Podcast appearances and mentions of iszi lawrence

Nostalgia is one of those complicated emotions: we long to be transported to a place or moment in the past that we have loved but at the same time feel sad that it has gone forever. It is also a bit of a slippery intellectual concept: regarded as a malady when the term was first coined in the 17th century, nostalgia is now thought to be benign or even mildly therapeutic. And beyond personal recollections, business uses it to sell all manner of things and some politicians skilfully deploy it to hide their real objectives. So what actually is nostalgia?Iszi Lawrence explores the past and present of nostalgia with Dr. Agnes Arnold-Forster , author of Nostalgia: A History of a Dangerous Emotion, Prof. Krystine Batcho who devised the Nostalgia Inventory and Dr. Tobias Becker author of Yesterday, A New History of Nostalgia. We also hear WS listeners' views on nostalgia.(Photo: Vintage photographs with a dried rose. Credit: Alicia Llop/Getty Images)

Airports: at their most basic level places to fly from to reach destinations near and far. And yet so much more. Iszi Lawrence and guests take a look at the evolution of airports, from their beginnings as military airstrips to the modern-day behemoths with their luxury shopping outlets, gardens and art galleries.The early European airports were modelled on railway stations, as that was the only blueprint for a transport hub. The public became so enthralled by air travel that airports eventually became popular as destinations in themselves. Airports today are places filled with emotion: the scene of farewells and arrivals, as well as the stress of international travel in an age of terrorism.Iszi is joined by cultural historian Alastair Gordon, author of Naked Airport: A Cultural History of the World's Most Revolutionary Structure; Lilia Mironov, an architectural historian and air steward who wrote Airport Aura: A Spatial History of Airport Infrastructure; and architect and airport planner Su Jayaraman who teaches at the University of Westminster in London. Plus a range of Forum listeners from around the world contribute their personal experiences of airports.Produced by Fiona Clampin for BBC World Service.(Photo: John F. Kennedy International Airport, the TWA Flight Center, terminal 5, designed by Eero Saarinen. Credit: Lehnartz/ullstein bild/Getty Images)

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind, translated by John E. Woods, chosen by Iszi Lawrence Two Serious Ladies by Jane Bowles, chosen by Joe Dunthorne Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout, chosen by presenter Harriett GilbertHistorical fiction author and broadcaster Iszi Lawrence adores the sensational novel Perfume, and has done since she was a teenager. For her, it immerses her in another world and is wonderfully cynical about the futility of chasing ultimate fulfilment through creating art and performing to a crowd.The poet and novelist, author of Submarine, Joe Dunthorne chooses the forgotten cult classic Two Serious Ladies. It makes him happy because every sentence is a surprise, and that makes him want to write. But he admits that it's not for everyone.And Harriett's choice is Oh William! by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author Elizabeth Strout. Which prompts the discussion, can you love a book if you loathe the central character?Produced by Beth O'Dea for BBC Audio Bristol Follow us on instagram: agoodreadbbc

From Colombia to Vietnam and beyond the US dollar is the currency in which much of international business is conducted and which many people outside the US use as a means of exchange and a store of value. So how did a country with just over 4 percent of the world's population come to dominate global banking and trade? When the position of the US dollar as the linchpin of global commerce was confirmed at the end of the Second World War, not everyone was happy with this state of affairs: the French soon spoke of the Americans having an ‘exorbitant privilege'. Did they have a point? And what of the more recent efforts to replace the Greenback with other currencies? Iszi Lawrence follows the history of the US dollar from its origins to today with H W Brands Jr., Professor of history at the University of Texas at Austin; Barry Eichengreen, Professor of economics and political science at the University of California, Berkeley; Carola Frydman, Professor of finance at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University in Evanston; Perry Mehrling, Professor of international political economy at the Pardee School of Global Studies, Boston University and World Service listeners.[Photo: A roll of US dollar notes. Credit: Getty Images]

Abby Cox, Matt Gray and Iszi Lawrence face questions about availability apps, nitpicking nightclubs and handy hairspray. LATERAL is a comedy panel game podcast about weird questions with wonderful answers, hosted by Tom Scott. For business enquiries, contestant appearances or question submissions, visit https://lateralcast.com. HOST: Tom Scott. QUESTION PRODUCER: David Bodycombe. EDITED BY: Julie Hassett at The Podcast Studios, Dublin. MUSIC: Karl-Ola Kjellholm ('Private Detective'/'Agrumes', courtesy of epidemicsound.com). ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS: Ashleigh West, Matthew Sherlip, Danny, Karnan Sembian, Jordan. FORMAT: Pad 26 Limited/Labyrinth Games Ltd. EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: David Bodycombe and Tom Scott. © Pad 26 Limited (https://www.pad26.com) / Labyrinth Games Ltd. 2025. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Where do charismatic personalities come from? Are they people born with special or even divine gifts? Or have they simply mastered a few effective techniques for cordial social interaction that anyone can learn? As business, entertainment and politics increasingly turn into popularity contests conducted through social media and TV, charisma seems to matter more and more: hence the proliferation of companies offering to teach aspiring leaders how to acquire it. But the influence that magnetic personalities can have on an audience long predates modern screen media: in 1896, a speech brimming with charisma earned one little-known young orator a not just a 20-minute standing ovation but also a US presidential nomination.Iszi Lawrence explores the role of charisma in politics and business with Julia Sonnevend, Associate Professor of Sociology and Communications at The New School for Social Research in New York and author of Charm: How Magnetic Personalities Shape Global Politics; John Antonakis, Professor of Organizational Behaviour in the Faculty of Business and Economics of the University of Lausanne, and co-author of a political charismometer that predicts US presidential elections among other things; Jeremy C. Young, historian of political culture and social movements, author of The Age of Charisma: Leaders, Followers, and Emotions in American Society; as well as World Service listeners.(Photo: Smiling businessman in discussion. Credit: Thomas Barwick/Getty Images)

