11/06/2026

A Belfast stabbing has ignited a wave of violent unrest, with protests escalating into arson, property destruction, and targeted attacks on minority communities—many of whom are asylum seekers from Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. BBC correspondent Louise Cullen and refugee advocate Tawassul Mohamed describe the fear gripping families, the emergency response of community volunteers, and the psychological toll on children who’ve fled war only to face new trauma. Meanwhile, author Catherine Stockett returns after a 17-year silence with her new novel, *The Calamity Club*, a story of resilience and chosen family set during the Great Depression. She reflects on the backlash she faced for *The Help*, her struggle with literary expectations, and her belief that empathy—through storytelling—is essential to understanding others. In a touching moment, poet Emily Cullen shares how her son’s exam revealed her long-lost poem, a synchronicity that reaffirmed her faith in life’s hidden patterns. The episode closes with a powerful stage adaptation of *Under the Shadow*, a horror play about a mother’s fear in 1980s Tehran, where supernatural dread mirrors real-world oppression and the enduring strength of women under siege.