In this episode, we’re joined by acclaimed novelist Amitav Ghosh for a wide-ranging conversation about storytelling in an age of crisis. Ghosh, who holds two Lifetime Achievement awards and four honorary doctorates and has been named as one of the most important global thinkers of the last decade, reflects on his work as a writer: from anthropology to journalism, fiction to academic work. This thoughtful interview explores how stories can help us see the world—and our responsibilities within it—more clearly.

In this episode of Broad Street to Brideshead, we explore the life and legacy of Vera Brittain—writer, feminist, pacifist, and one of the most powerful literary witnesses of the First World War. Best known for Testament of Youth, Brittain transformed personal loss into a work that reshaped how war, memory, and women’s experience are written and understood. At the heart of this episode is a conversation with Mark Bostridge, author of Vera Brittain: A Life, who brings fresh insight into Brittain’s Oxford years, her literary friendships, and the moral seriousness that defined both her writing and her public stance.

In this episode, we’re joined by Lord Hague, Chancellor of the University of Oxford, to explore a side of his work that is quieter than frontline politics, but no less compelling: his craft as a writer of biography. Known for bringing historical figures vividly to life, Lord Hague reflects on what draws him to biography as a genre. We discuss his creative process—from the first spark of curiosity to the discipline of writing. Together we explore how his experience in public life has shaped his sensitivity to character, motive, and historical narratives.