The Audio Long Read
The Audio Long Read podcast is a selection of the Guardian’s long reads, giving you the opportunity to get on with your day while listening to some of the finest longform journalism the Guardian has to offer, including in-depth writing from around the world on current affairs, climate change, global warming, immigration, crime, business, the arts and much more. The podcast explores a range of subjects and news across business, global politics (including Trump, Israel, Palestine and Gaza), money, philosophy, science, internet culture, modern life, war, climate change, current affairs, music and trends, and seeks to answer key questions ar...
Tue, April 15, 2025
From the archive: The great betrayal: how the Hillsborough families were failed by the justice system
We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2021: After 32 years of establishment lies, media smears, inquests, trials and retrials, the families of the Hillsborough dead have yet to see anyone held accountable By David Conn. Read by Gavin Skelhorn. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, April 14, 2025
My mother, the racist
She spent her life in northern France doing exhausting, back-breaking work – and yet she turned her anger against people who had done no wrongs to her. But as much as I couldn’t stand her rants, I was forced to accept her as she was By Didier Eribon. Read by Mark Noble. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, April 11, 2025
The reluctant collaborator: surviving Syria’s brutal civil war – and its aftermath
At 18, Mustafa was told his only way out of prison was to join the regime forces. After 14 years, his past as one of Assad’s fighters could get him killed By Ghaith Abdul-Ahad. Read by Mo Ayoub. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, April 09, 2025
From the archive: Votes for children! Why we should lower the voting age to six
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2021: The generational divide is deforming democracy. But there is a solution By David Runciman. Read by Andrew McGregor. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, April 07, 2025
The Rainham volcano: a waste dump is constantly on fire in east London. Why will no one stop it?
Under Arnolds Field, tonnes of illegally dumped waste have been burning for years, spewing pollution over the area. Locals fear for their health – and despair that no one seems willing to help By William Ralston. Read by Sam Swainsbury. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, April 04, 2025
It came from outer space: the meteorite that landed in a Cotswolds cul-de-sac
Meteorite falls are extremely rare and offer a glimpse of the processes that formed our world billions of years ago. When a space rock came to an English market town in 2021, scientists raced to find as much out as they could By Helen Gordon. Read by Sasha Frost. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, April 02, 2025
From the archive: ‘The treeline is out of control’: how the climate crisis is turning the Arctic green
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2022: In northern Norway, trees are rapidly taking over the tundra and threatening an ancient way of life that depends on snow and ice By Ben Rawlence. Read by Christien Anholt. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, March 31, 2025
Holidays in hell: summer camp with Russia’s forgotten children
At the rural orphanage where I volunteered, the place resembled a Dickensian workhouse. The staff’s main tools were antipsychotics and violence. The experience gave me a window into Putin’s Russia By Howard Amos. Read by Harry Lloyd. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, March 28, 2025
The savage suburbia of Helen Garner: ‘I wanted to dong Martin Amis with a bat’
Over 50 years, she has become one of the most revered writers in Australia. Is she finally going to get worldwide recognition? By Sophie Elmhirst. Read by Nicolette Chin. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, March 26, 2025
From the archive: Is society coming apart?
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2021: Despite Thatcher and Reagan’s best efforts, there is and has always been such a thing as society. The question is not whether it exists, but what shape it must take in a post-pandemic world By Jill Lepore. Read by Kelly Burke. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, March 24, 2025
The Coventry experiment: why were Indian women in Britain given radioactive food without their consent?
When details about a scientific study in the 1960s became public, there was shock, outrage and anxiety. But exactly what happened? By Samira Shackle. Read by Dinita Gohil. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, March 21, 2025
My life as a prison officer: ‘It wasn’t just the smell that hit you. It was the noise’
I saw first hand how prisons are having to use segregation units for acutely mentally ill inmates who should not be in prison at all Written and read by Alex South. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, March 19, 2025
From the archive: The revolt against liberalism: what’s driving Poland and Hungary’s nativist turn?
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2021: For the hardline conservatives ruling Poland and Hungary, the transition from communism to liberal democracy was a mirage. They fervently believe a more decisive break with the past is needed to achieve national liberation By Nicholas Mulder. Read by Tanya Cubric. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, March 17, 2025
‘The ghosts are everywhere’: can the British Museum survive its omni-crisis?
Beset by colonial controversy, difficult finances and the discovery of a thief on the inside, Britain’s No 1 museum is in deep trouble. Can it restore its reputation? By Charlotte Higgins. Read by Diveen Henry. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, March 14, 2025
Turkey said it would become a ‘zero waste’ nation. Instead, it became a dumping ground for Europe’s rubbish
When China stopped receiving the world’s waste, Turkey became Europe’s recycling hotspot. The problem is, most plastics can’t be recycled. And what remains are toxic heaps of trash By Alexander Clapp. Read by Philip Arditti. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, March 12, 2025
From the archive: The end of Atlanticism: has Trump killed the ideology that won the cold war?
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2018: The foreign policy establishment has been lamenting its death for half a century. But Atlanticism has long been a convenient myth By Madeleine Schwartz. Read by Kelly Burke. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, March 10, 2025
Signature moves: are we losing the ability to write by hand?
We are far more likely to use our hands to type or swipe than pick up a pen. But in the process we are in danger of losing cognitive skills, sensory experience – and a connection to history By Christine Rosen. Read by Laurel Lefkow. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, March 07, 2025
‘Here lives the monster’s brain’: the man who exposed Switzerland’s dirty secrets
Inspired by Che Guevara, Jean Ziegler has spent the past 60 years exposing how Switzerland enabled global wrongdoing. His enemies accuse him of treason By Atossa Araxia Abrahamian. Read by Lanna Joffrey. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, March 05, 2025
From the archive: ‘In my 30 years as a GP, the profession has been horribly eroded’
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2022: As I finished the final house calls of my long career in general practice, it struck me how detached I am from my patients now – and that it was not always like this. Where did we go wrong, and what can we do to fix it? By Clare Gerada. Read by Lucy Scott. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, March 03, 2025
Massacre in the jungle: how an Indigenous man was made the public face of an atrocity
In 2004, 29 people were killed by members of the Cinta Larga tribe in Brazil’s Amazon basin. The story shocked the country – but the truth of what happened is still being fought over By Alex Cuadros. Read by Felipe Pacheco. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, February 28, 2025
Israel and the delusions of Germany’s ‘memory culture’
Germany embraced Israel to atone for its wartime guilt. But was this in part a way to avoid truly confronting its past? By Pankaj Mishra. Read by Mikhail Sen. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, February 26, 2025
From the archive: One drug dealer, two corrupt cops and a risky FBI sting
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2017: Davon Mayer was a smalltime dealer in west Baltimore who made an illicit deal with local police. When they turned on him, he decided to get out – but escaping that life would not prove as easy as falling into it. By Yudhijit Bhattacharjee. Read by Lola Ogunyemi. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, February 24, 2025
Innit innit boys and Super Eagles: how Nigerian Londoners found their identity through football
For the children of the Nigerian diaspora, displaced by war and split between two worlds, footballers from John Fashanu to Jay-Jay Okocha were a first glimpse of themselves in Britain’s mainstream. Written and read by Aniefiok Ekpoudom. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, February 21, 2025
The mysterious novelist who foresaw Putin’s Russia – and then came to symbolise its moral decay
Victor Pelevin made his name in 90s Russia with scathing satires of authoritarianism. But while his literary peers have faced censorship and fled the country, he still sells millions. Has he become a Kremlin apologist? By Sophie Pinkham. Read by Olga Koch. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, February 19, 2025
From the archive: Was it inevitable? A short history of Russia’s war on Ukraine
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2022: To understand the tragedy of this war, it is worth going back beyond the last few weeks and months, and even beyond Vladimir Putin. By Keith Gessen. Read by Andrew McGregor. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, February 17, 2025
The loudest megaphone: how Trump mastered our new attention age
The old model of political debate is over, and spectacle beats argument every time. How did we get here? By Chris Hayes. Read by Adam Sims. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, February 14, 2025
How a young Dutch woman’s life began when she was allowed to die
At the last minute, Zoë decided to call off her euthanasia. But how do you start over after you’ve said all of your goodbyes? By Stephanie Bakker. Read by Micky Overman. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, February 12, 2025
From the archive: The knackerman: the toughest job in British farming
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2021: Between accidents, disease and bad weather, farm animals are prey to so many disasters that dedicated professionals are called out to dispose of the casualties. It’s a grim task, and one that’s only getting more difficult. By Bella Bathurst. Read by Andrew McGregor. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, February 10, 2025
‘Bring me my tariffs’: how Trump’s China plan was 40 years in the making
Both Xi Jinping and Donald Trump’s political careers were shaped by their formative experiences in the 1980s – and, above all, their encounters with Japan. By Andrew Liu. Read by Vincent Lai. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, February 07, 2025
Tokyo drift: what happens when a city stops being the future?
Tokyo remains, in the world’s imagination, a place of sophistication and wealth. But with economic revival forever distant, ‘tourism pollution’ seems the only viable plan. By Dylan Levi King. Read by Kenichiro Thomson. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, February 05, 2025
From the archive: The false positives scandal: how thousands of innocent Colombians were killed so soldiers could get more holiday
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2020: When the Colombian army defeated the Farc guerrillas, ending decades of conflict, General Mario Montoya was hailed a national hero. But then it was revealed that thousands of ‘insurgents’ executed by the army were in fact innocent men. By Mariana Palau. Read by Lucy Scott. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, February 03, 2025
The great abandonment: what happens to the natural world when people disappear?
Across the globe, vast swathes of land are being left to be reclaimed by nature. To see what could be coming, look to Bulgaria. By Tess McClure. Read by Sara Lynam. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, January 31, 2025
Endless work, little money, occasional UFOs: my father’s five decades driving Brazil’s roads
As a sociologist, my career couldn’t be further from that of my father, who spent his life on the road as a truck driver. It’s only in recent years, as illness has struck, that I’ve started to truly understand him. By José Henrique Bortoluci. Read by Felipe Pacheco. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, January 29, 2025
From the archive: How one man spent 34 years in prison after setting fire to a pair of curtains
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2020: David Blagdon’s long-term detention has been described as ‘barbaric’. Whatever his disastrous personal choices, the system failed him repeatedly. By Mark Olden. Read by Mo Ayoub. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, January 27, 2025
The man making a business out of China’s burnout generation
Li Jianxiong was a highflying marketing executive in Beijing until a breakdown sent him to the west on a wellness voyage of discovery – just as his peers were losing faith in the Chinese Dream. By Chang Che. Read by Vincent Lai. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, January 24, 2025
Humphrey’s world: how the Samuel Smith beer baron built Britain’s strangest pub chain
Since the 1970s, Humphrey Smith has acquired scores of pubs and historic properties around the UK. But time after time, he has left the buildings empty. Why has he allowed his empire to moulder? By Mark Blacklock. Read by Joe Layton. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, January 22, 2025
From the archive: Inspired by nature: the thrilling new science that could transform medicine
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2016: Jeffrey Karp is at the forefront of a new generation of scientists using nature’s blueprints to create breakthrough medical technologies. Can bioinspiration help to solve some of humanity’s most urgent problems? By Laura Parker. Read by Adetomiwa Edun. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, January 20, 2025
‘Look, they’re getting skin!’: are we right to strive to save the world’s tiniest babies?
