The EI Podcast
The entire history of cinema in one shot
Film critic David Thomson speaks to Paul Lay about his new book, ‘A Sudden Flicker of Ligh…
August 13, 2026
Meritocracy Week
It’s Meritocracy Week on Engelsberg Ideas. Leading writers explore the global history of merit in culture and politics. Do meritocracies deliver on their promise? Is meritocracy working? Can the concept be fixed?
Podcast episodes
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The EI Podcast
America’s universal document: a curious history
Marking 250 years since the Declaration of Independence, Michael Auslin speaks to Paul Lay…
August 6, 2026
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The EI Podcast
The alien world of Homer’s Odyssey
Classicist and actor Orlando Gibbs speaks to Alastair Benn about the strangeness of this a…
July 30, 2026
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The EI Podcast
How wine made the modern world
Historian Kathleen Burk speaks about humanity’s ancient relationship with wine.
July 23, 2026
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The EI Podcast
The struggle for Saudi Arabia’s buried past
Saudi Arabia’s expensive investment in its future has come with a concurrent focus on its …
July 20, 2026
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The EI Podcast
The diplomats who defeated Hitler
Peter Ricketts, Britain’s former ambassador to France, speaks to EI’s Paul Lay about a gol…
July 16, 2026