New Storytellers

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New Storytellers: Read my Lips

Read my Lips

BBC Radio 4 - New Storytellers, Read my Lips

Born with a difference, Danielle’s experience growing up in a world focused on appearance.

Born with cleft lip and palate, Danielle knows first-hand the effect of physical appearance on everyday life.

Danielle was born with a cleft lip and palate and knows what it is like to be different in a world focused on appearance. 

She has experienced first-hand the effect of looks on everyday life. For her, the mental effects of 28 operations have required a much higher resilience than the sheer physical endurance. She has had to cope with missing a lot of school and the challenge of keeping friendships, struggling to find a sense of identity as her face constantly changed through surgery.

Now Danielle hopes her first-hand experience will help others.  A researcher at the University of the West of England (UWE), she is studying the psychology of those affected by craniofacial conditions.

New Storytellers presents the work of new radio and audio producers, and this series features all five winners of this year’s prize for Best Student Radio Feature. The award is presented every year in memory of pioneering radio producer Charles Parker, who produced the famous series of Radio Ballads with Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger.

This was the first feature made by producer Isobel Howe - an MA student studying audio journalism at UWE. The judges praised the piece as ‘a beautifully told personal story’ which was ‘completely absorbing’, saying ‘Danielle, the subject and principal speaker, is articulate, funny and open’ with ’some visceral and moving moments’.   

Producer: Isobel Howe
A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4

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

Factual: Life Stories

New work from winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature.

New work by radio and audio producers new to BBC Radio 4 from the five winners of this year's Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature.

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