Matthew Syed is a former Olympic table tennis player for Great Britain. As Matthew travelled in China, competing against some of the world’s greatest players, he realised that ping pong is a game that has played a huge and fascinating role in the rise of a great power, taking us from the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949 to the sporting ambitions of the country today.Matthew begins this three-part mini series from Sideways, with the story of the rise and tragic death of Rong Guotuan - an extraordinary player and China's first world champion in any sport. Chairman Mao and Zhou Enlai were keen ping pong players, and in the early years of the PRC the sport was a way of cementing national pride. And where better to showcase a new China and its sporting prowess than at the 1961 Beijing World Table Tennis Championships? But hidden behind the veneer of a newly built stadium and comforts for the visiting teams from all over the world, was a much darker experience for the people of China - an avoidable famine that's estimated by 1961 to have killed at least 36 million. Presented by Matthew Syed Producer: Pippa Smith Series Editor: Katherine Godfrey Script consultation: Dr Olivia Cheung, SOAS, University of London Sound Design and mix: Rob Speight Archival research: Nadia Mehdi With thanks to Zhijie Shao from the BBC World Service and to the International Table Tennis FederationA Novel production for BBC Radio 4

Matthew Syed is a former Olympic table tennis player for Great Britain. As Matthew travelled in China, competing against some of the world’s greatest players, he realised that ping pong is a game that has played a huge and fascinating role in the rise of a great power. In this three-part mini series from Sideways, Matthew tells the stranger-than-fiction story of how this little sport transformed China’s international standing.Available from Wednesday 5 July 2023.

There’s a story Matthew Syed likes to tell. And he’s told it a lot. It’s about a turning point in his life. It’s about learning from a failure and working hard to overcome his shortfalls and come back stronger. Except - he’s realised he’s been getting the story wrong. A key detail in the timeline is off. The turning point he thought was so important, might not be quite as significant after all. And the story just isn’t as neat…In this episode of Sideways, Matthew’s exploring how we use stories to make sense of our lives, and why that means they might not always be completely accurate.With Alexandra Georgakopoulou, Professor of Discourse Analysis and Sociolinguistics at King's College London; Robyn Fivush, Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor of Psychology and the Director of the Institute for the Liberal Arts at Emory University; and bestselling ghostwriter Shannon Kyle.Presenter: Matthew Syed Producer and Series Editor: Katherine Godfrey Executive Producer: Max O’Brien Additional Production: Pippa Smith and Leigh Meyer Sound Design and Mix: Naomi Clarke A Novel production for BBC Radio 4

Julie Matthias is in the middle of a regular shift at her hairdressing salon when she begins to feel really strange.Julie is taken to hospital with the symptoms of a stroke, but doctors can find no evidence she has had one. Initially, Julie is unable to speak properly at all. But when her voice returns, friends start to notice something strange. Julie’s standard Southern British accent, typical for the Medway area of Kent where she lives, has disappeared. In its place is a new voice, a new accent, which leads strangers to think she's from another country entirely.In this episode of Sideways, Matthew Syed wants to understand how our accents evolve, and what happens when they change. Charting Julie’s journey to understand the condition she has developed, and why her accent has disappeared, Matthew uncovers the intricacies of our accents and how they form a part of our identity. Delving into our obsession with accents, and the stereotypes we associate with them, Matthew discovers how our accents change throughout our lives, and how this can impact the way we are treated. As it turns out, the accent is not just in the voice of the speaker, but crucially, in the ear of the listener too.With Jane Setter, Professor of Phonetics at the University of Reading; Nick Miller, Emeritus Professor of Motor Speech Disorders at Newcastle University; and Alex Baratta, Senior Lecturer in Language, Linguistics and Communication at the University of Manchester.Presenter: Matthew Syed Producer: Pippa Smith Series Editor: Katherine Godfrey Sound Design and Mix: Naomi Clarke Theme music by Ioana Selaru A Novel production for BBC Radio 4

Author and lecturer Alfie Kohn joins Matthew Syed to discuss the impacts of rewards. They explore the concept of intrinsic motivation and the drawbacks of extrinsic rewards in education. The episode showcases inspiring stories of overcoming challenges and the value of determination in achieving goals.

