The Audio Long Read

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Best of 2025 … so far: ‘The ghosts are everywhere’: can the British Museum survive its omni-crisis? Aug 08, 2025

Show notes

Every Wednesday and Friday in August we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2025, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. This week, from March: beset by colonial controversy, difficult finances and the discovery of a thief on the inside, Britain’s No 1 museum is in deep trouble. Can it restore its reputation? By Charlotte Higgins. Read by Diveen Henry. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Best of 2025 … so far: the great abandonment: what happens to the natural world when people disappear? Aug 06, 2025

Show notes

Every Wednesday and Friday in August we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2025, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. This week, from February: across the globe, vast swathes of land are being left to be reclaimed by nature. To see what could be coming, look to Bulgaria. By Tess McClure. Read by Sara Lynam The Oath documentary: www.theguardian.com/world/video/2025/jul/30/the-oath-to-be-a-palestinian-doctor-in-israels-healthcare-system. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

The Shining: my trip to the G7 horror show with Emmanuel Macron Aug 04, 2025

Show notes

Deeply unpopular in France, President Macron relishes the international stage, where he projects himself as the leader best placed to handle Trump. Seven years after our last encounter, I joined him as he prepared for battle By Emmanuel Carrère. Read by David Sibley. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Are we witnessing the death of international law? Aug 01, 2025

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A growing number of scholars and lawyers are losing faith in the current system. Others say the law is not to blame, but the states that are supposed to uphold it By Linda Kinstler. Read by Rachel Handshaw. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

From the archive: Bicycle graveyards: why do so many bikes end up underwater? Jul 30, 2025

Show notes

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 2022: every year, thousands of bikes are tossed into rivers, ponds, lakes and canals. What’s behind this mass drowning? By Jody Rosen. Read by Masud Milas. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Poison in the water: the town with the world’s worst case of forever chemicals contamination Jul 28, 2025

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When a small Swedish town discovered their drinking water contained extremely high levels of Pfas, they had no idea what it would mean for their health and their children’s future. By Marta Zaraska. Read by Myanna Buring. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

‘A relentless, destructive energy’: inside the trial of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon Jul 25, 2025

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How did the daughter of an aristocrat end up at the Old Bailey with her partner, charged with killing their two-week-old baby? By Sophie Elmhirst. Read by Serena Manteghi. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

From the archive: how two BBC journalists risked their jobs to reveal the truth about Jimmy Savile Jul 23, 2025

Show notes

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: listening to the women who alleged abuse, and fighting to get their stories heard, helped change the treatment of victims by the media and the justice system By Poppy Sebag-Montefiore. Read by Caroline Wildi. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

The curse of Toumaï: an ancient skull, a disputed femur and a bitter feud over humanity’s origins Jul 21, 2025

Show notes

When fossilised remains were discovered in the Djurab desert in 2001, they were hailed as radically rewriting the history of our species. But not everyone was convinced – and the bitter argument that followed has consumed the lives of scholars ever since By Scott Sayare. Read by Bert Seymour. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Horse racing and erotica: how I survived the fickle world of freelance writing Jul 18, 2025

Show notes

Gabrielle Drolet had always dreamed of being a writer. But when disability closed down most of her opportunities, a strange career began By Gabrielle Drolet. Read by Kate Handford. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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