Doctors are pushing the limits of science and human biology to save more extremely premature babies than ever before. But when so few survive, are we putting them through needless suffering? By Sophie McBain. Read by Chloe Pirrie. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, January 17, 2025
Inside the Vatican’s secret saint-making process
Canonisation has long been a way for the Catholic church to shape its image. The Vatican is preparing to anoint its first millennial saint, but how does it decide who is worthy? By Linda Kinstler. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, January 15, 2025
From the archive: ‘A deranged pyroscape’: how fires across the world have grown weirder
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2022: Despite the rise of headline-grabbing megafires, fewer fires are burning worldwide now than at any time since antiquity. But this isn’t good news – in banishing fire from sight, we have made its dangers stranger and less predictable. By Daniel Immerwahr. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, January 13, 2025
The inspiring scientists who saved the world’s first seed bank
During the siege of Leningrad, botanists in charge of an irreplaceable seed collection had to protect it from fire, rodents – and hunger. By Simon Parkin. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, January 10, 2025
The ‘mad egghead’ who built a mouse utopia
John Calhoun designed an apartment complex for mice to examine the effects of overcrowding. It was hailed as a groundbreaking study of social breakdown, but is largely forgotten. So what happened? By Lee Alan Dugatkin. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, January 08, 2025
From the archive: Cold comfort: how cold water swimming cured my broken heart
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2021: After a painful breakup and the death of her father, one writer retreated to the coast of Brittany in winter where she tested the powerful effects of a daily swim in the icy sea. By Wendell Steavenson. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, January 06, 2025
Teeth as time capsules: Soviet secrets and my dentist grandmother
In postwar Warsaw, my grandmother Zosia fixed the teeth of prisoners and spies. In doing so, she came into contact with the hidden history of her times in a way few others could. By Jacob Mikanowski. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, January 03, 2025
The brain collector: the scientist unravelling the mysteries of grey matter
Using cutting-edge methods, Alexandra Morton-Hayward is cracking the secrets of ancient brains – even as hers betrays her. By Kermit Pattison. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, January 01, 2025
From the archive: The invisible addiction: is it time to give up caffeine?
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2021: Caffeine makes us more energetic, efficient and faster. But we have become so dependent that we need it just to get to our baseline. By Michael Pollan. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, December 30, 2024
The rollercoaster king: the man behind the UK’s fastest thrill-ride
John Burton was just 27 when he was put in charge of creating Thorpe Park’s biggest-ever project. Once too scared to go on rides himself, how did he become the architect of so many daredevils’ dreams? By Tom Lamont. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, December 27, 2024
Best of 2024: ‘If there’s nowhere else to go, this is where they come’: how Britain’s libraries provide much more than books
Every Monday and Friday for the rest of December we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2023, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. From July: In 2024, libraries are unofficial creches, homeless shelters, language schools and asylum support providers – filling the gaps left by a state that has reneged on its responsibilities. By Aida Edemariam. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, December 23, 2024
Best of 2024: As a teenager, John was jailed for assaulting someone and stealing their bike. That was 17 years ago – will he ever be released?
Every Monday and Friday for the rest of December we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2023, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. From June: Indeterminate sentences are devastating to mental health, but prisoners with mental illness are less likely to be released. The result is a vicious cycle whereby the most vulnerable inmates often have the least chance of getting out – as John’s case shows. By Sophie Atkinson. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, December 20, 2024
Best of 2024: ‘It comes for your very soul’: how Alzheimer’s undid my dazzling, creative wife in her 40s
Every Monday and Friday for the rest of December we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2024, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. From August: By the time my wife got a diagnosis, her long and harrowing deterioration had already begun. By the end, I was in awe of her. By Michael Aylwin. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, December 16, 2024
Best of 2024: Nairobi to New York and back: the loneliness of the internationally educated elite
Every Monday and Friday for the rest of December we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2024, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. From June: Every year, hundreds of Kenyans head off to study at elite universities in the US and UK. On graduating, many find themselves in a strange position: unable to fit in abroad, but no longer feeling like they belong back home. By Carey Baraka. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, December 13, 2024
Revisited: Two poems, four years in detention: the Chinese dissident who smuggled his writing out of prison
My poems were written in anger after Tiananmen Square. But what motivates most prison writing is a fear of forgetting. Today I am free, but the regime has never stopped its war on words. By Liao Yiwu Because of industrial action taking place by members of the National Union of Journalists at the Guardian and Observer this week, we are re-running an episode from earlier in the year. For more information please head to theguardian.com. We’ll be back with new episodes soon.. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, December 11, 2024
10 years of the long read: Ukraine’s death-defying art rescuers (2024)
As the Long Read turns 10 we are raiding the archives to bring you a favourite piece from each year since 2014, with new introductions from the authors. This week from 2024: When Putin invaded, a historian in Kyiv saw that Ukraine’s cultural heritage was in danger. So he set out to save as much of it as he could. By Charlotte Higgins. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, December 09, 2024
10 years of the long read: ‘All that we had is gone’: my lament for war-torn Khartoum (2023)
As the Long Read turns 10 we are raiding the archives to bring you a favourite piece from each year since 2014, with new introductions from the authors. This week from 2023: Since Sudan’s capital was engulfed by violence in April, life there has been all but destroyed. As we tried to get family members to safety, the ruination of my former home became hard to fathom. By Nesrine Malik. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, December 06, 2024
A new nuclear arms race is beginning. It will be far more dangerous than the last one
With Putin’s threats in Ukraine, China’s accelerated weapons programme and the US’s desire for superiority, what will it take for leaders to step back from the brink? By Jessica T Mathews. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, December 04, 2024
Revisited: Too much stuff: can we solve our addiction to consumerism?
Alarmed by the rising tide of waste we are all creating, my family and I decided to try to make do with much less. But while individual behaviour is important, real change will require action on a far bigger scale. By Chip Colwell Because of industrial action taking place by members of the National Union of Journalists at the Guardian and Observer this week, we are re-running an episode from earlier in the year. For more information please head to theguardian.com. We’ll be back with new episodes soon.. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, December 02, 2024
The scandal of food waste – and how we can stop it
Every informed observer agrees that food waste and loss must be reduced if we are to feed all humans. What’s stopping us? By Julian Baggini. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, November 29, 2024
‘I couldn’t cry over my children like everyone else’: the tragedy of Palestinian journalist Wael al-Dahdouh
After his wife and two of his children were killed in Gaza, Al Jazeera journalist Wael al-Dahdouh became famous around the world for his decision to keep reporting. But this was just the start of his heartbreaking journey. By Nesrine Malik. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, November 27, 2024
10 years of the long read: Seven stowaways and a hijacked oil tanker: the strange case of the Nave Andromeda (2022)
As the Long Read turns 10 we are raiding the archives to bring you a favourite piece from each year since 2014, with new introductions from the authors. This week from 2022: In October 2020 an emergency call was received from a ship in British waters. After a full-scale commando raid, seven Nigerians were taken off in handcuffs – but no one was ever charged. What really happened on board? By Samira Shackle. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, November 25, 2024
A cool flame: how Gaia theory was born out of a secret love affair
Scientist James Lovelock gave humanity new ways to think about our home planet – but some of his biggest ideas were the fruit of a passionate collaboration. By Jonathan Watts. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, November 22, 2024
‘You tried to tell yourself I wasn’t real’: what happens when people with acute psychosis meet the voices in their heads?
In avatar therapy, a clinician gives voice to their patients’ inner demons. For some of the participants in a new trial, the results have been astounding. By Jenny Kleeman. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, November 20, 2024
10 years of the long read: The disastrous voyage of Satoshi, the world’s first cryptocurrency cruise ship (2021)
As the Long Read turns 10 we are raiding the archives to bring you a favourite piece from each year since 2014, with new introductions from the authors. This week from 2021: Last year, three cryptocurrency enthusiasts bought a cruise ship. They named it the Satoshi, and dreamed of starting a floating libertarian utopia. It didn’t work out. By Sophie Elmhirst. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, November 18, 2024
The cement company that paid millions to Isis: was Lafarge complicit in crimes against humanity?
The French cement giant started operating in Syria just before the civil war erupted. When Islamic State took over the region, Lafarge paid them protection money so it could keep trading. The consequences are still playing out. By Samanth Subramanian. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, November 15, 2024
Journalist or Russian spy? The strange case of Pablo González
As a Spanish reporter, Pablo González charmed his way into Russian opposition circles and covered Putin’s wars. Then, in 2022, he was arrested on suspicion of espionage. Many former associates now believe that he betrayed them. By Shaun Walker. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, November 13, 2024
10 years of the long read: The invisible city: how a homeless man built a life underground (2020)
As the Long Read turns 10 we are raiding the archives to bring you a favourite piece from each year since 2014, with new introductions from the authors. This week from 2020: After decades among the hidden homeless, Dominic Van Allen dug himself a bunker beneath a public park. But his life would get even more precarious. By Tom Lamont. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, November 11, 2024
Has poppymania gone too far?
Over the past 20 years, the symbol of remembrance for the war dead has become increasingly ubiquitous – and a culture of poppy policing has grown with it. By Samira Shackle. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, November 08, 2024
Slash and burn: is private equity out of control?
