The Wonder Podcast for curious kids: Recent Episodes
Wonder Audio
All kinds of wonderful: a podcast for curious kids. Extraordinary true stories about the world's infinite wonders
Season 6 of The Wonder Podcast is all about books for newly independent readers, be they murder mysteries, comics, or science fiction. This week we recommend to you the Greek myths, specifically Homer's The Odyssey brilliantly retold by the British author Geraldine McCaughrean. It's a slim book but the stories practically sing on the page such is the vivacity of McCaughrean's retelling. They are for every child, startling and exciting. Or, indeed, for every parent to read aloud to and share with their children.
Season 6 of The Wonder Podcast for Curious Kids is all about books for newly independent readers. We'll be recommending lots of different types of books including fantasy, science fiction and comics. We start with a murder mystery: Five Little Pigs by the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie.
Do listen to the audiobook version, if you prefer. To us it doesn't matter how you take in a story. Finding a book you enjoy is the most important thing. It'll stay with you forever.
Have you ever wondered why football is called the beautiful game, why male footballers are paid so much, and female footballers much less so?
As the UEFA Women's EURO 2025 Championships are hosted in Switzerland we look at the rise and fall and rise again of the women's game.
Why was the First World War a golden age? What was the impact of the ban from the FA in 1921? And can England's Lionesses retain their 2022 trophy?
Today 2.3 million girls play football around the world - are you one of them?
Narrated by Georgia Vyvyan
Script by Poppy Faure Walker
Produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas
Sound editing by Lou Sawdy
Theme music by James Burrell Music
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Why are naughty children so appealing as characters?
Do you have to be a nice person to write children's books?
Was Walt Disney a villain?
We ask Sam Leith, the author of 'The Haunted Wood, A History of Childhood Reading' these questions, and many more
Produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas and Henrietta McMicking
Sound editing by Lou Sawdy
Theme music by James Burrell Music
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It is one of the most famous, and mysterious, stone circles in the world but who built it, and why?
Was it an ancient calendar? A place of worship, or pilgrimage? Or a burial ground? Or, as some people have even suggested, a landing pad for alien spaceships?
Today we can only guess at Stonehenge’s original purpose. But what remains of this 5,000-year-old monument – which sits within a sacred landscape on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England – offers extraordinary clues.
Narrated by Camilla Akers-Douglas
Script by Camilla Akers-Douglas
Produced by Henrietta McMicking
Sound editing by Lou Sawdy
Theme music by James Burrell Music
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Have you ever heard of Ada Lovelace? Or Augusta Ada Byron or the Countess of Lovelace, as she became?
Ada is credited with writing the first-ever computer program 100 years before the computer was invented. She was also a brilliant mathematician and an aristocratic Victorian.
Today we remember her as the daughter of the poet Lord Byron, a digital pioneer and the celebrated creator of the first computer algorithm.
And every time we play a computer game or even listen to a podcast we are a part of her legacy.
Narrated by Henrietta McMicking
Script by Henrietta McMicking
Produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas
Sound editing by Lou Sawdy
Theme music by James Burrell Music
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Have you ever thought about the importance of wee? Urine, to give it its proper name, has flowed through human history.
The Romans used it to whiten their togas as well as their teeth. Children in the Middle Ages worked as piss collectors because it was such a valued product in the leather and wool industries.
In times of war wee has come into its own. Stale pee was used in the manufacture of gun powder. In the absence of clean water, it was used to disinfect wounds. And soldiers in the First World War placed urine-socked socks over their mouths to protect themselves from chlorine gas (when there weren't enough gas masks to go round).
There is so much more to wee than the waste liquid we flush down the toilet each day.
Narrated by Laura Howarth
Script by Henrietta McMicking
Produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas
Sound editing by Lou Sawdy
Theme music by James Burrell Music
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Have you ever wondered why we love playing games – board games, card games, computer games, even playground games like It and Kick the Can?
There are many wonderful, crazy games – card games like Pokemon and Whist, Exploding Kittens and Uno; games of dice like Perudo; pattern games with tiles like Rummicub; and board games such as Cluedo.
Some are based around exciting stories: explorers settling a new land – Catan; an army at war – the game of chess; exploring, building and surviving in an imaginary wold – Minecraft.
Games let us experiment and take risks in a safe, fun way. Many games involve luck – like the throw of the dice, the draw of the cards – but they also involve maths. And, sometimes, using maths can help you win…
Narrated by Camilla Akers-Douglas
Script by Camilla Akers-Douglas
Produced by Henrietta McMicking
Sound editing by Lou Sawdy
Theme music by James Burrell Music
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What would it be like to discover a whole city hiding in the cloud forest?
