Best Stories From A Border Kitchen Podcasts (2025)

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Best of 2025 … so far: The savage suburbia of Helen Garner: ‘I wanted to dong Martin Amis with a bat’ 41:00

4h ago41:00

41:00

Every Wednesday and Friday in August we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2025, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. This week, from March: over 50 years, she has become one of the most revered writers in Australia. Is she finally going to get worldwide recognitio…

1
Best of 2025 … so far: ‘I am not who you think I am’: how a deep-cover KGB spy recruited his own son 51:52

19h ago51:52

51:52

Every Wednesday and Friday in August we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2025, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. This week, from May: for the first time, the man the KGB codenamed ‘the Inheritor’ tells his story By Shaun Walker. Read by James Faulkner. Help su…

1
How Pakistan fell in love with sushi 33:52

3d ago33:52

33:52

Once upon a time, Pakistanis scorned raw fish. Now sushi is everywhere from Ramadan meals to wedding buffets – and it all started with one man and a dream By Sanam Maher. Read by Amina Zia The Oath documentary: to be a Palestinian doctor in Israel’s healthcare system. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod…

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Best of 2025 … so far: ‘The ghosts are everywhere’: can the British Museum survive its omni-crisis? 38:45

7d ago38:45

38:45

Every Wednesday and Friday in August we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2025, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. This week, from March: beset by colonial controversy, difficult finances and the discovery of a thief on the inside, Britain’s No 1 museum is in de…

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Best of 2025 … so far: the great abandonment: what happens to the natural world when people disappear? 36:18

11d ago36:18

36:18

Every Wednesday and Friday in August we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2025, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. This week, from February: across the globe, vast swathes of land are being left to be reclaimed by nature. To see what could be coming, look to Bul…

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The Shining: my trip to the G7 horror show with Emmanuel Macron 41:03

12d ago41:03

41:03

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

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Are we witnessing the death of international law? 34:40

16d ago34:40

34:40

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

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From the archive: Bicycle graveyards: why do so many bikes end up underwater? 29:57

17d ago29:57

29:57

We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2022: every year, thousands of bikes are tossed into rivers, ponds, lakes and canals. What’s behind this mass drowning? By Jody Rosen. Read by Masud Milas. Help support our independent journalism …

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Poison in the water: the town with the world’s worst case of forever chemicals contamination 38:15

20d ago38:15

38:15

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

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‘A relentless, destructive energy’: inside the trial of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon 1:02:41

23d ago1:02:41

1:02:41

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

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From the archive: how two BBC journalists risked their jobs to reveal the truth about Jimmy Savile 46:13

25d ago46:13

46:13

We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2021: listening to the women who alleged abuse, and fighting to get their stories heard, helped change the treatment of victims by the media and the justice system By Poppy Sebag-Montefiore. Read …

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The curse of Toumaï: an ancient skull, a disputed femur and a bitter feud over humanity’s origins 58:27

27d ago58:27

58:27

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

1
Horse racing and erotica: how I survived the fickle world of freelance writing 31:03

1M ago31:03

31:03

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

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From the archive: The sludge king: how one man turned an industrial wasteland into his own El Dorado 50:53

1M ago50:53

50:53

We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2022: 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 prosecuto…

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Sold to the Trump family: one of the last undeveloped islands in the Mediterranean 17:09

1M ago17:09

17:09

Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner have spent more than $1bn on an Albanian island that will be a luxury resort – once the unexploded ordnance has been removed By Marzio Mian. Read by Mo Ayoub For more on US politics and the Trump family check out Politics Weekly America. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpo…

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How does woke start winning again? 34:27

1M ago34:27

34:27

British progressives have suffered major setbacks in recent years, in both public opinion and court rulings. Was a backlash inevitable, and are new tactics needed? By Gaby Hinsliff. Read by Carlyss Peer. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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From the archive: The death of the department store 33:54

1M ago33:54

33:54

We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2022: 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 B…

1
‘Do you have a family?’: midlife with no kids, ageing parents – and no crisis 30:48

1M ago30:48

30:48

In my 40s, I found myself with a life that didn’t look like it was ‘supposed’ to. What was I doing? On trips to South Korea with my mother, an answer began to emerge By E Tammy Kim. Read by Jennifer J Kim. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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Why does Switzerland have more nuclear bunkers than any other country? 27:50

1M ago27:50

27:50

Switzerland is home to more than 370,000 nuclear bunkers – enough to shelter every member of the population. But if the worst should happen, would they actually work? By Jessi Jezewska Stevens. Read by Rachel Handshaw. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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From the archive: ‘You can’t be the player’s friend’: inside the secret world of tennis umpires 45:59

