The Guardian's Audio Long Reads

My life seemed to be getting busier, faster: I felt constantly short of time – so I stepped outside it for a day and a night and did nothing. By Mark O’Connell. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Times of upheaval are always times of radical change. Some believe the pandemic is a once-in-a-generation chance to remake society and build a better future. Others fear it may only make existing injustices worse. By Peter C Baker. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Doomsday luxury accommodation is a booming business, offering customers a chance to sit out global pandemics and nuclear wars in comfort – as long as they have the money to pay for it. By Mark O’Connell. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Around the world, more than 40 teams are working on a vaccine for Covid-19. We followed one doctor in the most urgent quest of his life. By Samanth Subramanian. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

When I grew up there, Fleetwood was a tough but proud fishing port. It’s taken some knocks in the years since, but not everyone has given up on it. By Luke Brown. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

After decades among the hidden homeless, Dominic Van Allen dug himself a bunker beneath a public park. But his life would get even more precarious. By Tom Lamont. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

The notorious case of three teenage sisters inspired a campaign for change – and a backlash from the patriarchy. By Matthew Luxmoore. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Even before it opened, the Dome had become a byword for failure. But two decades on, it could be time for a reassessment. By Imogen West-Knights. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

A decade ago, violent racists exploited a national crisis and entered mainstream politics in Greece. The party has since been caught up in the biggest trial of Nazis since Nuremberg, and is now crumbling – but its success remains a warning. By Daniel Trilling. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Threats to humanity, and how we address them, define our time. Why are we still so complacent about facing up to existential risk? By Toby Ord. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

In our time of climate crisis and inequality, as top chefs dream less of Michelin stars and more of changing the world, the New Nordic movement is reaching beyond haute cuisine into classrooms, supermarkets and parliaments. By Kieran Morris. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

I’ve taken part in quizzes all my life: in schools, in pubs and on TV shows, from India to the US. But the biggest secret is that curiosity, not knowledge, is the key to success. By Samanth Subramanian. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

For decades, the way we farm has been degrading land and destroying wildlife. Now there’s a revolution coming – but is it going to create more problems than it solves? By Christopher de Bellaigue. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

He is now the country’s de facto project manager, but what does he actually believe? In a bid to find out, I read (almost) everything Cummings has written in the last decade. By Stefan Collini. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

It’s cheap, attractive and convenient, and we eat it every day – it’s difficult not to. But is ultra-processed food making us ill and driving the global obesity crisis? By Bee Wilson. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

For decades, one company has ruled the world of tampons. But a new wave of brands has emerged, selling themselves as more ethical, more feminist and more ecological. By Sophie Elmhirst. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Calculating the patterns and cycles of the past could lead us to a better understanding of history. Could it also help us prevent a looming crisis? By Laura Spinney. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

In the age of streaming and limitless choice, Magic Radio pulls in millions of listeners. What is it that keeps people coming back? By Simon Akam. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

A GP has minutes to try to convince a person that life is worth living. It’s a challenge that brings rare rewards. By Gavin Francis. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

For decades, US law enforcement has used ‘forensic hypnosis’ to help solve crimes – yet despite growing evidence that it is junk science, this method is still being used to send people to death row. By Ariel Ramchandani. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod