Lives Less Ordinary

The award-winning author who used her strict Mennonite upbringing to tell its unspoken stories.Miriam Toews is one of Canada’s most acclaimed novelists, but her journey began far from the literary world. Raised in the conservative Mennonite town of Steinbach, Manitoba, she grew up surrounded by deep faith, strict expectations, and a culture where silence often covered over difficult truths. The town didn't even have a train station to keep it separate from the 'worldy' practices of contemporary society. At home, her devout father Mel’s lifelong battle with mental illness and her mother Elvira’s rebellious streak created a world of tenderness and tension — one Miriam would later transform into funny and powerful fiction.Miriam reflects on how she became a writer: the restless imagination that sparked during childhood, her early escape from the confines of her community, and the personal losses that shaped novels such as A Complicated Kindness, All My Puny Sorrows, and Women Talking. With success also came the cost of telling stories about identity, family, mental health and faith — stories her community never dare speak aloud.This programme contains references to suicide. If you are suffering distress or despair and need support, you could speak to a health professional, or an organisation that offers support. Details of help available in many countries can be found at Befrienders Worldwide. www.befrienders.orgPresenter: Jo Fidgen Producers: Laura Thomas and Edgar Maddicott Editor: Munazza Khan Lives Less Ordinary is a podcast from the BBC World Service that brings you the most incredible true stories from around the world. Each episode a guest shares their most dramatic, moving, personal story. Listen for unbelievable twists, mysteries uncovered, and inspiring journeys — spanning the entire human experience. Step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected.   Got a story to tell? Send an email to liveslessordinary@bbc.co.uk or message us via WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784You can read our privacy notice here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5YD3hBqmw26B8WMHt6GkQxG/lives-less-ordinary-privacy-notice

Trapped underground: my 54-hour cave rescue. For George Linnane, an experienced caver from England, being underground is his happy place, somewhere he can feel calm away from the chaos of daily life. But when he and two friends set out for a routine trip in the Ogof Ffynnon Ddu cave system in Wales one Saturday lunchtime in November 2021, they couldn’t know it would turn into a nightmare. After a stone bridge gave way underneath him, George fell ten metres onto solid rock and couldn’t move. He suffered a broken leg, shattered jaw, a punctured lung and spleen and was drifting in and out of consciousness. When news of his predicament got out, 300 extraordinary volunteers from around the UK mobilised and came to his rescue. Thanks to the quick thinking and skill of his friends and the hundreds of fellow cavers who rushed to his aid, George counts himself very lucky to be alive. His remarkable true story became the longest cave rescue in UK history, taking a mammoth 54 hours to bring him back to the surface. Lives Less Ordinary is a podcast from the BBC World Service that brings you the most incredible true stories from around the world. Each episode a guest shares their most dramatic, moving, personal story. Listen for unbelievable twists, mysteries uncovered, and inspiring journeys - spanning the entire human experience. Step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected.Presenter: Asya Fouks Producer: Edgar Maddicott   Got a story to tell? Send an email to liveslessordinary@bbc.co.uk or message us via WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784You can read our privacy notice here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5YD3hBqmw26B8WMHt6GkQxG/lives-less-ordinary-privacy-notice