When the writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle killed off his most famous literary creation, Sherlock Holmes, readers were so angry that thousands cancelled their subscriptions to the magazine in which the stories appeared. The editor and Conan Doyle himself were overwhelmed with letters from a furious public - fans who instead of accepting the death of their favourite fictional character then started to write and share their own stories featuring Holmes. They eventually formed clubs and appreciation societies, brought together by a common interest.This practice is something we recognise today across the globe. In areas as diverse as sport, music, film and TV (to mention just a few), fans are not just passive consumers as the recent activities of Swifties (Taylor Swift fans) demonstrate. They're actively engaged, creating content of their own and connecting with others to nurture a shared identity. The internet has made that easier than ever before, with fans now using their platform to influence political discourse too.Iszi Lawrence discusses the history and inexorable rise of fandom, with guests Paul Booth, Professor of  Media and Pop Culture at DePaul University in Chicago in the United States; Areum Jeong, Assistant Professor of Korean Studies at Arizona State University in the US and Corin Throsby from the University of Cambridge in the UK, whose research focuses on Romantic literature and early celebrity culture. The programme also includes contributions from Julian Wamble, Assistant Professor of Political Science at George Washington University and the creator of Critical Magic Theory: An Analytical Harry Potter Podcast, and listeners around the world share their fan stories.Produced by Fiona Clampin for the BBC World Service.(Photo: Fans wait to pay for items of merchandise as they visit a pop-up store of South Korean K-pop sensation BTS. Credit: ANTHONY WALLACE/AFP via Getty Images)

Abby Cox, Matt Gray and Iszi Lawrence face questions about mendacious mugs, biblical blurting and nifty notes. BOOK OUT NOW!: https://www.lateralcast.com/book LATERAL is a comedy panel game podcast about weird questions with wonderful answers, hosted by Tom Scott. For business enquiries, contestant appearances or question submissions, visit https://lateralcast.com. HOST: Tom Scott. QUESTION PRODUCER: David Bodycombe. EDITED BY: Julie Hassett at The Podcast Studios, Dublin. MUSIC: Karl-Ola Kjellholm ('Private Detective'/'Agrumes', courtesy of epidemicsound.com). ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS: Adam Thomas, Syauqi. FORMAT: Pad 26 Limited/Labyrinth Games Ltd. EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: David Bodycombe and Tom Scott. © Pad 26 Limited (https://www.pad26.com) / Labyrinth Games Ltd. 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jewellery can enthral us in many ways: it can delight, inspire and uplift us or it can transport us to the place where we acquired it. It can also make us avaricious or jealous. But why? What explains our enduring fascination with shiny metal and colourful stones?Iszi Lawrence is joined by Dr. Emily Stoehrer, Senior Curator of Jewelry at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and author of several books on American jewellery and fashion; Dr. Petra Ahde-Deal, a Finnish gemmologist and jeweller who currently lectures at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden and at the DIS Study Abroad Program in Copenhagen; Emefa Cole, jewellery maker originally from Ghana who is also the Curator of Diaspora Jewellery at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London; Mansi Rao, Curator of the South Asia Collection in Norwich and World Service listeners.Some of the questions discussed include: gold has been the top choice both for jewellery makers and for buyers in many cultures all over the world. But there are similar metals which are more scarce - and more expensive - than gold, so it's not exclusivity that makes it popular. And why do men wear flamboyant jewellery at some Indian weddings? (Photo: Gold Indian wedding bracelet. Credit: Neha S/Getty Images)

Do you find it difficult to get a good night's sleep? If you do, you are not alone. According to the US National Institutes of Health, between 6 and 30 per cent of adults suffer from insomnia or lack of restorative sleep. Since the establishment of sleep medicine a century ago, we have learnt a lot about the causes of sleeplessness. And yet, as the continuing development of new sleep aids demonstrates, its prevalence remains high. Persistent lack of sleep can have serious consequences for your health but despite this some writers, and other creative people, seem to welcome it. Franz Kafka famously claimed that if he couldn't pursue his stories through the night, they would "break away and disappear". Iszi Lawrence discusses our changing understanding of insomnia, and its hold over our imagination, with Dr. Manvir Bhatia, the vice-president of Indian Society for Sleep Research; science journalist Kenneth Miller, author of Mapping the Darkness; the Scottish writer – and self-confessed ‘intermittent insomniac' - A L Kennedy; and World Service listeners.(Photo: A woman lying awake on a bed at night. Credit: Pony Wang/Getty Images.)

