<p>Maya Angelou was born Marguerite Johnson in 1928. She was a mother, writer, dancer, director, performer, friend of presidents, and author of seven volumes of memoir. The very first - I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - returned to the top of the best-seller lists when she died in 2014. So why were people fascinated by her life? Nominating her is Bristol Uni ... Show More
Oct 12
Tony Juniper on EO Wilson
Edward Osborne Wilson was a pioneer across several fields of biology, from entomology to biodiversity. He is best known for his expertise on ants, his work developing the field of Sociobiology and for his 'Half-Earth' goal. Born in Alabama in 1929, a fishing accident at the age o ... Show More
27m 41s
Oct 5
Russell Kane on Iris Murdoch
Iris Murdoch was born in Ireland in 1919, grew up in London and was educated in Bristol and Oxford. She's famous both as a novelist and a philosopher, and she won the Booker Prize in 1978 for The Sea, The Sea. Her nominator is Russell Kane, who is full of admiration for her work. ... Show More
27m 31s
Sep 28
Ruby Tandoh on Brian Jacques author of the Redwall series
Brian Jacques was a docker, sailor, boxer, trucker, milkman, poet and a folk singer too. Then he wrote his Redwall series of children's fantasy novels and became an overnight forty year success. His books were immensely successful, particularly in the United States where Presiden ... Show More
27m 41s
Jan 2018
Dr. Maya Angelou, Part 1: 9 Words That Changed Her Life
In the first of a special two-part podcast, Oprah has a conversation with her beloved mentor, the late poet, author, icon and activist Dr. Maya Angelou. She's also the woman Oprah called her mother, sister and friend for more than 30 years. Oprah says, "She was there for me alway ... Show More
29m 4s
Sep 2025
Super Soul Special: Dr. Maya Angelou, Part 1: 9 Words That Changed Her Life
This episode originally aired January 22, 2018. In the first of a special two-part podcast, Oprah has a conversation with her beloved mentor, the late poet, author, icon and activist Dr. Maya Angelou. She's also the woman Oprah called her mother, sister and friend for more than 3 ... Show More
29m 4s