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  • Summary

  • Homeless Bodies and Other Stories is an original fiction podcast featuring audio-exclusive short stories from award-winning authors and Sunday Times best-sellers, inspired by objects & artefacts from Wellcome Collection's permanent exhibition, 'Medicine Man', in London.

    Exploring themes of otherness, humanity, history, society and belief, Homeless Bodies and Other Stories brings together a gripping collection of tales that are unsettlingly eerie and provokingly current. Objects that inspired Audible's collection of stories include: a trepanned skull, drilled with holes to release trapped spirits; an iron scold's bridle, used to punish "˜gossiping' women; a 19th Century fragment of tattooed skin; a phrenology skull and an 18th Century wax vanitas head.

    With six original, audio-exclusive stories, the collection includes brand new writing from: Imogen Hermes Gowar, Andrew Michael Hurley, Laura Purcell,Sarah Moss, Oyinkan Braithwaite and Haroun Khan.

    Homeless Bodies and Other Stories sees these six authors probe the dark and twisted corners of humanity in an attempt to better understand ourselves and our place in the world with stories crafted specifically for the spoken-word. Before their stories, listeners will hear each of the authors in conversation with Wellcome's curators as they find out more about their chosen object's history.

    With original musical composition and stirring sound design by Hana Walker-Brown.

    This is an Audible Original Podcast. Free for members. You can download all 6 episodes to your Library now.
    ©2019 Laura Purcell, Imogen Hermes Gowar, Andrew Michael Hurley, Haroun Khan, Oyinkan Braithwaite, Sarah Moss (P)2019 Audible, Ltd.
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Episodes
  • Ep. 1: Brothers and Sisters

    Ep. 1: Brothers and Sisters
    Oct 31 2019

    Time moves slowly for Janey, a young woman locked in by her gender and her time in history, so when her brother brings a fine gentleman home from university she falls in love quickly. Tom Pascoe interrogates their middle class pretentions and opens Janey’s eyes to the beauty of art and simplicity. But she slowly learns his approval comes at a cost, a very real and painful one.

    Hermes Gowar, author of the Sunday Times best seller, The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock, chose the chastity belt.
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    58 mins
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  • Ep. 2: Scold's Bridle

    Ep. 2: Scold's Bridle
    Oct 31 2019

    Victor’s wife moved through their community like a hurricane, while the other wives watched on resentful of her freedom and vitality. But when Victor decides enough is enough, and holds down her tongue and her spirit beneath a hideous mask, they start to miss her. As she disappears in body and mind, and her husband refuses to accept his grave mistake, the women of the village come together to celebrate all that she represented.

    Booker long-listed author of My Sister, the Serial Killer, Oyinkan Braithwaite, chose the scold’s bridle.
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    41 mins
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  • Ep. 3: The Master and the Student

    Ep. 3: The Master and the Student
    Oct 31 2019

    A young man moves through the streets of London, reflecting on the Empire and its subjects. He remembers the devotion he felt to the refined English man who trained him in the innate difference between people like him and people like them. But as he recalls the depths of his master’s needs, and the cost to his own life, he reconsiders what he was taught about morality, fate, and the gifts of birth.

    Khan, acclaimed author of The Study Circle, chose the phrenological skull.
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    54 mins
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Anthologies Historical Fiction
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What listeners say about Homeless Bodies and Other Stories

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Profile Image for susanne H

Very Disappointing

Having been to the Wellcome Museum over 40 years ago many of the fascinating exhibits have stayed fresh in my memory ever since. I can't believe that this selection of tawdry items was the best that your chosen commentators could come up with from the wealth of medical phenomena available. What a missed opportunity

5 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Profile Image for Tom

not for me

I thought slightly strangely put together. I got to chapter 3 and gave up. didn't enjoy the mix of commentary and story especially with the 1st chapter.

4 people found this helpful

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Profile Image for T. walker

so slow

so slow,didn't make it past the first one. don't waste your time and effort. they need chipper people to read out.

4 people found this helpful

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Profile Image for bubblebubble03

very irritating

i really didnt last long....kind of, kind of, kind of. Very irritating people and authors.

3 people found this helpful

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Profile Image for Mo
  • Mo
  • 31-10-19

Wonderfully dark, beautiful pieces!

Loved every single one of these. The writing is gorgeously creepy and the music is so atmospheric.

10 people found this helpful

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Profile Image for Tanya

Great listen!

I don't normally listen to non-fiction books but I really loved these! If I had to choose 'The vanitas' and 'the scolds bridle' would have to be my favourite. Would recommended to everyone.

2 people found this helpful

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Profile Image for Mehrnaz

Highly recommend

Scold's Bridal (Ep. 2) was my favourite. Ep. 1 & 6 were my least favourite, but I still enjoyed listening to them. Vanitas (Ep. 5) had the best narration in my opinion. I also liked the background explanations based on the objects before each episode, I found they added more context to the stories. Very enjoyable overall.

2 people found this helpful

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Profile Image for Rhiannon

loved all but the 6th

really enjoyed 5/6 of these books. they were so well written and I loved the little bits at the beginning that explained more about the items.

2 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Profile Image for Nadia Leclercq

Somewhat boring

Started really well and just got monotone throughout. Couldn't finish the 6th story, it put me to sleep.

2 people found this helpful

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Profile Image for david

awful series, expected a horrible history story,

gave up after half an hour couldn't bear it , slow and difficult to understand some narration

5 people found this helpful

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  • ALF
  • 24-05-21

Runs a nice gamut of creepy

Great series, listened to all 6 episodes in near succession as could not stop! Favorites were the Purcell and Braithwaite tales, but all were very good.

1 person found this helpful

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  • Anonymous User
  • 13-11-21

Wonderfully Dark

Laura Purcell is one of my favorite authors. Thrilled to hear her story and discover some new authors to binge read, Might make a Vanitas of my own.