Arena

Sinéad Gleeson, editor of 'The Art of the Glimpse' celebrates Nollaig na mBan by sharing selected stories from women writers, performance poet Sinéad O’Brien discusses her debut album 'Drowning in Blessings', The Therapy Sessions at First Fortnight with Laura Quirke of Lemoncello & actor Roxanna Nic Liam.

Radie Peat of Lankum & fellow musician Katie Kim collaborate for Nollaig na mBan on an audio/visual streaming event, the worlds of science & art are sometimes perceived as the opposite ends of the human spectrum, the fields are not as mutually exclusive as we might think, health.firstfortnight.ie, music with Ollie Cole & writer Sheridan Le Fanu.

Tolü Makay's new take on Leo Moran & the Saw Doctors classic N17, Antony Gormley the British sculptor, best known for the Angel of the North, on his book, Shaping the World, director Simon Evan discusses the second series of Staged & Chris Wasser reviews a new TV adaptation of Stephen King's The Stand.

Art historian Jessica Fahy on classic Winter scenes in art from Bruegel to Kandinsky & Harry Clarke, Mary McGill reviews a documentary marking the one year anniversary of RTÉ broadcaster Marian Finucane's passing, a new initiative aimed at helping artists & music venues, togetherinelectricstreams.com, Chris Wasser recommends Christmas TV viewing.

Film Reviews with Roe McDermott & John Maguire, The Midnight Sky, Soul & Songs for While I'm Away, a new documentary about Phil Lynott, The Artful Dickens is a new collection of essays revealing the techniques of Charles Dickens, Ireland in Music, from Donal Scannell filmed in Ireland's most spectacular locations & featuring a host of Irish talent.

Lesley Manville discusses her role in Let Him Go starring with Kevin Costner and Diane Lane, Paul McCartney releases the third in a trio of albums going back to his solo debut, in 1970, McCartney III, Lia Murphy and Pat Carty look back at his solo career and remembering Kirsty MacColl on her 20th anniversary.

Cara O'Doherty & Michael Pope review Let Him Go, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom & Wonder Woman 1984, crime novelist Michael Connelly's new book is 'The Law of Innocence' & Madeleine Keane discusses the English author who gave us the modernist classic novels 'Mrs Dalloway' & 'To The Lighthouse' while also making the essay form her own.

20 Shots of Opera is a series of short operas, commissioned by the Irish National Orchestra and recorded in with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, the stage and screen actor, Richard Burton, is the subject of a new exhibition and Erica Cody is one of the artists for Shine Your Light - Solstice on RTÉ this Sunday, 20 December across TV and radio.

Where Now Begins the new collection from Kerry Hardie, award-winning poet & author of two novels. In the new poems, themes of love, loss, ageing & grief are interwoven with Kerry's fascination with the natural world, Livin Dred Theatre company & A Christmas Carol, musician & singer Lisa O'Neill recommends where to begin Ivor Cutler.

Edna O'Brien is one of our most cherished and lauded writers, who has a six decade career of astonishing work celebrates her 90th birthday, John Banville pays tribute to John LeCarré beloved bestselling author of Cold War thrillers & Carl Austin takes a look at one of pop culture's most enduring feminist icons, Wonder Woman.