Ways to Change the World

Esther Duflo won 2019’s Nobel prize for economics with her partner Abhijit Banerjee and Michael Kremer. Together they’ve written a new book called ‘Good Economics for Hard Times’ which seeks to answer some of the world’s biggest social and political questions. A resident professor at MIT, Esther talks to Krishnan about what it’s like to win the…

Margaret Atwood is one of the world’s most distinguished authors, most famous for her 1985 classic The Handmaid’s Tale. The dystopian novel, where women’s reproductive rights are entirely stripped from them, recently inspired an Emmy-award winning TV adaptation. The much-anticipated sequel The Testaments is now out and she talks to Krishnan about its release, why…

George Mpanga, better known by his stage name George the Poet, began his career as a rapper, but after feeling constrained by the form, he moved into poetry and now podcasting. His show ‘Have You Heard George’s Podcast’ swept the board at the British Podcast Awards for its unique interrogation of social injustice. He talks to…

Gary Jones became the editor of the Daily Express in March 2018. Earlier in his career he was on the staff of the News of the World, The Sunday People and the Daily Mirror. He talks to Krishnan about editing a Tory newspaper as a Labour supporter, how he’s trying to change the reputation of the paper, and the…

Annie Mac is a superstar DJ headlining festivals all over the world. She talks to Krishnan about the death of clubs, how drug culture is changing and why music needs more women calling the shots. Listen and subscribe You can listen to and subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts here. Or on Spotify, Acast, CastBox and other good podcast…

Jack White, formerly of The White Stripes and now The Raconteurs, is one of the best guitarists in the world. He talks to Krishnan as his new tour kicks off about why he doesn’t own a mobile phone, why the fear of foreigners still shocks him and what influences his music. Listen and subscribe You can…

Waad and Hamza al-Kateab are two Syrian refugees who risked everything to stay in Aleppo during the war. Waad is an award-winning film-maker, whose documentary ‘For Sama’ just won Best Documentary at the Cannes Film Festival. It tells the intimate and epic journey of her experience of war, tracking her life over five years in…

Jon Ronson talks to Krishnan while on a stage tour in the UK about the importance of curiosity, why he’s decided to talk about his mental breakdown, and the ethics that drive his journalism.

Matt Haig is a best-selling author of adult and children’s books – his most recent being ‘Reasons to Stay Alive’ and ‘The Truth Pixie’. He talks to Krishnan about his mental breakdown aged 24, how he got through it and the lessons we all need to learn to cope with the pressures of the modern…

Simon Amstell made his name as a stand-up comedian and presenter, best known for his stint on ‘Never Mind the Buzzcocks’. Now he’s a fully-fledged film-maker, taking on veganism in his 2017 film ‘Carnage’, while his latest venture, ‘Benjamin’, is a semi-autobiographical look at a gay man struggling to find intimacy.

Matt Brittin is the President of Google’s business and operations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He was also a British rower winning medals at the World Championships and representing GB at the Olympics. Krishnan challenges him on some of the controversies Google faces, whether YouTube’s policies are in the right place when it…

James Brokenshire MP is the current Housing Secretary and the first Cabinet minister on Ways to Change The World. He talks to Krishnan Guru-Murthy about being diagnosed with lung cancer and how it changed his life, the current state of politics, and how the internet is changing how politicians think. Listen and subscribe You can…

Chuka Umunna is one of the leading members of the new Independent Group – one of now 11 MPs to leave the traditional parties to forge what they call a new centre ground in politics. He talks to Krishnan about what motivated him to take the leap, what an alternative to left/right politics might look…

Sayeeda Warsi was the first Muslim woman to serve in British Cabinet. She was appointed to the House of Lords in 2007 and resigned from the Cabinet in 2014 over the Conservative Party’s policy towards the Israeli Gaza conflict. She talks to Krishnan about wanting an inquiry into Islamophobia in the Tory Party, why she…

Ric Lewis has been named the most influential black Briton in the Powerlist 2019. He talks to us about his philanthropy, upping aspiration for young people, his views on Brexit and being very, very tall.