This podcast – for parents and their children – tells the thrilling story of the rediscovery of Machu Picchu, the Andean citadel built by the Incas in 1400.
For hundreds of years, it was covered in undergrowth and known only to local people in a small corner of Peru. Then the American adventurer, Hiram Bingham, found it in 1911. The extraordinary mountaintop city has now been designated one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
Narrated by Jamie Chetwood
Script by Henrietta McMicking
Produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas
Sound editing by Lou Sawdy
Theme music by James Burrell Music
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Are pirates daring adventurers of the high seas or simply ruthless thieves who plunder ships, attack innocent passengers and send shivers down the spines of ordinary sailors?
This podcast – for parents and their children – reminds us that pirates can be dastardly and daring in equal measure, brave yet fuse-burningly terrifying, and not nearly so jolly as one might like to think.
Narrated by Oliver Akers-Douglas
Script by Camilla Akers-Douglas
Produced by Henrietta McMicking
Sound editing by Lou Sawdy
Theme music by James Burrell Music
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Did you know that people with dyslexia can make very good spies? And people with autism are likely to have been the driving force of human creativity for the last 100,000 years?
Dyslexia, dyscalculia, ADHD and autism are often misunderstood as negative conditions, when really they indicate strengths as well as struggles.
This episode is narrated by the comedian Rory Bremner who has ADHD. He encourages children – parents and teachers too – to think differently about neurodiversity, reminding us that like a fingerprint we all have a brain that is individual to us. People think differently and process information differently because their brain is wired differently. And, in the right circumstances, that's a strength.
Narrated by Rory Bremner
Script by Camilla Akers-Douglas
Produced by Henrietta McMicking
Sound editing by Max Watson
Theme music by James Burrell Music
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Have you ever wondered why humans chose to ride horses? It was a moment in history which changed the future of both species forever.
This relationship has endured for over five thousand years, and the horse has been described as one of the greatest technologies that man has ever harnessed.
Horses are prized for their speed, strength and adaptability, and revolutionised transport, war, farming and more. But it hasn't always been a happy partnership.
Listen and enjoy
Narrated by Alexandra Tolstoy
Sound editing by Max Watson
Script by Henrietta McMicking
Produced by Henrietta McMicking and Camilla Akers-Douglas
Theme music by James Burrell Music
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To contact us email camilla@wonderaudio.couk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk
Have you ever wondered who had the bright idea of inventing the light bulb?
Well, it’s credited to a rather unusual man, Thomas Edison. An man who had a gift – not so much for inventing as for taking an existing idea, and finding ways to make it better, or cheaper, or both.
During his lifetime Thomas Edison invented a truly extraordinary range of things – ideas that define our modern world – but he is best known for inventing the electric light bulb. And guess what? He didn’t even invent it. People had been making wires glow with heat since 1761. But he worked out that by using a carbonised bamboo filament a bulb could last over 1,200 hours.
His whole life is an extraordinary true story. We hope you enjoy listening.
Narrated by Sophia Milburn
Sound editing by Max Watson
Script by Camilla Akers-Douglas
Produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas and Henrietta McMicking
Theme music by James Burrell Music
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To contact us, email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk
There’s a group of almost 4,000 volunteers known as the White Helmets. They have become famous for their bravery in the Syrian civil war. They are famous too for the white hardhats they wear. Most of the volunteers are men but there are also around 200 women.
Their proper name is the Syria Civil Defence. They have been trained to protect and help people during war and disasters. They are unarmed and neutral which means they have promised to help anyone no matter their religion, background, or which side they are on. This is a true story about ordinary people who become heroes in war.
Narrated by Harriet Dunlop
Sound editing by Max Watson
Script by Henrietta McMicking
Produced by Camila Akers-Douglas and Henrietta McMicking
Theme music by James Burrell Music
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To contact us email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk
Have you ever considered what an extraordinary invention plastic is? The word plastic means mouldable and therein lies its ingenuity, it can be moulded into every conceivable size shape and colour. It can be thick or thin, large or small, strong or delicate.
Plastic is complicated: it has life saving medical uses but is life threatening to the natural world. Almost every piece of plastic ever made still exists today. Listen and explore how in just 150 years this synthetic material has got into every corner of our lives.
