Free Thinking Episodes Available now
Phillis Wheatley
Christienna Fryar explores the life and writing of the enslaved American poet (1753-1784).
Wilkie Collins and disability
How the Victorian author鈥檚 own pain and drug dependency fed into his sensational novels.
Am铆lcar Cabral
Rana Mitter and guests discuss the pan-Africanist poet and anti-colonial leader.
Katherine Mansfield and Mavis Gallant
Claire Harman, Kirsty Gunn, Laurence Scott and Shahidha Bari discuss short story writing.
Landladies
Historical accounts and fictional depictions of the women who ran boarding houses.
Beasts and animals
Shahidha Bari investigates the human invention of animals.
Lists
Are lists a good way of organising chaos? Lisa Mullen and guests discuss
Depicting AIDS in Drama
Russell T Davies, Jill Nalder, Sabina Dosani and Matthew Sweet, recorded with an audience.
Trapeze acts and circus celebrities
Shahidha Bari hears about aerialists Lillian Leitzel and Pablo Fanque.
Language, the Victorians, and Us
From Lancashire dialect protest poetry to Hardy's Dorset vowels. John Gallagher hosts.
