The Audio Long Read

Even those at the top admit the NHS can’t do what is being asked of it today. But it is far from unsalvageable – we just need serious politicians who will commit to funding it. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

In search of a half-remembered passage among the French writer’s voluminous work, I turned to AI to help me find it. The results were instructive – just not about Proust. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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: After decades among the hidden homeless, Dominic Van Allen dug himself a bunker beneath a public park. But his life would get even more precarious.. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Steve Albini was long synonymous with the indie underground, playing in revered bands and recording albums by the Pixies, PJ Harvey and Nirvana. He also often seemed determined to offend as many people as possible. What led him to reassess his past?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

My body and my confidence were failing me. I was told swimming would make me fit and strong-minded. But first I had to navigate the aggravation of the slow lane. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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: What links an eccentric Oxford classics don, billionaire US evangelicals, and a tiny, missing fragment of an ancient manuscript?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

After the invasion of Ukraine, thousands of Russians fled to Tbilisi. But the graffiti that has sprung up across the city suggests not everyone is pleased to see them. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Three years ago, a huge explosion ripped the city apart – and with it people’s hopes for rebuilding. The most vulnerable, many of them women, are bearing the brunt of Lebanon’s endless disasters. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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: A decade ago, violent racists exploited a national crisis and entered mainstream politics in Greece. The party has since been caught up in the biggest trial of Nazis since Nuremberg, and is now crumbling – but its success remains a warning. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

When hundreds of my fellow Uyghurs started disappearing into ‘re-education camps’ every day, it became clear that it was only a matter of time before I would be detained. So my wife and I got ready to run. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Computer scientist Joseph Weizenbaum was there at the dawn of artificial intelligence – but he was also adamant that we must never confuse computers with humans. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Across this fractured region, informal networks rule. So if you need to send something, ask someone who’s already going that way. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Every Friday in August we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2023, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. This week, from April: From her shimmering novels to her ‘living autobiographies’, Deborah Levy’s work inspires a devotion few literary authors ever achieve. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Since Sudan’s capital was engulfed by violence in April, life there has been all but destroyed. As we tried to get family members to safety, the ruination of my former home became hard to fathom. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Every Friday in August we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2023, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. This week, from March: Nisar Ahmed was almost killed in the Delhi riots. But when he became a witness in court cases against the alleged perpetrators, he realised that was only the start of his troubles. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Plenty of people will tell you the East Neuk of Fife in Scotland is the best place in the world to eat fish and chips. So what happens when its chippies – and chippies across the UK – start to close?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Every Friday in August we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2023, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. This week, from March: For two years, Betsy Stanko has been leading an investigation into why the police have been failing so badly to tackle sexual violence. But is there any chance of fixing a system that seems so broken?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

From the early days of the Tahrir Square protests, music was vital to the young people making their voices heard. And though the country is taking another authoritarian turn, that spirit of dissent cannot be extinguished. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Every Friday in August we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2023, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. This week, from February: When a US businessman took over a beloved garden a decade ago, he decided on a radical new approach, all in the name of sustainability. But angry critics claim it’s just plain neglect. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Before she was killed by a Russian missile strike, the acclaimed novelist and war crimes researcher wrote about growing up in Moscow’s shadow, and how she came to understand what being Ukrainian really meant. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

It has been said that condoms share marketing characteristics with napalm and funerals. But it is Ben Wilson’s mission to make us believe they are key to human happiness. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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: Gene and Sandy Ralston are a married couple in their 70s, who also happen to be among North America’s leading experts at searching for the dead. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We cannot let our cities descend into islands of privilege amid seas of disadvantage. With the right policies and investments, a better future is possible. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Hoarding can be distressing and dangerous. But it’s not just a matter of ‘too much stuff’ – it’s a complex condition that requires careful, targeted help. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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: For decades, one company has ruled the world of tampons. But a new wave of brands has emerged, selling themselves as more ethical, more feminist and more ecological. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

The soup of my childhood, borsch, has become emblematic of Putin’s assault on Ukrainian land, culture and heritage, of his drive to plunder and obliterate Ukraine. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Malcolm Macarthur was the wealthy, bookish socialite who shocked Ireland with a brutal double killing in 1982, and caused a major political scandal. I tracked him down and heard, for the first time, the tale he told about himself. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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: The Windrush scandal brought the cruelty of Britain’s deportation policies to light, but the practice continues to this day – and shockingly, it is made possible by UK aid money. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

While the world becomes drier, profit and pollution are draining our resources. We have to change our approach. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

The Kenyan novelist’s life and work has intersected with many of the biggest events of the past century. At 85, he reflects on his long, uncompromising life in writing. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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: Richard Amoah went to Ghana for his father’s funeral and found himself barred from Britain for two years. Like other victims of the Windrush scandal, he is owed compensation – but what will he get?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Her hit book Doughnut Economics laid out a path to a greener, more equal society. But can she turn her ideas into meaningful change?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

When my father began to forget words, and then basic skills, I sensed his fear. After my own alcoholic blackouts, I understood what he was going through. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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: A police raid on a gay bar in New York led to the birth of the Pride movement half a century ago – but the fight for LGBTQ+ rights goes back much further than that. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Read more in this series: Cotton Capital More and more institutions are commissioning investigations into their historical links to slavery – but the fallout at one Cambridge college suggests these projects are meeting growing resistance. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

A flood of new research is overturning old assumptions about what animal minds are and aren’t capable of – and changing how we think about our own species. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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 2019: Calculating the patterns and cycles of the past could lead us to a better understanding of history. Could it also help us prevent a looming crisis?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

For more than half a century, one organisation has been cataloguing all of life’s superlatives. But has it gone from being about the pursuit of knowledge to simply another big business?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

How a mind-altering, addictive substance was used as a weapon by one empire to subdue another. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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 2019: It’s known for being the home of Mount Rushmore – and not much else. But thanks to its relish for deregulation, the state is fast becoming the most profitable place for the mega-wealthy to park their billions. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Landfill sites have swallowed many a beauty spot along the Thames estuary in the past 50 years. Now, as those dumps start to disgorge tonnes of mouldering detritus into the river, it truly feels like the Age of Consequences. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

