Best Bristol University Press Podcasts (2025)

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How education is failing young working-class men 43:40

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13d ago43:40

43:40

We often hear that working-class boys in education are misogynistic, aggressive and unwilling to learn. But how true is this? In this episode, Richard Kemp speaks with Alex Blower, author of ‘Lost Boys: How Education is Failing Young Working-Class Men’, about how the education system often fails these boys. They discuss the role of masculinity in t…

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Drugs: The path that led to prohibition 45:05

1M ago45:05

45:05

The goal of drug policy is clear, according to the United Nations, whose convention on narcotic drugs largely sets the framework for what individual states do. The aim, the UN says, is to end the ‘serious evil’ of addiction. This, it adds, is to be achieved by preventing public access to dangerous substances, while at the same time ensuring adequat…

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Jessica Urwin, "Contaminated Country: Nuclear Colonialism and Aboriginal Resistance in Australia" (U of Washington Press, 2025) 53:23

1M ago53:23

53:23

Though a nonnuclear state, Australia was embroiled in the military and civilian nuclear energy programs of numerous global powers across the twentieth century. From uranium extraction to nuclear testing, Australia’s lands became sites of imperial exploitation under the guise of national development. The continent was subject to rampant nuclear colo…

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From faultlines to frontlines: Neoliberalism vs. people-powered movements 56:58

2M ago56:58

56:58

In many ways neoliberalism is an extreme ideology, much like fascism and communism, but we very rarely recognise it as such. It hides behind the free-market, deregulation and privatisation, but in reality it’s quietly increasing isolation, inequality, poverty, disease and environmental threat. In this episode, Richard Kemp speaks with Peter Beresfo…

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K. Ian Shin, "Imperial Stewards: Chinese Art and the Making of America's Pacific Century" (Stanford UP, 2025) 1:07:42

2M ago1:07:42

1:07:42

This episode, which is co-hosted with Delaney Chieyen Holton, features Dr. K. Ian Shin discussing his recently published book, Imperial Stewards: Chinese Art and the Making of America’s Pacific Century (Standford UP, 2025). Imperial Stewards argues that, beyond aesthetic taste and economics, geopolitics were critical to the United States’ transform…

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Has Racism Really Changed? From Black Lives Matter to EDI Backlash and Beyond 41:56

3M ago41:56

41:56

Despite claims that we now live in a post-racial society, race continues to disadvantage those from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds. In this episode, Richard Kemp speaks with Kalwant Bhopal, author of the second edition of ‘White Privilege: The myth of a post-racial society’, about why those from black and minority ethnic communities continue…

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Nicholas Thomas, "Voyagers: The Settlement of the Pacific" (Apollo, 2020) 56:16

3M ago56:16

56:16

In Voyagers: The Settlement of the Pacific (Apollo, 2020), the distinguished anthropologist Nicholas Thomas tells the story of the peopling of the Pacific. In clear, accessible language Thomas shows us that most Pacific Islanders are in fact 'inter-islanders', or people defined by their movement across the ocean and between islands, rather than 'tr…

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Kelly A. Spring, "SPAM: A Global History" (Reaktion, 2025) 32:00

3M ago32:00

32:00

The year 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, a conflict that solidified SPAM’s place in global food culture. Created by Hormel Foods in 1937 to utilize surplus pork shoulder during the Great Depression, SPAM became an essential resource during the Second World War, and helped shape perceptions of American culture. SP…

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Safety net or patchwork quilt? Getting to grips with the welfare state 48:10

4M ago48:10

48:10

The welfare state is often talked about as a universal safety net, a system designed to catch anyone who falls. But does that image really capture how different countries understand and organise welfare around the world? In this episode, George Miller talks to Professor Paul Spicker, author of What Is the Welfare State For?, about some of the histo…

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Is basic income the answer to our age of crisis? 39:08

4M ago39:08

39:08

As basic income trials take place around the world, the idea can no longer be dismissed as purely utopian. But can it truly reshape economies and societies? In this episode, Richard Kemp talks with Howard Reed and Elliott Johnson, two of the co-authors of Basic Income: The Policy That Changes Everything, about the reality of basic income. They expl…

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Coll Thrush, "Wrecked: Unsettling Histories from the Graveyard of the Pacific" (University of Washington Press, 2025) 30:13