From football clubs to water companies, music catalogues to care homes, private equity has infiltrated almost every facet of modern life in its endless search to maximise profits. By Alex Blasdel. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, November 06, 2024
10 years of the long read: Hand dryers v paper towels: the surprisingly dirty fight for the right to dry your hands (2019)
As the Long Read turns 10 we are raiding the archives to bring you a favourite piece from each year since 2014, with new introductions from the authors. This week from 2019: For a century, the humble paper towel has dominated public toilets. But a new generation of hand dryers has sparked a war for loo supremacy. By Samanth Subramanian. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, November 04, 2024
Hidden traces of humanity: what AI images reveal about our world
As generative AI advances, it is easy to see it as yet another area where machines are taking over – but humans remain at the centre of AI art, just in ways we might not expect. By Rachel Ossip. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, November 01, 2024
The other British invasion: how UK lingo conquered the US
It used to be that Britons would complain about Americanisms diluting the English language. But in fact it’s a two-way street. By Ben Yagoda. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, October 30, 2024
10 years of the long read: Why Silicon Valley billionaires are prepping for the apocalypse in New Zealand (2018)
As the Long Read turns 10 we are raiding the archives to bring you a favourite piece from each year since 2014, with new introductions from the authors. This week from 2018: How an extreme libertarian tract predicting the collapse of liberal democracies – written by Jacob Rees-Mogg’s father – inspired the likes of Peter Thiel to buy up property across the Pacific. By Mark O’Connell. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, October 28, 2024
‘Places to heal, not to harm’: why brutal prison design kills off hope
From razor-wire fences and crumbling cells to no windows and overcrowding, conditions in most jails mean rehabilitation is a nonstarter. Here’s how we can create better spaces for prisoners. By Yvonne Jewkes. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, October 25, 2024
The trial of Björn Höcke, the ‘real boss’ of Germany’s far right
As leader of the AfD’s most radical faction, he is infamous in Germany and his critics have long accused him of using language that echoes the Nazis. This year, a court put that question to the test. By Alex Dziadosz. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, October 23, 2024
10 years of the long read: How the sandwich consumed Britain (2017)
As the Long Read turns 10 we are raiding the archives to bring you a favourite piece from each year since 2014, with new introductions from the authors. This week from 2017: The world-beating British sandwich industry is worth £8bn a year. It transformed the way we eat lunch, then did the same for breakfast – and now it’s coming for dinner. By Sam Knight. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, October 21, 2024
‘For me, there was no other choice’: inside the global illegal organ trade
I spoke to dozens of people – from ‘donors’ to brokers – to find out how this exploitative trade thrives on chaos and desperation. By Seán Columb. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, October 18, 2024
How oligarchs took on the UK fraud squad – and won
It began as a routine investigation into a multinational called ENRC. It became a decade-long saga that has rocked the UK’s financial crime agency. Now new documents illuminate a case that has rewritten UK law and is set to end with a huge bill handed to taxpayers. By Tom Burgis. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, October 16, 2024
10 years of the long read: Man v rat: could the long war soon be over? (2016)
As the Long Read turns 10 we are raiding the archives to bring you a favourite piece from each year since 2014, with new introductions from the authors. This week from 2016: Rats spread disease, decimate crops and very occasionally eat people alive. For centuries, we have struggled to find an effective way of controlling their numbers. Until now… By Jordan Kisner. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, October 14, 2024
Morality and rules, and how to avoid drowning: what my daughters learned at school in China
Our twins spent two years at primary school in Chengdu. Their lessons featured alarming cautionary tales and stories of Chinese superiority, but there was fun and irreverence, too. By Peter Hessler. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, October 11, 2024
The shapeshifter: who is the real Giorgia Meloni?
She’s been called a neo-fascist and a danger to Italy. But she has won over many heads of Europe, including the UK prime minister. Should we be worried? By Alexander Stille. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, October 09, 2024
10 years of the long read: Farewell to America (2015)
As the Long Read turns 10 we are raiding the archives to bring you a favourite piece from each year since 2014, with new introductions from the authors. This week from 2015: After 12 years in the US, Gary Younge is preparing to depart – as the country’s racial frictions seem certain to spark another summer of conflict. By Gary Younge. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, October 07, 2024
The cocaine kingpin’s wildest legacy: what can be done with Pablo Escobar’s marauding hippos?
The Colombian drug lord’s exotic menagerie fell apart after his death, and now wild hippos are breeding out of control. By Joshua Hammer. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, October 04, 2024
‘Like a cheese grater raking across my nipple’: why I kept trying to breastfeed for so long
My commitment to breastfeeding exclusively was related to shame. If I couldn’t do it, I felt I would be letting the baby down. By Niamh Campbell. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, October 02, 2024
10 years of the long read: Is this the end of Britishness? (2014)
As the Long Read turns 10 we are raiding the archives to bring you a favourite piece from each year since 2014, with new introductions from the authors. This week from 2014: A shared history of 300 years could be washed away if Scotland votes for independence. What was the complex identity the United Kingdom created – and should we mourn its loss? by Ian Jack. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Tue, October 01, 2024
Special Edition: 10 years of the Guardian Long Read
To celebrate 10 years of The Long Read we gathered together the team who launched it to take you behind the scenes. Helen Pidd is joined by editor David Wolf, deputy editor Clare Longrigg, and former editor and founder of the Long Read Jonathan Shainin.. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, September 30, 2024
Strange and wondrous creatures: plankton and the origins of life on Earth
Without plankton, the modern ocean ecosystem – the very idea of the ocean as we understand it – would collapse. Earth would have no complex life of any kind. By Ferris Jabr. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, September 27, 2024
No god in the machine: the pitfalls of AI worship
The rise of artificial intelligence has sparked a panic about computers gaining power over humankind. But the real threat comes from falling for the hype. By Navneet Alang. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, September 25, 2024
From the archive: The unravelling of a conspiracy: were the 16 charged with plotting to kill India’s prime minister framed?
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2021: In 2018, Indian police claimed to have uncovered a shocking plan to bring down the government. But there is mounting evidence that the initial conspiracy was a fiction – and the accused are victims of an elaborate plot. By Siddhartha Deb. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, September 23, 2024
On board the Creed cruise: the unfathomable return of the ‘worst band of the 90s’
I took a cruise with thousands of fellow lunatics to find out how this much-mocked rock band became so beloved. By Luke Winkie. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, September 20, 2024
A Chinese-born writer’s quest to understand the Vikings, Normans and life on the English coast
Perhaps a foreigner knows more about their adopted land than the locals, because a foreigner feels more acutely the particularities of a new environment. By Xiaolu Guo. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, September 18, 2024
From the archive: The invention of whiteness: the long history of a dangerous idea
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2021: Before the 17th century, people did not think of themselves as belonging to something called the white race. But once the idea was invented, it quickly began to reshape the modern world. By Robert P Baird. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, September 16, 2024
Ukraine’s death-defying art rescuers
When Putin invaded, a historian in Kyiv saw that Ukraine’s cultural heritage was in danger. So he set out to save as much of it as he could. By Charlotte Higgins. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, September 13, 2024
As a former IDF soldier and historian of genocide, I was deeply disturbed by my recent visit to Israel
This summer, one of my lectures was protested by far-right students. Their rhetoric brought to mind some of the darkest moments of 20th-century history – and overlapped with mainstream Israeli views to a shocking degree. By Omer Bartov. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, September 11, 2024
From the archive: Death on demand: has euthanasia gone too far?
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2019: Countries around the world are making it easier to choose the time and manner of your death. But doctors in the world’s euthanasia capital are starting to worry about the consequences. By Christopher de Bellaigue. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, September 09, 2024
‘A diagnosis can sweep away guilt’: the delicate art of treating ADHD
For children with ADHD, getting the help they need depends on being correctly diagnosed. As a doctor, I have seen how tricky and frustrating a process that can be. By Jack Goulder. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, September 06, 2024
From the archive – ‘A merry-go-round of buck-passing’: inside the four-year Grenfell inquiry
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some notable pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2022: Five years after the fire that killed 72, the inquiry is nearing a close. Over 300 days of evidence, what have we learned about the failings that led to disaster? By Robert Booth. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, September 04, 2024
From the KKK to the state house: how neo-Nazi David Duke won office
In the 1970s, David Duke was grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. In the 80s, he was elected to Louisiana’s house of representatives – and the kinds of ideas he stood for have not gone away. By John Ganz. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, September 02, 2024
‘Nobody knows what I know’: how a loyal RSS member abandoned Hindu nationalism
As a young man, Partha Banerjee was on course to become a senior member of the RSS, the organisation that has pushed Indian politics towards extreme religious nationalism. Then, after decades within its ranks, he quit. Why? By Rahul Bhatia. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, August 30, 2024
Best of 2024 … so far: Solar storms, ice cores and nuns’ teeth: the new science of history
Every Friday in August we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2024, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. This week, from May: Advances in fields such as spectrometry and gene sequencing are unleashing torrents of new data about the ancient world – and could offer answers to questions we never even knew to ask. By Jacob Mikanowski. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, August 26, 2024
‘It comes for your very soul’: how Alzheimer’s undid my dazzling, creative wife in her 40s
By the time my wife got a diagnosis, her long and harrowing deterioration had already begun. By the end, I was in awe of her. By Michael Aylwin. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, August 23, 2024
Best of 2024 … so far: ‘Scars on every street’: the refugee camp where generations of Palestinians have lost their futures
Every Friday in August we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2024, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. This week, from February: Ever since the displacement of 700,000 Palestinians in 1948, many have been living in dejection and squalor in camps like Shatila in Beirut. Is this the grim future the people of Gaza could now be facing? By Ghaith Abdul-Ahad. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, August 19, 2024
Food, water, wifi: is this the future of humanitarian aid?
