Founding member of Pussy Riot and one of the most high-profile political activists in Russia imprisoned by Vladimir Putin's government - in this Ways to Change the World Podcast, Krishnan Guru-Murthy speaks to Masha Alyokina.
She became internationally known after the group's protest performance in Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in 2012, which led to her arrest and two years in prison. Since her release, Masha has continued to challenge Putin's regime and fight for freedom of expression through her art, writing and activism. And her new book, Political Girl, is an account of protest, prison and her thoughts about Russia today.
Lynsey Addario is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American photojournalist who has spent two decades covering conflicts and humanitarian crises across the globe. Travelling to the frontlines of some of the world’s most dangerous countries, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Sudan and Ukraine.
She has a string of alarming personal stories to go with it. She has been detained by the Libyan army, forced to go through an X-ray scanner three times by Israeli forces who knew she was pregnant at the time.
She once said, “I realise with every assignment I do, there is a chance I might not come home.”
On this episode of Ways to Change the War, Addario speaks to Krishnan Guru-Murthy about her life as a conflict journalist, wife and mother, as well as her latest feature documentary Love+War.
Jimmy Wales is the co-founder of Wikipedia - the free digital encyclopedia that just about everyone in the Western world goes to if they need to quickly know anything.
It has been going for almost 25 years, determinedly democratic, non-profit and user-run, but increasingly under attack by right-wing influencers, Republican politicians and Elon Musk for being biased and with an overly-progressive ideology. And now AI models like ChatGPT are parking their tanks firmly on Wikipedia's lawn, claiming to be the real fount of all knowledge. Wikipedia calls them "conversational chatbots".
On this episode of Ways to Change the World, Jimmy Wales speaks to Krishnan Guru-Murthy about the “crisis of trust”, AI and why Wikipedia will continue to lead the way.
Munya Chawawa wants to make you laugh, but not at the expense of someone else. Through his sharp satire and viral sketches, his comedy explores the line between humour and harm, showing how you can illuminate difficult truths without tearing people down.
In this episode of Ways to Change the World, Munya joins Krishnan Guru-Murthy to talk about comedy, kindness, and the power of perspective. He reflects on growing up in Zimbabwe, navigating early experiences of bullying, and the challenge of finding empathy in a world that often rewards outrage. He shares his thoughts on how laughter can connect us and help us make sense of chaos, and gives advice to aspiring social media stars.
Husam Zomlot was born in a refugee camp in Gaza and has since become one of the most prominent Palestinian voices on the world stage. In 2017, Zomlot was appointed envoy to the United States, until the Trump administration shut down the PLO mission in Washington. The following year he became Head of the Palestinian Mission in London, a role that has now been elevated to Ambassador after the UK’s formal recognition of the State of Palestine. He has been a leading voice for Gaza throughout the recent conflict, while also enduring devastating personal loss, with members of his own family killed in the violence.
In this episode of Ways to Change the World, Husam Zomlot speaks with Krishnan Guru-Murthy about his childhood, the growing recognition of a Palestinian state and the hope for him and his people.
Sir Tim Berners-Lee launched the worldwide web on Christmas day 1990; an invention which has undeniably and profoundly changed the world.
In this episode of Ways to Change the World, Sir Tim spoke with Krishnan Guru-Murthy about why addictive algorithms should be made illegal, the potential for artificial intelligence to outsmart humans, and how the internet has been both a powerful force for good and a source of significant harm to the world.
Sir Ian McEwan is one of Britain’s most acclaimed novelists, a Booker prize winner with a career spanning five decades with work that often explores morality, memory, and the intersections of private lives with public events.
Sir Ian has long been associated with contemporaries like Martin Amis, Julian Barnes, and Salman Rushdie, who together reshaped the British novel from the 1980s onward.
In this episode of Ways to Change the World, he spoke to Krishnan Guru-Murthy about the great issues facing the world from artificial intelligence to the rise of authoritarianism - as well as his latest novel What We Can Know.
Philippa Perry has spent years helping people understand their inner lives, but she believes that something fundamental has shifted in the way we connect. Lockdown, she says, left many young people struggling with social confidence, while the dominance of phones and texting has created “fantasy relationships” that don’t prepare us for the realities of face-to-face communication.
In this episode of Ways to Change the World, Philippa joins Krishnan Guru-Murthy to discuss the hidden costs of social media, the pressures of cancel culture, and why we are so easily drawn to bad news. She explores the dangers of overdiagnosis, the challenge of parenting in a digital age, and why building genuine, flexible relationships matters more than ever in an anxious world.
Mona Chalabi is a Pulitzer Prize-winning data journalist, illustrator, writer, and commentator who gained international recognition for her distinctive illustrations which distil complex issues into art that is deeply relatable and easily understood.
In this episode of Ways To Change The World, she tells Krishnan Guru-Murthy what people should know about data journalism in a world where we are constantly bombarded by information. She also shares how reporting on Gaza has taken an emotional toll.
After a summer of Britpop revival provoked by the Oasis concerts, nineties legends Suede are about to take over the Southbank Centre in London for a series of events.In this episode of Ways to Change the World, Suede frontman Brett Anderson speaks to Krishnan Guru-Murthy ahead of the release of their tenth album ‘Antidepressants' and explains how his writing continues to evolve to the times and his age.
Ella Al-Shamahi grew up as a Muslim creationist, part of a ‘tribe’ that believes that humankind was created whole by a higher power. At university, she enrolled in courses that studied evolution, specifically to prove her professors wrong - but the plan backfired when she became fascinated by evolutionary biology and came to the conclusion that Darwin was, in fact, right all along. Now an accomplished paleoanthropologist, she explores the complex journey of human evolution and the origins of Homo sapiens. In this episode of Ways to Change the World, Ella joins Krishnan Guru-Murthy to discuss her remarkable personal transformation from creationism to science. She also explains why she believes humans haven’t fully evolved to meet the demands of the modern world, and shares her unwavering faith in humanity’s resilience and potential.
Sami Tamimi is one of the brains behind the hugely successful and influential Ottolenghi restaurants, which he launched with his friend and long-time collaborator Yotam Ottolenghi.
The pair co-wrote the bestselling cookbook Jerusalem - and more recently, Sami has written Falastin and Boustany, a powerful celebration of Palestinian food and culture.
He says that in Palestine, “food is political”, and never more so than right now.
Morgan McMonagle is an Irish trauma and vascular surgeon who has been to the heart of some of the world’s most harrowing conflicts. Twice, he has traveled to Gaza, working in hospitals under constant bombardment since the conflict began.What he witnessed goes beyond medicine — it raises questions about humanity, the moral cost of war, and the toll it takes not just on the bereaved and wounded, but on those trying to save them as well.
Michael Gove, now Lord Gove of Torry in the City of Aberdeen, was a cabinet minister under David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak. He ran to be leader of the Conservatives twice, famously killed off Boris Johnson's first tilt at the top job but backed him on Brexit, spectacularly falling out with David Cameron in the process in a drama portrayed in sometimes excruciating detail in a book by his ex-wife Sarah Vine. He has now gone back to his first trade of journalism as editor of the Spectator magazine.
Jacinda Ardern is arguably the most globally famous and lauded New Zealand Prime Minister of modern times.
Her international profile began with her being the world's youngest head of government at thirty seven, who within months had a baby and took it all in her stride.
But it was her response to the horrific terrorist attack on mosques in Christchurch that gave her hero status amongst progressives around the world - embracing the muslim community in New Zealand and passing strict gun laws in response.
Her six years as prime minister also meant dealing with the covid pandemic, and the fury and conspiracy theories around lockdowns and vaccines that came with it - many of which targeted her personally. And then in January 2023 - as suddenly as she had arrived on the global stage, she stood down. Her book, A Different Kind of Power, is perhaps the most sensitive and candid account of a leader you could ask for, framed around her desire to be remembered for her kindness.
Whilst life expectancy is declining in the UK and America and other high-income countries, some tech billionaires have become obsessed with life longevity - but which factors really impact how long we live and when we die?
Public health expert Devi Sridhar speaks to Krishnan Guru-Murthy on Ways to Change the World about the launch of her new book 'How not to die (Too Soon).
She explains how changing our public health policy could improve life expectancy, what the UK can learn from other countries when it comes to health, and what her own cancer diagnosis taught her about the state of the NHS’ waiting list times.
Once described as the 'comedian's comedian' Stewart Lee has been performing stand up since 1988.
He is known for pushing boundaries with his intelligent, self-referential and often provocative style of comedy but in his new show 'Stewart Lee vs the Man Wulf' he questions his place on the comedy circuit in an era of increasing populism rhetoric and the popularity of, in his words “$60m Netflix comedians of hate.”
In this episode of Ways to Change the World with Krishnan Guru-Murthy he discusses the state of comedy today and what he thinks of the comedy style of comics like Ricky Gervais and Dave Chappelle as well as why he wouldn't tour America right now.
As The Observer, the world's oldest Sunday newspaper begins a new era under Tortoise media he also reflects on his column for the paper which he's stopped after 15 years.
Produced by Holly Snelling and Sachin Croker
Newly appointed National Theatre Director Indhu Rubasingham becomes the first woman and person of colour to lead the theatre in it's 60 year history.
She sat down with Krishnan Guru-Murthy to discuss art, diversity and censorship and taking on her 'dream job.'
Produced by Holly Snelling and Vik Patel.
Joanna Moncrieff is a British psychiatrist, author and researcher who is a prominent and controversial voice in the research of depression.
Her 2002 study ‘The Serotonin Theory of Depression: A Systematic Umbrella Review of the Evidence’ concluded that there was no link between serotonin and depression, debunking the mainstream medical belief in antidepressants.
Moncrieff, whose research has drawn criticism from ‘Big pharma’ and support from fringe figures on the right, speaks to Krishnan Guru-Murthy in the latest episode of Ways to Change the World.
Produced by Silvia Maresca, Ka Yee Mak and Tom Gordon-Martin.
Pia Sinha worked in prisons for 24 years before being appointed CEO of the charity Prison Reform Trust and she describes herself as a "ridiculously optimistic" person, who believes the prisons can be made to work properly.
Sinha started her career in prison as a psychologist and went on to work in female, male prisons and institutions for young offenders. She was the governor at three prisons and later was responsible for all the women’s prisons in the country.
Sinha, who believes many of the prisoners in the UK should not be behind bars, speaks to Krishnan Guru-Murthy in the latest episode of Ways to Change the World.
Produced by Silvia Maresca, Ka Yee Mak and Tom Gordon-Martin.