Woman's Hour Folgen

The Real Thing is a play within a play currently on stage at the Old Vic in London. It encourages the audience to question why we fall in love, what is fact and what is fiction. And can we can ever really know if the love we are experiencing is the real thing? Actors Susan Wokoma and Bel Powley star in the production and join Nuala in the Woman’s Hour studio to discuss.Over the summer Woman’s Hour is taking a deep dive into the world of “genre” fiction and today we are entering the gripping and shady world of spy fiction and thrillers. Ava Glass joins Nuala to discuss her new spy novel The Trap. She is joined by Charlotte Philby, author and granddaughter of infamous double-agent Kim Philby, who has also written books about spies but her latest The End of Summer falls firmly in the thriller genre.Omulbanin Sultani was studying medicine at Kateb University in Kabul when the Taliban banned women from universities in 2022. Last week, she arrived in Scotland, along with eighteen other female medical students from Afghanistan to complete their doctor training. The move - organised by the Linda Norgrove Foundation - took three years. Nuala speaks to Omulbanin, who is now a student at the University of St Andrews.Quizzer Jenny Ryan – better known as the Bolton brainbox ‘The Vixen’ on the hit ITV quiz The Chase – is breaking away from teatime telly to invite audiences to an evening of song, storytelling and showbiz secrets. She joins Nuala to talk about her passion for quizzing, her cabaret show, Jenny Ryan: Out Of The Box, and to sing live.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Laura Northedge

The Paris Paralympic Games begin tomorrow. Nuala is joined by Paralympian turned broadcaster Rachael Latham to talk us through the women we should be looking out for over the next 12 days.Composer and singer-songwriter Errollyn Wallen joins Nuala after being appointed the new Master of the King's Music. The position has existed since the 17th century and is awarded to musicians who have added to the musical life of the nation, but Wallen is only the second woman to hold the post. Her work is some of the most performed among living composers, and includes 22 operas. The play Shifters follows former children friends Des and Dre, they are first loves whose relationship twists and turns over a decade. Currently on at the Duke of York’s Theatre, is the third play in the West End to be written by a black British woman. The writer Benedict Lombe joins Nuala, along with Heather Agyepong who plays Des.

Whether you have a sister or not, it’s a relationship that has long fascinated us. In this special edition of Woman’s Hour, Nuala McGovern explores what makes the female sibling dynamic so compelling.If you were watching the Paris Olympics, you might have spotted identical twins Lina and Laviai Nielsen taking to the track. The Olympic duo join Nuala to discuss competing together at an elite level in athletics, winning bronze side-by-side for Team GB, and navigating triumphs and challenges in the public eye after Lina’s Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis.Psychotherapist Jennifer Gledhill joins Nuala to talk about the psychology of sister relationships. What pushes you apart, and what brings you together? She also gives her tips on how to have a better relationship with your sister.How do you deal with the grief of losing a sister? British-Kurdish activist Payzee Mahmod’s joins Nuala to talk about her beloved sister Banaz, who was murdered aged 20 in a so-called 'honour' killing. Their father and uncle are serving life sentences for the murder. Nuala and Payzee talk about loss, legacy and how Banaz’s death drove Payzee’s campaign against child marriage.What is Nuala like as a sister? Joining us from Ireland to spill the beans are Nuala’s own two sisters – Vera and Eileen!Film historian Alex Von Tunzelmann charts one of the most famous sisterly feuds in Hollywood history – the explosive rivalry between the Oscar-winning British actresses, Olivia de Havilland and Joan Fontaine.And what if you don’t have biological sisters or didn’t grow up with them, but want the support system that can come with a sisterhood? Angel, from London, is now 21 years old and was in the care system from the age of five. She’s a mentor and ‘big sister’ for Sister System, a charity that works with care-experienced women and girls. Angel and the charity’s founder Okela Douglas join Nuala to discuss why sisterhood can have such a profound impact.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producers: Maryam Maruf and Erin Downes Editor: Olivia Bolton Studio Manager: Gayl GordonArchive: Fleabag / Two Brothers Pictures / Harry Bradbeer; Pride and Prejudice / Working Title Films / Joe Wright; Little Women / Columbia Pictures / Greta GerwigThe book reading is from Joan Fontaine’s memoir, No Bed of Roses published by William Morrow and Company