Episodes

  • 35,000 pints of stolen Guinness, 950 wheels of pilfered cheese: can the UK’s cargo theft crisis be stopped?

    35,000 pints of stolen Guinness, 950 wheels of pilfered cheese: can the UK’s cargo theft crisis be stopped?
    Apr 17 2026
    It costs the UK economy £700m a year, and criminal gangs are operating with near impunity. Every time a lorry gets robbed, raided or hijacked, it’s Mike Dawber who investigates By Stuart McGurk. Read by Nicholas Camm. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
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    41 mins
  • From the archive: Foreign mothers, foreign tongues: ‘In another universe, she could have been my friend’

    From the archive: Foreign mothers, foreign tongues: ‘In another universe, she could have been my friend’
    Apr 15 2026
    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: 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 Written and read by Dina Nayeri. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
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    35 mins
  • How the US far right bought into the myth of white South Africa’s persecution

    How the US far right bought into the myth of white South Africa’s persecution
    Apr 13 2026
    When Trump granted white South Africans refugee status, he was echoing a falsehood about Black people taking revenge for years of brutality. But no one flourishes in a repressive police state By Eve Fairbanks. Read by Katherine Fenton. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
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    34 mins
  • AI got the blame for the Iran school bombing. The truth is far more worrying

    AI got the blame for the Iran school bombing. The truth is far more worrying
    Apr 10 2026
    LLMs-gone-rogue dominated coverage, but had nothing to do with the targeting. Instead, it was choices made by human beings, over many years, that gave us this atrocity By Kevin T Baker. Read by Adam Sims. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
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    38 mins
  • From the archive: Freedom without constraints: how the US squandered its cold war victory

    From the archive: Freedom without constraints: how the US squandered its cold war victory
    Apr 8 2026
    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 US believed the American way of life was humankind’s ultimate destiny. But unrestrained greed has led to an era of injustice and division. By Andrew Bacevich. Read by Kelly Burke. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
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    38 mins
  • My maddening battle with chronic fatigue syndrome: ‘On my worst days, it feels almost demonic’

    My maddening battle with chronic fatigue syndrome: ‘On my worst days, it feels almost demonic’
    Apr 6 2026
    I suffered with my mystery illness for decades before gaining a diagnosis. Could retraining my brain be the answer? By Hermione Hoby. Read by Alby Baldwin. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
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    34 mins
  • Apocalypse no: how almost everything we thought we knew about the Maya is wrong

    Apocalypse no: how almost everything we thought we knew about the Maya is wrong
    Apr 3 2026
    For many years the prevailing debate about the Maya centred upon why their civilisation collapsed. Now, many scholars are asking: how did the Maya survive? By Marcus Haraldsson. Read by Diana Bermudez. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
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    38 mins
  • From the archive: the butcher’s shop that lasted 300 years (give or take)

    From the archive: the butcher’s shop that lasted 300 years (give or take)
    Apr 1 2026
    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: Frank Fisher, now 90, was a traditional high street butcher his whole working life – as were three generations of his family before him. How does a man dedicated to serving his community decide when it’s time to hang up his white coat? By Tom Lamont. Read by Jonathan Andrew Hume. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
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    47 mins