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Better Known

Latest episodes

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Sep 11, 2022 • 28min

Tharik Hussain

Travel writer Tharik Hussain discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Tharik Hussain in an author and travel writer whose work often serves to counter popular and authorised narratives. His debut book, Minarets in the Mountains: A Journey into Muslim Europe, was nominated for the Stanford Dolman Travel Book of the Year award and the Baillie Gifford Prize in Non Fiction, and named a Book of the Year in the New Statesman, Prospect Magazine and the Times Literary Supplement. Hussain is also a Lonely Planet author who has written for the BBC, National Geographic and The Guardian. He developed Britain’s first Muslim heritage trails in Woking, Surrey and is a Fellow at the University of Groningen’s Centre for Religion and Heritage. You can find out more about Tharik's work at https://linktr.ee/TharikHussain and www.tharikhussain.co.uk You can find out more about the Muslim heritage trails: https://www.everydaymuslim.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/01Trail-EM-WMHT-WokingTrail.pdf and https://www.everydaymuslim.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/02Trail-EM-WMHT-MuhCemWalk.pdf Offa's Dinar https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/gold-dinar-of-king-offa The Shah Jahan Mosque https://shahjahanmosque.org.uk/ Twelve centuries of European Jewish-Muslim co existence https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2019/1105/Where-an-ancient-Jewish-Muslim-coexistence-endures Indigenous European Muslim culture https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/voices/forgotten-muslims-southeastern-europe There is an official 'Arabic' EU language https://airmalta.com/en-gb/blog/malta/the-fascinating-history-of-the-maltese-language The oldest mosque in the US https://www.salaamgateway.com/story/five-historic-mosques-of-america-you-shouldnt-miss This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm
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Sep 4, 2022 • 30min

Rebecca Struthers

Rebecca Struthers discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Dr Rebecca Struthers is an independent watchmaker and time historian. The co-founder of multi-award-winning workshop Struthers Watchmakers, in her practice, she specialises in the continuation of historic watchmaking techniques to restore old and craft new artisan timepieces. A real time doctor, Rebecca is the first watchmaker in British history to earn a PhD in horology. Rebecca is a Trustee of the Museum of Timekeeping (UK), a Fellow of British Horological Institute, a Sustainable Skills Ambassador for the Association of Heritage Engineers, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and an Academy Member of the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève - considered the Oscars of the watchmaking world. Her book, Hands of Time, explores the human history of time told through the objects we’ve invented to measure. It will be published in May 2023. Find out more at https://strutherswatchmakers.co.uk. John Wilter https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/196974 Benjamin Banneker https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Banneker The Museum of Timekeeping https://www.museumoftimekeeping.org.uk/ Staffordshire Moorlands https://www.visitpeakdistrict.com/visitor-information/staffordshire-moorlands-tourist-information-centre-p677411 The Radium Girls https://www.kate-moore.com/the-radium-girls Dogs can tell the time https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/canine-corner/201911/can-dogs-smell-time This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm
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Aug 28, 2022 • 30min

Rebeca Ramos

Rebeca Ramos discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Rebeca Ramos is a Venezuela-born architect and designer. Her international body of work includes of multi-disciplinary projects recognised for their design quality, cultural relevance and technological innovation. She led the design and delivery of the multi-award winning Maggie's Leeds; as well as the strategic definition of Google's largest urban Campus based in California. Rebeca founded Studio RARE inn 2021 as the culmination of 16+ years of international practice in architecture, media and the arts. Blending creative disciplines, RARE leverages emerging technologies to re-imagine how we create, develop and experience places, environments and cultural artefacts. She was the first and youngest appointed female Project Leader at Heatherwick Studio, and first Latin-American woman to fill the position in 2015. She has been featured in Bloomberg UK and Business Insider, with projects reviewed and acclaimed in the international design press. Home television series https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_(2020_TV_series) Tribal storytelling https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_peoples_in_Venezuela The art of repair https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2021/aug/22/back-for-good-the-fine-art-of-repairing-broken-things The artistic, cultural and architectural history of Venezuela https://www.admiddleeast.com/architecture-interiors/homes/gio-pontis-planchart-villa-in-venuzuala-is-an-icon-of-mid-century-modern-design Emotional language https://www.nonviolentcommunication.com/learn-nonviolent-communication/feelings/ The Timeless Way of Building https://www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/rtf-architectural-reviews/a4713-book-in-focus-the-timeless-way-of-building-by-christopher-alexander/ This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm
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Aug 21, 2022 • 29min

