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Helen Fielding; Martha Payne; Power List Expert Witness; Malala and the repercussions in Pakistan; Surrogacy in India

Helen Fielding on the new Bridget Jones novel, and how Martha Payne's blog about school lunches took her all the way to Africa. Presented by Jenni Murray.

She was the EveryWoman icon for the thirtysomething generation, and now Woman's Hour can reveal that Bridget Jones is coming back. After over ten years in LA Helen Fielding is back in the UK and back at her desk, writing the third Bridget Jones book. Will it be cigarettes and alcohol intake, or will it be Twitter and Pinterest? Helen Fielding joins Jenni to explain why she has decided it is time to bring Bridget Jones back, and why she retains such a hold on people's hearts.

It started as a nine-year-old's blog about her school lunch but then the local council tried to ban it and after that there was just no stopping it. So far Martha Payne's site, Neverseconds, has raised over 拢120,000 for charity and now Martha, with a bit of help from Dad, is publishing a book.

We've come so far from the protest marches and songs of only fifty years ago, and campaigning across a global, digital platform has never evolved faster than now. So what makes a successful campaigner - is it power or influence? And who are today's most powerful and effective women campaigners? Continuing our Power List series - co-editor and co-founder of the campaigning magazine Red Pepper, Hilary Wainwright, joins Jenni to discuss.

Almost one million people worldwide have signed their name to call on both the Pakistan government and the United Nations to achieve Malala Yousafzai's aim - that every girl has the opportunity to go to school. Gordon Brown will declare tomorrow Malala Day, a global day of action in support of the 32 million girls around the world who are not at school. But what are the repercussions in Pakistan itself? Orla Guerin is the 大象传媒's Islamabad Correspondent, and joins us from there.

Every year, hundreds of couples travel from their homes in Britain, America and Europe to the Gujarati city of Anand, near Ahmedabad. Anand is India's Milk City - a million litres of milk are produced here every day, and it's the centre of the country's dairy industry. But these visitors are not coming for milk. They're coming for children. Surrogacy is big business in India. And it's controversial - with newspaper headlines, both here and in India, attacking the idea of 'wombs to rent'. Clare Jenkins recently went to the Akanksha Infertility Clinic in Anand to hear from some of those involved.

Presented by Jenni Murray. Produced by Susannah Tresilian.

Available now

58 minutes

Clip

Chapters

  • Helen Fielding

    The author Helen Fielding reveals she is writing a new book about Bridget Jones.

    Duration: 12:47

  • Orla Guerin on the Repercussions of Malala's shooting in Pakistan

    Orla Guerin talks to Jenni about the repercussions of the shooting of Malala Yousafzai.

    Duration: 07:21

  • Power List Expert Witness: Hilary Wainwright on Campaigning

    Hilary Wainwright of Red Pepper magazine on powerful women in field of Campaigning.

    Duration: 05:44

  • Surrogacy in India

    Clare Jenkins at the Akanksha Infertility Clinic, Anand.

    Duration: 08:31

  • Martha Payne

    Martha Payne鈥檚 site, Neverseconds, has raised over 拢120,000 for charity Mary鈥檚 Meals.

    Duration: 07:30

Woman鈥檚 Hour reveals that Helen Fielding is writing third Bridget Jones book

She was the EveryWoman icon for the thirtysomething generation, and now Woman鈥檚 Hour can reveal that Bridget Jones is coming back. After over ten years in LA Helen Fielding is back in the UK and back at her desk, writing the third Bridget Jones book. Will it be cigarettes and alcohol intake, or will it be Twitter and Pinterest?听 Will it be love, or will it be loss?听 And crucially 鈥 will it be Darcy or will it be Cleaver?听 Helen Fielding joins Jenni to explain why she has decided it is time to bring Bridget Jones back, and why she retains such a hold on people鈥檚 hearts.

What are the Repercussions of Malala鈥檚 Shooting in Pakistan?

For the last four days, Woman鈥檚 Hour has been reading excerpts from the blog written by Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai.听 In the UK and beyond, the wave of support for Malala and girls like her has been consistent and shows little signs of diminishing.听 Two weeks ago, almost one million people worldwide signed their name to call on both the Pakistan government and the United Nations to achieve Malala Yousafzai's aim - that every girl has the opportunity to go to school.听 Gordon Brown, in his role as UN Special Envoy for Global Education, will declare tomorrow is Malala Day, a global day of action in support of the 32 million girls around the world who are not at school.听 But what are the repercussions in Pakistan itself?听 Orla Guerin is the 大象传媒鈥檚听Pakistan Correspondent, and joins us from there.

Woman's Hour Power List Expert Witness: Hilary Wainwright on Campaigning

We鈥檝e come so far from the protest听marches and songs of only fifty years ago, and campaigning across听a global, digital platform has never evolved faster than now.听 So what makes a successful campaigner 鈥 is it power or influence?听听 And who are today鈥檚 most powerful and effective women campaigners?听 听Continuing our Power List series 鈥 co-editor and co-founder of the campaigning magazine Red Pepper, Hilary Wainwright, joins Jenni to discuss.

Martha Payne

It started as a听nine-year-old鈥檚听blog about her school听lunch but then her local council tried to ban it and after that there was just no stopping it鈥μ So far Martha Payne鈥檚 site,听 Neverseconds,听has raised听over 拢120,000 for a charity called听Mary鈥檚 Meals which听operates school feeding projects for children living in听the poorest parts of听 the world.听 Now Martha, with a little听help from听her听Dad, is publishing her own book.听 Martha and Dave Payne tell Jenni about visiting Malawi this summer and seeing first hand the difference Martha鈥檚 idea has been able to make.听

鈥淣everseconds: The Incredible Story of Martha Payne And How She Changed The World鈥 is released on听 15 November in paperback and ebook

Surrogacy in India

Every year, hundreds of couples travel from their homes in Britain, America and Europe to the Gujarati city of Anand, near Ahmedabad. Anand is India鈥檚 Milk City 鈥 a million litres of milk are produced here every day, and it鈥檚 the centre of the country鈥檚 dairy industry.听 But these visitors are not coming for milk. They鈥檙e coming for children. Because over the last couple of decades, Anand has also become famous as Womb City - where Indian women bear children for both Indian and non-Indian couples. Surrogacy is big business in India. And it鈥檚 controversial 鈥 with newspaper headlines, both here and in India, attacking the idea of 鈥榳ombs to rent鈥. Clare Jenkins recently went to the Akanksha Infertility Clinic in Anand to hear from some of those involved.

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  • Fri 9 Nov 2012 10:00

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