Aged 16, coming out of an audition, budding British actor Dan Whitlam was caught up in a fight with a group of boys in London. He was stabbed twice in the back with a screwdriver. The wound pierced and collapsed his lung. The physical scars healed quickly but the mental ones took a lot longer. For years Dan battled with panic attacks and anxiety. He was plagued with worries that his lung had collapsed again, his father became his chaperone as he was afraid to walk the streets alone.Two years later, Dan met his attacker as part of a restorative justice programme, and while he got the apology he needed the panic attacks and fear continued. What helped him was writing about that day. He told the story of the stabbing through poetry and added to it a new narrative, one that painted his attacker in a kinder light. He wanted to humanise him, make him less of a monster and show that there is more than one side to each of us. Dan has gone on to perform this poem hundreds of times and earned himself a huge following for his work as a spoken word artist and musician. He writes primarily for what he calls a lost generation – young adults who grew up in an age of social media, digital natives who are inundated with options, comparisons and aspirations. He also now writes a lot about love.Dan's poetry collection is called I Don't Want To Settle. He will be on tour in Europe and the US in November.Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Andrea KennedyLives Less Ordinary is a podcast from the BBC World Service that brings you the most incredible true stories from around the world. Each episode a guest shares their most dramatic, moving, personal story. Listen for unbelievable twists, mysteries uncovered, and inspiring journeys - spanning the entire human experience. Step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected.   Got a story to tell? Send an email to liveslessordinary@bbc.co.uk or message us via WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784   You can read our privacy notice here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5YD3hBqmw26B8WMHt6GkQxG/lives-less-ordinary-privacy-notice

Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, shares his unique upbringing that sparked a tech revolution. He discusses the decision to make the web free, prioritizing access over wealth and fame. Tim explains his parents’ pioneering work in computing and how their parenting style fostered his curiosity. He reflects on the web's societal impact, the dangers of addictive platforms, and the importance of data sovereignty. Berners-Lee also highlights the crucial balance between online and offline life, reminding us of the value of in-person connections.

Jack Horner inspired a character in Jurassic Park after the dino discovery of a lifetime.Jack has been fascinated by fossils for as long as he can remember. He spent his childhood digging around in the fossil-rich earth of Montana, as his father was involved in the gravel-extraction business. By the age of eight he was rewarded with his first big treasure – a real piece of dinosaur bone. As Jack's fossil collection grew, so did his passion for palaeontology. But he struggled at school, where severe undiagnosed dyslexia led his teachers and parents to write him off as lazy and spoiled. He pushed on regardless and in 1978 made a life-changing find: the world's first baby-dinosaur skeletons, and evidence that dinosaur parents cared for and raised their young like many modern birds. The discovery made front-page headlines around the world, and led to awards and accolades Jack had never thought possible. It also brought him to the attention of author Michael Crichton, who based a lead character in his hit book, Jurassic Park, on Jack. And when the call came from Stephen Spielberg to come and advise on the movie version, his fame as a dinosaur expert hit a whole new level. Jack was then himself inspired by the movie, and supervised one of his students in extracting DNA from a T. rex. It didn't work – but it led to his current 'Dino Chicken' project, where he is discovering how to bring ancient dinosaur features back to life in modern birds so he can finally have a pet dinosaur of his own.Presenter: Asya Fouks Producer: Anna Lacey and Lucy DaviesLives Less Ordinary is a podcast from the BBC World Service that brings you the most incredible true stories from around the world. Each episode a guest shares their most dramatic, moving, personal story. Listen for unbelievable twists, mysteries uncovered, and inspiring journeys - spanning the entire human experience. Step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected.   Got a story to tell? Send an email to liveslessordinary@bbc.co.uk or message us via WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784   You can read our privacy notice here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5YD3hBqmw26B8WMHt6GkQxG/lives-less-ordinary-privacy-notice

In the chaos of the helicopter evacuation from Saigon in April 1975, Doan Hoàng Curtis' sister was somehow left behind. It would haunt her family for years. Doan was just three years old when her family made it onto one of the last helicopters to leave Saigon as troops from the communist North took over the city and the Vietnam war came to an end. Her father was a major for the South Vietnamese air force and if he'd stayed in Saigon he could have been killed. Leaving Vietnam was an extraordinary moment for the family, but one that would have a deep and lasting impact on them, because somehow, in the turmoil of the evacuation, Doan's 17-year-old half-sister Van was left behind. It would take Van six years and a treacherous journey via Thailand before she could be reunited with her family, who ended up settling in the United States. Doan says the anger and confusion of why her sister was left behind has defined her whole life. Now an award-winning documentary filmmaker living in the US, Doan returned to Vietnam in 2005 with her family - including her sister Van - to make a documentary and confront the past. It's called Oh Saigon: A War in the family.News report of Fall of Saigon came from CBS news.Presenter: Mobeen Azhar Producer: June Christie Lives Less Ordinary is a podcast from the BBC World Service that brings you the most incredible true stories from around the world. Each episode a guest shares their most dramatic, moving, personal story. Listen for unbelievable twists, mysteries uncovered, and inspiring journeys - spanning the entire human experience. Step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected.   Got a story to tell? Send an email to liveslessordinary@bbc.co.uk or message us via WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784   You can read our privacy notice here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5YD3hBqmw26B8WMHt6GkQxG/lives-less-ordinary-privacy-notice

