The role of masks in African traditions, Greek tragedy and Covid conspiracies Read more
now playing
Masks
The role of masks in African traditions, Greek tragedy and Covid conspiracies
Building London
Eric Parry and Alison Brooks; writers Fiona Mozley and SI Martin and pianist Belle Chen.
Mid Century Modern
Shahidha Bari and guests look at labour saving devices and revamping the 1950s home.
World's Fairs and the Future
Owen Hatherley, Emily MacGregor and Paul Greenhalgh go back to the future.
Cornwall and Coastal Gothic
From crumbling tin mine towers to second homes: Laurence Scott on art, fiction and film.
The Innovative Shape of Poems
Sandeep Parmar talks to poets Kayo Chingonyi, Paisley Rekdal and Dr Nasser Hussain.
Glenda Jackson on filming Sunday Bloody Sunday
Matthew Sweet and guests including Glenda Jackson on John Schlesinger's love triangle film
The English country house party
Why does the grand country house party hold such power over the English imagination?
Epic Iran, Lost Cities and Proust
Rana Mitter and guests explore the art and culture of Iran, and why people abandon cities.
Mining, Coal and DH Lawrence
Matthew Sweet looks at the connections between the arts and coal mining communities.
Breathe
Writer James Nestor, musician Soweto Kinch, Forensic Architecture's Imani Jacqueline Brown
Alain Robbe-Grillet
Guests including author Tom McCarthy join Matthew Sweet to discuss the French 'new novel'.
Connecting with Nature
Music from thunder, art inspired by a dog walk; essays about a city wood and a rural field
Bette Davis
As the BFI prepares a season of films, Matthew Sweet and guests discuss the Hollywood star
Dante's Visions
Art historian Martin Kemp and painter Emma Safe, parallels with Proust and a Dante website
The Glitch
Novelist Tom McCarthy joins Matthew Sweet to explore glitches and what they tell us.
Belonging
A teacher's view, a Frankenstein-inspired ballet, outsider status and circus paintings.
Hannah Arendt's exploration of totalitarianism
Why do Hannah Arendt's ideas continue to fire the imaginations of artists and thinkers?
Dirk Bogarde
As The Servant is released on DVD, Matthew Sweet and guests explore Dirk Bogarde's career.
Punk
Punk often caused offence. Shahidha Bari asks if that idea of rebellion resonates today.
The continuing appeal of Tudor history
Philippa Gregory, Nandini Das, Susan Doran and Adam Roberts with Matthew Sweet.
Thomas Mann
Novelist Colm Toibin joins Anne McElvoy to discuss the German author's life and struggles.
Order and Chaos
A history of indexes and ideas about tidiness, clutter and archiving in Ruth Ozeki's novel
Breakfast
Literally "breaking the fast" - Matthew Sweet moves from the Full English to Tiffany's.
The British Academy Book Prize 2021
New ways of thinking about global problems - Rana Mitter reads this year's shortlist.
Choice
Do poets choose their words or are they predetermined?
Frieze: Museums in the 21st century
Anne McElvoy talks to the directors at London's National Gallery, Yale and New York's Met.
Colour
Artist Lubna Chowdhary, author Michèle Roberts, art historians James Fox and Kelly Grovier
Sugar
Matthew Sweet examines how sugar built the modern world.
Black British theatre archives and an Afro-Cuban star
From an 18th-century Black Juliet to Ira Aldridge’s daughter Amanda. Plus, Rita Montaner.
Rationality and Tradition
Tim Stanley on tradition and Steven Pinker on rationality. Anne McElvoy hosts.