The Clipper round the world yacht race was created for amateurs seeking the ultimate challenge. But did they underestimate the risks?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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: Hong Kong used to be seen as cautious, pragmatic and materialistic. But protests have transformed the city. As Beijing tightens its grip, how much longer can the movement survive?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Once hailed as a ‘handsome’ import, this most rampant of plants has come to be seen as a sinister, ruinous enemy. Can it be stopped?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Despite vows to tighten the rules after the 1999 quake, cronyism and complacency have undermined Turkish building regulations – at the cost of many thousands of lives. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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: When he was six, Paul Alexander contracted polio and was paralysed for life. Today he is 74, and one of the last people in the world still using an iron lung. But after surviving one deadly outbreak, he did not expect to find himself threatened by another. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Bulgaria in the 1980s became known as the ‘virus factory’, where hundreds of malicious computer programs were unleashed to wreak havoc. But who was writing them, and why?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Since being laid low with the virus more than a year ago, Catherine Heymans can only operate in half-hour bursts. But her work could still change the way we understand the universe. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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: My life seemed to be getting busier, faster: I felt constantly short of time – so I stepped outside it for a day and a night and did nothing. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Our two-year investigation suggests that the tech giant Meta is struggling to prevent criminals from using its platforms to buy and sell children for sex More from this series: Rights and freedom Content warning – the following article contains descriptions of child sexual abuse, exploitation and trafficking. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

A series of financial scandals have rocked Italy’s most glamorous club. But is the trouble at Juventus symptomatic of a deeper rot in world football?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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: It’s cheap, attractive and convenient, and we eat it every day – it’s difficult not to. But is ultra-processed food making us ill and driving the global obesity crisis?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Some organisms truck along slowly for aeons before suddenly surging into dominance – and something similar often happens with human inventions, too. But why?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

The civilians of Sudan have been trying to throw off military rule for decades, but now find themselves caught in the middle of a deadly power struggle between former allies turned bitter opponents. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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: When I grew up there, Fleetwood was a tough but proud fishing port. It’s taken some knocks in the years since, but not everyone has given up on it.. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

The rationalist in me knows that coincidences are inevitable, mundane, meaningless. But I can’t deny there is something strange and magical in them, too.. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Liam Holden went to prison for 17 years on the basis of a confession he made after being tortured by British soldiers in 1972. Now the government is making it harder for people like him to get justice. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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 2019: How the Italian mafia makes millions by exploiting migrants. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

The race is on to develop a battery-powered aircraft. But not everyone’s convinced it will bring us closer to net-zero flight. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

From her shimmering novels to her ‘living autobiographies’, Deborah Levy’s work inspires a devotion few literary authors ever achieve. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are exploring the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2020: After losing four pregnancies, Jennie Agg set out to unravel the science of miscarriage. Then, a few months in, she found out she was pregnant again – just as the coronavirus pandemic hit. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Historians aren’t supposed to make predictions, but Yale professor Timothy Snyder has become known for his dire warnings – and many of them have been proved correct. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Players, pundits and fans complain bitterly that referees are getting worse each season – but is that fair?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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 2019: AI and brain-scanning technology could soon make it possible to reliably detect when people are lying. But do we really want to know?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Elvira and her brothers, Ricard and Ramón, were left at a train station in Barcelona aged two, four and five. As an adult, when Elvira decided to look for her parents, she discovered a family history wilder than anything she had imagined. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

In the 1980s, South African libertarians set up a deregulated zone that they sold to the world as ‘Africa’s Switzerland’. It was a sham, but with its clusters of sweatshops, it was very modern – and in some ways it anticipated the world we live in today. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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: Not long after Antarctica recorded some its highest-ever temperatures, I joined a group of scientists studying how human activity is transforming the continent. It wasn’t what we saw that was most astonishing – but what we heard. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

The horrors of this conflict, and the lives it has taken, must not be kept hidden. As the bombs continue to fall around us, I have gathered these witness testimonies as a memory against forgetting. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Artificial intelligence in its current form is based on the wholesale appropriation of existing culture, and the notion that it is actually intelligent could be actively dangerous. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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 2019: On 15 September 1981, 10-year-old Ursula Herrmann headed home by bike from her cousin’s house. She never arrived. So began one of Germany’s most notorious postwar criminal cases, which remains contentious to this day. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

For centuries, fictional narratives have used outer difference to telegraph inner monstrosity. As someone who uses a wheelchair, I’ve learned you can’t just edit out a few slurs or bad words to fix this – it’s often baked deep into the story. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Having grown up in different cultures with different expectations, my mother and I have often clashed. But as my daughter grows older, I have come to see our relationship in a different light. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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 2019: It has left the beige-tinted margins and become social media’s most glamorous look. But why does veganism still provoke so much anger?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Nisar Ahmed was almost killed in the Delhi riots. But when he became a witness in court cases against the alleged perpetrators, he realised that was only the start of his troubles. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

For the past two years, Betsy Stanko has been leading an unprecedented investigation into why the police have been failing so badly to tackle sexual violence. But is there any chance of fixing a system that seems so broken?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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 2019: For a century, the humble paper towel has dominated public toilets. But a new generation of hand dryers has sparked a war for loo supremacy. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

When I was 28, the US arrived in Baghdad. The soldiers were announced as liberators, and their leaders talked of democracy. I watched the regime and Saddam’s statues fall, chaos reign and a sectarian war unfold. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

What do you say to someone whose wife prefers photographs of deceased authors to him?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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 2017: Two decades ago, the Ministry of Defence decided to sell off its housing stock. The financier Guy Hands bought it up in a deal that would make his investors billions – and have catastrophic consequences for the military and the taxpayer. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

