A matter of life and death
As a rookie journalist, Leo Hornak interviewed a woman who was dying, during her last weeks. He never did anything with the recording. Over a decade on, he’s putting that right.
When journalist Leo Hornak was just starting out as a rookie reporter, he came across a lead that he thought might make a good story: a leaflet for an organisation that supported assisted dying. He went on to record interviews with Margaret and Emma – not their real names. Margaret was an advocate for assisted dying and Emma was near the end of her life, but wanted to control the time and manner of her death. Leo rapidly realised he was out of his depth and he wasn’t even sure whether he could find a place to broadcast Emma and Margaret’s testimony. So the recordings he made with them sat on his laptop for more than a decade – until reporter Talia Augustidis gave him an idea, and Leo set about trying to lay his unfinished business to rest.
Presenter: Talia Augustidis
Producer: Talia Augustidis and Leo Hornak
Executive Producer: Laura Thomas
Get in touch: [email protected] or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707
(Photo: Close-up of a dying daisy. Credit: Marie Hickman)
Last on
Broadcasts
- Thu 12 Dec 202412:06GMTBBC World Service
- Thu 12 Dec 202418:06GMTBBC World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
- Thu 12 Dec 202423:06GMTBBC World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
- Fri 13 Dec 202403:06GMTBBC World Service
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