Working in food aid delivery, I have seen the benefits of embracing new technologies. But some problems need to be solved between humans. By Jean-Martin Bauer. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, August 16, 2024
Best of 2024…so far: ‘They were dying, and they’d not had their money’: Britain’s multibillion-pound equal pay scandal
Every Friday in August we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2024, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. This week, from February: In 2005, Glasgow council offered to compensate women for historic pay inequality. But it sold them short again – and soon workers all over the UK started fighting for what they were owed. By Samira Shackle. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, August 12, 2024
My family and other Nazis
My father did terrible things during the second world war, and my other relatives were equally unrepentant. But it wasn’t until I was in my late 50s that I started to confront this dark past. By Martin Pollack. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, August 09, 2024
Best of 2024 … so far: Hippy, capitalist, guru, grocer: the forgotten genius who changed British food
Every Friday in August we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2024, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. This week, from January: Nicholas Saunders was a counterculture pioneer with an endless stream of quixotic schemes and a yearning to spread knowledge – but his true legacy is a total remaking of the way Britain eats. By Jonathan Nunn. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, August 05, 2024
Revolution in the air: how laughing gas changed the world
Since its discovery in the 18th century, nitrous oxide has gone from vaudeville gimmick to pioneering anaesthetic to modern party drug. By Mark Miodownik. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, August 02, 2024
From Nobel peace prize to civil war: how Ethiopia’s leader beguiled the world
When Abiy Ahmed took power in Ethiopia, he was feted at home and abroad as a great unifier and reformer. Two years later, terrible violence was raging. How did people get him so wrong? By Tom Gardner. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, July 31, 2024
From the archive: From Game of Thrones to The Crown: the woman who turns actors into stars
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2018: Nina Gold’s role is invisible, and yet her taste has shaped much of what we watch on film and TV. By Sophie Elmhirst. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, July 29, 2024
Chortle chortle, scribble scribble: inside the Old Bailey with Britain’s last court reporters
The cases heard at the Old Bailey offer a vivid, often grim portrait of England and Wales today. What happens when there is no one left to tell these stories? By Sophie Elmhirst. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, July 26, 2024
‘I’m good, I promise’: the loneliness of the low-ranking tennis player
I was once Ireland’s No 1 player, and tried for years to climb the global ranks. But life at the bottom of the top can be brutal. By Conor Niland. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, July 24, 2024
From the archive: ‘As borders closed, I became trapped in my Americanness’: China, the US and me
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2021: I’ve long nursed vague plans of moving back to China for a few years, to solidify my place there. But with each year that passes in the US, such a move gets harder and harder to make. By Cleo Qian. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, July 22, 2024
‘If there’s nowhere else to go, this is where they come’: how Britain’s libraries provide much more than books
In 2024, libraries are unofficial creches, homeless shelters, language schools and asylum support providers – filling the gaps left by a state that has reneged on its responsibilities. By Aida Edemariam. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, July 19, 2024
‘How do I heal?’: the long wait for justice after a black man dies in police custody
The true number of black people who have died after contact with the police has been hidden, while their families are faced with delays and denials. By Raekha Prasad. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, July 17, 2024
From the archive: The elephant vanishes: how a circus family went on the run
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2021: Dumba has spent her life performing in circuses around Europe, but in recent years animal rights activists have been campaigning to rescue her. When it looked like they might succeed, Dumba and her owners disappeared. By Laura Spinney. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, July 15, 2024
Dirty waters: how the Environment Agency lost its way
Having created a watchdog for the environment, the government took its teeth out and muzzled it. Can public outrage rouse the Environment Agency to action? By Hettie O’Brien. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, July 12, 2024
Inside Mexico’s anti-avocado militias
The spread of the avocado is a story of greed, ambition, corruption, water shortages, cartel battles and, in a number of towns and villages, a fierce fightback. By Alexander Sammon. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, July 10, 2024
From the archive: ‘Colonialism had never really ended’: my life in the shadow of Cecil Rhodes
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2021: After growing up in a Zimbabwe convulsed by the legacy of colonialism, when I got to Oxford I realised how many British people still failed to see how empire had shaped lives like mine – as well as their own. By Simukai Chigudu. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, July 08, 2024
Where the wild things are: the untapped potential of our gardens, parks and balconies
Gardens could be part of the solution to the climate and biodiversity crisis. But what are we doing? Disappearing them beneath plastic and paving. By Kate Bradbury. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Thu, July 04, 2024
How the Tories pushed universities to the brink of disaster
Over the past 14 years, the Conservative dream of a free market in higher education has collided with the harsh reality of austerity and the cultural resentment of the radical right – driving some institutions close to bankruptcy. By William Davies. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, July 03, 2024
From the archive: Ten ways to confront the climate crisis without losing hope
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2021: It’s easy to despair at the climate crisis, or to decide it’s already too late – but it’s not. Here’s how to keep the fight alive. By Rebecca Solnit. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, July 01, 2024
‘Natty or not?’: how steroids got big
Once upon a time, it was only hardcore bodybuilders who pumped themselves up with testosterone. Today it is no longer niche. But how dangerous is it? By Stephen Buranyi. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, June 28, 2024
Nairobi to New York and back: the loneliness of the internationally educated elite
Every year, hundreds of Kenyans head off to study at elite universities in the US and UK. On graduating, many find themselves in a strange position: unable to fit in abroad, but no longer feeling like they belong back home. By Carey Baraka. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, June 26, 2024
From the archive: Brazilian butt lift: behind the world’s most dangerous cosmetic surgery
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2021: The BBL is the fastest growing cosmetic surgery in the world, despite the mounting number of deaths resulting from the procedure. What is driving its astonishing rise? By Sophie Elmhirst. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, June 24, 2024
Two poems, four years in detention: the Chinese dissident who smuggled his writing out of prison
My poems were written in anger after Tiananmen Square. But what motivates most prison writing is a fear of forgetting. Today I am free, but the regime has never stopped its war on words. By Liao Yiwu. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, June 21, 2024
As a teenager, John was jailed for assaulting someone and stealing their bike. That was 17 years ago – will he ever be released?
Indeterminate sentences are devastating to mental health, but prisoners with mental illness are less likely to be released. The result is a vicious cycle whereby the most vulnerable inmates often have the least chance of getting out – as John’s case shows. By Sophie Atkinson. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, June 19, 2024
From the archive: Can computers ever replace the classroom?
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2020: With 850 million children worldwide shut out of schools, tech evangelists claim now is the time for AI education. But as the technology’s power grows, so too do the dangers that come with it. By Alex Beard. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, June 17, 2024
The man who turned his home into a homeless shelter
Stuart Potts is an unlikely do-gooder – a former crack addict who has hit rock bottom more than once. But since 2020, he has offered hundreds of homeless people a bed in his small flat – and for many of them, it has been life-changing. By Samira Shackle. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, June 14, 2024
From low-level drug dealer to human trafficker: are modern slavery laws catching the wrong people?
When I heard that a boy from my primary school had been convicted of trafficking, I had to find out what had happened to make him fall so far. By Francisco Garcia. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, June 12, 2024
From the archive: How globalisation has transformed the fight for LGBTQ+ rights
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2021: Much progress has been made in attitudes towards sexual equality and gender identity – but in many places a dramatic backlash by conservative forces has followed. By Mark Gevisser. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, June 10, 2024
‘Ryan Reynolds never had to deal with this’: the slow death and (possible) rebirth of Southend United
In 20 years, this Essex club has tumbled down the leagues and seen its ground fall apart. Is a revival finally coming – or will hopes be dashed again? By Tim Burrows. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, June 07, 2024
César Aira’s unreal magic: how the eccentric author took over Latin American literature
He has published more than 100 novels, gives his work away, and his surrealist books have a massive cult following. Now Argentina’s favourite rule-breaker is tipped for the Nobel prize. By Alejandro Chacoff. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, June 05, 2024
From the archive: ‘The Silicon Valley of turf’: how the UK’s pursuit of the perfect pitch changed football
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2021: They used to look like quagmires, ice rinks or dustbowls, depending on the time of year. But as big money entered football, pristine pitches became crucial to the sport’s image – and groundskeepers became stars. By William Ralston. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, June 03, 2024
Mother trees and socialist forests: is the ‘wood-wide web’ a fantasy?
In the past 10 years the idea that trees communicate with and look after each other has gained widespread currency. But have these claims outstripped the evidence? By Daniel Immerwahr. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, May 31, 2024
‘I’ll stay an MP for as long as I can’: Diane Abbott’s tumultuous political journey
Britain’s first black female MP faced hostility from the media and political establishment from the start. Nearly 40 years on, she is still not giving up. By Andy Beckett. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, May 29, 2024
From the archive: The secret deportations: how Britain betrayed the Chinese men who served the country in the war
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2021: During the second world war, Chinese merchant seamen helped keep Britain fed, fuelled and safe – and many gave their lives doing so. But from late 1945, hundreds of them who had settled in Liverpool suddenly disappeared. Now their children are piecing together the truth. By Dan Hancox. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, May 27, 2024
‘He likes scaring people’: how Modi’s right-hand man, Amit Shah, runs India
For 40 years, Amit Shah has been at Narendra Modi’s side – his confidant, consigliere and enforcer. Today he is India’s second-most powerful man, and he is reshaping the country in radical ways. By Atul Dev. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, May 24, 2024
Guatemala’s baby brokers: how thousands of children were stolen for adoption
From the 1960s, baby brokers persuaded often Indigenous Mayan women to give up newborns while kidnappers ‘disappeared’ babies. Now, international adoption is being called out as a way of covering up war crimes. By Rachel Nolan. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, May 22, 2024
From the archive: Trump’s useful thugs: how the Republican party offered a home to the Proud Boys
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2021: Early in Trump’s presidency, emboldened neo-Nazi and fascist groups came out into the open but were met with widespread revulsion. So the tactics of the far right changed, becoming more insidious – and much more successful. By Brendan O’Connor. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, May 20, 2024
After I was assaulted, I posted a photo of my injuries. The reaction I craved was not pity, but anger
Going public after I was attacked was hard, but it helped me overcome the shame that so many victims feel. By Rena Effendi. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, May 17, 2024
‘Super cute please like’: the unstoppable rise of Shein
It is taking fast fashion to ever faster and ever cheaper extremes, and making billions from it. Why is the whole world shopping at Shein? By Nicole Lipman. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, May 15, 2024
From the archive: The evolution of Steve Albini: ‘If the dumbest person is on your side, you’re on the wrong side’
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2023: Steve Albini was long synonymous with the indie underground, playing in revered bands and recording albums by the Pixies, PJ Harvey and Nirvana. He also often seemed determined to offend as many people as possible. What led him to reassess his past? By Jeremy Gordon. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, May 13, 2024
‘A new abyss’: Gaza and the hundred years’ war on Palestine
While much has changed since 7 October, the horrific events of the past six months are not unique, and do not stand outside history. By Rashid Khalidi. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, May 10, 2024
The true cost of El Salvador’s new gold rush
Seven years ago, El Salvador banned all mining for metals to protect its water supply. But now the government seems to be making moves to reverse the ban – and environmental activists are in the firing line. By Danielle Mackey. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, May 08, 2024
From the archive: The age of perpetual crisis – how the 2010s disrupted everything but resolved nothing
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2019: In an era of bewildering upheaval, how will the past decade be remembered? By Andy Beckett. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, May 06, 2024
How child labour in India makes the paving stones beneath our feet
Despite promises of reform, exploitation remains endemic in India’s sandstone industry, with children doing dangerous work for low pay – often to decorate driveways and gardens thousands of miles away. By Romita Saluja. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, May 03, 2024
Solar storms, ice cores and nuns’ teeth: the new science of history
Advances in fields such as spectrometry and gene sequencing are unleashing torrents of new data about the ancient world – and could offer answers to questions we never even knew to ask. By Jacob Mikanowski. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, May 01, 2024
From the archive: The battle over dyslexia
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2020: It was once a widely accepted way of explaining why some children struggled to read and write. But in recent years, some experts have begun to question the existence of dyslexia itself. By Sirin Kale. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, April 29, 2024
The new science of death: ‘There’s something happening in the brain that makes no sense’
New research into the dying brain suggests the line between life and death may be less distinct than previously thought. By Alex Blasdel. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, April 26, 2024
Solidarity and strategy: the forgotten lessons of truly effective protest
Organising is a kind of alchemy: it turns alienation into connection, despair into dedication, and oppression into strength. By Astra Taylor and Leah Hunt-Hendrix. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, April 24, 2024
From the archive: How Hindu supremacists are tearing India apart
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2020: For seven decades, India has been held together by its constitution, which promises equality to all. But Narendra Modi’s BJP is remaking the nation into one where some people count as more Indian than others. By Samanth Subramanian. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, April 22, 2024
What is the real Hamas?
