“Best of the Best 2019”: Hour 2

Best of the Best is a yearly ode to audio storytelling, taking listeners on a journey through the full breadth of what’s possible in stories made from sound.

Stories featured in this hour:

• A Sense of Quietness [Excerpt], produced by Eleanor McDowall for Lights Out, a Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4 Winner

  -Winner of the 2019 Best Documentary: Bronze Award

  -In a beautifully flowing narrative, the stories of four unrelated women in the UK and Ireland connect in unexpected ways, as they discover the quiet power and hidden dangers of speaking out about abortion.

• ROW-cub, produced by Neena Pathak

  -Winner of the 2019 Best Documentary: Honorable Mention Award

  -After Aaji innocently asks if her granddaughter, Mithu, is bringing her "friend" home for the holidays, Mithu struggles to translate her heartache. [Note that this story is bilingual, but it can still be understood by non-Marathi speakers.]

• This Is Not A Drill, produced by Jazmín Aguilera with Anna Sussman for Snap Judgment from WNYC.

  -Winner of the 2019 Best Documentary: Silver Award

  -For exactly 38 minutes on January 13th, 2018, the state of Hawaii was thrown into a state of panic. This story recounts what it was like for residents on that unforgettable morning as they tried to wrestle with impending doom, death and destruction.