Behind The Spine

Vogue is a pervading force in the fashion world, an absolute giant of a brand built more than 100 years ago. During that time the magazine’s scope has gone far beyond fashion. It brought politics into the lives of women when the world was shutting them out, it worked with the government to help keep women safe during the war, and its pioneering editors have even risked their jobs to promote divers...

Our voice says so much about our character, from where we grew up, to our personality and even our job. Which is why through imitation and mimicry, impressionists are able to so fully embody a person, capturing the very essence of who they are. Jon Culshaw is a voice acting legend, known for his comedy excellence in shows like Dead Ringers, Spitting Image and Newzoids. He’s also shown his mastery...

Over the millennia people have loved and feared many different Gods. And though beliefs have changed, religion has always played a significant role in every single civilisation throughout human history. But why is that? Is religion hardwired into us at a biological level? In his book ‘ God Is Watching You ’, Dominic Johnson explores the way religion has shaped the course of human evolution and coo...

There are two types of people in this world: people you want to drink with and people who make you want to drink. Helen McGinn is actually both of those people! She began sharing her knowledge about wine through the now award-winning blog ‘The Knackered Mother's Wine Club, which has since been turned into a book. Helen appears regularly on the BBC, ITV and the Daily Mail, and has recently released...

The battle against inequality in education is being fought on multiple fronts at the moment. Tuition fees have for years been widening the gap between the rich and the poor, and that gap has only been exacerbated by the global pandemic. Students are not only campaigning against this problem from home, they’re also dealing with the mental health issues associated with lockdown, learning remotely, a...

Statistics have always been an area of intrigue for us all, but most people have no more than a passing interest - we enjoy the newspaper top lines, but that’s about it. The pandemic has changed that. We now sit on tenterhooks awaiting the next wave of stats to be released by the government, to help us get a better sense of this tumultuous situation. Today’s guest is Tim Harford, aka the Undercove...

Comic books have spawned some of the most beloved and memorable characters in history. They’ve graduated from a niche offering to the catalyst for movie franchises that have dominated the globe, and through events like Comic-Con, they’ve ignited a childlike passion for stories in all of us. Today’s guest is Kev F Sutherland who has written for the likes of The Dandy, Beano, Marvel and Viz. In this...

Death is not the end. Our dead continue to tell stories to those who will listen. For some, their stories are shrouded in mystery, particularly those who met gruesome and unexpected ends. And that’s where forensics picks up to fill in the gaps. Professor Dame Sue Black is a forensic anthropologist, and is able to uncover the missing pieces of a life from even the most disfigured human remains. In...

Our enjoyment of an event is heightened simply by sharing it with others. It’s the reason we love gigs, cinemas, theatres - you name it! Indeed, our love of shared experiences is what brings five million visitors a year to London’s Southbank Centre . The centre comprises three main performance venues, the Royal Festival Hall, the Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Purcell Room. Sadly recent global event...

As the world awaits the ground-shaking battle between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury, we peer beyond the hype and bright lights of boxing. With top class boxers sometimes stepping in the ring only twice a year, this episode explores the hard-work that’s done behind the scenes to achieve greatness. World class commentator Mike Costello has been broadcasting live boxing commentary for BBC radio since...

Whether it’s through film, television or books, stories guide and influence us. But the most important tale is often the most overlooked - the story of our own life. For people living with dementia, their past life may be the only story they remember, or can even engage with. And that’s where Jorg Roth and his team at ‘ My Life Films ’ comes in. Jorg founded the charity to use the art of storytell...

Paramount Pictures is a goliath, a company that is instantly recognisable to movie watchers around the world, and its archives are chock full of some of humanity’s best-loved moments. American Zoetrope is an equally mammoth operation, founded by Frances Ford Coppola and George Lucas. Our guests today are Andrea Kalas, vice president of archives at Paramount, and James Mockoski, archivist at Zoetro...

