AJ Longreads: Recent Episodes
Al Jazeera
AJ Longreads brings you the best of Al Jazeera's long-form journalism to listen to in your own time.
Pakistan's Christians have long been marginalised and pushed into sewer cleaning work. Now, some are fighting back.
Written by Saad Zuberi.
Read by Laura Lockwood.
In Berlin, comedians from Ukraine and Russia share the same stage as an outlet for their grief and anger about the war.
Written by Verena Hoelzl.
Read by Richard Martin.
How a flourishing underground subculture is providing a welcome escape from the realities of war.
Written by Nils Adler.
Read by Xzavian Wrushen.
Partners caught on different sides of the yearlong conflict reflect on how it has affected their relationships.
Written by Pearly Jacob.
Read by Emma Jones.
Despite the dangers of war, many winemakers have continued to operate, buoyed by growing demand for local wines.
Written by Nils Adler.
Read by Pete Ferrand.
After fleeing the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan, the former head of a girls' school in Kabul tries to make a new life in Canada.
Writtenby Mellissa Fung.
Read by Laura Lockwood.
In Taliban's Afghanistan, Hazara cousins, both blast victims who loved to read and learn, inspire an outdoor library - and new readers.
Written by Ruchi Kumar.
Read by Erica Sand.
As clandestine networks form to support women, they look to Central America for a road map -- and a warning.
This story was written by Delaney Nolan and read by Annie M Dylan.
Reporting for this story was supported by the International Women’s Media Foundation’s Reproductive Rights Reporting Fund.
Widely used in construction for decades, the aftermath of asbestos exposure has been a death sentence for many in the United Kingdom.
Written by Katharine Quarmby.
Read by Richard Martin.
This article is part of a wider cross-border investigation, Asbestos: The Lethal Legacy, led by Investigative Reporting Denmark, edited by Katharine Quarmby, and made in collaboration with journalists from Knack in Belgium, Tygodnik Powszechny and Reporters’ Foundation in Poland, Ostro in Croatia and Slovenia, Investigative Reporting Project Italy, De Groene Amsterdammer in The Netherlands, Grupo Merca2 in Spain, Al Jazeera in the UK and TV2 Nord in Denmark. The investigation is supported by Journalismfund.eu.
Sifting through waste to find and sell scraps of cloth and recyclables use to be enough for Gunja and Chand to support their family. Now they're earning less because of a series of lockdowns and the Russia-Ukraine war.
Written by Suparna Sharma.
Read by Laura Lockwood.
Hunted and exterminated. Meet the scientists who want to return the thylacine back to the ecosystem.
Written by Mary Ann Jolley.
Read by Anthony Milich.
Indian women and girls are being sold by traffickers and forced into marriages against their will for as little as $35. AJ Longreads highlights how under-reported these cases are and how the victims are left feeling abandoned.
Names of the women and children have been changed to protect their identities.
Written by Rifat Fareed.
Read by Mohita Namjoshi.
In Diyarbakır, Turkey, a 24-year-old woman is documenting an ancient practice and making it popular among a new generation.
Written by Jaclynn Ashly.
Read by Erica Sand.
Journalist Afrah Nasser visits her home country of Yemen after more than a decade away. She reflects on the devastating impact war has had on her country and family.
Names have been changed to protect identities.
Read by Olga Rodic.
As the climate crisis causes water levels to plummet, riverbeds to dry and glaciers to melt, artefacts like old warships, an ancient city, a mosque, 'hunger stones' and human remains have emerged. The body of an Indian soldier was found on Siachen Glacier. His widow always hoped he would ‘come home someday’.
This story is part of “Climate artefacts”, a mini-series telling the stories behind the people, places and objects that have been discovered due to drought and warming temperatures.
Written by Rifat Fareed.
Read by Mohita Namjoshi.
Three years after Atatiana Jefferson was shot by a white police officer, stark racial divides, inequality and a lack of reform plague the US city of Fort Worth.
Written by Tyler Hicks.
Read by Xzavian Wrushen.
Predators and fraudsters are exploiting vulnerable unemployed Nigerians, and the costs are sometimes deadly. AJ Longreads explores how social media is being used to lure victims.
A warning - this story contains details of sexual assault. Names have been changed to protect the privacy of the victims.
Written by Damilola Banjo.
Read by Laura Lockwood.
India's first footballer to play for a European club made history without ever wearing a pair of football boots. As Qatar makes history for being the first country in the Middle East to stage a World Cup, AJ Long reads reflects on how any nation and anyone can make it against the odds.
