carried by surrogate mothers, one from India and the other from Nepal. David and Chris discuss their different experiences of surrogacy, the challenges of raising a daughter, and the protests against teaching LGBT equality in the city where they both live. Producer: Karen Gregor

David Gregory-Kumar is a BBC journalist, and he's also a gay dad. Across three editions of One to One, he's exploring different aspects of gay parenting. Today he speaks to DaJon, the surrogate who carried his, and his husband Suraj's, baby girl. Producer: Karen Gregor

Broadcaster, journalist and producer Emma Freud had a dream to work in hard news. She talks to Rukmini Callimachi from the New York Times and presenter of the podcast 'Caliphrate' about her investigations into Islamic State. She asks Rukmini how fear doesn't stop her; why she seeks to understand those who join IS; and whether there is anything that would make her stop. Producer: Sara Coneky

Broadcaster, columnist and producer Emma Freud always wanted to be a news journalist but never had the confidence or courage to pursue it. She talks to Chief Foreign Correspondent for The Sunday Times Christina Lamb about the realities of the job, to discover if she could ever have achieved her dream. Producer: Sara Conkey

Broadcaster, columnist and producer Emma Freud dreamed of being a news journalist. She felt she never had the courage to pursue it, but still wonders if she had what it takes. Emma talks to Newsnight's Emily Maitlis about the adrenaline of the job; whether she ever has self-doubt - and what really drives her. Producer: Sara Conkey

Former Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger meets Dr Sohom Das, a consultant forensic psychiatrist. His job is to assess, treat and rehabilitate mentally ill offenders. Dr Sohom discusses the effect that a life behind bars has upon the mind, tells Alan about the times when he has made a difference, and talks about the challenges of treating mentally ill offenders inside jail. Producer: Camellia Sinclair

In her early twenties, CJ Burge was sentenced to nine and a half years in prison for importing drugs into Japan. She went on to spend six years in jail, first in Japan and then in the UK. Today, with a first class Law degree earned through study in prison, she is a different person. CJ talks to Alan Rusbridger about life in prison in two different countries and reveals the effect that imprisonment had on her mental state. She tells him about being grateful for incarceration and about how she used opportunities in jail to change her life beyond the prison walls. Producer: Camellia Sinclair

In 1999, Jonathan Aitken was sentenced to 18 months for perjury and perverting the course of justice. He went on to spend seven months behind bars, in three different prisons. At the time, Alan Rusbridger was his adversary. Then editor of The Guardian newspaper, Alan had reported Jonathan to the police for perjury after a high profile libel trial. Twenty years on, Alan sits down with Jonathan, now a chaplain at Pentonville Prison, to find out what he learned from life behind bars, how the experience of incarceration changed the way he thought, and how it continues to shape his life today. Producer: Camellia Sinclair

Euella Jackson meets Dr Girdari Bhan who is actively involved in the Interfaith Network for the UK and past President of the World Hindu Council UK, to hear about the structured approach to death and mourning practised in Hinduism. Having a Jamaican heritage, and a traditional way of mourning called Nine Nights, Euella is keen to find out what we can learn from other cultures and faiths to help us through the grieving process. Producer Sarah Bunt

Euella Jackson meets Chief Rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis to hear about the structured approach to mourning offered in Judaism which aims to guide the mourners through their loss and ease them back into the world beyond grief. Having a Jamaican heritage, and a tradition of mourning called Nine Nights, Euella is keen to find out what we can learn from other cultures and faiths to help us through the grieving process. Producer Sarah Blunt

Euella Jackson explores how we navigate grief with fellow Jamaican Maaureesha Shaw as they discuss the tradition of nine nights - the period that is spent in mourning prior to the funeral. Do rituals help? What can we learn from the rituals and traditions of other cultures and beliefs? Producer Sarah Bunt

Rachel Johnson is fascinated how mothers are often judged more harshly for their parenting choices than men. She meets Sarah, who chose to live away from her two children for some months in order to deal with her drug-taking. This is something Rachel knows something about as her own mother left the family home during an episode of mental illness when she was a child. Rachel explores the effect of this separation on both the children and the mother. Produced in Bristol by Sara Conkey

The New Statesman's Helen Lewis meets Brigid Schulte from the Better Life Lab, and author of "Overwhelmed: How to Work, Love and Play When No One Has the Time". Brigid argues that we confuse being busy with being important, and that a lot of our so-called work time is time wasted. So what's the alternative? Producer: Chris Ledgard

Helen Lewis, associate editor of the New Statesman, meets Deliveroo and Uber Eats rider, Aaron Tatlow. What's it like to work for an app on your phone, when your boss is an algorithm? Some customers are very friendly, Aaron says - one man just lowers a basket for the food from his second floor window. And what about the dangers of the job, and the physical demands? Last year, Aaron cycled more than 10,000 miles delivering food to customers in York. Producer: Chris Ledgard

Helen Lewis meets the distinguished economist Robert Skidelsky, who's been asked by the Shadow Chancellor to lead an inquiry into a four-day working week. Lord Skidelsky is a biographer of John Maynard Keynes, who predicted we'd be working 15 hours a week by 2030. So what has happened to the Keynesian dream? And, as he approaches his 80th birthday, why is Lord Skidelsky still working so hard? Producer: Chris Ledgard

Tech journalist Jack Dearlove grew up with Microsoft Messenger. Back in the early 2000s, it was vital for teen communication. Jack is nostalgic about it, and he’s not alone. Here he speaks to software developer Jonathan Kay who has tried to keep MSN Messenger alive even after Microsoft tried to kill it off. Producer: Jolyon Jenkins

In 2011, tech journalist Jack Dearlove was at university and won a competition to go to the Kennedy Space Center to "live tweet" the last American Space Shuttle. As a self-confessed space nerd, it was one of the most exciting - and emotional - days of his life. But what was it like for the astronauts on board? Here he talks to Doug Hurley, one of the four on board. Now in his fifties, Doug is still planning one last mission into space, with Elon Musk's new generation of space craft. If successful, it will allow American astronauts once again to go into space from American soil. Producer: Jolyon Jenkins

In the last of three programmes exploring our experiences of travel and why we do it, Lynne Truss joins Will Parsons, co-founder of the British Pilgrimage Trust on a short pilgrimage along the Old Way in East Sussex. They begin under the ancient Yew tree in Mary and St Peter’s Church in Wilmington and walk via the Long Man and Saint Peter of Vincula in Folkington to St Andrews’ Church in Jevington. The journey offers Lynne a chance to discover what a pilgrimage is and how it differs from a walk. Aided by her pilgrim’s staff it proves to be a journey of unexpected encounters and experiences for Lynne - unnerving, calming, reflective and enjoyable. Producer Sarah Blunt

In the second of three programmes about travel and why we do it, Lynne Truss talks to Jillian Moody about her experiences of travelling across the world in a campervan with her husband and three young daughters. The family bought a second-hand campervan prior to the trip which had no shower and no toilet and after a terrible first night, reality took its toll as they realised their itinerary would have to change. They were faced with many challenges en route but after 38,000 miles, there's no doubt it was a life-changing experience for Jillian. Producer Sarah Bunt.

The Economist's Soumaya Keynes continues her quest to find out why the study of economics is so dominated by men. Does that affect the kind of economics we get, and why does that matter? In her second programme, Soumaya meets Professor Stephen Machin, Director of the Centre for Economic Performance at the London School of Economics, who thinks it's a problem some in his profession are failing to recognize. Producer: Chris Ledgard.

When it comes to travel is the expectation greater than the realisation? Lynne Truss has been a writer for over 25 years and without making it a conscious ambition she has travelled to a huge number of destinations. But if you ask her if she likes travelling, she will say "Absolutely not, I hate it. I find its utterly stressful." This has made her curious as to why we travel. In an age when we have access to the world at the click of a button on the internet or the TV, why do we still want to physically go somewhere else? What do we hope to get out of the experience? Is the hassle of delayed flights, airless rooms, endless queues, the heat, the mosquitoes and the tummy upsets all really worth it? In this, the first of three programmes about the travel experience first broadcast in November, Lynne meets global traveller and writer Geoff Dyer. Producer Sarah Blunt.

Bronwen Maddox meets the environmentalist Tom Burke, who plans to pass on the majority of his legacy to his passion: supporting bird life. Tom was brought up on a council estate in Plymouth, and didn't inherit any money from his parents. He says hard work, luck and the property price boom have given him a substantial amount to pass on. But he believes leaving too much money to younger family members is the wrong thing to do - and he doesn't want it to go to the state. Producer: Chris Ledgard

Bronwen Maddox talks to Lancaster solicitor and stepfather Gary Rycroft about solving disputes. Our family structures are getting more and more complicated, we're getting more and more demanding, so how can we avoid inheritance disputes? He talks about what writing wills in his professional life has led him to do in his own personal family life. Producer: Chris Ledgard

Who gets the farm? Bronwen Maddox goes to Wicton Farm in Herefordshire to meet Claire Howlett. Claire runs the farm with her brother Daniel, while her parents still live in the farmhouse. Succession is a big issue in farming, and Claire explains how she and her family handled the difficulties of passing on the management of this farm from one generation to the next. Producer: Chris Ledgard

The story of women's under-representation in economics: from the 1920s to #MeToo - how much progress has there really been in the last 100 years? The Economist's Soumaya Keynes talks to Beatrice Cherrier from the French National Centre for Scientific Research, who writes, blogs and tweets on the history of economics studies. Producer: Chris Ledgard.

Does economics have a problem with women? The Economist's Soumaya Keynes shares experiences with Harvard's Claudia Goldin, a former president of the American Economic Association.

Community Radio Awards 2016 Female Presenter of the Year, Primrose Granville talks to the Jamaican chef Henroy Brown about his near death experience as a young man in his twenties, when he was diagnosed first with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, and then with the near fatal Steven Johnson syndrome. She herself came through a very traumatic point in her own life. In 2003 she was an Early Years/Special Needs practitioner with dreams of becoming a Head Teacher, married with a young son. A freak incident ended all that. Within 18 months she was unemployed, unemployable, separated and with no financial security. She was also mourning the loss of her father. "For years I did nothing & felt like nothing until someone introduced me to community radio." she says "Being out of work was the worst thing that ever happened to me, even more than the loss of my marriage, my father & my financial freedom. I knew I had ambition but others didn't seem to. However, I never gave up, as losing my ambition was one loss too many." Primrose asks Henroy what gave him the strength to carry on when he was at his lowest point, and how he has managed to rebuild his life. Producer: Maggie Ayre.

Becoming a parent is a challenge at any age, but imagine becoming one before the age of 20. We hear a lot about teenage mothers, but very little about or from the teenage Dads who play an active part in their children's lives. What is it like for young men to find themselves responsible for a child at such a young age? How do they cope? In this series of frank discussions between young Dads, Michael Jenkins who became a father aged 18 talks to other young men who have gone through similar experiences. This week he talks to comedian Gary Meikle from Glasgow about his love for his daughter Ainsley who he brought up pretty much by himself. Producer: Maggie Ayre.

Michael Jenkins became a Dad unexpectedly aged 18. In this series he's been talking to other men who were also teenage fathers. They talk frankly and openly about the challenges of parenthood at such a young age. Adam James admits to having very little focus in his life and was half heartedly going to college when he discovered aged 18 that his partner was pregnant. Becoming a Dad has meant learning responsibility, discipline and patience and he's now 24 and has two children. He talks to Michael about the pressures and pleasures of being a father so young. Producer: Maggie Ayre.

Why do so many of us feel inspired after we have retired and long to flex our creative muscles? Having recently retired from a demanding job in part because he wants to be more 'hands on' and creative, Fergus Keeling talks to Chartered Psychologist Professor Victoria Tischler about 'life after 60' and why it is that so many people feel creatively inspired after retirement. Released from the demands of busy schedules, deadlines and meetings, Fergus discovers that we are free to connect with the child inside us and 'play' again. Producer Sarah Blunt.

Can you have a new creative life after you have retired? Having recently stepped back from a demanding job in part because he wants to be more 'hands on' and creative, Fergus Keeling talks to Bristol hat designer Tricia Hamilton about 'life after 60' and how she changed careers from being a teacher to designing hats. As Fergus discovers, there is much to be gained from flexing your creative muscles in later life. Producer Sarah Blunt.

Bristol film maker Michael Jenkins became a father unexpectedly, aged 18. He found it an overwhelming experience at first but eventually grew up and into the role of being a dedicated dad to his sons who are now 11 and 6. He wanted to talk to other young men who became fathers at a young age to find out how they have dealt with the pressures of teen parenthood. Kevin Makwikila was just starting his second year at college and was planning to train to be an architect when he found out he was going to become a father. For him, there was never any doubt that he wanted to play an active role in his child's life, and now five years on, he is the sole carer for his son. Despite the difficulties he has faced, he loves being a dad and cherishes the relationship he has with his son who's now seven. Producer: Maggie Ayre.

In his One to One series on race and identity, Jay Brave explores why he doesn't identify with the term "black" when it means so much to so many other people. In this episode, he talks to Christopher Sebastian McJetters about his experiences being a black and gay man both in the USA where he's from, and in Prague where he lives now. Producer: Toby Field.

Jay Brave speaks to the poet Lawrence Hoo about his upbringing in a small village near Weston Super Mare, and what it was like to then move to Bristol where other people noticed the colour of his skin. He talks about how his background informs his attitude towards race and identity, and why he is now done with race. Producer: Toby Field.