How Israeli, Palestinian and US political actors understand Hamas is not merely a theoretical question – it will determine what kind of agreement can be reached to end the current war, and what the future of Gaza will look like. By Joshua Leifer. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, April 19, 2024
A historic revolt, a forgotten hero, an empty plinth: is there a right way to remember slavery?
As the author of a book about a pivotal uprising in 18th-century Jamaica, Vincent Brown was enlisted in a campaign to make its leader a national hero. But when he arrived in Jamaica, he started to wonder what he had got himself into. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, April 17, 2024
From the archive: Did Brazil’s evangelical superstar have her husband killed?
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2021: Flordelis grew up in a Rio favela, but rose to fame after adopting more than 50 children, becoming a hugely successful gospel singer and winning a seat in congress. And now she is on trial for murder. By Tom Phillips. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, April 15, 2024
Rage, waste and corruption: how Covid changed politics
Four years on from the start of the pandemic, the drama may have subsided but the lingering effects go on. Are we suffering from political long Covid? By David Runciman. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, April 12, 2024
Disappearing tongues: the endangered language crisis
Linguistic diversity on Earth is far more profound and fundamental than previously imagined. But it’s also crumbling fast. By Ross Perlin. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, April 10, 2024
From the archive: The mystery of the Gatwick drone
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2020: A drone sighting caused the airport to close for two days in 2018, but despite a lengthy police investigation, no culprit was ever found. So what exactly did people see in the Sussex sky? By Samira Shackle. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, April 08, 2024
‘What’s the worst that could happen?’: Love in the sickle cell capital of the world
The prevalence of sickle cell disease is changing how Nigerians date, marry and plan their lives. And as genetic testing becomes more common, prospective parents across the world will face similar questions. By Krithika Varagur. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, April 05, 2024
Radioactive waste, baby bottles and Spam: the deep ocean has become a dumping ground
The ocean’s depths are not some remote alien realm, but are in fact intimately entangled with every other part of the planet. We should treat them that way. By James Bradley. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, April 03, 2024
From the archive – Out of thin air: the mystery of the man who fell from the sky
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors This week, from 2021: In 2019, the body of a man fell from a passenger plane into a garden in south London. Who was he? by Sirin Kale. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, April 01, 2024
200 cats, 200 dogs, one lab: the secrets of the pet food industry
Pet food is a £120bn industry, with vast resources spent on working out how best to nourish and delight our beloved charges. But how do we know if we’re getting it right? By Vivian Ho. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, March 29, 2024
Power grab: the hidden costs of Ireland’s datacentre boom
Datacentres are part of Ireland’s vision of itself as a tech hub. There are now more than 80, using vast amounts of electricity. Have we entrusted our memories to a system that might destroy them? By Jessica Traynor. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, March 27, 2024
From the archive: ‘Is anybody in there?’ Life on the inside as a locked-in patient
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2020: Jake Haendel spent months trapped in his body, silent and unmoving but fully conscious. Most people never emerge from ‘locked-in syndrome’, but as a doctor told him, everything about his case is bizarre. By Josh Wilbur. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, March 25, 2024
‘It was so wrong’: why were so many people imprisoned over one protest in Bristol?
More people have been imprisoned for rioting during a single day in Bristol in 2021 than in any other protest-related disorder since at least the 1980s. What was behind this push to prosecute so harshly? By Tom Wall. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, March 22, 2024
What we talk about when we talk about giving up
We give things up when we believe we can change; we give up when we believe we can’t. By Adam Phillips. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, March 20, 2024
From the archive – Operation Condor: the cold war conspiracy that terrorised South America
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2020: During the 1970s and 80s, eight US-backed military dictatorships jointly plotted the cross-border kidnap, torture, rape and murder of hundreds of their political opponents. Now some of the perpetrators are finally facing justice. By Giles Tremlett. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, March 18, 2024
The tyranny of the algorithm: why every coffee shop looks the same
From the generic hipster cafe to the ‘Instagram wall’, the internet has pushed us towards a kind of global ubiquity – and this phenomenon is only going to intensify. By Kyle Chayka. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, March 15, 2024
Electric mountain: the power station that shows the beauty of infrastructure
Utilitarian as they may be, some civic projects are so monumental they approach the sublime. And one of the most elegant is hidden inside a mountain in Wales. By Deb Chachra. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, March 13, 2024
From the archive: How western travel influencers got tangled up in Pakistan’s politics
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2020: Travel bloggers have flocked to Pakistan in recent years – but have some of them become too close to the authorities? By Samira Shackle. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, March 11, 2024
‘Can I now send the funds?’: secrets of the Conservative money machine
To see how easy it is for the wealthy to buy political access and influence, consider the story of the Tory donor Mohamed Amersi. By Tom Burgis. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, March 08, 2024
‘Good times and dances might last for ever’: the sound of London’s Black gay scene
For many Black gay men in 1980s and 90s Britain, nightlife was community, family and lifeline – but its history is in danger of disappearing. By Jason Okundaye. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, March 06, 2024
From the archive: ‘A chain of stupidity’: the Skripal case and the decline of Russia’s spy agencies
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2020: The unmasking of the Salisbury poisoning suspects by a new digital journalism outfit was an embarrassment for Putin – and evidence that Russian spies are not what they once were. By Luke Harding. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, March 04, 2024
What the unrest in Leicester revealed about Britain – and Modi’s India
A year and a half ago, Hindus and Muslims clashed in the streets of one of Britain’s most diverse cities. What lay behind the violence? By Yohann Koshy. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Sat, March 02, 2024
The Guardian’s new podcast series about AI: Black Box – prologue
We wanted to bring you this episode from our new series, Black Box. In it, Michael Safi explores seven stories and the thread that ties them together: artificial intelligence. In this prologue, Hannah (not her real name) has met Noah and he has changed her life for the better. So why does she have concerns about him? If you like what you hear, make sure to search and subscribe to Black Box, with new episodes every Monday and Thursday.. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, March 01, 2024
Precipice of fear: the freerider who took skiing to its limits
Jérémie Heitz has pushed freeriding to breathtaking, beautiful new extremes. But as the risks get bigger, the questions do, too. By Simon Akam. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, February 28, 2024
From the archive: How maverick rewilders are trying to turn back the tide of extinction
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2020: A handful of radical nature lovers are secretly breeding endangered species and releasing them into the wild. Many are prepared to break the law and risk the fury of the scientific establishment to save the animals they love. By Patrick Barkham. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, February 26, 2024
‘Farming is a dirty word now’: the woman helping farmers navigate a grim, uncertain future
In a moment of crisis for the industry, Heather Wildman tours the country helping farmers face up to the toughest of questions – not just about the future of their business, but about their family, their identity and even their mortality. By Bella Bathurst. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, February 23, 2024
‘Ukraine fatigue’: why I’m fighting to stop the world forgetting us
Everyone likes to support an underdog, especially if it’s winning. But it’s one thing to win a battle, it’s quite another to win the war. And Ukraine cannot win without international support. By Olesya Khromeychuk. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, February 21, 2024
From the archive: Penthouses and poor doors: how Europe’s ‘biggest regeneration project’ fell flat
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2021: Few places have seen such turbocharged luxury development as Nine Elms in London. So why are prices tumbling, investors melting away and promises turning to dust? By Oliver Wainwright. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, February 19, 2024
‘Scars on every street’: the refugee camp where generations of Palestinians have lost their futures
Ever since the displacement of 700,000 Palestinians in 1948, many have been living in dejection and squalor in camps like Shatila in Beirut. Is this the grim future the people of Gaza could now be facing? By Ghaith Abdul-Ahad. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, February 16, 2024
‘They were dying, and they’d not had their money’: Britain’s multibillion-pound equal pay scandal
In 2005, Glasgow council offered to compensate women for historic pay inequality. But it sold them short again – and soon workers all over the UK started fighting for what they were owed. By Samira Shackle. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, February 14, 2024
From the archive: The air conditioning trap: how cold air is heating the world
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2019: The warmer it gets, the more we use air conditioning. The more we use air conditioning, the warmer it gets. Is there any way out of this trap? By Stephen Buranyi. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, February 12, 2024
Hippy, capitalist, guru, grocer: the forgotten genius who changed British food
Nicholas Saunders was a counterculture pioneer with an endless stream of quixotic schemes and a yearning to spread knowledge – but his true legacy is a total remaking of the way Britain eats. By Jonathan Nunn. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, February 09, 2024
‘I repeatedly failed to win any awards’: my doomed career as a North Korean novelist
Before I fled south, I spent years as an aspiring fiction writer in the hermit kingdom. I worked hard – but literary glory kept eluding me. By Kim Ju-sŏng. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, February 07, 2024
From the archive: From Lagos to Winchester – how a divisive Nigerian pastor built a global following
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2021: I first encountered TB Joshua as a teenager, when his preaching captivated my evangelical Christian community in Hampshire. Many of my friends became his ardent disciples and followed him to Lagos. How did he have such a hold over people? By Matthew McNaught. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, February 05, 2024
‘Weapons of mass migration’: how states exploit the failure of migration policies
Just like the war on drugs and the war on terror, efforts at stopping population movement by force often just fuel the problem. But for many claiming to confront the perceived threat, that suits all too well. By Ruben Andersson and David Keen. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, February 02, 2024
Sanctuary: I grew up during The Troubles and have been seeking a place of peace ever since
The cost of growing up in a low-level police state. By Darran Anderson. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, January 31, 2024
From the archive: The bells v the boutique hotel: the battle to save Britain’s oldest factory
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2021: Whitechapel Bell Foundry dates back to 1570, and was the factory in which Big Ben and the Liberty Bell were made. But it shut in 2017, and a fight for its future has been raging ever since. By Hettie O’Brien. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, January 29, 2024
One Swedish zoo, seven escaped chimpanzees
When the great apes at Furuvik Zoo broke free from their enclosure last winter, the keepers faced a terrible choice. This is the story of the most dramatic 72 hours of their lives. By Imogen West-Knights. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, January 26, 2024
Days of the Jackal: how Andrew Wylie turned serious literature into big business
Andrew Wylie is agent to an extraordinary number of the planet’s biggest authors. His knack for making highbrow writers very rich helped to define a literary era – but is his reign now coming to an end? By Alex Blasdel. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, January 24, 2024
From the archive: ‘I just needed to find my family’: the scandal of Chile’s stolen children – podcast
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2021: At two months old, Maria Diemar was flown to Sweden to be adopted. Years later, she tracked down her birth mother, who said her baby had been taken against her will. Now investigations are showing that she was one of thousands stolen from their parents. By Aaron Nelson. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, January 22, 2024
We have a tool to stop Israel’s war crimes: BDS
In 2005, Palestinians called on the world to boycott Israel until it complied with international law. What if we had listened? By Naomi Klein. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, January 19, 2024
The ghosts haunting China’s cities
In the official telling, fears of malevolent spirits are a vestige of old, unenlightened village ways. But today urban China is rife with superstition about death. Why? By Andrew Kipnis. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, January 17, 2024
From the archive: Inside the bizarre, bungled raid on North Korea’s Madrid embassy
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2019: In February, a gang of armed men took a North Korean official hostage and demanded that he defect. When he refused, their plan fell apart, and they fled. Who were they, and why did they risk everything on this wild plot? By Giles Tremlett. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, January 15, 2024
‘They treated me like an animal’: how Filipino domestic workers become trapped
Migrants from the Philippines make up a huge percentage of domestic workers around the world. But when their employers are abusive, visa restrictions force them to choose between enduring more suffering or becoming illegal. By Margaret Simons. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, January 12, 2024
America’s undying empire: why the decline of US power has been greatly exaggerated
For more than a decade, people have been saying that the era of US dominance is coming to an end. But in reality there are still no other global players to rival it. By Tom Stevenson. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, January 10, 2024
From the archive: How Nespresso’s coffee revolution got ground down
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2020: Nestlé’s sleek, chic capsule system changed the way we drink coffee. But in an age when everyone’s a coffee snob and waste is wickedness, can it survive? By Ed Cumming. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, January 08, 2024
Four bike rides, four years in the life of Black Britain: ‘On the road, we found ourselves again’
In a time of death and isolation, a new tradition was born. As the UK struggled with Covid and a renewed fight for racial justice, I turned to two wheels to get by. By Aniefiok Ekpoudom. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, January 05, 2024
Too much stuff: can we solve our addiction to consumerism?