Subhadra Das

Subhadra Das discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Subhadra Das is a researcher and storyteller who looks at the relationship between science and society. She specialises in the history and philosophy of science, particularly the history of scientific racism and eugenics, and what those histories mean for our lives today. For nine years, she was Curator of the Science Collections at University College London, and also Researcher in Critical Eugenics at the Sarah Parker Remond Centre for the Study of Racism and Racialisation. She has written and presented podcasts, curated museum exhibitions, done stand-up comedy and regularly appears on radio and TV. Her first book, (Un)Civilised: 10 Lies That Made The West comes out in May 2023. For more information, go to https://www.waterstones.com/book/un-civilised/subhadra-das/9781399704359%C2%A0 Francis Galton https://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/museums/2015/10/22/francis-galton-and-the-history-of-eugenics-at-ucl/ Alok Vaid Menon https://www.instagram.com/alokvmenon Alabama 3 https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2001/apr/04/artsfeatures.popandrock Gaudy Night https://www.newyorker.com/books/under-review/an-overlooked-novel-from-1935-by-the-godmother-of-feminist-detective-fiction Pocket https://getpocket.com/ The Muppet Movie https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-muppet-movie-1979 This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm
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Aug 14, 2022 • 29min

David O Stewart

Historian David O Stewart discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. A recovering lawyer and proud graduate of Curtis High School on Staten Island, David Stewart has published five books of history and four historical novels. His most recent nonfiction work, George Washington: The Political Rise of America's Founding Father, has won several awards and was a finalist for Mount Vernon’s George Washington Prize. His most recent novel, The New Land, was inspired by family stories his mother told, and is the first of a trilogy. He lives in Maryland with his wife of 48 years, Nancy; they have three children and five grandchildren. His website is www.davidostewart.com. His non-fiction books include The Summer of 1787: The Men Who Invented the Constitution, Impeached: The Trial of President Andrew Johnson and the Fight for Lincoln's Legacy, Madison's Gift: Five Partnerships that Built America, and American Emperor: Aaron Burr's Challenge to Jefferson's America. His fiction books include The Lincoln Deception, The Paris Deception and The Babe Ruth Deception. George Washington’s political skills https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington%27s_political_evolution Philip Noel-Baker https://www.quakersintheworld.org/quakers-in-action/231/Philip-Noel-Baker The Daughter of Time, by Josephine Tey https://chandlersfordtoday.co.uk/allison-symes-book-review-the-daughter-of-time-by-josephine-tey/ The Valle de los Caidos monument https://makespain.com/listing/valle-de-los-caidos/ The battles of Louisbourg in 1745 and 1758 https://www.thoughtco.com/french-indian-war-siege-of-louisbourg-2360795 The 1868 impeachment trial of U.S. President Andrew Johnson https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures/impeachment/impeachment-johnson.htm This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm
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Aug 7, 2022 • 29min

Lavie Tidhar

Novelist Lavie Tidhar discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Lavie Tidhar was born just ten miles from Armageddon and grew up on a kibbutz in northern Israel. He has since made his home in London, where he is currently a Visiting Professor and Writer in Residence at Richmond University. He won the Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Prize for Best British Fiction, was twice longlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award and was shortlisted for the CWA Dagger Award and the Rome Prize. He co-wrote Art and War: Poetry, Pulp and Politics in Israeli Fiction, and is a columnist for the Washington Post. His latest novel is Maror, published by Head of Zeus, which is available at https://www.waterstones.com/book/maror/lavie-tidhar/9781838931353. Joseph Grimaldi’s grave https://londonist.com/london/videos/grimaldi-s-cave Bislama http://www.pentecostisland.net/languages/bislama/guide.htm Marek Hlasko http://cosmopolitanreview.com/killing-the-second-dog/ Rarg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EGIG-Sq5-c Castro Mojito https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/beer-mojito The Israeli Mafia https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/israel-middle-east/articles/a-field-guide-to-israeli-organized-crime This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm
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Jul 31, 2022 • 30min

