Our World, Connected

What happens when a story crosses a border? Can it also help us move beyond our own boundaries?

In the first episode of season four of Our World, Connected, host Christine Wilson speaks with Elif Shafak about belonging, memory and the power of literature in divided times. Elif recalls on how, as a solitary child moving across cultures, she found both freedom and friendship in a place called “Storyland”. As now as an adult reflecting on a polarised world,  she reflects on how stories can take us beyond ourselves, challenge divisions between “us” and “them”, and act as an “antidote to apathy”.

We also hear from Deepa Bhasthi, writer and translator of Banu Mushtaq’s Heart Lamp, winner of the 2025 International Booker Prize. Deepa explores translation as a creative act and asks what is lost when distinctive voices and ways of seeing the world are “smoothed” for English-speaking readers.

Together, Elif and Deepa make the case for stories as a form of connection across languages, cultures and borders. In a world of polarisation and information overload, they ask how literature can keep us curious, compassionate and open to lives different from our own.
Listen to Our World, Connected, the award-winning podcast from the British Council, exploring culture, communication and the power of collaboration in a changing world.🏆 Winner of Gold for Thought Leadership at the 2025 Signal Awards.

Additional Resources:
Elif Shafak website
https://www.elifsafak.com.tr/home

Take 10 to Read campaign
https://www.britishcouncil.org/take-10-global-record-attempt

Our work in literature
https://arts.britishcouncil.org/what-we-do/literature

Our World, Connected, the award-winning podcast from the British Council, is back for season four. Join host Christine Wilson, Director of Research and Insight, as she meets experts and changemakers from around the world to discuss the most pressing issues of our time. Hear big ideas and personal stories about what connects us: from stories across borders to AI and the changing nature of soft power.

Follow Our World, Connected to be the first to hear the new season.

In this episode of Our World, Connected, host Christine Wilson speaks with Professor Mariana Mazzucato, Professor in the Economics of Innovation and Public Value at University College London and Founding Director of the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose. Together, they explore why we need a new way of thinking about economic growth, one that places creativity, culture and the common good at the heart of prosperity. They discuss the role of governments in shaping innovation, why arts and culture should be seen as essential public infrastructure, the role of imagination, and how new measures of success could help build more sustainable, inclusive economies.

We also hear from Ojoma Ochai, Managing Director and CEO of CC Hub Group and co-founder of the Creative Economy Practice at CC Hub in Nigeria. Reflecting on nearly two decades working across technology, innovation and the creative industries, Ojoma shares how Nigeria's creative economy has become a powerful source of opportunity, identity and global influence, and why creativity and digital transformation are increasingly inseparable.

This episode explores how culture can drive both social and economic innovation, strengthen communities (not just the top 1% earners), and help shape economies that create lasting public value. It asks what prosperity should practically really mean in the 21st century, and why culture is crucial if we are to place Public Value at the centre of defining the future we build together.

Listen to Our World, Connected, the award-winning podcast from the British Council, exploring culture, communication, and the power of collaboration in a changing world.

Further resources:
Mariana Mazzucato, author of the “The Common Good Economy: A New Compass”
https://marianamazzucato.com/ 
The Missing Foundation: Culture’s place within and beyond the SDGs
https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/missing-foundation-report 
Our work in the creative economy
https://arts.britishcouncil.org/what-we-do/creative-economy

Did you know that 12 August is International Youth Day? But what happens the day after is just as important, so how can we ensure that it’s both a short-term celebration and a catalyst for lasting change?
In this special episode of Our World, Connected, host Christine Wilson revisits conversations from season 3, including previously unheard audio,  with six inspiring young people. They work across a range of fields, including climate action, health, disability rights, youth policy, culture and filmmaking.
A selection of our guests from the past season - Amanda da Cruz Costa, Bukky Adebowale, Saja Mohammed Alkadhimi, Juhi Adhikari, Caitlin Askin and Marko Pešikan  - reflect on how their identities and communities have shaped their work, the barriers young people continue to face, and the importance of having a genuine and authentic voice in decisions affecting their lives.
Marking International Youth Day and its theme, ‘Different Contexts, Common Aspirations’, the episode asks what meaningful youth leadership looks like and what governments, institutions and other generations must do to continue to support and engage when the global spotlight moves on.
Listen to Our World, Connected, the award-winning podcast from the British Council, exploring culture, communication, and the power of collaboration in a changing world.

Further resources:
Next Generation research series
https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/research-series/next-generation 
Global Perceptions research series
https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/research-series/global-perceptions 
International Youth Day 2026
https://social.desa.un.org/issues/youth/events/international-youth-day-2026

What can football teach us about connection, community and diplomacy in an interconnected world?

In this episode of Our World, Connected, host Christine Wilson speaks with Dr. Lindsay Sarah Krasnoff about football’s role as a tool for soft power, exploring how major tournaments such as the FIFA Men’s World Cup shape international relationships and global perceptions.

We also hear from Nomonde Mashabane, a coach and educator from the Soweto township of Johannesburg, South Africa. Her experiences with the British Council and Premier League’s Premier Skills programme demonstrate how football can build confidence, develop personal and social skills, and strengthen communities.

Together, their stories reveal the links between grassroots football and the global spectacle of the World Cup, showing how the game can bring people together across cultures, communities and borders.

Listen to Our World, Connected, the award-winning podcast from the British Council, exploring culture, communication, and the power of collaboration in a changing world.

Further resources:
Premier Skills Programme 
https://www.britishcouncil.org/education/schools/premier-skills
Sport, cultural relations and peacebuilding
https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/cultural-relations-sport-peacebuilding 
Lindsay Sarah Krasnoff
https://www.lindsaysarahkrasnoff.com/