Best Longform Storytelling Podcasts (2024)

1
Food, water, wifi: is this the future of humanitarian aid? 26:43

36m ago26:43

26:43

Working in food aid delivery, I have seen the benefits of embracing new technologies. But some problems need to be solved between humans. By Jean-Martin Bauer. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
Best of 2024…so far: ‘They were dying, and they’d not had their money’: Britain’s multibillion-pound equal pay scandal 42:37

25m ago42:37

42:37

Every Friday in August we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2024, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. This week, from February: In 2005, Glasgow council offered to compensate women for historic pay inequality. But it sold them short again – and soon workers all o…

1
Michael Donkor on Grow Where They Fall 1:00:38

1h ago1:00:38

1:00:38

This week’s guest is Michael Donkor whose new novel Grow Where They Fall is a meticulous and tender exploration of two formative moments in the life of one Kwame Akromah, twenty years apart. Kwame is Black, Gay, British of Ghanian descent, a dedicated teacher, a dependable friend—character traits and conditions of life that weave around each other …

1
Introducing: Fire and Fury – The Podcast 0:57

15h ago0:57

0:57

What happens when one of the best-sourced reporters in the game catches up with an old friend to share his latest scoop? Every week, we listen in as journalist Michael Wolff (Fire and Fury, Siege, Landslide) speaks with James Truman, former editorial director of Condé Nast. They dish from inside the Trump campaign and share election intel before th…

1
My family and other Nazis 35:04

1d ago35:04

35:04

My father did terrible things during the second world war, and my other relatives were equally unrepentant. But it wasn’t until I was in my late 50s that I started to confront this dark past. By Martin Pollack. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
Best of 2024 … so far: Hippy, capitalist, guru, grocer: the forgotten genius who changed British food 50:26

4d ago50:26

50:26

Every Friday in August we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2024, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. This week, from January: Nicholas Saunders was a counterculture pioneer with an endless stream of quixotic schemes and a yearning to spread knowledge – but his t…

1
Writing Against Normality, with Samanta Schweblin 1:02:53

6d ago1:02:53

1:02:53

The seven stories in Samanta Schweblin’s Seven Empty Houses are not just about houses—how they contain us, how they constrain us—but are also about the families compressed in them, the objects stored in them, the neighbours that circle them…and the trauma that has soaked into their walls over years past, and that is now seeping slowly out, poisonin…

1
Revolution in the air: how laughing gas changed the world 27:47

8d ago27:47

27:47

Since its discovery in the 18th century, nitrous oxide has gone from vaudeville gimmick to pioneering anaesthetic to modern party drug. By Mark Miodownik. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
From Nobel peace prize to civil war: how Ethiopia’s leader beguiled the world 33:32

19d ago33:32

33:32

When Abiy Ahmed took power in Ethiopia, he was feted at home and abroad as a great unifier and reformer. Two years later, terrible violence was raging. How did people get him so wrong? By Tom Gardner. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
Parenting in the age of AI, with Helen Phillips 52:34

13d ago52:34

52:34

So much has been written about the imminent transformation that Artificial Intelligence will bring to our world. But it is often hard to get much of a sense of what that will mean on a personal level—for our work, for our leisure and, perhaps most importantly of all, for our families. What improvements will result? What new tensions will arise? Wha…

1
From the archive: From Game of Thrones to The Crown: the woman who turns actors into stars 41:26

13d ago41:26

41:26

We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2018: Nina Gold’s role is invisible, and yet her taste has shaped much of what we watch on film and TV. By Sophie Elmhirst. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod…

1
Chortle chortle, scribble scribble: inside the Old Bailey with Britain’s last court reporters 36:21

23d ago36:21

36:21

The cases heard at the Old Bailey offer a vivid, often grim portrait of England and Wales today. What happens when there is no one left to tell these stories? By Sophie Elmhirst. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
‘I’m good, I promise’: the loneliness of the low-ranking tennis player 25:18

18d ago25:18

25:18

I was once Ireland’s No 1 player, and tried for years to climb the global ranks. But life at the bottom of the top can be brutal. By Conor Niland. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
Creating Life from Art, with Catherine Lacey 58:12