For the ultra-wealthy and the super-famous, regular therapy won’t do. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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 2019: He is the most beloved figure in Britain, and a global superstar. His films long shied away from discussing humanity’s impact on the planet. Now they are sounding the alarm – but is it too late?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Gary Hunt is an enigma. He trains with the intensity of a modern athlete, but relaxes like a sportsman of a bygone era. He is fiercely competitive but unbelievably laid-back. How did he become the greatest cliff diver of all time?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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 2019: for decades, the world of romantic fiction has been divided by a heated debate about racism and diversity. Is there any hope of a happy ending?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

In 2016, artist César Aréchiga talked one of Mexico’s most dangerous maximum security prisons into letting him run art classes for its inmates, many of them violent gang members. Could he really change their lives?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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 2016: In 2014, an American dad claimed a tiny parcel of African land to make his daughter a princess. But Jack Shenker had got there first – and learned that states and borders are volatile and delicate things. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

In 2021, a security guard in Spain stormed into his workplace and shot four people. He was caught, badly injured, and a trial was set – but his victims would never get to see him punished. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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 2019: Hundreds of ski resorts now stand abandoned across the Alps. But some scientists believe they have found a way to keep snow on the ground – and that it could help vulnerable communities all over the world. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

When a US businessman took over a beloved garden a decade ago, he decided on a radical new approach, all in the name of sustainability. But angry critics claim it’s just plain neglect. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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 2015: Some say Phil Taylor is Britain’s greatest living sportsman. At 54, he has nothing left to prove, but will not quit. Does he need the game more than it needs him?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

It is impossible to understand China without understanding this decade of horror, and the ways in which it scarred the entire nation. So why do some of that era’s children still look back on it with fondness?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors This week, from 2017: When a drilling platform is scheduled for destruction, it must go on a thousand-mile final journey to the breaker’s yard. As one rig proved when it crashed on to the rocks of a remote Scottish island, this is always a risky business. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

For the month of February, we’ll be making a slight change to our production schedule. For the next few weeks, we will be publishing two episodes a week. On Mondays you’ll hear brand new long reads, and on Fridays we’ll raid the Audio Long Read archive to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. In March we’ll return to publishing three episodes a week.. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

So much is happening, both wonderful and terrible – and it matters how we tell it. We can’t erase the bad news, but to ignore the good is the route to indifference or despair. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

The NHS saved my life once, and inspired me to change career. But when I started as a healthcare assistant on a hospital ward for older patients, it was clear how bad things had got. This is the story of a typical shift. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors This week, from 2015: The Kray twins wanted everyone to know who they were – and indeed they were always better at fame than crime. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

In a pristine forest in central India, the multibillion-dollar mining giant Adani has razed trees – and homes – to dig more coal. How does this kind of destruction get the go-ahead?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We know we need to cut down on sugar. But replacing it with artificial compounds isn’t necessarily the answer. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2019: As the capture and conviction of Mexico’s notorious drug lord has shown, taking down the boss doesn’t mean taking down the organisation. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Nothing is produced at Sellafield any more. But making safe what is left behind is an almost unimaginably expensive and complex task that requires us to think not on a human timescale, but a planetary one. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

For one weird year, I was the human who stepped in to make sure a property chatbot didn’t blow its cover – I was a person pretending to be a computer pretending to be a person. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2019: Three decades ago, Olof Palme was assassinated on Stockholm’s busiest street. The killer has never been found. Could the discovery of new evidence finally close the case?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Not long ago, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Nayef, was all set to assume power. But his ambitious young cousin had a ruthless plan to seize control for himself. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

For decades we’ve been using toys to cram learning into playtime – and toys have been marketed as tools to turn children into prosperous, high-achieving adults. Is it time for a rethink?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2018: After a trial that dominated the news, the accused were all found not guilty. But the case had tapped into a deeper rage that has not died down. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Three months after the uprising began, demonstrators are still risking their lives. Will this generation succeed where previous attempts to unseat the Islamic hardliners have been crushed?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Every Monday and Friday for the rest of December we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2022, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. From September: The families of some 9/11 victims are still pursuing compensation from those complicit in the attacks – but is Sudan, already ravaged by years of US sanctions, really the right target?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Every Monday and Friday for the rest of December we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2022, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. This week, from October: For one of our many adolescent pranks, my friend and I planted tips about an obscure young footballer. Then he suddenly started going places. What had we done?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Every Monday and Friday for the rest of December we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2022, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. From September: Austerity, the pandemic and now the cost of living crisis have left many schools in a parlous state. How hard do staff have to work to give kids the chances they deserve?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Every Monday and Friday for the rest of December we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2022, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. From September: When a Romanian businessman returned to his hometown and found a city blighted by mining waste, he hatched a plan to restore it to its former glory. He became a local hero, but now prosecutors accuse of him a running a multimillion dollar fraud. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Every Monday and Friday for the rest of December we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2022, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. From February: Despite the rise of headline-grabbing megafires, fewer fires are burning worldwide now than at any time since antiquity. But this isn’t good news – in banishing fire from sight, we have made its dangers stranger and less predictable. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Every Monday and Friday for the rest of December we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2022, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. From July: In October 2020, an emergency call was received from a ship in British waters. After a full-scale commando raid, seven Nigerians were taken off in handcuffs – but no one was ever charged. What really happened on board?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Moss is ancient, and grows at a glacial pace, but it lives alongside us everywhere, country and city, a witness to the human world and its catastrophic speed. What can we learn by tuning in to ‘moss time’?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors This week, from 2018: After they were locked out of their own stadium, an unlikely band of supporters came together to save a beloved south London club. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

One Thursday afternoon, I stepped out to cross a city street – and woke up in hospital with broken bones and a brain injury. After I recovered, I started looking into why so many drivers just don’t stop. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

In Fiji, the climate crisis means dozens of villages could soon be underwater. Relocating so many communities is an epic undertaking. But now there is a plan – and the rest of the world is watching. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors This week, from 2019: Smartphones and the internet gave the Uighurs a sense of their own identity – but now the Chinese state is using technology to strip them of it. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Idealising the past is nothing new, but there is something peculiarly revealing about the way a certain generation of Facebook users look back fondly on tougher times. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

