Episodes

  • How the Tories pushed universities to the brink of disaster

    How the Tories pushed universities to the brink of disaster
    Jul 4 2024
    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
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    29 mins
  • From the archive: Ten ways to confront the climate crisis without losing hope

    From the archive: Ten ways to confront the climate crisis without losing hope
    Jul 3 2024
    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 at theguardian.com/longreadpod
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    32 mins
  • ‘Natty or not?’: how steroids got big

    ‘Natty or not?’: how steroids got big
    Jul 1 2024
    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/longreadpod
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    38 mins
  • Nairobi to New York and back: the loneliness of the internationally educated elite

    Nairobi to New York and back: the loneliness of the internationally educated elite
    Jun 28 2024
    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
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    34 mins
  • From the archive: Brazilian butt lift: behind the world’s most dangerous cosmetic surgery

    From the archive: Brazilian butt lift: behind the world’s most dangerous cosmetic surgery
    Jun 26 2024
    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. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
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    42 mins
  • Two poems, four years in detention: the Chinese dissident who smuggled his writing out of prison

    Two poems, four years in detention: the Chinese dissident who smuggled his writing out of prison
    Jun 24 2024
    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/longreadpod
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    33 mins
  • As a teenager, John was jailed for assaulting someone and stealing their bike. That was 17 years ago – will he ever be released?

    As a teenager, John was jailed for assaulting someone and stealing their bike. That was 17 years ago – will he ever be released?
    Jun 21 2024
    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
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    41 mins
  • From the archive: Can computers ever replace the classroom?

    From the archive: Can computers ever replace the classroom?
    Jun 19 2024
    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. By Alex Beard. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
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    38 mins