Rachel Johnson is fascinated by the idea that women are judged more harshly than men on their parenting choices. In this first episode of two One to Ones, she meets Susanna Thomas, an egyptologist living and working in Cairo, whose twin girls live in the UK with her brother and his wife. Rachel sent her own three children to boarding school and she wants to explore the emotional cost of 'outsourcing' child-care - for both the mother and the children. Produced in Bristol by Sara Conkey

Jay Brave is a spoken word artist and entrepreneur who doesn't identify as "black", arguing that an understanding of ethnic background is far more important than race. But actress, director and fitness instructor Kelechi Okafor has an almost opposite approach to identity and is proud to be, and to identify as, "black". Here they meet and discuss why they think the way they do, what their experiences have been, where their views meet, and how they see themselves as agents for change. Producer: Toby Field.

Decca Aikenhead explores how the loss of a parent effects a child. Decca herself was nine when her mother died of cancer, and three years ago, her partner drowned suddenly and unexpectedly, leaving her with their two young sons. She has had to raise them on her own and help them cope with his death. She talks to Sandra, who lost both her father and her husband suddenly, about what happens to children when a parent dies without warning. Producer in Bristol: Sara Conkey.

The Olympic rower, Helen Glover, speaks to Kriss Akabusi about 'life after gold'. Helen Glover is one of our most successful athletes. In a life devoted to rowing, she has won a phenomenal 21 Olympic, World and European gold medals. But now that she is considering retirement, a life away from competitive rowing feels as daunting as it is liberating. In this programme she speaks to Kriss Akabusi MBE, the larger-than-life, multiple medal-winning Olympic, World, Commonwealth and European sprinter and hurdler. Since leaving athletics, Kriss has had a successful career on TV and in motivational speaking. He and Helen talk about the challenges in finding a new role and identity, and he encourages her to think about what she would like to do next.. Producer: Karen Gregor.

Decca Aikenhead explores being bereaved as a child. This week, she talks to Bridget, who, like Decca herself, lost her Mum to cancer when she was young. Decca wonders whether having time to prepare for a death makes bereavement for children easier or harder. Cruse Bereavement Care: www.cruse.org.uk Child Bereavement UK: https://childbereavement.org.

The Olympian, Helen Glover, speaks to world-class badminton player, Gail Emms, about the difficult time she has had since retiring from sport. Helen Glover is one of our most successful athletes. In a life devoted to rowing, she has won a phenomenal twenty one Olympic, World and European gold medals. But now she is contemplating retirement. And she is discovering that looking to the future - towards a life away from competitive rowing - is as daunting as it is liberating. Gail Emms, alongside her doubles partner, Nathan Robertson, won a silver medal at the 2004 Olympics and became World Champion in 2006. But when she retired in 2008, she struggled financially and underestimated how hard it might be to find a new sense of identity and purpose. Producer: Karen Gregor.

The Olympic rower, Helen Glover, speaks to Dame Kelly Holmes about 'life after gold' - how to cope after retiring from sport. Helen Glover is one of our most successful athletes; in a life devoted to rowing she's won a phenomenal 21 Olympic, World and European gold medals. But now that she's considering retirement, a future away from competitive rowing seems as daunting as it is liberating. She worries that, in her early 30s, her best days could be behind her. So, for this series, she is speaking to athletes who have already made the transition away from professional sport. In this programme, Dame Kelly Holmes tells her how she rebuilt her life and her identity. Producer Karen Gregor.

Comedy writer Sian Harries and columnist and broadcaster Grace Dent discuss that strange taboo for women - ambivalence towards motherhood. Should Sian make the decision to have a baby or not to? And she wonders will she regret somewhere down the line not having them. She and Grace talk about how other people can make you feel when you haven't got children. As the successful writer of programmes like ' Man Down', 'The Now Show' and 'Dilemma', Sian Harries explores how a fear for her career might be affecting her decision to have children. Women certainly have more choice now about whether to become a mother, but does society really accept and respect that choice or is it generally assumed that all women want a baby and that she - and any women who feel ambivalent - will at some point change their minds? Producer: Toby Field.

Comedy writer Sian Harries and Isy Suttie discuss that strange taboo - women's ambivalence towards having children. Why is it that you're supposed to want to have children, what does it mean if you're really not sure that you do, and why it is that so many people feel they have the right to tell her she's wrong to feel the way she does? Sian Harries has written comedy for The Now Show, Greg Davies' 'Man Down' and she's worked closely with her husband, the comedian Rhod Gilbert. But despite her success, she explains how bad it made her feel when someone walked up to her at a party and asked her when she was going to have children. She wonders why people feel they have the right to ask this question, and why it only seems to be of women but never men. She asks Isy, who has chosen to have children, if she always knew she wanted too and whether it just felt "right"? Producer in Bristol: Toby Field.

Journalist and mother Samantha Simmonds meets Nicki Karet who like Samantha has children who frequently compete against one another and often over the most trivial things to explore how these situations arise, how intense they can become and the ways in which Nicki tries to deal with them. Producer Sarah Blunt.

When she was two years old, Joanna Briscoe's life as a single child changed forever when her mother came home with a new baby in her arms. From that moment, Joanna's early childhood was over-shadowed by the rivalry with her brother for her mother's attention. Whilst her brother rapidly grew stronger and could be more physically aggressive, Joanna fought back with her tongue. In this programme, she discusses how the rivalry escalated and what she has learned from the experience with journalist and mother Samantha Simmonds whose own sons constantly compete with one another. Producer Sarah Blunt.

Journalist and broadcaster Samantha Simmonds has two sons who compete with one another "over everything". It's something she thinks much about and wants to explore more. She speaks to Alison Pike, Professor of Child and Family Psychology about why sibling competition develops, how it can be channelled positively, and the potential long term effects. Is it such a bad thing? Producer Sarah Blunt.

Broadcaster Peter Curran talks to guests about the Northern Ireland they left behind - they grew up there but then came over to mainland UK. With them he explores how they perceive the people and the politics, now that they don't live there, and how their childhood affected their own world view.

Broadcaster Peter Curran talks to guests about the Northern Ireland they left behind - they grew up there but then came over to mainland UK. With them he explores how they perceive the people and the politics, now that they don't live there, and how their childhood affected their own world view. Peter first met Fiona Murphy when the two of them had recently arrived in Brixton from North Belfast in the 1980s. In the thirty years since they last saw each other Fiona has gone on to be a top human rights lawyer, with a specialism in police accountability. Peter talks to her about how the injustice she saw growing up during the troubles has influenced her own path, and how she sees Northern Ireland now. Produced by Polly Weston in Bristol.

Does being in nature aid our mental health? Isabel Hardman, Assistant Editor of The Spectator, discusses with Dr Alan Kellas, a psychiatrist who advises the Royal College of Psychiatry on the subject. Isabel struggled with depression, and found that developing an interest in plants and working outside has helped her to recover. Meeting Alan in the woods, they talk of exercising outdoors, of watching the seasons turn, and of having regular places to visit that take us outside ourselves, allowing us to move beyond our own preoccupations. Alan reveals the ways in which he himself learned to resolve difficult things in a particular woodland setting. Producer: Mark Smalley.

Isabel Hardman of The Spectator asks whether growing food can improve our mental health. John Kennington or 'JK', as he's known, is a recovering alcoholic. He shares his life story with Isabel at Feed Bristol, a project that reconnects city dwellers with nature, while she explains how she learned to manage her own from being outdoors and growing plants. Producer: Mark Smalley.

DJ and radio presenter Trevor Nelson grew up in London and came to find out he had half siblings on the Caribbean island of St Lucia. However, for Trevor and his three sisters who were raised by his parents in the UK, this was something that didn't really have an impact on his family life until much later when Trevor finally met his half siblings. It's something that has fascinated Trevor all his life, and now in this series of One to One, he meets people to uncover what it's like to have, or to find out you have, half siblings. In this programme, Trevor meets Adrienne who has eight half siblings but no full brothers and sisters. She tells Trevor that that there is no jealousy and rivalry and that they really are one big happy family. Really? The producer is Perminder Khatkar.

Mark Steel is obsessed with sport. Obsessed! And he's certain there's a strong link between sport and stand-up comedy - risk taking, dealing with a hostile crowd, performance anxiety. In this programme he muses on his theory with the snooker player known as 'The Entertainer', John Parrott. For this series of three programmes, he also meets sports psychologist and former figure skater, Dr. Faye Didymus; and also the former Premiership and England footballer Graeme Le Saux. You can hear extra bits from both interviews on the podcasts, just go to the Radio 4 website. Produced in Bristol by Karen Gregor.

Mark Steel's guest this week is impressed by his flow-state, but would like him to reduce his dependence on ironing. She is sports psychologist, Dr. Faye Didymus, from Leeds Beckett University. Mark believes that his two addictions have much in common - they are stand-up comedy (his job) and sport (watching, playing, talking about it). He's sure that there is a link between the way comedians and sporting types deal with performance anxiety, crowd hostility, risk taking and more. Dr. Didymus, who works with sports stars at the highest level, casts light upon this theory. In this series, Mark speaks to the former Premiership and England footballer, Graeme Le Saux. And he meets former World Champion snooker player, John Parrott. All three programmes are available as podcasts, and the Parrott & Le Saux podcasts have extra bits. Producer: Karen Gregor.

Mark Steel has two addictions: stand-up comedy (his job) and sport (watching, playing, talking about it). He's certain that the two have much in common - risk taking, performance anxiety, dealing with crowd hostility and more. His guest this week is former Premiership and England footballer, Graeme Le Saux, whose strategies for coping with playing at the highest level are more similar than you might think to Mark's own experiences - especially when it comes to dealing with crowds who don't really like you. In this series, he meets Dr. Faye Didymus, a sports psychologist at Leeds Beckett University (who was impressed by his flow-state, but would like him to reduce his dependence on ironing). And Mark also meets former World Champion snooker player, John Parrott. All three programmes are available as podcasts after broadcast. And there are extra, un-broadcast, bits in the John Parrott & Graeme Le Saux podcasts. Producer in Bristol: Karen Gregor.

Single mum, Miranda Rae meets father of three, Andy Hill, to explore the challenges of being a single dad. Producer Sarah Blunt.

Miranda Rae meets Gill Sargent to explore the challenges of being a single mum with a child of dual heritage - something they both have in common. Life for any single parent is far from easy, but whilst trying to raise her son, Gill has also had to endure prejudice and racism in addition to exhaustion, isolation and homelessness. Producer Sarah Blunt.

Miranda Rae is a single mum with a young son who is 9 years old. Life is far from easy for any single parent, but in this programme Miranda meets mother-of-three, Josephine Pepper, who found herself on her own with 3 children under the age of three, when her husband died of cancer. Despite her grief at the death of her husband, Josephine's story is one of remarkable courage, resilience and joy in her children and in life itself. Producer Sarah Blunt.

Lucy Mangan avoids responsibility wherever possible. She's got cats instead of dogs because she can't face a needy pet; she only has one child 'and that's more than enough.' But she's always been fascinated by those who run towards responsibility rather than away from it. Today she talks to Reverend Claire Herbert about a life dedicated to helping others. One of the first women priests to be ordained, Claire was working as a rector at St Anne's church in Soho when the Admiral Duncan bomb exploded. But she admits that being there for others has not been an easy road - in her 30s she took some time out from full-time church work to become a social worker and learn to be young 'perhaps for the first time'; she has realized that she needs to learn to play, and now gives herself permission sometimes to be 'naughty and horrible.'.

Lucy Mangan feels she avoids responsibility whenever possible. She has cats instead of dogs because she can't face a needy pet; she only has one child which is 'more than enough'. But she's always been fascinated by those who run towards responsibility rather than away from it. She talks to Bea Harvie, a post-graduate student, whose father got ill when she was thirteen. Bea chose to take on a lot of caring duties towards her younger siblings while her Mother was busy caring for her Father. She describes the experience as something she just got on with, and reveals that it also was a useful distraction from dealing with her own feelings about her Dad's illness. Until one day when she was sixteen and it all caught up with her. She says its like shaking up a bottle of fizzy pop: ' it's got to come out some way.'.

Novelist Nikesh Shukla started to learn to box after a racist incident on a train left him feeling vulnerable and needing to learn how protect himself. In the last of his three interviews exploring the sport - and getting personal advice - he speaks to criminologist Dr Deborah Jump. She left her desk at Manchester Metropolitan University to do an ethnographic study - immersing herself into the world of boxing to research it from the inside. She wanted to investigate whether boxing gyms help reduce offending among young people. Her research made her fitter but gave her some food for thought.

Nikesh Shukla continues his series of interviews on boxing. The level of violence and serious injury has always called the sport into question. Just last year it saw the tragic death of Mike Towell after a fatal head injury and Nick Blackwell retired after a bleed on the brain. These stories are familiar to Kieran Farrell, who discovered a love of boxing aged just 7, and who had 26 fights in a row unbeaten - 14 as a professional. But then he collapsed from a bleed on the brain after a fight against Anthony Crolla. Despite 30% brain damage he was desperate to fight again, but was forced to retire aged 22. Four years on he runs a gym and acts as coach and promoter. He tells Nikesh what attracts a child to the sport, what that night took from him and why he's still happy to encourage children and adults to put on the gloves. Produced in Bristol by Anne-Marie Bullock.