A wave of bestselling authors claim that global affairs are still ultimately governed by the immutable facts of geography – mountains, oceans, rivers, resources. But the world has changed more than they realise. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors This week, from 2018: Five years after his last taste of alcohol, William Leith tries to understand its powerful magic. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Despite all the warning signs, as I sat down for dinner with friends in Kyiv on 23 February, war seemed unreal. Surely, Putin was bluffing?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

By the end of the century, Africa will be home to 40% of the world’s population – and nowhere is this breakneck-pace development happening faster than this 600-mile stretch between Abidjan and Lagos. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2019: The Gürtel case began with one Madrid mogul. Over the next decade, it grew into the biggest corruption investigation in Spain’s recent history, sweeping up hundreds of corrupt politicians and businessmen – and shattering its political system. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

As the world faces the worst debt crisis in decades, the need for a global lender of last resort is clearer than ever. But many nations view the IMF as overbearing, or even neocolonial – and are now looking elsewhere for help. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Across the country, fact-finding teams are tirelessly gathering evidence and testimony about Russian atrocities, often within hours of troops retreating. Turning this into convictions will not be easy, or quick, but the task has begun. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2019: Human activity has transformed the Earth – but scientists are divided about whether this is really a turning point in geological history. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

As a civil servant in the 1980s, I had a front row seat as the British government began to lose touch with reality. Since then, things have only got worse. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Sisi’s Egypt is making a big show of solar panels and biodegradable straws ahead of next week’s climate summit – but in reality the regime imprisons activists and bans research. The climate movement should not play along. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2016: The Republican intellectual establishment is united against Trump – but his message of cultural and racial resentment has deep roots in the American right. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Forty years ago, Dr Ray Osheroff sued a US hospital for failing to give him antidepressants. The case would change the course of medical history – even if it couldn’t help the patient himself. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Ben Roberts-Smith v the media is a five-part series available via Guardian Australia’s Full Story podcast feed. All episodes streaming now. In the defamation trial of the century, Australia’s most-decorated living soldier is seeking to defend his reputation against reports in three newspapers that he says falsely accuse him of being a war criminal. His lawyers argue Roberts-Smith has been unfairly targeted by envious comrades and assisted by credulous journalists. The newspapers’ lawyers say their reporting is true, and that Roberts-Smith broke the ‘moral and legal rules of military engagement’, something he denies outright. But who is Ben Roberts-Smith, and how did he earn the military’s highest honour, the Victoria Cross?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

For one of our many adolescent pranks, my friend and I planted tips about an obscure young footballer. Then he suddenly started going places. What had we done?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2019: The traditional right is clinging on to power – but its ideas are dead in the water. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

In a country known for its liberal drugs policies, organised crime operated for years under the public’s nose – until a series of shocking killings revealed how deep the problem went. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

All my life, my exiled parents had told me about the tragedy of Palestine. Then, when I was in my early 20s, my family moved back – and I saw it with my own eyes. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2017: A bitter battle is raging within the mole-catching community over the kindest way to carry out their deadly work. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

The giant asset management firm used to target places where people worked and shopped. Then it started buying up people’s homes. In one country, the backlash was ferocious. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Hackers are increasingly taking users’ data hostage and demanding huge sums for its release. They have targeted individuals, businesses, vital infrastructure and even hospitals. Authorities have been slow to respond – but there is help out there. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2017: In 2011 a tsunami engulfed Japan’s north-east coast. More than 18,000 people were killed. Six years later, in one community, survivors are still tormented by a catastrophic split-second decision. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Whether it’s organic or psychosomatic or something in between, multiple chemical sensitivity can cause chronic illness, and its sufferers often feel abandoned. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Josh and Jack used to interrogate life via absurdist jokes and sketches. But the questions they had just kept getting bigger – and led them both to embark upon a profound transformation. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2018: There are 13,000 business schools on Earth. That’s 13,000 too many. And I should know – I’ve taught in them for 20 years. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

A growing chorus of scientists and philosophers argue that free will does not exist. Could they be right?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

When children first started flocking to YouTube, some seriously strange stuff started to appear – and after much outcry, the company found itself scrambling to fix the problem. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2019: Gavin Watson was a hero of the struggle against apartheid. But this once-powerful businessman is now caught up in a sweeping inquiry that goes to the heart of how a nation is run. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

From the 1950s, thousands of children of African parents were happily fostered by white British families. But for some, the well-intentioned plan was deeply damaging. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

In this new six-episode podcast, Guardian journalist Sirin Kale investigates the story of a cyberstalker who terrified people in his hometown and beyond for over a decade. Episode one begins in his hometown, Northwich, where Sirin meets some of his earliest victims - Andrea Yuile, Amber and Amy Bailey. They tell us how he infiltrated their lives and talk about the horrendous fallout of what he did.. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

It’s true that the UK Treasury thrives under the pressure of a crisis, from the 2007 financial crash to the Covid pandemic – but is its self-hyped reputation as the bedrock of government stability really deserved?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2018: Many Polish people remember Soviet soldiers saving them from Nazi occupation. But a growing number are rejecting that narrative, and the monuments that come with it. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

When a Romanian businessman returned to his hometown and found a city blighted by mining waste, he hatched a plan to restore it to its former glory. He became a local hero, but now prosecutors accuse of him a running a multimillion dollar fraud. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Austerity, the pandemic and now the cost of living crisis have left many schools in a parlous state. How hard do staff have to work to give kids the chances they deserve?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2014: When Prince Charles becomes king, will he be able to stop his compulsive ‘meddling’? And if he can’t, what will it mean for the monarchy and the United Kingdom?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

The families of some 9/11 victims are still pursuing compensation from those complicit in the attacks – but is Sudan, already ravaged by years of US sanctions, really the right target?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Following the news of the Queen’s death, we are bringing you a piece from our archive from our archive: London Bridge is down, the secret plan for the days after the Queen’s death by Sam Knight. The piece was first published in 2017, and while a few small details are out of date, it remains the best account of both what will unfold over the coming days and what this moment in history means. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

