Advertise on podcast: explore words discover worlds

Join artist, curator and YouTube creator James Payne for a captivating, illustrated talk exploring the stories behind some of the world’s most famous artworks.  Best known for his series Great Art Explained, Payne brought masterpieces to life through compelling storytelling and sharp insight. In this special event, he will guide audiences through the remarkable lives of the artists, the drama behind the paintings and the fascinating details that make these works so enduring.  Expect an entertaining and illuminating journey into the human stories behind great art.

Jeremy Corbyn and Professor Paul Rogers discuss the Gaza Tribunal and the growing debate around accountability, international law and the humanitarian consequences of conflict in Gaza.   The conversation will reflect on the role of public testimony, political activism and legal scrutiny in shaping international awareness and response.   Whilst exploring wider questions around justice, diplomacy and the responsibilities of the international community in moments of humanitarian crisis.

Saeed Khan, Meshael Al-Mannai and Hassan Abdein explore how the modern Middle East was shaped through empire and partition; the discussion considers how borders, external intervention and competing visions of political identity continue to shape the region today.   Examining the legacy of the Sykes-Picot Agreement, mandate systems, nationalism and post-colonial state formation, this panel offers historical context for many of the conflicts, alliances and tensions that continue to define the contemporary Middle East.

Prue Leith has never been one to hold back. At 85, she’s not about to start. The Great British Bake Off presenter, Great British Menu judge, restaurateur, cookery school founder and national treasure joins us for a chat about her Sunday Times bestselling memoir Being Old and Learning to Love It, a frank, funny and thoroughly entertaining reckoning with life in her eighties. From love and loss to assisted dying, fashion, fame and finding joy, nothing is off limits. Warm, wise and wickedly honest, this is an afternoon in the company of a woman who has lived an extraordinary life and isn’t finished yet.

Ousama Iyad Alshurafa offers a way of reading life itself, treating the dunya as something encrypted that can be decoded once you find the right key. His central insight is that this world is built on perception: it constantly tests whether a person trusts what they see in front of them or what God has revealed beneath the surface.   Most people, he argues, live captive to appearances, believing that money solves the problem, that medicine brings the cure, that other people hold the answers, when, in reality, these are only means, lifeless without their Source. Drawing on Quranic teaching and the stories of the prophets, Alshurafa shows how to reorder one’s inner life so that the heart turns first to God in every moment of need, hardship or fear, while still taking the practical steps the world requires.   The result is a grounded philosophy for managing life: set the compass of the heart before acting, look beyond the means without abandoning them and recognise that the difficulties we face are often invitations to return rather than punishments. Lived this way, he suggests, belief steadies, actions improve and the conditions of one’s life begin to fall into place. www.bradfordlitfest.co.uk

Twenty-five years after September 11, this conversation examines how a single moment reshaped global politics, security, foreign policy and public life across the world.   Saeed Khan, Professor Paul Rogers, Ebrahim Rasool, Shahed Amanullah, and Rim-Sarah Alouane discuss will explore the lasting impact of the War on Terror, the expansion of surveillance and security states, the transformation of public discourse around Islam and identity, and the geopolitical consequences of intervention in Afghanistan and Iraq.   www.bradfordlitfest.co.uk

Returning to Bradford Literature Festival following the formal elevation of the Palestinian mission in London to embassy status, Ambassador Husam Zomlot joins us for a major conversation on Palestine, diplomacy and the shifting political landscape of the Middle East.  As Head of the Palestinian Embassy to the United Kingdom and one of the most prominent Palestinian diplomatic voices internationally, Zomlot reflects on questions of statehood, identity, international law and the human realities of conflict and displacement.  Spanning history, politics and personal experience, the discussion explores the evolving global response to Palestine and the enduring search for justice, dignity and peace in one of the world’s most contested regions.

In a world shaped by filters, comparison and constant pressure, how do we learn to truly value ourselves? Mental health advocate and content creator Ro Mitchell joins us for an honest and empowering conversation about self-worth in the digital age.   Drawing on her personal recovery journey, Ro explores how social media influences confidence, identity and wellbeing, while sharing practical tools to challenge negative self-talk and build healthier habits with compassion rather than shame.   This interactive session includes a participative Q&A, offering space to reflect, ask questions and leave with actionable strategies for developing a kinder, more confident relationship with yourself and your inner voice. www.bradfordlitfest.co.uk

Photographer, filmmaker and cultural commentator Misan Harriman is one of the defining visual storytellers of our time. From documenting historic moments of protest and social change to creating some of the most widely recognised images of the past decade, his work has explored the relationship between visibility, dignity and human connection.  In this special Free Word Lecture, Harriman reflects on the power of stories, images and testimony to shape how societies see themselves and remember their histories. Exploring questions of representation, public memory and the responsibility of bearing witness, he considers what it means to tell human stories in an age saturated with images, information and competing narratives.  Presented in partnership with Free Word.