Christmas Countdown Day 2's episode of the Christmas Countdown, Yaroslav Walker puts forward his defence of the traditional nativity play and what it brings to us at Chr istmas Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every simple story about it is wrong: Hinduism contains multitudes. And it went into the directions it did for specific reasons. Manu Pillai joins Amit Varma in episode 405 of The Seen and the Unseen to describe the role of history in the shaping of Hinduism -- and Hindu nationalism. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also check out…

The Christmas Countdown begins! Day 1: Alianore Smith talks Advent Calendars Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we start with Josh Richards asking why snow still generates awe and wonder in even the most grown up of us; Jamie Mulvaney tells us that crows can hold a grudge for up to 17 years and considers the consequences of human grudges being held; finally James K. A. Smith writes an open letter to Sally Rooney to thank her for opening his heart. …

This week's smorgasbord includes Graham Tomlin's claim that Trump's win may be neither total triumph nor total disaster; Jack Chisnall discusses national leadership from Henry VIII in Wolf Hall to present day; Krish Kandiah unpacks the Paddington Paradox and Kevin Hargaden shines a spotlight on the backstage goodness of Small Things like These Host…

Our societies, our norms, our values are all shaped by stories from the past. Devdutt Pattanaik joins Amit Varma in episode 404 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss his life, our society and why we should take mythology seriously. Note: This is Part 2 of a 12-hour episode, being uploaded in two parts now because Spotify and YouTube don't allow upl…

Our societies, our norms, our values are all shaped by stories from the past. Devdutt Pattanaik joins Amit Varma in episode 404 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss his life, our society and why we should take mythology seriously. Note: This is Part 1 of a 12-hour episode, being uploaded in two parts now because Spotify and YouTube don't allow upl…

This week we mark Remembrance with Simon Cansdale as he suggests that hospitals are home to the truth of war; Belle Tindall helps our psychological state post-US election sharing some political wisdom from Luke Bretherton and Yaroslav Walker reviews the Trump movie and how it comments on the President's recent election success. Hosted on Acast. See…

Our societies, our norms, our values are all shaped by stories from the past. Devdutt Pattanaik joins Amit Varma in episode 404 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss his life, our society and why we should take mythology seriously. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also check out 1. Devdutt Pattanaik on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn…

This week's episode includes the burning question: is Donald Trump a fascist or a buffoon? asked by George Pitcher; Alex Ross takes us into the world of surveillance that is China and Belle Tindall explores Miranda Hart's diagnosis of the unseen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

In this episode, Ryan Stark points out some of the pitfalls in dating a vampire; Jack Nicholson pays beautiful tribute to W.H. Auden's poetry and its ability to give us words for current world trauma; and Jack Chisnall cracks the puzzle of our love of puzzles in his article about BBC's drama, Ludwig. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more …

Populism is on the rise everywhere, and the long arc of history has bent away from freedom. Shikha Dalmia joins Amit Varma in episode 403 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss the derangements of our modern times -- and the threat that Donald Trump poses. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also check out: 1. Shikha Dalmia on Twitter…

This week, George Pitcher asks why we still bother celebrating Harvest; Jane Williams explains why the Nicene Creed was such a total game-changer and Henna Cundill explores the proposed legislation around Assisted Dying from the point of view of Conscientious Objectors. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

He's a polymath who cares deeply about the world, tries to understand it, and straddles many fields. He's played a key role over the last few decades in India's journey towards development. Ajay Shah joins Amit Varma in episode 402 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about his life and times. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also c…

In this week's particularly eclectic episode, Natalie Garrett contemplates the power of real joy; Theodore Brun gives us a thoughtful review of Netflix's "Kaos" and Matthew Hall challenges us to think again about Assisted Dying Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Belle Tindall gets cosy and looks to make the mundane meaningful; Katherine Amphlett tells a very personal and poignant story of a grieving family finding solace and God's presence in natural beauty; on the anniversary of the conflict in the Middle East, Graham Tomlin urges the importance of loving our enemies and embracing a touch…

This week week Elizabeth Wainwright asks whether the Google impulse started in the Garden of Eden - to know all immediately; Mark Meynell visits Ukraine and tells us a bit about "normal" life there; James Cary considers what the dragon-slaying St Michael might have to say about our culture's battle between good and evil. Hosted on Acast. See acast.…

