Jimmy Iovine, Donal Ryan, Glyndebourne Opera Cup, Spring equinox poems

Bruce Springsteen, John Lennon and Patti Smith are just a few of the artists who trusted an inexperienced recording engineer, Jimmy Iovine, at the controls of their albums in the '70s. Iovine discusses a new documentary series The Defiant Ones, in which he looks back at 40 years in the record business: from those early beginnings, teaming up with hip hop artist Dr Dre, creating the Beats audio brand and running Apple Music.

Award-winning Irish novelist Donal Ryan on his fifth novel, From a Low and Quiet Sea, which tells the story of three men, from war-torn Syria to small-town Ireland. Three apparently disparate stories that come together in the most unexpected of ways.

An international competition for young singers, The Glyndebourne Opera Cup is being televised this week. Samira talks Maria Mot, one of the jury, about what she's looking for in such a wide range of voices and styles and its appeal to a younger audience of opera aficionados.

Today is the spring equinox and through the day Radio 4 has been broadcasting new poems to mark the (official) start of the season when life quickens. On Front Row we welcome, with a poem each, Caleb Femi, the Young People's Laureate for London, and Scotland's Makar Jackie Kay.

Presenter Samira Ahmed Producer Harry Parker.