When a list of young British novelists to watch was released in 1983, many of them went on to become household names, thanks to both their talent and their sex appeal. A new list comes out every ten years, but has never recreated the same success as the original – so has it become harder for novelists to break through? And has the literary world lost some of its glamour? 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes. 

Guest: Robbie Millen, Literary Editor, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana. 

Clips: BBC Wales, ITV News, BBC News, Blue Monday/New Order/Factory Records, Granta Magazine, Booker Prize, CBS/Late Night with David Letterman.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In an exclusive investigation, The Times and The Sunday Times have revealed that a Tory parliamentary researcher arrested on suspicion of spying for China was the director of an influential policy group on Beijing. Chris Cash says he is “completely innocent”, and that claims that he spied for China are “extravagant” and “against everything I stand for”.

Now, for the first time, the Sunday Times journalist who broke the story of Cash's arrest gives her behind-the-scenes account of how the investigation unfolded – and why we're choosing to name the suspected spy. 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes. 

Guest: Caroline Wheeler, Political Editor, The Sunday Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Clips: PoliticsHome, China Research Group.

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Gabriel Gatehouse breaks down the Hunter Biden conspiracy theories, which all centre around his infamous laptop. What’s actually on the laptop? Why might Hunter Biden be heading to trial? And, with the House of Representatives now pursuing impeachment over all this, is the president of the United States really implicated in the mess?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes. 

Guest: Gabriel Gatehouse, independent journalist and host of the BBC series The Coming Storm.

Host: Luke Jones.

Clips: ABC News, Fox News, Sky News, Inside Edition, CBS, One America Network, CNBC, House Oversight Committee.

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At the Women’s World Cup final last month, the president of the Spanish Football Federation kissed the national team’s star player - on the lips. She said it was not consensual and it sparked condemnation around the globe. Now that Luis Rubiales has resigned, what does it all mean - not just for football, but women’s rights on and off the pitch?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes. 

Guest: Martyn Ziegler, chief sports reporter, The Times.

Host: Jane Mulkerrins.

Producer: Olivia Case.

Clips: BBC, TalkTV, ITV, SKY, ABC News, Real Federación Española de Fútbol, Jenni Hermoso, AFP, Reuters, Shescoresbanger.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A new investigation for The Sunday Times finds that unnecessary operations happen every year in private hospitals. And when that happens and patients try to get justice, they can find it impossible to get compensation. With NHS waiting lists thrusting more and more patients into the private provision, it begs the question: can we trust private hospitals?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.

Guest: Shaun Lintern, Health Editor, The Sunday Times.

Host: Luke Jones.

Clips: Sky News, 5 News, ITV, BBC.

If you've been affected by subjects raised in this podcast, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention hotline at 0800 689 5652.

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The international premiere of Studio Ghibli’s latest film took place last night, after breaking box office records in Japan in July. The Boy and the Heron is the final film from one of cinema’s most influential animators, the reclusive genius Hayao Miyazaki. But does his retirement mark the end of the studio that inspired Disney and Pixar? 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes. 

Guest: Richard Lloyd Parry, Asia Editor, The Times and The Sunday Times. 

Host: Manveen Rana.

Articles:

Great Ghibli! How one Japanese studio wowed the world: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/studio-ghibli-the-boy-and-the-heron-hayao-miyazaki-film-lzkxdtlzl

10 best Studio Ghibli films: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/10-best-studio-ghibli-films-from-spirited-away-to-howls-moving-castle-dtrdpdsfg

Clips: Konbini, StudioCanal, BFI, Toho co, Ghibli Museum, 10 Years with Hayao Miyazaki/NHK WORLD, GKIDS Films. 

Studio Ghibli clips: Princess Mononoke, Howl’s Moving Castle, The Wind Rises, Spirited Away, The Boy and the Heron.

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Yesterday the government published a list of over a hundred schools in England which are fully or partially shut because of safety fears over RAAC – a type of concrete that’s started to crumble. Has the government done 'a f***ing good job', as the education secretary put it? Or did it fail to heed the warnings?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes. 

Guests:

• Kate McCann, political editor, Times Radio.
• Dr John Roberts FREng FIStructE, former president, Institution of Structural Engineers.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Olivia Case.

Clips: ITV News, Sky News, BBC News, Channel 4 News, Parliament Live.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A year ago today, Liz Truss stood in Downing Street at the start of her premiership promising “action every day”. Over the tumultuous 49 days that followed, her time as prime minister was derailed by a series of U-turns, market shocks and a pervading sense of chaos. We go behind the scenes with Truss's biographer on the shortest ever stay in No 10.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of the readers of the Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.

Guest: James Heale, political correspondent of The Spectator, and co-author of Out of the Blue: The Inside Story of the Unexpected Rise and Rapid Fall of Liz Truss https://timesbookshop.co.uk/out-of-the-blue-9780008605780

Host: Luke Jones.

Clips: Times Radio, Talk TV, BBC News, Parliament TV, Sky News, Spectator TV, Twitter.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jody Oliver deceived his wife, children and male fiancés while adopting a colourful array of identities, scamming those around him out of millions of pounds. Now that he’s in jail, his story can be told.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes. 

Article: The seven lives of the £2m fraudster - https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-seven-astonishing-lives-of-the-2m-fraudster-85mdvmxvs

Guest: Megan Agnew, News Features Writer, The Sunday Times.

Host: Luke Jones.

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Since the nurse Lucy Letby was convicted of murdering seven babies, one question has remained – and may always be – unanswered: why?

In this episode we speak to an expert on female serial killers who outlines why we shouldn't be shocked by Letby and her crimes, and how Letby fits the profile of a female serial killer. But also – even more chillingly – how she doesn't.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes. 

Book: Just As Deadly: The Psychology of Female Serial Killers https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/just-as-deadly/085C912B92AAD29C2B76251C56D91356

Guest: Marissa A. Harrison, Professor of Psychology, Penn State Harrisburg.

Host: Luke Jones.

Helplines: NSPCC provides help, advice and support to adults worried about a child.

Phone: 0808 800 5000 (24/7)

https://www.nspcc.org.uk

Samaritans is available for anyone struggling to cope and provides a safe place to talk 24 hours a day: https://www.samaritans.org

Phone: 116 123

Email: [email protected]

Child Bereavement UK: https://www.childbereavementuk.org

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