Narrated by Henrietta McMicking
Sound editing by Max Watson
Script by Henrietta McMicking
Produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas and Henrietta McMicking
Theme music by James Burrell Music
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To contact us, email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk
Have you ever wondered about the power of the moon? Craned your neck and stared, deep, into her mysteries? Like a wolf howling through the night, what questions would you ask of her, what secrets would you try to uncover?
The moon has the power to conjure werewolves. It controls the tides of our seas and oceans, and it has inspired mankind to reach for a new frontier. Its power to capture our imagination and to keep us asking questions is legendary...
Narrated by Ben Ellis
Sound editing by Max Watson
Script by Tom Catchpole
Produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas and Henrietta McMicking
Theme music by James Burrell Music
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To contact us, email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk
Have you ever wondered what is actually inside a packet of crisps? Potatoes, obviously, you would think. Air, perhaps just as obviously – but it’s not the air you are expecting. There's history in there too, and rivalry. Who made the very first potato crisp?
And, what exactly is a crisp? Or potato chip, as they say in America. To be a crisp, does it need to be literally a thin slice of potato? Or can it be a maize – or puff corn – snack, like a Wotsit? And have you ever noticed how eating a crisp is both a savoury, and a sonic, experience? Listen, and discover so much more.
Narrated by William Scott-Masson
Sound editing by Max Watson
Script by Camilla Akers-Douglas
Produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas and Henrietta McMicking
Theme music by James Burrell Music
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To contact us, email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk
Have you ever wondered what exactly are the Crown Jewels, or why kings and queens wear crowns?
We tell the extraordinary history of the British Crown Jewels, and how over the centuries they have been lost and stolen, melted down, and remade. Among the crowns, sceptres and orbs, there is even a single stone – the Koh-i-Noor diamond – which is believed to be so cursed that kings are afraid to wear it.
You may well ask yourself, how are these things relevant to me? Well, as symbols of power they are invaluable, literally and symbolically, to both you, and I, and the State – although it is unlikely that we will ever wear a crown ourselves.
Narrated by Luke Irwin
Sound editing by Max Watson
Script by Camilla Akers-Douglas
Produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas and Henrietta McMicking
Theme music by James Burrell Music
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To contact us, email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk
How do we see? And how do we see colour? Does the world look the same through another person's eyes? In this podcast discover how the human eye works and how it sees colour.
You may be surprised to learn that not everyone sees colour in the same way: a few are colour blind; others are tetrachromats which means they have an extra type of cone cell in their eye, and can see as many as 100 million different colours.
While dogs' eyes are quite similar to our own, insects have completely different eyes from people, and can see colours of light not visible to the human eye, such as ultra violet and infrared.
And, believe it or not, there are even more colours in the rainbow than you might ever have realised 🌈
This podcast is read by Camilla Akers-Douglas, with sound editing by Max Watson. The script was written by Nicola Kličková and Tomáš Klička, and produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas and Henrietta McMicking. Our theme music is by James Burrell
To contact us, email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk
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Why do we worry? And what can we do about it? This episode explains to children that day-to-day worries are a normal part of life. In fact, sometimes worry is a positive, rather than negative, thing. When faced with predators, a sense of fear protected our ancient ancestors and, even today, it can push us out of our comfort zone. And when it all gets a bit too much, there are things we can do to relieve some of our worries, as we explain.
This podcast is written, and read to you, by Henrietta McMicking, with special thanks to child and adolescent therapist Ruth Burnett. It was produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas, with sound editing by Max Watson. Our theme music is by James Burrell
To contact us, email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk
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Have you ever wondered why poo is funny? It’s stinky. It’s perfectly revolting, but if you say the word poo a few times, children – and some adults – start to smile, even laugh.
And it can, of course, be surprisingly useful – as a food source, a fertiliser and for marking animal territory. But adult humans don’t tend to like talking about poo so we thought we'd do just that instead.
This podcast is written, and read to you, by Camilla Akers-Douglas, with sound editing by Max Watson. It was produced by Henrietta McMicking. Our theme music is by James Burrell
To contact us, email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk
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Have you ever sent a secret message to a friend? Or tried to use a clever code to protect a secret? Have you ever tried to crack a code? There are many ingenious ways to conceal, and reveal, a secret message.
Keeping secrets, and code breaking, can be a matter of life and death, as Mary, Queen of Scots found out to her cost. Alan Turing's work as a code breaker during WW11 may have shortened the war by two years and saved 14 million lives. Today super-fast computers give us new ways to encrypt messages but, as ever, there is a constant race between those who create new methods of encryption and those who want to break it.
