Podcast Episodes

The family that went to war with a military dictatorship

Hafsat Abiola Costello's dad was nearly Nigeria's president - but he had powerful enemies

His name was Moshood Abiola, also known as MKO, and he was one of Africa's richest men before turning to polit…

Published on 3 years, 4 months ago

How I fell in love with blindness

Itto Outini lost her sight but gained her freedom

Itto had been born poor in Morocco's Atlas mountains, and after her parents died, she was shunted between extended family members. She wasn't always w…

Published on 3 years, 4 months ago

Nailed into a boat: Escaping Mao’s China

Dr Andrew Kwong fled famine and persecution as a child. He was a proud Maoist, singing revolutionary songs at the top of his voice at school, but then he witnessed an execution, his father was arrest…

Published on 3 years, 4 months ago

The legendary goalkeeper forced to pawn her gold medals

Goalkeeper Briana Scurry knew at eight years old it was her destiny to win Olympic gold – and in 1996, she did it. That was just the beginning: she won the World Cup and another Olympics with the US …

Published on 3 years, 5 months ago

A poet in a Burundi war zone, part 2

Content Warning: This episode contains graphic descriptions of violence

JP Bimeni is a writer turned soul singer who walked through a massacre unscathed as his country fell into conflict. At just 16 h…

Published on 3 years, 5 months ago

A poet in a Burundi war zone, part 1

Content Warning: This episode contains graphic descriptions of violence

JP Bimeni risked his life to save a book of his verse. He started composing poetry to impress a girl, but was soon writing to ad…

Published on 3 years, 5 months ago

My husband thought I was an imposter

Abi Morgan’s husband woke from a coma and didn’t recognise her.

Abi is a playwright and screenwriter based in London, and she'd made a name for herself writing successful and often highly emotional f…

Published on 3 years, 5 months ago

My dream holiday turned to horror

Pirates attacked Judith and her husband in a remote Kenyan resort in 2011. Judith was dragged from her bed and taken by boat to Somalia, where she was held for over six months. Despite everything she…

Published on 3 years, 6 months ago

A family lost at sea

Fleeing Vietnam, Lauren Vuong’s family almost died. Settled in the U.S. all she wanted was to fulfil her parents’ dream of finding their rescuers. This is the story of one family’s quest for survival…

Published on 3 years, 6 months ago

Giving birth as a hostage in Syria

Janina was six months pregnant when she travelled to Syria in 2015 to meet a school friend who’d become an extremist. Janina Findeisen, a journalist, was making a documentary about their friendship. …

Published on 3 years, 6 months ago