Welcome to Episode #147 of Everything Under the Sun! This week, we have special guest Iszi Lawrence, a brilliant children's author and comedian, here to help us answer some fantastic questions! First up, we'll explore the adventurous world of pirates and find out when they lived. Then, we'll dive into the science of water and learn what it's made of. Finally, we'll uncover the history of the written word and discover what the very first book ever written was! If you want more Everything Under The Sun, you can pre-order the new Everything Under The Sun: Quiz Book now! Available on Amazon here, or through independent UK bookshops here. On top of that the original book Everything Under the Sun: a curious question for every day of the year is available on Amazon and in independent bookshops here. Instagram: @itseverythingunderthesunTiktok: @itseverythingunderthesunX/Twitter: @eutsworldSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The first public run of the Japanese ‘bullet train', the Shinkansen, on the 1st of October 1964, captured public imagination worldwide. And it wasn't just the train's sleek look or its high speed that made the headlines. Behind the train's futuristic exterior lay a whole host of engineering innovations: new pantographs, automatic signalling, revolutionary drive units. Since then, very fast train travel has become available in over a dozen other countries. Places such as China and Spain have overtaken Japan when it comes to top train speed or the extent of the high-speed network. But the recent rise in remote working has reduced the demand for business rail travel and commuting. So what does the future hold for high-speed rail?Iszi Lawrence talks about the origins of high-speed rail and its current state to historian of modern Japan, Prof. Jessamyn Abel from Penn State university, civil engineering professor Amparo Moyano from the University of Castilla-La Mancha, Consultant Editor of the Railway Gazette Murray Hughes, poet Jan Ducheyne and World Service listeners.(Photo: A Shinkansen train arrives at a Tokyo station. Credit: Carl Court/Getty Images)

Book Club #108 - The Time Machine Next Door - It's series 7 of Book Club book-loving biatches and Rich's first guest of the new series is comedian, broadcaster and author, Iszi Lawrence. They discuss the paradoxes and possibilities of time travel, how to meld education and entertainment, the fantastic facts that Iszi weaves into her books, the incredible length and lack of change in the Ancient Egyptian empire, Henry VIII's surprisingly high voice, what happens to the Marty that Marty replaces in Back to the Future and much more.Buy the book here - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-time-machine-next-door-explorers-and-milkshakes-iszi-lawrence/7198858?ean=9781801991049See all her other work here https://iszi.com/See RHLSTP recorded live - https://richardherring.com/rhlstp Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/rhlstp. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Humans have always co-existed with mountains, as ancient remains found in glaciers prove. But our interest in them may have been more spiritual or religiously motivated, rather than as a place to go to improve our health and wellbeing. In some cultures today, mountains are still considered to be the home of deities. So when did mountaineering become a popular pastime and how did the obsession with bagging summits start? Iszi Lawrence investigates our evolving relationship with the planet's highest peaks.Iszi is joined by Dawn Hollis, author of Mountains before Mountaineering: The Call of the Peaks before the Modern Age; Peter Hansen, Professor of History and Director of International and Global Studies at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in the US, and author of various books on mountaineering including The Summits of Modern Man: Mountaineering after the Enlightenment; and anthropologist and mountaineer Young Hoon Oh. The programme will also hear from blogger Andrew Szalay, otherwise known as the Suburban Mountaineer. And a range of Forum listeners from around the world contribute their personal experiences of mountains.Produced by Fiona Clampin for BBC World Service(Photo: Mountaineer with ice pick ascending Hintertux Glacier in Austria. Credit: David Trood/Getty Images)

La Dolce Vita in a mediaeval hilltop village. Miriam thinks what more could you possibly want in life, but can she persuade Shaun? Her small village also engages in mediaeval jousting, the prospect of which causes him some alarm. Resident geographer, historian and comedian Iszi Lawrence is there to calm his nerves.Your Place Or Mine is the travel series that isn't going anywhere. Join Shaun as his guests try to convince him that it's worth getting up off the sofa and seeing the world, giving us a personal guide to their favourite place on the planet.Miriam Margolyes image: Paul Stuart Producers: Beth O'Dea and Caitlin HobbsYour Place or Mine is a BBC Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