Alarmed by the rising tide of waste we are all creating, my family and I decided to try to make do with much less. But while individual behaviour is important, real change will require action on a far bigger scale. By Chip Colwell. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, January 03, 2024
From the archive: Dark crystals: the brutal reality behind a booming wellness craze
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2019: Demand for ‘healing’ crystals is soaring – but many are mined in deadly conditions in one of the world’s poorest countries. And there is little evidence that this billion-dollar industry is cleaning up its act. By Tess McClure. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, January 01, 2024
Last love: a romance in a care home
Mary and Derek weren’t the first couple to get together at Easterlea Rest Home. But those other relationships had been more like friendships – and this was something else entirely. By Sophie Elmhirst. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, December 29, 2023
Best of 2023: The widow and the murderer: a friendship born of tragedy
Every Monday and Friday for the rest of December we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2023, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. From October: A decade after Maixabel Lasa’s husband was shot by Basque separatists, she received a message from one of his killers. He wanted to meet her. By Giles Tremlett. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, December 25, 2023
Best of 2023: No coach, no agent, no ego: the incredible story of the ‘Lionel Messi of cliff diving’
Every Monday and Friday for the rest of December we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2023, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. From March: Gary Hunt is an enigma. He trains with the intensity of a modern athlete, but relaxes like a sportsman of a bygone era. He is fiercely competitive but unbelievably laid-back. How did he become the greatest cliff diver of all time? By Xan Rice. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, December 22, 2023
Best of 2023: The strange survival of Guinness World Records
Every Monday and Friday for the rest of December we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2023, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. From June: For more than half a century, one organisation has been cataloguing all of life’s superlatives. But has it gone from being about the pursuit of knowledge to simply another big business? By Imogen West-Knights. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, December 18, 2023
Best of 2023: Dismantling Sellafield: the epic task of shutting down a nuclear site
Every Monday and Friday for the rest of December we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2023, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. From January: Nothing is produced at Sellafield any more. But making safe what is left behind is an almost unimaginably expensive and complex task that requires us to think not on a human timescale, but a planetary one. By Samanth Subramanian. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, December 15, 2023
Best of 2023: Proust, ChatGPT and the case of the forgotten quote
Every Monday and Friday for the rest of December we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2023, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. From September: In search of a half-remembered passage among the French writer’s voluminous work, I turned to AI to help me find it. The results were instructive – just not about Proust. By Elif Batuman. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, December 11, 2023
Best of 2023: Dark waters: how the adventure of a lifetime turned to tragedy
Every Monday and Friday for the rest of December we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2023, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. From June: The Clipper round the world yacht race was created for amateurs seeking the ultimate challenge. But did they underestimate the risks? By Sally Williams. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, December 08, 2023
Nitrogen wars: the Dutch farmers’ revolt that turned a nation upside-down
In 2019, a looming crisis over pollution led the Dutch government to crack down on farm emissions. The response was furious – and offers a warning to other countries about protecting the environment without losing public trust. By Paul Tullis. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, December 06, 2023
From the archive: The rise and fall of French cuisine
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors This week, from 2019: French food was the envy of the world – before it became trapped by its own history. Can a new school of traditionalists revive its glories?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, December 04, 2023
‘I remember the silence between the falling shells’: the terror of living under siege as a child
I was 10 years old in 1992 when Kabul was bombarded by warring forces, and life became a cycle of hunger, fear and horror. Then as now, children bear the brunt of war. By Zarlasht Halaimzai. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, December 01, 2023
A violent murder, a child on death row
Paula Cooper was 15 when she murdered 77-year-old Ruth Pelke in her Indiana home, and was sentenced to death. But a campaign for her life came from an unexpected quarter. By Alex Mar. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, November 29, 2023
From the archive: ‘We the people’: the battle to define populism
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors This week, from 2019: The noisy dispute over the meaning of populism is more than just an academic squabble – it’s a crucial argument about what we expect from democracy. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, November 27, 2023
The Netanyahu doctrine: how Israel’s longest-serving leader reshaped the country in his image
He first became prime minister in 1996, and has been pushing the country further right ever since. Most agree his political days are numbered – but the approach he established will prove very difficult to shift. By Joshua Leifer. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, November 24, 2023
Chainsaws, disguises and toxic tea: the battle for Sheffield’s trees
What started out as a small protest escalated into a decade-long struggle between the council and hundreds of ordinary people who decided to take radical action to save their city’s trees. By Samira Shackle. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, November 22, 2023
From the archive: How the murders of two elderly Jewish women shook France
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2018: Two killings in Paris, one year apart, have inflamed the bitter French debate over antisemitism, race and religion. By James McAuley. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, November 20, 2023
‘I stopped counting how many friends died’: life after the contaminated blood scandal
As a victim of one of the NHS’s worst failures, I campaigned for years for an investigation into what led to so many people becoming infected with deadly viruses. Finally we got an inquiry – but did we get answers?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, November 17, 2023
Inside the Taliban’s luxury hotel
Once the site of legendary parties, the Intercontinental in Kabul is still a potent symbol of who rules Afghanistan – and what its future might hold. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, November 15, 2023
Special Edition: Behind the scenes at the Long Read
To celebrate the launch of the new Guardian Long Read magazine this week, join the Long Read editor David Wolf in discussion with regular contributors Sophie Elmhirst and Samanth Subramanian • The Guardian Long Read magazine is available to order now. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, November 13, 2023
The mass protest decade: why did the street movements of the 2010s fail?
From Brazil to Egypt, Turkey to Hong Kong, the 2010s saw a series of huge public uprisings. Yet many of them led to the opposite of what they asked for. I spoke to 200 participants across 12 countries to find out why. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, November 10, 2023
‘Incoherence and inconsistency’: the inside story of the Rwanda deportation plan
There were so many warnings it would fail. How did it get this far?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, November 08, 2023
From the archive: The last of the Zoroastrians
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2020: A funeral, a family, and a journey into a disappearing religion. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, November 06, 2023
The insider: how Michael Lewis got a backstage pass for the fall of Sam Bankman-Fried
As author of The Big Short and Moneyball, Michael Lewis is perhaps the most celebrated journalist of his generation. His latest book delivers an astonishing portrait of the fallen crypto billionaire. But did he get too close?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, November 03, 2023
‘We are just getting started’: the plastic-eating bacteria that could change the world
When a microbe was found munching on a plastic bottle in a rubbish dump, it promised a recycling revolution. Now scientists are attempting to turbocharge those powers in a bid to solve our waste crisis. But will it work?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, November 01, 2023
From the archive: What I have learned from my suicidal patients
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors This week, from 2019: A GP has minutes to try to convince a person that life is worth living. It’s a challenge that brings rare rewards. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, October 30, 2023
The trials of Robert Habeck: is the world’s most powerful green politician doomed to fail?