Written by James Welsh.
Read by Richard Martin.
A team of Russian and Norwegian scientists stumbled upon the fastest-warming hotspot known on earth. Then the war in Ukraine began and research collaboration stalled.
Written by Delaney Nolan.
Read by Mike Paul.
German abuses against the Herero and Nama in Namibia were the 20th century’s first genocide and a brutal harbinger of the Nazi's WWII Holocaust.
Written by Hamilton Wende.
Read by Kokui Selormey.
Years investigating Holocaust atrocities and ISIL war crimes are helping researchers uncover possible Russian abuses in Ukraine. The aim is to collect testimonies that can be used as evidence in prosecuting potential war crimes.
Written by Micah Reddy.
Read by Annie M. Dylan.
As the UK's first rocket launch nears, space enthusiasts, climate activists, scientists and local residents are divided over whether the project is a help or hindrance to the climate crisis.
Written by Frankie Adkins.
Read by Laura Lockwood.
As rents and homelessness rise in New Orleans in the US, we meet Jessica and Terry who have finally been able to find a home. However, they now face new living challenges.
A warning - this story contains references to suicide. If you or a loved one is experiencing suicidal thoughts, help is available. Visit www.befrienders.org for more information.
Written by Delaney Nolan.
Read by Pete Ferrand.
Maryna, whose son died in 2014, counsels soldiers' mothers and partners as she worries about her army-bound foster son.
Women in war: A psychologist helps Ukrainian soldiers' families - part of a series telling the stories of women in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Written by Amandas Ong.
Read by Emma Jones.
Rights activists and carers are filling the gap as the war creates huge challenges in accessing disability support. Medical supplies, food and financial aid have become increasingly more difficult.
Written by Amandas Ong.
Read by Laura Lockwood.
Journalist Lexie Harrison-Cripps highlights the plight of women making the journey to Europe by sea. She shares how a mother with young children managed to survive this incredibly dangerous Mediterranean crossing.
Written and read by Lexie Harrison-Cripps.
In Afghanistan, a new generation continues a family tradition of crafting handmade dentures - a special business the sons are determined to ensure never dies.
Written by Lynzy Billing.
Read by Richard Martin.
Frances Glessner Lee was a diorama-maker, criminal investigation educator and the first female police captain in the US. She revolutionised the study of crime scenes and highlighted its importance in solving cases.
Written by Nicole Johnson.
Read by Annie M Dylan.
Chronically ill and injured patients evacuated from the embattled east find treatment in the west's safer hospitals.
Written by Amandas Ong .
Read by Pete Ferrand.
For much of the post-Soviet era, 'Z' was the symbol of a music festival in Crimea that united people across borders.
Written by Clément Girardot.
Read by Serhij Zulkarnieiev.
On this week’s AJ Longreads, we go inside a Nigerian hospital ward treating Lassa, a virus that infects up to 300,000 people in West Africa each year.
Written by Femke van Zeijl.
Read by Mapendo Munthali.
A year on from the takeover of the Taliban in Afghanistan, issues of child marriage, access to education and financial hardship are leaving women and girls to wonder what the future holds for them.
Written by Robyn Huang.
Read by Mohita Namjoshi.
As part of Al Jazeera's series on murdered women, we explore the life and death of Sabina Nessa. Her family say she was ‘a kind and generous soul’. But they question why there was not wider media attention about her death and why some lives get more coverage than others.
Written by Julie Bindel.
Read by Laura Lockwood.
Journalist Lexie Harrison-Cripps recently boarded a Doctors Without Borders search and rescue ship along one of the world’s deadliest migration routes.
The remote location makes it virtually impossible to report on without an invitation from an NGO. As a result, every year thousands of people live - and die - in horrific conditions while governments go unchecked.
Written and read by Lexie Harrison-Cripps.
In times of war, safeguarding valuable artefacts including those signifying Ukrainian statehood has become a priority for cultural heritage workers.
Written and read by Nils Adler.
For black opal miners in Lightning Ridge, Australia, the search for one of the world’s most sought-after gems is just as alluring as the stone itself.
Written by Zoe Osborne and Alex Kitanov. Read by me, Emma Jones.
New mental health options are being made available in northern Iraq, but psychotherapists are worried that without continued support, progress will halt.
Written by Lynzy Billing.
Read by Loveday Smith.
We’re in Georgia where the village territory of Khurvaleti is increasingly affected by Russian forces demarcating the 'border' of breakaway state South Ossetia.
Written by Clément Girardot with contributed reporting by Tamar Kalandadze.
Read by Pete Ferrand.
Katy Fallon spent months reporting on the Greek islands in the Eastern Aegean. Once praised for welcoming thousands of refugees...it's now become a place of widespread reports of human rights violations.
Written and read by Katy Fallon.
Suicides have spiked dramatically in the historically remote region. Is breakneck social change to blame?
Written and read by Alizeh Kohari.
Pope Francis has apologised for the Roman Catholic Church's involvement in Indigenous residential schools in Canada. For more than 160 years children were abused in Canada’s residential school system. More than 60 percent of them were run by the Catholic Church.
But following the pope's apology, can survivors forgive?
Written by Brandi Morin.
Read by Laura Lockwood.
In Poland, a tale of two borders. On the Belarusian border, refugees face pushbacks and detention.
Written and read by Nils Adler
As activists highlight risks for LGBTQ community, Germany’s Quarteera welcomes Ukrainian refugees and Russian exiles.
Written by Gouri Sharma.
Read by Emma Jones.
An Iraqi Kurd and a Ukrainian, part of families with young children, take us through a day in their lives as refugees.
This story is written by Amandas Ong and Nils Adler.
Michael Kotutwa Johnson is on a mission to show that millennia of Native American land practices can provide valuable lessons for growing food and sustaining the Earth.
Written by Jane Palmer. Read by Laura Lockwood.
Mothers in Kenya whose sons have been killed by police brutality are fighting for justice, and in turn, protect other young men.
Written by Jaclynn Ashly.
Read by Pete Ferrand.
Silent Voices is a radio show in Nigeria that offers support to women and minors who are victims of violence to seek justice. By exposing perpetrators, the show aims to galvanise others to reach out, so that they too can get help.
Written by Ope Adetayo.
Read by Pete Ferrand.
Sarah Eagle Heart is a storyteller and an award-winning producer. She wants to heal her people through telling Indigenous stories.
Written by Brandi Morin.
Read by Emma Jones.
It’s been nearly two months since Russia invaded Ukraine. For one family from Kyiv, the invasion greatly threatened their elderly father's life. So, they embarked on a dangerous journey to get him out.
Written by Zoe Osborne. Read by Laura Lockwood.
His day job is taxing people around Sri Lanka, but what Andrew Silva does in his spare time is truly life changing. With a car full of DNA tests and a natural detective's instinct, he's helping to reunite adopted children with their birth mothers.
Written by Bhavya Dore.
Read by Loveday Smith.
For this Al Jazeera series on inspiring yet overlooked women, Sanam Maher was drawn to the story of Dr Summaiya Syed. She’s fighting to change the way sexual assault is documented in Pakistan. The country has an abysmally low rate of conviction in such cases.
Written and read by Sanam Maher.
As Germany sees an uptick in anti-Russian sentiment, Ukrainian and Russian restaurant staff band together to oppose war.
Written by Gouri Sharma/
Read by Sergej Zulkarneev.
This is the story of Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi who went from the front lines of anti-racist activism to success in politics and business.
“I want my legacy to be that of a woman who believed in justice, equality and doing what is right. "
Written by Thabi Myeni. Read by Jo de Frias.
Bibiana Martin was 12 years old when she joined the forest rangers. Twenty years later, she is still protecting parks.
Written by Sam Mednick.
Read by Laura Lockwood.
When the recently married resident of Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan province disappeared, her family feared the worst.
Written by Sanam Maher.
Read by Mohita Namjoshi
In the mountains of Kayah State, a former wedding photographer is taking on Myanmar's military.
Written by Caleb Quinley.
Read by Laura Lockwood.
For space enthusiasts from Qatar to Finland, the US to the UK, astrophotography is a hobby, an art, a science and sometimes an obsession.
Written and read by Colin Baker.
When Novak Djokovic was detained in Melbourne during the Australian Open he was held at the Park Hotel. Someone you probably haven't heard of was also in custody there at the same time. Mehdi Ali, a refugee, has grown up in one of the most notorious immigration detention systems in the world. Here's his open letter to the Minister for Immigration.
Read by Ray Jericho.
Journalist Nils Adler takes us through the human story behind the Ukraine crisis. Residents he speaks to wonder what the future holds if Russia invades.
On this week's AJ Long Reads we're on the trail of a pirate.
Written by Delaney Nolan.
Read by Richard Martin.
Pressure on communities in Russia comes as regional elites and big companies look to develop resource-rich Indigenous lands.
Written by Mansur Mirovalev.
