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29/02/2020

Award winning author Anne Enright on her new novel, honouring the life of Noor Inayat-Khan and what it's like when your child is diagnosed with cancer.

On Monday, Harvey Weinstein was found guilty of committing a criminal sexual act and third degree rape - and could go to jail for over 20 years. He was acquitted of two counts of predatory sexual assault. While some are celebrating the verdict as the start of a new era and a sign of changing public attitudes towards sexual assault, Weinstein's lead attorney Donna Rotunno promised to appeal, saying "the fight is not over". So what does the ruling mean for women?

The man booker prize winning author Anne Enright discusses her new novel Actress, her fascination with strong love between mothers and daughters, and the parallels between her own life and her heroine’s.

An estimated 1.24 million people are affected by eating disorders in the UK yet the treatment and diagnosis is still comparatively misunderstood. A new research programme launched this week will examine the genetic element of eating disorders and how this interacts with environmental factors.

Childhood cancer is thankfully rare and the past few decades have seen dramatic improvements in the outlook for children diagnosed with the disease; today more than three-quarters survive. We hear from three mothers – Sam, June and Jenny - whose children were diagnosed. How did they cope day to day watching their offspring struggle through endless treatment? How does it impact the rest of the family? And how has the experience affected their response to the world around them?

A young Muslim woman, Noor Inayat-Khan was many things: a dutiful daughter, a musician, an artist, a poet fluent in several languages and a published writer. Later, she was a vital part of the fight against Nazism, as a wireless telephonist in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force. She sacrificed her life for the cause of freedom and now a new interactive exhibition is keeping her story alive. Lynelle Howson, an historian at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission tells us about her life and work.

Presenter Jenni Murray
Producer Rosie Stopher
Editor Karen Dalziel

Available now

57 minutes

Eating Disorders

Support for families of cancer patients

Broadcast

  • Sat 29 Feb 2020 16:00

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