Lydia Harris has always struggled with food. For as long as she can remember, she has avoided fruit and vegetables - their texture simply disgusts her. But one day, that began to change, with a small bowl of rocket leaves. Eating is one of the greatest pleasures in life for many of us - but, at the same time, it's an arena fraught with choice and decision. No wonder that, as creatures of habit, many of us settle staunchly upon a shopping list of likes, and a mental bank of dislikes. But in this episode, Matthew Syed sticks his fork into the delicious world of food, reminding us that taste is malleable. With an appetite for curiosity, Matthew thinks about how we can find greater joy in our three daily meals. With thanks to food writer Ruby Tandoh, Carolyn Korsmeyer (Professor of Philosophy at Buffalo University, New York) and Charles Spence (Professor of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford).Presenter: Matthew Syed Producer: Nadia Mehdi Series Editor: Katherine Godfrey Sound Design and Mix: Naomi Clarke Theme music by Ioana Selaru A Novel production for BBC Radio 4

A musician is halfway through a public performance when they realise they might not make it to the end. Their body is fighting them, they’re in extreme pain. But stopping is not an option so they push on. No one would know. But boy does the musician know it. When they come off stage, they are in agony. It feels like their career is at an end.In this episode of Sideways, Matthew Syed explores the connection between the musician and their instrument and what happens when that precious relationship is severed by injury. He considers what happens when the thing we love to do most in the world begins to hurt us, and how being unable to do it can tear at the fabric of who we are. But in experiencing that loss, how we may find new ways of understanding ourselves?With cellist Corinne Morris, Artina McCain (pianist and Associate Professor of Piano, University of Memphis), and clarinetist Professor Dr Luc Nijs (University of Luxembourg).Featuring recordings of Artina McCain from her album Heritage: an American Musical Legacy, performing The Vale of Dreams, composed by Charles Griffes, and Troubled Water from Spiritual Suite, composed by Margaret Bonds.And also featuring recordings of Corinne Morris from her album Chrysalis with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, performing Siciliène, composed by François Couperin, and the final movement from Joseph Haydn's Cello Concerto No, 1 In C Major.Mstislav Rostropovich is the solo cellist for Tchaikovsky's Variations on a Rococo Theme.Presenter: Matthew Syed Producer and Series Editor: Katherine Godfrey Executive Producer: Max O'Brien Sound Design and Mix: Rob Speight A Novel production for BBC Radio 4

When Ben Taylor receives a Facebook message from a stranger in Liberia, asking in badly spelled English for financial or business assistance, he quickly assumes it’s a scam. But instead of just ignoring the message, he decides to find out about the person behind it. In this episode, Matthew Syed explores what happens when you let your guard down and make a leap of trust. With author and Oxford University trust fellow Rachel Botsman, philosopher Julian Baggini, Ben Taylor and Joel Mentee-Willie. Presenter: Matthew Syed Producer: Eliza Lomas Series Editor: Katherine Godfrey Sound Design and Mix: Rob Speight Theme music by Ioana Selaru A Novel production for BBC Radio 4

John Nunn learnt to play chess aged four. Since before he can remember, he’s had an exceptional talent for maths. In 1970, aged just 15, he started a degree in mathematics at the University of Oxford.In this episode of Sideways, Matthew Syed ventures into the world of child prodigies. Often depicted as freakish talents with pushy parents, Matthew uncovers the falsehoods and fascinations associated with young brilliant minds. Charting John Nunn’s career, from maths lecturer to chess grandmaster, Matthew explores how our performance peaks, plateaus and declines and whether age and innovation are really inextricably linked.With Dr Ellen Winner, Professor of Psychology at Boston College and Dr Bruce Weinberg, Professor of Economics at Ohio State University.Presenter: Matthew Syed Producer: Pippa Smith Series Editor: Katherine Godfrey Sound Design and Mix: Rob Speight Theme music by Ioana Selaru A Novel production for BBC Radio 4

Matthew Syed introduces season six, which explores stories about letting your guard down and making a leap of trust, reaching the peaks of our powers, and finding what truly motivates us to do good things.