Roma Agrawal

Roma Agrawal discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Roma Agrawal MBE is a structural engineer and author with a physics degree. She has designed bridges, skyscrapers and sculptures with signature architects. She spent six years working on The Shard, the tallest building in Western Europe, and designed the foundations and the ‘Spire’. In addition to winning industry awards, she has been featured on BBC World News, BBC Daily Politics, TEDx, The Evening Standard, The Sunday Times, Guardian, The Telegraph, Independent, Cosmopolitan and Stylist Magazines. She was the only woman featured on Channel 4's documentary on the Shard, The Tallest Tower. Her books include Built: The Hidden Stories Behind Our Structures and How Was That Built? Bharata Natyam https://www.culturalindia.net/indian-dance/classical/bharatnatyam.html Emily Warren Roebling https://www.womenhistoryblog.com/2014/06/emily-warren-roebling.html Foundations of structures https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-jun-01-mn-55439-story.html ICSI https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intracytoplasmic_sperm_injection Chaat https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/chaat/ The science of knitting and crochet https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/17/science/math-physics-knitting-matsumoto.html This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm
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Jul 24, 2022 • 29min

Tim Lott

Tim Lott discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Tim Lott was born in Southall, West London in 1956. After a career in journalism, his first book, The Scent of Dried Roses, a memoir, was published in 1996 and won the PEN/JR Ackerley Prize for Autobiography. His first novel, White City Blue, (1999) a contemporary portrait of friendship and rivalry between a group of young single men, won the Whitbread First Novel Award. It was followed Rumours of Hurricane (2002), a portrait of working class life in Britain in the 1980’s, which was shortlisted for the Whitbread Novel Award. Tim has been teaching writing for the last ten years, as a lecturer, teacher and individual mentor. He taught for three years at the Faber Academy, then moved to Guardian Masterclasses where he teaches individually and lectures with his partners John Yorke and Will Storr, collectively known as The Story Board. He has also taught creative writing at Brunel University and lectured at the University of East Anglia, the How To Academy, the Idler Academy, and the School of Life. His online mentoring course on Memoir is at TheNovelry.com. Alan Watts https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/alan-watts-on-the-5-most-important-lessons-of-the-21st-century-6d1734aa6cf The Game of the Goose http://ursuladubosarsky.squarespace.com/the-game-of-the-goose Come and See https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-come-and-see-1985 Canelés https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/caneles Hampstead Mixed Pond https://www.mixedpondassociation.org.uk/ The Fryer’s Delight https://www.timeout.com/london/news/step-back-in-time-at-this-old-school-fish-and-chip-shop-022522 This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm
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Jul 17, 2022 • 30min

Emma Smith

Emma Smith discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Emma Smith is Professor of Shakespeare Studies at Hertford College, Oxford: her most recent book is Portable Magic: A History of Books and their Readers. The plays of Thomas Middleton https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v30/n23/michael-neill/old-dad-dead New Lanark https://www.newlanark.org/ Abel Gance’s film Napoleon https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/nov/10/napoleon-review-silent-era-epic-more-thrilling-than-ever French 75s https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/french-75-cocktail The Scrivener app https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview The jazz pianist Jan Johannson https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Johansson_(jazz_musician) This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm
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Jul 10, 2022 • 31min

Elisabeth Kendall

Elisabeth Kendall discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Elisabeth Kendall is Mistress-elect of Girton College, Cambridge, and Senior Research Fellow in Arabic and Islamic Studies at Pembroke College, Oxford. Her current work examines how militant jihad groups exploit cultural traditions and local dynamics. Previously, she was at the Universities of Edinburgh and Harvard, and served as Director of a UK government-sponsored Centre focused on building Arabic-based research expertise. Elisabeth has lectured at governmental, military and scholarly institutions all around the world and is a frequent contributor to international television and print media. She also sits on a variety of international boards and is Chairman of a grass-roots NGO in eastern Yemen. She has authored and edited several books, including ReClaiming Islamic Tradition and Twenty-First Century Jihad. She conceived of the “Essential Middle Eastern Vocabularies” series, which includes the following titles which she also authored: Diplomacy Arabic, Intelligence Arabic and Media Arabic. She is currently working on a new book called Rock Stars of Jihad. Elisabeth has spent significant time in the field, especially in Yemen. She can be followed on Twitter https://twitter.com/Dr_E_Kendall and YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/ElisabethKendall/videos Craft chocolate https://www.greatbritishfoodawards.com/blog/9-british-craft-chocolate-bars-you-have-to-try War in Yemen https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/war-yemen The Great Courses https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wondrium The Lycian Way https://cultureroutesinturkey.com/the-lycian-way/ Elizabeth Welsh https://www.girton.cam.ac.uk/events/elizabeth-welsh-1843-1921 Foreign languages https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-40954948 This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

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