The history of the book, from Gilgamesh ...

Ease into the weekend with our brand new podcast, showcasing some of the best Guardian and Observer writing from the week, read by talented narrators. In this episode, Marina Hyde looks at the new additions to Downing Street (2m00s), Hadley Freeman interviews Hollywood actor Will ... Show More

The Guardian has launched a new series called Reverberate that we think you’ll like. Each week, Chris Michael will explore incredible stories from around the world about when music shook history. In the first episode, we hear from Kashy Keegan, an unknown singer-songwriter in a s ... Show More

Ease into the weekend with our brand new podcast, showcasing some of the best Guardian and Observer writing from the week, read by talented narrators. In our first episode, Marina Hyde reflects on another less than stellar week for Boris Johnson (1m38s), Edward Helmore charts the ... Show More

What do Achilles and Gilgamesh, two of the most renowned literary figures of the ancient world, have in common? A great deal more than you might expect. I talked to Professor Michael Clarke of the National University of Ireland, Galway, one of my favorite people in the world and ... Show More

We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. No language in history has dominated the world quite like English does today. Is there any point in resisting? By Jacob Mikanowski. Help support ... Show More

The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the oldest surviving works of storytelling from history. Written in ancient Mesopotamia over three thousand years ago, this epic poem recounts the fabled tale of King Gilgamesh of Uruk and the forging of his friendship with Enkidu, a wild man sent ... Show More

The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the oldest surviving works of storytelling in history. It begins with the tale of Gilgamesh’s friendship with the wild man Enkidu. But after Enkidu is killed, King Gilgamesh embarks on a journey into his distant past in search for immortality.  In ... Show More

In the first episode of 2023, Kate Whiting speaks to academics and authors Professor Andrew Pettegree and Dr Arthur der Weduwen about their book The Library: A Fragile History. They discuss why, despite our love of collecting books, they have often been neglected and become tools ... Show More

We are raiding the Audio Long Reads archives and bringing you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2018: It’s time to end a system that excludes the less privileged from the arts, media and politics. By Amalia Illgner. Help ... Show More

Part two of the Mesopotamian epic, the first recorded work of literature, the Epic of Gilgamesh! CW/TW: far too many Greek myths involve assault. Given it's fiction, and typically involves gods and/or monsters, I'm not as deferential as I would be were I referencing the real thin ... Show More