BBQ and rum, in Paradise. With 365 beaches, one for each day of the year. Andi thinks the small but beautiful land of her heritage can't be that hard a sell to Shaun.. Resident geographer, historian and comedian Iszi Lawrence puts on her shades to join them. Your Place Or Mine is the travel series that isn't going anywhere. Join Shaun as his guests try to convince him that it's worth getting up off the sofa and seeing the world, giving us a personal guide to their favourite place on the planet.Producers: Beth O'Dea and Caitlin HobbsYour Place or Mine is a BBC Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds

Many of us remember the first portable music device we owned: a transistor radio, a boombox, a Walkman or perhaps an iPod. We might even recall the songs we played on it. But we might be less aware of how profoundly audio technology developments from the 1950s to 2000s changed the ways in which we consume music and other audio outside of the home or concert venue. Transistor radios allowed outdoor sounds and noises to mix and compete with those coming over the airwaves, creating new auditory experiences; the cassette player gave the listener a cheap way of making and re-making their own playlists; and the advent of digital music players encouraged us to ‘own' music recordings without possessing a physical copy of the audio. Iszi Lawrence discusses the history of portable music with Dr. Annie Jamieson, Curator of Sound Technologies at Bradford's National Science and Media Museum; American drummer and writer Damon Krukowski; Dr. Jahnavi Phalkey, science historian and Founding Director of Science Gallery Bengaluru, India; Karin Bijsterveld, Professor of Science, Technology and Modern Culture at Maastricht University; and World Service listeners.(Photo: Andrii Iemelyanenko/ Getty Images)

Ainsley loved waking early to cycle around abandoned temples, playing Tomb Raider in real life, then finishing the day with the local delicacy: fried tarantula. Shaun is up for the cycling but not the crunchy spider. Resident geographer, historian and comedian Iszi Lawrence is clearing the vines through the deep jungle for this one.Your Place Or Mine is the travel series that isn't going anywhere. Join Shaun as his guests try to convince him that it's worth getting up off the sofa and seeing the world, giving us a personal guide to their favourite place on the planet.Producers: Beth O'Dea and Caitlin HobbsYour Place or Mine is a BBC Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

Sheila wants to whisk Shaun away to the land of lavender fields. But what about his hay fever? Will Shaun be persuaded to don some linen and waft through them with her...? She has very happy memories of holidaying in this beautiful valley. Resident geographer, historian and comedian Iszi Lawrence brings some bon mots.Your Place Or Mine is the travel series that isn't going anywhere. Join Shaun as his guests try to convince him that it's worth getting up off the sofa and seeing the world, giving us a personal guide to their favourite place on the planet.Producers: Beth O'Dea and Caitlin HobbsYour Place or Mine is a BBC Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

Shady trees, jazz, the origins of human history and THE place for coffee. All in a day's work for Brian's favourite place in the world. And Shaun is the world's biggest coffee lover, so Ethiopia's charming capital city is off to a good start. Resident geographer, historian and comedian Iszi Lawrence joins them with some original facts. Your Place Or Mine is the travel series that isn't going anywhere. Join Shaun as his guests try to convince him that it's worth getting up off the sofa and seeing the world, giving us a personal guide to their favourite place on the planet.Producers: Beth O'Dea and Caitlin HobbsYour Place or Mine is a BBC Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

Siobhán may have played a nun on Derry Girls but insists she's not religious. Although on her walk she found peace, transcendence and… guilt-free pints. Shaun on the other hand thinks he might find he needs a lie down, but perhaps the guilt-free pints can persuade him. And resident geographer, historian and comedian Iszi Lawrence is packing her bags with facts for this one.Your Place Or Mine is the travel series that isn't going anywhere. Join Shaun as his guests try to convince him that it's worth getting up off the sofa and seeing the world, giving us a personal guide to their favourite place on the planet.Producers: Beth O'Dea and Caitlin HobbsYour Place or Mine is a BBC Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

Among all the talk about ‘knowledge economy' it is easy to forget that universal schooling is a relatively new phenomenon. Mandated first in a few European countries in the 18th century, it did not reach many others until the 20th. And the idea that women have an equal right to be educated frequently encountered stiff opposition, often from the privileged who feared that knowledgeable females would upset the social status quo.Just about everywhere, the right to women's education was hard won: for instance Bal Gangadhar Tilak, one of the influential leaders of Indian independence movement, campaigned vociferously for decades against sending girls to school, complaining that it would lead to increased competition for jobs and to women neglecting their ‘domestic duties'. Mary Carpenter, the acclaimed Victorian education reformer, maintained that neatness and needlework, rather than a full academic curriculum, were ‘essential to a woman'.Fast forward to 2024 and even though the gap between male and female educational attainment has narrowed world-wide, there are still many places where women lag behind, even in something as basic as literacy. According to UNESCO, women today account for almost two-thirds of all adults unable to read. So how did we get here? And how can we close this gap? Iszi Lawrence follows the story of women's education with Jane Martin, Professor of Social History of Education at Birmingham University; Parimala V. Rao, Professor of the History of Education at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi; Dr. Karen Teoh, Associate of the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard and World Service listeners.(Photo: Teenage girls and boys learning in classroom. Credit: Maskot/Getty Images)

