
‘The English person with a Chinese stomach’: how Fuchsia Dunlop became a Sichuan food hero
19/1/2026 | 30 mins.
The author has been explaining Sichuan cuisine to westerners for decades. But ‘Fu Xia’, as she’s known, has had a profound effect on food lovers in China, too By Leslie T Chang. Read by Ginnia Cheng. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

The dangerous rise of Buddhist extremism: ‘Attaining nirvana can wait’
16/1/2026 | 39 mins.
Still largely viewed as a peaceful philosophy, across much of south-east Asia, the religion has been weaponised to serve nationalist goals By Sonia Faleiro. Read by Dinita Gohil. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

From the archive: Kudos, leaderboards, QOMs: how fitness app Strava became a religion
14/1/2026 | 32 mins.
We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2020: the Strava app offers community, training data and motivation to millions of athletes. Even runners who dislike tech can’t bear to be without it By Rose George. Read by Rhiannon Edwards. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Hard to digest: we still live in Fast Food Nation
12/1/2026 | 38 mins.
Twenty-five years after I revealed the practices of the industrial food giants, the profits – and dangers – of mass producing meat and milk have only grown Written and read by Eric Schlosser. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

‘I wish I could say I kept my cool’: my maddening experience with the NHS wheelchair service
09/1/2026 | 28 mins.
After I was paralysed in a climbing accident, I discovered how inconsiderate, illogical and incompetent many wheelchair providers can be By Paul Sagar. Read by Felipe Pacheco. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod



The Audio Long Read