Novelist Nikesh Shukla is learning how to box. It's gone from memories of Rocky movies and watching the big match with family as a child to being a skill he wants for himself. When he voiced his thoughts on Twitter, journalist Hayley Campbell gave him 3 key pieces of advice. She took up kickboxing three years ago and shares how the sport and the partnership with her trainer changed her physically and mentally, but also how the boxing world became a source of fascination leading her to meet and interview some of the most powerful fighters. Produced by Anne-Marie Bullock.

Julia Bradbury talks to Laura Rutherford, a volunteer with the Samaritans, about the challenges of her work as a listener. How does she cope with the emotional demands and the need to 'step back' after challenging calls? Producer Sarah Blunt.

Julia Bradbury talks to Dr Rory Conn, a Specialist Registrar in Psychiatry. Rory works in a Mental Health In-Patient Unit for adolescents, and he discusses the challenges of regularly dealing with intense mental and emotional situations as part of your working life, and how you switch off at the end of the day.

Julia Bradbury talks to Dr Martin McKechnie, a Consultant in Emergency Medicine and Vice President of The Royal College of Emergency Medicine, about the challenges of working in an Emergency Department. Every day he is faced with intense mental and emotional situations as part of his working life. So how he does he switch off at the end of the day? Producer Sarah Blunt.

Television executive Peter Bazalgette talks to Jane Davis, founder of The Reader Organisation, about the power of shared reading in developing empathy, and how books can transform lives. Jane and her volunteers run small groups in which people meet to read books and poems aloud and talk about them. They meet in care homes, libraries, hostels, mental health centres, schools and prisons. Reading helped Jane to make sense of her own life and she wants to share that. She says: "You’ve already got your feelings, sometimes you just haven’t got any language for them. Something happens to you in shared reading, a sudden moment - a feeling of recognition, of seeing written down something you’ve had as nameless (and therefore in a sense unknown), taking some form in the visible world, so you can begin to know it. And there’s something so important about that – it’s a form of consciousness". Producer Beth O'Dea

Television executive Peter Bazalgette examines empathy in doctors with Denis Pereira Gray, and the difference it makes for their patients. Professor Sir Denis Pereira Gray was a GP for 38 years and is now Patron of the National Association for Patient Participation. He believes that humanity and empathy in medicine contributes to a better outcome for all concerned, and research evidence is piling up in support of that view. Empathy in clinical practice can be fostered through training, narrative medicine and continuity of care. Producer Beth O'Dea

Television executive Peter Bazalgette examines empathy. He talks to primatologist Frans de Waal, whose pioneering work with chimpanzees has helped to illuminate how our own evolutionary history suggests a deep-rooted propensity, both emotional and cognitive, for feeling the emotions of others.

In this series of One to One, Sir Trevor McDonald explores the idea of redemption, talking to two very different people with very different ideas on what it means. This week he meets Madeleine Black who was violently attacked and raped when she was just 13, yet has found redemption through forgiving the men who did this to her. Producer: Maggie Ayre.

For his One to One series, Sir Trevor McDonald explores the idea of redemption, talking to two very different people with very different ideas on what it means. This week a former maximum security prisoner talks about finding redemption through sport. Former armed robber John McAvoy once shared a wing with convicted terrorist Abu Hamza in Belmarsh Prison. His life was going nowhere but then he discovered rowing in the prison gym and went on to break the world record for indoor rowing. Now he's a semi professional tri-athlete seeking to inspire other young people who risk becoming offenders. Producer: Maggie Ayre.

Unexpected educational journeys: the journalist Datshiane Navanayagam speaks to the first female head teacher in the 500 year history of Magdalen College School in Oxford. The journalist Datshiane Navanayagam had a challenging childhood punctuated by periods of homelessness but she was always expected to achieve academically. She won a bursary to a private school which led her onto Cambridge University. As a result she's fascinated by the transformative role education can have. For One to One she's speaking to three people who have been on unexpected educational journeys. Today she meets Helen Pike. Born in Preston and educated entirely in the state sector, Helen Pike has almost exclusively worked in private schools and has just been appointed as the first female head teacher in the 500 year history of the independent Magdalen College School. At one stage she was the head teacher of the school that Datshiane attended (although not while Datshiane was there). They speak about background, confidence and breaking boundaries. Producer: Karen Gregor.

Unexpected stories of education: The journalist Datshiane Navanayagam speaks to the crime writer, Val McDermid, about an unusual educational experiment she was part of in the 1960s. Datshiane Navanayagam had a difficult childhood punctuated by periods of homelessness, but she was always expected to achieve educationally and won a bursary to a private school which led her onto Cambridge University. As a result she's fascinated by the transformative role of education and for three editions of One to One is speaking to people who went on an unexpected educational journey. Today she meets the crime writer, Val McDermid, who was part of an educational experiment in the 1960s which separated her from her peers and pushed her forward by a year. Producer: Karen Gregor.

Unexpected stories of education: Datshiane Navanayagam speaks to the musician and broadcaster Soweto Kinch about his experience as an inner-city child of going to a private school. The journalist Datshiane Navanayagam had a challenging childhood which involved periods of homelessness. But her parents always had high expectations of her and what she could achieve educationally. She was awarded a bursary to a private school, and went onto Cambridge University. As a result she's fascinated by the transformative role of education and for three editions of One to One is speaking to people who went on unexpected educational journeys. Today she meets the musician and broadcaster Soweto Kinch. Soweto was brought up in inner city Birmingham, but from the age of nine was educated in private schools. On a daily basis he found himself crossing cultural boundaries and confounding expectations. He discusses this experience with Datshiane in terms of the confidence it gave him, and in the context of his West Indian heritage. Producer: Karen Gregor.

Tim Samuels goes in search of alternative relationships and meets women who have ditched traditional monogamy. He meets those making their own rules in a world less constrained by religion and gender norms and where we are evolving and adapting to changing times. For the second of his three programmes for One to One, Tim travels to Birmingham to meet Salma (not her real name) who chose to become the second wife in a polygamous relationship. She tells Tim why she wanted to share a husband and talks about the benefits. However, there are downsides to every relationship. The producer is Perminder Khatkar.

Tim Samuels goes in search of alternative relationships and meets women who have ditched traditional monogamy in favour of part-time, polygamous and pragmatic love. Tim recently wrote about the challenges of being a 21st century man, including how monogamy can be a struggle. He's not the first man to feel it could run counter to men's biological make-up. And these days, in heterosexual couple break ups, female infidelity is just as likely to be cited as a cause for divorce as the male half of the partnership straying. Tim says we are now living in a world where religion has lost its grip, women are freer than ever before to express their sexuality without male diktats, and we are continually evolving and adapting to changing times. He's long been interested in alternatives to monogamy, and now he wants to hear about some actual examples. In the first of his three programmes for One to One, Tim meets Helen who has ripped up the relationship rules to find a model that works for her. She is a mother of two, but partner of none. The producer is Perminder Khatkar.

What does it take to be a successful runner of extreme distance and why do people do it? David Greig is the Artistic Director of the Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh and an internationally successful playwright. He's also an ultra-marathon runner who has twice completed the punishing 96 mile West Highland Way as well as many other long-distance races. He took up running fifteen years ago when he stopped smoking and running has since become an endorphin-fuelled obsession. For One to One, David is speaking to two fellow runners. Today he meets former world hill running champion, Angela Mudge. Born with birth defects that affected her feet, Angela spent the first two and half years of life almost continually with her lower legs and feet in plaster. Despite this, she went onto be a hugely successful long-distance runner. Her most memorable race was when she became the first woman to break three hours when she won the Sierre-Zinal - 'the race of the 4000m peaks'. But why do they do it? Producer: Karen Gregor.

What does it take to be a successful runner of extreme distance, and why do people do it? David Greig is the Artistic Director of the Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh and an internationally successful playwright. He's also an ultra-marathon runner who has twice completed the punishing 96 mile West Highland Way amongst many other long-distance races. He took up running fifteen years ago when he stopped smoking and running has since become an endorphin-fuelled obsession. For One to One, David speaks to two fellow runners. Today, he meets Ben Smith who - at the time of their conversation - was attempting to set a world record by running 401 marathons on 401 consecutive days. Following a difficult childhood and a challenging time during his 20s, Ben discovered running and it became a form of confidence building and healing. Out of this new sense of confidence, Ben decided to set himself an outlandish challenge, and the 401 was the result. Producer: Karen Gregor.

Sathnam Sanghera feels he has come a long way from his working class Wolverhampton background and now regards himself as firmly middle class. In this second programme for One to One, he meets Alpesh Chauhan, an Asian Brummie from a working class background, who has become an Assistant Conductor with the CBSO (City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra). As someone who has broken through so many social barriers, has Alpesh's ethnic background proved to be a bigger hurdle than his social class? Producer: Perminder Khatkar.

Sathnam Sanghera explores class. As the son of an illiterate factory worker who ended up going to Cambridge and working for The Times, he now regards himself as firmly middle class. In the first of his two programmes for One to One, he interviews Janice Turner, a fellow journalist from The Times, at her home in South London. She had a similar journey to Sathnam; she moved from working class Doncaster to the London media establishment, but she feels very differently about which class she belongs to. Producer: Perminder Khatkar.

Mark Lawson has a problem. He is writing a memoir but he's always had the habit, when writing or broadcasting, of avoiding the first person pronoun. This rather puts him at odds with modern culture where journalists and presenters are urged to use the one-letter vertical word. Bloggers, Vloggers and Tweeters lay their lives on-line, and autobiography is an ever more crowded literary form. So, in his series of One to One, Mark takes the opportunity to discuss self-revelation with artists who - in various ways - have taken themselves as their subject matter. Here he talks to writer and novelist Rachel Cusk who found herself branded, 'the worst mother in Britain' for writing candidly about her experience of motherhood. Producer Lucy Lunt.

Mark Lawson has a problem. He is writing a memoir but he's always had the habit, when writing or broadcasting, of avoiding the first person pronoun. This rather puts him at odds with modern culture where journalists and presenters are urged to use the one-letter vertical word. Bloggers, Vloggers and Tweeters lay their lives on-line, and autobiography is an ever more crowded literary form. So, in his series of One to One, Mark takes the opportunity to discuss self-revelation with artists who - in various ways - have taken themselves as their subject matter. Here he talks to the artist and Turner Prize nominee, Marvin Gaye Chetwynd. Producer Lucy Lunt.

Mark Lawson has a problem. He is writing a memoir but he's always had the habit, when writing or broadcasting, of avoiding the first person pronoun. This rather puts him at odds with modern culture, where journalists and presenters are urged to use the one-letter vertical word. Bloggers, Vloggers and Tweeters lay out their lives on-line, and autobiography is an ever more crowded literary form. So, in his series of One to One, Mark takes the opportunity to discuss self-revelation with artists who - in various ways - have taken themselves as their subject matter. Hannah Witton is a history graduate who has been a prolific vlogger, blogger and tweeter since her early twenties. She talks to Mark about making her life, her views and beliefs, ups and downs, all available for public consumption on the net. Producer: Lucy Lunt.

Mark Lawson has a problem. He is writing a memoir but he's always had the habit, when writing or broadcasting, of avoiding the first person pronoun. This rather puts him at odds with modern culture. Journalists and presenters are urged to use the one-letter vertical word. Bloggers, Vloggers and Tweeters lay their lives on-line and autobiography is an ever more crowded literary form. So in his series of One to One, Mark takes the opportunity to discuss self-revelation with artists who - in various ways - have taken themselves as their subject-matter, starting with the writer and critic Adam Mars-Jones. Long admired for his fiction and criticism, Adam has just published a work of non-fiction, Kid Gloves, which describes the experience of becoming end-of-life carer to his father, a retired judge, Sir William Mars-Jones. Mark and Adam reflect on the honesty and self knowledge needed when writing about your own life. Producer: Lucy Lunt.

Actress and impressionist, Jan Ravens talks to one of her favourite subjects, the BBC's Chief International Correspondent, Lyse Doucet. They discuss how much her public image reflects her private self and how much consideration she gives to clothes and jewellery when appearing on television . Producer Lucy Lunt.

Jan Ravens has created impressions of some of our most iconic women but all she has to work with is the public persona, how someone in the public eye presents themselves for our view. In her series of One to One she talks to some of her subjects about their image as seen by others and how it differs from how they see themselves. Is image something they have consciously created or has it sprung naturally from their personality and from the way they look? Jan wants to know if their self perception is changed through their portrayal by impressionists and cartoonists. Is image a useful tool, or does it become a millstone around your neck ? Academic and author, Germaine Greer, has been in the public eye for over forty years, she talks to Jan about the way her image has changed over the decades. Producer Lucy Lunt.

Steve Backshall is one of our leading natural history broadcasters; he's also an extreme sportsman who has conquered some of the world's most dangerous mountains. Despite suffering a severe rock-climbing injury in 2008 he continues to set himself extraordinary challenges. For this edition of One to One, Steve meets explorer Ann Daniels to discover what drives her need for adventure: Ann is the record breaking polar explorer who, in 2002, became the first woman in history (along with a teammate) to have reached both the North and South poles as part of an all-woman team. Producer: Karen Gregor.

