The Outlook Podcast Archive

Dr Karen Nyberg has many talents. She's an engineer and astronaut, but she's also an avid quilter, so when she joined the International Space Station in 2013, she took her sewing kit with her. She created a nine-inch, star-themed quilt square in orbit which inspired over two thousand other quilters to do the same. Karen tells Jo Fidgen about the challenges of quilting in zero gravity and of leaving her three-year-old son and husband - also an astronaut - behind on earth. She's now designed a collection of fabrics called Earth Views based on photographs she took from Space. The archive clips you heard came courtesy of NASA. Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: June Christie Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com (Photo: Dr Karen Nyberg with her quilt square in space. Credit: NASA)

In the 1990s Terence Smith launched his campaign to run for United States president in drag, shocking voters and the media. His mission was not to win, but instead, to raise awareness about the Aids crisis which was killing his community. Critical of the government's slow response to the epidemic, Terence armed himself with a blonde wig, platform shoes, and the persona of Joan Jett Blakk and decided to run against future president Bill Clinton. Jo Fidgen speaks to Terence from his home in San Francisco, USA. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Gaia Caramazza (Photo: Poster from Joan Jett Blakk's political campaign. Credit: Eric Stein Photography)

Stephen Wiltshire was born in London in 1974, and diagnosed with autism when he was three. Mute until he was five, he was sent to a specialist school where his teachers soon noticed his prodigious talent for drawing. His passion was buildings - the more complicated, the better - and he would recreate them in intricate detail on the page, often from memory. His rare gift astounded the world, and flung Stephen into the spotlight as a child. He was recognised as an 'artistic savant' - someone with extraordinary visual talents - and as a teenager he travelled the world, drawing famous international landmarks. Today, he continues to work as an artist, and is best known for drawing vast, panoramic cityscapes entirely from memory. He and his sister Annette tell Emily Webb about his journey. Presenter: Emily Webb Producer: Zoe Gelber Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com (Photo: Stephen Wiltshire drawing a panorama of Mexico City in 2016.. Credit: Daniel Cardenas/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Wayétu Moore was just five years old in 1990, when Liberia's first civil war broke out. The family were forced to leave their home near Monrovia, and to flee on foot to the relative safety of a remote village. Throughout the journey, Wayétu's father Gus was determined to shield her and her sisters from the horrors of the conflict around them, and made up stories to explain what they saw. After months hiding in a remote village, a young woman with a gun arrived. She was a rebel soldier, named Satta, and announced she'd been sent by Wayétu's mother, who had been away studying in America, to bring the family to safety across the border in Sierra Leone. Years later, living in New York, and by now an established writer, Wayétu set out to track Satta down and thank her for what she did. Presenter: Emily Webb Producer: Laura Thomas Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com (Photo: Wayétu Moore. Credit: Yoni Levy)

Like many young people in his community, Simon Karuiki Ndungu grew up scavenging for things he could sell. His home was Korogocho, a Nairobi slum situated next to the city's main dumpsite. The poisonous gases and toxic water weren't the only hazards - there was violence as well. Rival gangs fought for control over the dumpsite, and by the time he was 8 years old Simon was running guns for them. Then, as a teenager, Simon started turning his life around. An organisation at the edge of the dump, Ghetto Classics, introduced him to classical music and the saxophone. The instrument would help him process the hardships around him, and his new love of music would be Simon's ticket out of the slum. Presenter: Emily Webb Producer: Eric Mugaju Photo: Simon Karuiki Ndungu Credit: Ghetto Classics/Rich Allela

Artist Osman Yousefzada grew up in Birmingham, England in the 1980s after his parents moved to the UK from Pakistan. They were both illiterate, and while his father worked as a carpenter, Osman spent much of his time watching his mother make clothes to earn money. By the time he was seven years old, he had made his first doll's dress and enjoyed getting involved with his mum's business; choosing trims and patterns for her designs, and advising her clients - many of whom were also from their Muslim community - on shoes and accessories. It was a childhood passion that would later see him launch a successful career; a clothing label influenced by his culture, and worn by celebrities and royalty alike. But, as Osman discovered, the glamorous world of fashion did not bring satisfaction; it was only by turning his attention to the world of art, where he could reflect on his heritage, that he would find the meaning he craved. His book is called The Go-Between. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Anu Anand Producer: Katy Takatsuki (Photo: Osman Yousefzada poses with models during London Fashion Week 2020. Credit: David M. Benett/Getty Images)