Abbas Alizada was eight when he first saw a Bruce Lee film. He fell in love with kung-fu, copying his hero’s moves and his look before an online post shot him to overnight fame.Abbas was born in Kabul in 1993, the youngest of nine siblings. His family are Hazara, an ethnic minority who have historically faced violence and persecution in Afghanistan, and were partcularly targeted when the Taliban first took power in 1996. During this time, music and movies were banned, and Abbas’ family kept a low profile until the US-led invasion toppled the regime in the early 2000s.With restrictions gone, Abbas began to see movies for the first time, on a television his uncle would rent for the family. He was nine when he first saw Bruce Lee in kung fu classic Enter The Dragon. He was transfixed by the actor’s kung fu skills, and decided that day that he wanted to be a martial artist. As a teenager, he was enrolled in a local martial arts academy, but when his parents could no longer afford the fees, he continued training by himself at home. For years, he spent hours a day mastering his hero's moves in his basement, watching all of Bruce Lee's movies in slow motion, even teaching himself how to use the iconic fighter's trademark nunchucks. Abbas was eighteen years old when a friend first pointed out to him that not only could he kick like Bruce Lee, but that he bore an uncanny resemblance to the martial arts legend too. Abbas cut his hair to look like the Fist of Fury star and when his friend uploaded a photo of him posing like Bruce Lee to the internet, it went viral overnight. National and international media descended on the Alizada household to interview this young lookalike with his self-taught mastery of kung fu. Soon, Abbas was being flown all over the Middle East and Asia to star to star in movies, film commercials and perform at festivals. Abbas married, had kids, and was riding high. But when the Taliban returned to Kabul in 2021, he knew he had a target on his back. Soon, Abbas would be forced to drop everything - and find a way out. Presenter: Asya Fouks Producer: Zoe GelberClips: Enter the Dragon / Warner Bros., Concord ProductionsLives Less Ordinary is a podcast from the BBC World Service that brings you the most incredible true stories from around the world. Each episode a guest shares their most dramatic, moving, personal story. Listen for unbelievable twists, mysteries uncovered, and inspiring journeys - spanning the entire human experience. Step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected. Got a story to tell? Send an email to liveslessordinary@bbc.co.uk or message us via WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784You can read our privacy notice here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5YD3hBqmw26B8WMHt6GkQxG/lives-less-ordinary-privacy-notice

This extra edition of Lives Less Ordinary is to remember the remarkable conservationist and primatologist Jane Goodall, who has died at 91. The life she lived alongside great apes revolutionised the way we see them – and ourselves. It was 65 years ago that a young Jane left England to travel to the Gombe Stream National Park on the shores of Lake Tanganika. She was there to observe chimps in their natural habitat – and her discoveries were game-changing. It was the first time anyone had seen a non-human animal using tools – forcing a rethink of our relationship to them, the natural habitat, and what it is to be human. In this revealing interview from 2016 she talks about how her work was embedded in a lifelong fascination with creatures great and small. Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producers: June Christie and Edgar MaddicottLives Less Ordinary is a podcast from the BBC World Service that brings you the most incredible true stories from around the world. Each episode a guest shares their most dramatic, moving, personal story. Listen for unbelievable twists, mysteries uncovered, and inspiring journeys - spanning the entire human experience. Step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected.   Got a story to tell? Send an email to liveslessordinary@bbc.co.uk or message us via WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784   You can read our privacy notice here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5YD3hBqmw26B8WMHt6GkQxG/lives-less-ordinary-privacy-notice