David Schneider, despite being healthy, is terrified of dying. He wants to overcome his fears and find out whether a 'good death' is ever possible and how those facing up to it, cope. He visits the journalist and writer Jenny Diski who was told last summer that she had inoperable lung cancer and, at best, another three years to live. She now writes about the experience and her treatment, with her usual wit and candour, and her tweets have a devoted following. But as she says, 'I tell jokes but that doesn't mean that I'm not terrified at the prospect of my own non-existence.' They discuss this fear, what it is they are afraid of and whether faith might make a difference. Producer: Lucy Lunt.

David Schneider is terrified of death. In his two editions of One to One, he wants to try to overcome his fear by talking to those who have first-hand understanding of dying. In this programme, he talks to Palliative Care consultant, Kathryn Mannix. With almost forty years of clinical experience and witnessing over twelve thousand deaths, she believes that a 'good death' is possible even when you are seriously ill. She explains the process of dying to David. This, she believes, if accepted by the patient, removes much of the anxiety and fear surrounding the end of life. To hear an extended version of this programme please visit the programme page. The second programme in David's series in which he talks to writer and journalist, Jenny Diski, who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, can still be found on the BBC iplayer. Producer: Lucy Lunt.

Bel Mooney talks to author Penelope Lively about the nature of home. Is it an idea as much as a place?

Bel Mooney explores whether home is an idea as much as a place. She goes to Birmingham to meet student Alan, who shares a rented house with two friends. While they return home to their parents at weekends, Alan stays in the student digs, the only home he currently has. He explains to Bel how family breakdown led to him to be homeless twice, first emotionally and then physically when his mother finally evicted him and his possessions from her house when he was eighteen. Now twenty four, Alan describes how devastated he felt and how through the help of a local charity he got back onto his feet again. Producer: Lucy Lunt.

Steve Backshall is one of our leading natural history broadcasters; he's also an extreme sportsman who has conquered some of the world's most dangerous mountains. Despite suffering a severe rock-climbing injury in 2008, he continues to set himself extraordinary challenges. For One to One Steve meets two other extreme adventurers to discover what drives them to significant levels of danger and physical discomfort in order to complete challenges that are almost superhuman. In this first programme he meets Ed Stafford. Ed was the first person to walk the entire length of the Amazon River - 6000 miles over two and a half years. Ed acknowledges that explorers have a 'chink in their armour, an insecurity, a fear of something in life... Doing something tangible, something remarkable, enables you to prove yourself'. Producer: Karen Gregor.

Adrian Chiles talks to Larissa Pelham, Head of Emergency Food Security and Livelihoods for Oxfam, about how charities seek to eradicate malnourishment in the Third World, by working with local food producers. It's well known that TV and radio presenter Adrian Chiles loves football. What's less well known is his real passion: food, both eating and cooking it. Adrian believes in the power of food to change lives, to improve society and to bring people together. At this year's Bristol Food Connections festival, he recorded two editions of One to One in front of an audience with guests who have extraordinary life changing food stories to tell. Larissa Pelham has spent most of her career trying to ensure that all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food, that's the definition of food security, but she explains the difficulties of doing this in areas of political unrest or natural disaster. She also discusses with Adrian the effect her work has had on her own attitude to food and eating. Producer: Lucy Lunt.

Selina Scott is intrigued and fascinated by ghosts and believes she has one of her own, which resides in the kitchen of her home, an 15th century farmhouse in rural North Yorkshire. In the final of her three programmes for One to One, Selina talks to ghostbuster Hayley Stevens who doesn't believe in ghosts. She offers Selina a rational explanation for the ghostly presence in her house. Producer: Perminder Khatkar.

Selina Scott is intrigued and fascinated by the ghost stories she hears living in a rural community. She thinks she has her own ghost in her kitchen,an old 15th century farmhouse in North Yorkshire. In the second of her three programmes for One to One, Selina talks to spiritual healer, Yasmin Ishaq who doesn't believe in ghosts but in Jinn, supernatural creatures in Islamic tradition. She explains this phenomena to Selina and the devastating impact it can have on Muslim communities. Producer: Perminder Khatkar.

Not a risk-taker by nature, Michael Grade has always been fascinated by those who are. In the final interview of his series he talks to Chris Hunter about his career as a high threat bomb disposal officer. What attracts someone to such a dangerous business and how do friends and family deal with their anxiety? Producer Lucy Lunt.

Michael Grade has always been fascinated by those who choose to take great risks. Michael was born into an immigrant family who risked everything to find a new life in an unknown country. In this programme for the interview series One to One, he talks to Juno Roche who also took the same leap of faith into a new world when she transitioned two years ago. Juno says that in choosing to change sex the risk is all encompassing, 'You have no idea what awaits you on the other side. Will you be able to walk down the street without being labelled a freak? Will you have any friends or family who will accept you?' Producer: Lucy Lunt.

Christina Lamb is an author and foreign correspondent for the Sunday Times and in this series of One to One she explores family legacies. In the final of her three programmes, she explores what it's like to grow up the son or daughter of someone regarded as one of the most evil people on earth. And what happens if you are not aware of that legacy - how do you come to terms with it ? Few people are seen as more of a byword for barbarity than Idi Amin, the Ugandan despot whose regime killed as many as 400,000 people when he was President from 1971 to 1979. Christina Lamb talks to Lady Khadija Idi Amin dada, born in Saudi Arabia where her father was living in exile until he died. She tells Christina about her childhood and not being aware of her father's brutal legacy. Producer: Perminder Khatkar.

Christina Lamb is an author and foreign correspondent for the Sunday Times and in this series of One to One she explores the issues around family legacies. Christina looks at what can happen when you build a legacy only to find it overshadowed by your child's fame. Ziauddin is father of the schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai, whose name became known around the world after she was shot dead by the Taleban in October 2012. Malala was standing up for her rights to an education. While extremely proud of his daughter's bravery and her campaigning, he tells Christina where her passion stems from and that for him it's important to return to his home village and continue with his own work. Other programmes from Christina's series can be found on the BBC iPlayer Producer : Perminder Khatkar.

Christina Lamb is an author and foreign correspondent for the Sunday Times. Her career kicked off when she met Pakistan's then opposition leader Benazir Bhutto. Christina was fascinated by the fact that she had no choice but to take over her father's party when she was just 24 years old after he was arrested and then executed. In this series of One to One, Christina explores the idea of family legacy. Almost everyone is familiar with the Mr Men, the pocket-size books that have caught the imagination of children over the past 40 years. In the first of three programmes, Christina talks to Adam Hargreaves, whose father was Roger Hargreaves, the creator of the Mr Men and Little Miss series. What was it like growing up with his father's fame and fortune? And she finds out how he made the decision to continue his father's legacy. Producer: Perminder Khatkar.

Zubeida Malik is a journalist who works mostly as a reporter for the Today programme. For two weeks she's taken over the One to One microphone to explore the nature of Britain's changing communities. Today's interview is with Raja Tahir Masood, a chronicler of Peterborough's Pakistani community. Originally from Pakistan, Masood has lived in Peterborough for forty years. In that time he's worked closely with the Pakistani community and has seen it grow and change. He's also seen new immigrants arrive in Peterborough, from southern and eastern Europe. Producer: Karen Gregor.

Zubeida Malik is a journalist who works mostly as a reporter for the Today programme. For the next two weeks she's taking over the One to One microphone to explore the nature of Britain's changing communities. In this first programme she meets Sister Christine Frost, a Roman Catholic nun who has lived and worked in east London for over forty years. Based at the St Matthias Community Centre on the Will Crooks Estate in Tower Hamlets, Sister Christine has seen huge changes in the four decades she's worked there: an estate that was mostly white British and black Caribbean is now predominantly Bengali. Zubeida asks how this 77 year old nun from Ireland has adapted, and what challenges these changes have brought to her life and work. Producer: Karen Gregor.

John Harris, of the Guardian, talks to Penny Andrews, a university researcher, who, after a difficult childhood and adolescence was finally diagnosed as autistic in her early thirties. John is known for having two consuming passions music, and politics - and luckily he's developed a career that revolves around both. But around five years ago, he acquired a third area of expertise and curiosity: autism. His son James was born in 2006 and, when he was 3, it was discovered he was autistic. For John and his partner, the next two or three years passed in a blur of educational therapy, tussles with officialdom, James's successful entry to a mainstream school, and reading: lots and lots of it. In his first edition of One to One, John talked to Simon Baron-Cohen, Professor of Developmental Psychopathology at Cambridge University and Director of the University's Autism Research Centre. Today he talks to Penny about how the condition has affected her life and how she has learnt to live with it, holding down an intellectually challenging job and married life. They discuss how schools and employers can help those on the autistic spectrum make the most of the gifts and talents they have and understand better the more challenging aspects of the condition. Producer: Lucy Lunt.

John Harris of The Guardian talks to autism specialist, Professor Simon Baron-Cohen. John is known for having two consuming passions: music and politics - and luckily he's developed a career that revolves round both. But five years ago, he acquired a third area of expertise and curiosity: autism. His son James was born in 2006 and, when he was 3, it was discovered he was autistic. For John and his partner, the next two or three years passed in a blur of educational therapy, tussles with officialdom, James's successful entry to a mainstream school, and reading: lots and lots of it. In these two editions of One to One, John talks to people who can give him greater insight into the condition and to discover how we can all become more accepting of it and those who are affected by it. In this first programme, John talks to Simon Baron-Cohen, a professor at Cambridge University in psychology and psychiatry, and also the director of the University's Autism Research Centre. Over more than thirty years, his work has made a huge contribution to an increasingly nuanced, sophisticated understanding of autism, and helped a lot of people, including John. Producer: Lucy Lunt.

Charlotte Smith looks at the support offered by self help groups to those suffering from emotional trauma. When Sarah O'Donoghue's eighteen year old son died while out celebrating his A level results, she felt she needed to turn to the professionals for help; doctors, bereavement counsellors, therapists. It was only after many months that she finally turned to The Compassionate Friends; one of the several charities that offers support and help to bereaved families after the death of a child. Here she found solace by talking to and being with others who had been through the same experience themselves. Sarah now runs a group for bereaved families in her area. Charlotte and Sarah discuss the positives and negatives of being part of such a group; the support that is given to people who so badly need it, whether there is a danger members could become too dependent, and at what point people might make the sometimes painful decision to leave a group. Producer: Lucy Lunt.

Charlotte Smith was diagnosed with a rare form of chronic lung disease, lymphangioleiomyomatosis (now known as LAM) three years ago. She immediately went onto the internet and linked up with other sufferers on a dedicated website. Gill Hollis was diagnosed in 1992 before there was a self-help group. Charlotte and Gill discuss the positives and negatives of self help groups for those with chronic illnesses. Does it help or hinder acceptance or simply build up false hope and increase dependency? Producer Lucy Lunt.

Broadcaster Adrian Goldberg, who is married to a British Asian woman, explores the topic of mixed marriage for One to One. Today, in the third and final of his interviews, he meets Mandy. Mandy is of Sikh/Hindu heritage and had to deal with the rejection by most of her family when she refused to contemplate the idea of an arranged marriage. She went on to meet and marry an Afro-Caribbean man; something which has brought her happiness, although it hasn't been the smoothest of journeys. Producer: Karen Gregor.

In the second of three editions of One to One, broadcaster Adrian Goldberg - who is married to a British Asian woman - explores the topic of mixed marriage. Today Adrian meets Rosalind Birtwistle, a Christian woman who married a Jewish man in the 1970s. Producer: Karen Gregor.

In two (repeated) interviews for One to One, broadcaster Adrian Goldberg - who is married to a British Asian woman - explores the topic of mixed marriage. The dry facts, from the Office of National Statistics, state that "Nearly 1 in 10 people living in as a couple were in an inter-ethnic relationship in 2011".* Now Adrian brings this statistic to life as he meets two people who married outside their own faith or cultural background, across different decades. In this first programme he meets Tara Bariana. Tara arrived in England from India in the 1960s and was, in his words, an illiterate 13 year old who couldn't speak English. He was expected to marry a Punjabi girl, but went against his family's wishes when he met and fell in love with Beryl, the daughter of a Baptist minister. Adrian hears Tara's story, and finds out what happened next. *figures from the 2011 census. Producer: Karen Gregor.

Broadcaster Nihal owns a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, but doesn't want to be stereotyped by his dog. In this second of two programmes for the interview series One to One, he talks to Paul who is a first time owner of a Staffie. For Paul, his dog 'Bee Bee' has been a revelation and came into his life at just the right time. Producer : Perminder Khatkar.

Broadcaster and DJ Nihal owns a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, a breed that is often perceived as a 'dangerous dog', though they are legal. In the first of his two part series for One to One, Nihal meets Jordan who does have two dogs that are banned under the '1991 Dangerous Dogs Act'. Jordan's mixed pit-bull types were taken away from him by the police as they were deemed to be 'dangerous'. He tells Nihal why he fought to keep them and how he now wants to change people's attitude towards all bull breeds. Producer: Perminder Khatkar.

Political journalist Isabel Oakeshott seriously considered surrogacy in India after having four miscarriages, when trying to have a second child. Although her fifth attempt at having a baby naturally worked, she's always wondered about the route she very nearly took. In this series for One to One, Isabel talks to two mothers who went down the surrogacy road, one in the UK and now in the second of two programmes, to Rekha, who went to India in 2012 to try to have a baby there through surrogacy. Producer: Sara Conkey.

Political journalist and commentator Isabel Oakeshott almost went down the route of surrogacy in India, after having four miscarriages when trying for her second child. In the end, she did have a baby naturally, but has always wondered about the route she almost took. In the first of two interviews for One to One, she talks to Natalie, who had twins through a surrogate in the UK, and she explores how surrogacy works here. Producer: Sara Conkey.

