News round-up: GirlfriendsÂ’ award nomination; TREE AID appeal; Jewish Voices event; Story of Christmas photos

12 January 2019 01:57

Welcome to the first news round-up of 2019 for Zoë Wanamaker fans!

Girlfriends nominated for a National Television Award – voting now open!

Wonderful news this week: Girlfriends, starring Zoë, Miranda Richardson and Phyllis Logan as friends rocked by tragedy, has been nominated for Best New Drama in the UK’s 2019 National Television Awards. You can vote for your favourite shows and actors until 22 January.

Created by renowned scriptwriter Kay Mellor, Girlfriends received a great deal of high-profile media coverage (including a feature on News at Ten!) when it premiered on ITV 1 just over 12 months ago. It broke new ground in TV drama by putting mature women at the heart of the story.

The fast-paced, six-part series has been chosen as one of the NTA's five Best New Drama nominees following an initial public vote. Now itÂ’s time for viewers to select their overall winner. ItÂ’s interesting to note that the other dramas in the category aired much more recently than Girlfriends, suggesting that the series has made a lasting impression on its audience.

Rollem Productions, which made Girlfriends for ITV, is clearly delighted.

The NTA winners will be revealed on 22 January during a live ceremony on ITV 1.

BBC Radio 4 charity appeal for TREE AID

On 13 January, Zoë will present a fundraising appeal on BBC Radio 4 for TREE AID, which helps disadvantaged communities in Africa’s drylands to cultivate trees and generate an income from them. As she explains in this video, Zoë has been a patron of the charity for over 20 years and admires the way its work ‘empowers people to lift themselves out of poverty’.

The appeal will highlight the experience of Petra, a widowed mother from Burkina Faso, who joined a TREE AID project and now earns enough money to feed her children.

You can hear Zoë’s appeal at 7:54 am and 9:25 pm (UK time) on 13 January or catch up online. The appeal will run for 7 days after being broadcast to enable donations to be collected (click ‘Show more’ on Radio 4’s webpage about the programme to see the various ways to make a donation). Alternatively, you can donate via TREE AID’s website at any time.

Celebrating the power of words at Jewish Book Week

On 10 March, Zoë will take part in Jewish Voices, the grand finale of Jewish Book Week 2019 in partnership with the charity World Jewish Relief.

Described as ‘a celebration of the power of words’, Jewish Voices will be held at Kings Place in London, where Zoë gave enchanting readings of Stevie Smith’s poetry in 2016. She’ll be joined by fellow actors Henry Goodman and Janet Suzman, director Nicholas Hytner, newsreader Emily Maitlis, food critic Jay Rayner and many other well-known public figures. They’ll read poems, letters and speeches connected to Jewish history.

Demand for tickets to this international literary festivalÂ’s event is high. The first batch sold out soon after being released to the public, but extra tickets will be available on 14 January. You can also book tickets to attend a live relay of Jewish Voices in another part of Kings Place.

The Story of Christmas Appeal photos

Photos have recently been published showing Zoë taking part in The Story of Christmas Appeal in London on 12 December (see pages two and four of the event’s gallery). That day was particularly busy for her – she went to the prestigious carol service straight after giving a reading at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health’s own Christmas celebration.

The Story of Christmas is the property and construction industries’ annual festive charity event and is held at St George’s Hanover Square Church in Mayfair. The 2018 event has raised a staggering £630,000 to help both the homeless population and disadvantaged children in the London area.

Other special guests included actor Dame Eileen Atkins and journalist Ian Hislop, the charity's president.

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