The Forum Podcast
The programme that explains the present by exploring the past.
Episodes to download
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Forugh Farrokhzad: A trailblazing voice for women in Iran
Thu 5 Jan 2023
How the courage and audacity of an Iranian writer continues to inspire
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The Cynics: Counter-culture from Ancient Greece
Thu 29 Dec 2022
Itinerant philosophers who advocated leading radically simplified lives.
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Calories: How to fuel a human
Thu 22 Dec 2022
The invisible force that shapes the way we feed ourselves
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Belarus: The crossroads of Eastern Europe
Thu 15 Dec 2022
History of Belarus from the Middle Ages to Lukashenka
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Margaret Sanger: Mother of birth control
Thu 8 Dec 2022
The controversial campaigner who founded Planned Parenthood and helped develop the pill
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Alice Guy: The first female movie mogul
Thu 1 Dec 2022
The pioneer of early cinema who was overlooked by history
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The Epic of Gilgamesh: A quest for immortality
Thu 24 Nov 2022
One of the oldest works of literature can speak to us even today
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Uruguay 1930: The first football World Cup
Thu 17 Nov 2022
How FIFA's global sporting spectacle began
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Moths: The story of the butterfly of the night
Thu 10 Nov 2022
The much maligned moth – pest or saviour?
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The end of civilisation: Bronze Age collapse
Thu 3 Nov 2022
One of the earliest examples of globalisation, and why it came crashing down
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From straw poll to opinion poll
Thu 27 Oct 2022
Exploring the past, present and future of opinion polling
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SΓΌleyman the Magnificent: longest-reigning Ottoman sultan
Thu 20 Oct 2022
The 16th century Ottoman sultan who shaped a vast empire across three continents
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How the paparazzi transformed photojournalism
Thu 13 Oct 2022
Why 1950s Rome was the birthplace of the paparazzi
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William Cobbett: Champion of rural workers
Thu 6 Oct 2022
William Cobbett: Industrialization and its impact on England’s rural population
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The Sun: Myths and magnetism
Thu 29 Sep 2022
Understanding the star that makes all life on Earth possible
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A forgotten founder of climate science: Eunice Newton Foote
Thu 22 Sep 2022
The first person to link CO2 with global warming, and why she vanished from history
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Dreams: Prophecy, propaganda and psychoanalysis
Thu 15 Sep 2022
How our sleeping visions have wielded great influence throughout history.
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Yves Saint Laurent: Fashion revolutionary
Thu 8 Sep 2022
Bridget Kendall and guests on the glamorous world of fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent
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Brazil's Palmares: A beacon of freedom
Thu 1 Sep 2022
An inspirational settlement of people seeking freedom from slavery
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Bluegrass: Virtuoso music of Appalachia
Thu 25 Aug 2022
The rich history of music from America's rural south
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The Art of War: Ancient Chinese guide to victory
Thu 18 Aug 2022
A manual for achieving success on the battlefield, and in life
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Gandhi: Architect of Indian independence
Thu 11 Aug 2022
How a shy, mediocre schoolboy went on to shake the British Empire and inspire the world
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Eleonora Duse: The first great modern actress
Thu 28 Jul 2022
The early feminist icon who challenged theatrical convention
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La Malinche: Mexico's great 'traitor'
Thu 21 Jul 2022
The indigenous slave girl who helped the Spanish conquer the Aztecs
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Taras Shevchenko: The slave who became a symbol of Ukrainian independence
Thu 14 Jul 2022
The life and work of Ukraine's national bard
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Radio waves and plants: The life of JC Bose
Thu 30 Jun 2022
How physics and biology entwined in JC Bose's search for the unity of all life on Earth
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Samurai: Japan’s elite warrior class
Thu 23 Jun 2022
The changing image of Japan’s fabled fighters over the centuries
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Ice cream: A cool history
Thu 16 Jun 2022
How snow and ice were transformed into one of the world’s most popular desserts
Do you think political or business leaders need to be charismatic? Or do you prefer highly competent but somewhat stern people?
We’d love to hear your views on charm and charisma for a future Forum.
