³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ

Jon Ronson has spent much of his journalistic career examining people who live on the fringes of society. Cathy finds out where this fascination comes from and why he considers it such rich territory.

With the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland underway, a youthful look at what the talking points for the coming week will be, with young delegates Amy Hannah, Esther Nisbet and Shahrukh Gill.

The interest generated by the birth of a royal baby two weeks ago has put a spotlight on the changing nature of Britain’s ethnic make-up. But what is the reality of being mixed-race in 21st century Scotland? Cathy is joined by storyteller Mara Menzies and poet and scriptwriter Hannah Lavery.

When she was a teenager, Harriet Shawcross stopped making conversation for nearly a year. In her new book ‘Unspeakable – The Things We Cannot Say’, she meditates on this personal experience, alongside an exploration into the world of silence.

Cultures have always relied on the oral tradition to pass histories and wisdom down the ages. In the digital age, we are finding a new way of holding onto the spoken word, with families increasingly recording their loved ones for posterity. Cathy is joined by Curator of Oral History at the British Library Sound Archive, Mary Stewart, writer and broadcaster Anna Magnusson and musician Donnie Munro, Chair of the digital sounds project Tobar an Dualchais or Kist o Riches.