Lynn Price and Andi Andree were separated as young children and raised with different foster families - they didn't even know of each other's existence until they were introduced at the ages of 8 and 9. Although they eventually formed a close sibling bond, Lynn was determined to help other siblings like them and in 1995 she set up Camp To Belong where siblings separated by the foster care system could spend time together building precious memories. Andi volunteered at the camps and worked together with Lynn for many years, and the camps are still going strong today. But, as the sisters tell Anu Anand, there was another twist to come in their family story. Presenter: Anu Anand Producer: June Christie Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com (Photo: Sisters Lynn Price (L) and Andi Andree. Credit: Courtesy of Andi Andree)

Prof Lucy Easthope is a leading authority on recovering from disaster. She has spent two decades working at the centre of numerous global catastrophes, including terrorist attacks, plane crashes, conflicts, earthquakes and tsunamis. It's her job to help get the bodies identified, repatriate survivors, return personal effects, look after the bereaved, and advise governments for the future. But when she went through a series of devastating losses in her personal life, she realised she would need all her disaster management skills to help her get through it. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Anu Anand Producer: Rebecca Vincent (Photo: Lucy Easthope. Credit: Caitlin Chescoe)

Celeste Bell's mother Poly Styrene was a punk icon who'd made her mark on music history before Celeste was even born. Her distinctive voice, neon outfits and mixed race heritage made her stand out in a punk scene that was dominated by white men, clad in dark colours and studs. Celeste tells Anu Anand about Poly Styrene's rise to fame with her band X-Ray Spex, why it all fell apart and what it was like to sing with her onstage before she died in 2011. Celeste has made a film about her mum called I am a Cliche. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Anu Anand Producer: Deiniol Buxton (Photo: Poly Styrene of punk band X-Ray Spex performs on stage at the Roundhouse, London, England, on January 15th, 1978. Credit: Gus Stewart/ Redferns/ Getty Images)

In his early twenties, Joe Yelverton and two friends climbed Eagle Peak in the Chugach mountain range in Alaska. His life changed in an instant when an avalanche hit them, killing his best friend Steve. For years afterwards, Joe's life was characterised by anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. But with friendship, photography and an unwavering love of the wilderness, Joe found healing and peace in the Chugach again. For advice available online, go to bbc.co.uk/actionline. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Emily Webb Producer: May Cameron (Photo: Joe Yelverton. Credit: Joe Yelverton)

In 1944, Marjoe Gortner was just four years old when his parents had him ordained as an evangelical minister. He was dubbed ‘the miracle child' and conducted his first marriage ceremony before he could barely even write. During the 1950s, he became a star turn on the American preaching circuit and attracted huge crowds for his exuberant preaching, raking in millions of dollars. Behind it all was an elaborate con and years later Marjoe went public with an expose that took him to Hollywood. Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producers: Edgar Maddicott and Maryam Maruf Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com (Photo: A young Marjoe Gortner giving a sermon. Credit: Still from the documentary Marjoe, courtesy Sarah Kernonchan)

After pro-democracy protests broke out in 2011, Kholoud Helmi was determined to cover the human rights violations carried out by the Syrian government, as a reporter on the ground. So with the help of her friends and brother, she founded Enab Baladi, one of the only surviving independent media outlets founded in Syria. Kholoud paid a high price for this, risking her life, and the lives of her family, to report on atrocities happening in locations inaccessible to foreign reporters. The paper had to be printed in secret - and its copies would be distributed covertly in rubbish bins. The team did their best to avoid the military checkpoints scattered throughout the city, but they couldn't stay out of trouble forever. Kholoud's brother was arrested, and subsequently disappeared. 10 years later, Kholoud and her family still don't know whether he's dead or alive. After losing her home, brother, and friends to the civil war that has torn the country apart for over a decade, she continues to carry a dream of a free Syria with her. Jo Fidgen talks to her from Turkey, where she is currently living in exile. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Gaia Caramazza (Photo: Kholoud Helmi speaking on the war in Syria. Credit: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for HBO)