Bloody hell. The world has changed, society looks different, and men and women have to find new ways of relating to each other. We're not equipped for this. Sanjana Ramachandran and Samarth Bansal join Amit Varma in episode 401 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss how meeting and mating are both easier and, well, harder. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTE…

In our first Seen & Unseen Aloud Short, Graham Tomlin narrates his own article "Watching Grenfell - the lost art of penitence". Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we start with Jared Stacy unpacking how projections and polls cannot capture the power of stories shaping identity and US election politics; Roger Bretherton asks why it is that "sorry" just might be the hardest word and Helen Cowan dives into a poem by JRR Tolkien which speaks to her, poignantly, about the experience of living with demen…

It's episode 400, and on this special and unlikely occasion, Shruti Rajagopalan gets Amit Varma to chat about all the life lessons he has learnt during these eight years -- and favourite books, films, music and poetry. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also check out: 1. Amit Varma on Twitter, India Uncut, Substack, The Art of Clea…

In this episode, George Pitcher tracks the cultural story of Oasis and two Labour Prime Ministers; Katherine Amphlett visits her aging parents and needs to put on an armour of feathers while James Lawrence finds a surprising story amid the cynical desert of Deadpool and Wolverine's nihilism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informati…

He's a bestselling writer who's brought Hindi literature into a modern age -- and he also writes films and tells stories. Divya Prakash Dubey joins Amit Varma in episode 399 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss his life, his language, his society and his art. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also check out:1. Divya Prakash Dubey …

This week we enter a world of high drama - internally we voyage with Henna Cundill through the spiritual potential of the Inside Out films; Belle Tindall takes us on an emotional ride through Nick Cave's new album, Wild God; and Graham Tomlin challenges us to see The Grenfell Tower Inquiry as a significant cultural moment to reflect personally and …

She learnt journalism in America and spent many years in South Africa writing a portrait of their troubled society, where everything is complicated and nothing is settled -- much like anywhere else. Eve Fairbanks joins Amit Varma in episode 398 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about her life, her work, her craft and the world around her. (FOR FUL…

We take money and banking and finance for granted -- but the way they exist in the world is not the only way they could exist. Lawrence H White joins Amit Varma in episode 397 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss ideas, ideologies, money, crypto and the field he pioneered, free banking. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also check…

This week we contemplate the challenges of winning and losing as Julia Kendal asks what Simone Biles might be doing today; Oliver Wright explores the relationship between religion and music and Silvianne & Barnabas Aspray ask why religion and faith aren't dying any time soon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

This week's episode finds George Pitcher hoping that faith and religion are being given a revival in the world of publishing and Graham Tomlin explores the Paris Olympics for evidence of the choice between faith, secularism and modern paganism Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

They started out busting misinformation. Then, as fake news became weaponized at an industrial scale, they become warriors not just for truth, but for a better society. Mohammed Zubair and Pratik Sinha join Amit Varma in episode 396 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about their life, their work and their country. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO…

She's an authority in the field of foreign policy -- and what makes her such a force is her deep curiosity about, well, everything. Tanvi Madan joins Amit Varma in episode 395 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about her life, her learnings and this changing world. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also check out: 1. Tanvi Madan at…

In this Summer Box Set Special, Jamie Mulvaney thinks about third spaces and when the journey is the destination; Natalie Garrett makes a case for taking a holiday and Roger Bretherton talks us through how to get the best out of our downtime Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

Why is our political discourse so polarised? Why do we shout past each other instead of talking to each other? Arnold Kling joins Amit Varma in episode 394 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss his life, the state of the world and how a fourth language has joined the three he mentioned in his seminal book on political discourse. (FOR FULL LINKED SH…

She grew up reading three books a day, became a high-flying consultant, and then became hyperfocused on healthcare. Amrita Agarwal joins Amit Varma in episode 393 of The Seen and the Unseen to share her learnings from years of studying the field. Also discussed: first-principles thinking, consulting, philanthropy, longevity and sunscreen. (FOR FULL…

Our Summer Box Set Special is dedicated to Emerson Csorba. He talks us through US politics with a focus on James Baker; he asks what's the point of purpose and how do we find it? and he contemplates the power of supposedly random encounters with people. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

He's an economist who cares more about people than numbers -- and he thinks his field needs more sociology and anthropology in it. Vijayendra (Biju) Rao joins Amit Varma in episode 392 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about what makes him angry, what drives him forward and what brings him peace. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) …