The Queen has died aged 96 at her Scottish home of Balmoral. In this episode of our Today in Focus podcast, Polly Toynbee joins Nosheen Iqbal to look back on her life. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2019: The ‘wolf pack’ case inspired widespread anger and protests against sexual assault laws in Spain. But the anti-feminist backlash that followed has helped propel the far right to its biggest gains since Franco. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

He has been described as ‘the worst kind of businessman’, but we now know that industrialist Moritz Hochschild also rescued as many as 20,000 Jews from the Nazis. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

For years Tsang Tsou-choi daubed his eccentric demands around Hong Kong, and the authorities raced to cover them up. But as the city’s protest movements bloomed, his words mysteriously reappeared. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

People driven from their homes by climate disaster need protection. And ageing nations need them. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Every Friday in August we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2022, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. This week, from April: From the playing fields of Lewisham and Bromley to the Premier League, south London’s football clubs have nurtured wave after wave of stars. And these players have become proud symbols of a place reshaped by each new generation of migrants. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

For years I lived with the Inuit community in Canada’s far north. But it was only later, when the suicides began, that I learned of the epidemic of abuse that had unfolded during that time. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Every Friday in August we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2022, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. This week, from May: What’s behind the indestructible appeal of the robotic snack?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

A tide of effluent, broken laws and ruthless cuts is devastating the nations’ waterways. An academic and a detective have dredged up the truth of how it was allowed to happen – but will anything be done?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Every Friday in August we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2022, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. This week, from February: At a summer camp for kids from conflict zones, I met my brave, funny friend Aseel. He was Palestinian. I was Israeli. When he was killed by police, my hope for our future died with him. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Every year, thousands of bikes are tossed into rivers, ponds, lakes and canals. What’s behind this mass drowning?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Every Friday in August we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2022, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. This week, from February: Nina Gladitz dedicated her life to proving the Triumph of the Will director’s complicity with the horrors of Nazism. In the end, she succeeded – but at a cost. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Global trade depends almost entirely on huge, dirty, dangerous container ships. Now a team of French shipbuilders is bringing back wind-powered sea freight. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

From ancient Egyptian cubits to fitness tracker apps, humankind has long been seeking ever more ways to measure the world – and ourselves. But what is this doing to us?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2019: It’s the miracle ingredient in everything from biscuits to shampoo. But our dependence on palm oil has devastating environmental consequences. Is it too late to break the habit?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

When black people were given back their land after apartheid, many felt driven to prove they could farm as well as white South Africans. But even before they had begun, the system was stacked against them. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Abortion in the 19th-century US was widely accepted as a means of avoiding the risks of pregnancy. The idea of banning or punishing it came later. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2019: After water, concrete is the most widely used substance on the planet. But its benefits mask enormous dangers to the planet, to human health – and to culture itself. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

As violence, drug use and suicide at HMP Nottingham reached shocking new levels, the prison became a symbol of a system crumbling into crisis. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

New technology was supposed to make umpiring easy. It hasn’t worked out that way. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2015: On 26 November 2010, Yara Gambirasio, 13, went missing. Three months later her body was discovered in scrubland nearby. So began one of the most complex murder investigations in Italian history, which will reach its climax later this year. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

In October 2020, an emergency call was received from a ship in British waters. After a full-scale commando raid, seven Nigerians were taken off in handcuffs – but no one was ever charged. What really happened on board?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

After so many other Olympic sites ended up left to rot, London 2012 was supposed to be different. But who has really benefited from this orgy of development?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2015: It began with a test-fixing scandal so massive that it led to 2,000 arrests, including top politicians, academics and doctors. Then suspects started turning up dead. What is the truth behind India’s Vyapam scam?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

A new wave of scientists argues that mainstream evolutionary theory needs an urgent overhaul. Their opponents have dismissed them as misguided careerists – and the conflict may determine the future of biology. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Emmanuel Carrère was no stranger to depression, but it was late in life that a major episode got him hospitalised and diagnosed as bipolar. In some ways it made sense of his problems, but in the midst of it, everything was broken. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2016: Whether he wins the US presidency or not, his rise reveals a growing attraction to political demagogues – and points to a wider crisis of democracy. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

The story of the modern web is often told through the stories of Google, Facebook, Amazon. But eBay was the first conqueror. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

As survivors and the bereaved mark the disaster’s fifth anniversary, the inquiry hearings are finally nearing their end. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2018: Are you sitting comfortably? Many people are not – and there are some who insist the way we’ve been going to the toilet is all wrong. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Germany has been forced to admit it was a terrible mistake to become so dependent on Russian oil and gas. So why did it happen?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

As we face increased flooding, China’s sponge cities are taking a new course. But can they steer the country away from concrete megadams?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

From 2018: In a country with one of the lowest murder rates in the world, the killing of a 20-year-old woman upended the nation’s sense of itself. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

For nearly 60 years, a former monk toiled almost single-handedly on an extraordinary building outside Madrid. Is it a folly or a masterpiece?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

When my Latvian grandfather disappeared in 1949, my grandmother already knew he had been a member of a notorious Nazi brigade. But then a pension cheque arrived from the Soviet security agency. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2017: As politicians dither over repairs, the risk of fire, flood or a deluge of sewage only increases. But fixing the Palace of Westminster might change British politics for good – which is the last thing many of its residents want. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Today’s oceans are a tumult of engine roar, artificial sonar and seismic blasts that make it impossible for marine creatures to hunt or communicate. We could make it stop, so why don’t we?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Thanks to a savvy California lawyer, Albert Einstein has earned far more posthumously than he ever did in his lifetime. But is that what the great scientist would have wanted?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2018: The Iraq Historic Allegations Team was set up by the government to investigate claims of the abuse of civilians. After its collapse, some fear the truth will never come out. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

The horrors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki made the whole world afraid of the atomic bomb – even those who might launch one. Today that fear has mostly passed out of living memory, and with it we may have lost a crucial safeguard. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

