Main content

Podcast

A weekly reflection on a topical issue.

Updated: weekly
Episodes available: indefinitely

Episodes to download

  •

    Mixed Signals

    Fri 29 Sep 2023

    Stephen Smith muses on HS2 and his grandfather's job on the railways.

  • The Wink of Dishonour

    Fri 22 Sep 2023

    Howard Jacobson on the 'horrid fascination' of celebrity.

  • In the Spite House

    Fri 15 Sep 2023

    AL Kennedy reflects on the intoxicating nature of hate.

  • My Love Affair with the Mysterious

    Fri 8 Sep 2023

    Zoe Strimpel ponders the current resurgence of ghost stories.

  • Against the Bucket List

    Fri 1 Sep 2023

    Will Self on the 'pernicious practice' of bucket lists.

  • The Trad Wife

    Fri 25 Aug 2023

    Megan Nolan explores the trend of the 'trad wife'.

  • The Rationality of Monarchy

    Fri 18 Aug 2023

    John Gray argues the case for monarchy.

  • Limbo

    Fri 11 Aug 2023

    Sara Wheeler reflects on the concept of limbo.

  • The Tourist Trap

    Fri 4 Aug 2023

    Sarah Dunant ponders how historic cities deal with unprecedented numbers of tourists.

  • Freddie Mercury's Moustache Comb

    Fri 28 Jul 2023

    Stephen Smith on our fascination with the belongings of the rich and famous.

  • The Soul of a Rebel

    Fri 21 Jul 2023

    As a seasoned protester, Trevor Phillips explores what鈥檚 wrong with protest today.

  • The Dragon and The Dog

    Fri 14 Jul 2023

    Adam Gopnik reflects on the truths our dogs can teach us.

  • Notes on Ageing

    Fri 7 Jul 2023

    Michael Morpurgo reflects on age as he approaches his 80th birthday.

  • Good Directions

    Fri 30 Jun 2023

    AL Kennedy ponders how we deal with a never-ending cycle of bad news.

  • Observing Ourselves

    Fri 23 Jun 2023

    Will Self reflects on mirrors, narcissism and human imperfection.

  • Midsummer and the Mysteries of Colour

    Fri 16 Jun 2023

    As Midsummer Day approaches, Rebecca Stott examines our complex relationship with colour.

  • Beyonc茅, Beauty and the Pursuit of Youth

    Fri 9 Jun 2023

    Zoe Strimpel on the perils of treating youth as a commodity.

  • To Mow or Not to Mow

    Fri 2 Jun 2023

    John Connell reveals how his love for his lawn gave way to letting the grass run wild.

  • Taking Hammer to Gill

    Fri 26 May 2023

    Howard Jacobson says an attack on Eric Gill's sculpture is a failure to understand art.

  • The Ratings Game

    Fri 19 May 2023

    Tom Shakespeare bemoans the fashion for being asked to rate everything we buy or do.

  • Dust to Dust

    Fri 12 May 2023

    Rebecca Stott ponders the nature of dust, as spring sunshine sharpens the sight of it.

  • On Ascent

    Fri 5 May 2023

    Sara Wheeler ponders what the new Carolean age will bring forth.

  • Demographic Meltdown

    Fri 28 Apr 2023

    Sarah Dunant explores how the UK can tackle its demographic timebomb.

  • Abide with Yourself

    Fri 21 Apr 2023

    Will Self on the fad of creating ever more 'cultural quarters' in our towns and cities.

  • In Praise of Satire

    Fri 14 Apr 2023

    Adam Gopnik says foreign TV shows helped him appreciate the universal language of satire.

  • The Wisdom of Judgement

    Fri 7 Apr 2023

    Sara Wheeler says writing a biography has proved a reminder not to judge people.

  • Insecurity

    Fri 31 Mar 2023

    Megan Nolan says she was an insecure teenager, and millennial adulthood is just as uneasy.

  • Proportional Representation and a New Politics

    Fri 24 Mar 2023

    John Gray makes the case for proportional representation as a means to revive our politics

  • Amaryllis

    Fri 17 Mar 2023

    Howard Jacobson on why a flower has suddenly trumped exotic chocolates in his affections.

  • Collecting Art

    Fri 10 Mar 2023

    Zoe Strimpel explores what lies behind her new-found impulse to collect art.

  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. 4
  6. 5
  7. …
  8. 26

This podcast belongs to