The Audio Long Read

About this podcast

The Audio Long Read podcast is a selection of the Guardian’s long reads, giving you the opportunity to get on with your day while listening to some of the finest journalism the Guardian has to offer, including in-depth writing from around the world on immigration, crime, business, the arts and much more

The Audio Long Read

Episodes

2021
'Pure, liquid hope': what the vaccine means to me as a GP – podcast
For almost a year our small clinic has been struggling with the horrors of the coronavirus pandemic. So being able to give our staff and most vulnerable patients their first doses of the vaccine has been a real turning point. By Gavin Francis.. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/longreadpod">theguardian.com/longreadpod</a>
March 1, 2021
29 min
'I just needed to find my family': the scandal of Chile's stolen children – podcast
At two months old, Maria Diemar was flown to Sweden to be adopted. Years later, she tracked down her birth mother, who said her baby had been taken against her will. Now investigations are showing that she was one of thousands stolen from their parents. By Aaron Nelsen. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/longreadpod">theguardian.com/longreadpod</a>
February 26, 2021
36 min
From the archive: 'A reckoning for our species': the philosopher prophet of the Anthropocene
We are raiding the Audio Long Reads archives and bringing you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week: Timothy Morton wants humanity to give up some of its core beliefs, from the fantasy that we can control the planet to the notion that we are ‘above’ other beings. His ideas might sound weird, but they’re catching on. By Alex Blasdel. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/longreadpod">theguardian.com/longreadpod</a>
February 24, 2021
42 min
Brazilian butt lift: behind the world's most dangerous cosmetic surgery – podcast
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 <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/longreadpod">theguardian.com/longreadpod</a>
February 22, 2021
37 min
Penthouses and poor doors: how Europe's 'biggest regeneration project' fell flat
Few places have seen such turbocharged luxury development as Nine Elms on the London riverside. So why are prices tumbling, investors melting away and promises turning to dust? By Oliver Wainwright. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/longreadpod">theguardian.com/longreadpod</a>
February 19, 2021
28 min
From the archives: The race to build the world’s first sex robot
We are raiding the Audio Long Reads archives and bringing you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2017: The $30bn sex tech industry is about to unveil its biggest blockbuster: a $15,000 robot companion that talks, learns, and never says no. By Jenny Kleeman. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/longreadpod">theguardian.com/longreadpod</a>
February 17, 2021
43 min
‘A managerial Mephistopheles’: inside the mind of Jeff Bezos
The Amazon founder’s relentless quest for ‘customer ecstasy’ made him one of the world’s richest people – now he’s looking to the unlimited resources of space. Is he the genius our age of consumerism deserves? By Mark O’Connell. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/longreadpod">theguardian.com/longreadpod</a>
February 15, 2021
39 min
One drug dealer, two corrupt cops and a risky FBI sting
Davon Mayer was a smalltime dealer in west Baltimore who made an illicit deal with local police. When they turned on him, he decided to get out – but escaping that life would not prove as easy as falling into it. By Yudhijit Bhattacharjee. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/longreadpod">theguardian.com/longreadpod</a>
February 12, 2021
36 min
From the archive: PPE: the Oxford degree that runs Britain
We are raiding the Audio Long Reads archives and bringing you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2017: Oxford University graduates in philosophy, politics and economics make up an astonishing proportion of Britain’s elite. But has it produced an out-of-touch ruling class? By Andy Beckett. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/longreadpod">theguardian.com/longreadpod</a>
February 10, 2021
42 min
How the long fight for slavery reparations is slowly being won
In a suburb of Chicago, the world’s first government-funded slavery reparations programme is beginning. Robin Rue Simmons helped make it happen – but her victory has been more than 200 years in the making. By Kris Manjapra. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/longreadpod">theguardian.com/longreadpod</a>
February 8, 2021
37 min
'Our souls are dead': how I survived a Chinese 're-education' camp for Uighurs
After 10 years living in France, I returned to China to sign some papers and I was locked up. For the next two years, I was systematically dehumanised, humiliated and brainwashed. By Gulbahar Haitiwaji with Rozenn Morgat. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/longreadpod">theguardian.com/longreadpod</a>
February 5, 2021
31 min
From the archives: The booming business of nation branding
We are raiding the Audio Long Reads archives and bringing you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2017: These days, every place in the world wants to market its unique identity – and an industry has sprung up to help put them on the map. By Samanth Subramanian. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/longreadpod">theguardian.com/longreadpod</a>
February 3, 2021
44 min
The ungrateful refugee: ‘We have no debt to repay’
Dina Nayeri was just a child when she fled Iran as an asylum seeker. But as she settled into life in the US and then Europe, she became suspicious of the idea that refugees should shed their old identities and be eternally thankful. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/longreadpod">theguardian.com/longreadpod</a>
February 1, 2021
31 min
The joys of being an absolute beginner ... for life
The phrase ‘adult beginner’ can sound patronising. It implies you are learning something you should have mastered as a child. But learning is not just for the young. By Tom Vanderbilt. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/longreadpod">theguardian.com/longreadpod</a>
January 29, 2021
25 min
From the archive: Why did two parents murder their adopted child?
We are raiding the Audio Long Reads archives and bringing you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week: Asunta Fong Yang was adopted as a baby by a wealthy Spanish couple. Aged 12, she was found dead beside a country road. Not long after, her mother and father were arrested. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/longreadpod">theguardian.com/longreadpod</a>
January 27, 2021
37 min
How Julia Donaldson conquered the world, one rhyme at a time
She published her first book in her 40s and became the biggest selling author of the past decade in any genre – The Gruffalo alone has sold 13m copies. How did this former busker make it so big? By Oliver Franklin-Wallis. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/longreadpod">theguardian.com/longreadpod</a>
January 25, 2021
32 min
Super cubes: inside the (surprisingly) big business of packaged ice
Britain’s leading ice company makes five billion cubes a year, filling everything from cocktail glasses to ice baths. Now it faces its toughest challenge – for what is ice without a party season? By George Reynolds. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/longreadpod">theguardian.com/longreadpod</a>
January 22, 2021
36 min
From the archive: Killer, kleptocrat, genius, spy: the many myths of Vladimir Putin
We are raiding the Audio Long Reads archives and bringing you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week: Russia’s role in Trump’s election has led to a boom in Putinology. But do all these theories say more about us than Putin?. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/longreadpod">theguardian.com/longreadpod</a>
January 20, 2021
42 min
Trump's defeat and the death throes of the Civil War
How Republicans applied old school racism to new demographics, and lost. By Gary Younge. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/longreadpod">theguardian.com/longreadpod</a>
January 18, 2021
29 min
'Singing and dancing to their deaths': football’s forgotten tragedy
In 1971, an Old Firm derby at Ibrox ended with the death of 66 fans as they celebrated a late goal. John Hodgman survived the terrifying crush and, 50 years on, asks how Rangers avoided taking responsibility. By John Hodgman. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/longreadpod">theguardian.com/longreadpod</a>
January 15, 2021
33 min