Our global interconnectedness has given new strength to conspiracy theories. And that’s never been more clear than during the pandemic, as swathes of people have been able to come together digitally in their joint doubt of the true origin of covid-19, the motives of the world's governments, and even the virus’s very existence. But why do people become obsessed with believing surreal fantasies when...

Whether or not you have a passion for the high-octane drama of a professional road race, for most of us cycling is part of the narrative of our lives - a childhood rite of passage. Whilst lockdown presented unique challenges for the sport of cycling, it has also created a surge in interest among hobbyists. But it’s amid the drama of the peloton where we find our guest today. Author and journalist...

We no longer have to sit passively as we journey through our screens into other worlds. Artificial intelligence is creating truly immersive stories, capable of generating completely personalised entertainment experiences. Guy Gadney , CEO of Charisma.ai, explores his company’s revolutionary technology, and explains why it’s so much more than Bandersnatch 2.0. From interactive graphic novels to vir...

The scale of the slave trade can be overwhelming. The numbers of people who lived and worked as slaves are so high that it’s easy to miss individual stories. That’s what prompted Professor Richard Bell from the University of Maryland to write his book, STOLEN. In it, he explores the stories of five young boys illegally trafficked into slavery and peers into the dark underbelly of organised crime....

Museums are the greatest storytellers. Through artefacts and objects we learn the truth about the past, about the lives of our ancestors, seen and unseen. The collections allow us to draw our own conclusions, to craft our own stories, and to explore narratives in ways that are deeply personal. In this episode, Tristram Hunt, director of the V&A Museum in London , sheds light on what he calls the “...

Series 2 is here! Here’s a taste of what’s to come, and if you're new, a look back at some highlights from series 1.

Throughout the first series of the podcast, there have been three prominent topics, raised time and again - expertise, narrative bias, and the truth. Each guest has offered their own interpretation of the influence of each of these on our writing, and on our understanding of the world. In the final episode of series one, we’re highlighting some of the most poignant thoughts from guests on these su...

This podcast started as the UK's lockdown had just begun, and behavioural science expert Christian Hunt gave us his predictions on how the next six months would play out. Well, six months later, it turns out he was almost entirely correct. In this episode find out why omitting one side of a narrative can skew our perception of reality, how this pandemic has helped us push the boundaries of creativ...

Magicians and their magic are only one half of the story - the job of a magician’s assistant may seem simple on the face of it, but without them, the whole show falls apart. You only have to watch the lovely Debbie McGee in action to know this is true! In this episode, Debbie explains how her training as a ballet dancer allowed her to excel on stage - able to hold an applause for longer than anyon...

Objects are storytellers. They hold precious memories, they are entangled in our everyday lives - but some have uncomfortable stories, and are cast into the river, never to be seen again. That is, until the mudlarks! Lara Maiklem is the author of ‘Mudlarking: Lost and Found on the River Thames’. Whether intentionally discarded, or swept up long ago by the waters, Lara pieces together London’s hist...

Sexuality is one of the biggest ways in which we identify and understand ourselves. And yet there’s an educational void when it comes to same sex relationships. That’s why Kate Davies wrote ‘In at the Deep End’. Drawing on her own experiences, the book explores the story of a woman who comes out as a lesbian later in life, with no knowledge of what to expect. It tackles issues of a controlling rel...

You probably take it as a given, the ability to masturbate, but for some people, that simple act is impossible. For various reasons, many disabled people struggle to pleasure themselves, and some simply can't do it. Andrew Gurza is the co-founder and chief disability officer of ‘Handi’, which develops sex toys for people with hand limitations. Andrew says sexual pleasure is a human right, and that...

The 21st century has brought about a new meaning to “a war of words”. War is no longer confined to the battlefield - it’s up to each side of a conflict to win the narrative battle too. With individuals like the Palestinian social media activist Farah Baker able to tweet in real-time about an ongoing conflict, the likes of Twitter and Facebook have brought us closer than ever before to the front-li...