20d ago58:12

58:12

We recently welcomed Catherine Lacey to the bookshop to discuss her vertiginous latest novel Biography of X. Ostensibly the quest of a journalist, C.M. Lucca, to discover more about the life of her late wife—an artist who went by many names, but who she knew only as X—it quickly becomes clear that, in Biography of X, it’s not just one life being ca…

1
From the archive: ‘As borders closed, I became trapped in my Americanness’: China, the US and me 35:01

21d ago35:01

35:01

We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2021: I’ve long nursed vague plans of moving back to China for a few years, to solidify my place there. But with each year that passes in the US, such a move gets harder and harder to make. By Cle…

1
‘If there’s nowhere else to go, this is where they come’: how Britain’s libraries provide much more than books 33:11

23d ago33:11

33:11

In 2024, libraries are unofficial creches, homeless shelters, language schools and asylum support providers – filling the gaps left by a state that has reneged on its responsibilities. By Aida Edemariam. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
‘How do I heal?’: the long wait for justice after a black man dies in police custody 37:01

26d ago37:01

37:01

The true number of black people who have died after contact with the police has been hidden, while their families are faced with delays and denials. By Raekha Prasad. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
Paul Murray on The Bee Sting 1:05:31

27d ago1:05:31

1:05:31

Set in small-town, post-crash Ireland, The Bee Sting follows the Barnes family—Dickie, Imelda, Cass and PJ—as the fabric of their lives first frays at the edges, then begins to unravel completely. The Barnes’ are endearing, and complex, and funny, and infuriating… In short, one of the most realistic and memorable portrayals of a family you’ll find …

1
From the archive: The elephant vanishes: how a circus family went on the run 37:40

28d ago37:40

37:40

We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2021: Dumba has spent her life performing in circuses around Europe, but in recent years animal rights activists have been campaigning to rescue her. When it looked like they might succeed, Dumba …

1
Here it is! Evan’s new show, Shell Game 33:20

30d ago33:20

33:20

This is the story of what happens when Evan Ratliff, co-host of Longform and a longtime tech journalist, makes a digital copy of himself, powered by AI, in order to understand how amazing and scary and utterly ridiculous the world is about to get. In Episode 1, Evan clones his voice, hooks it up to ChatGPT and his phone line, and sends it off to ta…

1
Dirty waters: how the Environment Agency lost its way 36:46

1M ago36:46

36:46

Having created a watchdog for the environment, the government took its teeth out and muzzled it. Can public outrage rouse the Environment Agency to action? By Hettie O’Brien. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
Inside Mexico’s anti-avocado militias 36:01

1M ago36:01

36:01

The spread of the avocado is a story of greed, ambition, corruption, water shortages, cartel battles and, in a number of towns and villages, a fierce fightback. By Alexander Sammon. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
From the archive: ‘Colonialism had never really ended’: my life in the shadow of Cecil Rhodes 44:43

1M ago44:43

44:43

We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2021: After growing up in a Zimbabwe convulsed by the legacy of colonialism, when I got to Oxford I realised how many British people still failed to see how empire had shaped lives like mine – as …

1
Where the wild things are: the untapped potential of our gardens, parks and balconies 28:04

1M ago28:04

28:04

Gardens could be part of the solution to the climate and biodiversity crisis. But what are we doing? Disappearing them beneath plastic and paving. By Kate Bradbury. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
How the Tories pushed universities to the brink of disaster 29:22

1M ago29:22

29:22

Over the past 14 years, the Conservative dream of a free market in higher education has collided with the harsh reality of austerity and the cultural resentment of the radical right – driving some institutions close to bankruptcy. By William Davies. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod…

1
Claire Kilroy on Parenting under the Patriarchy 54:57

1M ago54:57

54:57

A woman tells her son about his early life. About the months and years that he will by now have forgotten. When he was a baby, then a toddler, and when she was going into battle every day. For him first, and only then for herself. It’s a battle fought on many fronts. Against exhaustion, against time, against the loss of selfhood, against an increas…