In the second of two interviews about diaries, the broadcaster Victoria Derbyshire, who has kept a diary since she was a child, talks to the writer, Fraser Harrison. He once published the record he kept of a year in the life of his young children but now believes that such accounts are best kept private. Victoria talks to him about whether he regrets publishing and finds out what his diaries are for. Producer: Isobel Eaton.

The broadcaster Victoria Derbyshire has kept a diary since she was a child. She talks to Alastair Campbell about the habit of diary writing, and why he keeps a diary. She finds out why he started writing them, and whether, now he is so well known for them, the decision to publish affected the people close to him. Alastair Campbell talks frankly about the two occasions when his diary was read by others in circumstances beyond his control - one when he had a nervous breakdown and a police psychiatrist used his diary entries to help him see the part drink played in his problems; and the other when Lord Hutton asked to see his diaries as part of the inquiry into the death of David Kelly. Producer: Isobel Eaton.

Radio 4's Today presenter Sarah Montague, in the second of two interviews with people who have a family member in prison. This week she talks to a mum whose job it was to help deal with troubled families, often taking them into prison. But, then she discovered that her own son was in such trouble, that she would now be visiting him inside. Producer: Perminder Khatkar.

In the first of two interviews for One to One, Sarah Montague, presenter of the Today programme on Radio 4, gets an insight into the life of those coping on the outside while a family member is in prison. Cassie's life changed forever when her sister was charged with manslaughter and subsequently imprisoned. Producer: Perminder Khatkar.

Tim Dowling fell into journalism by mistake; he is not an ambitious man, never was, never will be, but he's fascinated by what it means to be desperately driven to succeed. He talks to those who have ambition searing through their veins. Today he meets Saira Khan, business woman and runner-up in the tv show The Apprentice, who claims to have been ambitious since she was a small child. Growing up in Long Eaton, Derbyshire, the oldest of four children of Pakistani immigrants, she set her heart on doing better than her parents, having financial security and learning the confidence to do whatever she wanted. Starting out as a town planner, she found her natural place in the sales team of a biscuit manufacturer. Since her appearance on 'The Apprentice', she went on to run her own business, and is now also a TV presenter and motivational speaker. Saira's also a mother. She talks candidly about wishing not to be a pushy parent and about her need to curb her ambitious streak where her children are concerned. Saira and Tim discuss the merits and drawbacks of ambition: does it lead to happiness and fulfilment or a never-ending nagging discontent and anxiety? Producer: Lucy Lunt.

Tim Dowling fell into journalism by mistake; he is not an ambitious man, never was, never will be, but he's fascinated by what it means to be desperately driven to succeed. In his two editions of One to One, he talks to those who have ambition searing through their veins. Today he meets fellow journalist and author, David Thomas. Once the UK's Young Journalist of the Year and the youngest-ever editor of Punch, David believes his Eton/Cambridge education made him feel obliged to succeed. Both now in their fifties, they discuss the merits and drawbacks of ambition: does it lead to happiness and fulfilment or a never-ending nagging discontent and anxiety? Producer: Lucy Lunt.

Reeta Chakrabarti, the BBC's UK affairs' correspondent, speaks to people who have found a voice outside the mainstream media, through the medium of blogging. Today Reeta meets Iram Ramzan, whose blog reflects her life, as what she calls a 'progressive Muslim woman'. She started blogging as a journalism student because it was expected of her, but some of her opinions have begun to attract a wider audience: she's been interviewed by the Sun and quoted by mainstream journalists. However Iram has also been the subject of twitter-abuse. Reeta asks her if she's taking a risk by blogging so openly - anonymity was something she never considered. Producer: Karen Gregor.

Reeta Chakrabarti, the BBC's UK affairs' correspondent, speaks to people who have found a voice outside the mainstream media, through the medium of blogging. In this programme Reeta meets Andrew Old, whose blog 'Scenes from the Battleground' charts his thoughts and experiences of working in education. He's a teacher who says he is 'utterly dissatisfied with how the education system is run'. He has attracted a large following, has been quoted by Michael Gove, and until recently maintained his online anonymity. Producer: Karen Gregor.

In the second of two programmes about the art of writing, Rachel Johnson confesses to struggling with her latest book which is 'supposed to be funny'. In this programme, she meets novelist and playwright Michael Frayn to find out how he organises his writing day, how he gets an audience laughing, and his thoughts on the art of writing farce. Producer: Sara Conkey.

Rachel Johnson is struggling with writing her latest novel and talks to writer A.L. Kennedy. They compare distraction techniques, discuss setting rules on how many words you write before checking the Internet, and the benefits of having a special chair to do your writing. They also talk about how to make time to write, when the writing itself doesn't earn your living. Producer: Sara Conkey.

More from the series where broadcasters follow their personal passions by talking to the people whose stories interest them most. BBC newsreader Jane Hill's father and uncle both lived with Parkinson's disease, and in this series she talks to people from families with an inherited genetic disorder. In the second of two programmes she talks to John Jennings, who has a high chance of inheriting a rare form of early onset Alzheimer's disease. They discuss the emotional impact of having this disease in the family and his decision whether or not to get tested for the gene. Producer: Sally Heaven.

BBC presenter Jane Hill's father and uncle both lived with Parkinson's disease and, in the first of two programmes about people from families with inherited genetic disorders, she meets Caroline Harding. Caroline talks about her decision whether or not to have her second and third children tested after her first child was born with the rare condition HED (hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia). Producer: Sally Heaven.

Next month, Afghanistan goes to the polls and its president, Hamid Karzai steps down. The BBC's Kabul correspondent, David Loyn, talks to his cousin, political analyst Hekmat Karzai. Western-educated and urbane, Hekmat Karzai nonetheless has to operate in a system where what your grandfather did can be more important than your own achievements, and where blood feuds can cut short a political career - both his father and his nephew were assassinated. What chance does Afghanistan have of moving towards a stable democracy? Producer: Jolyon Jenkins.

As western forces prepare to withdraw from Afghanistan, and the country faces elections, the BBC's Kabul correspondent David Loyn talks to Soraya Pakzat, a woman's rights campaigner. She tells him of how she has rescued young girls sold in marriage, of the extraordinary Afghan crime of "running away", and of her fears for the future of women in the country. Producer: Jolyon Jenkins.

Emma Barnett is 29 and the Women's Editor of the Daily Telegraph. She regards herself as a feminist, she demands equality in the workplace and in all aspects of her secular life. But she has a secret: as an orthodox Jew, when attending synagogue, she is happy to sit separately from the men, not to take part in the service and is finding it hard to embrace the concept of women rabbis. In this second of two programmes for One to One, she discusses her prejudice with Rabbi Sylvia Rothschild who, when faced with the comment 'I don't really believe in a female Rabbi', retorts, 'Well I'm not Tinkerbell'. Can Emma resolve the conflict between her public and her private life; the contradiction between her feminist self and her religious self? Producer: Lucy Lunt.

Emma Barnett is 29 and Women's Editor of the Daily Telegraph. She regards herself as a feminist, she demands equality in the workplace and in all aspects of her secular life. But she has a secret: as an orthodox Jew, when attending synagogue, she is happy to sit separately from the men, not to take part in the service and finds it hard to embrace the concept of women rabbis. For the next two weeks in One to One, Emma tries to get to resolve this contradiction by talking to women who also wrestle with this dilemma; when the values you hold in secular life are not the same as those in your religious life, those you hold in your public life may not be the same as those in your private life. Emma says; 'This is an uncomfortable position, I want to rid my brain of these views, which don't make sense to me in my daily life. I would like unpack this double standard and get rid of this illogical hypocrisy.' This week she talks to a highly successful barrister, feminist and orthodox jew who explains how she relieves the tensions raised by her contradictory life. Producer: Lucy Lunt.

Andrea Catherwood decided to give up her career as a foreign correspondent after she had her first child as leaving him for weeks or months at a time to report from the frontline was something she felt she wasn't able to do. Instead she moved into presenting the news. Last month Nigel Farage said controversially that if women in the City were prepared to sacrifice family life they could do just as well as men. But there are now a number of senior City women who do combine their careers with motherhood. Charlotte Crosswell is Chief Executive Officer of the trading derivatives platform of NASDAQ in London and a mother of one, so how does she make it work ? This programme was first broadcast in 2014 and Charlotte Crosswell is now the current CEO of Innovative Finance. The producer is Perminder Khatkar.

Andrea Catherwood chose to give up her role as a foreign correspondent once she had children. She switched to the position of news anchor; trading Baghdad for the safety of the studio felt to her like a sensible move. Last month Nigel Farage made some comments about women in the City being worth less once they'd had children – reigniting a debate about working mothers. But is the City particularly unforgiving? For this series of 'One to One', we talk to senior women in the City about how they combine motherhood with their high flying careers. Brenda Trenowden is a managing director at ANZ bank in London's financial hub Canary Wharf. How does she manage a full time, high pressured job that takes up evenings as well? Producer: Perminder Khatkar

Anita Anand knew she was meant to be a journalist from the moment she covered her first news story. An instinct she followed proved to be correct, and convinced her that she should pursue journalism. In this series of interviews for 'One to One', Anita discovers what drives people towards certain careers. Was there an epiphany, something they discovered in their very core, or a series of events that motivated them? This week's guest is Mathew Waddington, a partner in a Midlands and South-West based legal firm. He entered law relatively late having worked in the travel industry, after studying history. He was a trainee solicitor, unsure where to specialise, when his daughter, who was born with a rare chromosomal abnormality, died. It suddenly became clear to him that he should work in children's law. He became a Children's Panel solicitor representing abused children in care cases, as well as parents and grandparents in other Children Act cases. Producer: Karen Gregor.

Anita Anand knew she was meant to be a journalist from the moment she covered her first news story. An instinct she followed proved to be correct, and convinced her that she should pursue journalism. In this series of interviews for 'One to One', Anita discovers what drives people to pursue certain careers. Was there an epiphany, something in their very core, or a series of events that motivated them? This week's guest is world-renowned facial surgeon, Professor Iain Hutchison. In the very early part of his career he spent a year working in casualty. He treated many young men with facial injuries sustained in car accidents. He realised that - simply by stitching them up under local anaesthetic - he could make not just a medical, but an emotional difference to their lives. It was this that led him onto his career in facial surgery, and to the establishment of a charity that researches the prevention and treatment of facial diseases and injuries. Next week Anita speaks to Mathew Waddington, a partner in a law firm who chose to specialise in children's law following the death of his daughter. Producer: Karen Gregor.

Anita Anand knew she was meant to be a journalist from the moment she covered her first news story. An instinct she followed proved to be correct, and convinced her that she should pursue journalism. In this series of interviews for 'One to One', Anita discovers what drives people to pursue certain careers. Was there an epiphany, something they discovered in their very core, or a series of events that motivated them? Anita's first guest is Juliet Lyon. She's the director of the Prison Reform Trust, a charity 'working to create a just, humane and effective penal system.' In her early 20s she fostered children, and went on to work in a school at the adolescent-unit of a psychiatric hospital. One patient was due to enter a young offenders' institution, so she went to see what it was like. Shocked by what she found, she knew she wanted to try and improve conditions within prisons. Anita also interviews world-renowned maxillo-facial surgeon, Professor Iain Hutchison and lawyer Mathew Waddington, who specialised in Children's Law following the death of his daughter. Producer: Karen Gregor.

More from the series where broadcasters follow their personal passions by talking to the people whose stories interest them most. Since his daughter was born five years ago, BBC Science correspondent Pallab Ghosh has been fascinated by the way father-daughter relationships work. In the second of a two part series, he talks to Julie White, CEO of a diamond drilling company, about her relationship with her father, who sold the company to her in 2008. Producer: Sally Heaven.

In this series of One to One, where broadcasters pursue topics that interest them beyond their day to day job, BBC science correspondent Pallab Ghosh finds out more about the way fathers and daughters interact - a subject that's fascinated him since the birth of his daughter 5 years ago. In the first programme of two, he talks to lone parent Bob Greig about his experiences of fatherhood, especially when it was something that was thrust upon him by the breakdown of his marriage when his daughters were young. Producer: Sally Heaven.

As a Radio 4 presenter, covering a range of stories everyday, Carolyn Quinn interviews people while the story is live but rarely gets the chance to find out what happened next. For these editions of One to One, Carolyn wanted to find out what happens to individuals who've found themselves in the media spotlight and have had to live with intense, unsolicited scrutiny. How do they cope once the media caravan has moved on and they have to try to get on with their lives This week, Carolyn speaks to Claire Derry, the mother of Samuel Woodhead, the British teenager who went missing in the Australian outback in February 2013. Samuel Woodhead was working on a cattle station in rural Queensland - just a few days into his gap year in Australia - when he decided to go for a run. He failed to return and was reported missing. A land and air search eventually found him three days later: three stone lighter, severely dehydrated and apparently 'hours from death'. In this interview Claire Derry describes what it was like to cope with what had happened to her son, at the same time as dealing with intense media interest which - at one stage - turned against her son, accusing him of deliberately getting lost. And has she been able to return to "life as normal" after the experience? Producer: Karen Gregor.