The Audio Long Read

About this podcast

Categories

About this podcast

Categories

The Audio Long Read

Episodes

'Pure, liquid hope': what the vaccine means to me as a GP – podcast

'I just needed to find my family': the scandal of Chile's stolen children – podcast

From the archive: 'A reckoning for our species': the philosopher prophet of the Anthropocene

Brazilian butt lift: behind the world's most dangerous cosmetic surgery – podcast

Penthouses and poor doors: how Europe's 'biggest regeneration project' fell flat

From the archives: The race to build the world’s first sex robot

‘A managerial Mephistopheles’: inside the mind of Jeff Bezos

One drug dealer, two corrupt cops and a risky FBI sting

From the archive: PPE: the Oxford degree that runs Britain

How the long fight for slavery reparations is slowly being won

'Our souls are dead': how I survived a Chinese 're-education' camp for Uighurs

From the archives: The booming business of nation branding

The ungrateful refugee: ‘We have no debt to repay’

The joys of being an absolute beginner ... for life

From the archive: Why did two parents murder their adopted child?

How Julia Donaldson conquered the world, one rhyme at a time

Super cubes: inside the (surprisingly) big business of packaged ice

From the archive: Killer, kleptocrat, genius, spy: the many myths of Vladimir Putin

Trump's defeat and the death throes of the Civil War

'Singing and dancing to their deaths': football’s forgotten tragedy