Politics and Society Podcasts
Series 9, Episode 22
1hr
Julian Baggini – How to Think Like a Philosopher
Join bestselling public philosopher Julian Baggini for a ‘complete treat: a breath of fresh air and a bracing detox for our beleaguered, battered brains’ (Derren Brown).
Series 9, Episode 19
42mins
Amantha Imber – How to Use Time Wisely
Organisational psychologist Amantha Imber has distilled the wisdom of the world’s most innovative people to help us all use our time more productively.
Series 9, Episode 17
1hr 15mins
Mariana Mazzucato and Rosie Collington – How the Consulting Industry Weakens Our Democracy
A ground-breaking investigation into how the consulting industry has made its way to the heart of our economies, weakening businesses and infantilising governments.
Series 9, Episode 15
1hr 25 mins
Bernie Sanders Meets Frankie Boyle – It’s Okay to Be Angry About Capitalism
The longest-serving independent in Congress, the leader of democratic socialism in America, and a hero to progressives across the globe, Senator Sanders joins Frankie Boyle to take on the 1%.
Series 9, Episode 13
55mins
Caroline Dodds Pennock – How Indigenous Americans Discovered Europe
The story of Colombus’s ‘discovery’ of America has been told endlessly; but that of the indigenous Americans who travelled to the ‘savage shores’ of Europe remains almost untold. Until now.
Series 9, Episode 10
1h 20m
Mervyn King Meets Martin Wolf – The Crisis of Democratic Capitalism
The former governor of the Bank of England and the renowned FT commentator explore why the relationship between democracy and capitalism is coming undone.
Season 9, Episode 9
1hr
Daniel Finkelstein Meets Adam Wagner – The Freedoms We Lost in the Pandemic
Leading human rights barrister Adam Wagner joins Lord Finklestein to tell the story of Britain’s State of Emergency – and issue a wake up call to protect our liberties.
Series 9, Episode 6
1hr 10 mins
Nouriel Roubini – Megathreats That Imperil The World’s Future
Nouriel Roubini was dubbed ‘Dr Doom’ when he predicted the 2008 crash. He joins the podcast to reveal new threats to our collective future ‘as scary as they are plausible’ (Martin Wolf).
Series 9, Episode 4
1hr 15mins
Maria Ressa – How To Stand Up to a Dictator
Crusading Filipino journalist Maria Ressa has spent decades speaking truth to power.
Series 8, Episode 25
1 hr
Sathnam Sanghera – Marriage Material
Join acclaimed writer Sathnam Sanghera for a moving conversation on love, politics, family and the immigrant experience.
Series 8, Episode 24
1hr 20mins
Chelsea Manning – Information is Power
Join one of the world’s most famous transparency advocates and trans women for her life story.
Series 8, Episode 20
1hr 10mins
The Pursuit of Growth is a Disaster for Our Country and Our Planet
From Westminster to Beijing, politicians and economists believe growth is the path to progress and prosperity. But are they blindly leading us towards catastrophe?
Series 8, Episode 17
35mins
Danielle Keats Citron – How to Protect Dignity and Identity in the Digital Age
The privacy we once took for granted has disappeared. Danielle Keats Citron is here to fight back.
Series 8, Episode 16
1hr 20mins
Live Debate: “Now is the Time to Make Peace in Ukraine”
Jeremy Corbyn and Elon Musk might seem strange bedfellows, but both advocate for a negotiated peace to the war in Ukraine. Are they right?
Series 8, Episode 15
30mins
Joyce Tyldesley – The Life, Death, and Afterlife of Tutankhamun
One hundred years after the discovery of his tomb, Joyce Tyldesley tells the story of Egypt’s most famous pharaoh.
Series 8, Episode 14
1hr 5 mins
Yuval Noah Harari Meets Katherine Rundell – Unstoppable Us
In a special podcast for children and families, the author of the multi-million bestselling Sapiens tells the incredible story of the human race to Katherine Rundell.
