How Do You Cope..? with Elis and John
BBC Radio 5 LiveA mental health podcast actually done right. Comedians Elis James and John Robins host in-depth discussions with people who’ve dealt with something seemingly impossible (their whole family dying, for instance, or being responsible for a medical emergency in the worst circumstances) and speak with humour and sensitivity about what you do when the worst happens. Surprisingly funny and upbeat, it feels like important listening.
The Slowdown
Tracy K Smith with the Poetry FoundationIn partnership with the Poetry Foundation, each weekday there’s a new edition of The Slowdown, a five-minute nugget of poetry presented by Tracy K Smith. Perfect for a refreshing moment of mindfulness, and easy to digest on a commute, a lunchbreak or before drifting off to sleep, it’s the sort of podcast that could become a ritual. The selected poets are a mixture of canonical and contemporary, and include Jackie Kay, Hart Crane, Jay Bernard, William Carlos Williams and more.
Ctrl Alt Delete
Emma GannonThis well-established podcast on tech and its influence on our lives comes from Emma Gannon (above), author of a book of the same name about growing up online. Gannon conducts intelligent interviews with a variety of people about their lives online, including Jess Phillips MP on security, Alain de Botton on psychological development, Mrs Hinch on her online cleaning empire, and actress Jameela Jamil on empowerment and shame.
