In this episode of the History Slam, Sean Graham talks with Professor Janice Forsyth about her new book Reclaiming Tom Longboat: Indigenous Self-Determination in Canadian Sport. They talk about her experience as a winner of the award, the place of role models in sport, and the use of mainstream sports in colonization. They also talk about sport and culture, the media’s role in telling athletes’ stories, and traditional sport and games and their role in decolonization.

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In this episode of the History Slam, Sean Graham talks with Amanda Bittner of Memorial University about the significance of political leaders in federal politics. They talk about how polling data is used, partisan voting patterns, and the role of leaders in swaying voters. They also discuss policies v. personalities, the significance of branding leaders, and the challenges of attracting people to politics.

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In this episode of the History Slam, Sean Graham talks with Diana Nielle and Richard Poplak, writers and directors of the new film Influence, which looks at the influential Bell Pottinger PR firm and the rise of misinformation. They talk about the film’s origins, the extent of Bell Pottinger’s international operations, and how things came to a head in South Africa. They also discuss why the principals agreed to be interviewed, their motivations, and what audiences can take away from the documentary.

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In this episode of the History Slam, Sean Graham talks with Kassandra Luciuk about her new book Enemy Alien: A True Story of Life Behind Barbed Wire. They talk about the Ukrainian experience in Canada during the First World War, the legacy of the work camps, and her efforts to identify the author of the memoir on which the book is based. They also chat about confirming the memoir’s claims, the decision to write a graphic novel, and the challenges of funding.

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In this episode of the History Slam, Sean Graham talks with Tarah Brookfield and Chris Tindal about the show and its popularity. They talk about the show’s musical diversity, its ability to engage young people with history, and lyrical content. They also talk about the importance of historical accuracy and the role race plays in the show while Tarah and Chris try to change Sean’s mind about the final song/scene.

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In this episode of the History Slam, Sean Graham talks with filmmaker Tamara Mariam Dawit about her new film Finding Sally, which explores her family’s history during the 1970s political upheaval in Ethiopia. They talk about her grandfather’s diplomatic career, her family’s connections to Ethiopia, and the challenge of telling a personal story on film. They also discuss her aunts’ participation in the film, using individuals to represent broader stories, and how the film fits within Ethiopia’s current political structure.

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In this episode, podcast veterans Aaron Boyes, Jeremy Garrett, and Mike Thompson join Sean Graham to compete to build the greatest hockey ever. Selecting individual players, each guest explains their roster before Sean runs the teams through a simulated season. They discuss the results, debate how to compare players across eras, and describe the role of sports in our daily lives.

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In this episode of the History Slam, Sean Graham talks with Tara Sepehri Far of Human Rights Watch about the  new documentary Born in Evin, which follows actress Maryam Zaree, who was born in notorious Evin prison, as she tries to learn about the conditions here parents endured, the earliest days of her life, and how she and her mother ended up living in Germany. They talk about the Iranian Revolution, the government’s imprisonment of political opposition, and human rights abuses in Iran. They also talk about Maryam’s story, the challenges of researching Iran, and the role of social media in fostering political debate.

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In this episode of the History Slam, Sean Graham talks with Udi Nir, one of the directors of a new documentary about former Israeli Prime Minister Gold Meir entitled Golda. They talk about the film’s point of view, the discovery of previously unseen television footage, and collecting first-hand accounts. They also chat about Meir’s legacy and the very different reactions of audiences in Israel and the United States.

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In this episode of the History Slam, Sean Graham talks with writer/director Richard Bell about his new film Brotherhood, which tells the true story of a group of young men in 1926 who were attending a camp along the shores of Balsam Lake in Ontario when they were caught on the lake in the midst of a major storm. They talk about his research into the story, masculinity in 2019, and the First World War’s role in the story. They also talk about the challenges of shooting on location, taking artistic liberty with historical events, and writing dialogue for real people who left no record.

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