Series 8, Episode 3
1hr
Mark Bergen – Inside YouTube’s Chaotic Rise to Global Domination
Bloomberg News reporter Mark Bergen reveals the story of how YouTube changed the world through untamed freedom of speech.
Series 8, Episode 2
1hr
Charlotte Fox Weber – A Journey Into Human Desire
Join leading psychotherapist Charlotte Fox Weber for a fly-on-the-wall journey through universal human wants and desires, and a practical toolkit for living well.
Series 8, Episode 1
Series 8, Episode 1
Melanie Joy – How to Get Relationships Right
Psychologist Melanie Joy shares the principles and tools that can make any relationship, from personal to professional, healthier and more resilient.
Series 7, Episode 17
1hr
Patrick Radden Keefe – True Stories of Killers, Grifters, and Crooks
Patrick Radden Keefe exposed the Sackler family’s role in the US opioid crisis: a parable of greed that made headlines the world over. He joins us with more stories of crime and corruption.
Series 7, Episode 15
1hr
Alice Sherwood – How to Fight Back Against Counterfeit Culture
In an age when authenticity is valued above all, why are tricksters and con artists thriving — and what can we do to fight back?
Series 7, Episode 14
37 mins
Daniel Pink – The Power of Regret
No regrets! The mantra adorns tattoos, T-shirts and posters; celebrities from John Travolta to Laverne Cox say they live by it. But should they?
Series 7, Episode 13
35 mins
Daniel Pick – A New History of Thought Control
Psychoanalyst and historian Daniel Pick reveals the murky and pernicious story of ‘brainwashing’, taking us from the first days of the Cold War through to modern-day conspiracy theories.
Series 7, Episode 13
1hr
Tara Porter – A Psychologist’s Guide to Life for Girls and Young Women
‘If God were a mother, [Tara Porter’s book] is the Bible she would write for teenage girls and young women’ (Caitlin Moran).
Series 7, Episode 12
1hr 5 mins
Chris Patten – The Future of Hong Kong
The last British governor of Hong Kong joins us to share unprecedented insights into negotiating with the Chinese government and reflect on the new superpower’s role on the world stage.
Series 7, Episode 11
1hr 15 mins
Jeremy Hunt – The Future of the NHS
On the day of Boris Johnson’s historic resignation, former Secretary of State for Health and Tory leadership candidate Jeremy Hunt joined us to unveil his plan to renew the NHS.
Series 7, Episode 10
1hr 10 mins
Bonnie Wright – How to Nurture Yourself and the Planet
Lessons for living sustainably and protecting the future of our planet with actresses and activists Bonnie Wright and Evanna Lynch.
Series 7, Episode 7
1hr
Michael Ignatieff – Finding Solace in Dark Times
Political leader, philosopher, historian, journalist, broadcaster, and Booker shortlisted literary novelist: Michael Ignatieff is a twenty-first century Renaissance man.
Series 7, Episode 1
48 mins
Rory Stewart – The State of the Nation
The former politician and diplomat shares his insights into Britain and the world in 2022.
Series 6, Episode 31
1hr 7mins
Pandora Sykes Meets Tina Brown – The Inside Scoop on the House of Windsor
Can the monarchy survive? Drawing on exclusive inside access, Tina Brown tells Pandora Sykes the riveting inside story of the Royal Family.
Series 6, Episode 30
1 hr
Sam Knight – The Premonitions Bureau
Join legendary journalist Sam Knight for the true story of a strange experiment – a journey into the oddest corners of 60s Britain and the outer edges of science and reason.