This podcast is read by Luke Irwin, with sound editing by Max Watson. The script was written by Nicola Kličková and Tomáš Klička, and produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas and Henrietta McMicking. Our theme music is by James Burrell
To contact us, email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk
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All around the world during the darkest months of winter people light candles and look forward to a time of new hope. Why do Christians celebrate Christmas at this time of year? Why do Jewish people, Hindus, Jains, Sihks and some Buddhists celebrate with festivals of light at this darkest time? And how does Christmas vary from country to country? No matter how hard Oliver Cromwell, the Grinch and Covid-19 try, it really is impossible to cancel Christmas.
This podcast is read by Henrietta McMicking with sound editing by Max Watson. The script was written by Henrietta McMicking and produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas. Our theme music is by James Burrell
To contact us, email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk
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Wherever they sailed, they plundered, pillaged and stole, so the story goes. But were the Vikings really the fierce invaders of the history books who ransacked our monasteries and captured human slaves? Or where they simply peaceful traders with an interest in travel?
The clue is in the names: the word Viking did not originally mean a single group of people. It meant a pirate or raider. And with names like Thorfinn Skullsplitter, Eric Bloody Axe and Hairy Breeches, could they really have just been traders?
In this podcast we look at the clues left behind by history and ask, just how berserk did the Vikings go?
This podcast is read by Oliver Akers-Douglas with sound editing by Max Watson. The script was written by Camilla Akers-Douglas and produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas and Henrietta McMicking. Our theme music is by James Burrell
To contact us, email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk
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It is exactly 400 years since a ship called the Mayflower arrived on the east coast of America, bringing 102 English settlers to the New World. Today some 35 million people all over the USA claim to have had an ancestor on the Mayflower. As they built their colony on the Massachusetts coast, the so-called Pilgrims encountered the Wampanoag people who were unsure about the threat the new arrivals posed. The settlement became known as Plymouth, or Patuxet to the local tribes.
This podcast is read by Pandora Colin with sound editing by Max Watson. The script was written by Henrietta McMicking, and produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas and Henrietta McMicking. Our theme music is by James Burrell
To contact us, email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk
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Have you ever wondered why chocolate tastes so good, why it is so completely and utterly scrumdiddlyumptious? In fact the raw cocoa bean tastes horrible, and it takes a lot to turn this tropical rainforest nut into chocolate. Humans have loved it for longer than you might think, and the Aztecs drank it before going into battle. But only about 120 years ago, after a young Swiss company called Nestlé started adding milk and sugar to chocolate, did we really fall in love with it. Besides eating it, and drinking it, we have also used it as currency, to disguise a bomb and as a prop in early horror films.
This podcast is read by Thomasina Miers with sound editing by Max Watson. The script was written by Camilla Akers-Douglas and produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas and Henrietta McMicking. Our theme music is by James Burrell
To contact us, email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk
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Have you wondered if zero is actually a number? Or if infinity is a number or a concept? What is an imaginary number? And how do numbers explain the shape of the ancient pyramids? Why is the number 60 so interesting? Just how large is the number Googol, the number that gives a certain search engine its name? And how does maths make our world more beautiful? Listen, and discover.
This podcast is read by Luke Irwin with sound editing by Max Watson. The script was written by Tomáš Klička and Nicola Kličková, and produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas and Henrietta McMicking. Our theme music is by James Burrell
To contact us, email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk
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Her real name was Krystyna Skarbek. She was Polish but spied for the British during WW11. She was brilliant and daring in a male-dominated field. And a law unto her self. She took risks few others would have done. And saved lives with her rare ingenuity. Codenames and pseudonyms, she had many: Madame Marchand, Jacqueline Armande or just plain Pauline. And, of course, Christine Granville. She was a real-life female James Bond. And, it is said that she was Ian Fleming’s inspiration for Vespar Lynd, the female double agent in his first-ever James Bond novel, Casino Royale.
This podcast is read by Lucasta Cummings with sound editing by Max Watson. The script was written by Henrietta McMicking and produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas. Our theme music is by the amazing James Burrell
To contact us, email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk
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Once the heavens were the domain of just gods and angels – which is one of the reasons why Icarcus fell back to earth. Humans only really mastered flight when they developed their understanding of two crucial concepts: lift and thrust.
In the early 1900s, with the invention of the petrol engine, the Wright brothers took to the sky in a biplane, albeit for only 59 seconds at first. By 1949, when the first commercial jet-engine airliner crossed the Atlantic Ocean, 44 passengers were considered a lot. Today the world’s largest airliner – the mighty Airbus A380 – can hold more than 600 people and fly over 8,000 miles without refuelling. And, aeronautical engineers are working on improving the design and efficiency of the planes of the future even further.
This podcast is read by Luke Irwin with sound editing by Max Watson. The script was written by Tomáš Klička and Nicola Kličková, and produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas and Henrietta McMicking. Our theme music is by the amazing James Burrell
To contact us, email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk
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Welcome to Season 2 of The Wonder Podcast. This episode tells the true story of a thief who stole the Mona Lisa. Every year 10 million visitors come to the Louvre museum in Paris to see this portrait of a 16th-century Italian noblewoman by Leonardo da Vinci. But it was not until she was stolen on 21 August, 1911 that the Mona Lisa achieved global fame. So who took her, and why wasn't she found for over two years? Did you know that Pablo Picasso was even a suspect?
This podcast is read by Henrietta McMicking with sound editing by Max Watson. The script was written by Henrietta McMicking, and produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas. Our theme music is by the amazing James Burrell To contact us, email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk Social media Twitter @wonder_podcast Facebook @wonderpodcasts Instagram @wonderpodcasts Our thanks to Ruthie Knapp, author of the children’s picture book ‘Who Stole Mona Lisa?’, for first alerting us to this story
The new coronavirus has had a huge impact on our daily lives, and has made some people very sick but others who caught it haven’t been ill at all. You might be wondering how we fight off illnesses like coronavirus.
This week’s episode is about the immune system and how it works to protect humans from diseases caused by viruses and bacteria. Using the garden as an analogy, we explain the difference between red and white blood cells, and the innate and adaptive immune system.
In order to make this serious but relevant subject more fun, we break with our narrative style to tell the story in dialogue form. This episode is read by both Henrietta McMicking and Arthur Akers-Douglas. We are eternally grateful to our amazing sound editor Max Watson. The script was written by Nicola Booth and produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas and Henrietta McMicking. Our theme music is by James Burrell.
To contact us, email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk
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What do we love about a good film? Is it that they transport us to a different world? To places where our imagination can take flight?
The films of Studio Ghibli are full of strange creatures and extraordinary flying machines; places where sprites live and incredible transformations are possible; and lots of cats – even a cat that looks like a bus. They celebrate the beauty of nature, daring invention, and explore the idea of unlikely gods and spirits that lie just beyond our understanding.
The Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki set up Studio Ghibli in 1985. Since then he has written and directed 12 anime films. With titles like Spirited Away and Castle in the Sky, he take us to fantasy landscapes where anything can happen, and magic is just around the corner.
This episode is read by the actor Philip McGinley, best known for playing Anguy the Archer in season 3 of Game of Thrones. We are eternally grateful to our amazing sound editor Max Watson. The script was written by Camilla Akers-Douglas and produced by Henrietta McMicking and Camilla Akers-Douglas. Our theme music is by James Burrell.
To contact us, email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk
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Seventy two years ago over 800 passengers arrived in the UK from the Caribbean aboard the Empire Windrush. This episode tells the story of their journey: from their initial optimism to the difficulties they faced adapting to life in Britain.
The Empire Windrush lent its name to the 'Windrush generation', the people that came from the West Indies to live in the UK over a period of 25 years. Not only did they helped rebuild Britain after the Second World War but they enriched its culture too. These people were the parents, and grandparents, of British comedian Lenny Henry, writer Zadie Smith, footballers Ian Wright and Marcus Rashford, Lea-Anne Pinnock from Little Mix – and many more.
The Windrush episode is read by the actor Suzette Llewellyn who plays Sheree in the British soap opera Eastenders. Her own parents came to London from Jamaica.
We are eternally grateful to our amazing sound editor Max Watson. The script was written by Henrietta McMicking, and produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas and Henrietta McMicking. Our theme music is by James Burrell.
To contact us, email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk
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Hello Wonder!
Carnivorous plants are awfully strange, and strangely awful. They may sound like the stuff of nightmares, or science-fiction, but they are most definitely real and ready to commit murder to survive. They attract, then trap, their victims and devour the bodies. These deadly assassins grow in every remote region of the world, except Antartica. And lurk underwater too.
In episode three of The Wonder Podcast we discover how these plants have evolved their murderous tendencies, and why they grow into weird and wonderful shapes – jaw-shapes, urn-shapes or even toilet-shapes, complete with loo seat and lid.
This podcast is read by Luke Irwin with sound editing by Max Watson. The script was written by Camilla Akers-Douglas, and produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas and Henrietta McMicking. Our theme music is by the amazing James Burrell. Thanks also to Oli Morgan, mastering engineer at Abbey Road Studios.
To contact us, email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk
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Hello Wonder!
Have you ever wondered, what is the point of sport?
Of kicking a ball? Hitting a ball? Serving a ball?
Of running a race? Of cycling? Or swimming?
Or which jockey, on which horse, finishes first?
Why bother counting the number of runs made by a bat striking a red leather ball?
Why does both playing and watching sport obsess us so? Is it just a game? Or is sport a quest of perfection from which we learn lessons that stay with us forever?
This Wonder podcast is read by the ITV racing presenter Alice Plunkett with sound editing by Max Watson. The script was written by Camilla Akers-Douglas, and produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas and Henrietta McMicking. Our theme music is by the amazing James Burrell. Thanks also to Oli Morgan, mastering engineer at Abbey Road Studios.
To contact us, email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk
Social media Twitter @wonder_podcast Facebook @wonderpodcasts Instagram @wonderpodcasts
Hello Wonder!
The fourth episode of The Wonder Podcast tells the story of a schoolgirl from Pakistan who stood up for girls’ rights to an education. To silence her, the Taliban, a group of religious extremists, shot her.
Malala Yousafzai did not just survive: she became the youngest person ever to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Her journey began in the Swat Valley, a remote corner of Pakistan, and even she does not know where it will end.
After Malala was airlifted to the UK for life-saving surgery, she made a remarkable recovery and a life for herself and her family in Birmingham. Today she is studying at Oxford University, and has met presidents, prime ministers and, of course, the Queen. Malala continues to call for girls everywhere to be allowed to learn, and to lead.
This podcast is read by Anisa Kadri with sound editing by Max Watson. The script was written by Henrietta McMicking, and produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas and Henrietta McMicking. Our theme music is by the amazing James Burrell. Thanks also to Oli Morgan, mastering engineer at Abbey Road Studios.
To learn more about Malala's work, or contribute to the Malala Fund, visit https://malala.org/
To contact us, email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk
Social media Twitter @wonder_podcast Facebook @wonderpodcasts Instagram @wonderpodcasts
Hello Wonder!
Welcome to the first episode of The Wonder Podcast. It tells the story of Buzz Aldrin – fighter pilot, astronaut and member of the first manned space mission to another world – and how he lent his name to a famous Space Ranger superhero. You guessed it, Buzz Lightyear.
Most of us can only dream of adventures to far-off places but 51 years ago two men stepped onto the moon. Back on earth some 600 million people watched, spellbound, as together Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong planted the American flag on the lunar surface. The world was mesmerised then. Even now this story is still captivating.
The Buzz podcast is read by the actor Oliver Milburn, with sound editing by Max Watson. The script was written by Camilla Akers-Douglas, with editing and fact checking by Henrietta McMicking. Our theme music is by the amazing James Burrell. Thanks also to Oli Morgan, mastering engineer at Abbey Road Studios.
We'd love to hear from you. Pictures and jokes are welcome too.
To contact us, email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk
Social media Twitter @wonder_podcast Facebook @wonderpodcasts Instagram @wonderpodcasts
Hello Wonder!
The second episode of The Wonder Podcast tells the story of Queen Mary I who has been called a 16th-century Greta Thunberg – she was passionate, clever and very determined.
She was also the first proper queen of England. Her father Henry VIII once called her ‘the greatest pearl in the kingdom’ yet today she is remembered as ‘Bloody Mary’ since she had hundreds of her Protestant enemies burned at the stake.
All the Tudor kings and queens were ruthless killers. Her father executed some 50,000 people – about two percent of his subjects. And Mary’s sister Elizabeth I’s favourite torture method was to have her enemies hung, drawn and quartered. Does Mary really deserve her bloody nickname?
The Mary I podcast is read by the actor Pandora Colin, with sound editing by Max Watson. The script was written by Henrietta McMicking, with editing by Camilla Akers-Douglas. Our theme music is by the amazing James Burrell. Thanks also to Oli Morgan, mastering engineer at Abbey Road Studios. The painting of Mary 1, by Master John (1544) hangs in London’s National Portrait Gallery.
We would love to hear from you. Pictures and jokes are welcome too.
To contact us, email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk
Social media Twitter @wonder_podcast Facebook @wonderpodcasts Instagram @wonderpodcasts