Midweek: Diverse Conversation

Libby Purves meets jazz singer/songwriter Jamie Cullum, Sophie Andrews and Pam Blackwood from Samaritans, scientist Richard Dawkins and comedian and actor Greg Davies.

Libby Purves meets Jo Bell who is the first Canal Laureate; actor and Eastenders star June Brown MBE who has written an autobiography Before the Year Dot; jazz singer James Torme who is the son of singer Mel Torme and actress Janet Scott and Dr Peter Sharrock who is an art historian at SOAS, University of London.

Libby Purves meets banker come hip-hop artist Jihan Bowes-Little, journalist Thomas Harding, Kangeroo Dundee, Chris 'Brolga' Barns and wine writer Jancis Robinson.

Libby Purves meets former soldier-turned-writer Andy McNab; Cheryl Knight, who is in charge of shoes at the Royal Opera House; author Joseph Boyden and producer and creator of QI, John Lloyd.

Libby Purves meets cloth merchants Philip Pittack and Martin White who have 120 years of experience in textiles between them and run Crescent Trading: cartoonist Annie Tempest has just published a book entitled Tottering-by-Gently the first 20 years; Nicholas Shakespeare is an award-winning novelist and biographer & his latest book is a personal one called Priscilla The Hidden Life of an Englishwoman in Wartime France & is published by Random House and finally Dillie Keane who is an actor and singer/songwriter. She founded the satirical cabaret trio Fascinating Aida in 1983.

Libby Purves meets Andrew Davidson who has written a book called Fred's War - A Doctor in the Trenches about his grandfather's life in WW1 and the photographs he took; jazz saxophonist Courtney Pine with his new album House of Legends; actress Rula Lenska who has written her autobiography called Rula My Colourful Life and Amrik Singh who is a Sikh chaplain at London’s Heathrow Airport.

Libby Purves meets conductor John Wilson; lawyer and poet Dan Burt; actor Rita Moreno and Holly Mumby-Croft, mayor of Broughton in Lincolnshire.

Libby Purves meets Thomasina Lowe, daughter of President Kennedy's official photographer; actor and director Paul Michael Glaser; singer Emily Maguire and writer Harry Ritchie.

Libby Purves meets Sandra Noel, daughter of the filmmaker Captain John Noel who made The Epic of Everest in 1924; director of the National Theatre, Sir Nicholas Hytner; comedian Jack Whitehall and his father Michael, a theatrical agent and Andrea Coleman, co-founder of Riders for Health.

Libby Purves meets pilot Anna Walker, football manager Harry Redknapp, novelist Wilbur Smith and actor and comedian Alexander Armstrong.

Libby Purves meets the actor and screenwriter Emma Thompson who has written The Christmas Tale of Peter Rabbit; Richard Noble who set the world land speed record thirty years ago and his new project is Bloodhound SSC where he attempts to break the record again by reaching 1,000mph in a jet and rocket powered car; the folk singer Linda Thompson whose new album Won't Be Long is her first since 2007 and finally Dr Paul Abel who is an astronomer, mathematician and co presenter on the BBC's The Sky at Night.

Libby Purves meets singer Jacqui Dankworth; artist Don Bachardy; writer and film critic Barry Norman; and comedian Alexei Sayle.

Libby Purves meets Fred Astaire's daughter, Ava Astaire McKenzie; wildlife cameraman Doug Allan; writer Michael 'Mini' Cooper with filmmaker Franc Roddam and calligrapher Ewan Clayton.

Libby Purves meets Maria Vasquez who came to Britain from Chile as a child refugee; former child actor and star of The Fallen Idol, Robert Henrey; woodsman and survival expert Ray Mears; hip hop artists, The Q Brothers, Gregory and Jeffery Qaiyum.

Mariella Frostrup meets author Allan Ahlberg, singer Kiki Dee, creator of Silent Witness Nigel McCrery and landscape artist Julie Brook.