Composer Gabriela Ortiz, Children reading, IPP prison sentences

Mexican composer Gabriela Ortiz won three Grammys for her 2024 album Revolución diamantina, and this week sees the work's UK premiere at the BBC Proms, when conductor Gustavo Dudamel leads the second of two LA Philharmonic Proms on Wednesday. Gabriela joins Nuala in the studio to discuss her career and how this work was inspired by Mexico’s 2019 Glitter Revolution, the nationwide feminist protests sparked after the rape of a teenage girl by four police officers, during which activists famously covered Mexico City’s security chief in pink glitter.

Despite the abolition of Imprisonment for Public Protection sentences (IPPs) in 2012, figures show more than 2,000 people, including 19 women, remain subject to the regime. But what are IPPs and why has the UN recently found that the UK government is ‘arbitrarily detaining’ prisoners unlawfully with their use? We hear from Ronnie, a woman whose two-year-and-seven-month-long sentence ended up lasting for 16 years because of an IPP/IPPS, and from Dr Muin Boase, the barrister who led the complaint to the UN on the continued use of this sentencing.

How can we get children to read more over the summer? It's officially the National Year of Reading and evidence suggests that reading more over the holidays can help children hit the ground running in September when schools go back. But for many busy parents, getting children engaged in books and actively choosing reading over the lure of a tablet, TV or anything else, can be a challenge. Liberty Venn, founder of the Children’s Book Project, and award-winning author and former primary school teacher Luan Goldie join us to discuss the benefits and share their tips for getting children reading more.

Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Sarah Jane Griffiths