Sammi shares her joy at going on safari in the Maasai Mara National Reserve, meeting leopards, lions and hippos. Although as the world's fastest female wheelchair racer, she could probably get away. Unlike Shaun, who would rather stick to seeing sheep and cows. Resident geographer, historian and comedian Iszi Lawrence joins them with some wild facts.Your Place Or Mine is the travel series that isn't going anywhere. Join Shaun as his guests try to convince him that it's worth getting up off the sofa and seeing the world, giving us a personal guide to their favourite place on the planet.Producers: Beth O'Dea and Caitlin HobbsYour Place or Mine is a BBC Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

Chris loves exploring the Arctic, swimming off icebergs and cheerily encountering polar bears. Shaun's spirit animal is more grizzly bear but he attempts to dig up his spirit of adventure. Resident geographer, historian and comedian Iszi Lawrence is wrapping up warm for this one.Your Place Or Mine is the travel series that isn't going anywhere. Join Shaun as his guests try to convince him that it's worth getting up off the sofa and seeing the world, giving us a personal guide to their favourite place on the planet.Producers: Beth O'Dea and Caitlin HobbsYour Place or Mine is a BBC Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

Can Shaun be persuaded to become the Boy from Ipanema? Or to shake his stuff at Carnival. Steph thinks he's made for it. Resident geographer, historian and comedian Iszi Lawrence is there with some fascinating facts.Your Place Or Mine is the travel series that isn't going anywhere. Join Shaun as his guests try to convince him that it's worth getting up off the sofa and seeing the world, giving us a personal guide to their favourite place on the planet.Producers: Beth O'Dea and Caitlin HobbsYour Place or Mine is a BBC Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

What's not to love in a romantic, arty, cool waterside city full of colourful buildings? Well, Shaun finds city breaks a bit tiring but if Catherine lays a trail of egg custard tarts then Shaun will surely follow. Resident geographer, historian and comedian Iszi Lawrence joins the pastry trail. Your Place Or Mine is the travel series that isn't going anywhere. Join Shaun as his guests try to convince him that it's worth getting up off the sofa and seeing the world, giving us a personal guide to their favourite place on the planet.Producer: Beth O'Dea and Caitlin HobbsYour Place or Mine is a BBC Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

Ghosts star Kiell Smith-Bynoe loves a pool party, but Shaun doesn't want to take his top off. Perhaps the prospect of seeing a shark in the mall could tempt Shaun to the third most visited city on the planet. Resident geographer, historian and comedian Iszi Lawrence is sceptical.Your Place Or Mine is the travel series that isn't going anywhere. Join Shaun as his guests try to convince him that it's worth getting up off the sofa and seeing the world, giving us a personal guide to their favourite place on the planet.Producers: Beth O'Dea and Caitlin HobbsYour Place or Mine is a BBC Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

Anita says Mumbai is the LA of India but when Shaun was in the actual LA he got lost in a massive bathroom showroom. So Anita has a lot to do to get him to the bustling 24-hour city that has something for everyone, except perhaps Shaun Keaveny. Resident geographer, historian and comedian Iszi Lawrence joins their trip. Your Place Or Mine is the travel series that isn't going anywhere. Join Shaun as his guests try to convince him that it's worth getting up off the sofa and seeing the world, giving us a personal guide to their favourite place on the planet.Producers: Beth O'Dea and Caitlin Hobbs Your Place or Mine is a BBC Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

Stephen is determined to take Shaun back to their ancestral homeland, to experience the blanket bog of this bleak and beautiful area of the West of Ireland. Shaun feels the yearning in his blood but his blood also runs cold at the local weather forecasts. Resident geographer, historian and comedian Iszi Lawrence puts on her anorak to join them.Your Place Or Mine is the travel series that isn't going anywhere. Join Shaun as his guests try to convince him that it's worth getting up off the sofa and seeing the world, giving us a personal guide to their favourite place on the planet.Producer: Beth O'DeaYour Place or Mine is a BBC Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

‘Always pass the salt and pepper together, even if your fellow diner has asked just for one of them'. That's the standard advice given by countless dining etiquette manuals, one of the many rules regarding proper manners that have been handed down from generation to generation. But what if some of the rules have become outdated, silly or just wrong? And why do we have etiquette in the first place? Where do the rules of polite conduct come from and are they the same the world over? Iszi Lawrence follows the story of etiquette across time and over several continents with the help of Annick Paternoster, Lecturer at the University of Lugano in Switzerland who has a special interest in the history of politeness; Professor Daniel Kadar from Dalian University of Foreign Languages in China, the HUN-REN Hungarian Research Centre for Linguistics, and the University of Maribor in Slovenia; Courtney Traub, author and editor of the travel website Paris Unlocked; Japanese writer and cultural commentator Manami Okazaki; former Chief of Protocol at the Foreign Ministry of Grenada Alice Thomas-Roberts; and Forum listeners from around the world.(Photo: Business people shake hands. Credit: iStock/Getty Images Plus)

