Free Thinking Episodes Episode guide
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Walls
Novelist John Lanchester, historians David Frye, Kylie Murray and journalist Tim Marshall
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Boredom
Shahidha Bari, Josh Cohen and Sam Goodman explore the value of doing nothing.
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Born in 1819: Ruskin, Clough and Bazalgette.
Ruskin, Bazalgette and Clough: Laurence Scott examines three of Victoria's class of 1819.
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Landmark: Laurel and Hardy's The Music Box
Matthew Sweet pays tribute to Hollywood's most famous comedy duo, Stan and Ollie.
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Landmark: Watership Down
An ecological fable about a perfect society? Matthew Sweet reads Richard Adams' classic.
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What does game playing teach us?
Bobby Seagull and Irving Finkel join Shahidha Bari to look at competitiveness and games.
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Trees of Knowledge
Peter Wohlleben Emanuele Coccia Marion Sidebottom Luke Turner
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Ice
A journey to the frozen ends of the Earth, plus theatrical magic from the 17th century.
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Linton Kwesi Johnson
The reggae poet and recording artist talks politics, religion and writing with Philip Dodd
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Writing and Frankness
Deborah Levy, Adam Phillips and Amia Srinivasan join Matthew Sweet at the British Library.
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Are we being manipulated?
Who's pulling your strings? Matthew Sweet and guests track down today's hidden persuaders.
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Is there a great divide between the arts and science?
Sir Paul Nurse and Tristram Hunt debate with an audience at Queen Mary University London.
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Bessie Head. Rwanda Representation and Reality
Anne McElvoy looks at the career of Botswana's most influential writer.
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Mike Hodges; Dark Sweden.
The director of Get Carter talks to Matthew Sweet about writing his own crime stories.
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Slavery Stories
A long-lost classic now published and Esi Edugyan's Man Booker Prize shortlisted novel.
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Plagues, Urban Inequality and Restricted Books
Artist Penny Woolcock, global health researcher Thomas Bollyky and Jane Stevens Crawshaw
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Leadership: lessons from US presidents and campaigners
Doris Kearns Goodwin on what makes a good president. Plus Georgina Harding on war.
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The Left Behind
Eric Kaufmann talks to Philip Dodd about white identity, populism and immigration
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What kind of history should we write?
Peter Frankopan, and Maya Jasanoff, winner of the world's richest prize for history.
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Buses, beer and VR - a taste of university research
From ancient religion to London's Greek Cypriot community and the 29 bus route.
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Death rituals
From death cafes to bronze age burials, from C19 mourning rings to the way doctors cope.
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Lost Words and Language
Shahidha Bari looks at research showcased in the Being Human Festival at UK universities.
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Why are we silent when conflict is loud?
Peter Hitchens; Rev Lucy Winkett; Neil Bartlett: Prof Steve Brown @ Imperial War Museum.
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Landmark: Journey to the End of the Night
Marie Darrieussecq, Andrew Hussey, Tibor Fischer & Damian Catani on C茅line's masterpiece.
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Wilfred Owen: Poetry and Peace
Gillian Clarke, Sabrina Mahfouz and Michael Symmons Roberts respond to the war poet.
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Rethinking the Human Condition
A look at free-thinker Thomas Woolston, philosopher Isaiah Berlin, memory and neuroscience
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Religious divisions, puppet shows and politics.
The exile of English Catholics 450 years ago, plus suffragette Punch and Judy.
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Modern Japanese history - Being inspired by others & enjoying their pain
Julian Baggini, Tiffany Watt Smith and Christopher Harding with Rana Mitter.
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The Dark and Political Messages of Kids Fiction
Michael Rosen looks at socialist fairy tales and radicalism in books for children.
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Mike Leigh
Mike Leigh talks to Matthew Sweet as his historical epic Peterloo opens in cinemas.