Scot Kate Ballard is the daughter of world-famous mountaineer Alison Hargreaves. In 1995, when Kate was just four, Alison was caught in a storm on K2 in the Himalayas and died. Despite the tragedy, Kate and her brother Tom were raised by their dad to love the slopes and it soon became clear that Tom shared his mother's climbing talent. But sadly he would also share her fate. Kate speaks to Jo Fidgen about travel to the Himalayas and how, despite her personal losses, her love of the mountains is undiminished. A film about the family is called The Last Mountain. It's by director Chris Terrill and is available to watch on BBC iPlayer and via online streaming services. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Katy Takatsuki (Photo: Kate Ballard. Credit: Ballard Images)

Emily Webb explores the origins of The Chippendales with its co-founder and former lawyer Bruce Nahin. It started as a weekly club night in Los Angeles where male dancers stripped for women and it became a global sensation. But greed and jealousy would lead to scandal and murder. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Emily Webb Producer: Deiniol Buxton (Photo: Silhouettes of Chippendales performers in cowboy hats. Credit: Getty/Gabe Ginsberg/ WireImage)

Singer-songwriter Frank Turner never got on with his distant and disapproving father. Things got even worse between them when Frank discovered the anarchist punk scene in his teens, and they eventually stopped speaking altogether. But after years of estrangement, Frank had a chance encounter with his father, aged 72, who told him: “I'm thinking of transitioning and living as a woman.” It changed everything between them, and their relationship is finally close and loving. Frank's new album, FTHC, explores his personal journey. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Mobeen Azhar Producer: Rebecca Vincent (Photo: Frank Turner. Credit: Total Guitar Magazine/Olly Curtis/Future Publishing via Getty Images)

Szymon Niemiec is a priest and an LGBTQ+ activist who founded Poland's first Gay Pride parade in 2001 - known locally as an 'equality parade'. Growing up in the Polish capital Warsaw, Szymon knew he was gay and at the same time knew he felt a close connection to the Church. But combining his religious belief, his sexuality and his activism was never easy in a predominantly Catholic country, and today it continues to make him a target. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Mobeen Azhar Producer: May Cameron (Photo: Szymon Niemiec. Credit: Janek Skarzynski/AFP/Getty Images)

Mark MacDonald had always known he was adopted and was comfortable with it - but when he and his wife Tina found they couldn't safely have children of their own, he went looking for his birth family. After reaching out through adoption agencies, he quickly established a close relationship with long-lost sister Rachel Elliott, and - over a family dinner - a life-changing offer was made. Mark and Rachel have written a book together called Love & Genetics: A true story of adoption, surrogacy, and the meaning of family. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Mobeen Azhar Producer: Laura Thomas and Tom Harding Assinder (Photo: (L-R) Mark, Rachel and Tina with the twins. Credit: Mark MacDonald)

Tim Carey was a talented but little-known artist working with stained glass, when a huge opportunity fell into his lap. A mega church was being built in Kansas, and Tim was asked to build a huge window for it. It would be the biggest stained glass window in the world - the size of a basketball court. Tim said yes, but deep down he had no idea whether he could actually pull it off, so he approached a maverick stained glass artist called Narcissus Quagliata, a legend in the field. Together they took on the project, and formed a close bond in the process. There's a film about their story called Holy Frit. Presenter: Mobeen Azhar Producer: Deiniol Buxton Photo: Tim Carey and Narcissus Quagliata Credit: Kyle J. Mickelson

In the 1990s the name 'Thomas Quick' struck fear into the hearts of Swedes across the country. He had confessed to more than 30 murders, and was convicted of eight. He became known as Sweden's most notorious serial killer and the ‘Swedish Hannibal Lecter' but almost two decades later he retracted his confessions and said he was innocent. Jenny Küttim is a Swedish journalist who has been covering the case since 2008 and Björn Asplund is the father of Johan Asplund, the first person Thomas Quick confessed to killing. This episode was first broadcast in September 2019. Presenter: Asya Fouks Producer: Tom Harding Assinder (Photo: Sture Bergwall/Thomas Quick after his release. (Credit: HENRIK MONTGOMERY/AFP via Getty Images)

Dianne O'Brien was born in the 1940s and grew up in an Irish-Australian family near Sydney. But when she was just 14, her world was torn apart: her beloved mother died, her father abandoned her and she discovered she was adopted. She was sent to a notorious children's home, where she gave birth to her first child, the result of a sexual assault.  Years later, she went in search of her birth family and discovered she was Indigenous, part of the Stolen Generation and a descendant of celebrated Indigenous Australian politicians. Dianne eventually went on to become a leader in her own right in the community she was taken from so many decades before.      Dianne has written a book about her life, Daughter of the River Country.    A warning that this episode contains descriptions of physical and sexual violence.  Presenter: Emily Webb Producer: Zoe Gelber Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com (Photo: Dianne O'Brien with her mother, aged two. Credit: Courtesy of Dianne O'Brien)

