Matthew Bannister on Dick Pope, the cinematographer who worked closely with Director Mike Leigh on films like “Secrets and Lies” and “Mr Turner”. Mike pays tribute. Sister Sally Butler, the American nun who blew the whistle on historic child sex abuse in her New York parish. Professor Tim Darvill OBE, the archaeologist best known for his work on th…

Matthew Bannister on General Sir Mike Jackson, the Chief of the General Staff at the time of the Iraq War. Lily Ledbetter, whose campaign for equal pay led to an Act of Congress. Safeya Binzagr, the pioneering Saudi Arabian artist whose career flourished despite the cultural restrictions on women in her society Steve Piotrowski, the ornithologist w…

Kirsty Lang on Alex Salmond, the former First Minister of Scotland. Ethel Kennedy, wife of Robert F Kennedy who went onto become a campaigner for Human Rights. Ratan Tata, the businessman who led the Tata Group for more than two decades. Fleur Adcock, the poet who's conversational, irreverent style made her one of the most popular voices in British…

John Wilson on Lord Ouseley, the co-founder of the anti-racism football campaign ‘Kick it Out’ and former Chair of the Commission for Racial Equality. The landscape artist and printmaker Norman Ackroyd whose work celebrates some of the most remote and inhospitable areas of the UK. Lore Segal, the author whose book ‘Other People’s Houses’ told the s…

John Wilson on Kris Kristofferson, the singer, songwriter and actor who appeared with Barbra Streisand in ‘A Star is Born’ Camilla Carr, the aid worker who along with her partner was kidnapped and held hostage for 14 months in Chechnya. Hassan Nasrallah, for over 30 years he was the leader of Lebanon’s militant Shia Islamist movement, Hezbollah. Th…

Matthew Bannister on Peter Jay, who was economics editor at the Times and the BBC and also Britain’s Ambassador to the United States. Ed Johnson, the CIA agent who played a key role in the Argo operation to smuggle US diplomats out of Iran – but kept his involvement secret until his death. His wife tells us she had no idea what his work involved. D…

Matthew Bannister on Dr George Berci, the surgeon who pioneered the use of miniature cameras in operations to minimise cutting and accelerate patients’ recovery times. Olga Craig, the respected journalist from Northern Ireland who reported from war zones and covered the aftermath of the bombing in Omagh. Michaela Mabinty DePrince, the orphan from w…

Matthew Bannister on James Earl Jones, the versatile actor whose roles ranged from the voice of Darth Vader to Tennessee Williams and Shakespeare. Adrian Lester pays tribute. Dr. Helen Fisher, the biological anthropologist who researched the science behind romantic love. Sergio Mendes, who introduced the world to his unique style of Brazilian music…

Matthew Bannister on Claire Lomas MBE, who was paralysed from the chest down after a riding accident and went on to complete the London Marathon wearing a bionic suit. Phil Swern, the music producer known as “The Collector” because he owned millions of records. Ken Bruce pays tribute. Countess of Airlie, the American heiress who married into the ar…

Matthew Bannister on Mike Lynch, who was one of the UK’s most successful tech entrepreneurs. Nell McCafferty, the Irish journalist and feminist campaigner who took part in the “contraceptive train” protest in 1971. Ruth Colvin, who founded the American “Literacy Volunteers” organisation to help adults who couldn’t read or write Sven-Göran Eriksson,…

Matthew Bannister on American TV host Phil Donahue – pioneer of the daytime talk show. Countess Diana Phipps Sternberg, the Czech born interior designer who was at the centre of a vibrant social scene in London during the swinging 60s. Professor Mary Gibby OBE, the botanist who specialised in the study and classification of ferns. Toumani Diabaté, …

Kirsty Lang on Susan Wojcicki, the first woman to lead a major company in Silicon Valley. Lord Colwyn, a jazz loving politician who cared passionately about improving the nation’s teeth. Sir Ernest Hall, a piano playing entrepreneur, who oversaw the regeneration of a former textile mill in Halifax. Mísia, the musician who found international acclai…

