A COUPLE OF years ago a friend recommended that I listen to ‘Strange Fowle’, an episode of Marc Fennell’s podcast Stuff the British Stole. One evening, after fumbling with my earphones and my app, I got the podcast going while I trudged down the main road near my house. A few minutes in, I began to cry.

Podcasts are often moving. I listened to Serial and Believe with my heart in my throat. The cruelties of The Teacher’s Pet, Dirty John and Sweet Bobby often came with the force of a physical blow. But I was blindsided by my strong emotional reaction to ‘Strange Fowle’. Despite the weighty topic of the series – colonisation and British imperialism – I had not expected it.