By Conor Hodges and Olivia Ek
Manchester University Press (MUP) boasts a century-long history of publishing and is world-renowned for its output of humanities and social sciences research. With the aim of getting readers to take a break from the constant stream of new information and think deeply about today’s pressing issues, MUP is launching its new podcast, One Book at a Time.
The title speaks to this aim. By focusing on one book per episode, the podcast gives these authors a platform to talk about the ideas surrounding their books. It’s also a way to bridge the gap between academia and general society, highlighting the important work that academics are doing to understand and provide solutions for some of society’s biggest problems. The episodes are hosted by an in-house editor at MUP, or an expert in the field.
The first episode centres around Adrienne Buller, author of MUP’s bestselling book of 2022, The Value of a Whale. Buller exposes the "solutions" posed by world leaders as dictated by markets and finance rather than what will best help us preserve our planet. She invites the reader to think critically about what our governments promise us and promise each other. The second episode likewise tackles climate change and spotlights Celeste Hicks and her book Expansion Rebellion, which explores the contradiction between expanding Heathrow and committing to fighting climate change.
Recorded and edited by Rob Cave, One Book at a Time is an excellent introduction to those who want to get into reading academic books, and is an insightful exploration of the must-read books that speak with an urgency on recent issues. New episodes of the six-episode series will be released fortnightly and will be available via Acast on most streaming platforms or here.
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