The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Review
Charlotte Runcie On My Wavelength
Ronald Reagan and Pope John
Paul II both survived assassination attempts and later met for an hour-long discussion which has remained secret ever since. In The Alliance (Saturday, Radio 4, 8pm), Jane Little reports on what this meeting could have included: simply a private exchange of their highly unusual and traumatic personal experiences, or the forging of a political alliance that began a period of work together?
Joining Lauren Laverne this week to be cast away for Desert Island Discs (Sunday, Radio 4, 11am) is Major Tim Peake, the first British ESA astronaut and former crew member of the International Space Station. What would life on a desert island be like compared to space? His first meal in space was, famously, a bacon sandwich and a cup of tea, so he’s used to making himself at home in extreme conditions.
Jayde Adams, comedian and cabaret singer, is a former employee of the fish counter at Asda. In Jayde Adams: From ASDA to Diva (Sunday, Radio 4, 7.15pm), she weaves together wit and song to tell the story of her life, belt out some seriously catchy tunes, and share her opinions on class, body positivity and the importance of bringing out the diva in all of us.
One of the most gripping radio series last year was Leah Sottile’s study of the growth of America’s far right in the run up to the 2020 US presidential election. With the attack at the Capitol Building on January 6, her work has felt increasingly important. In Battle for the Capitol (Monday, Radio 4, 11am), she gives a reactive report on the US’s fired-up far right, who have been fuelled by conspiracy theories and frustration.
How much of the work of the most celebrated authors is down to their editor? Max: The Literary Kingmaker (Tuesday, Radio 4, 11.30am) explores the legacy of Maxwell Perkins, the seminal editor of literary fiction in Twenties USA. He worked with F Scott Fitzgerald, Thomas Wolfe and Ernest Hemingway, and championed talent that may otherwise have gone unrecognised. The programme is presented by editor Lennie Goodings, Chair of Virago.
Haydn Gwynne reads Richard Osman’s bestselling debut novel, The Thursday Murder Club (Monday to Friday, Radio 4, 12.06pm), a cosy crime thriller about a group of amateur detectives living in a quiet luxury retirement village in Kent. Four wily residents get together to discuss unsolved murders, but when a killing takes place in their community, they become embroiled in their first live case.
In Unplayable: Disability and the Gaming Revolution (Thursday, Radio 4, 11.30am), blind gamer Steve Saylor explores the long road to making video games more accessible for disabled players. Saylor discusses what gaming has meant to disabled people and the obstacles that have stood in the way.
And all this week on The Essay: Odes to Essex (Monday to Friday, Radio 3, 10.45pm), the subject is the glorious county of Essex, much-maligned, but with a rich history. John Betjeman attributed to Essex “a stronger contrast of beauty and ugliness than any other southern English county”. Five other writers each explore what Essex means to them this week, including AL Kennedy looking at the intrigues of Essex waterways; Billy Bragg on the borderland between Essex and London; and, on Friday, Gillian Darley championing the treasures of the Essex Way.