BBC World Service: The Forum
/I often work as a producer on the BBC World Service history discussion programme The Forum. Below are the episodes of the show that I’ve written and produced.
The Iranian Coup of 1953: Overthrow of a Prime Minister
How British and US intelligence agencies helped oust Iran’s leader Mohammad Mossadeq.
Lifting the lid: The history of the toilet
Most of us use one every day, but over two billion people worldwide still don’t have access to a toilet and often pay a price in terms of health and sanitation.
Domesticated cats are thought to have started living alongside humans more than 9000 years ago. Since then, they have been worshiped, vilified and revered by various societies around the world.
How numbers and counting shaped our world - from when and why humans first started start counting to where the symbols many of us use today originate from.
How a remote desert town in Mali became world famous as the home of Islamic learning in West Africa, and as a so-called 'African El Dorado' for European explorers.
The life and work of the Finnish-Swedish author, illustrator and painter best known for her children’s books set in Moominvalley.
Uncovering the rich social, cultural and medical history of the world’s oldest sweet.
King Cnut was seen as both the perfect Christian monarch and a ruthless warlord when he ruled much of Northern Europe a Millennium ago.
Manuela Sáenz - South America’s revolutionary heroine
The Ecuadorian woman who fought for South American independence from Spanish colonial rule in the 19th Century
The history of the North Pole as both a place on the map and in our imaginations. Today, it symbolises a warming planet but is still linked to exploration and mythology.
Empress Nur Jahan: Leader of the Mughals
The woman who wielded unparalleled power over 17th century India. Empress Nur Jahan controlled trade routes, designed gardens and mausoleums and had coins minted in her own name.
Vincent van Gogh: The struggling artist
Charting the highs and lows of the influential Dutch post-Impressionist painter in the 19th century.