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Monday 4 November 2013

CAPTURING THE NATION IN CONVERSATION

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Image and copy courtesy of BBC Radio Four
 
 

A 12-year-old girl who wants to 'join the FBI' entertained the nation yesterday in a light-hearted chat with her mother on national radio.

 
Twelve-year-old Ayesha and her mother, Ghazala, took part in Radio Four's The Listening Project which has been dubbed  'capturing the nation in conversation.'  People of all ages and from many different walks of life are recording their thoughts  and uploading them on to the station, to be curated and archived by the British Library.
 
Ayesha, whose  abusive father left home when she was a baby, has a mature relationship with her mother, her enthusiasm for life positively bursting over the air waves, despite the hardship she has suffered. And so special is that relationship that the daughter wants to 'cut and paste herself' in the future so that her mum can have the pleasure of looking after a baby all over again!

Mum Ghazala would love to buy her daughter expensive clothes but, she says, 'we don't have that kind of money, adding 'You're a girl, we're Asian and we're Muslim.' Undeterred, Ayesha plans to buy a house, go to university, then join the FBI!

BBC radio producers have been gathering conversations from across the UK, covering everything from living with Alzheimer’s to falling in love in the front seat of a Reliant Robin.
 
The Listening Project covers all age groups in every part of the country.  If you would like to record your own conversation go to:

 http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01cqx3b/features/about



'We are asking people up and down the country to share their thoughts and feelings in a recorded conversation with a loved one or relative. What you talk about is up to you.' 

 

4 comments:

Another Guernseyman said...

What a great idea.The conversation may be light-hearted, but it sounds like this family havegone through some tough times. I'll be listening out for the next programme.

Guernsey Girl said...

You're right about tough times.One of the conversations I heard was between a mother who had lost her sixteen-year-old son in a car accident, and his younger sister who described how her life had changed forever.

Suzie Tullett said...

What a wonderful and fascinating project. Thanks for sharing, I hadn't heard of it until now x

Guernsey Girl said...

Yes, Suzie. It's almost like sitting in a café listening to the conversation - something I often do when I'm looking for new characters!