1
From the archive: Ten ways to confront the climate crisis without losing hope 31:50

1M ago31:50

31:50

We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2021: It’s easy to despair at the climate crisis, or to decide it’s already too late – but it’s not. Here’s how to keep the fight alive. By Rebecca Solnit. Help support our independent journalism …

1
Coming Soon: Evan’s new show, “Shell Game” 3:26

2M ago3:26

3:26

What would happen if you created a digital copy of yourself, powered by AI, and set it loose in the world? Over the past six months, Evan Ratliff has been trying to find out. He combined a clone of his voice, an AI chatbot, and a phone line—many phone lines, actually—into what are called “voice agents.” Then he sent them out… as himself. They talke…

1
‘Natty or not?’: how steroids got big 38:06

2M ago38:06

38:06

Once upon a time, it was only hardcore bodybuilders who pumped themselves up with testosterone. Today it is no longer niche. But how dangerous is it? By Stephen Buranyi. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
Nairobi to New York and back: the loneliness of the internationally educated elite 33:33

2M ago33:33

33:33

Every year, hundreds of Kenyans head off to study at elite universities in the US and UK. On graduating, many find themselves in a strange position: unable to fit in abroad, but no longer feeling like they belong back home. By Carey Baraka. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod…

1
Episode 585: John Jeremiah Sullivan 1:06:30

2M ago1:06:30

1:06:30

John Jeremiah Sullivan is a contributing writer at the New York Times Magazine and has written for Harper's, The New Yorker, and GQ. He is the author of Pulphead and the forthcoming The Prime Minister of Paradise: The True Story of a Lost American History. “I love making pieces of writing and trying to find the right language to say what I mean. It…

1
Bonus: Mailbag 43:29

2M ago43:29

43:29

The hosts answer a few listener questions. Evan’s picks for some podcasts to try: Creative Nonfiction Press Box The Stacks Podcast: Sunday Long Read True Stories Question Everything Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesBy Longform

1
From the archive: Brazilian butt lift: behind the world’s most dangerous cosmetic surgery 42:08

2M ago42:08

42:08

We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2021: The BBL is the fastest growing cosmetic surgery in the world, despite the mounting number of deaths resulting from the procedure. What is driving its astonishing rise? By Sophie Elmhirst. He…

1
Two poems, four years in detention: the Chinese dissident who smuggled his writing out of prison 32:49

2M ago32:49

32:49

My poems were written in anger after Tiananmen Square. But what motivates most prison writing is a fear of forgetting. Today I am free, but the regime has never stopped its war on words. By Liao Yiwu. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
As a teenager, John was jailed for assaulting someone and stealing their bike. That was 17 years ago – will he ever be released? 40:59

2M ago40:59

40:59

Indeterminate sentences are devastating to mental health, but prisoners with mental illness are less likely to be released. The result is a vicious cycle whereby the most vulnerable inmates often have the least chance of getting out – as John’s case shows. By Sophie Atkinson. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod…

1
Rachel Cusk on Art, Violence and Freedom through Destruction 1:00:16

2M ago1:00:16

1:00:16

The biographies of several artists, all named G, form a kind of exoskeleton to Rachel Cusk’s latest novel Parade, encasing the book’s other captivating strands—the story of an unprovoked attack on a Parisian street, the story of a couple on a remote island, the story of a suicide at a museum, the story of the death of a mother. Elements which thems…

1
Episode 584: Ta-Nehisi Coates 50:51

2M ago50:51

50:51

Ta-Nehisi Coates is an author and journalist. His next book is The Message. “I don’t think we have the luxury as journalists of avoiding things because people might say bad things about us. I don’t even think we have the luxury of avoiding things because we might get fired. I don’t think we have the luxury of avoiding them because somebody might ca…

1
From the archive: Can computers ever replace the classroom? 38:10

2M ago38:10

38:10

We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2020: With 850 million children worldwide shut out of schools, tech evangelists claim now is the time for AI education. But as the technology’s power grows, so too do the dangers that come with it…