Supermarkets: they are ubiquitous yet hard to define, lauded and vilified in roughly equal measures, and in many countries they have a huge influence on what we eat. Technological innovations, big social changes and new shopping habits have all shaped their development and today's megastores are a far cry from their small-scale ancestors of the 1930s. And yet, some quirks of supermarket design remain constant: for instance, why are the eggs always so hard to locate in the stores?Iszi Lawrence navigates supermarket aisles with the help of historian and economist Marc Levinson; Aarti Krishnan, Lecturer in Sustainability at Manchester University; Simona Botti, professor of marketing at London Business School and Forum listeners from around the world.(Photo: A customer in a supermarket. Credit: Adene Sanchez/ Getty Images)

In the 1990s, an advert for a brand of chocolate depicted a sophisticated gathering hosted by the foreign ambassador of an unspecified country. It hinted at a gilded existence of cocktail parties and small talk among influential, wealthy guests. Iszi Lawrence finds out how the stereotype of the diplomatic world compares with the reality of international relations. Who does the real work behind the scenes and who has the power? When we see powerful leaders on the world stage shaking hands and signing treaties, what has led up to that moment?Iszi discusses first hand experiences of the diplomatic world with the American diplomat Maryum Saifee and the former High Commissioner of Maldives to the UK, Farah Faizal. They are joined by Dr. Lorena de Vita, a historian of diplomatic relations to explain how their work impacts all of us. Plus World Service listeners from across the globe share their thoughts on what diplomats actually do. Produced by Fiona Clampin for the BBC World Service.

The excellent author and comedian Iszi Lawrence returns to Radio Nonsense to talk hermit crabs and help answer Beatrix's question about cupcakes. GRAB ISZI'S NEW BOOK CITY OF SPIES HERE: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/city-of-spies-9781801991018/JOIN THE ADVERT FREE LINDA EDITION OF THE SHOW ON APPLE PODCASTSOR ON ACAST+ HERE: https://plus.acast.com/s/33249a2e-3f02-4f3c-923e-bc17b8dcac87OR ON OUR PATREON HERE: patreon.com/ComedyClub4KidsBUY OUR RADIO NONSENSE T-SHIRTS HERE: https://comedyclub4kids.store/ (Please make sure you get a grown up to do this for you)WE NEED YOUR QUESTIONS, JOKES AND NONSENSE TOO. SEND THEM IN TO: podcast@comedyclub4kids.co.ukGROWN UPS: IF YOU CAN BUY US A COFFEE PLEASE DO SO HERE: https://ko-fi.com/comedyclub4kidsWebsite: www.comedyclub4kids.co.ukTwitter: @ComedyClub4KidsFacebook: facebook.com/ComedyClub4KidsHosted by Tiernan Douieb. Music by Paddy Gervers. Design by John Beck. If you enjoy Radio Nonsense and would like to support it, while also avoiding all the adverts that are never relevant for kids anyway, why not join the Radio Nonsense: Linda Edition tier for a small fee per month? You can sign up right here: https://plus.acast.com/s/comedyclub4kids. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anneka wants to take Shaun back to the place and time that made her: the intense rush of Hong Kong in the 1980's, where she lived and worked a variety of improbable jobs from kung fu film dubbing to jeans modelling. But Shaun is not sure that intense rushes are for him, although he is drawn to the Blade Runner-like skyscrapery vertiginous appeal of the place. And also to the pavement chicken. Resident geographer, historian and comedian Iszi Lawrence has lived there too and tries to help him see through the smog.Your Place Or Mine is the travel series that isn't going anywhere. Join Shaun as his guests try to convince him that it's worth getting up off the sofa and seeing the world, giving us a personal guide to their favourite place on the planet.Producers: Beth O'Dea and Sarah GoodmanYour Place or Mine is a BBC Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

Will Shaun relax his hips and rumba his way to Kinshasa? Comedian and Strictly star Eddie Kadi pulls out all the stops to tempt Shaun to his hometown, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Shaun loves the sound of Congolese music and elegantly-dressed sapeurs, but he's also feeling trepidatious. Resident geographer, historian and comedian Iszi Lawrence helps him mull it over.Your Place Or Mine is the travel series that isn't going anywhere. Join Shaun as his guests try to convince him that it's worth getting up off the sofa and seeing the world, giving us a personal guide to their favourite place on the planet.Producers: Beth O'Dea and Sarah Goodman.Your Place or Mine is a BBC Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds

The humble plastic bag is actually a marvel of engineering: it is cheap, light, strong, waterproof and it has conquered the world. In countries where plastic bags have been banned, they are still being smuggled in. The environmental pollution and other problems that discarded plastic can cause has made it a focus of passionate debate. But is plastic really the problem or is it our increasing use of disposable and single-use items? The popularity of disposable products predates the invention of the plastic bag in the 1960s or even the advent of Western consumer society in the aftermath of the Second World War. And in the last three decades, so many new single-use items have been produced that we increasingly cannot imagine our lives without them, and not just in the festive season. So what is the way forward?Iszi Lawrence talks about all manner of disposable and single-use objects with Jennifer Argo, Professor of Marketing at the School of Business, Alberta University; Mark Miodownik, Professor of Materials & Society at University College London; Katherine Grier, Professor Emerita of History at the University of Delaware and founder of the online Museum of Disposability; space archaeologist Dr. Alice Gorman from Flinders University in Australia and listeners from around the world.(Photo: Digital image of plastic waste and a city skyline. Credit: Andriy Onufriyenko/Getty Images)

Broadcaster and author Iszi Lawrence chooses the aviator Diana Barnato Walker. Coming from a privileged background, Diana used her pocket money to take flying lessons, flew bombers during World War II, and - aged 45 - became the first British woman to break the sound barrier. Iszi is joined by Giles Whittell, author of Spitfire Women of World War II, and Diana's son Barney Walker.Presented by Matthew Parris Produced in Bristol by Beth Sagar-Fenton

Can Greg tempt Shaun to the watery wonderland of a city in which he spent his honeymoon? Shaun's been to Venice Beach and Little Venice but remains to be convinced about this one. Resident geographer, historian and comedian Iszi Lawrence has been there too and strongly advises them not to fall in. Your Place Or Mine is the travel series that isn't going anywhere. Join Shaun as his guests try to convince him that it's worth getting up off the sofa and seeing the world, giving us a personal guide to their favourite place on the planet.Producers: Beth O'Dea and Sarah GoodmanYour Place or Mine is a BBC Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

Iceland offers Shaun the opportunity to enjoy a cold drink in a thermal spa, while gawping at the Northern Lights and listening to Sigur Rós. Comedian and writer Rob Auton paints a beautiful picture of the world's most northerly capital, but is it all too much for Shaun? Resident geographer, historian and comedian Iszi Lawrence is on hand to advise, crampons at the ready.Your Place Or Mine is the travel series that isn't going anywhere. Join Shaun as his guests try to convince him that it's worth getting up off the sofa and seeing the world, giving us a personal guide to their favourite place on the planet.Producers: Sarah Goodman and Beth O'Dea.Your Place or Mine is a BBC Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

Dom wants to take Shaun to the remote island that some flat earthers believe to be the end of the world. But will they both fall off the edge into the whale-filled Atlantic Ocean? Resident geographer, historian and comedian Iszi Lawrence warns them of the moose-related hazards they may also face on this quest.Your Place Or Mine is the travel series that isn't going anywhere. Join Shaun as his guests try to convince him that it's worth getting up off the sofa and seeing the world, giving us a personal guide to their favourite place on the planet.Dom Joly image: Spencer McPhersonProducers: Beth O'Dea and Sarah GoodmanYour Place or Mine is a BBC Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

Shaun is offered the chance to holiday with Hera and Athena in the ancient Greek city of Paestum, in southern Italy. Will classicist Natalie Haynes be able to tempt him there with the promise of vast and beautifully preserved temples, chirping cicadas and delicious Italian carbohydrates? Resident geographer, historian and comedian Iszi Lawrence assures him there will also be plenty of opportunities to impersonate Russell Crowe. Your Place Or Mine is the travel series that isn't going anywhere. Join Shaun as his guests try to convince him that it's worth getting up off the sofa and seeing the world, giving us a personal guide to their favourite place on the planet. Producers: Beth O'Dea and Sarah Goodman Your Place or Mine is a BBC Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds

Political parties come in all shapes and sizes and their ideas are just as varied. But what kind of parties best reflect 21st-century society? How do we, as voters, choose between them at elections? What are their ever-increasing expenses spent on? And - perhaps most importantly - how well do political parties respond to the needs and views of the public? Iszi Lawrence discusses these questions with Professor Leonie Huddy from Stony Brook University who studies the psychology of politics, Associate Professor Karina Kosiara-Pedersen who researches party membership at the University of Copenhagen, Professor Paula Muñoz Chirinos who works on political finance at the University of the Pacific in Peru, Catherine Mayer co-founder of the Women's Equality Party in the UK, as well as student Luke Louis Ow from Singapore and other listeners from around the globe. (Photo: A sign in Dublin, Ireland in 2021. Credit: Artur Widak/Nur Photo/Getty Images)

Shaun is tempted by partying at the Pyramids and watching the Parade of the Mummies. Will BBC presenter Salma be able to move a man who's about as mobile as a Mummy himself? Resident geographer, historian and comedian Iszi Lawrence has her doubts. Your Place Or Mine is the travel series that isn't going anywhere. Join Shaun as his guests try to convince him that it's worth getting up off the sofa and seeing the world, giving us a personal guide to their favourite place on the planet. Producers: Beth O'Dea and Sarah Goodman Your Place or Mine is a BBC Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