Matthew Bannister on Lord Fellowes, who was private secretary to Queen Elizabeth during the 1990s. Professor Helen Whitwell, the forensic pathologist who inspired the central character in the TV series “Silent Witness”. David Power, the Irish businessman who co-founded one of the world’s biggest gambling companies – Paddy Power. Irène Schweizer, th…

John Wilson on Edna O’Brien, one of Ireland’s greatest writers. In a career spanning over 60 years she wrote 17 novels and many short stories, plays and essays. Sir Kenneth Grange, the prolific designer whose works included the Kenwood Chef, the parking meter and the Intercity 125 train. Groundbreaking Swedish rally driver Ewy Rosqvist. The British…

Matthew Bannister on Dr Mildred Stahlman, the American paediatrician whose discovery helped to improve the outcomes of premature babies around the world. Ray Reardon, the former miner and police officer who was a World Snooker Champion six times. Val McIver, the Scottish local councillor who campaigned to set up the University of the Highlands and …

Matthew Bannister on Dr Ruth Westheimer who offered frank advice about sex on TV and radio. Mike Corfield, the conservator who developed new methods of preserving archaeological artefacts in the places where they were discovered. Shelley Duvall, the actor who worked closely with Robert Altman, played Wendy in The Shining and Michal Palin’s star-cro…

Matthew Bannister on Dr Richard Taylor, the retired hospital consultant who became the independent MP for Wyre Forest. Jack Rowell, the rugby coach who transformed the fortunes of Bath and took England to the World Cup semi-finals. The artist Claudia Williams, who painted large scale canvases including images of women and children who lost their ho…

Matthew Bannister on Frank Duckworth, the statistician whose name will forever be associated with the Duckworth-Lewis method of calculating scores for rain affected cricket matches. Leah Levin, who campaigned to overturn miscarriages of justice and gain reparations for victims of torture. Professor Mary-Lou Pardue, the eminent biologist who fought …

Kirsty Lang on the Judge and cricketer Sir Oliver Popplewell. His godson Stephen Fry pays tribute. The computer pioneer and transgender advocate Lynn Conway. The music mogul and friend to the Fab Four Tony Bramwell. One of France’s best loved singer song-writers Francoise Hardy. Interviewee: Stephen FryInterviewee: Charles RogersInterviewee: Roag B…

Matthew Bannister on Nora Cortiñas, a founding member of Argentina’s “Mothers of the Disappeared” campaign group. Her son Gustavo was 24 when he was arrested by the country’s right-wing dictatorship. He was never seen again. Belinda Bellville, the fashion designer who dressed every female member of the royal family apart from Queen Elizabeth. Her b…

Matthew Bannister on Richard M Sherman who teamed up with his brother Robert to write some of Disney’s best loved songs. Professor Wendy James CBE, the anthropologist who studied the Uduk tribes of Sudan. June Mendoza OBE, the portrait painter whose subjects included members of the Royal Family, Prime Ministers and celebrities. Morgan Spurlock, the…

Matthew Bannister on The Irish rugby star and businessman Sir Tony O’Reilly. He made billions but ended up bankrupt. The hardline President of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi. Penny Simkin, who championed the role of birth doulas to help mothers during and after labour. Professor Alasdair Geddes, the infectious diseases expert who diagnosed the world’s last ev…

Matthew Bannister on Dame Shirley Conran, the journalist and author best known for her books “Superwoman” and “Lace”. Baroness Doreen Massey, the educator and former director of the Family Planning Association Beverly LaHaye the founder of Concerned Women of America who campaigned to stop the Equal Rights Amendment. Steve Albini, the controversial …

Matthew Bannister on Anne Dagg, the Canadian biologist known as The Woman Who Loves Giraffes for her lifelong study of the animals. Professor Ross Anderson, the computer scientist who was a leading expert on data protection and online security. Reverend Cecil Murray, the pastor of the First African Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles who play…