1
The man who turned his home into a homeless shelter 32:02

2M ago32:02

32:02

Stuart Potts is an unlikely do-gooder – a former crack addict who has hit rock bottom more than once. But since 2020, he has offered hundreds of homeless people a bed in his small flat – and for many of them, it has been life-changing. By Samira Shackle. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod…

1
From low-level drug dealer to human trafficker: are modern slavery laws catching the wrong people? 38:22

2M ago38:22

38:22

When I heard that a boy from my primary school had been convicted of trafficking, I had to find out what had happened to make him fall so far. By Francisco Garcia. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
Episode 583: Jay Caspian Kang 54:47

2M ago54:47

54:47

Jay Caspian Kang is a staff writer for The New Yorker and a co-host of Time to Say Goodbye. “At some point, you have to kick it out the door, and it’s never finished to the degree that you would finish a magazine piece. But it, in some ways, is more interesting because it is produced in a short amount of time, and it’s read as something that is not…

1
From the archive: How globalisation has transformed the fight for LGBTQ+ rights 39:38

2M ago39:38

39:38

We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2021: Much progress has been made in attitudes towards sexual equality and gender identity – but in many places a dramatic backlash by conservative forces has followed. By Mark Gevisser. Help supp…

1
‘Ryan Reynolds never had to deal with this’: the slow death and (possible) rebirth of Southend United 45:23

2M ago45:23

45:23

In 20 years, this Essex club has tumbled down the leagues and seen its ground fall apart. Is a revival finally coming – or will hopes be dashed again? By Tim Burrows. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
César Aira’s unreal magic: how the eccentric author took over Latin American literature 35:05

2M ago35:05

35:05

He has published more than 100 novels, gives his work away, and his surrealist books have a massive cult following. Now Argentina’s favourite rule-breaker is tipped for the Nobel prize. By Alejandro Chacoff. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
When Radical Art meets Obscene Wealth, with Hari Kunzru 56:55

2M ago56:55

56:55

Last week we were joined in the bookshop by Hari Kunzru, whose new novel Blue Ruin is a deeply unsettling, and intensely thought provoking reflection on the impact capital has on people, but also on art, and those who create it. It is the perfect final instalment—alongside White Tears and Red Pill—in Hari Kunzru’s own trois couleurs —a loose trilog…

1
Episode 582: Joseph Cox 56:40

3M ago56:40

56:40

Joseph Cox is a cybersecurity journalist and co-founder of 404 Media. His new book is Dark Wire: The Incredible True Story of the Largest Sting Operation Ever. “In the not too distant future, I will be a very old man, and maybe I won't be able to spend all day talking to drug traffickers. I will be mentally and physically exhausted. So I will dogge…

1
From the archive: ‘The Silicon Valley of turf’: how the UK’s pursuit of the perfect pitch changed football 35:17

2M ago35:17

35:17

We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2021: They used to look like quagmires, ice rinks or dustbowls, depending on the time of year. But as big money entered football, pristine pitches became crucial to the sport’s image – and grounds…

1
Mother trees and socialist forests: is the ‘wood-wide web’ a fantasy? 37:06

2M ago37:06

37:06

In the past 10 years the idea that trees communicate with and look after each other has gained widespread currency. But have these claims outstripped the evidence? By Daniel Immerwahr. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
‘I’ll stay an MP for as long as I can’: Diane Abbott’s tumultuous political journey 31:52

3M ago31:52

31:52

Britain’s first black female MP faced hostility from the media and political establishment from the start. Nearly 40 years on, she is still not giving up. By Andy Beckett. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
Episode 581: Tavi Gevinson 1:15:39

3M ago1:15:39

1:15:39

Tavi Gevinson is a writer, actor, and the founder of Rookie. Her new zine is Fan Fiction. “Stories are unstable, and memory is unstable, and identity is unstable. All of these things that I've tried to make permanent in writing, they're actually unstable. So even though it's tempting to go, Oh, that was fake, it's more like, No, it was just tempora…

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Longform Storytelling Podcasts

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