logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2022
48m 56s

Weekend Woman's Hour: Putting your life ...

Bbc Radio 4
About this episode

We explore why so many of us want to put our lives on the page. Can writing stand in for therapy? What are the ethical and moral considerations of such sharing. Julia Samuel is a psychotherapist and the author of Grief Works.

Dr Lin Berwick MBE has cerebral palsy quadriplegia and became totally blind at the age of 15. She also has partial hearing loss and is a permanent wheelchair user. Now in her seventies, she has been a fierce advocate and ambassador for people with disabilities and their carers, and has written a new book On A Count of Three all about what it's like having a carer - and what she thinks carers should know.

Military mums rally in protest at the decision to award former Prime Minister Tony Blair a knighthood. Hazel Hunt, whose son Richard died in Afghanistan, is considering sending back the Elizabeth Cross that her family had received as a mark of protest.

Many of us will be thinking about making a change for the better now that we're in a new year. Poorna Bell, author and journalist, gives us some inspiration and talks about getting stronger, both emotionally and physically. Poorna took it literally and started weight lifting after illness and bereavement.

'Collector culture' - the swapping, collating and posting of nude images of women without their consent - is on the rise. To understand why Anita is joined by Professor of Law at Durham University, Clare McGlynn and Zara Ward, senior practitioner at the Revenge Porn Helpline.

Southall Black Sisters was founded in 1979 to address the needs of Asian, African-Caribbean and minority women and to empower them to escape violence. Pragna Patel was one of the founders of Southall Black Sisters and Wednesday was her last day as Director. We talk to Pragna about her 30 years in activism.

Up next
May 2025
Teaching 'grit', Amnesty International UK, Brain Aneurysm play, New Age of Sexism
How do we teach children to have grit? That's what the Government is suggesting needs to be a new focus in schools, to bolster children's mental health. To discuss how parents can help their children develop resilience, Anita Rani is joined by Sue Atkins, parenting coach and auth ... Show More
57m 14s
May 2025
Kate Nash, Sarah Brown, Cardiac surgeon Dr Indu Deglurkar
Rising to fame at the age of 20, Kate Nash soon became a staple of the British music scene in the late 2000s. Her first album, Made of Bricks, reached number one in the UK and stayed in the UK charts for more than forty consecutive weeks and she’s won a Brit Award. But she’s spok ... Show More
56m 34s
Today
25/08/2026
Women's voices and women's lives - topical conversations to inform, challenge and inspire. 
57m 10s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2022
Samantha Renke
<p>Constantly being subjected to micro-aggressions can feel like death by a thousand paper cuts; Samantha Renke is an actor, broadcaster, writer, and disability rights campaigner who has the confidence to call out ableism.</p><br><p>In this chat, Fearne and Samantha explore where ... Show More
52m 52s
Dec 2020
How creative writing can help you through life's hardest moments | Sakinah Hofler
Have you ever seen or experienced something and wished you spoke up? Writer Sakinah Hofler makes the case for writing as a tool to help you process difficult memories and reclaim the power they may hold over you. Pick up a pen or pull up a keyboard and follow along as she walks y ... Show More
15m 9s
Mar 2021
June Sarpong
<p>Does feeling different to others – or perceiving others as different to you – make you uncomfortable, or do you celebrate uniqueness? June Sarpong reckons we all need to own our differences. In fact, she’s now using her own experience of working in TV to make the industry a ki ... Show More
47m 12s
Mar 2024
A Guide For the Traumatized
<p>This week, the girls/women are joined by writer Larissa Phillips, and the three discuss her recent essay in which she recounts her violent rape in the early 90s. Larissa shares her thoughts on the helpfulness of “trauma” discourse on recovery, the #metoo era, and the tension b ... Show More
1h 25m
Jul 2021
Ghostwriters for hire
<p>Some people live the most amazing lives but aren't always the best at putting those experiences into words. Kim Chakanetsa talks to two ghostwriters about collaborative writing - what do they enjoy about telling someone else's story?</p><p>Michelle Burford is a celebrity memoi ... Show More
26m 27s
Aug 2025
Grief Begins With Love With Julia Samuel
Psychotherapist and bestselling author Julia Samuel invites us into a profound exploration of the twin forces of love and loss. With warmth and wisdom, she examines how grief reshapes us, how love anchors us, and how the interplay between the two defines the human experience. In ... Show More
36m 44s
Mar 2022
The Embodied Life
<p>Woman Power series - week 3! Dr. Anita and her daughter, Olivia sat down with @blackliturgies creator & NYT bestselling author Cole Arthur Riley to discuss the power of storytelling, the difference between spirituality & religion, how worldview influences faith & mental health ... Show More
1h 6m