A year ago, Germany’s vice-chancellor was one of the country’s best-liked public figures. Then came the tabloid-driven backlash. Now he has to win the argument all over again. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, October 27, 2023
‘A hidden universe of suffering’: the Palestinian children sent to jail
One night in 2005, Israeli soldiers came for Huda Dahbour’s teenage son. He was gone for a year and a half. The damage done to their family – and so many others like them – was incalculable. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, October 25, 2023
From the archive: ‘In our teens, we dreamed of making peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Then my friend was shot’
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors This week, from 2022: At a summer camp for kids from conflict zones, I met my brave, funny friend Aseel. He was Palestinian. I was Israeli. When he was killed by police, my hope for our future died with him. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, October 23, 2023
‘You may have been poisoned’: how an independent Russian journalist became a target
My reporting on the invasion of Ukraine led to an assassination order being issued – and then came the mysterious illness. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, October 20, 2023
Justice for Neanderthals! What the debate about our long-dead cousins reveals about us
They were long derided as knuckle-draggers, but new discoveries are setting the record straight. As we rethink the nature of the Neanderthals, we could also learn something about our own humanity. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, October 18, 2023
From the archive: Cholera and coronavirus: why we must not repeat the same mistakes
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors This week, from 2020: Cholera has largely been beaten in the west, but it still kills tens of thousands of people in poorer countries every year. As we search for a cure for coronavirus, we have to make sure it will be available to everyone, not just to those in wealthy nations. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, October 16, 2023
‘Our health data is about to flow more freely, like it or not’: big tech’s plans for the NHS
The government is about to award a £480m contract to build a vast new database of patient data. But if people don’t trust it, they’ll opt out – I know, because I felt I had to. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, October 13, 2023
The widow and the murderer: a friendship born of tragedy
A decade after Maixabel Lasa’s husband was shot by Basque separatists, she received a message from one of his killers. He wanted to meet her. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, October 11, 2023
From the archive: Was the Millennium Dome really so bad? The inside story of a (not so) total disaster
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors This week, from 2020: Even before it opened, the Dome had become a byword for failure. But two decades on, it could be time for a reassessment. By Imogen West-Knights. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, October 09, 2023
The Melilla massacre: how a Spanish enclave in Africa became a deadly flashpoint
At least 37 people were killed in June 2022 at the Morocco-Spain border, while scores more were injured. Despite the brutality and chaos, officials praised the actions of border agents. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Thu, October 05, 2023
‘A huge heart’: the insatiable activism of Zimbabwean exile Patson Muzuwa
After agitating against Robert Mugabe in Harare in the late 90s, Patson Muzuwa fled to the UK. He continued the fight from afar, and became a tireless torchbearer for those he had to leave behind. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, October 04, 2023
From the archive: ‘A body drifted past the window’: surviving the Ladbroke Grove train crash
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2019: On 5 October 1999, two trains collided at speed in west London, killing both drivers and 29 passengers. Barrister Greg Treverton-Jones, who survived the crash and worked on the harrowing inquiry, pieced together what went wrong Warning: this article contains graphic descriptions of injury and trauma. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, October 02, 2023
Empire of dust: what the tiniest specks reveal about the world
Nobody normally gives a second thought to dust, but it is inescapable. And if we pay close attention, we can see the biggest things – time, death and life itself – within these tiny floating particles. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, September 29, 2023
‘The Eurocentric fallacy’: the myths that underpin European identity
The EU likes to celebrate itself as a place where borders are soft and ‘regionalism’ creates diversity and openness. But just as much as any powerful nation, Europe defines itself against the rest of the world. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, September 27, 2023
From the archive: ‘Mama Boko Haram’: one woman’s extraordinary mission to rescue ‘her boys’ from terrorism
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors This week, from 2020: Aisha Wakil knew many of Boko Haram’s fighters as children. Now she uses those ties to broker peace deals, mediate hostage negotiations and convince militants to put down their weapons – but as the violence escalates, her task is becoming impossible. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, September 25, 2023
‘Voters are unhappier with the NHS than they’ve been for 30 years. As a GP, I feel the same’
Even those at the top admit the NHS can’t do what is being asked of it today. But it is far from unsalvageable – we just need serious politicians who will commit to funding it. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, September 22, 2023
Proust, ChatGPT and the case of the forgotten quote
In search of a half-remembered passage among the French writer’s voluminous work, I turned to AI to help me find it. The results were instructive – just not about Proust. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, September 20, 2023
From the archive: The invisible city: how a homeless man built a life underground
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2020: After decades among the hidden homeless, Dominic Van Allen dug himself a bunker beneath a public park. But his life would get even more precarious. By Tom Lamont. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, September 18, 2023
The evolution of Steve Albini: ‘If the dumbest person is on your side, you’re on the wrong side’
Steve Albini was long synonymous with the indie underground, playing in revered bands and recording albums by the Pixies, PJ Harvey and Nirvana. He also often seemed determined to offend as many people as possible. What led him to reassess his past?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, September 15, 2023
‘Move forward. Flap around a little!’ How learning to swim in my 50s set me free
My body and my confidence were failing me. I was told swimming would make me fit and strong-minded. But first I had to navigate the aggravation of the slow lane. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, September 13, 2023
From the archive: A scandal in Oxford: the curious case of the stolen gospel
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2020: What links an eccentric Oxford classics don, billionaire US evangelicals, and a tiny, missing fragment of an ancient manuscript? By Charlotte Higgins. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, September 11, 2023
‘Ruzzki not welcome’: the Russian exiles getting a hostile reception in Georgia
After the invasion of Ukraine, thousands of Russians fled to Tbilisi. But the graffiti that has sprung up across the city suggests not everyone is pleased to see them. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, September 08, 2023
The aftermath: how the Beirut explosion has left scars on an already broken Lebanon
Three years ago, a huge explosion ripped the city apart – and with it people’s hopes for rebuilding. The most vulnerable, many of them women, are bearing the brunt of Lebanon’s endless disasters. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, September 06, 2023
From the archive: Golden Dawn: the rise and fall of Greece’s neo-Nazis
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors This week, from 2020: A decade ago, violent racists exploited a national crisis and entered mainstream politics in Greece. The party has since been caught up in the biggest trial of Nazis since Nuremberg, and is now crumbling – but its success remains a warning. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, September 04, 2023
‘If I left, I’d have to go without a word’: how I escaped China’s mass arrests
When hundreds of my fellow Uyghurs started disappearing into ‘re-education camps’ every day, it became clear that it was only a matter of time before I would be detained. So my wife and I got ready to run. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, September 01, 2023
Weizenbaum’s nightmares: how the inventor of the first chatbot turned against AI
Computer scientist Joseph Weizenbaum was there at the dawn of artificial intelligence – but he was also adamant that we must never confuse computers with humans. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, August 28, 2023
The Balkans’ alternative postal system: an ad-hoc courier’s tale
Across this fractured region, informal networks rule. So if you need to send something, ask someone who’s already going that way. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, August 25, 2023
Best of 2023 … so far: How Deborah Levy can change your life
Every Friday in August we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2023, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. This week, from April: From her shimmering novels to her ‘living autobiographies’, Deborah Levy’s work inspires a devotion few literary authors ever achieve. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, August 21, 2023
‘All that we had is gone’: my lament for war-torn Khartoum
Since Sudan’s capital was engulfed by violence in April, life there has been all but destroyed. As we tried to get family members to safety, the ruination of my former home became hard to fathom. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, August 18, 2023
Best of 2023… so far: The trials of an Indian witness: how a Muslim man was caught in a legal nightmare
Every Friday in August we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2023, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. This week, from March: Nisar Ahmed was almost killed in the Delhi riots. But when he became a witness in court cases against the alleged perpetrators, he realised that was only the start of his troubles. By Rahul Bhatia. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, August 14, 2023
A funeral for fish and chips: why are Britain’s chippies disappearing?
Plenty of people will tell you the East Neuk of Fife in Scotland is the best place in the world to eat fish and chips. So what happens when its chippies – and chippies across the UK – start to close?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, August 11, 2023
Best of 2023… so far: ‘I know where the bodies are buried’: one woman’s mission to change how the police investigate rape
Every Friday in August we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2023, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. This week, from March: For two years, Betsy Stanko has been leading an investigation into why the police have been failing so badly to tackle sexual violence. But is there any chance of fixing a system that seems so broken? By Melissa Denes. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, August 07, 2023
How hip-hop gave voice to a generation of Egyptians hungry for change
From the early days of the Tahrir Square protests, music was vital to the young people making their voices heard. And though the country is taking another authoritarian turn, that spirit of dissent cannot be extinguished. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, August 04, 2023
Best of 2023 … so far: Battle of the botanic garden: the horticulture war roiling the Isle of Wight
Every Friday in August we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2023, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. This week, from February: When a US businessman took over a beloved garden a decade ago, he decided on a radical new approach, all in the name of sustainability. But angry critics claim it’s just plain neglect. By Mark O’Connell. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, July 31, 2023
Victoria Amelina: Ukraine and the meaning of home
Before she was killed by a Russian missile strike, the acclaimed novelist and war crimes researcher wrote about growing up in Moscow’s shadow, and how she came to understand what being Ukrainian really meant. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, July 28, 2023
‘People are like, Wow!’: the man trying to make condoms sexy
It has been said that condoms share marketing characteristics with napalm and funerals. But it is Ben Wilson’s mission to make us believe they are key to human happiness. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, July 26, 2023
From the archive: Bring up the bodies: the retired couple who find drowning victims
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors This week, from 2020: Gene and Sandy Ralston are a married couple in their 70s, who also happen to be among North America’s leading experts at searching for the dead. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, July 24, 2023
How to reduce the damage done by gentrification
We cannot let our cities descend into islands of privilege amid seas of disadvantage. With the right policies and investments, a better future is possible. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, July 21, 2023
‘You reach a point where you can’t live your life’: what is behind extreme hoarding?
Hoarding can be distressing and dangerous. But it’s not just a matter of ‘too much stuff’ – it’s a complex condition that requires careful, targeted help. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, July 19, 2023
From the archive: Tampon wars: the battle to overthrow the Tampax empire
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors This week, from 2020: For decades, one company has ruled the world of tampons. But a new wave of brands has emerged, selling themselves as more ethical, more feminist and more ecological. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, July 17, 2023
How Ukraine’s national dish became a symbol of Putin’s invasion
The soup of my childhood, borsch, has become emblematic of Putin’s assault on Ukrainian land, culture and heritage, of his drive to plunder and obliterate Ukraine. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, July 14, 2023
‘Why I might have done what I did’: conversations with Ireland’s most notorious murderer
Malcolm Macarthur was the wealthy, bookish socialite who shocked Ireland with a brutal double killing in 1982, and caused a major political scandal. I tracked him down and heard, for the first time, the tale he told about himself. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, July 12, 2023
From the archive: Life after deportation: ‘No one tells you how lonely you’re going to be’
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors This week, from 2020: The Windrush scandal brought the cruelty of Britain’s deportation policies to light, but the practice continues to this day – and shockingly, it is made possible by UK aid money. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, July 10, 2023
‘Drought is on the verge of becoming the next pandemic’
While the world becomes drier, profit and pollution are draining our resources. We have to change our approach. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, July 07, 2023
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o: three days with a giant of African literature
The Kenyan novelist’s life and work has intersected with many of the biggest events of the past century. At 85, he reflects on his long, uncompromising life in writing. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, July 05, 2023
From the archive: A 975-day nightmare: how the Home Office forced a British citizen into destitution abroad
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors This week, from 2021: Richard Amoah went to Ghana for his father’s funeral and found himself barred from Britain for two years. Like other victims of the Windrush scandal, he is owed compensation – but what will he get?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, July 03, 2023
The planet’s economist: has Kate Raworth found a model for sustainable living?
