Last Word
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Radio 4's weekly obituary programme, telling the life stories of those who have died recently
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Founder of the ‘MOBOs’ and champion of black music – Kanya King
For thirty years, Kanya King was a champion of Black music. She was the founder and guiding light of the Music of Black Origin Awards, the ‘MOBOs’. Launched in 1996, the awards became a highly…
Larry King: The man behind Billie Jean King’s feminist tennis revolution
Larry King teamed up with his wife Billie Jean King to start the women’s professional tennis circuit in the USA.Baroness Ramsay was MI6 Head of Station in Helsinki during the Cold War and then became…
Clarence B Jones, Judith Chalmers, Dr Anna Ritchie, Professor Frank Land
Matthew Bannister onClarence B Jones the American lawyer and civil rights campaigner who helped Martin Luther King to write his famous I Have A Dream speech.Judith Chalmers, the TV and radio…
Michael Pennington, Cynthia Shange, Scott Hastings, Beverley Martyn
Kirsty Lang on Michael Pennington, the Shakespearean actor who preferred a life on stage to the glamour of Hollywood. For Dame Judi Dench, he was her 'Mr Plum', she recalls his life.Cynthia Shange…
Ruth Slenczynska, Dame Bridget Ogilvie, Tony Worthington, Russell Tyner KC
The virtuoso pianist, Ruth Slenczynska was the last living student of Sergei Rachmaninoff. She began performing at the age of four, and was once reputed to be the greatest child prodigy since…
Dr Ittai Gradel, Dame Shirley Porter, Professor Nigel Dunnett, María Nieves Rego
Dr Ittai Gradel, the Danish antiquities dealer who uncovered the theft of hundreds of artefacts from the British Museum. Katie Razzall recalls how he helped her report the story.Dame Shirley Porter,…
Xia De-hong, Lord Hunt of Chesterton, Joan Burstein, Bill Leader
Xia De-hong, inspired her daughter Jung Chang to write the best selling book Wild Swans about her trials and tribulations at the hands of the Chinese government.Lord Hunt, the meteorologist and…
Andy Kershaw, Dame Averil Cameron, Dr Judith Rapoport, Desmond Morris
Matthew Bannister on Andy Kershaw, the radio DJ who championed world music, traversing the globe to bring new and eclectic sounds to a mainstream audience. For a time he was roadie to Billy Bragg…
Asha Bhosle, Sir Neil Cossons, Professor Harold Ellis, Daphne Selfe
Matthew Bannister onThe Indian singer Asha Bhosle who soundtracked countless Bollywood films and collaborated with Boy George, Michael Stipe and Damon Albarn.Sir Neil Cossons, a leading light in the…
Sir Craig Reedie, Bronwen Naish, Geoff Yeadon, Margareta Magnusson
Matthew Bannister onSir Craig Reedie, the sports administrator who led London’s successful bid for the 2012 Olympics and went on to become President of the World Anti-Doping Agency. Lord Coe pays…
Robert Fox, Mary Rand MBE, Sir Tony Hoare, Biruté Galdikas
John Wilson onRobert Fox the producer who had a career that spanned theatre, film and television. We have tributes from Colin Firth, Rupert Everett and Robert’s brother, the actor Edward Fox.Mary…
Dame Jenni Murray, Len Deighton, Lynda Hale, Jurgen Habermas
Matthew Bannister onThe Woman’s Hour presenter Dame Jenni Murray. Mark Steel joins us to recall her triumphant debut as a stand-up comedian. Len Deighton who created “anti-James Bond” novels…
Yanar Mohammed, MP Phil Woolas, Professor Robin Weiss, Jane Lapotaire
Matthew Bannister onYanar Mohammed who campaigned for women’s rights in Iraq and set up a secret network of shelters for those fleeing abusive relationships. She was shot dead on 2nd March.Phil…
Paul Conroy, Kenith Trodd, Astrid Llewellyn, Jo Purvis
Matthew Bannister onPaul Conroy, the photojournalist who worked extensively in war zones in the Middle East and the Balkans. He was with the Sunday Times reporter Marie Colvin when she was killed in…
Neil Sedaka, Drusilla Beyfus, Professor Dame Carole Jordan, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
Matthew Bannister onNeil Sedaka the prolific songwriter who had Sixties hits with Oh Carol and Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen and made a Seventies comeback with Solitaire and Love Will Keep Us…
Martyn Butler, Allan Massie, Professor Nicola Fear, Willie Colón
Matthew Bannister onMartyn Butler who was a central figure in the UK’s early response to HIV and AIDS. He was a co-founder of the Terrence Higgins Trust and gave his own home phone number as a…
Reverend Jesse Jackson, Diane Munday, Philippe Gaulier, Lady Jean Wilson
Kirsty Lang onReverend Jesse Jackson the leading American civil rights campaigner.Diane Munday who fought to make abortion legal and co-founded the British Pregnancy Advisory Service.Philippe Gaulier…
Meredith Hooper, David Young, Dorothy Solomon, Derek Kelly
Matthew Bannister on:Meredith Hooper, the prolific author who wrote several books about Antarctica. We have a tribute from her son, the Oscar winning film director Tom Hooper.David Young, the…
Sir Nicholas White, Lord Wallace, Professor Deborah Cameron, Sly Dunbar
Matthew Bannister onSir Nicholas White, whose research on tropical diseases saved millions of lives.Lord Wallace, the Liberal Democrat who served in the Scottish and Westminster parliaments and was…
Sir Mark Tully, Dame Gillian Wagner, Dr Gladys West, Richard Larn OBE
Matthew Bannister on Sir Mark Tully who reported on India for the BBC for decades, covering some of the most significant events in the country’s recent history. Dame Gillian Wagner who campaigned to…
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Last Word has published 571 episodes since June 2015, covering topics in Documentary, Personal Journals.
Last Word is currently highly active with new episodes weekly. Average episode length is 27m.
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