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Anne Archer; Nicci French; Women's minister

Jane Garvey hears about the new Nicci French novel from husband-and-wife writing team Nicci Gerrard and Sean French, and talks to Anne Archer about preparing to play Jane Fonda.

Anne Archer is best known for acting in films including Fatal Attraction, Short Cuts and Clear and Present Danger. She joins Jane Garvey to discuss what drew her to playing the title role in The Trial of Jane Fonda at the Edinburgh Festival this summer.

Husband and wife writing team Nicci Gerrard and Sean French join us to discuss their latest novel Thursday's Children published under the name Nicci French

We discuss the appointment of the new women's minister - Nicky Morgan.

We hear why some women are being discharged from maternity wards in the middle of the night.

And school reunions - why do we go to them? And do they bring out the best, or the worst, in us?

Presenter: Jane Garvey
Producer: Ruth Watts.

Available now

58 minutes

Chapters

  • New Women's Minister Nicky Morgan

    New Statesman Deputy Editor Helen Lewis, and Times Political Correspondent Laura Pitel

    Duration: 08:59

  • Anne Archer

    The Oscar nominated & Golden Globe winning actress on her career & new role as Jane Fonda

    Duration: 07:30

  • Maternity Wards

    Midwife Denise Linay of the Royal College of Midwives on discharging mothers at night

    Duration: 05:29

  • Nicci French

    Nicci Gerrard & Sean French, the husband & wife who write under pseudonym Nicci French

    Duration: 09:16

  • School Reunions

    Author Nicci Gerrard and journalist Rosamunde Urwin on the perils of the school reunion

    Duration: 10:00

New Women's Minister

The new women’s minister is Nicky Morgan following the reshuffle last week. However, Maria Miller, the last women’s minister, was also a full member of the Cabinet. Nicky Morgan was appointed Financial Secretary to the Treasury on Wednesday and will attend cabinet – though not as a full member. Aides to the Prime Minister have said that the new women’s minister will report directly to the Prime Minister. And for the first time the woman’s minister will be based in the Treasury – the Whitehall department which controls the Government’s purse-strings. But many are concerned that without a woman who has a full cabinet post in charge of the brief, that women’s interests have been downgraded – so are they right to be worried?Ìý Jane talks to Helen Lewis, deputy editor of the New Statesman and to Laura Pitel, political correspondent with The Times.

Anne Archer

The Oscar nominated and Golden Globe award winning actress is best known for films such as Fatal Attraction,Ìý Short Cuts and Clear and Present Danger.Ìý She has appeared on stage as Mrs Robinson in The Graduate and other productions such as A Coupla White Chicks Sitting Around Talking and the Vagina Monologues.Ìý She will will make her Edinburgh Festival debut this summer, starring as ‘Jane Fonda’ in the of She joins Jane to discuss her career and what drew her to this latest stage role.

Ìý

Maternity Wards

Yesterday’s Sunday TimesÌý revealed figures obtained under Freedom of Information rules disclosing that over 12,000 new mothers had been discharged from hospitalÌý in the middle of the night. The situation appears to be getting worse as approximately 10,000 had the same experience in 2011. Denise Linay is a midwife and a spokesperson from the Royal College of Midwives.

Ìý

Nicci French

Nicci French is the pseudonym for the husband and wife writing team – Nicci Gerrard and Sean French. The couple have carved a name for themselves as one of the most successful couples writing psychological thrillers and have sold 8 million copies of their books worldwide. Their new book ‘Thursday’s Children’ was published last week by Penguin/Michael Joseph. Jane Garvey speaks to them about novel and how being married has influenced their writing and perspective.

School Reunions

Sooner or later, the invite to a school reunion arrives in our inbox. Does it evoke a sense of dread - or excitement? Is it a way to showcase our achievements or does it play to our insecurities?Ìý And as reports last month that a school reunion got out of control, does it make us regress to our younger selves?Ìý Jane discusses the perils of the school reunion with author, Nicci Gerrard and journalist, Rosamunde Urwin.

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Jane Garvey
Interviewed Guest Helen Lewis
Interviewed Guest Laura Pitel
Interviewed Guest Anne Archer
Interviewed Guest Nicci Gerrard
Interviewed Guest Sean French
Producer Ruth Watts
Producer Alice Feinstein
Producer Kirsty Starkey
Producer Natalie Goldwater

Broadcast

  • Mon 14 Apr 2014 10:00

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