Great Lives Folgen

Whilst at school, a young Alan Johnson was given some money by a teacher and told to go and buy four copies of any book for the school library.He headed down the Kings Road in Chelsea, stopping only for a sly cigarette along the way. Having already read 'Animal Farm', he picked 'Keep the Aspidistra Flying' and yearned for the life of lead character Gordon Comstock.Former Home Secretary Alan Johnson tells Matthew Parris, why Orwell was crucial to his education and political development. But he's surprised to learn that Orwell is not on the National Curriculum, and insists that Orwell would have hated ID cards. With Jean Seaton, Professor of Media History at the University of Westminster and Chair of the Orwell Prize.Producers: Beatrice Fenton and Toby Field.First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2012.

"If only we'd stop trying to be happy we could have a pretty good time." Edith Wharton is as well known for her wit as for her novels. Born in 1862, she was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize, for The Age of Innocence in 1921. She is nominated by Naomi Wolf, the provocative American commentator and author of The Beauty Myth. Presenter Matthew Parris is also joined in the studio by Janet Beer and Avril Horner.The producer is Jolyon Jenkins.From 2012.

Film director Stephen Frears discusses the life of his mentor, Czech-born director, Karel Reisz, with the help of critic and Reisz's friend, John Lahr. Frears is one of Britain's most successful directors, responsible for "My Beautiful Laundrette", "Dangerous Liaisons", and "Dirty Pretty Things", among many others. Reisz is probably best known for "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning", and "The French Lieutenant's Woman". "Karel took me into his life and into his family and he took on the business of turning me into whatever it is I've become," Frears has said. "Without him, I wouldn't have become a film director". Matthew Parris chairs the discussion.