Free Thinking Episodes Episode guide
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Tin cans, cutlery and sewing
New research into the history of stainless steel cutlery, tinned food and sewing machines.
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Climate change and empire building
The long history of climate change and empire: historians Nandini Das and Peter Frankopan
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Ghosts of Caribbean history
New writing by Colin Grant and Kevin Jared Hosein; art by Michael Elliott and Mary Evans.
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Phaedra, Cretan palaces and the minotaur
Knossos, birthplace of myths and tragedies, is explored by Rana Mitter and Natalie Haynes.
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Idrissa Ou茅draogo
Matthew Sweet and guests explore the work of Burkinab茅 film-maker Idrissa Ou茅draogo.
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People's History
The people's history of banners, a dress diary, Sheffield sculptures and a new musical.
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Stories of Love
Romeo and Juliet reworked, Proust and Rita Mae Brown's coming-of-age tale Rubyfruit Jungle
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Donkeys
From Aesop and the bible to the film EO which looks at a donkey born in a Polish circus.
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Lady Macbeth
From Kurosawa and Shostakovich to Zinnie Harris. New takes on the Scottish play.
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Gwendolyn Brooks
Shahidha Bari looks at the writing of a Pulitzer Prize-winning American poet (1917-2000).
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Crossroads and TV soaps
Russell T Davies and Paula Milne on the power of soap operas.
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The English Civil War
The resonances of C17 history now, discussed by Jonathan Healey, Anna Keay, Clare Jackson.
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Holocaust Memorial Day 2023
Matthew Sweet looks at the experiences of Portuguese Jewish and Roma communities.
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William Stukeley
The English antiquarian (1687-1765) who may be the father of modern archaeology.
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Aztecs and Otherness
Caroline Dodds Pennock discusses how Aztecs, Inuit, Mayans and others discovered Europe.
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Audrey Hepburn
Matthew Sweet marks the 30th anniversary of the death of this icon of film and fashion.
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Higher education for women and working-class students
Anne McElvoy hosts a conversation about higher education and the history of its expansion.
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The Wife of Bath
Shahidha Bari is joined by Professor Marion Turner, poet Patience Agbabi and Hetta Howes.
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Language Loss and Revival
John Gallagher is joined by Gwenno, who writes and sings in Cornish, and others.
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Anna Kavan
Matthew Sweet looks at the writer of a dystopian psychodrama, Ice, who died in 1968.
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Phillis Wheatley
Christienna Fryar explores the life and writing of the enslaved American poet (1753-1784).
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Wilkie Collins and disability
How the Victorian author鈥檚 own pain and drug dependency fed into his sensational novels.
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Am铆lcar Cabral
Rana Mitter and guests discuss the pan-Africanist poet and anti-colonial leader.
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Katherine Mansfield and Mavis Gallant
Claire Harman, Kirsty Gunn, Laurence Scott and Shahidha Bari discuss short story writing.
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Landladies
Historical accounts and fictional depictions of the women who ran boarding houses.
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Beasts and animals
Shahidha Bari investigates the human invention of animals.
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Lists
Are lists a good way of organising chaos? Lisa Mullen and guests discuss
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Depicting AIDS in Drama
Russell T Davies, Jill Nalder, Sabina Dosani and Matthew Sweet, recorded with an audience.
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Trapeze acts and circus celebrities
Shahidha Bari hears about aerialists Lillian Leitzel and Pablo Fanque.
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Language, the Victorians, and Us
From Lancashire dialect protest poetry to Hardy's Dorset vowels. John Gallagher hosts.
