Send us a text In today's chinwag, we'll explore a candidate for the first novel in English by the first professional female writer in English: Oroonoko by Aphra Behn (1688). It's the story of an African prince and his beloved, who are betrayed into slavery and do not live happily ever after. The novel seems a modest heroic romance, but I think Ms. Behn ha ... Show More
Feb 1
A Critique of Reason: Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift
Send us a textWhile many may think of Swift's magnificent octopus as a mere children's adventure tale, it is, in fact, one of the darkest and most troubling satires in the English language. Written as the Enlightenment began asserting rationality as the measure of all things, Gul ... Show More
49m 41s
Apr 2024
The Band of Gold Mystery
Rerun: Freda Payne’s banger ‘Band Of Gold’ sounds like a Motown record, but actually isn’t. Although written by Berry Gordy’s hit-making trio Holland-Dozier-Holland, it was released on their breakaway label, Invictus, on 25th April, 1970.
Ever since, fans have speculated as to th ... Show More
11m 25s
Sep 2024
Winged Eyeliner & The Age Of Intolerance
Subscribe to Mamamia Tim Minchin regrets one of his most famous songs. And it tells us a lot about where culture has moved to. In this episode, we discuss the age of intolerance. Plus, we help set up your weekend with some recommendations which include: a book, an album and two ... Show More
50m 32s
Sep 2025
ON WRITING... With Salman Rushdie and Kazuo Ishiguro
Welcome to another special edition of How to Fail, where I revisit conversations from the How to Fail archives. Each week, we shine a light on a particular theme, hopefully offering inspiration, perspective and comfort through the words of past guests. This week’s theme is on wri ... Show More
24m 18s
Nov 2022
Is Your Relationship ‘Beautiful People’ Proof?
Claim a free ticket to our virtual tour show An elderly man was attacked with a hammer in his own home, and somehow this has become a ‘debate’ about free speech in the US. Why? Plus, Romantic Comedies are hot again. At least, that’s what everyone is saying. So why are they so ha ... Show More
35m 39s
Jun 2025
First Love Mixtape: Side B (Encore)
<p>In last week’s <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/28/podcasts/love-soundtrack-music.html" target="_blank">episode</a>, the Modern Love team shared the songs that taught<i> </i>us about love when we were young. But in this week’s episode, we hear from you, our listeners, ... Show More
22m 1s
Aug 2024
This Is What A Generation Sounds Like: Sara
<p>We're away on our summer break until September, but this week and next week we're re-releasing two of our favourite episodes from The Europeans' award-winning series, 'This Is What A Generation Sounds Like.
This week, a story that spans three generations of women: Sara, her ... Show More
27m 12s
Sep 2025
Ballads of Love and Death
In this enchanting episode, Dr. Eleanor Janega dissolves the boundaries between history, folklore, and music to explore the haunting world of medieval ballads. Joined by author Amy Jeffs, illustrator Gwen Burns and composer/singer Natalie Brice, Eleanor uncovers the timeless stor ... Show More
1h 1m