Caitlin Moran’s How to be a Woman to be adapted for BBC Radio Four

Journalist Caitlin Moran’s How to be a Woman has been adapted by the writer herself for the Riot Girls radio series starting on 12th January 2019. The Riot Girls series is a collection of stories from brilliant women and Moran’s book is a perfect example of this, a feminist message full of her usual witty and hilarious anecdotes.

The story of How to be a Woman is a memoir of Caitlin Moran’s life as she moves from adolescence in Wolverhampton to her adult life, while attempting to answer the questions every woman has asked herself while navigating these tricky life moments. The adaptation will be narrated by Caitlin Moran and star Louise Brealey (Sherlock) as Caitlin, Jeanette Percival as Caitlin’s sister Caz, and Clare Corbett as Caitlin’s mother.

The first episode of this exciting, new radio dramatization of Moran’s How to be a Woman, will air on Monday 14th January at 10.45am. After the first instalment airs, all five episodes of the adaptation will be available exclusively as a boxset on BBC Sounds, before they air on the radio every day following until the 18th January.

Alongside How to be a Woman, airing as part of the Riot Girls series, is Into the Maze, a thriller by award-winning writer, Ayeesha Menon. The story spans across London, Saudi Arabia and Mumbai and tales the tale of two sisters, Saira and Jamila, when Saira is raped her life is turned upside down and she struggles to get the justice she deserves. Another powerful feminist story, Menon shows the struggles of women across the globe. Into the Maze will air from the 14th January to 16th January.

Kicking off the Riot Girls series, is Riot Days. Political activist and founding member of Pussy Riot – a Russian Feminist punk protest group – Maria Alyokhina, in this story, accounts her activism and the subsequent trial that led to her imprisonment. Riot Days airs 12th January and 13th January and, like How to be a Woman, will be available in full on BBC Sounds after the first episode airs on the radio.

Alison Hindell, the Comissioning Editor for Drama and Fiction for BBC Radio 4 explains the importance of telling these stories. Hindell says, “Each series of Riot Girls has challenged and entertained and this year – at a time when debate sparked by women demands full attention – it seems more relevant than ever. With the writing of Maria Alyokhina, Caitlin Moran and Ayeesha Menon – 2019’s Riot Girls will not disappoint.”