Matthew Bannister on an author, a campaigner, an Olympic medallist, a conductorVon BBC Radio 4

Matthew Bannister on The American journalist Terry Anderson who was held captive in Lebanon for almost seven years. In an emotional interview, his daughter Sulome tells us how she followed in his footsteps as she tried to connect with a father she met for the first time when she was seven years old. Lord Field who, the Labour MP Frank Field who cam…

Sulome Anderson first met her father – journalist Terry Anderson – at the American Embassy in Damascus. She was seven years old and he had just been released from nearly seven years as a hostage in Lebanon. She desperately wanted to build a relationship with him, even going so far as to become a war correspondent herself and tracking down and meeti…

Matthew Bannister on: Sir Paul Fox, the respected TV executive who commissioned some of the best loved programmes of the 1960s and 70s. We have a tribute from his former colleague Sir David Attenborough. Lynne Reid Banks, the author best known for her novel “The L Shaped Room.” Joan Hills, the artist who played a key role in the art world of the 19…

Matthew Bannister on Professor Peter Higgs, the physicist who won the Nobel prize for explaining why the building blocks of the universe have mass. Trevor Griffiths, the playwright whose stage and TV dramas focused on left wing politics and social issues. We have a tribute from the actor Jack Shepherd. Hella Pick, the long serving Guardian foreign …

Matthew Bannister on Joe Lieberman, the US Democrat politician who fell out with his party over the Iraq War. Diana Baring, the respected literary agent. We have a tribute from her client Frederick Forsyth. Lynn Kinnear, who was one of the most influential landscape architects of her generation. Kay Benbow, who commissioned and made many acclaimed …

John Wilson on Richard Taylor, who became a tireless campaigner against knife crime and supported disadvantaged young people. Lisa Lane, the chess champion who was the first player to feature on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Rose Dugdale, the English heiress and debutante who went onto join the IRA. Ian Green, the Scottish folk music champion wh…

In this special edition of Last Word, John Boyega pays tribute to campaigner Richard Taylor, the father of Damilola Taylor who was killed 24 years ago. Richard Taylor - a Nigerian civil servant - dedicated years to improving the lives of disadvantaged children in the wake of his son's death via the Damilola Taylor Trust. Mr Taylor said he wanted hi…

Matthew Bannister on Vince Power, the live music promoter whose Mean Fiddler group operated a string of London venues and built up the Reading and Leeds festivals. Olga Murray, the American lawyer who devoted her later life to helping the children of Nepal. Cecilia Eckelmann-Battistello, the Italian businesswoman who ran a major container shipping …

Matthew Bannister on Audrey Adams who became a tireless campaigner for the rights of black people after her son was stabbed to death in a racist attack. Nicola Trahan, who joined the French Resistance as a teenager and was later awarded the Croix de Guerre. Edward Bond, the controversial playwright who played a key role in the abolition of censorsh…

Matthew Bannister on Iris Apfel the colourful fashion and interior designer whose own dress sense made an impact until her death aged 102. Dr Colin Murray Parkes, the psychiatrist once described as “the David Attenborough of the bereavement world.” Baroness Henig, the deputy House of Lords Speaker who was a historian and expert on the security indu…

John Wilson on the celebrated sculptor Nicholas Dimbleby, responsible for numerous well known commissions around the country. Lord Patrick Cormack the politician, historian and prolific author. Wendy Mitchell, the author and blogger who was diagnosed with young onset dementia and worked tirelessly to help improve the understanding of the condition.…

John Wilson on Alexei Navalny, the anti-corruption campaigner and leading opponent of President Vladimir Putin, who has died in a Russian state prison. Dr Brooke Ellison, an American academic and disabilities rights advocate who drew on her own experience of living with quadriplegia. Gertrude Wright, who survived the bombing of her German home city…

