Weekend Woman’s Hour: Forgotten Children, Devil Wears Prada, Giovanna Fletcher, Preterm birth, Headteacher Evelyn Forde
A new Woman's Hour series, Forgotten Children, explores the impact on families when one or both parents are sent to prison. Reporter Jo Morris hears from Kerry Wright, who was just 17 and living in Spain with her parents when British police arrived at their door and arrested both of them, from Nan (not her real name), whose daughter received a prison sentence, leaving Nan to care for her five grandchildren and to Emily (not her real name), whose husband was sentenced to prison for domestic abuse. Nuala McGovern also spoke to Sarah Burrows, founder of Children Heard and Seen, a charity supporting children and families with parents or partners serving prison sentences, and Lucy Baldwin who is a research fellow at Durham University and a criminal justice consultant. As a new musical adaptation of The Devil Wears Prada, with lyrics contributed by the American musician Shaina Taub and music by Elton John, hits London's West End, Anita Rani was joined by the show’s leading ladies, Vanessa Williams, Georgie Buckland and Amy Di Bartolomeo to discuss the enduring appeal of this story. Nuala spoke to TV presenter and author Giovanna Fletcher from the Himalayas at the start of her trek to raise money and awareness for CoppaFeel! the breast cancer charity. Preterm birth is the leading cause of neonatal death in the UK. Today the House of Lords Preterm Birth Committee have published a report calling on the government to do more to reduce the risks of babies being born prematurely and to improve the lives of those families who are affected. Anita discusses proposed changes with Nadia Leake, who gave birth to twins eleven years ago at just 22 weeks and is the author of 'Surviving Prematurity,' Evelyn Forde was the first black female president of the Association of School and College Leaders, awarded an MBE for services to education, and named Times Educational Supplement Headteacher of the Year in 2020. In her book Herstory: A Leadership Manifesto, Evelyn shares her journey through the education system, her experiences of racism in her career, alongside the testimonies of other black leaders in the sector. With just 1% of headteachers in state schools in England from a black background, she joined Nuala to discuss why she thinks urgent action is needed to address the issue in education. A new musical – Mozart: Her Story - tells the story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s sister Maria-Anna, who taught him how to play the piano. Nuala is joined by the lyricist, Tegan Summer, and actor, Gabrielle Brooks who gives a performance from the new show. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Annette Wells Editor: Rebecca Myatt