5M ago30:13

30:13

The Northwest Coast of North America is a treacherous place. Unforgiving coastlines, powerful currents, unpredictable weather, and features such as the notorious Columbia River bar have resulted in more than two thousand shipwrecks, earning the coastal areas of Oregon, Washington, and Vancouver Island the moniker “Graveyard of the Pacific.” Beginni…

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A humanist looks at the night sky 46:47

5M ago46:47

46:47

What does a humanist feel when they gaze up at the stars? In this episode, George Miller speaks to philosopher Richard Norman, author of What Is Humanism For?, about wonder, meaning and morality in a world without God. Their conversation traces Norman’s intellectual journey, from religious upbringing to secular commitment, and explores how humanism…

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The ageing crisis that no one’s talking about 59:19

5M ago59:19

59:19

Within the next 30 years the European workforce will be down by a quarter, upsetting the systems we have had in place for decades. In this episode, Richard Kemp speaks with Giles Merritt, author of 'Timebomb: When Ageing Explodes', about this impending ageing crisis. They discuss the multiple factors that have led us here, as well as what needs to …

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Challenging the monarchy: Britain after Elizabeth II 43:49

6M ago43:49

43:49

With the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the accession of King Charles, Britain has entered a new era — and questions about the future of the monarchy have become more pressing. Does it have a long-term role to play in modern Britain, or is it an anachronism whose days are numbered? In this episode, George Miller talks to Laura Clancy, lecturer in …

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Can journalism as we know it survive? 51:59

6M ago51:59

51:59

There are many truisms about journalism. That it should speak truth to power. That it must be rooted in community. But what do these mean in practice, especially at a time when journalism is facing an unprecedented set of threats – financial, technological, and political? In this episode, George Miller talks to journalist and media commentator Jon …

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Tuomas Tammisto, "Hard Work: Producing Places, Relations and Value on a Papua New Guinea Resource Frontier" (Helsinki UP, 2024) 2:01:32

6M ago2:01:32

2:01:32

On the podcast today I am joined by socio-cultural anthropologist, Tuomas Tammisto, who is an academy research fellow in Social Anthropology at Tampere University. Tuomas is joining me to talk about his recently published book, Hard Work: Producing Places, Relations and Value on a Papua New Guinea Resource Frontier (Helsinki UP, 2024) Hard Work exa…

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The myth of the heroic billionaire 27:47

7M ago27:47

27:47

Billionaires represent a scourge of economic inequality, but how do they get away with it within our culture? In this episode of our Transforming Business podcast series with Martin Parker, Carl Rhodes, author of ‘Stinking Rich’, explains the dangerous and deceptive myths which portray billionaires as a ‘force for good’. They discuss the myths of t…

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David Oakeshott, "Schooling, Conflict and Peace in the Southwestern Pacific: Becoming Enemy Friends" (Bristol UP, 2024) 48:28

7M ago48:28

48:28

Bringing concepts from critical transitional justice and peacebuilding into dialogue with education, Schooling, Conflict and Peace in the Southwestern Pacific: Becoming Enemy Friends (Bristol University Press, 2024) by Dr. David Oakeshott examines the challenges youth and their teachers face in the post-conflict settings of Bougainville and Solomon…

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Changemaking and radical hope in times of crisis 30:19

7M ago30:19

30:19

Everybody wants to change the world, but can we actually make a difference? In the first episode of our Transforming Business podcast series with Martin Parker, Jane Holgate and John Page, authors of Changemakers: Radical Strategies for Social Movement Organising, discuss the power of activism and challenge the belief that change is impossible. The…

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Social work and social control 35:01

7M ago35:01

35:01

Social work exists in a constant tension between caring and protecting vulnerable people, and the control mechanisms within the broader context social workers operate in. Where are the lines drawn in its dual role as an instrument of the state and an advocate for social justice? In this episode Malcolm Carey and Gurnam Singh, guest editors of the C…

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Kathrin Bartha-Mitchell, "Cosmological Readings of Contemporary Australian Literature: Unsettling the Anthropocene" (Routledge, 2024) 50:40

8M ago50:40

50:40

Cosmological Readings of Contemporary Australian Literature: Unsettling the Anthropocene (Routledge, 2024) presents an innovative and imaginative reading of contemporary Australian literature in the context of unprecedented ecological crisis. The Australian continent has seen significant, rapid changes to its cultures and land-use from the impact o…

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The myth of the hormonal female 52:37

8M ago52:37

52:37

We’ve all blamed PMS on hormones but, despite popular belief, no direct causal link between female sex hormones and PMS has ever been proven. So why does the ‘hormonal woman’ stereotype persist? And how does it fuel outdated, sexist narratives about female health? In this episode, Jess Miles speaks to Sally King, a visiting fellow in menstrual phys…

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David R. Saunders, "Chasing Archipelagic Dreams: The Expansion of Foreign Influence in Sabah amid the End of Empire, 1945–1965" (Cornell UP, 2024) 1:03:59

8M ago1:03:59

1:03:59

In Chasing Archipelagic Dreams: The Expansion of Foreign Influence in Sabah amid the End of Empire, 1945–1965 (Cornell University Press, 2024), Dr. David R. Saunders demonstrates that the withdrawal of the British imperial state from Sabah did not result in the decolonization of the territory. From the late 1940s to the 1960s, international anti-co…

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Educational Inequality in Fijian Higher Education 43:45

8M ago43:45

43:45

In this episode of the Language-on-the-Move podcast, Dr Hanna Torsh speaks with Dr Prashneel Ravisan Goundar about his new book, English Language-Mediated Settings and Educational Inequality: Language Policy Agendas in the South Pacific published by Routledge in 2025. In this book, Goundar explores how educational inequalities are responsible for t…

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Angela Wanhalla et al., "Te Hau Kainga: The Maori Home Front during the Second World War" (Auckland UP, 2024) 1:15:20

9M ago1:15:20

1:15:20

Taking readers to the farms and factories, the marae and churches where Māori lived, worked and raised their families, Te Hau Kāinga: The Māori Home Front during the Second World War (Auckland University Press, 2024) by Dr. Angela Wanhalla, Dr. Sarah Christie, Dr. Lachy Paterson, Dr. Ross Webb and Dr. Erica Newman tells the story of the profound tr…

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How to be creative with data analysis 43:51

9M ago43:51

43:51

Alongside a growing interest in creative methods, researchers are increasingly exploring how to bring creativity into data analysis. But how do you strike the balance between innovation and maintaining a systematic, rigorous and ethical approach? Jess Miles talks to Helen Kara, Dawn Mannay, and Alastair Roy, editors of The Handbook of Creative Data…

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Adrian de Leon, "Bundok: A Hinterland History of Filipino America" (UNC Press, 2023) 1:12:36

9M ago1:12:36

1:12:36

In a book that pulls together both sides of the Pacific, Bundok: A Hinterland History of Filipino America (UNC Press, 2023) asks the question: what if we look at Filipino history not from the cities or the imperial metropoles, but from the mountains and the countryside? Or put another way, from the "bundok," the Tagalog word for "mountain" which Am…

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Dean Itsuji Saranillio, "Unsustainable Empire: Alternative Histories of Hawai‘i Statehood" (Duke UP, 2018) 1:15:48

9M ago1:15:48

1:15:48

In Unsustainable Empire: Alternative Histories of Hawai‘i Statehood (Duke University Press, 2018), Dean Itsuji Saranillio offers a bold challenge to conventional understandings of Hawai‘i’s admission as a U.S. state. Hawai‘i statehood is popularly remembered as a civil rights victory against racist claims that Hawai‘i was undeserving of statehood b…

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China and the Indo-Pacific: Policies and Global Implications 31:34

10M ago31:34

31:34

Why has the Indo-Pacific become the pre-eminent theatre of global geo-strategic and geo-economic competition? What is the interest and role of different actors such as China, Russia, the US, the EU and NATO in the region? How are small island developing states such as the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Kiribati, and Vanuatu affected by challeng…

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Emily Mitchell-Eaton, "New Destinations of Empire: Mobilities, Racial Geographies, and Citizenship in the Transpacific United States" (U Georgia Press, 2024) 1:11:59

