Picks of the week
Stephen Fry’s 7 Deadly Sins
Fry’s new podcast promises to “poke, prod, pry and provoke” the sins, but he reaches wider than that. As ever, he’s a spellbinding storyteller and he offers a fresh perspective on both podcasting (which he relies on to power him through his daily walks) and the concept of sin. Before he even gets started on the bad stuff, though, he is giving his take on modern culture and how divisive the chasm between left and right is. Then it’s on to the sins, the “banana skins” that he argues stop people from being happy. Hannah Verdier
YouTuber Patricia Bright – who was among the first black British influencers to land more than a million subscribers – hosts this pod that is all about hard work and hustling. In a post-Lean In era, stories of hard graft and glam jobs could sound glib, but Bright manages to make her show aspirational for millennial listeners without sounding overly #girlboss. Leomie Anderson on the challenges faced by black models and a lesson on patience from the singer-songwriter Kamille are among the highlights. Hannah J Davies
Producer pick: The Catch and Kill podcast with Ronan Farrow
Chosen by Danielle Stephens (audio producer)
Catch and Kill is one of those series that doesn’t have a listening sell-by-date. I started listening the day that Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein appeared at a Manhattan court for the first day of his trial, where he is facing accusations of rape and sexual assault. Rolling in on a zimmer frame, looking frail and small, it made it all the more shocking to hear about the extent to which the mogul tried to silence the small number of people who spoke out against him.
Here, the story of the cover-up is as riveting as the story of the fight back – whether it be hearing about the brave women who defended themselves when the legal system wouldn’t, or the journalists who spent years digging to come up with nothing. Besides, Farrow’s own path to breaking the story is utterly engrossing – and infuriating.
Talking points
This week, the Guardian spoke to journalist Nicki Weisensee-Egan about her podcast Chasing Cosby and her 15-year journey to reveal the truth about the man once known as “America’s Dad”.
Why not try: The Travel Diaries | RHLSTP with Richard Herring | The Bugle Presents: The Last Post
Guardian pick: Books podcast
Author Jeanine Cummins tells the Guardian books team about her new novel, American Dirt, which has gone from highly-anticipated release to the most controversial book of the moment.