In the 18th century, the naval explorer was worshipped as a deity. Now his statues are being defaced across the lands he visited. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2019: He has built a multimillion pound empire, and is driven to help people attain ‘financial justice’. But in an age of predatory capitalism and rampant inequality, can one man’s modest suggestions really make a difference?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Selling cheap fakes of a successful product makes horribly good business sense. Is there any way to stop it?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Five million payphone calls are still made each year in the UK. Who is making them – and why?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2018: The cameras have gone – but the suffering endures. Daniel Trilling deconstructs the beliefs that still shape policy and public opinion. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

For the first time in years, its role has become a topic of furious debate. But what do we talk about when we talk about Nato?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

What’s behind the indestructible appeal of the robotic snack?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2016: A former murder capital of the US, Camden, New Jersey has created its first cold case squad. Can solving old killings help restore an embattled community’s trust in law and order?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Days after fire destroyed the overcrowded camp, six inmates were charged with arson. Greece is now opening ‘prison-like’ secure camps in the Aegean islands as part of a growing tendency to criminalise refugees. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Until the 1990s, there were almost no Jews in Nigeria. Now thousands have enthusiastically taken up the faith. Why?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2018: ‘Natural wine’ advocates say everything about the modern industry is ethically, ecologically and aesthetically wrong – and have triggered the biggest split in the wine world for a generation. By Stephen Buranyi. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Gap’s clothes defined an era, but the brand has been steadily declining for years. Can a collaboration with Kanye West revive its fortunes – or is it just another sign of a company flailing around for an identity?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

At the Oxford university debating society in the 80s, a generation of aspiring politicians honed the art of winning using jokes, rather than facts. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2018: the credibility of establishment figures has been demolished by technological change and political upheavals. But it’s too late to turn back the clock. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Forensic scientist Angela Gallop has helped to crack many of the UK’s most notorious murder cases. But today she fears the whole field – and justice itself – is at risk. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Not all cryptocurrency investors fit the cliches. Many are people looking to somehow claw their way out of a life of constant struggle. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2017: It is an industry like no other, with profit margins to rival Google – and it was created by one of Britain’s most notorious tycoons: Robert Maxwell by Stephen Buranyi. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

To eat in the modern world is often to eat in a state of profound sensory disengagement. It shouldn’t have to be this way. By Bee Wilson. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Armed conflict between the world’s two superpowers, while not yet inevitable, has become a real possibility. The 2020s will be the decade of living dangerously. By Kevin Rudd. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2018: Work has ruled our lives for centuries, and it does so today more than ever. But a new generation of thinkers insists there is an alternative. By Andy Beckett. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

From the playing fields of Lewisham and Bromley to the Premier League, south London’s football clubs have nurtured wave after wave of stars. And these players have become proud symbols of a place reshaped by each new generation of migrants.. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

More and more young people are enticed by the glittering promises of a career as an influencer – but it’s usually someone else getting rich. By Symeon Brown. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2018: While promising liberation and endless possibility, the culture of the decade drove us relentlessly in pursuit of perfection. By Eve Fairbanks. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

I sought knowledge of my malfunctioning body wherever I could. But every test just left me deeper in the dark. By Will Rees. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

I assumed I would be part of the first generation to have full agency over my reproduction, but I was wrong. By Edna Bonhomme. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2017: Expert witnesses who claim parents have been wrongly accused have been vilified and struck off. But the science is anything but certain. What happens to the truth when experts can’t agree? By Will Storr. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Kenya’s great lakes are flooding, in a devastating and long-ignored environmental disaster that is displacing hundreds of thousands of people. By Carey Baraka. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

As I finished the final house calls of my long career in general practice, it struck me how detached I am from my patients now – and that it was not always like this. Where did we go wrong, and what can we do to fix it? By Clare Gerada. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2020: While his wife suffers in an Iranian jail, Richard Ratcliffe fights on for her release. But he fears she cannot cope for much longer. By Patrick Wintour. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Oligarch Dmitry Firtash is wanted by the FBI for bribery. Nonetheless, he was received into the heart of the British establishment. By Oliver Bullough. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

To understand the tragedy of this war, it is worth going back beyond the last few weeks and months, and even beyond Vladimir Putin. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2016: When a key figure in a powerful ‘ultra’ group killed himself in July, police suspected the mafia was using the ultras to get into the game. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Mazar-i-Sharif was once the most secular, liberal of Afghan cities. But 20 years of corruption and misrule left it ripe for retaking by the Taliban. Will anything be different this time? By Ghaith Abdul-Ahad. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

The closure of John Lewis’s store in Sheffield after almost 60 years was a bitter blow. As debate rages over what to do with the huge empty site, the city is becoming a test case for where Britain’s urban centres may be heading. By John Harris. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2018: An unprecedented US mission to Pyongyang in 1999 promised to defuse Kim’s nuclear threat. But it all came to nothing – and then the hawks took power. By Julian Borger. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

The past two years have been the hardest ever for restaurants. Amid critical shortages of staff, food supplies and even customers, can a new venture from the man behind Polpo survive? By George Reynolds. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

If you’re enjoying the Guardian’s Weekend podcast, make sure to search for it on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts and hit that subscribe button. You can also leave us a review if you like what you hear. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, as Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine, we revisit this piece by Oliver Bullough from 2018. For decades, politicians have welcomed the super-rich with open arms. Now they’re finally having second thoughts. But is it too late?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2017: In 2014, documents alleging a conspiracy to Islamise Birmingham schools were leaked to the media, sparking a national scandal. The papers were debunked – but the story remains as divisive as ever. What really happened? By Samira Shackle. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Despite the rise of headline-grabbing megafires, fewer fires are burning worldwide now than at any time since antiquity. But this isn’t good news – in banishing fire from sight, we have made its dangers stranger and less predictable. By Daniel Immerwahr. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Ease into the weekend with our brand new podcast, showcasing some of the best Guardian and Observer writing from the week, read by talented narrators. In this week’s episode, Marina Hyde on oligarchs in London (1m53s), Zoe Williams interviews Charlie Brooker (9m26s), Annie Lord discusses the pros and cons of voice notes (19m30s) and Luke Winkie investigates the Crime Queen of Bitcoin (32m04s).. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

