Episodes
Friday Nov 08, 2024
Friday Nov 08, 2024
Joe Boyd is a man about music, record producer, a film producer and author.
He arrived in London in 1964 with Muddy Waters and a host of blues musicians who played to sold out UK audiences when they were unappreciated in their US homeland.
In this conversation he talks about Nick Drake, Paul Simon, The Incredible String Band, Paul Butterfield, MIke Bloomfield and the enduring power of real music.
A thought provoking podcast.
Wednesday Oct 30, 2024
Tariq Ali - The Clash of Fundamentalisms : Christianity, Islam and Capitalism
Wednesday Oct 30, 2024
Wednesday Oct 30, 2024
The effect of the American reverberates around the globe. There seems to be perceived electoral advantage in fanning hate and intolerance.
The wars in the Middle East and Ukraine continue.
Why is this? Is there any cause for optimism? Where do non rational beliefs and convictions fit in the conflicts?
This conversation with the activist and thinker Tariq Ali was recorded soon after the outrage of 9/11.
There is a plan for the future in what Tariq was saying but I wonder if he is as optimistic today. Will rational thought and reasoned discussion bring peaceful coexistence?
Thursday Oct 24, 2024
Catherine Nixey - Heresy : Jesus Christ and other sons of God
Thursday Oct 24, 2024
Thursday Oct 24, 2024
This new book is terrific - its a revelation.
Catherine has studied texts written around the same time as the writings we know as the gospels.
Some of these ancient documents tell the story of the bible characters we are familiar with in a totally different way.
Listen to Catherine talk about her research and you will be surprised ..... probably very surprised!!
My favourite book of the year. Every time I see a politician leaning in a faith direction I want to urge them to read this book!
Sunday Oct 20, 2024
Sophie Kinsella : Shopaholic Ties the Knot
Sunday Oct 20, 2024
Sunday Oct 20, 2024
Sophie Kinsella has a brain tumour. She has written a book about it entitled 'What Does It Feel Like?'
This archive conversation was recorded at the Langham Hilton in London and I remember that Sophie turned up with lots and lots of shopping. That was to be expected because the conversation was to mark the publication of the third in the shopaholic series of stories.
She was great fun to talk to.
Her books are great escapist fiction ....We wish Sophie a speedy recovery from her health challenges.
Tuesday Oct 01, 2024
Jilly Cooper : Pandora
Tuesday Oct 01, 2024
Tuesday Oct 01, 2024
Jilly Cooper is back in the news and she has every reason to be jolly.
Her football novel is out and Disney have made a movie of one of her stories.
I met Jilly when her novel Pandora was first published. She was jolly then too!!
Saturday Sep 28, 2024
Spike Milligan
Saturday Sep 28, 2024
Saturday Sep 28, 2024
Spike Milligan is a timeless national treasure.
In this episode Spike Milligan talks to David Freeman about his life in comedy, The Goons, and the mental health problems that dogged his life after he was blown up by a wartime bomb.
Tuesday Sep 17, 2024
Sir Martin Gilbert - Never Again - history of the Holocaust
Tuesday Sep 17, 2024
Tuesday Sep 17, 2024
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted on December 10th 1948.
We now live in a world where the rights agreed in that document are widely ignored and some politicians openly seek to remove the UK from enforcing them.
Plus racial intolerance is on the march . The horrible spectre of antisemitism is looming over the news as is denial of the rights of Palestinians.
A good time to listen to the words of the late Sir Martin Gilbert.
Sir Martin Gilbert is known as Churchill's biographer, but also as the historian of the Holocaust.
This conversation with David Freeman took place when his book Never Again was published. Sir Martin's thoughts on war are sadly relevant.
Sir Martin died in 2015.
Friday Sep 06, 2024
Friday Sep 06, 2024
This interview was recorded in 2001 and in the introduction recorded at the time I say that the story is no longer relevant as the Taliban are no longer in charge.
This was true at the time but sadly the Taliban are back and the the story of The Breadwinner is all too relevant again. Did the UK let these people down?
Tuesday Aug 27, 2024
Jeanette Winterson - Oranges are Not the Only Fruit.
Tuesday Aug 27, 2024
Tuesday Aug 27, 2024
Jeanette Winterson celebrated her 65th birthday on August 27th.
This interview was recorded when Jeanette was a 20 something brand new literary force.
I remember this converstaion with huge affection. Mostly I would talk to an author for 20 minutes or so but this conversation is twice that. It was recorded in the spring of 1984 when 'Oranges are Not the Only Fruit' was first published.
I was very fortunate because I was one of the very first broadcasters to interview Jeanette.
I had been reading the book in bed the night before and was buzzing with enthusiasm for it when I met her.
Hear the author talk about her life in religious Accrington and why she rejected the faith.
A superb book!
Saturday Aug 24, 2024
Saturday Aug 24, 2024
Emeritus Professor Sir Barry Cunliffe is an academic archaeologist who writes enthusiastically and engagingly about his passions.
In this interview he talks to me about his book which tells the whole of African human history focussing on the Sahara.
Sir Barry takes the story of us from our evolution through to the present day. Is he optimistic about our survival?