Series 6, Episode 27
Owen Jones Meets Michael Lewis – The Fifth Risk
‘I read Michael Lewis for the same reasons I watch Tiger Woods. I’ll never play like that. But it’s good to be reminded every now and again what genius looks like’ – Malcolm Gladwell
Series 6, Episode 26
51 mins
Robin Ince Meets Neal Stephenson – Termination Shock
‘Sometimes when you’re reading Neal Stephenson, he doesn’t just seem like one of the best novelists writing in English right now; he seems like the only one.’ – TIME magazine
Series 6, Episode 25
1hr
Eliot Higgins – We Are Bellingcat
“Taking on the Kremlin from his couch . . . Eliot Higgins and Bellingcat are fighting Vladimir Putin and his ilk, using little more than computers and smartphones.” (Foreign Policy)
Series 6, Episode 22
1hr
Ed Miliband – How to Fix Our World
A better world is possible; the solutions are out there. We can all make a difference. We just need to know where to look – and have the courage to think big.
Series 6, Episode 21
57 mins
Dispatches from Afghanistan
What does the future hold for the people of Afghanistan in the wake of America’s withdrawal and the Taliban’s return to power?
Series 6, Episode 19
1 hr
Julia Samuel – Every Family Has a Story
What predicts family breakdown? Why do our families drive us mad? What is it the enables some families to thrive despite enormous adversity, when others fragment?
Series 6, Episode 18
28 mins
Philip Oltermann – The Stasi Poetry Circle
The Guardian’s Berlin bureau chief reveals the strange but true story of the book club that tried to win the Cold War through lyrical verse.
Series 6, Episode 17
40 mins
Simon Sebag-Montefiore and Luke Harding – The History of the Ukraine-Russia Conflict
Prizewinning historian Simon Sebag Montefiore and former Guardian Moscow bureau chief Luke Harding look at the deep history behind the headlines.
Series 6, Episode 14
40 mins
Olia Hercules and Alissa Timoshkina – #CookForUkraine
Join us for a special episode in support of #CookForUkraine, a campaign organised by the food writers Olia Hercules and Alissa Timoshkina to support children and families affected by the war.
Series 6, Episode 10
1hr
Jon Ronson and Brian Klaas – On Psychopaths and Power
Why do bad people disproportionately rise to power? Do broken systems produce authoritarian leaders, and if so – what can we do about it?
Series 6, Episode 6
1hr
William Dalrymple and Sathnam Sanghera – British Imperialism in India
A story of powerful empires, covert political machinations and bloody resistance, Sathnam Sanghera and William Dalrymple join us with the history of the world’s first corporate power.
Season 6, Episode 4
51 mins
John Preston – The Rise and Fall of Robert Maxwell
Media moghul Robert Maxwell was a war hero who embodied Britain’s post-war boom: but within days of mysterious death, he was already reviled as the embodiment of greed and corruption. What went so wrong?
Series 6, Episode 1
45 mins
Bexy Cameron – How to Escape a Cult
Filmmaker Bexy Cameron was born into the Children of God, one of the world’s most notorious cults. She joins us with the story of her upbringing and escape.
Series 5, Episode 23
Fatima Bhutto Meets Noam Chomsky
In conversation with the author Fatima Bhutto, the legendary philosopher and activist joins us live to shed light on the world in 2021.
Season 5, Episode 22
1hr
Robin diAngelo and Beverly Daniel Tatum – Conversations About Race
What we can do to have better conversations with our children and with each other about race, and build a better world?
Season 5, Episode 20
Jane Goodall – A Survival Guide for an Endangered Planet
The world needs a manifesto of hope now more than ever. Jane Goodall joins us to show that even in the face of great adversity, we can find hope in human nature, and in nature itself.
Season 5, Episode 18
58 mins
Bernard-Henri Lévy – Dispatches from a World of Misery and Hope
For fifty years philosopher and activist Bernard-Henri Lévy has reported on the world’s most urgent and overlooked humanitarian crises and human rights abuses.
Season 5, Episode 13
1 hour
Rutger Bregman and Philippe Sands – Are Humans Naturally Good?
Philippe Sands meets Rutger Bregman, one of the greatest young thinkers of our time, to hear a new story of human nature that places our capacity for kindness, not selfishness, at its heart.
