Episodes

  • ‘Lawrence is karma’: the gangster who became an icon of Modi’s India

    ‘Lawrence is karma’: the gangster who became an icon of Modi’s India
    May 15 2026
    Lawrence Bishnoi has been in high-security custody for more than a decade. During that time, he has been linked to multiple high-profile killings, both in India and as far afield as Canada. What explains his seemingly undimmed power? By Atul Dev. Read by Mikhail Sen. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
    Show More Show Less
    34 mins
  • From the archive: How western travel influencers got tangled up in Pakistan’s politics

    From the archive: How western travel influencers got tangled up in Pakistan’s politics
    May 13 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: Travel bloggers have flocked to Pakistan in recent years – but have some of them become too close to the authorities? By Samira Shackle. Read by Lucy Scott. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
    Show More Show Less
    49 mins
  • The impossible promise: are we witnessing the return of fascism?

    The impossible promise: are we witnessing the return of fascism?
    May 11 2026
    Some of today’s far right is openly violent and undemocratic – and even in its less extreme forms, far-right populism is a profound threat. But that doesn’t mean it is just a re-run of history By Daniel Trilling. Read by Sami Abu Wardeh. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
    Show More Show Less
    32 mins
  • ‘I see it as trafficking’: the brutal reality of life as a foreign student in the UK

    ‘I see it as trafficking’: the brutal reality of life as a foreign student in the UK
    May 8 2026
    Universities in Britain rely on overseas applicants paying full fees, which has given rise to some unscrupulous recruiters and left many hopefuls and their families deep in debt By Samira Shackle. Read by Dinita Gohil. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
    Show More Show Less
    31 mins
  • No cults, no politics, no ghouls: how China censors the video game world

    No cults, no politics, no ghouls: how China censors the video game world
    May 6 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 2021: China’s video game market is the world’s biggest. International developers want in on it – but its rules on what is acceptable are growing increasingly harsh. Is it worth the compromise? By Oliver Holmes. Read by Jordan Erica Webber. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
    Show More Show Less
    42 mins
  • Where Duolingo falls down: how I learned to speak Welsh with my mother

    Where Duolingo falls down: how I learned to speak Welsh with my mother
    May 4 2026
    Once violently defended from extinction, Welsh is still a part of daily life. By learning my family’s language, I hoped to join their conversation By Dan Fox. Read by Matt Addis. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
    Show More Show Less
    48 mins
  • ‘Any other child would have died’: the miraculous survival of Nada Itrab

    ‘Any other child would have died’: the miraculous survival of Nada Itrab
    May 1 2026
    After a nine-year-old girl was kidnapped and taken from Spain to Bolivia, authorities feared the worst. They found her in the rainforest nine months later – but that wasn’t the end of her ordeal By Giles Tremlett. Read by Norah Lopez Holden. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
    Show More Show Less
    50 mins
  • From the archive: the impossible job: inside the world of Premier League referees

    From the archive: the impossible job: inside the world of Premier League referees
    Apr 29 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: players, pundits and fans complain bitterly that referees are getting worse each season – but is that fair? By William Ralston. Read by Simon Darwen. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 8 mins