The Audio Long Read

By The Guardian

Three times a week, The Audio Long Read podcast brings you the Guardian’s exceptional longform journalism in audio form. Covering topics from politics and culture to philosophy and sport, as well as i... more

· Society & Culture

4.3

775775 ratings

FAQs about The Audio Long Read:

How many episodes does The Audio Long Read have?

The podcast currently has 1,851 episodes available.

Best of The Audio Long Read

The most played episodes among Podcast App listeners.

Number 1: Best of 2026…so far: ‘Any other child would have died’: the miraculous survival of Nada Itrab
Every Wednesday and Friday in August we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2026, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. This week, from February: After a nine-year-old girl was kidnapped and taken from Spain to Bolivia, authorities feared the worst. They found her in the rainforest nine months later – but that wasn’t the end of her ordeal By Giles Tremlett. Read by Norah Lopez Holden. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
August 28, 202652min
Number 2: Best of 2026 … so far: Asian mothers, bad feelings: notes on an all-conquering stereotype
Every Wednesday and Friday in August we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2026, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. This week, from April: A certain image of the tiger mom – strict, cold and demanding – is ubiquitous in popular culture. Why? By Rebecca Liu. Read by Ginnia Cheng. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
August 19, 202635min
Number 3: Iraq’s impossible predicament: why the country is trapped between Iran and the US
With the outbreak of this year’s war, Iraq’s balancing act between the two antagonists has collapsed, exposing a perilously fragile state By Ghaith Abdul-Ahad. Read by Mo Ayoub The summer issue of the Long Read magazine is out now. Click here to order. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
August 17, 202626min
Number 4: ‘The war leaked into every lesson’: learning Ukrainian in a country under siege
Soon after my first visit to Ukraine four years ago, I began language lessons. It taught me more than I ever expected Written and read by Charlotte Higgins On Wednesday 30 September, join Charlotte Higgins and our panel of acclaimed Ukrainian writers to reflect on the profound connections between war, art and life. With Olia Hercules, Sasha Dovzhyk, Olesya Khromeychuk and Shaun Walker. Book tickets here. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
August 24, 202641min
Number 5: Best of 2026…so far: 35,000 pints of stolen Guinness, 950 wheels of pilfered cheese: can the UK’s cargo theft crisis be stopped?
Every Wednesday and Friday in August we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2026, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. This week, from March: It costs the UK economy £700m a year, and criminal gangs are operating with near impunity. Every time a lorry gets robbed, raided or hijacked, it’s Mike Dawber who investigates By Stuart McGurk. Read by Nicholas Camm. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
August 12, 202643min