BBC Radio 4’s Today has announced this year’s guest editors who will helm the programme between Christmas and the New Year. They include novelist Zadie Smith, former Pulp singer Jarvis Cocker and architect Zaha Hadid.
There are five editors in all, the aforementioned plus Citigroup Chairman Sir Win Bischoff and Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor, the Head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales.
Guest editors are responsible for between a third and a half of their programme's output and this year will include contributions from Zadie Smith who will report from Liberia. Jarvis Cocker will offer his own personal take on the credit crunch while Sir Win Bischoff examines what business can learn from the success of the British Olympic team. Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor plays alongside one of Britain’s top concert pianists in an effort to find out what makes certain music spiritual. Finally, Zaha Hadid asks whether the Eiffel Towers and Sydney Opera Houses of today are being built in the Gulf.
Today Editor, Ceri Thomas, said: "The guest editors have turned into one of the highlights of the Today year: they think of things that wouldn't normally occur to us; they take us places we wouldn't ordinarily go. I think this year's group is the most fascinating we've ever worked with."
Previous Today guest editors include Damon Albarn, Professor Stephen Hawking and Anthony Minghella.
