Talking Politics was the political podcast produced, recorded and edited by Catherine Carr, hosted by David Runciman and sponsored by the London Review of Books.
“Talking Politics is a very important innovation which takes academic thinking on politics well beyond the campus. ... It has certainly influenced my thinking about today’s vital issues in politics. [Talking Politics] has been a podcast pioneer, showing there is an audience for informative and serious discussions about politics. Others, including my own podcast, Reasons To Be Cheerful, have followed in its trailblazing footsteps." Ed Milliband
This hugely popular podcast averaged 110,00 listens per episode and 500,000 listens per month, and was listened to in nearly 200 countries around the world.
Recorded weekly by Catherine at the University of Cambridge, where Runciman was Professor of Politics, Talking Politics combined a regular panel of experts with invited guests: popular contributors included historians Adam Tooze and Jill Lepore, philosopher Martha Nussbaum, authors Hilary Mantel, Oliver Bullough and Pinkaj Mishra, and economist Thomas Piketty.
David Runciman said: “Keeping on top of the relentlessly breaking political news can feel like an impossible task. What we try to offer is an informative and genuine dialogue, where experts with differing opinions come to explore themes in a collaborative and non-combative way – as opposed to just providing a platform where guests present their views. The result is that you can often hear contributors thinking, changing their minds, or learning from each other in the course of an episode.”
Talking Politics is produced in partnership with the London Review of Books. Its publisher, Nicholas Spice, commented: “For forty years, the LRB has proved that serious, demanding, intellectually provocative content can attract a large international audience. It’s therefore no surprise to us that Talking Politics, a podcast founded on similar principles, by one of our contributing editors, is achieving these remarkable figures. We’re proud of our relationship with Britain’s best political podcast – and also grateful for its clarity in these challenging times.”
Sophie Herdman, UK content director for Acast, said: “We’re proud to have Talking Politics as part of the Acast family. The show’s appeal lies in its ability to offer timely, nuanced and informed perspectives on current events which are more valuable than ever in the current climate. The show has seen fantastic week-on-week growth in terms of listeners over the last few years, and we look forward to seeing it continue to flourish.”
Find more at talkingpoliticspodcast.com