Natalie Cumming's violin helped her family survive starvation, persecution, and torture. It accompanied them in their year long trek across Russia as they sought refuge from the Bolsheviks. Her grandfather would play in payment for food and shelter. The violin then followed Natalie's young Aunt Rosa to Germany, where it would help her survive the Nazi concentration camps and allow her to tell her story of what happened there. Even though its history is marked by many horrors, the violin has now been given a new life, giving a voice to bright young musicians inspired by its story. Natalie has written a book about her family and the violin called: The Fiddle. A warning that there are shocking and distressing descriptions in this programme. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Gaia Caramazza and Andrea Kennedy (Photo: Natalie Cumming with her family's violin. Credit: Barnet Council)

Randy Bachman is behind some of the biggest rock hits of the 60s and 70s. He was lead guitarist for The Guess Who, frontman of Bachman-Turner Overdrive and, all the while had his beloved Gretsch guitar beside him. He first laid eyes on the guitar as a teenager and after years mowing lawns and washing cars he saved enough money to buy it. But in 1976, Randy's guitar was stolen and disappeared without a trace. He spent years desperately trying to track it down. Almost half a century later, an amateur sleuth - bored during the coronavirus lockdown - decided to take on the hunt and crack the mystery. Randy's next show will be streamed online via Moment House on March 13th. Presenter: Emily Webb Producer: Maryam Maruf Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com (Photo: Randy Bachman with his son Tal and his Gretsch guitar in 1971. Credit: Courtesy of Randy Bachman)

In 1976, the Johannesburg township of Soweto erupted into protest. Students were furious with the government decision to make Afrikaans a language of instruction in South African schools. Afrikaans was associated with apartheid and white rule by many black South Africans, and not everyone could speak it. The protests were met with brutal force by the police, and hundreds of students died in the ensuing gunfire. In the midst of the chaos was Dr Edelstein, a white man involved in various humanitarian causes in the township. Students who had fled the gunfire suddenly turned their anger on him, and he was killed in the street. His daughter Janet was just 12 at the time, and she's spent many years trying to find answers about what happened that day. After the end of apartheid she spoke at South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, telling her father's story and giving an emotional plea for more information. Now she's followed in her father's footsteps, and is working to help young people in Soweto. First broadcast 2019. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Mpho Lakaje Producer: Harry Graham (Photo: The Edelstein family. Credit: The Edelstein family)

When Justin Bishop was eight years old, he was diagnosed with a condition called retinitis pigmentosa, and was told that one day he would go blind. Two years later he fell in love with skateboarding, and from then on he and his board were inseparable. As his sight began to deteriorate in his late teens, Justin felt he was in a race against time to fit in as much skating as possible, and when he lost his sight at the age of 25 he feared he would never step on a board again. But thanks to the encouragement of his friend, and a cane with a ball on the end of it, Justin is not only winning medals but campaigning for adaptive skateboarding to be included in the Paralympics. A documentary has been made about his story called One Day You'll Go Blind. This interview includes Justin's own recordings of him skateboarding. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: June Christie (Photo: Justin Bishop skateboarding. Credit: Ryne Belanger, TNG Agency)

Osmo Tapio Everton Räihälä is a Finnish composer who is crazy about Everton football club. Growing up almost two thousand miles away wouldn't stop him from living and breathing everything Everton, so much so that as a young composer he took drastic measures to keep his fledgling music career on track. One such inspiration came in the towering figure of the club's Scottish centre forward, Duncan Ferguson who, though blessed with talent, was often in trouble both on and off the pitch. Their lives and fortunes would be end up being entwined but on the night Osmo was debuting his most famous work about Ferguson, the football gods weren't following the score. Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Edgar Maddicott Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com (Photo: Duncan Ferguson celebrates after he scored his first goal for Everton in the Merseyside derby. Credit: Albert Cooper/Mirrorpix/Getty Images)

