The Forum Podcast
The programme that explains the present by exploring the past.
Episodes to download
-
![]()
Lu Xun: Writing the story of New China
Thu 14 Feb 2019
Life and works of the man who transformed Chinese literature.
-
![]()
The talking drums of West Africa
Thu 7 Feb 2019
A source of music, spiritual power and oral literature
-
![]()
The Top of the World
Thu 31 Jan 2019
The history of the North Pole as both a place on the map and in our imaginations.
-
![]()
-
![]()
Goya: Seeking truth through art
Thu 17 Jan 2019
The Spanish artist Francisco Goya, whose work explored the darker side of human nature
-
![]()
Antigone: A drama of defiance
Thu 10 Jan 2019
The classic play from Ancient Greece about civil disobedience
-
![]()
The Master and Margarita: Devilish satire
Thu 3 Jan 2019
One of Russia鈥檚 favourite novels that combines magical fantasy with dark political satire
-
![]()
Fermentation: Ancient Food Alchemy
Thu 27 Dec 2018
What's your brew? Friendly microbes making our fare tastier
-
![]()
The Emergence of Modern Turkey
Thu 20 Dec 2018
The birth of the secular republic of Turkey from the ashes of the Ottoman Empire
-
![]()
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn: Revealing the Gulag
Thu 13 Dec 2018
The Russian writer who exposed the grim, nightmarish world of Soviet forced labour camps
-
![]()
The Iranian Coup of 1953: Overthrow of a Prime Minister
Thu 6 Dec 2018
How British and US intelligence agencies helped oust Iran鈥檚 leader Mohammad Mossadeq
-
![]()
Diaghilev and the ballet revolution
Thu 29 Nov 2018
The Russian impresario whose Ballet Russes company transformed 20th century dance
-
![]()
-
![]()
Coal: a Burning Legacy
Thu 15 Nov 2018
How coal created empires and wealth but also caused misery and unprecedented pollution
-
![]()
Lifting the lid: The history of the toilet
Thu 8 Nov 2018
An invention many rely on, but prefer not to discuss
-
![]()
Calm in the chaos: The story of the Stoics
Thu 1 Nov 2018
A philosophy for resilience and equanimity
-
![]()
Cambodia's ancient Khmer Empire
Sat 27 Oct 2018
Builders and sculptors of South East Asia's awe-inspiring monuments
-
![]()
Who was the real Cleopatra?
Sat 20 Oct 2018
Unpicking fact from fiction in the life of the last queen of Egypt
-
![]()
Karl Kraus: Austria鈥檚 fearless satirist
Sat 13 Oct 2018
The scathing critic of deceit and corruption in Vienna
-
![]()
Cool: Sunglasses, style and American counter-culture
Sat 6 Oct 2018
Exploring the elements of that seemingly effortless pose to which so many aspire
-
![]()
Frida Kahlo: A life in colour
Sat 29 Sep 2018
The life of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, known for her ground-breaking self-portraits
-
![]()
-
![]()
Edgar Allan Poe: Master of horror
Sat 15 Sep 2018
The dark, tumultuous life of America鈥檚 great gothic writer
-
![]()
The Making of Modern Japan
Sat 8 Sep 2018
Rajan Datar and guests discuss the astonishing transformation of Japan over 150 years
-
![]()
-
![]()
The Acropolis: Cradle of democracy
Sat 25 Aug 2018
How the Acropolis of Athens provided the West with its foundations of politics and drama
-
![]()
Friedrich Engels: The Man Behind Karl Marx
Sat 18 Aug 2018
The eventful life of Engels and his pivotal contribution to Marxism
-
![]()
Empress Nur Jahan: Leader of the Mughals
Sat 11 Aug 2018
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
Sat 4 Aug 2018
How a play in which nothing happens created a revolution in contemporary theatre
-
![]()
Christina of Sweden: Queen of surprises
Sat 28 Jul 2018
The rebellious monarch who scandalised 17th-century Europe
What makes good customer service in the 21st century?
We鈥檇 love to hear your thoughts and stories for a future Forum.
