Once Upon A Time

Radio 4, 11.30am

Mel Harris talks to writers and storytellers, including the new Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho (right), about the role that children’s books play in helping kids to understand and deal with difficult concepts such as death and grief.

In The Forum (BBC World Service, 10am and 12 midnight) Rajan Datar looks at the interpretation of dreams over the centuries, finding out how it has changed history and shaped societies. He also asks what’s really going on in our brains when we sleep.

Free Thinking (Radio 3, 10pm) finds Matthew Sweet exploring the search for eternal youth in art and literature.