The wicked? stepmother

Ahead of Mother's Day Matthew Sweet and guests discuss new ways of looking at stepmothers.

• 1 min

Busking and Billy Waters

The early 19th century street performer Billy Waters, Streetwise Opera and street ballads.

• 44 mins

Wild Isles and nature writing

Writers Elizabeth-Jane Burnett, Horatio Clare and Jacob Polley.

• 44 mins

The culture of Albania

Matthew Sweet is joined by Lea Ypi, Adela Demetja, Ani Kokobobo and Aurel Qirjo.

• 44 mins

East Germany

Katja Hoyer on East Germany, behind the Berlin Wall and the Cold War caricature.

• 44 mins

Translating cultures

Composer Alex Ho, novelist Xiaolu Guo, curator George Young and director Anthony Lau.

• 44 mins

Introducing New Generation Thinkers 2023

Christopher Harding finds out about the research done by ten academics chosen this year.

• 44 mins

The Rossettis and Walter Pater

Matthew Sweet and guests visit a Tate Britain show and look at Pater's Renaissance ideas.

• 44 mins

Religion and Science

Is the idea that religion and science are at odds a myth?

• 44 mins

Pirates

From Treasure Island to Kynance Cove, Anne Bonney to Captain Pugwash. Anne McElvoy hosts.

• 44 mins

Ginger Rogers

Matthew Sweet and guests discuss Ginger Rogers's dancing, comic timing and 'sass'.

• 44 mins

Caruso, Elsie Houston, Peter Brathwaite

Exploring the flow of cultural influences in both directions across the Atlantic.

• 44 mins

Galatea and Shakespeare

Trans narratives in pre-Shakespearian drama, plus Twelfth Night and the First Folio.

• 44 mins

Tartan, Kidnapped and Highland writing

Tartan at V&A Dundee, RL Stevenson's Kidnapped on stage, and the Highland Book Prize 2022.

• 44 mins

Hilma af Klint

The spiritual paintings of the Swedish artist are discussed by Matthew Sweet and guests.

• 44 mins

Queen Charlotte, fashion and music

Shahidha Bari and guests on a Royal Collection exhibition and the new Bridgerton spin-off.

• 44 mins

Ireland's Hidden Histories and Secret Stories

With poet Majella Kelly, historian Jackie Uí Chionna and memoirist Carmel McMahon.

• 44 mins

Lady Antonia Fraser

Rana Mitter talks to Antonia Fraser about the art of writing historical biography.

• 44 mins

Sound, conflict and central heating

Matthew Sweet finds out how extreme temperatures changed Erland Cooper's music

• 44 mins

Kingship and ceremony

Anne McElvoy looks at royalty, pomp and glory in opera, ancient Persia and Tudor England.

• 44 mins

Sidney Poitier

Matthew Sweet and guests discuss the career of Bahamian-American actor Sidney Poitier.

• 44 mins

Julian of Norwich, Margery Kempe

Historian Hetta Howes, novelists Claire Gilbert and Victoria MacKenzie join Shahidha Bari.

• 44 mins

Mountaineering, Lizzie Le Blond, Sport and science

Rachel Hewitt has been researching pioneering Irish climber Mrs Aubrey Le Blond.

• 44 mins

Agoraphobia

Writer Graham Caveney joins Matthew Sweet and guests.

• 44 mins

Zimbabwean writing

NoViolet Bulawayo's We Need New Names on stage plus 'enfant terrible' Dambudzo Marechera.

• 44 mins

Rocky Horror and camp

Shahidha Bari is joined by Louise Creechan, Joan Passey and Paul Baker.

• 44 mins

Essex

Looking beyond the stereotypes of the county that's often described as 'much maligned'.

• 44 mins

Martin Amis talking with Philip Dodd in 2014

Martin Amis (1949-2023) talks to Philip Dodd about Jewish history and ideas about evil.

• 38 mins

Linda Grant and Jewish history

John Gallagher looks at the Manchester Jewish Museum and talks to novelist Linda Grant.

• 44 mins

Mermaids, Caribbean tales and copyright

Shahidha Bari looks at sea creatures and a Caribbean re-telling of The Little Mermaid.

• 44 mins