The Audio Long Read

Three times a week, The Audio Long Read podcast brings you the Guardian’s exceptional longform journalism in audio form. Covering topics from politics and culture to philosophy and sport, as well as investigations and current affairs.

Episodes

Ping-pong sponges, ‘black smokers’ and floating somethings: the secrets of the deep sea

June 26, 2026 • 29 mins

The bottom of the ocean has barely been explored, but every journey to the deep reveals wondrous new lifeforms. As underwater mining gains momentum, we risk destroying one of Earth’s last great wildernesses By Jacob Mikanowski. Read by Lincoln Conway. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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From the archive: No coach, no agent, no ego: the incredible story of the ‘Lionel Messi of cliff diving’

June 24, 2026 • 45 mins

We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2023: Gary Hunt is an enigma. He trains with the intensity of a modern athlete, but relaxes like a sportsman of a bygone era. He is fiercely competitive but unbelievably laid-back. How did he become the greatest cliff diver of all time? By Xan Rice. Read by Ben Norris. Help suppor...

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‘Seriously the best boss ever’: inside the world of Jeffrey Epstein’s assistant

June 22, 2026 • 48 mins

No one’s name appears in the Epstein files more than that of Lesley Groff, his assistant. Reading through the thousands of emails, a troubling question arises: what did she know? By Sophie Elmhirst. Read by Norma Butikofer. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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‘The devil’s child’: the rise and fall of the only female yakuza

June 19, 2026 • 40 mins

Mako Nishimura fought her way into the Japanese underworld, but drug addiction and the slow demise of organised crime gangs almost destroyed her By Sean Williams. Read by Ami Okumura Jones. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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From the archive: Terrorists, cultists – or champions of Iranian democracy? The wild wild story of the MEK

June 17, 2026 • 48 mins

We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2018: They fought for the Iranian revolution – and then for Saddam Hussein. The US and UK once condemned them. But now their opposition to Tehran has made them favourites of Trump White House hardliners By Arron Merat. Read by Lucy Scott. Help support our independent journal...

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As a Ukrainian journalist, I’ve covered the US for 20 years. I find it increasingly shocking

June 15, 2026 • 34 mins

My country has been under occupation, dogged by corruption and war. Yet even I’ve been bewildered by the way the US seems to be fracturing By Nataliya Gumenyuk. Read by Inna Bagoli. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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‘Should we leave them to die?’ The battle over how to save orangutans from the curse of palm oil

June 12, 2026 • 42 mins

As new settlers clear their forest habitat, the apes are coming into conflict with humans. But simply moving them to another part of the forest may not be the answer By Sally Williams. Read by Saskia Reeves. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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From the archive: Sold to the Trump family: one of the last undeveloped islands in the Mediterranean

June 10, 2026 • 21 mins

We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2025: Trump and her husband Jared Kushner have spent more than $1bn on an Albanian island that will be a luxury resort – once the unexploded ordnance has been removed By Marzio Mian. Read by Mo Ayoub For more on US politics and the Trump family check out Politics Weekly Amer...

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Prisoner number 804: the plot to erase Imran Khan

June 8, 2026 • 48 mins

It’s one thing to remove a PM from office, as happened to the former cricketer in 2022. But it’s another thing to try to eradicate the most famous person in Pakistan’s history By Osman Samiuddin. Read By Aaron Neil. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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‘I couldn’t breathe’: the sinister spread of France’s killer seaweed

June 5, 2026 • 32 mins

After a series of deaths on the beaches of Brittany, one bereaved family set out to prove the foul-smelling bloom was to blame By Marta Zaraska. Read by Lucy Bromilow. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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From the archive: Three abandoned children, two missing parents and a 40-year mystery

June 3, 2026 • 47 mins

We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2023: Elvira and her brothers, Ricard and Ramón, were left at a train station in Barcelona aged two, four and five. As an adult, when Elvira decided to look for her parents, she discovered a family history wilder than anything she had imagined By Giles Tremlett. Read by Luis Soto....

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After a hard-fought victory to legalise medical cannabis in the UK, why is it still so hard to access?

June 1, 2026 • 29 mins

Two mothers fought British bureaucracy to obtain lifesaving cannabis medicines for their children. But most patients are having to go private – at huge cost Written and read by Kojo Koram. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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Asian mothers, bad feelings: notes on an all-conquering stereotype

May 29, 2026 • 33 mins

A certain image of the tiger mom – strict, cold and demanding – is ubiquitous in popular culture. Why? By Rebecca Liu. Read by Ginnia Cheng. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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From the archive:‘I feel like I’m selling my soul’: inside the crisis at Juventus

May 27, 2026 • 44 mins

We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2023: a series of financial scandals have rocked Italy’s most glamorous club. But is the trouble at Juventus symptomatic of a deeper rot in world football? By Tobias Jones. Read by Daniel Alexander. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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‘I had poked the bear right in the eye’: my fight to renounce my Russian citizenship

May 25, 2026 • 34 mins

When Putin invaded Ukraine, he raised murder to the level of national policy. I felt guilt by association. And I had to act Written and read by Sergey Radchenko. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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On the trail with the hunters who believe shooting big game can save Africa’s wildlife

May 22, 2026 • 29 mins

One way to pay for wildlife conservation is to allow the rich to bag a few animals for high prices. But critics see this approach as an exercise in neocolonialism Written and read by Cal Flyn. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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From the archive: Putin, Trump, Ukraine: how Timothy Snyder became the leading interpreter of our dark times

May 20, 2026 • 54 mins

We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2023: historians aren’t supposed to make predictions, but Yale professor Timothy Snyder has become known for his dire warnings – and many of them have been proved correct By Robert P Baird. Read by Christopher Ragland. Help support our independent journalism at theguar...

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How to survive the information crisis: ‘We once talked about fake news – now reality itself feels fake’

May 18, 2026 • 44 mins

In this age of crisis, technology is pulling us apart. At its best, journalism can bring us together again. Written and read by the Guardian editor-in-chief Katharine Viner. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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Stateside with Kai and Carter: Stacey Abrams on why gutting of the US Voting Rights Act is ‘evil’

May 17, 2026 • 35 mins

The US supreme court demolished the 1965 Voting Rights Act when they ruled in Louisiana v Callais in April that states can’t consider race in redistricting. Southern states from Tennessee to Alabama have rushed to erase majority Black districts, sparking chaos for the midterm elections. Kai Wright talks with Stacey Abrams, the voting rights activist and former Georgia house minority leader, about the fallout from the decision...

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‘Lawrence is karma’: the gangster who became an icon of Modi’s India

May 15, 2026 • 34 mins

Lawrence Bishnoi has been in high-security custody for more than a decade. During that time, he has been linked to multiple high-profile killings, both in India and as far afield as Canada. What explains his seemingly undimmed power? By Atul Dev. Read by Mikhail Sen. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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The Audio Long Read

Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Ping-pong sponges, ‘black smokers’ and floating somethings: the secrets of the deep sea

.css-r6mb8g{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:1;overflow:hidden;}From the archive: No coach, no agent, no ego: the incredible story of the ‘Lionel Messi of cliff diving’

‘Seriously the best boss ever’: inside the world of Jeffrey Epstein’s assistant

‘The devil’s child’: the rise and fall of the only female yakuza

From the archive: Terrorists, cultists – or champions of Iranian democracy? The wild wild story of the MEK

As a Ukrainian journalist, I’ve covered the US for 20 years. I find it increasingly shocking

‘Should we leave them to die?’ The battle over how to save orangutans from the curse of palm oil

From the archive: Sold to the Trump family: one of the last undeveloped islands in the Mediterranean

Prisoner number 804: the plot to erase Imran Khan

‘I couldn’t breathe’: the sinister spread of France’s killer seaweed

From the archive: Three abandoned children, two missing parents and a 40-year mystery

After a hard-fought victory to legalise medical cannabis in the UK, why is it still so hard to access?

Asian mothers, bad feelings: notes on an all-conquering stereotype

From the archive:‘I feel like I’m selling my soul’: inside the crisis at Juventus

‘I had poked the bear right in the eye’: my fight to renounce my Russian citizenship

On the trail with the hunters who believe shooting big game can save Africa’s wildlife

From the archive: Putin, Trump, Ukraine: how Timothy Snyder became the leading interpreter of our dark times

How to survive the information crisis: ‘We once talked about fake news – now reality itself feels fake’

Stateside with Kai and Carter: Stacey Abrams on why gutting of the US Voting Rights Act is ‘evil’

‘Lawrence is karma’: the gangster who became an icon of Modi’s India

Popular Podcasts

Ping-pong sponges, ‘black smokers’ and floating somethings: the secrets of the deep sea

From the archive: No coach, no agent, no ego: the incredible story of the ‘Lionel Messi of cliff diving’