Front Row

Anne Lister, the 19th century landowner and diarist, better known by her nickname, Gentleman Jack, has inspired folksongs, television dramas, and now a ballet. As Northern Ballet begin a UK tour of their new Gentleman Jack production, Belgian-Colombian choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa explains how she translated Lister's diaries into dance.
As K-Pop super band BTS are set to return with a new album on 20th March and a live streamed concert and a documentary on Netflix, we hear from Julie Yoonnyung Lee from the BBC Korean Service and music journalist Katie Hawthorne about their comeback. We’ll also hear what’s been popular in K-Pop during their absence - including Korean Trot music which is having a resurgence.
New anthology, Banshee, aims to cast a feminist light on the female figures in Irish myths. Editor of the anthology, Ailbhe Malone, and one of the contributing writers, Salma El‑Wardany, discuss reimagining some of Ireland's oldest stories.
And we remember the writer Len Deighton whose death was announced today. He was the author of The Ipcress File along with over thirty other novels, cookbooks, and graphic novels. Fellow crime writer Martin Edwards reflects on Len Deighton's influential career.
Presenter: Nick Ahad
Producer: Ekene Akalawu

Self Esteem, aka Rebecca Lucy Taylor, performs her new song written for David Hare’s play Teeth 'n' Smiles.
We bring you a roundup of the 2026 Academy Awards.
Ryan Gosling discusses his new sci-fi adventure film Project Hail Mary.
And a look at the BBC's new talk show format, The Claudia Winkleman Show, with Boyd Hilton, entertainment director at Heat Magazine, and Bea Ballard, executive producer on the Jonathan Ross show.
Presenter: Samira Ahmed
Producer: Harry Graham

Art critic Ben Luke and writer Sarah Crompton join Samira Ahmed to review David Hockney’s first exhibition at the Serpentine Gallery in London: A Year in Normandie and Some Other Thoughts about Painting, which includes new works and a digitally created ninety-metre-long frieze which was inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry.
They also discuss Hooked by Asako Yuzuki, the author behind the award-winning bestseller Butter.
And they review The Tasters, which tells the story of the women who were the food tasters for Adolf Hitler towards the end of World War II.
Plus, BBC National Short Story Award judge Tahmima Anam talks about this year's competition and offers tips for writers.
Presenter: Samira Ahmed
Producer: Claire Bartleet

Actor James McAvoy who has starred in everything from Shameless to X Men talks about turning director for his debut feature, California Schemin'. The film, which is billed as being "based on a true lie", tells the story of two young rappers from Dundee who pretended to be American in order to be taken seriously by the record industry - and ended up touring with Eminem in the 2000s.
BBC One's new Sunday evening drama series The Other Bennet Sister tells the story of Pride and Prejudice through the eyes of Mary Bennet, often regarded as less remarkable than her sisters Jane and Elizabeth in Jane Austen's classic novel. Screenwriter Sarah Quintrell speaks about adapting Janice Hadlow's bestselling book which offers a new perspective on the much-loved book and stars Bridgerton's Ella Bruccoleri in the lead role, as well as Ruth Jones as  mother Mrs Bennet, with Richard E Grant as Mr Bennet.
And 800 years on from his death, we are joined by art historian Joost Joustra and Franciscan Friar Brother Samuel to consider the cultural legacy of St Francis of Assisi.
Presenter: Kirsty Wark
Producer: Mark Crossan

Booker Prize-winning author Howard Jacobson discusses his new novel, Howl.
Musician Thea Gilmore talks about her latest project The Echo Line, where she creates music from anonymous messages. Thea also performs the song Silvie live, which is the second track from the project.
A book containing 10,000 writers' names entitled Don't Steal This Book is being given out at the London Book Fair as a stand against AI using copyrighted material. Tom talks to bestselling author Philippa Gregory about the book and why her name is included in it.
And we delve into the popular world of micro-dramas also known as vertical dramas which are a booming in East Asia. Episodes only last a few minutes and move at a breathtaking pace, all filmed in the portrait, phone-friendly format that gives the genre its name. We speak to UK based director Dan Lowenstein, and the BBC's Seoul correspondent Jake Kwon, to find out if vertical dramas have a future here too. 
Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe
Producer: Lucy Collingwood