IWM Podcast Live Festival

11am to 11.45am

How do war stories work? And what do they do to us? Join University of St Andrews historian Alice König and colleagues as they explore how war and peace get presented in art, text, film and music. With the help of expert guests they unpick conflict stories from different periods and places, asking how the tales we tell and the pictures we paint of war and peace influence us as individuals and shape our societies.

11.30am to 12.15pm

WW2 Podcast is a history show looking at all aspects of the Second World War; military history, social history, the battles, the campaigns, tanks, guns and other equipment, the politics and those who ran the war.

In each episode of the podcast, Angus interviews a Second World War expert on a subject. No topics are out of bounds.

Angus Wallace is a long-time military history podcaster, he holds a Master’s degree in History, has lectured at university level and is in the process of completing his PhD. Angus will be joined by guest Matthew Hough, a postgraduate researcher at the University of Leeds, discussing Harold Alexander and the Italian campaign.

12pm to 12.45pm

Cold War Conversations is an award-winning oral history project aimed at recording the stories of the Cold War before they are lost.

The series is hosted by Ian Sanders, acclaimed podcaster, public historian, Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, and part of the Manchester Museum Visitor Team. 

Every week he interviews an eyewitness or historian of the Cold War. Across soldiers, spies, civilians, and others, he aims to cover the whole range of Cold War experiences.

Reading a history book is one thing, but hearing a human voice, with every breath, hesitation and intonation brings a whole new dimension to understanding what it was like to be there.

In this live episode, Ian will interview an RAF driver, who operated in East Germany in a little-known British intelligence organisation called BRIXMIS. Their vehicles were frequently chased, detained and sometimes shot at by both the Soviets and the East Germans.

2pm to 2.45pm

“For you the war is over” is a familiar refrain to those who have watched Second World War Prisoner of War films like The Great Escape, The Colditz Story or The Wooden Horse.

It signified capture, imprisonment and an expected acceptance that one's time as an active belligerent was “over”.

However, for some POWs the opposite was true, and escaping became their goal. For some they were driven by making themselves as much of a nuisance to the enemy as possible, for others it became a sport, while many couldn’t bear captivity and just wanted to get home.

In each episode, we explore the story of a different POW. How were they captured? What was their life like in the prison camps? And how did they attempt to escape?

Hosts Dave Robertson and Tony Hoskins will be joined by guest Clare Derry, to tell the story of her father, Lieutenant Colonel Sam Derry, who was captured in North Africa in 1942.

2.30pm to 3.15pm

Condensed Histories bridges the gap between history and popular culture. In each episode, our host Jem Duducu, takes an item of popular culture and looks under the surface to find real history hiding inside. 

With fascinating facts and stories about history and the development of the piece pop-culture itself, Condensed Histories appeals to history lovers and enthusiasts of movies, games and music alike!

In this live episode, Jem is joined by IWM's Head of Public History, James Bulgin, to explore how war is presented on film.

3.30pm to 4.45pm

Not So Quiet On The Western Front! is the podcast that takes you beyond the trenches and dives deep into the untold stories and surprising truths of the First World War.

Join us as we lift the lid on one of the most pivotal periods in human history, busting myths and unravelling the complexities of a conflict that shaped the course of the 20th century.

4pm to 4.45pm

The History Hotline: 

The History Hotline hosted by Deanna Lyncook explores the facets of Black history ignored by the mainstream, your teachers and the textbooks. In this live podcast recording, Deanna will be speaking with guest Colin Douglas about the Caribbean contribution to the Allied victory in the Second World War and offering a signing of his book The Caribbean and the Second World War.