Nigerian Ruona Meyer was inspired by her famous journalist father - Godwin Agbroko - to become an investigative reporter like him. When he was killed, her grieving brother became addicted to codeine cough syrup. Ruona - clad in bullet proof vest and blue lipstick - risked her life to uncover the black market trade in the medicine that's become a street drug. Her documentary Sweet, Sweet Codeine has been nominated for an Emmy. Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Constanza Hola Image: Ruona Meyer Credit: BBC Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com

American sprinter Wyomia Tyus grew up on a dairy farm in Georgia, in the racially segregated South. When she was 14, tragedy struck her family - their house burned to the ground, and her father died shortly after. Bereft, Wyomia started running to get over her grief. She was soon spotted by the coach of the first - and only - college athletics training programme for black women in the US, and became the first person to win back to back gold medals in the 100m sprint in two consecutive Olympic Games in 1964 and 1968. Yet despite these historic achievements it is only now that she is getting recognition. She tells Anu Anand how it feels to finally get her moment in the spotlight. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Anu Anand Producer: Zoe Gelber (Photo: Medal winners of the women's 100 metres in the 1964 Olympic Games, with Wyomia Tyus in first place. Credit: Bettmann via Getty Images)

Donna Palomba's life changed in September 1993, when she was sexually assaulted in her family home in Connecticut. A month after the attack, Donna was called to the local police station and accused of making the assault up by the officer in charge of her case. It was a devastating blow but Donna was determined to clear her name and get justice. It would take years and several court cases before her attacker was arrested and his identity sent shockwaves through Donna's family and community. As a result of her experience Donna founded Jane Doe No More, a non-profit organisation called Jane Doe No More which empowers survivors of sexual crimes to find their voice, advance their healing and educate others. A warning that what Donna describes is shocking and at times distressing. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Anu Anand Producer: Tom Harding Assinder (Photo: Donna Palomba. Credit: Christine Petit)

The comedy film classic Cool Runnings, about a Jamaican bobsleigh team's surprising efforts to get to the Winter Olympics, was inspired by a real story. Dudley Stokes was an officer in the Jamaican army and hadn't really heard of the sport until his superiors gave a presentation to try and recruit volunteers to take part in the country's first Olympic bobsleigh team. Some of his colleagues were put off by the danger involved as they watched a film of a bobsleigh hurtling down an icy track, but Dudley wasn't. He got on to the team as a driver and became the captain. Dudley tells Anu Anand about the difficult journey to the 1988 Winter Olympics, with only a few months training, and how he coped with a dramatic crash at the Games as the world watched. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Anu Anand Producer: Deiniol Buxton Photo: The Jamaican four man bobsleigh team in action at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympic Games. Credit: David Yarrow/Getty Images

A few years ago, Freddy McConnell decided to have a baby. A decision that is a big deal for most, but that is even more complicated for Freddy, because he is trans. Freddy started his transition in 2012. Back then having a baby wasn't on his mind. But after realising that – biologically – it was still a possibility, Freddy decided to get pregnant. Emily Webb first spoke to Freddy in 2019, and since then he has had a second child. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Emily Webb Producer: Saskia Edwards (Photo: Freddy McConnell standing on a beach. He is pregnant. Credit: Mark Bushnell)

Petrit Halilaj was born in Kosovo in 1986 and grew up in the small town of Runik. He always loved drawing and had a rare talent for it. When war broke out in Kosovo and Serbian troops moved into their hometown, Petrit and his family had to flee, eventually finding sanctuary in a refugee camp in Albania. It was there, in 1999, that Petrit met the Italian psychologist Giacomo 'Angelo' Poli who encouraged the children to communicate the traumas they had experienced, through drawing. Using only felt tip pens, Petrit's drawings ended up being beamed all over the world. They even caught the attention of the then UN Secretary General Kofi Annan who asked to meet Petrit during a visit to the camp. Many years on, Petrit is now a highly acclaimed artist. He recently exhibited work based on some of the drawings from the refugee camp, at Tate St Ives in Cornwall in the South West of England. The show is called Very volcanic over this green feather. The clip you heard came from Swedish broadcaster SVT Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producers: Andrea Kennedy & June Christie Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com (Photo: Petrit Halilaj and Dr Giacomo Poli, 1999. Credit: Giacomo Poli)

