Food, Sin & Shame
Why might a medieval nun drink the pus of an ill patient? Where does ‘fishy Friday’ come from? And what does all of this have to do with religion?Today, Kate is joined between some Reformation sheets ...
10 Feb 202335min
The Real Casanova
Can you imagine being SO smooth-talking and seductive your surname becomes an actual noun in the dictionary to describe someone who has a reputation for being an expert at in the sack?Well today we’re...
7 Feb 202328min
Marie Stopes: Birth Control & Eugenics
Why would someone disown their son over a pair of glasses? How could an unmarried woman in 1918 have published a book about sexual pleasure? And what is an appropriate gift for a newlywed prince and p...
3 Feb 202335min
Prison Plastic Surgery
Facelifts, liposuction and nose jobs: since the mid 20th century people have saved up to have their faces and bodies transformed into their dreams.But why might these procedures have been offered in p...
31 Jan 202347min
Wallis Simpson
She is surely one of the most fascinating figures in royal history. Perceived as a bad match for Edward VIII, Wallis Simpson is at the centre of the scandal surrounding his abdication.But what do we k...
27 Jan 202339min
Eunuchs
From Ancient Assyria to the Byzantine Empire, from the Qing dynasty’s Forbidden City to 19th century operas; Eunuchs have been present across a huge range of the world’s history. Despite this, they ar...
24 Jan 202339min
A History of Porn
What did porn look like before the internet? Who was it for? And how has it changed since?In this episode, Kate chats to Kathleen Lubey, a professor at St. John’s University and specialist in eighteen...
20 Jan 202346min
The Blues
So much of today’s music takes inspiration from the Blues, but where did Blues music itself come from?Kate is joined by Lamont Jack Pearley - applied folklorist, ethnographer and historian of African ...
17 Jan 202332min