As a Radio 4 presenter, covering a range of stories everyday, Carolyn Quinn interviews people while the story is live but rarely gets the chance to find out what happened next. For these editions of One to One, Carolyn wanted to find out what happens to individuals who've found themselves in the media spotlight and have had to live with intense, unsolicited scrutiny. How do they cope once the media caravan has moved on and they have to try to get on with their lives?. In this, her second interview, Carolyn hears from the woman who hit the headlines during the general election campaign of 2010 when Gordon Brown infamously called her a "bigoted woman". That remark, and the subsequent apology from the then Prime Minister, made Gillian Duffy a household name. Three years on, Carolyn Quinn talks to Gillian Duffy to find out how she dealt with persistent doorstepping newshounds, how she regards the experience now and whether her relationship with the Labour party survived the experience. Producer: Karen Gregor.

As a Radio 4 presenter, covering a range of stories everyday, Carolyn Quinn interviews people while the story is live but rarely gets the chance to find out what happened next. For these editions of One to One, Carolyn wanted to find out what happens to individuals who've found themselves in the media spotlight and have had to live with intense, unsolicited scrutiny. How do they cope once the media caravan has moved on and they have to try to get on with their lives? In this first interview, she speaks to Stephanie Slater, who survived a violent kidnapping in 1992. Michael Sams, later also convicted of murdering Julie Dart, held Stephanie for eight days. Following her release, she and her family were besieged by the media who camped in the field opposite her parents' house for 18 months. In this interview Carolyn finds out what impact the experience and subsequent media attention had on Stephanie as she attempted to come to terms with her ordeal, and rebuild her life. Producer: Karen Gregor.

Frank Gardner was shot several times by terrorists in Saudi Arabia in 2004, and suffered damage to his spinal nerve. He lost the use of his legs and is in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. It was a catastrophic change to his life but having a supportive partner and being able to go back to work and continue with his career as a journalist for the BBC has been a key factor in his own recovery. In his third and final interview for the series 'One to One ', Frank meets Deborah Impiazzi who lost her sight and with it her job and her husband and explores how she is coping with this life changing trauma. Producer: Perminder Khatkar.

After a life changing injury or incident one of the things that makes a huge difference on how you then move on with the rest of your life is what you can still do and can't do. The BBC's Security Correspondent Frank Gardner regards himself lucky that he was able to carry on doing journalism after being shot 9 years ago in Saudi Arabia by terrorists. Some of those bullets hit the core of his body and damaged his spinal nerve - he can no longer use his legs and is in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. However, being able to return to work and continue with his profession has been one of the biggest factors in his own recovery. In this second programme for the series 'One to One', Frank meets Tim Rushby-Smith who fell from a tree and had to face the fact he would no longer be able to carry on with his profession and livelihood. Producer : Perminder Khatkar.

In 2004 , the BBC's Security Correspondent Frank Gardner was shot several times by terrorists while reporting in Saudi Arabia, some of those bullets hit the core of his body and damaged his spinal nerve which means that he can no longer use his legs and is in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. This was for him a catastrophic life changing injury. But while he was in hospital he received an email from someone who too had been shot in the back and said- 'I've got some advice and tips on how to cope'. In this first of three programmes for the series 'One to One' Frank Gardner explores how one copes with a life changing injury and begins by talking to Dr Stuart Butchart who gave Frank hope. Presenter : Frank Gardner Producer : Perminder Khatkar.

Owen Bennett-Jones has spent most of his BBC career reporting on armed conflict around the world. On March 2003 he was in Kuwait as the US forces began their invasion of Iraq. While talking to the American writer PJ O'Rourke, Owen said how frightened the soldiers heading into Iraq must be, but O'Rourke replied: "Well, they are off to do the most exciting thing ever known to man: going to war". It was a striking remark. Was he glorifying war? Or just telling a truth? Since humans first started to communicate, they have been telling - and listening to - war stories. And, alongside the empathy and fellow feeling for victims, the accounts of bravery, suffering and cheating death are compelling and perhaps vicariously thrilling. Jake Wood knows the real story of war. As a member of the Territorial Army, Jake completed 3 tours of Iraq and Afghanistan over a five-year period. In the second of two programmes for 'One To One' about the reality of war, Owen asks him about his final tour in Southern Afghanistan and about one day in particular: the 11 August 2007. Jake was at Forward Operating Base Inkerman - a camp with mud walls in the Sangin Valley - when the Taliban attacked. Presenter: Owen Bennett-Jones. Producer : Perminder Khatkar.

Owen Bennett-Jones has spent most of his BBC career reporting on armed conflict around the world. On March 2003 he was in Kuwait as the US forces began their invasion of Iraq. While talking to the American writer PJ O'Rourke, Owen said how frightened the soldiers heading into Iraq must be, but O'Rourke replied: "Well, they are off to do the most exciting thing ever known to man: going to war". It was a striking remark. Was he glorifying war? Or just telling a truth? Since humans first started to communicate, they have been telling - and listening to - war stories. And, alongside the empathy and fellow feeling for victims, the accounts of bravery, suffering and cheating death are compelling and perhaps vicariously thrilling. Mick Flynn has many war stories. He is the most decorated serving soldier in the British army. He has served in Northern Ireland, the Falklands, Iraq and Bosnia and has had three tours of Afghanistan. In the first of a two part series of 'One to One', Owen hears from Mick about one particular day of fighting in Iraq. Presenter: Owen Bennett-Jones. Producer : Perminder Khatkar.

BBC News presenter, Clive Myrie, presents the last of three interviews on immigration as seen from an immigrant's point of view. As the son of Jamaican immigrants who came to the UK in the 1960s, Clive has a personal interest in this topic. Clive lived abroad as a foreign correspondent for almost 15 years, returning once or twice a year to see his family. After 2004 he noticed how much the UK was changing: the EU had expanded, Polish people were settling here in large numbers and the transformation came as a shock. In the first programme he spoke to Alp Mehmet, Vice-Chair of Migration Watch. Then he met Sylvia Emenike who came to the UK from Jamaica in the 1950s and explored her experience of seeing other immigrant communities settling in the UK. In this, his third and final interview, he speaks to Mike Nowak, a Pole who lived for many years in Britain, but who has now returned home to Warsaw. Mike came to England long before the 2004 enlargement of the European Union, so witnessed the increase in Polish immigration for himself. Suddenly he was able to speak in his mother-tongue all day, every day, and witnessed Polish shops and businesses starting up around him. Recently he made the decision to return to Warsaw. Clive asks what changes Mike has seen back in Poland since he first left, and finds out where Polish opinion stands on further EU immigration.

BBC News presenter, Clive Myrie, presents the second of his three interviews on immigration as seen from an immigrant's point of view. As the son of Jamaican immigrants who came to the UK in the 1960s, Clive has a personal interest in this topic. Clive lived abroad as a foreign correspondent for almost 15 years, returning once or twice a year to see his family. After 2004 he noticed how much the UK was changing: the EU had expanded, Polish people were settling here in large numbers and the transformation came as a shock. In the first programme he spoke to Alp Mehmet, Vice-Chair of Migration Watch. This week he meets Sylvia Emenike. Sylvia came to the UK from Jamaica in the 1950s. Clive will explore with Sylvia what her experience has been of living in the UK, but also of the changes she has seen since she moved here and her feelings about the waves of immigration that she's seen from other parts of the world.

BBC News presenter, Clive Myrie, takes over the reins of 'One to One' for a three-part series on immigration. As the son of Jamaican immigrants who came to the UK in the 1960s, Clive has a very personal take on this topic. He lived abroad as a foreign correspondent for almost 15 years, returning once or twice a year to see his family. After 2004 he noticed how much the UK was changing. The EU had expanded, Polish people were settling here in large numbers, and the transformation came as a shock to him. In these interviews, Clive explores an immigrant's view of immigration. In the first programme, he speaks to Alp Mehmet, Vice-Chair of Migration Watch. Mehmet came to the UK at the age of 8, he went on to become an immigration officer and Ambassador to Iceland. As someone who was born abroad and has lived and worked in many different countries, what are his views on immigration and have they changed during his time with an organisation which has itself attracted plenty of controversy on the subject.

In the third of her interviews on the concept of renunciation, Ritula Shah talks to Dr Michael Irwin about the idea of renouncing life in old age or when faced with a terminal illness. Dr Irwin is a retired GP who campaigns for voluntary euthanasia and has accompanied people to the Swiss clinic Dignitas when they have chosen to end their lives. He talks to Ritula about his belief that people should have a choice as to when and how to die and about his thoughts on the end of his own life. Producer: Maggie Ayre.

Ritula Shah was brought up as a Jain, which has renunciation as one of its central tenets. Ritula has always been fascinated by this idea and in this series she wants to explore what it means to give up something that still has value to those around you. Why do it? Where does it leave your relationships with those people whose choices you will have contradicted or undermined by your own? What happens when you waver (as surely you must)? In this second episode in a series of three programmes, she talks to Mark Boyle who lived without money for almost three years. What did he think it could achieve? Producer: Maggie Ayre.

Ritula Shah was brought up as a Jain, which has renunciation as one of its central tenets. Ritula has always been fascinated by this idea and in this series she wants to explore what it means to give up something that still has value to those around you. Why do it? Where does it leave your relationships with those people whose choices you will have contradicted or undermined by your own? What happens when you waver (as surely you must)? In this first programme she explores the theory with ex-Jain monk, Satish Kumar. He explains his own personal journey to renunciation of both the material and the spiritual while still a young man and why he ultimately rejected it as a way of improving the world. Producer: Maggie Ayre.

John McCarthy talks to those who by accident or design, feel they live outside mainstream British society. Today he talks to Rafi, who fled to this country from Afghanistan in 2011, after working as an interpreter for the allied forces. Rafi explains how he took on the role in the hope of improving relations in his country but in fact it left him isolated from his home community and the people he worked for. Threats from the Taliban caused him to flee his homeland and to seek asylum here. After eighteen months of isolation in this country, he has now gained refugee status and can look for work but he explains the loneliness he feels living on the outside and away from his home, his friends and family. Producer: Lucy Lunt.

John McCarthy talks to a young woman who was made to feel an outsider within her own community, for becoming the victim of her husband's physical and psychological abuse. John says of the series: I hope to talk to people who are living on the 'outside' of mainstream UK society. On the street they would look like anyone else but in fact they are somehow apart. I have experienced being an 'outsider' myself; on my return from captivity in Lebanon, when I'd look like any other Londoner, but would feel utterly self-conscious and confused by the world around me. I've had similar feelings following the deaths of close family members. One experience was very rare, the other universal. I want to explore the idea of being an outsider; having conversations with others who will have walked those same private/public paths either through choice or because of circumstances beyond their control. What is it like being on the 'outside'? How do you cope with loneliness and feelings of being excluded? What are the attractions of removing yourself from society? What are the practicalities of such a life, the numbness of living in a fog for so long? How do you keep strong and maintain your hopes of coming in from the cold; of not giving in and renouncing your solitary way? Producer: Lucy Lunt.

John McCarthy takes over the One to One chair to talk to people who feel themselves to be outside the mainstream; today he talks to hermit, Rachel Denton. Talking about the series, John says, "I hope to talk to people who are living on the 'outside' of mainstream UK society. On the street they would look like anyone else but in fact they are somehow apart. I have experienced being an 'outsider' myself; on my return from captivity in Lebanon, when I'd look like any other Londoner, but would feel utterly self-conscious and confused by the world around me. I've had similar feelings following the deaths of close family members. One experience was very rare, the other universal. I want to explore the idea of being an outsider; having conversations with others who will have walked those same private/public paths either through choice or because of circumstances beyond their control." So what is it like being on the 'outside'? How do you cope with loneliness and feelings of being excluded? What are the attractions of removing yourself from society? What are the practicalities of such a life? How do you keep strong and maintain your hopes of coming in from the cold; or of not giving in and renouncing your solitary way? Producer: Lucy Lunt.

Martin Wainwright concludes his series of interviews, with those who persist and persevere with their views no matter what, by talking to creationist, Malcolm Bowden.

Martin Wainwright continues his exploration into what makes people become persistent campaigners. Last week he talked to peace activist, Lindis Percy, who consciously chose her cause but in this weeks programme he talks to Paul Lambert, who took up the fight for safety on bulk carriers when his youngest brother was lost at sea when MV Derbyshire sank off Japan in 1980. Not a man used to writing letters or locking horns with MPs or shipping magnates, Paul campaigned tirelessly at great cost to his own health and happiness, to discover the truth about the Derbyshire. Producer: Lucy Lunt.

In this series, where journalists follow their personal passions by talking to the people whose stories interest them most, Martin Wainwright interviews persistent campaigners. Having been brought up in a household that was always at action stations as part of his father's long campaign to become a Liberal MP, perseverance has always fascinated Martin. What instils it? What nurtures it? Can it become an obsession at the cost of everything else , including family? In this first programme he talks to Lindis Percy, now approaching seventy, she's been a political campaigner for some forty years, for the last thirty of them on the issue of American airbases in the UK. Lindis has been arrested five hundred times and served fifteen prison terms but she continues to campaign undeterred. Under the banner of the Campaign for the Accountability of American Airbases she still demonstrated every Tuesday outside the base at Menwith Hill in North Yorkshire. Martin joins her there to discover what still inspires her to lobby and litigate when so many of her fellow peace campaigners have fallen by the way side. As a mother of three and a lifelong worker in the National Health Service, how has she managed to juggle her campaigning with family and professional life? Producer: Lucy Lunt.