Vamarr Hunter always felt a special bond with the owner of his favourite local bakery — but never imagined she could be his long-lost birth mother. Vamarr loved to visit the bakery in his home neighbourhood in Chicago, enjoying the cakes, pies and cookies, but also the warm company of the owner, Lenore Lindsey. Vamarr had had a tricky time growing up, and only discovered he was adopted when he was in his thirties. Initially he had no interest in searching for his birth mother, but years later a TV programme inspired him to start the hunt. He eventually got some help from a genealogy expert, who made an amazing discovery: his birth mother lived just a few blocks away.Vamarr and his birth mother agreed to speak on the phone — but this was when things got truly extraordinary. Vamarr couldn't work out why the much-anticipated phone call was coming from his local bakery, and why he recognised the voice on the other end. It took a few seconds for Lenore and Vamarr to realise that they were mother and son — finally reunited after 48 years — and that they'd already known each for many years.They instantly became very close, and Vamarr started coming round to the bakery after work to spend time with Lenore. He began helping out with some of the baking, and, after Lenore's health made it difficult for her to keep managing the bakery, took over running it for her. Vamarr discovered that he loves baking just as much as Lenore does.Presenter: Mobeen Azhar Producer: Rebecca VincentLives Less Ordinary is a podcast from the BBC World Service that brings you the most incredible true stories from around the world. Each episode a guest shares their most dramatic, moving, personal story. Listen for unbelievable twists, mysteries uncovered, and inspiring journeys - spanning the entire human experience. Step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected.   Got a story to tell? Send an email to liveslessordinary@bbc.co.uk or message us via WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784   You can read our privacy notice here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5YD3hBqmw26B8WMHt6GkQxG/lives-less-ordinary-privacy-notice

Once a homeless teen in Mumbai, now Zarna Garg’s a top comedian, touring with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.Zarna Garg was in her 40s living in New York City when she went to an open mic night for the very first time. Before that, she’d never even heard of stand up comedy and was only there, resentfully, at the insistence of her children who were convinced their mother would be a success. The kids were right, and Zarna – who was desperate for a new career – found her calling in comedy. Zarna has spent her whole life reinventing herself. Born in Mumbai to a wealthy Indian family, she was kicked out by her controlling father when she refused an arranged marriage. At the time, Zarna was a teenager and grieving the sudden death of her mother to illness. Overnight, Zarna became homeless, relying on the kindness of friends for a place to stay. After more than a year of instability, she succumbed to her father’s demands and agreed to be married. But just before the wedding, Zarna received a visa and arrived in the US – in pursuit of happiness and love, on her own terms. She supported herself through law school, became an unwitting pioneer of online dating, and raised a family. But decades later, Zarna was spiralling and rethinking all her life choices. Describing herself as a “manic, deranged Manhattan housewife,” she began various business ventures that “failed spectacularly.” When Zarna was ridiculed at a fancy dinner party by other guests – her husband came to her defence, declaring to the room, “one day you’re going to find your thing and you’re going to become unstoppable.”It was this crisis that led Zarna to become a stand up comic. After her clips started going viral online, Zarna caught the attention of some of the biggest stars of the entertainment world, and even got her own comedy special on TV. Zarna’s written a book called This American Woman: A One-in-a-Billion Memoir.Presenter: Mobeen Azhar Producer: Maryam Maruf and Helen FitzhenryLives Less Ordinary is a podcast from the BBC World Service that brings you the most incredible true stories from around the world. Each episode a guest shares their most dramatic, moving, personal story. Listen for unbelievable twists, mysteries uncovered, and inspiring journeys - spanning the entire human experience. Step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected.   Got a story to tell? Send an email to liveslessordinary@bbc.co.uk or message us via WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784   You can read our privacy notice here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5YD3hBqmw26B8WMHt6GkQxG/lives-less-ordinary-privacy-notice