Free Thinking Episodes Episode guide
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AS Byatt and The Children's Book
AS Byatt discussed her writing life with Matthew Sweet as she published a novel in 2009.
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Postwar Germany
Forging the modern German nation from the moral and material ruins of World War II.
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Sam Selvon and The Lonely Londoners
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
Naomi Alderman, Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson and others discuss the politics of this 1973 fable.
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Women, art and activism
Naomi Paxton and guests on exhibitions at Tate Britain, the Barbican and Modern Art Oxford
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Food
Lisa Mullen hears about new research into eating habits and ideas about hospitality.
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How and why we talk
John Gallagher hears about Gaelic consonants, tongue shapes and accent prejudice
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Shakespeare as inspiration
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
As the IWM unveils its new art galleries, Anne McElvoy & guests discuss photographing war
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African identity via China and photography
Teju Cole, Noo Saro-Wiwa and Tate curator Osei Bonsu talk to Laurence Scott.
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Korea and Japan
Chris Harding reads from Yu Miri's new novel, The End of August.
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Robert Aickman
On Halloween, Matthew Sweet & guests discuss supernatural fiction, conservation and canals
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Eliza Flower and non-conformist thinking
Matthew Sweet hears about research into the singer and friend of JS Mill feat. live songs!
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Sleep
John Gallagher gets sleeping tips from research pioneers and early modern history
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Sankofa and Afrofuturism
Curator Ekow Eshun, academic Sarah Jilani and sculptor Zak Ov茅 with Shahidha Bari.
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Valis and Philip K Dick
A weirdly autobiographical science fiction novel from 1981, inspired by hallucinations.
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Humours and the body
From mitochondria and 16th-century cancer treatments to breath, blood and Bach cantatas.
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Victorian colour, jewellery and metalwork
Nandini Das visits Colour Revolution at the Ashmolean in Oxford and talks to a jeweller.
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Being Blonde
Matthew Sweet and Professor Lynda Nead explore links between Diana Dors and Ruth Ellis.
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The Frieze/Radio 3 Museum Directors Debate 2023
Directors of the National Portrait Gallery, London and MACBA, Barcelona join Anne McElvoy
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Art, Kew, a symphony and nature
Artist Mat Collishaw, composer Jimmy L贸pez Bellido, academics Vid Simoniti and Sarah Casey
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Faith, consciousness and creating meaning in life
Philosophers Daniel Dennett, Philip Goff, podcaster Liz Oldfield & a faith museum curator.
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Refuge and National Poetry Day
Poets Momtaza Mehri, Julianknxx and historian Jes煤s Sanjurjo join Matthew Sweet.
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Slavic culture and myth
Matthew Sweet looks at the origins of creatures like Baba Yaga, Banniks and Rusalkas.
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Hobbes and New Leviathans
John Gray on why rereading Hobbes can help us understand contemporary politics.
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Childbirth and parenthood: Contains Strong Language
Testament, Hannah Silva, historian Jessica Cox and Thackray museum curator Laura Sellers.
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Betty Miller and Marghanita Laski
Howard Jacobson, Lara Feigel and Lisa Mullen with Matthew Sweet.
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Notebooks and new technology
Authors Jonathan Coe, Roland Allen, Lesley Smith and art book maker Gill Partington.
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Why go into space?
Christopher Harding investigates the history, culture and science of space exploration.
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Black Atlantic
Artist Jaqueline Bishop and curator of an exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum Cambridge.
