Literary critic and feminist historian Joanna Scutts’s latest book, Firebrands, showcases 25 pioneering women writers you should have heard of – but probably haven’t. Why? Well, in this episode, Joanna’s chatting to our Mick about the whys, the whos, the what’s changed, what’s not changed and the trouble that kicks off when women start having ideas. 

Firebrands: 25 Pioneering Women to Ignite Your Reading Life is published by Duckworth and out now.

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Kate Summerscale’s bestselling narrative nonfiction The Suspicions of Mr Whicher was made into big telly, starring Peter Capaldi and unraveling a murder that took place in the 1860s. Her latest book is much more recent history, however, and in The Peepshow: The Murders at 10 Rillington Place, she revisits the crimes of John Reginald Halliday Christie, one of Britain’s most notorious serial killers, putting flesh on the bones of his female victims and looking at the role played by the sensationalist media of the time.

She chats to Mick about all of the above, what Christie’s crimes said about Britain at the time, how much – if at all – anything’s changed, and why true crime is still such popular entertainment.

The Peepshow: The Murders at Rillington Place is published by Bloomsbury and out now.

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Mick and Jen are on news duty this week, talking cynical steps – or is it honourable intentions? – as social media companies try to get to grips with the Online Safety Act. Elsewhere, there are smiling faces aplenty outside Strangeways, as the Labour Government grapples with its inherited crumbling prison system. Thank the gods of whimsy that Paddington Bear is on hand to cheer us all up. Not Jen, though. He makes her cry. Also, there’s contraceptive chaos in Sexism of the Week, and some baffling sponsorship in Jenny Off the Blocks.

Meanwhile the boss, Sarah Millican, is back for our £5 and above Patreon subscribers, offering some light relief around the gendered use of language.

You can find the BPAS petition Mick talks about in this episode here.

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Is The Last Seduction your average "bitches be crazy" film? Why no more roles for Linda Fiorentino? Can anyone bear that much jazz? The answers to these and many more questions lay within.

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After the success of last year's Ghost Stories by Candlelight tour, HighTide Theatre is back with a new production – More... Ghost Stories by Candlelight – showcasing four up-and-coming writers, including Eloise Pennycott.

Jen chatted with the actor, writer and theatre maker about the production’s tour of the East of England - which is also showing at The Globe, starting on October 30 - as well as sustainable theatre, representation of deaf people in the arts, and why we love being scared.

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Life in plastic: is it fantastic… to watch? Greta Gerwig’s star-studded Barbie was one of THE big-hitters in cinema last year and, according to critics across the globe, wasn’t just pink and sparkly and fun, but came with a big ol' side of feminism. But did it, though? Did it? Hmmm. Mick, Hannah and Yosra will be the judge and jury of that. 

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Quadrophenia is a tale of young male angst and multiple wing mirrors, and is apparently the reason Jen's brother used to wear a cravat. But is it a case of style over substance? And is a game of "spot the young character actor" enough to keep us interested?

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How long does it take to sink in that you've won the Edinburgh Comedy Award? That's one of the questions Hannah is putting to comedian Amy Gledhill, who scooped the big prize this year for her show Make Me Look Fit on the Poster. They chat about the difference between self-confidence and self-esteem, local news and a lot more.

If you want to see Make Me Look Fit on the Poster, which is touring now, you can get tickets here: https://amygledhill.co.uk/live-dates

Or for Amy's 12-day run at London's Soho Theatre, here: https://sohotheatre.com/events/amy-gledhill-make-me-look-fit-on-the-poster-2/

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Holloway women’s prison closed its doors in 2016, but the legacy left behind looms large for those who spent time there. As part of an exercise in healing, filmmakers Daisy-May Hudson and Sophie Compton took a group of six women who were imprisoned in Holloway back there. Their feature documentary Holloway, an examination of the criminal justice system in England and Wales, is the result. Jen caught up with Daisy-May and Sophie to talk about the ways in which women are failed by the system, and the need for more compassion in our discourse around the prison system.

Holloway is premiering at the London Film Festival

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If you find yourself with some hours to fill with telly, then let us help you make some good choices. This time, we're talking about Slow Horses, The Perfect Couple, Ludwig, Only Murders In The Building, Joan, Apples Never Fall, Kaos and more. 

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