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Episode details

Radio 4,02 Aug 2025,13 mins

The Decisions That Made Me: Sonnaz Nooranvary (House of Sonnaz, upholsterer)

The Bottom Line

Available for over a year

Sonnaz Nooranvary thought she’d have to be a doctor or a lawyer to please her parents but struggled academically thanks to a combination of dyslexia and ADHD. Everything changed when she spotted an advert for an upholstery apprenticeship. She dropped out of college to build yachts from scratch. The upholsterer talks to Evan Davis about how she went against her family’s expectations to follow her instincts. Production team: Producer: Bob Howard, Georgiana Tudor Editor: Matt Willis Sound: John Scott Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison (Photo credit: Luke David)

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