The Forum Episodes Available now

Empress Nur Jahan: Leader of the Mughals
The woman who wielded unparalleled power over the Mughal Empire in 17th century India

Waiting for Godot: The play that changed the rules of theatre
How a play in which nothing happens created a revolution in contemporary theatre

Christina of Sweden: Queen of surprises
The rebellious monarch who scandalised 17th-century Europe

Vincent van Gogh: The struggling artist
Charting the highs and lows of the influential Dutch post-Impressionist painter

Mark Twain: The 'father of American literature'
Bridget Kendall and guests discuss the life, work and legacy of Mark Twain

Pioneers of surgical hygiene
The painful route to cleanliness in 19th century hospitals

The invention of numbers
How numbers and counting shaped our world

The life and works of William Blake
Radical visionary, artist and poet

J. William Fulbright: Scholarships and Soft Power
The man behind the renowned scholarship programme

The tales of Timbuktu
How a remote desert town in Mali became world famous