Free Thinking Podcast
Leading thinkers discuss the ideas shaping our lives - looking back at the news and making links between past and present. Fridays at 9pm on BBC Radio 4. Presented by Matthew Sweet, Shahidha Bari and Anne McElvoy.
Episodes to download
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Octavia Butler's Kindred
Thu 11 Jan 2024
A novel from 1979 which uses time travel to explore race, slavery and trauma
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Essay writing
Wed 10 Jan 2024
From Montaigne to modern Scottish writing - Rana Mitter discusses what makes a good Essay
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Travel, pleasure and peril
Wed 3 Jan 2024
From preventing strangulation on the railways to guide maps and the art of travel posters
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Dickens, Disney and copyright
Thu 21 Dec 2023
Matthew Sweet looks at copyright rules for Mickey Mouse & Dickens in C19th America
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Greek myth, goddesses and art
Wed 20 Dec 2023
From classic myths rewritten by Natalie Haynes to the art of John Craxton in Crete
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Prize Winners 2023
Tue 19 Dec 2023
Nandini Das, Tania Branigan, Halik Kochanski, Ed Yong, John Vallaint talk to Rana Mitter
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Harry Belafonte
Fri 15 Dec 2023
The long career of the American singer, film star & activist with Matthew Sweet & guests
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Margaret Cavendish
Wed 13 Dec 2023
Nandini Das and guests discuss the Duchess of Newcastle - philosopher, poet and scientist
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Narnia and CS Lewis
Wed 6 Dec 2023
Exploring the literary and theological terrain of C.S. Lewis's Narnia
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Humboldt, soil, gardens and Frank Walter
Tue 5 Dec 2023
For World Soil Day, a celebration of art, research and ideas to revive the earth
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Kadare, Gospodinov, Kafka and Dickens
Fri 1 Dec 2023
Bureaucracies of the soul satirised in novels. Matthew Sweet's guests include Lea Ypi.
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Libraries
Wed 29 Nov 2023
From Alexandria to Mid Wales, Laurence Scott and guests look at library history.
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Lorca
Tue 28 Nov 2023
As the National Theatre stages The House of Bernarda Alba, Rana Mitter discusses Lorca
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AS Byatt and The Children's Book
Fri 24 Nov 2023
AS Byatt discussed her writing life with Matthew Sweet as she published a novel in 2009
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Post-War Germany
Wed 22 Nov 2023
Forging the modern German nation from the moral and material ruins of WW2
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Sam Selvon and The Lonely Londoners
Tue 21 Nov 2023
Selvon's evocative 1956 novel discussed at the British Library by Shahidha Bari & guests.
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Ursula Le Guin and The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas
Thu 16 Nov 2023
Naomi Alderman, Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson and others discuss the politics of this 1973 fable
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Women, art and activism
Wed 15 Nov 2023
Naomi Paxton and guests on exhibitions at Tate Britain, the Barbican and Modern Art Oxford
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Shakespeare as inspiration
Wed 8 Nov 2023
From Bollywood films and Pre-Raphaelite art to productions of Shakespeare in places at war
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The Imperial War Museum Remembrance discussion 2023
Tue 7 Nov 2023
As the IWM unveils its new art galleries, Anne McElvoy & guests discuss photographing war
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African identity via China and photography
Thu 2 Nov 2023
Teju Cole, Noo Saro-Wiwa and Tate curator Osei Bonsu talk to Laurence Scott.
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Robert Aickman
Thu 2 Nov 2023
For Halloween, Matthew Sweet & guests discuss supernatural fiction, bad teeth & canals
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Eliza Flower and non-conformist thinking
Fri 27 Oct 2023
Matthew Sweet hears about research into the singer & friend of JS Mill feat. live songs!
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Sleep
Tue 24 Oct 2023
John Gallagher gets sleeping tips from research pioneers and early modern history
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Sankofa and Afrofuturism
Mon 23 Oct 2023
Curator Ekow Eshun, academic Sarah Jilani, sculptor Zak Ové with Shahihda Bari
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Valis and Philip K Dick
Fri 20 Oct 2023
A weirdly autobiographical science fiction novel from 1981 inspired by hallucinations.
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Humours and The Body
Wed 18 Oct 2023
From mitochondrial medicine to 17th century cancer treatments, via Bach's Cantatas
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Victorian colour, jewellery and metalwork
Tue 17 Oct 2023
Nandini Das visits Colour Revolution at the Ashmolean in Oxford and talks to a jeweller
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The Frieze/Radio 3 Museum Directors Debate 2023
Wed 11 Oct 2023
The art museum as community space, immersive art experiences & other hot topics.
Discussions and talks from the Free Thinking Festival 2019
Angry politics, what we can’t say, being diplomatic, weeping, emotion in music, film & TV
Click to listen to discussions, talks and music as the Free Thinking Festival 2019 Gets Emotional
Angry politics, what we can’t say, being diplomatic, weeping, emotion in music, film & TV
CLICK to LISTEN & SEE programmes from the Free Thinking Festival 2018: The One & the Many
We examine the fast-changing relationship between the individual & the crowd
CLICK to LISTEN & SEE all programmes, images, clips & features from 2017's festival
Free Thinking Festival 2017: The Speed of Life