Her hit book Doughnut Economics laid out a path to a greener, more equal society. But can she turn her ideas into meaningful change?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, June 30, 2023
‘I knew the terror of lost time’: how my father’s dementia echoed my own alcoholism
When my father began to forget words, and then basic skills, I sensed his fear. After my own alcoholic blackouts, I understood what he was going through. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, June 28, 2023
From the archive: Party and protest: the radical history of gay liberation, Stonewall and Pride
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors This week, from 2020: A police raid on a gay bar in New York led to the birth of the Pride movement half a century ago – but the fight for LGBTQ+ rights goes back much further than that. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, June 26, 2023
The backlash: how slavery research came under fire
Read more in this series: Cotton Capital More and more institutions are commissioning investigations into their historical links to slavery – but the fallout at one Cambridge college suggests these projects are meeting growing resistance. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, June 23, 2023
Can humans ever understand how animals think?
A flood of new research is overturning old assumptions about what animal minds are and aren’t capable of – and changing how we think about our own species. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, June 21, 2023
From the archive: History as a giant data set: how analysing the past could help save the future
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors This week, from 2019: Calculating the patterns and cycles of the past could lead us to a better understanding of history. Could it also help us prevent a looming crisis?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, June 19, 2023
The strange survival of Guinness World Records
For more than half a century, one organisation has been cataloguing all of life’s superlatives. But has it gone from being about the pursuit of knowledge to simply another big business?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, June 16, 2023
Out of our minds: opium’s part in imperial history
How a mind-altering, addictive substance was used as a weapon by one empire to subdue another. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, June 14, 2023
From the archive: The great American tax haven: why the super-rich love South Dakota
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors This week, from 2019: It’s known for being the home of Mount Rushmore – and not much else. But thanks to its relish for deregulation, the state is fast becoming the most profitable place for the mega-wealthy to park their billions. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, June 12, 2023
The rubbishscapes of Essex: why our buried trash is back to haunt us
Landfill sites have swallowed many a beauty spot along the Thames estuary in the past 50 years. Now, as those dumps start to disgorge tonnes of mouldering detritus into the river, it truly feels like the Age of Consequences. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, June 09, 2023
Dark waters: how the adventure of a lifetime turned to tragedy
The Clipper round the world yacht race was created for amateurs seeking the ultimate challenge. But did they underestimate the risks?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, June 07, 2023
From the archive: How Hong Kong caught fire: the story of a radical uprising
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors This week, from 2020: Hong Kong used to be seen as cautious, pragmatic and materialistic. But protests have transformed the city. As Beijing tightens its grip, how much longer can the movement survive?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, June 05, 2023
The war on Japanese knotweed
Once hailed as a ‘handsome’ import, this most rampant of plants has come to be seen as a sinister, ruinous enemy. Can it be stopped?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, June 02, 2023
Erdogan’s earthquake: how years of bad government made a disaster worse
Despite vows to tighten the rules after the 1999 quake, cronyism and complacency have undermined Turkish building regulations – at the cost of many thousands of lives. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, May 31, 2023
From the archive: The man in the iron lung
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors This week, from 2020: When he was six, Paul Alexander contracted polio and was paralysed for life. Today he is 74, and one of the last people in the world still using an iron lung. But after surviving one deadly outbreak, he did not expect to find himself threatened by another. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, May 29, 2023
On the trail of the Dark Avenger: the most dangerous virus writer in the world
Bulgaria in the 1980s became known as the ‘virus factory’, where hundreds of malicious computer programs were unleashed to wreak havoc. But who was writing them, and why?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, May 26, 2023
The dark universe: can a scientist battling long Covid unlock the mysteries of the cosmos?
Since being laid low with the virus more than a year ago, Catherine Heymans can only operate in half-hour bursts. But her work could still change the way we understand the universe. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, May 24, 2023
From the archive: Splendid isolation: how I stopped time by sitting in a forest for 24 hours
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors This week, from 2020: My life seemed to be getting busier, faster: I felt constantly short of time – so I stepped outside it for a day and a night and did nothing. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, May 22, 2023
How Facebook and Instagram became marketplaces for child sex trafficking
Our two-year investigation suggests that the tech giant Meta is struggling to prevent criminals from using its platforms to buy and sell children for sex More from this series: Rights and freedom Content warning – the following article contains descriptions of child sexual abuse, exploitation and trafficking. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, May 19, 2023
‘I feel like I’m selling my soul’: inside the crisis at Juventus
A series of financial scandals have rocked Italy’s most glamorous club. But is the trouble at Juventus symptomatic of a deeper rot in world football?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, May 17, 2023
From the archive: How ultra-processed food took over your shopping basket
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors This week, from 2020: It’s cheap, attractive and convenient, and we eat it every day – it’s difficult not to. But is ultra-processed food making us ill and driving the global obesity crisis?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, May 15, 2023
Sleeping beauties: the evolutionary innovations that wait millions of years to come good
Some organisms truck along slowly for aeons before suddenly surging into dominance – and something similar often happens with human inventions, too. But why?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, May 12, 2023
Sudan’s outsider: how a paramilitary leader fell out with the army and plunged the country into war
The civilians of Sudan have been trying to throw off military rule for decades, but now find themselves caught in the middle of a deadly power struggle between former allies turned bitter opponents. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, May 10, 2023
From the archive: Cod wars to food banks: how a Lancashire fishing town is hanging on
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2020: When I grew up there, Fleetwood was a tough but proud fishing port. It’s taken some knocks in the years since, but not everyone has given up on it.. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, May 08, 2023
Are coincidences real?
The rationalist in me knows that coincidences are inevitable, mundane, meaningless. But I can’t deny there is something strange and magical in them, too.. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, May 05, 2023
‘The torture’s real. The time I did was real’: the Belfast man waterboarded by the British army
Liam Holden went to prison for 17 years on the basis of a confession he made after being tortured by British soldiers in 1972. Now the government is making it harder for people like him to get justice. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, May 03, 2023
From the archive: Are your tinned tomatoes picked by slave labour?
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors This week, from 2019: How the Italian mafia makes millions by exploiting migrants. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, May 01, 2023
Will flying ever be green?
The race is on to develop a battery-powered aircraft. But not everyone’s convinced it will bring us closer to net-zero flight. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, April 28, 2023
How Deborah Levy can change your life
From her shimmering novels to her ‘living autobiographies’, Deborah Levy’s work inspires a devotion few literary authors ever achieve. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, April 26, 2023
From the archive: My four miscarriages: why is losing a pregnancy so shrouded in mystery?
We are exploring the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2020: After losing four pregnancies, Jennie Agg set out to unravel the science of miscarriage. Then, a few months in, she found out she was pregnant again – just as the coronavirus pandemic hit. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, April 24, 2023
Putin, Trump, Ukraine: how Timothy Snyder became the leading interpreter of our dark times
Historians aren’t supposed to make predictions, but Yale professor Timothy Snyder has become known for his dire warnings – and many of them have been proved correct. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, April 21, 2023
The impossible job: inside the world of Premier League referees
Players, pundits and fans complain bitterly that referees are getting worse each season – but is that fair?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, April 19, 2023
From the archive: The race to create a perfect lie detector, and the dangers of succeeding
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2019: AI and brain-scanning technology could soon make it possible to reliably detect when people are lying. But do we really want to know?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, April 17, 2023
Three abandoned children, two missing parents and a 40-year mystery
Elvira and her brothers, Ricard and Ramón, were left at a train station in Barcelona aged two, four and five. As an adult, when Elvira decided to look for her parents, she discovered a family history wilder than anything she had imagined. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, April 14, 2023
The Ciskei experiment: a libertarian fantasy in apartheid South Africa
In the 1980s, South African libertarians set up a deregulated zone that they sold to the world as ‘Africa’s Switzerland’. It was a sham, but with its clusters of sweatshops, it was very modern – and in some ways it anticipated the world we live in today. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, April 12, 2023
From the archive – The sound of icebergs melting: my journey into the Antarctic
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors This week, from 2020: Not long after Antarctica recorded some its highest-ever temperatures, I joined a group of scientists studying how human activity is transforming the continent. It wasn’t what we saw that was most astonishing – but what we heard. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, April 10, 2023
‘They robbed me of my children’: Yemen’s war victims tell their stories
The horrors of this conflict, and the lives it has taken, must not be kept hidden. As the bombs continue to fall around us, I have gathered these witness testimonies as a memory against forgetting. By Bushra al-Maqtari. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, April 07, 2023
The stupidity of AI
Artificial intelligence in its current form is based on the wholesale appropriation of existing culture, and the notion that it is actually intelligent could be actively dangerous. By James Bridle. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, April 05, 2023
From the archive – The girl in the box: the mysterious crime that shocked Germany
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors This week, from 2019: On 15 September 1981, 10-year-old Ursula Herrmann headed home by bike from her cousin’s house. She never arrived. So began one of Germany’s most notorious postwar criminal cases, which remains contentious to this day. By Xan Rice. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, April 03, 2023
The disabled villain: why sensitivity reading can’t kill off this ugly trope
For centuries, fictional narratives have used outer difference to telegraph inner monstrosity. As someone who uses a wheelchair, I’ve learned you can’t just edit out a few slurs or bad words to fix this – it’s often baked deep into the story. By Jan Grue. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, March 31, 2023
Foreign mothers, foreign tongues: ‘In another universe, she could have been my friend’
Having grown up in different cultures with different expectations, my mother and I have often clashed. But as my daughter grows older, I have come to see our relationship in a different light. By Dina Nayeri. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, March 29, 2023
From the archive: Why do people hate vegans?
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors This week, from 2019: It has left the beige-tinted margins and become social media’s most glamorous look. But why does veganism still provoke so much anger?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Mon, March 27, 2023
The trials of an Indian witness: how a Muslim man was caught in a legal nightmare
Nisar Ahmed was almost killed in the Delhi riots. But when he became a witness in court cases against the alleged perpetrators, he realised that was only the start of his troubles. By Rahul Bhatia. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Fri, March 24, 2023
‘I know where the bodies are buried’: one woman’s mission to change how the police investigate rape
For the past two years, Betsy Stanko has been leading an unprecedented investigation into why the police have been failing so badly to tackle sexual violence. But is there any chance of fixing a system that seems so broken? By Melissa Denes. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Wed, March 22, 2023
From the archive: Hand dryers v paper towels: the surprisingly dirty fight for the right to dry your hands
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors This week, from 2019: For a century, the humble paper towel has dominated public toilets. But a new generation of hand dryers has sparked a war for loo supremacy. By Samanth Subramanian. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
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