Astronaut Major Tim Peake wants to take Shaun on a wonder-filled trip to the International Space Station. It's a chance to really get away from it all, to consider our place in the universe and to spacewalk 250 miles above Earth. Shaun loves a bit of astronomy from the comfort of his own home, but can he cope with the realities of being shot into orbit? Galactic cosmic rays, the very real risk of floating off into eternity and toilet trips in microgravity all give him pause for thought. Resident geographer, historian and comedian Iszi Lawrence is on hand to help Shaun decide whether an extraterrestrial holiday is the right choice for him. Your Place Or Mine is the travel series that isn't going anywhere. Join Shaun as his guests try to convince him that it's worth getting up off the sofa and seeing the world, giving us a personal guide to their favourite place on the planet. Producers: Sarah Goodman and Beth O'Dea Your Place or Mine is a BBC Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

Bake Off superstar Nadiya Hussain tells Shaun why Bangladesh is the perfect watery destination for a canal-loving man from Lancashire. Shaun fancies wearing a lungi in the shade of a banana tree, but will he be able to cope with water snakes, leeches and 100% humidity? Resident geographer, historian and comedian Iszi Lawrence really wants to find out. Your Place Or Mine is the travel series that isn't going anywhere. Join Shaun as his guests try to convince him that it's worth getting up off the sofa and seeing the world, giving us a personal guide to their favourite place on the planet. Producers: Sarah Goodman and Beth O'Dea Your Place or Mine is a BBC Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds

Shaun admits that he does actually like going to Greece, which is something of a miracle. So surely comedian Kemah Bob can get him to commit to a trip to the island of Kefalonia, where the goats have golden teeth? Resident geographer, historian and comedian Iszi Lawrence is the umpire. Your Place Or Mine is the travel series that isn't going anywhere. Join Shaun as his guests try to convince him that it's worth getting up off the sofa and seeing the world, giving us a personal guide to their favourite place on the planet. Producers: Beth O'Dea and Sarah Goodman Your Place or Mine is a BBC Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

Shaun, a Santa-like figure himself, considers a freezing cold holiday in Santa's snowy hometown. Maisie Adam is sure he'd love the Northern Lights and the heavy metal bands, the black drinks and reindeer. Which Shaun says would be a great band name. Resident geographer, historian and comedian Iszi Lawrence is on hand to tell him more about the nation that is officially the happiest on earth. But would that actually suit Shaun? Your Place Or Mine is the travel series that isn't going anywhere. Join Shaun as his guests try to convince him that it's worth getting up off the sofa and seeing the world, giving us a personal guide to their favourite place on the planet. Producers: Beth O'Dea and Sarah Goodman. Your Place or Mine is a BBC Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

For every young American under the age of 18, there are about two cats or dogs receiving free food and lodgings in US homes and that pattern is replicated in many other countries. So why do so many of us keep pets? Why do we name them, consider them part of the family? Companionship, pleasure, status symbol and kinship with all life have been offered as explanations but it's easy to forget that mass keeping of pets - as opposed to working animals - is a recent development of the last two centuries or so. Iszi Lawrence talks about our evolving relationship with pets with Dr. Anindita Bhadra from the Dog Lab at the Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research in Kolkata; Dr. Erin Hecht, evolutionary biologist from Harvard; Dr. Margo DeMello, anthrozoologist from Carroll College in Montana; writer and cultural commentator from Japan Manami Okazaki; Durham University historian Professor Julie-Marie Strange; and Rachel Williams, neuroscientist at UCL and comedian. We also sift through the dozens of comments and pet stories sent in by Forum listeners. (Photo: A young woman with her pet dog. Credit: Luis Alvarez/Getty Images)

Rob Delaney opens with a spirited attempt to get Shaun to visit his birthplace in Eastern Massachusetts, USA, selling it on the basis that as New England is quite like England anyway, it'll be no bother for Shaun… Your Place Or Mine is the travel podcast that isn't going anywhere. Join Shaun as his guests try to convince him that it's worth getting up off the sofa and seeing the world, giving us a personal guide to their favourite place on the planet. With resident geographer, historian and comedian Iszi Lawrence on hand to share facts, each week a familiar face will try to persuade Shaun that jetting off to their favourite destination is worth the hassle. Your Place or Mine is a BBC Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds. Producers: Becca Bryers & Hannah Hufford

It's cold and it's grey out there right now, so time to start planning your holiday... welcome to Shaun's mini travel guides, to warm you up before Series 2. In this guide Shaun shares some seriously fab festivals, from Burning Man to the world's biggest food fight. Your Place Or Mine is the travel podcast that isn't going anywhere - not until guests can convince Shaun Keaveny it's worth getting off the sofa for. Each week a familiar face will try to persuade Shaun and resident geographer, historian and comedian Iszi Lawrence that jetting off to their favourite destination is worth the hassle. Your Place or Mine is a BBC Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds. Producers: Becca Bryers and Hannah Hufford