Arts & Ideas Folgen

Zhang Weiwei, one of China's foremost public intellectuals, talks to Rana Mitter about why China should not become a democracy. And as rising tensions between China and Japan continue to dominate headlines in East Asia, we hear from two young journalists, Mariko Oi and Haining Liu. Finally the author of 'Bending Adversity: Japan and the Art of Survival' David Pilling and historian Naoko Shimazu reflect on Japan's historic ability to re-invent itself and why it needs that skill more than ever at the present time.

Matthew Sweet discusses the way we talk about suicide with Jennifer Michael Hecht, author of 'Stay - A history of suicide and the philosophies against it'. Audio only video games are on the increase. Sound designer Nick Ryan explains his approach to creating them and Naomi Alderman reflects on the sound world they create. As Culture Minister Ed Vaizey prepares to meet some of Britain's leading black actors to discuss what is preventing them being given more tv and stage roles we hear the views of actress Adjoa Andoh. Writers Adam Gopnik and Louise Doughty discuss attitudes to Romani people in France and the UK.

Matthew Sweet talks to director Steve McQueen about his new film '12 Years A Slave' and assesses this year's Oscar nominations, among them Gravity starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, and The Wolf of Wall Street starring Leonardo Di Caprio and directed by Martin Scorcese. Plus the poet Fred D'Aguiar, anthropologist Kit Davis and the historian Madge Dresser discuss slave narratives.