2M ago45:59

45:59

We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2022: new technology was supposed to make umpiring easy. It hasn’t worked out that way By William Ralston. Read by Simon Vance. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadp…

1
My husband and son suffered strokes, 30 years apart. Shockingly little had changed 30:35

2M ago30:35

30:35

I was told my husband would never talk again, while physiotherapy was dismissed entirely. My son was failed in similar ways, but for the brilliance of some medical staff who refuse to believe a stroke is the end By Sheila Hale. Read by Phyllida Nash. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod…

1
‘The Mozart of the attention economy’: why MrBeast is the world’s biggest YouTube star 35:24

2M ago35:24

35:24

He’s spent 24 hours immersed in slime, two days buried alive – and showered vast amounts of cash on lucky participants. But are MrBeast’s videos simply very savvy clickbait – or acts of avant garde genius? Written and read by Mark O’Connell. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod…

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From the archive: ‘A nursery of the Commons’: how the Oxford Union created today’s ruling political class 29:49

2M ago29:49

29:49

We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2022: at the Oxford university debating society in the 80s, a generation of aspiring politicians honed the art of winning using jokes, rather than facts By Simon Kuper. Read by Andrew McGregor. He…

1
‘Outdated and unjust’: can we reform global capitalism? 34:05

2M ago34:05

34:05

President Trump’s tariffs have plunged the world economy into chaos. But history counsels against despair – and the left should seize on capitalism’s crisis of legitimacy By John Cassidy. Read by Chris Reilly. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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Extremely loud and incredibly scouse: how Jamie Carragher conquered football punditry 46:06

2M ago46:06

46:06

Football coverage no longer stops after the final whistle. And in this new era, the former Liverpool defender reigns supreme By Kieran Morris. Read by Felipe Pacheco. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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From the archive: Burying Leni Riefenstahl: one woman’s lifelong crusade against Hitler’s favourite film-maker 49:37

2M ago49:37

49:37

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: 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 Written and read by Kate Connol…

1
‘You can let go now’: inside the hospital where staff treat fear of death as well as physical pain 38:52

2M ago38:52

38:52

In a Danish palliative care unit, the alternative to assisted dying is not striving to cure – offering relief and comfort to patients and their families By Line Vaaben. Read by Freya Miller. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
An English gentleman, a crooked lawyer: the secrets of Stephen David Jones 54:02

2M ago54:02

54:02

With his brilliant mind and impeccable credentials, it’s little wonder that wealthy clients trusted him with their fortunes. Then they started to get suspicious By Hettie O’Brien. Read by Simon Vance. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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From the archive: Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o: three days with a giant of African literature 59:05

2M ago59:05

59:05

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 2023: 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 Written and read by Ca…

1
Death, divorce and the magic of kitchen objects: how to find hope in loss 28:45

2M ago28:45

28:45

As they pass through different hands, cooking utensils can magically connect us to loved ones who are no longer with us By Bee Wilson. Read by Colleen Prendergast. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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Missing in the Amazon: the disappearance – episode 1 26:51

2M ago26:51

26:51

Three years ago British journalist Dom Phillips and Brazilian indigenous defender Bruno Pereira vanished while on a reporting trip near Brazil’s remote Javari valley. The Guardian’s Latin America correspondent Tom Phillips investigates what happened in the first episode of a new six-part investigative podcast series. Find episode 2 – and all future…

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A deadly mission: how Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira tried to warn the world about the Amazon’s destruction 30:36

2M ago30:36

30:36

The Guardian journalist and the Brazilian Indigenous expert were killed while investigating the impact of deforestation. In this extract from the book Phillips was writing at the time of his death, he reflects on his encounters with the rainforest and its people – and why it is so vital to save this precious place By Dom Phillips. Read by Felipe Pa…

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From the archive: Alan Yentob: the last impresario 47:39

2M ago47:39

47:39

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: For decades, Alan Yentob was the dominant creative force at the BBC – behind everything from Adam Curtis to Strictly Come Dancing. He was a towering figure in British culture – so why did ma…

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‘We know what is happening, we cannot walk away’: how the Guardian bore witness to horror in former Yugoslavia 31:34

3M ago31:34

31:34

During the decade-long conflicts, the major powers dithered as Serb militias carried out their brutal campaigns of ethnic cleansing. Guardian reporters became more passionate and more outspoken in their condemnation, attracting praise and criticism By Ian Mayes. Read by Owen McDonnell. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/long…

1
The ancient psychedelics myth: ‘People tell tourists the stories they think are interesting for them’ 33:19

3M ago33:19

33:19

The narrative of ancient tribes around the world regularly using ayahuasca and magic mushrooms in healing practices is a popular one. Is it true? By Manvir Singh. Read by Sebastián Capitán Viveros. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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From the archive: The lost Jews of Nigeria 49:14

3M ago49:14

49:14

We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2022: Until the 1990s, there were almost no Jews in Nigeria. Now thousands have enthusiastically taken up the faith. Why? By Samanth Subramanian. Read by Raj Ghatak. Help support our independent j…

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‘We thought we could change the world’: how an idealistic fight against miscarriages of justice turned sour 42:06

3M ago42:06

42:06

When a no-nonsense lecturer set up a radical solution to help free the wrongfully convicted in the UK, he was hopeful he could change the justice system. But what started as a revolution ended in acrimony By Francisco Garcia. Read by Nicholas Camm. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod…

1
‘All other avenues have been exhausted’: Is legal action the only way to save the planet? 32:29

3M ago32:29

32:29

Monica Feria-Tinta is one of a growing number of lawyers using the courts to make governments around the world take action By Samira Shackle. Read by Díana Bermudez. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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From the archive: Super-prime mover: Britain’s most successful estate agent 42:26

3M ago42:26

42:26

We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2022: 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…

1
A year of hate: what I learned when I went undercover with the far right 34:58

3M ago34:58

34:58

Working for Hope Not Hate, I infiltrated an extremist organisation, befriended its members and got to work investigating their political connections Written and read by Harry Shukman. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
‘I am not who you think I am’: how a deep-cover KGB spy recruited his own son 49:36

3M ago49:36

49:36

For the first time, the man the KGB codenamed ‘the Inheritor’ tells his story By Shaun Walker. Read by James Faulkner. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
From the archive: What lies beneath: the truth about France’s top serial killer expert 58:12

3M ago58:12

58:12

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: 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 c…

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‘Why would he take such a risk?’ How a famous Chinese author befriended his censor 39:25

3M ago39:25

39:25

Online dissent is a serious crime in China. So why did a Weibo censor help me publish posts critical of the Communist party? By Murong Xuecun. Read by Zhang Wang Li. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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The mystery of the nameless girl found dead in a Spanish border town 38:52

3M ago38:52

38:52

On a summer morning in 1990, the body of a young woman appeared in a small town close to the frontier. For those who saw her, finding her identity became an obsession that would last 30 years By Giles Tremlett. Read by Luis Soto. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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From the archive: Food fraud and counterfeit cotton: the detectives untangling the global supply chain 45:32

3M ago45:32

45:32

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: 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. Re…

1
From acid house to ancient rites: Jeremy Deller’s enormous, collaborative, unsellable art 38:24

3M ago38:24

38:24

The artist Jeremy Deller can’t really draw or paint. Instead of making things, he makes things happen. And later this year, he is planning to unleash a bacchanalian festival that will be his most daring public artwork yet By Charlotte Higgins. Read by Richard Coyle. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod…

1
What happens when the US declares war on your parents? The Black Panther Cubs know 51:32

4M ago51:32

51:32

The Black Panthers shook America awake before the party was eviscerated by the US government. Their children paid a steep price, but also emerged with unassailable pride and burning lessons for today By Ed Pilkington. Read by Chiké Okonkwo. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod…

1
From the archive: The last phone boxes: broken glass, cider cans and – amazingly – a dial tone 32:20

4M ago32:20

32:20

We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2022: Five million payphone calls are still made each year in the UK. Who is making them – and why? By Sophie Elmhirst. Read by Emma Powell. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.…

1
Many life-saving drugs fail for lack of funding. But there’s a solution: desperate rich people 29:52

4M ago29:52

29:52

Each year, hundreds of potentially world-changing treatments are discarded because scientists run out of cash. But where big pharma or altruists fear to tread, my friend and I have a solution. It’s repugnant, but it will work By Alexander Masters. Read by Tom Andrews. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod…

1
In search of the South Pacific fugitive who crowned himself king 47:44

4M ago47:44

47:44

Noah Musingku made a fortune with a Ponzi scheme and then retreated to a remote armed compound in the jungle, where he still commands the loyalty of his Bougainville subjects By Sean Williams. Read by Simon Darwen. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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Stories From A Border Kitchen Podcasts

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