Matthew Bannister on The much-loved Radio 1 and 2 DJ Steve Wright. We have a tribute from his former colleague Simon Mayo. Baroness Flather, who was the first Asian woman to sit in the House of Lords. Alan Mills, the Wimbledon tennis referee who had to deal with tantrums on court. Angela Peberdy, the train announcer known as “the golden voice of Br…

Matthew Bannister on Dr Lowitja O’Donoghue who overcame a traumatic childhood to become one of Australia’s leading campaigners for the rights of indigenous people. Ian Lavender, the actor best known for playing Private Pike in Dad’s Army. Robie Harris, whose book explaining sex to children made her one of America’s most banned authors. Barry John, …

Matthew Bannister on Frank Farian, the German music producer behind the hugely successful group Boney M, who caused controversy when it was revealed that his duo Milli Vanilli had been miming at all their live shows. We hear from Boney M singer Liz Mitchell. Medical journalist Caroline Richmond who founded the Campaign Against Health Fraud, now kno…

Matthew Bannister on Norma Barzman, the screenwriter from the Golden Age of Hollywood who fled to Europe after facing being blacklisted from the House Un-American Activities Committee for her Communist views. Lord Saye and Sele, the aristocrat who served in the army during the Second World War, then worked to restore the historic family seat Brough…

Matthew Bannister on Annie Nightingale who was Radio 1’s first female presenter and its longest serving DJ. Her son remembers meeting Jimi Hendrix over breakfast in her kitchen and the 72-hour-party at her home featuring some of the biggest names of the dance music scene. Isca Salzberger-Wittenberg, the psychoanalyst who changed the approach to tre…

Matthew Bannister on Camila Batmanghelidjh who founded the charity Kids Company to help disadvantaged children. The charity collapsed amidst controversy, although she was later cleared of any wrongdoing. Sir Roy Calne, the surgeon who carried out the UK’s first successful liver transplant operation. He was also a talented artist. Glynis Johns, the …

Matthew Bannister on John Pilger, the campaigning journalist who made award winning films about human rights abuses and was an outspoken critic of British and US foreign policy. K.M. Peyton, the author of many “pony” books for children and adolescents, including the “Flambards” trilogy. Paula Murphy, the American racing driver once described as “th…

Kirsty Lang on Jacques Delors, the politician and architect of the modern EU. Nancy Pearce, the founder of a charity to help people with eating disorders. Elinor Otto, the American factory worker who was one of the original 'Rosie the Riveters'. Tony Allen, one of the pioneers of the alternative comedy scene. Producer: Ed Prendeville…

Matthew Bannister on Maureen Sweeney, the postmistress from the west of Ireland whose weather forecast postponed D-Day by 24 hours. Sir Tim Brighouse, the educationalist credited with transforming the performance of London’s schools. Shirley Anne Field, the actor who appeared in classic 1960s films like The Entertainer, Saturday Night and Sunday Mo…

Matthew Bannister on The dub poet Benjamin Zephaniah who overcame childhood trauma to become an acclaimed performer and writer. Laura Lean, who volunteered for the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry, helping to support distressed families after The Grenfell Tower fire and greeting Afghan evacuees. Stacy Marking, one of the first women directors in document…

Matthew Bannister on Shane MacGowan the lead singer of The Pogues who was famous for his song writing but also his abuse of drugs and alcohol. His sister joins us to discuss the roots of his talent and his excesses. Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to be appointed to the US Supreme Court. Lord Darling, the Labour politician who was Chan…

Matthew Bannister on Henry Kissinger, a towering figure in international diplomacy, who won the Nobel Peace Prize but was condemned by some as a war criminal. Also, Terry Venables, the colourful manager who took the England Football team to the semi-finals of Euro 96. Paul Watson, the pioneer of reality TV whose “fly on the wall” techniques caused …

Matthew Bannister on Captain Don Walsh, the American submariner who made the first descent to the deepest place in the ocean – the Mariana Trench. His friend and fellow deep sea explorer Victor Vescovo relives the experience for us. Dame A.S. Byatt, the author best known for her Booker Prize winning novel “Possession”. Rosalynn Carter, the former F…