Alison Hindell is Commissioning Editor of Drama & Fiction for BBC Radio 4, where she is responsible for all the drama and fiction reading commissions, as well as having oversight of The Archers, the world’s longest-lived soap opera at nearly 75 years old. Together with Rhian Roberts, Alison created Limelight, the BBC’s hugely successful podcast drama strand for Radio 4 and BBC Sounds; and co-commissioned Passenger List with Radiotopia.

She has worked in BBC radio/audio drama for the majority of her career and has directed hundreds of 270 audio dramas. As Head of Audio Drama for the BBC she was responsible for one of the biggest audio drama production departments in the world, overseeing over 400 hours of drama per year. She has an international profile, frequently judging competitions and speaking at conferences, and chaired the EBU (European Broadcasting Union) Radio Drama group from 2014 till 2022. Her productions have won many awards including a Gold Medal at the New York Radio Festival.

She has also worked in animation and directed theatre in the UK and in Ukraine and, as a Russian speaker, was the first British director to direct in Russian in the former Soviet Union. She is a Fellow of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama.