Free Thinking

Matthew Sweet, Shahidha Bari, Anne McElvoy

Booking Overview

This is a weekly public-intellectual roundtable focused on the ideas shaping society, typically featuring multiple external guests drawn from academia, literature, journalism, politics, economics, and related fields. PR agencies could credibly pitch established authors, senior academics, policy experts, economists, journalists, and public thinkers with substantial subject expertise or a relevant book; booking difficulty is high because the programme favors prominent, highly credentialed contributors.

Metrics

Episodes: 1526

Frequency: Weekly

Rating: 4.2/5.0

Estimated listeners: 10k-100k

Gender skew: Neutral

Location: United Kingdom

Contact Information

Publicly listed emails

freethinking@bbc.co.uk

podcast.support@bbc.co.uk

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Host

Matthew Sweet - British writer, broadcaster, and cultural commentator known for programmes and writing about intellectual, cultural, and historical subjects.

Shahidha Bari - British author, broadcaster, and academic specializing in literature and intellectual history.

Anne McElvoy - British journalist and broadcaster specializing in politics, international affairs, history, and public ideas.

Booking Intelligence

Booking Requirements

high

Typical Credentials:

Established academics, authors, philosophers, economists, historians, journalists, psychologists, policy experts, and senior public figures with recognized expertise in the episode’s intellectual or societal theme. A substantial, relevant book or major institutional, government, or media role is commonly advantageous.

Required Achievements:

Published books on substantive intellectual, historical, political, economic, or social topics, Professorships or senior research positions at leading universities, Senior government or public-policy roles, Regular contributions to major media outlets, Recognized expertise in a specialized field

Recent Guest Discussions

Marianna Spring - Misinformation And Responsibility For Being Informed

Ebony Reid - The Unequal Value Placed On Different People’s Experiences

Ian Kidd - The Ethics Of Knowledge And Intellectual Responsibility

Havi Carel - Knowledge, Healthcare, And Whose Experiences Are Valued

Quassim Cassam - The Ethics Of Knowledge And Intellectual Responsibility

Recent Topics

Philosophy, History, Politics, Literature, Economics

Episodes

Here's the recent few episodes on

Free Thinking

The Ethics of Knowledge

July 10, 2026

Do we have a responsibility to inform ourselves about the state of the world? Is the experience of some people valued more highly than that of others? Matthew Sweet investigates the ethics of knowledge in Radio 4's round table discussion programme. With: Quassim Cassam, philosopher and author of Intellectual Vices Havi Carel, a philosopher who's worked extensively on imbalances of knowledge in healthcare and other areas Ian Kidd, philosopher specializing in the ethics of knowledge Ebony Re...

Trade and traffic

July 03, 2026

What does trade set in motion beyond the exchange of goods? Anne McElvoy explores the movement of commerce across time as a carrier of habits, ideas, ambitions and influence, as well as of material things. From the early modern world, where trade was entangled with colonial expansion and shaped by unequal, sometimes unexpected encounters, to the supply chains and diplomatic negotiations of the present, this discussion asks how economic exchange has also mediated cultural contact. Alongside ri...

Trade and Traffic

July 03, 2026

Publicly listed emails

freethinking@bbc.co.uk

podcast.support@bbc.co.uk

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