My drinking and drug use pushed me over the edge into a complete breakdown. Then a stint in rehab made me question how much we really understand about addiction. By Carl Erik Fisher. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2017: Over three decades, he transformed a nation’s attitude to art. But is his revolution now in danger of being reversed? by Charlotte Higgins. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

After giving safe harbour to thousands of people fleeing Nazi persecution in Europe, the British government decided that some of them could be a threat – and locked all of them up. For many, it was a betrayal on the part of their supposed liberators. By Simon Parkin. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

In this week’s episode, Chris Godfrey interviews Johnny Knoxville about his life as a world-famous stuntman (2m08s), Marina Hyde laments the fact a computer system was believed over humans (15m53s), actress Emma Thompson explores the intersection of three generations of women in her family (24m39s), Jay Rayner reviews Chef Tee’s Sugarcane London (28m46s), and Nell Frizzell gives 10 tips to revive a longterm relationship (36m24s).. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Gary Hersham has been selling houses to the very rich for decades. At first, £1m was a big deal. Now he sells for £50m, £100m, even £200m. What does it take to stay on top in this cut-throat business? By Sophie Elmhirst. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2016: For more than 40 years, William James Vahey drugged and abused hundreds of pupils at international schools around the world. A Guardian investigation reveals that, despite numerous opportunities to stop him, nothing was done. By Robert Booth. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

At a summer camp for kids from conflict zones, I met my brave, funny friend Aseel. He was Palestinian. I was Israeli. When he was killed by police, my hope for our future died with him. By Roy Cohen. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

In northern Norway, trees are rapidly taking over the tundra and threatening an ancient way of life that depends on snow and ice. By Ben Rawlence. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2017: In recent years, references to such attacks have become inescapable. But this lazy term obscures the real nature of the threat against us. By Jason Burke. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

The pace of global heating is forcing insect populations to move and adapt – and some aggressive species are thriving. By Oliver Milman. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Ease into the weekend with our brand new podcast, showcasing some of the best Guardian and Observer writing from the week, read by talented narrators. In our first episode, Marina Hyde reflects on another less than stellar week for Boris Johnson (1m38s), Edward Helmore charts the rise of Joe Rogan (9m46s), Laura Snapes goes deep with singer George Ezra (18m30s), and Alex Moshakis asks, “Are you a jerk at work?” (34m40s). If you like what you hear, subscribe to Weekend on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Nina Gladitz dedicated her life to proving the Triumph of the Will director’s complicity with the horrors of Nazism. In the end, she succeeded – but at a cost. By Kate Connolly. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2016: Rats spread disease, decimate crops and very occasionally eat people alive. For centuries, we have struggled to find an effective way of controlling their numbers. Until now … By Jordan Kisner. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Hu Xijin is China’s most famous propagandist. At the Global Times, he helped establish a chest-thumping new tone for China on the world stage – but can he keep up with the forces he has unleashed? By Han Zhang. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

When the drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico exploded in 2010, Stephen Stone escaped with his life. But in the years that followed, he came to feel deeply betrayed by the industry he had once trusted. By Eyal Press. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2018: After almost a decade away, Robyn is about to release a new album. Laura Snapes examines her seismic cultural impact. By Laura Snapes. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Modern society has largely exiled death to the outskirts of existence, but Covid-19 has forced us all to confront it. Our relationship to the planet, each other and time itself can never be the same again. By Jacqueline Rose. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

As a child, I fled Afghanistan with my family. When we arrived in Britain after a harrowing journey, we thought we could start our new life in safety. But the reality was very different. By Zarlasht Halaimzai. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. No language in history has dominated the world quite like English does today. Is there any point in resisting? By Jacob Mikanowski. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We were told coronavirus didn’t discriminate, but it didn’t need to – society had already done that for us. But there is a path to a fairer future if we want it. By Gary Younge. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

As I embark on a third year of general practice under Covid, I am more conscious than ever that recovery is different for every illness and every patient. By Gavin Francis. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2018: For millions of Algerians, life has been shaped by years of conflict, unemployment and state repression. Sheep fighting offers an arena where young men can escape the constant supervision of the state. By Hannah Rae Armstrong. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Richard Amoah went to Ghana for his father’s funeral and found himself barred from returning to Britain for two and a half years. Like other victims of the Windrush scandal, he is owed compensation – but what will he actually get? By Amelia Gentleman. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

From ultra-processed junk to failing supply chains and rocketing food poverty, there are serious problems with the way the UK eats. Will the government ever act? By Bee Wilson. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2016: When Ada Colau was elected mayor of Barcelona, she became a figurehead of the new leftwing politics sweeping Spain. The question she now faces is a vital one for the left across Europe – can she really put her ideas into practice? By Dan Hancox. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Despite Thatcher and Reagan’s best efforts, there is and has always been such a thing as society. The question is not whether it exists, but what shape it must take in a post-pandemic world. By Jill Lepore. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

In the final instalment of our series looking back at the best audio long reads of 2021, editor David Wolf introduces the last of the long read team’s favourite pieces of the year. 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

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2016:Under General Pinochet’s rule of terror in Chile, one man saved thousands of people from the dictator’s brutal secret police. How did Roberto Kozak do it – and escape death? By Ewen MacAskill and Jonathan Franklin. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

In the second instalment of our series looking back at the best audio long reads of 2021, editor David Wolf introduces another of the long read team’s favourite pieces of the year. Josiah Elleston-Burrell had done everything to make his dream of studying architecture a reality. But, suddenly, in the summer of 2020, he found his fate was no longer in his hand. By Tom Lamont. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

In the first instalment of our series looking back at the best audio long reads of 2021, editor David Wolf introduces one of the long read team’s favourite pieces of the year. When a Chinese billionaire bought one of Britain’s most prestigious golf clubs in 2015, dentists and estate agents were confronted with the unsentimental force of globalised capital. By Samanth Subramanian. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2018: Some compare it to snooker, others to figure skating. But for those who have given their lives to competitive ploughing, it’s more than a sport, it’s a way of life. By Sophie Elmhirst. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Reconstruction after Covid: a new series of long reads 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