This programme contains offensive language. Sweet Anita has Tourette's syndrome, a neurological condition which causes her to make involuntary sounds and movements. Her specific type of Tourette's is called coprolalia, which means she sometimes says offensive or inappropriate things. Before her diagnosis, she didn't know why she was different to everyone else. She was bullied at school and making friends was difficult. Lonely and confused, she was told by a doctor her tics were ‘attention seeking'. But today, with a medical diagnosis and a new-found confidence, Anita is a successful streamer on the gaming platform Twitch, with an avid fanbase and a growing community online. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: May Cameron (Photo: Sweet Anita. Credit: Sweet Anita)

Afghan-American pilot Zak Khogyani was just nine years old when he fled his home in Afghanistan. Being forced to leave his family and belongings behind was not easy, but he eventually managed to settle in the United States, which he now considers home. So last year, when Zak heard about Afghans fleeing the Taliban's takeover, he knew better than most the hardships they were facing. He felt compelled to lend a helping hand, and over three evacuation flights, Zak chaperoned 1,002 people hoping to find safety in the United States. They told him their stories and their fears, looking at him as an inspiration for the life that awaited them upon landing. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Gaia Caramazza (Photo: Zak Khogyani at work. Credit: Zak Khogyani)

As a 16-year-old boy in Togo, Tété-Michel Kpomassie knew he had to escape. It was the late 1950s, and his father had ordered him to train as a priest in a snake cult. But Tété-Michel was terrified of snakes after a close encounter up a coconut tree that had nearly cost him his life. One day, he came across a book about Greenland. He read that there were no reptiles, only ice, and he was intrigued by the Inuit people. So he set out on an odyssey to reach this mysterious country, full of images of icebergs and sledding and hunting. It took him eight years to travel through Africa and Europe, all the while doing clerical odd-jobs, before final reaching the south of Greenland in the mid-60s. He was the first African they had ever seen, and was offered a warm welcome. For 18 months, he learnt the culture and way of life; dog-sledding, seal-fishing and acclimatising to the cold. Then, he returned to Togo as a different man - he shared his story and built a bridge between Africa and Greenland. Now 80, he speaks to Jo Fidgen about his extraordinary adventure and his hopes to return this year to buy a house and spend the last part of his life there. Michel The Giant: An African in Greenland is by Tété-Michel Kpomassie. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Katy Takatsuki (Photo: Tété-Michel Kpomassie in the 60s. Credit: Tété-Michel Kpomassie)

Many African American cemeteries in the US have fallen into disrepair over the years - one of them is Geer cemetery in the city of Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in the 19th century when racial segregation laws meant that Black people had to be buried separately from white people and over 1,500 people are believed to be buried at Geer. Of that number, only around 200 headstones remain and the stories of those interred were at risk of being lost forever. That was until a group of volunteers called "Friends of Geer" stepped in - they are now working to reclaim the histories of those buried there. Reporter Danny Greenwald went to meet two of the group's members - Michael Williams and Deidre Barnes. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Emily Webb Reporter: Danny Greenwald Producers: Danny Greenwald and Laura Thomas (Photo: Deidre Barnes and Michael Williams at Geer Cemetery. Credit: Danny Greenwald)

Growing up in rural Colombia, Professor María Antonia Garcés was obsessed by books and reading, and later on this passion would help her get through a really difficult chapter. In 1982 María Antonia was taken hostage by leftist guerrillas, who were looking for a ransom from her wealthy family. She was put in a tiny cell somewhere in the city of Cali for seven months, and needed a way to keep her sanity. María Antonia fell back on her love of reading, and soon books would become more than just a way to pass the time, they bonded her with her captors. The relationships she made this way, would help save her life. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Mobeen Azhar Producer: Harry Graham and Edgar Maddicott (Photo: Professor María Antonia Garcés. Credit: Professor María Antonia Garcés)

Perween Rahman's assassination in 2013 was one of the most high profile target killings in Pakistan that year. She ran an influential NGO, the Orangi Pilot Project, and had exposed how the mafia were stealing Karachi's water supply. She also stood up to local land grabbers. So who was behind her murder? Faced with a botched police investigation, Perween's sister Aquila began a seemingly impossible campaign for justice. Aquila and Perween's story is portrayed in the film Into Dust. More details available on https://www.intodustmovie.com/. Presenter: Mobeen Azhar Producer: Maryam Maruf Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com (Photo: Perween Rahman. Credit: Courtesy of Aquila Ismail/Orangi Pilot Project)

In 2006 Thomas Schultz and his business partner Lawrence Joseph made a business plan. They were looking for a property to buy, do up and sell. Thomas had his eye on a little cottage near his home in Bellport, a small coastal village to the east of New York City. It was old, dilapidated and needed a lot of attention. But when he crawled through the broken garage door he found something entirely unexpected - 7,000 pieces of art, stacked in piles, rolled up canvasses and strewn across the floor. It turned out to be the work of an unknown artist called Arthur Pinajian and a discovery that would change Thomas' life. Search online to find out more about Arthur Pinajian. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Mobeen Azhar Producer: Andrea Kennedy (Photo: Thomas Schultz in front of an Arthur Pinajian oil painting. Credit: The Estate Collection of Arthur Pinajian)

Syrian musician Maya Youssef is in love with her qanun, a traditional Middle Eastern stringed instrument. Like a family member, it's got her through some difficult times and it consoled Maya as she watched from afar as her homeland was ripped apart by war. Maya's talent at playing the qanun gave her the opportunity to live in the UK and she has taken it on tour playing in refugee centres for new arrivals and at the Royal Albert Hall. Maya tells Mobeen Azhar about her journey with the qanun. Her upcoming album is called Finding Home. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Mobeen Azhar Producer: Deiniol Buxton (Photo: Maya Youssef and her qanun. Credit: Igor Studio)

Eva Schloss and Anne Frank had been childhood friends and neighbours in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam. Both their families had a horrific experience at Auschwitz and after the war, Eva became Anne's posthumous stepsister when her mother married Otto Frank, Anne's father. When Otto first discovered Anne's now world-famous diary, he showed it to Eva. It was an emotional experience and it reminded Eva of her last conversation with her beloved brother Heinz. He was a gifted artist and he had revealed where he had hidden his cache of secret paintings. Eva was determined to bring them to light. Eva shares her extraordinary Holocaust testimony over two episodes. In this second episode, she describes her experience of the liberation of Auschwitz and her efforts to keep her brother Heinz's memory alive. In part one, you can hear about her life before Auschwitz and her family's eventual capture. Presenter: Emily Webb Producer: Maryam Maruf Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com (Image: Eva's mother Fritzi Geiringer painted by her father Erich between 1942-1944 when the family was in hiding. This painting was in the cache of canvases hidden by Heinz. Credit: Courtesy of Eva Schloss)

Eva Schloss and Anne Frank had been childhood friends and neighbours in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam. Eva remembers Anne's nickname was ‘Miss Quack Quack' because she always loved talking. Then, like the Franks, Eva's Jewish family was forced into hiding. Both families were ultimately betrayed and sent to Auschwitz, the most notorious of the Nazi death camps. After the war, Eva became Anne's posthumous stepsister when her mother married Otto Frank, Anne's father. Together they worked tirelessly to promote Anne Frank's legacy through her diary. Eva shares her extraordinary Holocaust testimony over two episodes. In this first episode, she describes her life before Auschwitz and her family's eventual capture. In part two, you can hear about her experience of the liberation of Auschwitz and her efforts to keep her brother Heinz's memory alive. Presenter: Emily Webb Producer: Maryam Maruf Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com (Photo: Eva Schloss aged 11 in 1940. Credit: Courtesy of Eva Schloss)

Anna Shechtman began writing crossword puzzles as a teenager - but developed an eating disorder around the same time. She became one of the youngest crossword creators to publish a puzzle in the New York Times newspaper and now writes crosswords for the New Yorker magazine, but during her recovery she sometimes feared that her illness and her love of creating crosswords were inextricably linked. She tells Emily Webb about the art of cruciverbalism, 'crossworld', and why the creation of crossword clues is a political act. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Emily Webb Producer: Laura Thomas (Photo: Anna Shechtman. Courtesy of Emily Shechtman)

Alenka Artnik grew up in Slovenia in a loving but complicated family. Her father was an alcoholic, and her brother was addicted to drugs. Years of pain and grief meant that Alenka found herself feeling lost and alone. But then, just when she most needed it, when she'd thought about taking her own life – she found freediving and sanctuary in an underwater world. Drawing on her own personal, physical and mental strength, she is now a world champion freediver. Last year she broke world records by diving to an astonishing 122 metres. If you are affected by issues raised in this programme there is confidential support on the BBC Action line website, or at Befrienders.org Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producers: May Cameron and Andrea Kennedy (Photo: Alenka Artnik. Credit: DaanVerhoeven)

