Better Known

Ivan Wise
  • 4.8 (12)
  • Society & Culture
  • Updated Weekly

Each week, a guest makes a series of recommendations of things which they think should be better known. Our recommendations include interesting people, places, objects, stories, experiences and ideas which our guest feels haven't had the exposure that they deserve.

  1. 3d ago

    Ian Green

    Ian Green discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Ian Green is a writer from Northern Scotland with a PhD in epigenetics. His debut fantasy trilogy The Rotstorm began with the Sunday Times bestseller The Gauntlet and the First Beneath. His short fiction has been widely published and he won the BBC Radio 4 Opening Lines competition, the Futurebook Future Fiction Prize, and was shortlisted for Best Newcomer at the British Fantasy Awards. His biopunk eco-terrorism thriller Extremophile was one of Financial Times’ Best Science Fiction Books of 2024 and was shortlisted for the Arthur C. Clarke Award and Dragon Award for Best Science Fiction Novel. His swashbuckling new book The Deep and the Drowned is out now from Head of Zeus. The British Fantasy Society https://britishfantasysociety.org/ The Last Blade Priest by W.P. Wiles https://www.grimdarkmagazine.com/review-the-last-blade-priest-by-w-p-wiles/ The Gormenghast books by Mervyn Peake https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/titus-alone-peake-gormenghast-trilogy-review-essay/ How much fun having kids is https://ifstudies.org/blog/why-bother-having-kids Historic European Martial Arts (HEMA) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=763THsqZ_ng Nature immersion https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/insight-therapy/202606/seeing-green-nature-immersion-has-its-benefits This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

  2. Aug 2

    Matt Hill

    Matt Hill discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Matt Hill is the Philip K. Dick Award-nominated author of Lamb, The Breach, Zero Bomb, Graft, and The Folded Man. He lives in Glossop, on the edge of the Peak District. His new novel is Wrecks, which is available at https://deadinkbooks.com/products/wrecks-matt-hill. You have to rinse the suds off your dishes when you’ve washed them. Sounds trite, even silly, but it’s true, and there’s a deeper point around my wife gently challenging me re mental load of managing childcare and housework Phil Collins was a phenomenal drummer. Before his 80s ballads, Phil was writing wildly inventive drum parts. Brand X, early Genesis, mad time signatures, technically brilliant. We are surrounded by free food – some of it weeds! Family walks now involve stopping every ten seconds to pick at leaves or berries. Foraging used to be common and now, obviously, isn’t. Nettles factoid, hawthorn ketchup, pig nuts, pineapple weed tea... The moors of the Peak District are dotted with WW2 aircraft wreckage you can just walk up to. During and after the Second World War, dozens of planes crashed on the hills of the Peak District. Many of those wrecks are still there, including the Bleaklow Bomber. Amazing, raw history – feels rare for it not to be sanitised or in a museum It takes a scarily long time to stop when you’re doing 80mph. A recent speed awareness course changed my perception of driving, especially residual speeds. By the time a car going at 70mph has stopped, a car braking from 80mph is still doing 40mph – eek In England, we only have legal access to a tiny amount of land. Free access to the countryside was fought for, and often won, by mass trespass Yet we still only have access to something like 10% of land and 3% of waterways; the rest is enclosed, bounded away, or requires us to pay. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

  3. Jul 26

    Joel Christensen on The Odyssey

    Joel Christensen discusses with Ivan six things about The Odyssey which should be better known. Joel P. Christensen is Professor of Classics at the CUNY Graduate Center where he also serves as Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs. Joel has previously taught at UT San Antonio and Brandeis University. His research interests include early Greek poetry, myth, and literary theory. With Elton Barker, Joel has published Homer: A Beginner’s Guide (2013) and Homer’s Thebes (Harvard University Press 2020). Joel has also authored The Many-Minded Man: The Odyssey, Psychology, and the Therapy of Epic (2020) with Cornell University Press, Storylife: On Epic, Language, and Living Things with Yale in 2025, and Why Odysseus? With Palgrave/Macmillan (2026). He is also editor of the Oxford Critical Guide to the Odyssey (2026) and author of numerous articles on Homer, myth, Greek poetry, and its reception in the modern world. Ancient Audiences rarely ever read the Odyssey in its entirety The Odyssey was sung and performed for generations before it was written down We don't know how The Odyssey was written down The Homeric Odyssey isn't the only version of the story that used to exist Odysseus was disliked by many early Greek audiences The ending of the Odyssey is extremely strange and most people ignore it! This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

  4. Jul 19

    Jessica Fellowes

    Jessica Fellowes discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Jessica Fellowes is an author, journalist and public speaker. The Mitford Murders is her debut series as a novelist and has been nominated for awards in Britain, France, Germany and Italy, and sold into eighteen territories. Jessica is also the author of five official companion books to ‘Downton Abbey,’ various of which hit the New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller lists. Former columnist for the Mail on Sunday and deputy editor of Country Life, she has written business books with Sophie Cornish MBE, 'The Devil You Know' with forensic psychologist Kerry Daynes and short stories for Vogue Italia and L’Uomo Vogue. Jessica makes frequent appearances on radio, podcasts and television, has a Substack – ‘Your Fellowes Reader’ – and lives in Oxfordshire with her family. The work of school governors https://boardsforeducation.org.uk/ Hitster https://hitstergame.com/en-gb/ The advantages of hearing aids https://www.outsideclinic.co.uk/blog/impact-of-hearing-aids Jessica Fellowes https://substack.com/@jessicafellowes The Sale Room https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb Singled Out by Virginia Nicholson https://www.virginianicholson.co.uk/singled-out This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

  5. Jul 12

    Sarah Wilson

    Sarah Wilson discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Sarah Wilson is a multi-New York Times bestselling author, journalist, social philosopher, international keynote speaker and philanthropist. Sarah leads dynamic, global conversations about modern philosophy, creativity, existential risk, and climate change via her keynote speaking, Wild podcast, and her Substack and social communities. She lives nomadically, but is based between Paris and Sydney, and is a compulsive hiker and adventurer. Her new book is I Eat the Stars, which is available at https://www.waterstones.com/book/i-eat-the-stars/sarah-wilson/9781837827213. Fractal flourishing https://accidentalgods.life/fractal-flourishing/ Maison de Balzac https://sarahwilson.substack.com/p/how-balzac-made-me-feel-joyous-about Sufficiency https://sarahwilson.substack.com/p/sufficiency-as-a-way-of-living-a Vanessa Andreotti https://decolonialfutures.net/hospicingmodernity/ Ikaria https://www.bluezones.com/explorations/ikaria-greece/ Mug cakes https://uk.pinterest.com/meganusafwife/muggin-recipes/ This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

  6. Jul 5

    Ian Proud

    Ian Proud discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Ian Proud is an expert in strategic thinking, politico-economic analysis and diplomatic tradecraft. He was a member of His Majesty's Diplomatic Service from 1999 to 2023. During that time, he was one of the Foreign Office's most accomplished crisis experts and was Chair of the Crisis Committee at the British Embassy in Moscow when the Salisbury nerve agent attack happened in March 2018. He posts international relations articles and podcasts from his Substack page, The Peacemonger. His first novel, Searching, is now available at https://www.amazon.co.uk/Searching-love-story-Ian-Proud-ebook/dp/B0GFYC25YZ/ Curiosity –One reason we see so much racism and intolerance is a lack of curiosity in society. Boat 813 – for me the most vivid symbol of the destructive power of the 2004 tsunami is the 60-ton Royal Thai Navy patrol boat that was dragged 2 kilometres inland. I saw it for the first time just a few days after that tragic event beside the road as I drove towards Takua Pa. Stink beans – the first time you eat stink beans, or sataw as they are known in Thai, the taste is bitter and overpowering. The second time you eat them you might be addicted, like me. A Town Like Alice – Nevil Shute’s 1950 book explores our human ability to endure terrible suffering and yet survive, potentially find true love and live happily ever after. This is a theme I explore in Searching. King Charles Street – the façade of the Foreign Office, directly adjacent to Downing Street, is grand and intimidating, which doesn’t help the perception that British diplomats are out of touch elitists. And yet the vast majority are not. Sleep – in a crisis, I can work for forty hours without sleep, although I wouldn’t recommend it. A healthy pattern of sleep is the foundation for our physical and mental wellbeing. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

  7. Jun 28

    Sahar Hashemi

    Sahar Hashemi discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Sahar Hashemi OBE has enjoyed a successful career as an entrepreneur, bestselling author and business thought leader. Initially forging her success as the Co-Founder and former CEO of Coffee Republic, the UK’s first American-style coffee bar chain, Sahar has since built great authority as a business leader and earned an appointment of OBE for her services to the UK economy and charity. Now the Co-Founder of Buy Women Built and hired as a leading keynote speaker, Sahar is commended for her ability to build more creative, customer-centric and resilient workplaces in which a “can do” spirit is paramount. The invisible economy of women-built brands www.buywomenbuilt.com Cluelessness as a competitive advantage https://aicomo.com/advantages-of-being-clueless/ Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl https://julias-books.com/2020/03/12/book-review-mans-search-for-meaning-by-viktor-e-frankl/ Why telling people to dream big is so misguided https://www.reddit.com/r/DecidingToBeBetter/comments/3fmaay/why_telling_kids_to_dream_big_is_a_big_con_our/ The benefit of ice cold showers every morning https://www.hollandandbarrett.com/the-health-hub/conditions/alternative-health/are-cold-showers-good-for-you/ Amichien bonding https://janfennellthedoglistener.com/about-jan/ This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

  8. Jun 21

    Eleanor Anstruther

    Eleanor Anstruther discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Eleanor Anstruther was educated at Westminster School but dropped out of university to travel the world where she was lost and found for twelve years. When she inherited a farm in southern England she set up a commune and began to write. Her debut, A Perfect Explanation (Salt Books) was a finalist for the Desmond Eliot Prize & Not The Booker. She now lives not quietly at all between London, Surrey and the south of France. Her latest novel, Fallout (Empress Editions) is out now at https://www.eleanoranstruther.com/fallout. Find her on Substack at The Literary Obsessive at https://eleanoranstruther.substack.com/ and at https://www.eleanoranstruther.com/. Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp https://phm.org.uk/blogposts/greenham-common-peace-camp/ The Tommy Tiernan Show https://www.judecollins.com/2021/01/tv-reviewthe-tommy-tiernan-show-rte/ Cold Baths https://www.bupa.co.uk/newsroom/ourviews/cold-water-therapy Menopause is the best thing that can happen to you https://www.drcoppaobgyn.com/blog/its-not-all-bad-5-positive-parts-of-menopause Nick Cave's The Red Hand Files https://www.theredhandfiles.com/ You can talk to trees https://jane-cobbald.medium.com/how-to-talk-to-trees-839f247df239 This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

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4.8
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

Each week, a guest makes a series of recommendations of things which they think should be better known. Our recommendations include interesting people, places, objects, stories, experiences and ideas which our guest feels haven't had the exposure that they deserve.

Information

  • Creator
    Ivan Wise
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    441
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2017
  • Show Website
    Better Known

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