Reconstruction after Covid: a new series of long reads While the rich nations focus on booster jabs and returning to the office, much of the world is facing devastating second-order coronavirus effects. Now is the time to build a fairer, more responsible international system for the future. By Kwame Anthony Appiah. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2017:When she was 30, Suzy Hansen left the US for Istanbul – and began to realise that Americans will never understand their own country until they see it as the rest of the world does. By Suzy Hansen. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Welcome to a new series of long reads: Reconstruction after Covid The generational divide is deforming democracy. But there is a solution. By David Runciman. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

For all the advances that have been made in recent decades, disabled people cannot yet participate in society ‘on an equal basis’ with others – and the pandemic has led to many protections being cruelly eroded. By Jan Grue. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2016: When the battered body of a Cambridge PhD student was found outside Cairo, Egyptian police claimed he had been hit by a car. Then they said he was the victim of a robbery. Then they blamed a conspiracy against Egypt. But in a digital age, it’s harder than ever to get away with murder. By Alexander Stille. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

The creation of the modern, interconnected world is generally credited to European pioneers. But Africa was the wellspring for almost everything they achieved – and African lives were the terrible cost. By Howard W French. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

An intrepid expert with dozens of books to his name, Stéphane Bourgoin was a bestselling author, famous in France for having interviewed more than 70 notorious murderers. Then an anonymous collective began to investigate his past. By Scott Sayare.. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2016: Across the continent, rightwing populist parties have seized control of the political conversation. How have they done it? By stealing the language, causes and voters of the traditional left. By Sasha Polakow-Suransky. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

As climate science has gone mainstream, outright denialism has been pushed to the fringes. Now a new tactic of dismissing green policies as elitist is on the rise, and has zoned in on a bitter row over a disused airport in Kent. By Jack Shenker. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. From 2017: She is venerated around the world. She has outlasted 12 US presidents. She stands for stability and order. But her kingdom is in turmoil, and her subjects are in denial that her reign will ever end. That’s why the palace has a plan. By Sam Knight. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

From climate crisis to anti-racism, more and more corporations are taking a stand. But if it’s only done because it’s good for business, the fires will keep on burning. By Carl Rhodes. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

The year 2020 exposed the risks and weaknesses of the market-driven global system like never before. It’s hard to avoid the sense that a turning point has been reached. By Adam Tooze. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2018: Israel sees the international boycott campaign as an existential threat to the Jewish state. Palestinians regard it as their last resort. By Nathan Thrall. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Edwin Robbe had a troubled life, but found excitement and purpose by joining an audacious community of hackers. Then the real world caught up with his online activities. By Huib Modderkolk. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

The arrest of a Tibetan New York city cop on spying charges plays into the community’s long-held suspicions that the People’s Republic is watching them. By Lauren Hilgers. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2018: After the abolition of slavery, Britain paid millions in compensation – but every penny of it went to slave owners, and nothing to those they enslaved. We must stop overlooking the brutality of British history. By Kris Manjapra. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

After 32 years of establishment lies, media smears, inquests, trials and retrials, the families of the Hillsborough dead have yet to see anyone held accountable. By David Conn. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Almost since it first emerged on the streets of the Bronx, audiences have expected hip-hop to express a revolutionary purpose. But perhaps this music shouldn’t have to take a political stand. By Kelefa Sanneh. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. From 2017: The world-beating British sandwich industry is worth £8bn a year. It transformed the way we eat lunch, then did the same for breakfast – and now it’s coming for dinner. By Sam Knight. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Archaeological discoveries are shattering scholars’ long-held beliefs about how the earliest humans organised their societies – and hint at possibilities for our own. By David Graeber and David Wengrow.. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Growing up in Essex, my summers in Iran felt like magical interludes from reality – but it was a spell that always had to be broken. By Arianne Shahvisi. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2017: The retail giants are not only competing to sell outdoor gear – they are rivals in the contest to sell the thrill of the wilderness to the urban masses. By Marisa Meltzer. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

As the fighters advanced on Kabul, it was civilians who mobilised to help with the evacuation. In the absence of a plan, the hardest decisions fell on inexperienced volunteers, and the stress began to tell. By Zarlasht Halaimzai. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

How the Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker became one of the world’s most contentious thinkers. By Alex Blasdel. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2018: It’s not a generational divide, but rather a split between two competing visions of feminism – social and individualist. By Moira Donegan. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Its knack for creating tension and controversy has helped it remain an energising force in publishing for more than 50 years – but how do writers, publishers and judges cope with the annual agony of the Booker? By Charlotte Higgins. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Amid the complex web of international trade, proving the authenticity of a product can be near-impossible. But one company is taking the search to the atomic level. By Samanth Subramanian. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2018: Forgeries have got so good – and so costly – that Sotheby’s has brought in its own in-house fraud-busting expert. By Samanth Subramanian. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

A look back at the official photographs of Obama’s presidency shows his skill at conjuring a sense of pride and possibility – but today his victories seem narrow indeed. By Blair McClendon. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Around the turn of the millennium, hedge fund investors put an audacious bet on coal mining in the US. The bet failed – but it was the workers and the environment that paid the price. By Evan Osnos. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2018: Beijing is buying up media outlets and training scores of foreign journalists to ‘tell China’s story well’ – as part of a worldwide propaganda campaign of astonishing scope and ambition. By Louisa Lim and Julia Bergin. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Mohammed El Halabi is accused of stealing relief money and giving it to Hamas for their war effort against Israel. But five years on, the evidence against him looks seriously flawed. By Joe Dyke. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

I first encountered TB Joshua as a teenager, when his preaching captivated my evangelical Christian community in Hampshire. Many of my friends became his ardent disciples and followed him to Lagos. How did he have such a hold over people? By Matthew McNaught. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod