Night Waves - 30/09/2009

Philip Dodd meets the Turner prize winning artist Grayson Perry – who has made a monumental tapestry of daily life in Walthamstow After decades of research into the life of Charles Dickens, Michael Slater has produced this century’s first major account of the Victorian author. Slater joins Philip to discuss how Dickens’ extraordinary personal life is reflected in his novels – his deep concern for the poor, his love of fairy tales, his fascination with disorder and the ultimately doomed relationship with his wife. As critics accuse Labour of resurrecting the Victorian Workhouse for single mothers and the plight of children in the UK is described as mirroring the times of Dickens, Philip debates just how Dickensian Britain still is today with guests Dinah Birch and Roy Hattersley And is Europe biased against Israel? International politics expert Robin Shepherd argues that Europe’s often hostile attitude to Israel is creating a pariah state that’s a test case for the West’s ability to stand up for its own values