Activist, playwright, novelist, critic, broadcaster and ‘searcher’ Bonnie Greer tells Zawe about the power of being on the outside looking in. Bonnie is one of the UK’s most influential black cultural figures - having played a part in running numerous major institutions including the British Museum, the Royal Opera House, London Film School, RADA, Serpentine Gallery and Theatre Royal Stratford East. You may well have seen her on TV, as a regular contributor to Newsnight Late Review, or a panelist on Question Time, where in 2009 she famously took down the BNP leader Nick Griffin in what is still one of the programmes most watched - and most controversial - episodes. Bonnie has written numerous plays, musicals and operas which have appeared everywhere from Radio 4 to the West End, and is the author of five books, spanning fiction, non-fiction and memoir. She was awarded an OBE in 2010. Bonnie’s book choices are: ** Small Island by Andrea Levy ** Their Eyes were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston ** Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by JK Rowling ** Character Breakdown by Zawe Ashton ** Entropy by Bonnie Greer Zawe Ashton, acclaimed actress, director, playwright and author, hosts Season Four of the chart-topping Women’s Prize for Fiction Podcast. The new Women’s Prize Podcast season continues to celebrate the best fiction written by women, by interviewing inspirational women about the books that have most influenced their life and career. Make sure you listen and subscribe now, you definitely don’t want to miss the rest of Season Four. This podcast is sponsored by Baileys and produced by Bird Lime Media. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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