Well, that was… not up to my usual standard.

I’ve been getting very little sleep of late, and you need to have your wits about you to host a radio show. Even with the Ann Leckie interview being a pre-record, I managed to stuff up somewhat. I couldn’t even do basic arithmetic. Thankfully I have a bunch of great songs on hand for when I do mess up and need something to get me out of a jam. Also Valentin, my engineer, was heroic. Paulette and Frances provided valuable support, and our studio guests were wonderful.

Anyway, first up was my interview with Ann Leckie, recorded at Worldcon the day after she won the Hugo. Sadly it does not contain the conversation we had later about how to film Ancillary Justice and keep that sense of unease that the use of “she” creates in the reader. I do want to see that happen.

After Ann I talked to Suzie Rajah about Art on the Hill, one of the many fine local arts trails that happens each year in Bristol. Thankfully Suzie needed very little prompting from me.

You can listen to the first hour of the show here.

For the second hour Paulette joined me to interview two ladies: Nealey Conquest of Community Conscious, and Judy Ryde of Trauma Foundation South West. Nealey is a holistic massage practitioner, while Judy runs a charity that helps people who have suffered extreme trauma, such as refugees fleeing war zones.

You can listen to hour two here.

The playlist for today’s show was:

• Just Like a Woman – Bob Dylan
• Another Girl, Another Planet – The Only Ones
• Electric Avenue – Eddy Grant
• Running up That Hill – Kate Bush
• Vincent – Don McLean
• If I Can Help Somebody – Mahalia Jackson *
• I Can make You Feel Good – Shalamar
• Midas Touch – Midnight Star
• Everybody Hurts – REM

* This is one of the songs that my mum asked to be played at her funeral. It was also a favorite of Dr. Martin Luther King. Mahalia Jackson is probably the finest gospel singer ever.