Lives Less Ordinary

Drawing is my language: the artist who recreates cities from memory


Listen Later

Stephen Wiltshire was born in London in 1974, and diagnosed with autism when he was three. Mute until he was five, he was sent to a specialist school where his teachers soon noticed his prodigious talent for drawing. His passion was buildings - the more complicated, the better - and he would recreate them in intricate detail on the page, often from memory. His rare gift astounded the world, and flung Stephen into the spotlight as a child. He was recognised as an 'artistic savant' - someone with extraordinary visual talents - and as a teenager he travelled the world, drawing famous international landmarks. Today, he continues to work as an artist, and is best known for drawing vast, panoramic cityscapes entirely from memory. He and his sister Annette tell Emily Webb about his journey.
Presenter: Emily Webb
Producer: Zoe Gelber
Get in touch: [email protected]
(Photo: Stephen Wiltshire drawing a panorama of Mexico City in 2016.. Credit: Daniel Cardenas/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Lives Less OrdinaryBy BBC World Service

  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7

4.7

467 ratings


More shows like Lives Less Ordinary

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,701 Listeners

From Our Own Correspondent by BBC Radio 4

From Our Own Correspondent

369 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,046 Listeners

Woman's Hour by BBC Radio 4

Woman's Hour

395 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,431 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,804 Listeners

Witness History by BBC World Service

Witness History

948 Listeners

The History Hour by BBC World Service

The History Hour

585 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,786 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,072 Listeners

Desert Island Discs by BBC Radio 4

Desert Island Discs

2,065 Listeners

Great Lives by BBC Radio 4

Great Lives

518 Listeners

F1: Chequered Flag by BBC Radio 5 Live

F1: Chequered Flag

768 Listeners

File on 4 Investigates by BBC Radio 4

File on 4 Investigates

40 Listeners

The Inquiry by BBC World Service

The Inquiry

737 Listeners

The Audio Long Read by The Guardian

The Audio Long Read

842 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,192 Listeners

The Slow Newscast by The Observer

The Slow Newscast

160 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

736 Listeners

Life Changing by BBC Radio 4

Life Changing

57 Listeners

Cyber Hack by BBC World Service

Cyber Hack

1,619 Listeners

The Guardian Investigates by The Guardian

The Guardian Investigates

187 Listeners

Intrigue by BBC Radio 4

Intrigue

177 Listeners

Young Again by BBC Radio 4

Young Again

47 Listeners