10M ago1:11:59

1:11:59

In 1986 the Compact of Free Association marked the formal end of U.S. colonialism in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, while simultaneously re-entrenching imperial power dynamics between the two countries. The U.S.-RMI Compact at once enshrined exclusive U.S. military access to the islands and established the right of “visa-free” migration to t…

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Are zoos an anachronism in the 21st century? 34:02

10M ago34:02

34:02

Many of us have fond memories of going to the zoo as children, but zoo critics are vocal in their condemnation of keeping animals in captivity, believing there can be no such thing as a good zoo. Are the goals of entertainment, conservation, education and research more often in conflict than harmony? And are they ultimately irreconcilable with conc…

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Austerity: The silent killer 45:11

11M ago45:11

45:11

Life expectancy is about more than just health – it’s about the kind of society we live in. In this episode, Richard Kemp speaks with David Walsh and Gerry McCartney, co-authors of 'Social Murder?: Austerity and Life Expectancy in the UK', about the monumental impact austerity has had, and continues to have, on life expectancy. They discuss the rea…

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Julian Hanna, "Island" (Bloomsbury, 2024) 30:20

11M ago30:20

30:20

Darwin called the Galápagos archipelago “a little world within itself,” unaffected by humans and set on its own evolutionary path – strange, diverse, and unique. Islands are repositories of unique cultures and ways of living, seed banks built up in relative isolation. Island is an archipelago of ideas, drawing from research and first-hand experienc…

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PODCAST: How economics left the real world behind 50:00

11M ago50:00

50:00

Modern economics often credits Adam Smith as its cornerstone, but another key figure, David Ricardo, has shaped our world in ways we rarely examine. Ricardo, the wealthiest stock trader of his day, developed the theory of comparative advantage, a concept that helped justify globalisation but concealed deeper ties to power, empire and slavery. In th…

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The problem with counterterrorism 36:37

11M ago36:37

36:37

The budget and resources that have been dedicated to combatting terrorism this century are staggering. But has it worked? In this episode, George Miller talks to Leonie B. Jackson, author of 'What is Counterterrorism for?', about the exceptional measures that states have taken in recent decades – such as detention without trial and targeted killing…

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Viral masculinity and the far right: Karen Lee Ashcraft on gender in the US Election 58:45

12M ago58:45

58:45

As the US election approaches, MSNBC notes that the question of “what it means to be a man” is now a defining theme. In this episode, Jess Miles and Karen Lee Ashcraft revisit Karen's concept of 'viral masculinity' — a powerful current of aggrieved manhood fuelling far-right ideologies worldwide. They explore the manosphere, the online ecosystem wh…

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What can business learn from the Moomins? 39:04

12M ago39:04

39:04

Generosity, rooted in love, courage and equality, shapes the Moomin ethos, underpinning not just the brand, but the business. In this episode, Jess Miles speaks with Paul Savage and Janne Tienari, co-authors of 'Moomin Management: Redefining Generosity', about what business can learn from Tove Jansson's beloved troll creatures. They discuss the Moo…

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The Black PhD experience 54:14

1y ago54:14

54:14

A compelling discussion on the challenges faced by Black PhD students in academia. Guests William Ackah and Madina Wane, co-editors of 'The Black PhD Experience', offer a nuanced exploration of the lived experiences of Black scholars. Through personal narratives the book examines systemic barriers, microaggressions, the psychological toll faced by …

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Juan José Rivas Moreno, "The Capital Market of Manila and the Pacific Trade, 1668-1838" (Palgrave Macmillan, 2024) 51:14

1y ago51:14

51:14

Economic history has always emphasized the importance of long-distance trade in the emergence of modern financial markets, yet almost nothing is known about the Manila trade. The Capital Market of Manila and the Pacific Trade, 1668-1838 (Palgrave Macmillan, 2024) offers the first reconstruction of the capital market of Manila using new archival sou…

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Critical race theory and the search for truth 54:37

1y ago54:37

54:37

Critical race theory has been problematised and demonised over the years but it has great potential for societal change. In this episode, Richard Kemp speaks with Rodney D. Coates, author of 'Critical Race Theory and the Search for Truth', about what critical race theory is and why it has found itself in the crosshairs of white nationalists. They d…

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Modern Slavery in Society 30:00

