Novara Media

Latest Episodes:

Downstream: India Was the Epicentre of the Ancient World w/ William Dalrymple Jul 21, 2025

Show notes

The Silk Road has dominated the way we imagine the trading relationship between Europe and Asia to have worked in antiquity.

In his new book, The Golden Road, William Dalrymple busts that myth. He sat down with Ash to talk about the origins of algebra, Indian gems in Anglo-Saxon Britain and why Genghis Khan was scared of India.

You can see Ash and William live in conversation at EartH Hackney on the 29th July: https://dice.fm/event/92dq5d-downstream-irl-ash-sarkar-in-conversation-with-william-dalrymple-29th-jul-earth-london-tickets?lng=en

Downstream: Trump & Musk Could Start a Global Meltdown w/ Michael Lewis Jul 14, 2025

Show notes

Michael Lewis is an American author, journalist, and former bond trader. His best-known book, The Big Short, explains the 2000s US housing bubble and helped many people understand the 2008 financial crisis. In this interview, Lewis speaks with Aaron Bastani about his latest book, a collection of essays on federal government employees.

Lewis finds that many of these workers are actually doing a good job, far from the stereotype of inefficient bureaucrats and the ire the likes of Trump and Musk direct at them. Why is Trump so effective at capturing public anger? Could Trumpism continue without Trump? What is Obama’s true political legacy? And what is the next major crisis?

ACFM Microdose: Social Reproduction Jul 13, 2025

Show notes

Following their Trip episode about Cleaning, the ACFM crew take a closer look at the hidden labour that keeps the economy running. Would public canteens solve 80% of our problems?

Find the books and music mentioned in the show: https://novara.media/acfm
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Downstream: Masculinity, Modern Love, and Mental Health w/ Blindboy Jul 07, 2025

Show notes

Blindboy is an artist, podcaster, and author. His storytelling style weaves anti-colonial histories with perspectives on modern masculinity, politics, and mental health, all cut with an absurdist sense of humour. In public Blindboy wears a mask made from a plastic bag, maintaining anonymity while developing a cult following as a podcaster.

In this interview, Blindboy delves into the historical connections between Ireland and Palestine, going as far back as the 1920s when the two countries were occupied by the same units of the British army. How has this history shaped the politics of Irish rap group Kneecap? And how are anti-colonial folk songs being misappropriated by the far-right in Ireland today?

Novara FM: ICE Is Ramping Up. LA Fought Back w/ Harsha Walia Jul 04, 2025

Show notes

The Trump Administration’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ will fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to the tune of $45bn – a staggering increasing.

But the fight back has already started. The 2025 protests in LA sought to slow down enforcement of increasingly draconian migration rules.

Harsha Walia is the co-founder of ‘No One is Illegal’ and author of Border and Rule: Global Migration, Capitalism, and the Rise of Racist Nationalism.

She spoke to Eleanor Penny about the global fight against borders – and what we need to do now.

Downstream: Exposing The True Costs of AI w/ Karen Hao Jul 01, 2025

Show notes

As AI begins to fundamentally alter our lives, we’re in urgent need of expert voices who both understand how the technology works and are capable of scrutinising its effects. In her new book, Empire of AI, tech reporter and former Silicon Valley engineer Karen Hao debunks the myths that surround AI and exposes the true costs of this global industry. She speaks to Aaron about Sam Altman’s origin story, the traumatising nature of content moderation work, and the striking similarities between Open AI and the British East India Company.

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ACFM Trip 52: Cleaning Jun 29, 2025

Show notes

In the socialist utopia of our dreams, who exactly is doing the cleaning? Nadia, Jem and Keir confront a tricky topic in this ACFM Trip. With music from X-Ray Spex, The B-52s and more, they offer their weird-left perspective on everything from dirty dishes and bodily secretions to circumcision, pollution and the caste system.

Find the books and music mentioned in the show: https://novara.media/acfm
Sign up to the ACFM newsletter: https://novaramedia.com/newsletters
Follow our ever-expanding playlist on Spotify by searching ‘ACFM’.

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Novara FM: Israel-Iran War, Escalation Pauses w/ Eskandar Sadeghi Jun 25, 2025

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Escalation towards war with Iran has hit a pause. But for how long?

Eskandar Sadeghi is the author of Revolution and its Discontents: Political Thought and Reform in Iran.

He joined Richard Hames to explain the strategy and history of this conflict – and what it means for the future of geopolitics.

And, of course, remember that the purpose of this war was to distract us from the Gaza Genocide.

Downstream: Trump’s Plan is to Make His Friends Even Richer w/ Quinn Slobodian Jun 23, 2025

Show notes

Quinn Slobodian is a Canadian historian. His new book, Hayek’s Bastards: The Neoliberal Roots of the Populist Right is a deep dive into the set of far-right ideologues currently dominating US politics.

Slobodian tracks how neoliberal thought has changed since Friedrich Hayek’s vision of unfettered capitalism went mainstream 50 years ago.

In this conversation with Ash Sarkar, Slobodian talks about the reasons behind the new far-right’s obsessions with collapse, race, gold, and IQ.

Who are the current crop of neoliberals influencing politics? What is their vision of the future and how do they plan to get there? Why does Elon Musk have so many male children? And if Fukuyama’s ‘end of history’ has now ended, will this new era offer us anything other than a frisson of excitement, before a time of deeper inequality ensues?

Novara FM: How BlackRock and Global Finance Stole Your Future w/ Michael A. McCarthy Jun 19, 2025

Show notes

Got a pension? Or a savings account? Arguably, its purpose is to align your interests with the interests of capitalism: when the market goes up, you benefit too.

All this means that the working class actually already owns lots of the assets around us, from companies to houses.

But how much control do we actually have?

Michael A. McCarthy is the author of The Master’s Tools: How Finance Wrecked Democracy (And a Radical Plan to Rebuild It).

He spoke to Eleanor Penny about how we take back control of what is already ours.