For these two programmes of the One to One interview series, Olivia O'Leary talks to people, who have reached the peak of their profession, about growing older. This week she meets one of the greatest ever jump-jockeys, Mick Fitzgerald. He was forced to retire in 2008 after a very serious fall in the Grand National. Producer: Karen Gregor.

For 'One to One' Olivia O'Leary is interviewing three people at the peak of their profession about growing older. This week she meets the Booker Prize winning author, John Banville, who also writes crime fiction under the pseudonym Benjamin Black. Producer: Karen Gregor.

In a new series of One to One, Olivia O'Leary speaks to people who've reached the peak of their careers about how growing older affects their approach to work. In this first programme, Olivia speaks to one of her heroes - the great Russian-Icelandic pianist, Vladimir Ashkenazy. He left the Soviet union in the sixties, and has played a vast repertoire of the greatest piano music on stages all over the world. Ashkenazy is now conductor laureate with the Philharmonia Orchestra in London and Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor to the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. At 75 he is still jetting around the world to engagements so we were lucky to catch up with him in a hotel at Heathrow as he was leaving after a brief visit to the UK. In a candid discussion, Ashkenazy discussed the arthrosis (not arthritis as has been reported) in his hands which occasionally means his fingers cannot fit between the black keys; he talks about not wanting to become the kind of 'older' conductor, with failing physical capacity, that orchestras respond to purely out of respect. He also talks more widely - about his decision to leave Russia in the 1960s; about the pianists he holds in great respect and about his decision to concentrate on conducting rather than live performance. Producer: Karen Gregor.

In this One to One we explore how our experience at school can leave kids afraid to take risks as they fear failure. Kate Silverton desperately wanted to be a journalist from the age of 12. In her teens she travelled extensively - hitch-hiking across Israel and visiting the Palestinian territories in an attempt to better understand the conflict there, she stayed in a Bedouin in the desert and at nineteen went to Zimbabwe for four months armed with just a dictaphone to capture the stories of the people she met along the way. Despite her natural curiosity about the world and her desire to report stories of people living in conflict she didn't follow her heart because she feared she might fail. As the first in her family to go to university much depended on her and her career choice and she opted to enter the City as a Corporate Financier - a demanding job but one that diverted from her doing the one thing she wanted to do - because she feared she might not be good enough. It took the death of her best friend to convince her to change her mind. In this second and final series on 'failure' businesswoman Kate Hardcastle examines how her experience at school impacted on her life choices. The producer is Perminder Khatkar.

Kate Silverton wanted desperately to be a journalist from the age of 12. In her teens she travelled extensively - hitch-hiking across Israel and visiting the Palestinian territories in an attempt to better understand the conflict there, she stayed in a Bedouin in the desert and at nineteen went to Zimbabwe for four months armed with just a dictaphone to capture the stories of the people she met along the way. Despite her natural curiosity about the world and her desire to report stories of people living in conflict she didn't follow her heart because she feared she might fail. As the first in her family to go to university much depended on her and her career choice and she opted to enter the City as a Corporate Financier - a demanding job but one that diverted from her doing the one thing she wanted to do - because she feared she might not be good enough. It took the death of her best friend to convince her to change her mind. In the first of this two-part series for One to One, Kate talks to composer Raymond Yiu, who, despite his love for music at an early age, his strict parental upbringing stopped him from pursuing this as a career as he thought he wasn't good enough. The producer is Perminder Khatkar.

Sarfraz Manzoor meets author, Elizabeth Wurtzel, to discuss her book 'Prozac Nation'. In 'One to One' the journalist and broadcaster, Sarfraz Manzoor, has been exploring the risks and rewards of taking a personal story and making it public. This is something he's done in his book 'Greetings from Bury Park' and within his journalism where he's written - amongst other topics - about his mixed-marriage and the experience of being a new father. He's intrigued by both the process and the ramifications of revealing private thoughts and experiences: How do people react to you? Do they see it as a betrayal? Do you risk hurting friends and family? Is it worth the risk if you achieve something that truly resonates with your audience? In this, the last of his three interviews, Sarfraz Manzoor speaks to the author of 'Prozac Nation', Elizabeth Wurtzel. Published in the mid-1990s, it was considered the first in the 'misery memoir' genre and was a huge success. But how does Wurtzel feel about what she wrote now, almost 20 years on? Producer: Karen Gregor.

Journalist and broadcaster Sarfraz Manzoor explores the risks and rewards of taking a personal story and making it public. This is something he's done in his book ' Greetings from Bury Park' and within his journalism where he's written - amongst other topics - about his mixed-marriage and the experience of being a new father. He's intrigued by both the process and the ramifications of revealing private thoughts and experiences: How do people react to you? Do they see it as a betrayal? Do you risk hurting friends and family? Is it worth the risk if you achieve something that truly resonates with your audience? As he prepares to adapt his memoir into a screenplay, Sarfraz Manzoor speaks to others who have mined their own lives for creative purposes. This week he meets the best known of all the confessional columnists, Liz Jones, from The Mail on Sunday's 'You' Magazine. Producer: Karen Gregor.

Journalist and broadcaster Sarfraz Manzoor explores the risks and rewards of taking a personal story and making it public. This is something he's done in his book ' Greetings from Bury Park' and within his journalism where he's written - amongst other topics - about his mixed-marriage and the experience of being a new father. He's intrigued by both the process and the ramifications of revealing private thoughts and experiences: How do people react to you? Do they see it as a betrayal? Do you risk hurting friends and family? Is it worth the risk if you achieve something that truly resonates with your audience? As he prepares to adapt his memoir into a screenplay Sarfraz Manzoor speaks to others who have mined their own lives for creative purposes..This week he is in conversation with children's author, Judith Kerr, whose famous children's book 'When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit' was based on her own experience of escaping the Nazis in the 1930s. Producer: Karen Gregor.

Paddy O'Connell has taken over the One to One interviewer's microphone to explore a subject that reflects his own experience: the effect of great emotional upheaval on family life. Paddy lost his father when he was 11, and in last week's programme he met Sir Al Aynsley-Green whose career was shaped by the early loss of his own father. This week's programme takes a slightly different tack as Paddy meets Lisa Cherry, whose childhood was spent in the Care System. Born in a home for unmarried mothers, her childhood was spent moving from foster home to care home and a spell of homelessness. Eventually Lisa managed to get control of her spiralling life - giving up drinking and getting an education was the making of her. producer: Karen Gregor.

Paddy O'Connell explores a subject that reflects his own experience: the effect of great emotional upheaval on family life. When Paddy was 11 his father died, and in this week's programme -- in order to explore what impact this can have -- he meets Professor Sir Al Aynsley-Green who, at the age of 10, lost his own father. Almost immediately he decided that, when he grew up, he would become a doctor so that other children "didn't have to lose their mummies and daddies". This passion for helping children has continued throughout his career: Sir Al was the first Children's Commissioner for England (2005-2010), having also been involved in the political arena of Children's Services since 2000. He was appointed Chair of the NHS Taskforce for Children and then the first National Clinical Director for Children in government. He believes strongly that the topic of childhood bereavement should be spoken about more openly. Producer: Karen Gregor.

Paddy O'Connell explores a subject that reflects his own experience: the effect of great emotional upheaval on family life. When Paddy was 11 his father died which, of course, meant that his mother was widowed. In the first of two programmes, Paddy meets Chantal who was widowed in 1995 and left to bring up three children alone. They discuss the initial reactions; the process of gradually moving on with your life; when - if ever - is it the right time to remove your wedding rings; and - if you do meet someone new - what role does the memory of your first partner play in your new relationship. Producer: Karen Gregor.

Razia Iqbal explores what it means to be a Muslim in modern Europe. Sonia is a young Frenchwoman working for a private investment bank in Paris. Two years ago she decided to wear the hijab to work, an action that has been deeply frowned upon by her employers. She talks to Razia about the importance the headscarf has for her and why she's determined to fight against the discrimination she feels it engenders. Producer: Anne Marie Bullock.

Razia Iqbal explores what it means to be a Muslim in modern Europe. Here she talks to the German writer and journalist, Hilal Sezgin, at her small farm just outside Hamburg.

Razia Iqbal takes the One to One chair for the next three weeks to try to discover what it means to be a Muslim in Europe in the 21st century. She talks to three people, in three countries, about their identity as Muslims where they live against a context of prejudice and misunderstandings about their faith. This week she talks to Hanif Qadir who decided to reject fighting in Afghanistan on the side of the Taliban and chose to help young people in the UK who were in danger of becoming radicalised. In Walthamstow, East London, he set up the Active Change Foundation to encourage young people to a positive future. He explains to Razia about what motivated him to become involved with the Taliban and why he ultimately chose to turn his back on them. Razia says, 'There are fifteen million Muslims in Europe. The continent looks completely different now compared to how it looked two decades ago. I want to talk to people for whom navigating that change is almost a daily challenge' Producer Lucy Lunt.

Mary Ann Sieghart concludes her series of interviews with people who've taken another life. Here she talks to Charles Hanson who was convicted for the murder of his third wife, Julie, seventeen years ago. Now in his sixties, Charles has spent over half his life in prison for a string of violence related crimes; violence being the only way he knew, to resolve conflict. When Julie ran off with his son from his first marriage,Charles decided the only course of action left open to him, was to resort to murder. He explains to Mary Ann why he came to this conclusion, why even the threat of the death penalty would not have deterred him, how it took him eight years to feel remorse and how the event still haunts him. Producer: Lucy Lunt.

Killing another person is humanity's greatest taboo. Mary Ann Sieghart continues her series of conversations with those who've been responsible for taking another life. Andrew knocked down and killed a young mother in a road traffic accident in 1989. He was given eighteen months despite the victim's family asking for a non custodial sentence. These events have always haunted him and they've shaped the rest of his life. He now works with young male drivers teaching them about speed awareness and safe driving. Producer: Lucy Lunt.

One to One allows journalists the chance to pursue their own passions by talking to the people who interest them most. Mary Ann Sieghart takes over the chair for the next three weeks talking to those who've killed another person. She says; "Killing another person is humanity's greatest taboo. Most of us, thankfully, will go through life without having taken someone else's. And it's precisely because I'll never know at first hand what it's like (I hope) that I'm so curious to get inside the mind of a killer. Whether it's someone who is sanctioned to kill, like a soldier; someone who kills accidentally, like a dangerous driver; or someone who does it on purpose, like a murderer, I want to know the answers to all sorts of fascinating questions. What goes through their mind at the time? How did it happen? How do they feel afterwards? And are they haunted by the event for the rest of their life?" In this first programme she talks to Chantelle Taylor, an army medic who shot a Taliban fighter when caught in an ambush in Afghanistan. Producer: Lucy Lunt.

As a resident of Hackney, Fi Glover has been fascinated by the way her home patch is being turned into one of the world's most important internet start up centres. Old Street Roundabout has been renamed Silicon Roundabout. In this series of One to One she talks to the men and women responsible for this boom. She wants to know more about this generation of tech gurus, as part of our economic future lies in their hands and in their dreams. In this final programme in her series she talks to Tom Allason, chief executive of Shutl, a courier business that's grown 50% month on month since it started two years ago. Tom explains that it's his past failures that have led to his present success. Fi begs an invite to his exit event. Producer: Lucy Lunt.

As a resident of Hackney, Fi Glover has been fascinated by the way her home patch is being turned into one of the world's most important internet start up centres. Old Street Roundabout has been renamed Silicon Roundabout. In this series of One to One Fi talks to the men and women responsible for this boom . She wants to know more about this generation of tech gurus, who they are and what inspires them. Part of our economic future lies in their hands and the products and services they're developing now, we may well be using daily in less than a decade. Makie Lab, founded by Alice Taylor, is a smart toy company. With 3D printing Alice believes that we'll soon be able to customise our own toys, making dolls in our own image or from our own imagination. Producer: Lucy Lunt.

In the new series of One to One, in which some of our most respected broadcasters follow their personal passions by talking to the people whose stories interest them most, Fi Glover meets some of the men and women who've founded new tech companies that are putting Silicon Roundabout in East London on the map. Living locally, Fi's been fascinated by the way this area of Hackney has rapidly become the third most important technical start up centre in the world.- after Silicon Valley and New York. As a magnet to some of the most enterprising and innovative internet companies, Old Street Roundabout has been renamed Silicon Roundabout. This generation of entrepreneurs are bringing back some old British business values: they're inventive, risk taking and barrier breaking. In the first programme she meets a veteran of Silicon Valley, Dan Crow . Now the chief technology officer at Songkick, he's had the expected triumphs and disasters in internet start-ups but feels this quiet revolution, that's happening now in Hackney, may have a real impact in changing the economic fortunes of Britain. He explains to Fi why this should make us cheerful: a survey from the Boston Consulting Group recently put the UK as the leader of the G20 nations in our internet economy - so we are top at something after all . Producer: Lucy Lunt.

Journalist Samira Ahmed explores some missing angles for One to One. Samira has spent 20 years reporting breaking news at home and abroad from Britain to Los Angeles to Berlin. Born to Hindu and Muslim parents and educated at a Catholic school, Samira married into a Northern Irish family. As a result, she's aware of the way news coverage can make sweeping assumptions about stories and tries to seek out the missing angles behind the headlines. Programme 3: The golden age of cinema, from a gay perspective. Samira meets celebrated actor, Murray Melvin, best known for his role in A Taste of Honey. Producer: Karen Gregor.

