大象传媒

Libby Purves meets poet and playwright Owen Sheers; Stephen Grady, a former member of the French Resistance; musical star Michael Ball and brewer Ffion Jones.

Owen Sheers is a poet, author and playwright. In 2012 he spent a year as artist-in-residence for the Welsh Rugby Union. His book, Calon - A Journey to the Heart of Welsh Rugby, uses his unprecedented access to players and coaching staff to discover what drives a Welsh rugby player. Calon - A Journey to the Heart of Welsh Rugby is published by Faber and Faber.

Stephen Grady was 14 and living in Northern France when the Second World War began. His English father worked for the Imperial War Graves Commission. At 16, Stephen was recruited by the French Resistance and took part in a series of daring missions for which he was later awarded the Croix de Guerre. His memoir, Gardens of Stone - My boyhood in the French Resistance, is published by Hodder and Stoughton.

Michael Ball is one of Britain's leading musical stars in the West End and on Broadway. He recently appeared in the title role of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street. He donned a fat suit to play Edna Turnbald in Hairspray for which he won a Laurence Olivier Award. His new album Both Sides Now is released on Union Square Music.

Ffion Jones has just been appointed the first female brewer at SA Brain brewery in Cardiff. The company was founded by Samuel Arthur Brain and his uncle Joseph Benjamin Brain in 1882. After passing her exams earlier this year, Ffion has just brewed her first beer - a braggot flavoured with honey and spices.

Producer: Paula McGinley.