Philip Pullman on Childhood and Fantasy

When the MeToo movement ignited in 2017, many believed it would be a turning point for women after which positive change would become inevitable. And for a brief time, it felt like the world was finally listening to women’s voices. But in 2026, that promise feels fragile. The ris ...  Show more

Liberal democracy was once a radical force. It challenged monarchies, expanded political rights and, at its most successful, helped deliver rising wages and shared prosperity. So how did it become associated with an establishment that growing numbers of voters have turned against ...  Show more

Kirsty Young talks to the author Philip Pullman about what he’s learned from his life so far. Pullman is the acclaimed novelist behind global bestsellers like His Dark Materials. He recounts the story of his own childhood, how he still contemplates the mystery of his father’s dea ...  Show more

For a new season of this podcast, Tsh Oxenreider is talking with people about two books that changed them: one from childhood, one from adulthood. Who better to start with than her own daughter, Tatum?* the Percy Jackson series, by Rick Riordan* Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine ...  Show more

What do we remember about childhood? And how do we write about it, without feeling trapped in the past? Ian McMillan talks to poet Don Paterson about music as a mnemonic tool, his youthful attraction to the art of origami, and the perils of confectionary. He talks to writer Sally ...  Show more

Tsh chats with Millie Florence, a young author who recently published her first middle-grade novel, Beyond Mulberry Glen, with Waxwing Books. They chat about alternative education, following your skills and interests during the adolescent years (and how homeschooling is a boon fo ...  Show more