Last Word

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Last Word: Derek Mahon, Professor Gerta Vrbová, Ang Rita Sherpa, Helena Shenel

16/10/2020

Derek Mahon, Professor Gerta Vrbová, Ang Rita Sherpa, Helena Shenel

BBC Radio 4 - Last Word, Derek Mahon, Professor Gerta Vrbová, Ang Rita Sherpa, Helena Shenel

Matthew Bannister on a poet, a physiologist, a mountaineer, a voice coach.

Matthew Bannister on poet Derek Mahon, physiologist Gerta Vrbová, mountaineer Ang Rita Sherpa, voice coach Helena Shenel.

Pictured: Derek Mahon

Matthew Bannister on 

Derek Mahon, one of Ireland’s greatest poets of recent times, whose work 'Everything’s Going To Be Alright' was read on Irish TV and radio at the start of the Covid lockdown.

Professor Gerta Vrbová, who spent her youth fleeing Nazi persecution, then carried out pioneering work on the interaction between muscles and nerves.

Ang Rita Sherpa, the only person to have climbed Mount Everest ten times without using supplemental oxygen.

Helena Shenel, the voice coach who helped many celebrated performers – including Shirley Bassey, Annie Lennox and Peter Gabriel – to overcome problems with their singing. 

Interviewed guest: Sean O’Brien
Interviewed guest: Peter Hilton
Interviewed guest: Uma Shahani
Interviewed guest: Ang Tshering Sherpa
Interviewed guest: Bhadra Sharma
Interviewed guest: Nikki Slade

Producer: Neil George

Archive clips from: Derek Mahon, Radio Ulster 15/01/1984; Arts Extra Special - Derek Mahon: A Celebration, Radio Ulster 16/12/2008; Poetry Please, Radio 4 28/01/2007; New Poems, Radio 3 19/08/1974; Gerta Vrbová: Oral History, Imperial War Museum 15/04/2003; 60 Minutes Australia, Nine Network 05/10/2018; Last Rites of Ang Rita Sherpa, Nepal Tourism TV 23/09/2020; Slate: Shirley Bassey, BBC One Wales 16/09/1993; Saturday Live, Radio 1 06/04/1985.

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

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Derek Mahon, Professor Gerta Vrbová, Ang Rita Sherpa, Helena Shenel

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