A L Kennedy reflects on a 1950s experiment in inducing despair. Read more
now playing
Helpless
A L Kennedy reflects on a 1950s experiment in inducing despair.
A View From Russia: All I Have To Say
The everyday repression of life in Russia, as seen by an anonymous dissident playwright.
What is a Woman?
Zoe Strimpel asks the simple-yet-complex question, 'what is a woman?'
The Unlistened-to Story
Howard Jacobson on why stories of truth in war cannot be ignored.
Reconsidering Cannabis and the Law
Will Self proposes a very British solution to the legalisation of marijuana.
Basic Instincts in the House of Commons
Sarah Dunant takes the temperature of sexual equality in politics.
The War with Words
Bernardine Evaristo on news that Girl, Woman, Other may be banned in some US schools.
Home from Home
Michael Morpurgo calls for a rethink on how we deal with refugees.
On Rubble
Rebecca Stott imagines a day when Kharkiv and other Ukrainian cities can be rebuilt.
Jubilee Musings
Observations on the Jubilee weekend by a bemused foreign visitor to London.
Birthday Blues
Howard Jacobson reflects on birthdays, ageing and Macbeth's incorrigible optimism.
No-Stalgia
Will Self on why we are in thrall to nostalgia.
Driving the American Dream
Sarah Dunant reflects on a historic moment in US history - the overturning of Roe v Wade.
Billionaire Bashing
Zoe Strimpel on why we need more billionaires - the richer the better.
The Meanings of Conservatism
John Gray ponders the true meaning of Conservatism.
Chance and Opportunity
David Goodhart ponders the idea of 'smart luck'.
Climate Change and the Fall of Icarus
Tom Shakespeare grapples with a tricky personal decision over his carbon footprint.
Dance Cocky
Howard Jacobson reflects on summer festivals, conformity and a dancing cockatoo.
No Final Frontier
Sara Wheeler navigates the tricky issue of voice appropriation.
The Samsara of Salmon
John Connell reflects on the plight of vanishing salmon and what it means for our planet
The New Age of Empire
Linda Colley argues that the age of empire is far from over.
When Everybody Is Somebody
Will Self reflects on the merits of failure.
Female Fictions
Megan Nolan discusses the intense pressures on women writers to be attractive.
The Queen: An Acceptance of History
Michael Morpurgo reflects on the remarkable life of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
A Different Level of Fame
Sarah Dunant reflects on how the nature of fame has changed over the past seventy years.
A Deadly Serious Game
Zoe Strimpel on chess, concentration and the growing conflict with Russia.
Notions of Blackness
Bernardine Evaristo reflects on black 'authenticity'.
Trickle Down
Howard Jacobson takes on the proponents of the horse-and-sparrow theory of economics.
A Plea for Nuance
Sara Wheeler on the perils of entrenched positions.
Investigation of a Dog
Will Self reflects on fifteen years of life lessons... from his dog.
Darkness Made Visible
Rebecca Stott reflects on our relationship with darkness, past and present.