1y ago30:00

30:00

Despite economic development, modern slavery persists all around the world. The issue is not only one of crime but the regulation of the economy, better welfare, and social protections. In this episode, Richard Kemp speaks with Sylvia Walby and Karen Shire, authors of 'Trafficking Chains: Modern Slavery in Society', about this growing global issue.…

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Sarah Miller-Davenport, "Gateway State: Hawai’i and the Cultural Transformation of American Empire" (Princeton UP, 2019) 57:12

1y ago57:12

57:12

One of my talking points when hanging out with my fellow diplomatic historians is the painful absence of scholarship on Hawaii. Too many political histories treat Hawaii’s statehood as a kind of historical inevitability, an event that was bound to pass the moment the kingdom was annexed. As I would frequently pontificate, “nobody has unpacked the i…

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What diplomacy means in the real world 40:13

1y ago40:13

40:13

The life of a diplomat may seem far flung and unrelatable but, beyond the cocktails and canapes, there are ideas that can help us understand and work on social issues, such as increasing polarisation, and lessons to help us support ourselves. In this episode, Leigh Turner, author of 'Lessons in Diplomacy’ and former British ambassador who led posts…

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The Dragon and the Nguzunguzu 20:08

1y ago20:08

20:08

Nguzunguzu is the traditional figurehead which was formerly affixed to canoes in the Solomon Islands. In this episode, Julie Yu-Wen Chen talks to Rodolfo Maggio, a senior researcher at the University of Helsinki about his book project on the dragon and the nguzunguzu, namely the relationship between China and the Soloman Islands. The dragon and the…

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Mavis Kerinaiua and Laura Rademaker, "Tiwi Story: Turning History Downside Up" (NewSouth, 2023) 45:45

1y ago45:45

45:45

The Tiwi people have more than their fair share of stories that turn ideas of Australian history upside down. The Tiwi claim the honour of defeating a global superpower. When the world’s most powerful navy invaded and attempted to settle the Tiwi Islands in 1824, Tiwi warriors fought the British and won. The Tiwi remember the fight, and oral histor…

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‘The Olympics are political through and through’ 32:12

1y ago32:12

32:12

In the late 19th century, a French aristocrat came up with the idea of reviving the sporting contests that took place at Olympia in ancient Greece, and so the modern Olympics were born. The games have gone on to become one of the greatest spectacles on earth, but have never been free of controversy. Our guest in this episode of the podcast is Jules…

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Roger Crowley, "Spice: The 16th-Century Contest that Shaped the Modern World" (Yale UP, 2024) 52:31

1y ago52:31

52:31

The spice islands: Specks of land in the Indonesian archipelago that were the exclusive home of cloves, commodities once worth their weight in gold. The Portuguese got there first, persuading the Spanish to fund expeditions trying to go the other direction, sailing westward across the Atlantic. Roger Crowley, in his new book Spice: The 16th-Century…

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Michael J. Sheridan, "Roots of Power: The Political Ecology of Boundary Plants" (Routledge, 2023) 1:01:11

1y ago1:01:11

1:01:11

Roots of Power: The Political Ecology of Boundary Plants (Routledge, 2023) tells five stories of plants, people, property, politics, peace, and protection in tropical societies. In Cameroon, French Polynesia, Papua New Guinea, St. Vincent, and Tanzania, dracaena and cordyline plants are simultaneously property rights institutions, markers of social…

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Kristie Flannery, "Piracy and the Making of the Spanish Pacific World" (U Pennsylvania Press, 2024) 57:13

1y ago57:13

57:13

Piracy and the Making of the Spanish Pacific World (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2024) offers a new interpretation of Spanish colonial rule in the Philippine islands. Drawing on the rich archives of Spain’s Asian empire, Dr. Kristie Patricia Flannery reveals that Spanish colonial officials and Catholic missionaries forged alliances with Indige…

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Derek Taira, "Forward without Fear: Native Hawaiians and American Education in Territorial Hawai'i, 1900-1941" (U Nebraska Press, 2024) 50:17

1y ago50:17

50:17

During Hawai‘i’s territorial period (1900–1959), Native Hawaiians resisted assimilation by refusing to replace Native culture, identity, and history with those of the United States. By actively participating in U.S. public schools, Hawaiians resisted the suppression of their language and culture, subjection to a foreign curriculum, and denial of th…