The journalist and broadcaster Samira Ahmed explores some missing angles for One to One: Samira has spent 20 years reporting breaking news at home and abroad from Britain to Los Angeles to Berlin. Born to Hindu and Muslim parents and educated at a Catholic school, Samira married into a Northern Irish family. As a result, she's aware of the way news coverage can make sweeping assumptions about stories and tries to seek out the missing angles behind the headlines. Programme 2: From Poland to the Arab Spring Samira meets Konstanty Gebert one of Poland's best-known and most respected journalists. During Poland's Communist dictatorship, he operated underground; laboriously hand-printing documents which were secretly distributed; avoiding the police who would constantly follow his movements. In One to One he recalls those years, and describes what it was like when he and his colleagues were eventually able to join a free press. He makes comparisons with journalists in Arab spring countries, and discusses what they could possibly glean from his experiences. Producer: Karen Gregor.

The journalist and broadcaster Samira Ahmed is taking over the One to One interviewer's microphone for the next three weeks. Samira has spent 20 years reporting breaking news at home and abroad from Britain to Los Angeles to Berlin. Born to Hindu and Muslim parents and educated at a Catholic school, Samira married into a Northern Irish family. As a result, she's aware of the way news coverage can make sweeping assumptions about stories and tries to seek out the missing angles behind the headlines. With that in mind, her first guest, Lucy Mathen, tells a tale of charitable endeavour, with a surprising twist. Lucy Mathen joined John Craven's Newsround in 1976, becoming the BBC's first female British Asian to present a major TV programme. Several years later, after interviewing a local doctor in Afghanistan, she decided she could achieve a great deal more in a warzone by working as a doctor, not as a journalist. So she retrained as an ophthalmologist, and in 2000 launched the charity Second Sight which runs eye hospitals in northern India helping to cure cataracts for thousands of people. But the story we're telling in One to One is about football.... Producer: Karen Gregor.

For personal reasons, the journalist and broadcaster Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, has chosen to explore the impact of divorce on families for 'One to One'. Yasmin divorced over twenty years ago, and - although happily re-married - often contemplates the fall-out of divorce, and the resulting emotional ripples which inevitably reach further than the separating couple. In these programmes she's hearing the stories of a grandparent, a parent and a young person who have all lived through a family break-up So far Yasmin has spoken to a grandmother who hasn't seen her granddaughter for four years, and to the author, Louis de Bernieres, who is patron of Families Need Fathers. This week she speaks to 18 year old Megan, who describes the experience of living through her parents' divorce. The charity Young Minds put us in touch with Megan. Their website is www.youngminds.org.uk and Megan is part of the Young Minds VIK (Very Important Kids) project. Young Minds has a Parents' Helpline which is for any adult who is concerned about the mental health or wellbeing of any child or young adult. It's free to call and the number is 0808 802 5544 (Monday to Friday 9.30am-4pm) Producer: Karen Gregor.

For personal reasons, the journalist and broadcaster Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, has chosen to explore the impact of family breakdown for 'One to One'. Yasmin divorced over twenty years ago, and - although happily re-married - often contemplates the fall-out of divorce, and the resulting emotional ripples which inevitably reach further than the separating couple. In these programmes she's hearing the stories of a grandparent, a parent and a young person who have all lived through a family break-up. Last week Yasmin spoke to a grandmother who hasn't seen her granddaughter for four years, and this week she speaks to the author Louis de Bernieres. He talks from the position he holds as patron of the charity Families Need Fathers, but also from the very personal point of view of a father of two children, who has now separated from their mother. Producer: Karen Gregor.

For the next three weeks, the 'One to One' interviewer's microphone belongs to journalist and broadcaster Yasmin Alibhai-Brown who - for personal reasons - has chosen to explore the impact of divorce on families. Yasmin divorced over twenty years ago, and - although happily re-married - often contemplates the fall-out of divorce, and the resulting emotional ripples which inevitably reach further than the separating couple. In these programmes she's hearing the stories of a grandparent, a parent and a young person who have all lived through a family break-up In this, the first programme, she speaks to Jane, a grandparent who hasn't seen her 11 year old granddaughter for four years. When her son divorced he maintained a relationship with his ex-wife which allowed contact with his daughter - Jane's granddaughter. But eventually that contact was withdrawn, resulting in what Jane describes as a living bereavement. Jane has now set up a support group for grandparents who find themselves in the same situation www.bristolgranddparentssupportgroup.co.uk) and runs a blog (www.bristolgrandparentssupport.blogspot.com) .

Bridget Kendall has never liked to pigeon hole people and in her series of One to One she talks to those who are known in one particular field but have a second string to their bow, an expertise in a very different field. As a special treat, for today's programme Bridget's out in the Yorkshire Dales near Middlesmoor to meet Prof Dianna Bowles, an eminent plant biochemist who's spent much of her career investigating how biology can benefit society. She's also an enthusiastic owner of an expanding flock of Herdwick sheep and when Foot and Mouth struck in 2001, her two passions came together as she fought, with other breeders, to protect the future of the breed. While science, in some ways connects the two interests, it is above all the joy Dianna finds in both activities that unites them. Producer: Lucy Lunt.

Bridget Kendall talks to those who are well known in one field but are experts in another. She talks to the prolific author Alexander McCall Smith, best known for The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency who's also an Emeritus Professor of Medical Law . They discuss how his academic interest in the legal and philosophical aspects of responsibility feed into his work as a novelist. Producer: Lucy Lunt.

Bridget Kendall takes over the One to One chair and talks to those who are well known in one field but have another compelling area of expertise. Before becoming the BBC's diplomatic correspondent, like her first interviewee, Bridget too was a Russian scholar. She talks to Archbishop Rowan Williams about his fascination with Dostoyevsky and why he finds the author's work so helpful in his own. Producer: Lucy Lunt.

Lucy Kellaway of the Financial Times concludes her exploration into the complexities of having considerable personal wealth by talking Sir Peter Moores. Son of John Moores, founder of the Littlewoods company, Sir Peter is now eighty and starting to wind up his foundation that has given an estimated ninety three million pounds to charity. He talks to Lucy about how he's used the money he inherited and earned, the things he's still stingy about and why he trusts no one to run his foundation after he has gone. Producer: Lucy Lunt.

Lucy Kellaway of The Financial Times, explores the complexities of having considerable personal wealth by talking to the super rich. Twenty five year ago Jeremy Middleton set out to make money. He wasn't sure how he was going to do it but he wanted the freedom and autonomy he felt it would bring. When Homeserve, the company he'd co-founded, was floated on the stock market, he achieved his goal and made the Rich list. So did it bring him the freedom he wanted? Lucy talks to him about the trappings of wealth and what they mean, the problems of lending money to friends and if he still gets a buzz from business. Producer: Lucy Lunt.

Lucy Kellaway of The Financial Times, explores the complexities of having considerable personal wealth by talking to the super rich. For Ann (she wishes to remain anonymous) the day her company was floated on the stock market and became a multi millionaire, she was paralysed by fear. 'I had always believed that rich people were not nice people. I was terrified my money would taint and destroy my relationships with friends and loved ones'. A decade on, she has come to terms with her position, becoming a member of The Network for Social Change, ' for people who want to do more than sign a cheque' and having worked out how she wants to spend her money and who she wants to give it to. She talks honestly to Lucy about how she maintains boundaries on her spending and whether she now feels it's possible to be rich and nice. http://thenetworkforsocialchange.org.uk/ Producer Lucy Lunt.

Evan Davis continues his exploration into deception by talking to those who've had cause to be economical with the truth. Today he talks to convicted fraudster Elliot Castro. Elliot was a teenage credit-card thief who found the buzz he got from lying about his identity was truly addictive.Yet when he was finally caught six years later, it was a relief. He talks to Evan about why he started lying and how it overtook his life, bringing material comfort and excitement but also social isolation. He says his career in fraud lasted so long because he often managed to lie to himself as well as others. Producer: Lucy Lunt.

Evan Davis continues his exploration into deception by talking to those who've had cause to be economical with the truth. Everyday we're bombarded with messages from people who are trying to sell us things , objects to buy, political messages or even just themselves. But how far should they go in putting a positive gloss on things, manipulating the truth to persuade us that mutton is lamb, sub-prime is prime or recession is recovery? In this programme Evan talks to a top advertiser who'll share his thoughts on some tricks of the trade but also the limits to those tricks, how to deceive and when not to. Producer Lucy Lunt.

Evan Davis continues his exploration into deception by talking to those who've had cause to be economical with the truth. We think of truth and falsehood as simple binary concepts. Statements surely have to be one or the other. Well not quite. In these interviews Evan meets people who've found themselves on the fuzzy boundary between truth and falsehood. This week he meets Penny Gadd who lead life as a married man but who became more and more aware that she needed to change sex. She'd concealed her feelings for years and as in so many deceptions she'd concealed them from herself too. Producer: Lucy Lunt.

Evan Davis explores the issue of deception by talking to those who have had cause to be economical with the truth . From doctors, guilty of well intentioned obfuscation, to ex-fraudsters skilled at outright lies, over the next four weeks, as Evan takes over the One to One chair, he discusses the complicated truth about lying with those, for whom the truth is rarely plain and never simple. In the first programme he talks to Rob George, Consultant in Palliative Care who explains why complete honesty is not always in the best interest of the patient and his need to second guess what information the terminally ill need and when.

Lyse Doucet is in Kabul to talk to Rangina Hamidi who runs a successful company which gives women economic independence. However she's now 'given up' on Afghanistan following the murder of her father who - at the time of his death - was the Mayor of Kandahar. In 1981, at the age of three, Rangina Hamidi's family escaped their native Afghanistan during the Soviet occupation. They spent seven years in Pakistan before moving to the United States and settling in Virginia. But in 2003 (following the fall of the Taliban) Rangina returned to Afghanistan and set up Kandahar Treasure; a private company run by women, it makes and sells traditionally embroidered fabric. However, Rangina is now packing up and leaving, returning to the United States. The reason is the recent murder of her father, Ghulam Haider Hamidi, who was killed in a suicide bomb attack in July. His death has left her feeling 'negative' and 'pessimistic' , and although her decision to leave makes her feel as if she has failed, she says she needs the space to heal. One day she may return, and hopes it will be to a more peaceful country. Join Lyse Doucet as she speaks to Rangina Hamidi for this week's One to One. Producer: Karen Gregor.

For this week's edition of 'One to One' Lyse Doucet has travelled to Kabul to speak to Nader Nadery, a human rights campaigner who, despite living under direct threat from the Taliban, continues to work for the future of his country. He's in his thirties, which means that in his lifetime his country has never been at peace. When he was eight his primary school was destroyed by the Mujahideen and, in his twenties, he was arrested and tortured by the Taliban. Highly educated and able to live abroad should he want to, he's chosen to remain in Kabul and now works for a human rights organisation. His inspiration is Ghandi - his telephone screensaver bears his image - yet he must travel in an armoured car for his own protection. Producer: Karen Gregor.

Lyse Doucet presents the second in Radio 4's new interview series where respected broadcasters follow their passions by speaking to the people whose stories interest them most. Lyse has a long-standing connection to the country and people of Afghanistan, having reported from there for over 20 years. This month marks the 10th anniversary of the American led invasion, a good time to reflect on recent history and consider the future. This week she's talking to a media mogul who's changed the face of popular culture in a country where, until recently, TV was banned: Saad Mohseni has become known as Afghanistan's answer to Rupert Murdoch. Until recently he would have accepted that as a huge compliment, perhaps no longer. But, either way, Mohseni is a big player. Running his media empire out of offices in Dubai and Kabul, he's revolutionised TV and Radio broadcasting in Afghanistan by introducing local versions of international hits like Afghan Star (a singing competition in the X-Factor mould) and controversial radio programmes where male and female broadcasters are in studio together. His father was an Afghan diplomat who moved his family around the world - London, Tokyo, Kabul, with a long period in Australia. where, eventually, Saad became an investment banker. But shortly after the fall of the Taliban, Saad Mohseni returned to Afghanistan and, long fascinated with the media, established a hugely successful media empire. Join Lyse as she speaks to Saad Mohseni for One to One. Producer: Karen Gregor.

One to One is a new series of interviews on Radio 4 in which well respected broadcasters follow their personal passions by talking to the people whose stories interest them most. The first set of interviews will be presented by Lyse Doucet. Lyse Doucet has a long-standing connection to the country and people of Afghanistan; she's reported from there for over 20 years. Over the next four weeks Lyse will be in conversation with Afghans - young and old, living at home and abroad - to hear their remarkable stories. This month marks the 10th anniversary of the American-led invasion of Afghanistan, a good time to reflect on recent history and consider the future. Masood Khalili is Afghanistan's Ambassador to Spain, but he's also a poet who says his life is "10% about politics and 90% about culture". On the 9th of September 2001, he was the only survivor of an Al Qaeda suicide bomb attack which killed his friend and legendary military leader, Ahmad Shah Masood. An attack which is regarded as a pre-cursor to 9/11. Khalili's injuries were so severe that he was lucky to live and can no longer endure the dry, dusty conditions of his homeland. Lyse Doucet went to see him in Madrid where he described the bomb blast and the impact it has had on him. He also talked about his occasional visits to, and memories of, his beloved garden near Kabul. That garden is a metaphor for the way he regards his country - "I see a flower there and it's blossoming and I say my country will be ok. my country will be like that flower". Producer: Karen Gregor.