The printmaker, artist and author Angela Harding has spoken to us many times in Suffolk, and I've been delighted to interview her on stage and for print on several occasions. She tells some great stories and is always warm, engaging and entertaining. And so she made a perfect guest for today's Desert Island Discs on BBC Radio Four.
Her story is familiar to many of us now but it's always a pleasure to be in her company and to hear her speak, and there were some revelations in the programme for me today. I didn't know, for example, that at school, Angela sat next to Anthea Turner! And I loved the description of her 'leap up and down moments' marking the milestones, the achievements in her career.
It was also interesting and surprising to hear Angela's choices of music, of discs. And how she wanted to celebrate her love of poetry on the island. She chose a piece by the poet laureate Simon Armitage with his band Lyr, in the form of 'Skeleton Tree' which features in the book she illustrated for him, 'Blossomise'. But she also included spoken word with the former poet laureate Ted Hughes reading his poem 'The Thought Fox'. This is a favourite of mine. A deeply significant poem about words, writing and creativity which I was introduced to at a reading by Ted Hughes at the Cheltenham Literature Festival. A very powerful memory. I hadn't thought of it as one of my Desert Island Discs though. Perhaps it will be now.
And while Angela's choice of book was in some ways predictable - a bird book by Adam Nicolson, called 'Bird School' - she wanted it noted for its front cover by Clive Hicks-Jenkins. She also wasn't satisfied with the 'Complete Works of Shakespeare' - she wanted a separate edition of 'Twelfth Night' illustrated by Eric Ravilious. Great choices! What book would you want to take on a Desert Island?!
Thank you for reading.