The Audio Long Read

We are raiding the Audio Long Reads archives and bringing you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week: Fifa belongs to a select group of titles familiar to people who have no interest in gaming – or even real football. What’s the secret of its success? By Simon Parkin. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

A drone sighting caused the airport to close for two days in 2018, but despite a lengthy police investigation, no culprit was ever found. So what exactly did people see in the Sussex sky? By Samira Shackle. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

A drone sighting caused the airport to close for two days in 2018, but despite a lengthy police investigation, no culprit was ever found. So what exactly did people see in the Sussex sky? By Samira Shackle. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Strangely eventless, yet swelling with high drama, The Archers is the longest-running series in the world. But has this rural soap been teaching Middle England about itself, or inventing it from scratch? By Charlotte Higgins. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Strangely eventless, yet swelling with high drama, The Archers is the longest-running series in the world. But has this rural soap been teaching Middle England about itself, or inventing it from scratch? By Charlotte Higgins. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Reads archives and bringing you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors This week, from 2016: All of our efforts to be more productive backfire – and only make us feel even busier and more stressed. By Oliver Burkeman. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Reads archives and bringing you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors This week, from 2016: All of our efforts to be more productive backfire – and only make us feel even busier and more stressed. By Oliver Burkeman. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Jake Haendel spent months trapped in his body, silent and unmoving but fully conscious. Most people never emerge from ‘locked-in syndrome’, but as a doctor told him, everything about his case is bizarre by Josh Wilbur. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Jake Haendel spent months trapped in his body, silent and unmoving but fully conscious. Most people never emerge from ‘locked-in syndrome’, but as a doctor told him, everything about his case is bizarre by Josh Wilbur. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Audio Long Reads archives and bringing you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week: The ability of statistics to accurately represent the world is declining. In its wake, a new age of big data controlled by private companies is taking over – and putting democracy in peril. By William Davies. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod