My Toy Soldier

Available for over a year

At birth Thomas Callaghan was 11 inches long, smaller than an action toy soldier. This is the story of Thomas’s battle for life told through the words of his mother Tracy, father Andrew and grandmother Linsay. The feature explores, from the baby’s first breath, what it was like for the family faced with the unexpected and frightening premature birth of their first born child and grandchild. New Storytellers presents the work of new student audio producers, and this series features the winners of the Charles Parker Prize 2025 for the Best Student Radio Feature. These awards are presented every year in memory of the pioneering radio producer Charles Parker who produced the famous series of Radio Ballads with Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger. The series is introduced by Charles’ daughter, Sara Parker, an award-winning radio producer in her own right. This winning feature was produced by Kieran Callaghan, a second year BA Media Production student at the University of Sunderland, the judges said of My Toy Soldier “This simple story was beautifully told, and I loved all the little sonic details which elevated the feature and took it to a different level.” Producer: Kieran Callaghan A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4