Great Lives Folgen

The musician and broadcaster Tom Robinson nominates educationalist George Lyward in this episode of Great Lives.Aged 15 and struggling with his sexuality, Tom Robinson attempted to take his own life and had a nervous breakdown. Following a series of assessments and tests, he was interviewed for Finchden Manor, a therapeutic community founded by George Lyward.Tom shares his own experience, explaining to Matthew Parris how he believes Lyward saved his life. Former Finchden teacher Dr Norman Alm is also on hand to provide expert assistance. Lyward's work is also assessed in the context of the 2011 summer riots, as Matthew asks his guests what should society do with its troubled teens.First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2012.

Gertude Stein, American poet, writer and art collector, lived most of her life in France. She was one of the first people to spot the genius of Picasso, Cezanne and Matisse, and she believed she was a genius too. Opinion on that score remains divided. Erin Pizzey nominates Stein because she inspired her to ‘live a life without compromise’. Since setting up the world's first refuge for battered women in 1971, Pizzey has campaigned and written about domestic violence, publishing ‘Scream Quietly Or The Neighbours Will Hear’ and her autobiography ‘This Way To The Revolution’.Joining presenter Matthew Parris in the studio is Diana Souhami, author of ‘Gertrude and Alice’.Producer: Isobel EatonFirst broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2012.

Oscar Wilde, author of The Importance of Being Earnest and The Ballad of Reading Gaol, is proposed by Will Self, a writer once described as a 'high powered satirical weapon'.In 1895, and at the height of his success, Wilde began libel proceedings against the Marquess of Queensberry, sparking a disastrous sequence of trials, prison, exile and disgrace. A century later Oscar Wilde is often listed as one of the wittiest Britons who ever lived, but this was a life that ended in tragedy and early death. Joining Will Self and Matthew Parris in the studio is Franny Moyle, author of a biography of Oscar Wilde's wife, Constance, an often overlooked character in Wilde's life. The programme features actor Simon Russell Beale's reading of De Profundis - From The Depths.The producer is Miles Warde.