A weekly reflection on a topical issue.
Radio 4,·825 episodes
Sara Wheeler ponders whether holidays ever really deliver the escape that we yearn for.
Tom Shakespeare calls for new thinking to fix the current crisis in our prisons.
Rebecca Stott on her quest for a decent-tasting apple.
Megan Nolan on New York as the Main Character Syndrome capital of the world.
Will Self with a very personal take on the rise of medical records apps.
Caleb Azumah Nelson on why anger is no longer a stranger to him, but a friend.
Sara Wheeler reflects on being a sibling to her brother who has a lifelong disability.
Zoe Strimpel on crossing the rubicon into motherhood.
AL Kennedy on taking on her workaholism.
John Gray accuses US liberals of displaying a 'reckless hubris' in the election campaign.
Adam Gopnik warns of our tendency to normalise evil behaviour.
Will Self reflects on an 'epidemic' of envy.
Sarah Dunant on Alexei Navalny and the creation of a modern martyr.
Howard Jacobson on the liberation of laughter and a world turned upside down.
Rebecca Stott reflects on what's to be gained by going 'down the rabbit hole'.
Tom Shakespeare ponders the demise of his handwriting.
Sara Wheeler ponders the value of ritual and its role in improving character and society.
Stephen Smith asks what's to become of Britain's naval tradition.
The theft of her backpack gets AL Kennedy thinking about questions of identity and loss.
Mark Damazer on how we judge our political masters.
Zoe Strimpel on sugar's extraordinary power to bind generations.
Alex Massie on the changing face of a Scottish New Year.
Michael Morpurgo takes us on a frosty walk near his home in Devon.
Will Self ponders the contemporary power of the sermon.
John Gray argues that pessimism can be a force for change.
Rebecca Stott reflects on the importance of nurturing the curiosity of children.
Adam Gopnik tells us why he's obsessed with steps... a lot of steps.
Sarah Dunant explores the elusive, individual nature of dreams.
Zoe Strimpel discusses her new-found fascination with infrastructure.
John Connell reflects on our changing relationship with rain.