Read by Pete Ferrand
Hundreds of Afghans risked their lives to assist the US military with interpreting and other services after 9-11. Fearing for their lives, many have been desperate to leave since the Taliban re-took power. But even before August 2021, interpreters found themselves feeling abandoned.
Written by Sayed Jalal Shajjan.
Read by me Ben Mitchell.
This week we have the untold story of a shared history that is now coming to light.This is 'the radio station at the heart of an India-GDR friendship'.
Written by Gouri Sharma
Read by Mohita Namjoshi
In August 2021, the Taliban took back control in Afghanistan. Tens of thousands of people fled remembering how in the 1990s the group ruled through fear. But one Afghan woman has chosen to stay - even in the face of fear and uncertainty.
This is Nadima.
On this week's AJ Long Reads we revisit Nigeria’s unregulated human egg industry. It's a booming fertility business, but women who donate their eggs face unfavourable conditions along with health and safety risks.
Written by Mariam Adetona.
Read by Mapendo Munthali.
With the Lebanese state in crisis, some unlikely characters are imposing law and order in one of the country’s most neglected regions.
‘We do the police’s job’: Defending Lebanon’s most lawless towns was written by David Wood and Jacob Boswall.
Read by Mike Paul.
After Hurricane Ida, Chief Shirell and her tribe aim to rebuild even as sinking land, government neglect imperil their survival.
Written by Delaney Nolan
Read by Sheila Sharma
After post-coup protests, Karen State in Myanmar faced a crackdown by the nation's armed forces, the Tatmadaw. Now, many rebuild, while others grow defiant.
Ready by Loveday Smith.
In central Nigeria, the farmer-herder conflict is now one of the country's deadliest security threats after Boko Haram in the northeast and banditry in the northwest.
Hear from the witness accounts.
Written by Alfred Olufemi.
Ready by Elizabeth Omolale.
Brandi Morin has been reporting on the mass graves of Indigenous children recently discovered at residential schools in Canada. Being Cree, Iroquoi and French, she was naturally pulled to investigate this story.
This story is written and read by Brandi Morin.
At 102 years old, Ebou Janha, is the only surviving veteran of 1 Gambia Regiment – soldiers who helped the British fight against Japanese troops in then-Burma during the Second World War.
On this week’s AJ Longreads… The last warrior of Africa's ‘Forgotten Army’: The Gambia and World War II
Written by Will McBain.
Read by Loveday Smith.
In an insecure part of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, where some of the world’s most valuable minerals are mined, impoverished women and girls sell their bodies to put food on the table.
Written by by Olivia Acland
Read by Emma Jones
The MeToo movement took down powerful men across the spectrum of high profile careers. But how much do powerful lecturers still impact the lives and careers of younger women?
The AJ I-Unit investigates.
Written and read by Alex Howlett.
A survivor of an attack in Solhan, Burkina Faso gives a harrowing account of the massacre.
Written by Sam Mednick.
Read by Ben Mitchell.
Nigeria’s unregulated human egg industry is a booming fertility business, but women who donate their eggs face unfavourable conditions and health and safety risks.
Written by Mariam Adetona.
Read by Mapendo Munthali.
In a seven-year conflict, widespread traumatic brain injuries and PTSD are now coming to light.
Written by Nils Adler.
Read by Ben Mitchell.
Brandon Jackson is one of more than 1,500 people incarcerated in Louisiana on non-unanimous verdicts, which the United States Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional last year. Will he get a chance at freedom?
Written by Nicholas Chrastil.
Read by Mike Paul.
As the economic crisis grinds on, Lebanese navigate soaring food costs and fuel and medicine shortages.
Written by Arwa Ibrahim.
Read by Loveday Smith.
Nearly 500 asylum seekers held a two-month-long hunger strike in a bid to obtain the right to live and work legally in Belgium. But what has been achieved and what comes next?
Written by Sarah Murphy Madia. Read by Michael Paul.
How one woman is determined to stay despite the uncertain future that women like her face in the country.
Nadima, in her own words.
The first commercial flight has taken off from Kabul, Afghanistan. It had been closed since August 30th when the US ended operations to evacuate diplomats, foreigners and Afghans considered at risk from the Taliban.
One of them was Sharif Safi. The Afghan activist reflects on how he fled to safety, and the hopelessness he feels for his country and its people.
Read by Ben Mitchell.
Al Jazeera asks writers to reflect on the environment they grew up in and how it has shaped their lives.
In "The land we came from" series, Terese Marie Mailhot writes about how she hates '"to think the place I played in as a child might someday become unrecognisable, but I still give thanks."
Read by Sheila Sharma.
Why one Afghan woman refuses to leave her home - even in the face of fear and uncertainty as the Taliban resume control.
By Nadima
It's been seven months since Poland introduced a near total ban on abortions, including cases where there are severe foetal defects. The procedure is now only allowed in cases of rape, incest or when the pregnancy threatens the mother's life.
Al Jazeera checks in with women whom are struggling with the emotional toll of the ban.
Written by Ylenia Gostoli.
Read by Lisa Brandt.
This reporting was supported by the International Women’s Media Foundation’s Howard G Buffett Fund for Women Journalists.
This week on AJ Longreads we’re in Kashmir where residents are bucking the trend for lavish weddings. This is The Kashmir village that outlawed dowries by Sharafat Ali.
Read by Mohita Namjoshi.
As assisted dying becomes legal in a growing number of US states, are people being given a right to choose how they die - or are they dying before their time?
Written by Allison Wallis
Read by Lisa Brandt
Throughout history, women have been held responsible for upholding the ‘honour’ of their families.
Written by Rana Husseini
Read by Yousef Abdel Nabi
As Mexico’s reservoirs run dry, the fishermen, farmers and ranchers stuck on the drying lake beds wonder how they will survive.
Written by Arnaud De Decker and Jules Emile
Read by Mike Paul
Meseret started working for a Lebanese family as a domestic worker soon after arriving from Ethiopia in 2011. A little over a year later, she stopped calling her family. Her story of abuse would eventually surface -- along with those from other migrants who'd hoped to seek a better life abroad.
Written by Zecharias Zelalem.
Read by Mapendo Munthali.
Anwar Ditta’s heart-breaking recollections from the 1970s and '80s, expose a very dark moment in British society.
Her story came to define an era of Asian anti-racist resistance.
Written by Bryan Knight.
Read by Mike Paul.
The longing for home or for those who've left in search of a better life is summed up in one word. Sodade. Cape Verde and its sons and daughters of singers, poets and musicians capture it all in mornas. AJ Long Reads explores this musical practice as Cape Verdeans observe independence from Portugal on July 5th,
Written by-Beatriz Ramalho da Silva.
Read by Jo de Frias.
Cremation on a funeral pyre made from wood has long been part of India's elaborate ritual to honour the dead, but not during the second deadly wave of Covid.
"Funerals have been reduced to just getting rid of the dead body because people are very scared of contracting the virus,”
In Tales from an Indian Crematorium ,we hear about one of the hardest jobs going.
Written by Saurabh Sharma.
Read by me Mohita Namjoshi.
For LGBTQ+ Pride Month, Queer Indians who battle family expectations and social pressures to live their authentic lives, share their stories.
Written by Payal Dhar.
Read by Iraaj Majumdar.
This September will mark 20 years since the start of the US war in Afghanistan. After Al-Qaeda members hijacked four commercial airliners then President George W. Bush vowed to win the war against terrorism. Al Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden in Afghanistan were the targets.
In the years that followed, hundreds of Afghans risked their lives to assist the US military with interpreting and other services. They’ve since found themselves abandoned as the US pulls out of Afghanistan. Written by Sayed Jalal Shajjan.
Read by me Ben Mitchell.
In northwest Bosnia, stranded Afghan fathers are desperate to reunite with their families over the border in Croatia – and risk their own safety in order to do so.
Written by Lucy Papachristou. Read by Ben Mitchell.
In claustrophobic north India, where generations have grown up breathing in deadly air, dust is a normal part of everyday life.
Written by Anandi Mishra.
Read by Mohita Namjoshi.
"They looked at my ocean, lived my dream. My mother’s other daughter was the me that I wished I could be."
Personal essay written by Nicole Johnson. Read by Lisa Brandt.
It’s mental health awareness month, and we're bringing you a story from writer Joyce Hayden, who talks about her experiences with dissociation.
Read by Emma Jones.
This story includes accounts of sexual assault from the start that some listeners might find triggering.
What happens when we move away from the shadow of Alzheimer's to a world we remember, even if for a moment?
Written by Jess Sellers. Read by Loveday Smith
A small CSI unit in the Afghan capital must overcome incredible obstacles to solve crime.
Written by Lynzy Billing. Read by Mike Paul
Two journalists travelled from the North Cape to Sicily to document a Europe divided by the coronavirus crisis. Written by Per Christian Selmer-Anderssen and Kyrre Lien and read by Amira Abujbara.