After a lifetime of caring for her sick mother, Helen Naylor began to suspect that her mum had a very rare condition called Munchausen's Syndrome, a psychological disorder where according to the NHS, "someone pretends to be ill or deliberately produces symptoms of illness in themselves. Their main intention is to assume the "sick role" so that people care for them and they are the centre of attention." All through Helen's childhood her mother, Elinor, would stay in bed most of the time while Helen looked after her. Helen accepted that she would always be her mother's carer but after she died in 2016, Helen decided she needed to find out more about her mother and her own childhood so she started conducting her own investigation. Helen has written a book called My Mother, Munchausen's and Me: a true story of betrayal and a shocking family secret. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Tom Harding Assinder and Rebecca Vincent (Photo: Helen Naylor and her mother Elinor. Credit: Helen Naylor)

Marie Harrower's mother taught her not to let her blindness hold her back. This helped Marie become a physiotherapist and win a place at the 1976 Paralympics. She tells Outlook's Antonia Quirke her story. Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Deiniol Buxton Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com (Photo: Marie Harrower. Credit: Paul Fegan)

We are celebrating the life of the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who spoke to Outlook in 2014 with his daughter, Mpho Tutu van Furth, about family and forgiveness. They had written a book together called The Book of Forgiving. Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Deiniol Buxton Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com (Photo: Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his daughter the Reverend Mpho Tutu van Furth. Credit: Oryx Media 2013)

In 1968 Neil Sarfati was 23 and feeling "lost", when a conversation with a neighbour introduced him to Scientology. What began as self-help movement born out of the teachings of the founder, science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, had become an organisation with a large and devoted following. Fearing the world would be destroyed unless the teachings of Scientology took hold, Neil left his job and wife and made his way to Los Angeles to sign up to the Sea Org, an elite group of its most dedicated members. He boarded their ship, the Apollo, and began playing saxophone in the crew's new jazz band, The Apollo Stars, in ports dotted around the Atlantic coast of Africa and Europe. But as Hubbard became increasingly creatively involved, Neil started to doubt his commitment to Scientology. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Emily Webb (Photo: Neil Sarfati in 2012. Credit: Neil Sarfati)

Helene Cooper grew up in Liberia, fled during a bloody military coup and arrived in the US as a child refugee. Her background inspired her to become a journalist but there was one question that still needed to be answered: what had happened to the adopted sister she'd left behind? This interview was first broadcast in May 2019. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Emily Webb Producer: Alice Gioia (Photo: Eunice (in striped dress) and Helene Cooper (with sunglasses). Credit: Helene Cooper)

In 2019, Fabiola Campillai was working in a factory where her husband Marco worked as a lorry driver. They were leading a quiet life in Santiago raising their children when a tear gas cannister changed the course of Fabiola's life. The cannister, fired by a police officer, left her permanently blinded with multiple life-changing injuries. After spending months in hospital, Fabiola came out fighting. She had no political background, but helped by Marco, she decided to stand for election as a Senator, and won. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Emily Webb Producer: Gaia Caramazza and Maryam Maruf (Photo: Fabiola Campillai with her husband Marco. Credit: Chile Today/Boris van der Spek)

Education has always been important to Virginia Walden Ford. As a child she was part of the process of desegregating schools in Little Rock, Arkansas. Years later, as a parent, she watched as her son's grades dropped and his behaviour changed. She believed his school was failing him and began a long campaign for change in the US education system. Virginia is the subject of a feature film called Miss Virginia. This episode was first broadcast in November 2019. Presenter: Asya Fouks Producer: Tom Harding Assinder Picture: Virginia Walden Ford speaking at a news conference of the Black Republican Congressional Staff Association Credit: Tom Williams / Getty Images Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com

Jay Flynn worked in a pub and loved hosting pub quizzes every week. When pubs were ordered to close at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in the UK, he started his own virtual pub quiz for family and friends but he forgot to make it private and in the end, thousands of strangers across the country played along too, and have been ever since. He's been credited with helping people's mental health through the pandemic. Jay spent time living on the streets in London and went through his own mental health crisis. He spoke to Andrea Kennedy. Their conversation touches on the moments he contemplated suicide. If you are affected by issues raised in this programme there is confidential support on the BBC Action line website, or at Befrienders.org Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Emily Webb Producer: Andrea Kennedy and May Cameron (Photo: Jay Flynn. Credit: Courtesy of Jay Flynn)