Episodes

  • ‘They take you out of life, out of time’: a journey into Spain’s astonishing cave paintings

    ‘They take you out of life, out of time’: a journey into Spain’s astonishing cave paintings
    Jun 29 2026
    For tens of thousands of years, these Palaeolithic artworks were unseen. When they were rediscovered, onlookers marvelled at their vivid beauty. One of the world’s leading experts took me up close Written and read by Stephen Phelan. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
    Show More Show Less
    32 mins
  • Ping-pong sponges, ‘black smokers’ and floating somethings: the secrets of the deep sea

    Ping-pong sponges, ‘black smokers’ and floating somethings: the secrets of the deep sea
    Jun 26 2026
    The bottom of the ocean has barely been explored, but every journey to the deep reveals wondrous new lifeforms. As underwater mining gains momentum, we risk destroying one of Earth’s last great wildernesses By Jacob Mikanowski. Read by Lincoln Conway. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
    Show More Show Less
    30 mins
  • From the archive: No coach, no agent, no ego: the incredible story of the ‘Lionel Messi of cliff diving’

    From the archive: No coach, no agent, no ego: the incredible story of the ‘Lionel Messi of cliff diving’
    Jun 24 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: Gary Hunt is an enigma. He trains with the intensity of a modern athlete, but relaxes like a sportsman of a bygone era. He is fiercely competitive but unbelievably laid-back. How did he become the greatest cliff diver of all time? By Xan Rice. Read by Ben Norris. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
    Show More Show Less
    45 mins
  • ‘Seriously the best boss ever’: inside the world of Jeffrey Epstein’s assistant

    ‘Seriously the best boss ever’: inside the world of Jeffrey Epstein’s assistant
    Jun 22 2026
    No one’s name appears in the Epstein files more than that of Lesley Groff, his assistant. Reading through the thousands of emails, a troubling question arises: what did she know? By Sophie Elmhirst. Read by Norma Butikofer. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
    Show More Show Less
    49 mins
  • ‘The devil’s child’: the rise and fall of the only female yakuza

    ‘The devil’s child’: the rise and fall of the only female yakuza
    Jun 19 2026
    Mako Nishimura fought her way into the Japanese underworld, but drug addiction and the slow demise of organised crime gangs almost destroyed her By Sean Williams. Read by Ami Okumura Jones. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
    Show More Show Less
    41 mins
  • From the archive: Terrorists, cultists – or champions of Iranian democracy? The wild wild story of the MEK

    From the archive: Terrorists, cultists – or champions of Iranian democracy? The wild wild story of the MEK
    Jun 17 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 2018: They fought for the Iranian revolution – and then for Saddam Hussein. The US and UK once condemned them. But now their opposition to Tehran has made them favourites of Trump White House hardliners By Arron Merat. Read by Lucy Scott. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
    Show More Show Less
    48 mins
  • As a Ukrainian journalist, I’ve covered the US for 20 years. I find it increasingly shocking

    As a Ukrainian journalist, I’ve covered the US for 20 years. I find it increasingly shocking
    Jun 15 2026
    My country has been under occupation, dogged by corruption and war. Yet even I’ve been bewildered by the way the US seems to be fracturing By Nataliya Gumenyuk. Read by Inna Bagoli. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
    Show More Show Less
    34 mins
  • ‘Should we leave them to die?’ The battle over how to save orangutans from the curse of palm oil

    ‘Should we leave them to die?’ The battle over how to save orangutans from the curse of palm oil
    Jun 12 2026
    As new settlers clear their forest habitat, the apes are coming into conflict with humans. But simply moving them to another part of the forest may not be the answer By Sally Williams. Read by Saskia Reeves. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
    Show More Show Less
    42 mins