TODAY’S RADIO

GUIDE BOOKS

11.30AM, RADIO 4 ★★★

The experience of lockdown has left many of us nervous of the outside world. Might books offer some kind of help? In this first of a new series about recommended reading to help us to navigate daily life, Damian Barr and today’s guests, Sinead Gleeson and Sarah Perry, point listeners towards some useful emotional guide books.

IN THE STUDIO 11.30AM,

10.30PM, WORLD SERVICE ★★★

Motoring journalist Erin Baker meets members of the Porsche design team to find out what it takes to make a car recognisable, desirable and able to stand the test of time. Erin also hears how the Porsche designers are looking to the future, incorporating new materials and technology without losing that Porsche wow factor.

BASELINES

2.15PM, RADIO 4 ★★★★

Governing bodies in the world of sport are wrestling with the complex issue of men, identifying as women, taking part in contact sports. Their denser bones and extra muscle mass give them an advantage and, when it comes to contact sports such as rugby, pose a real danger for women opponents. It’s a thorny issue and one that the writer and playwright Mark Lawson explores in this drama starring Rosie Sheehy and Haydn Gwynne.

ELLA IN BERLIN

2.30PM, RADIO 4 EXTRA ★★★★★

Ella Fitzgerald gave a concert in Berlin in 1960 with a set that included Kurt Weill’s Mack The Knife. Ella launched into the song, but forgot the lyrics. Without missing a beat, she went into a scat version, taking the audience with her on a wave of virtuoso improvisation. In this programme, we hear from members of the band and the audience on that night in Berlin.