A family of witches

Emma Whipday explores the demonisation of single mothers in English witch trials.

• 14 mins

Religion and Science

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

• 45 mins

Fugitive slaves, Victorian justice

Oskar Jensen tells the tall tale of a court case inspired by a best-selling novel

• 13 mins

Revolutionary free speech

Clare Siviter looks at attempts to liberate and then censor expression in 1790s France.

• 14 mins

Pirates

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

• 45 mins

Children of the Waters

Sabina Dosani looks at the ritual of Mizuko Kuyo and modern ceremonies marking miscarriage

• 14 mins

Ginger Rogers

Matthew Sweet and guests discuss the Hollywood star's dancing, comic timing and "sass".

• 45 mins

Land and soil politics

Jim Scown on the links between Goethe, George Eliot and the storming of the US Capitol

• 14 mins

Caruso, Elsie Houston, Peter Brathwaite

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

• 45 mins

Galatea and Shakespeare

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

• 45 mins

Tartan, Kidnapped and Highland writing

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

• 45 mins

Hilma af Klint

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

• 45 mins

New Thinking: Fashion, sustainability and Earth Day

From outfits which double as tents to material and algae: Lucy Orta and Monica Buchan-Ng

• 27 mins

Queen Charlotte, fashion and music

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

• 45 mins

Lady Antonia Fraser

Rana Mitter talks to the author about her life & the art of writing historical biography.

• 45 mins

Sound, conflict and central heating

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

• 45 mins

Sidney Poitier

Matthew Sweet and guests consider the career of the Bahamian-American actor (1927-2022)

• 45 mins

Kingship and ceremony

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

• 45 mins

Julian of Norwich and Margery Kempe

Shahidha Bari hears about two inspirational medieval women mystics who wrote about faith

• 44 mins

Mountaineering, Lizzie Le Blond, sport and science

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

• 45 mins

Agoraphobia

More than just a fear of going out - the history & lived experience of a phobia explored.

• 45 mins

Zimbabwean writing

NoViolet Bulwayo'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

• 45 mins

Essex

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

• 45 mins

Mermaids, Caribbean tales and copyright

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

• 44 mins

Linda Grant and Jewish history

Julia Pascal, Rachel Lichtenstein, Linda Grant and curator Alex Cropper + John Gallagher

• 45 mins

Sneezing, smells and noses

From Montaigne on sneezing to losing the sense of smell & historians using their noses.

• 45 mins

The Troubles in Northern Ireland

As an Imperial War Museum show opens, Anne McElvoy and guests discuss art and the Troubles

• 45 mins

Europe

Ece Temelkuran, Ben Judah, Misha Glenny and Timothy Garton Ash with Rana Mitter at Hay

• 45 mins

Nature Memoirs

Rana Mitter looks at fens, flatlands, wild swimming and a little-changed Bulgarian valley

• 44 mins