Welcoming Misha Glenny

Summary

Podcast Summary: Welcoming Misha Glenny to the In Our Time Studio

Podcast: In Our Time
Host: BBC Radio 4
Episode: Welcoming Misha Glenny to the In Our Time studio
Date: February 5, 2026
Host: Misha Glenny
Interviewer: Simon

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Overview

This episode introduces Misha Glenny as the new presenter of "In Our Time," BBC Radio 4's celebrated program spanning history, philosophy, science, and culture. Host Misha Glenny reflects on his predecessor Melvyn Bragg’s legacy and shares his vision and excitement for taking on the role, discussing his multidisciplinary background and what makes "In Our Time" unique in its approach to intellectual curiosity. Glenny previews upcoming topics and offers insight into how he plans to steer the program forward while keeping listeners engaged and enlightened.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Misha Glenny’s Appointment as Host

• Personal Reaction to Role
  • Glenny expresses genuine excitement and gratitude, stating:
    • “I have to pinch myself sometimes when I tell people that I'm the new presenter of In Our Time because certainly from my perspective, this is the best job in radio. There's nothing to compare with it.” (02:16)
• Legacy of Melvyn Bragg
  • Glenny acknowledges the long-standing legacy of former host Melvyn Bragg and describes his support:
    • “I'm sitting in the studio where Melvyn Bragg himself broadcast almost all of the over 1000 episodes of this program hitherto. I'm very grateful to Melvin's support… he gave me his blessing when it was announced that I was taking on this job.” (02:38)

Glenny’s Background and Fit for the Role

• Academic and Professional Journey
  • Humanities degree, BBC foreign correspondent, books on the Balkans, Brazil’s favelas, and hacking.
  • Cross-disciplinary interests in history, culture, technology, and science.
  • Quote: “I think it might have to do with that cross disciplinary interest and ability that I may have.” (03:55)
• Motivation for Taking the Job
  • Willingly prioritizing “In Our Time” over other projects due to the prestige and intellectual reward of the role.
  • “I'm dropping things in order to take this role on because there is nothing better… every week I come into the studio and it'll be a different subject.” (04:09)

The Show’s Unique Format and Value

• Expert Panel Discussions
  • Glenny highlights the value of having three topic specialists:
    • “There's not much I can learn in a week compared to a lifetime of the three guests around me.” (05:30)
  • Emphasizes open, civilized debate:
    • “What's interesting for me is when those guests who are all steeped in a subject actually disagree about something… we can have a creative, civilized conversation…” (05:34)
• Never Dumbing Down
  • Audience enlightenment is central:
    • “Because one thing we never want to do on In Our Time is dumbed down… after 48 or 50 minutes... I am much the wiser and I hope that I will be able to bring the listeners along with me.” (04:38)
• Channeling the Listener
  • Glenny sees himself as the “voice of the listener” amidst experts, asking questions the audience would want answered. (04:53)

Upcoming Episodes Preview

• First Subject: John Stuart Mill's "On Liberty"
  • Discussion on pluralism and the impossibility of a single “truth”:
    • “John Stuart Mill argues early on that there is no monopoly on truth. And you always get closer to the truth if you listen to different opinions.” (05:47)
• Other Forthcoming Topics
  • The Mariana Trench: “the deepest point of the ocean, two kilometers deeper than Mount Everest is high.” (06:29)
  • The Roman Arena:
    • “Great fun because... it's really fascinating to hear actually what Hollywood got right and what Hollywood got wrong about the Roman Arena… these games lasted for over 500 years.” (06:42)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Scope of the Show:
  • “It could be plate tectonics, it could be the rise of Adolf Hitler, it could be dragons, it could be anything under the sun, really.” (04:16)
• On Debate and Truth:
  • “You always get closer to the truth if you listen to different opinions.” (05:47)
• On the Roman Arena:
  • “That's half of a millennium of people beating the hell out of each other and being devoured by lions or killing leopards and baboons.” (07:07)

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Timestamps of Key Segments

• [02:11] – Simon welcomes Misha; Glenny discusses taking on the role
• [03:10] – Glenny details his background and qualifications
• [04:09] – Glenny explains his motivation for joining “In Our Time”
• [05:30] – The significance of having three guest experts per episode
• [05:47] – Reference to John Stuart Mill, pluralism, and intellectual debate
• [06:26] – Preview of upcoming episodes: On Liberty, the Mariana Trench, Roman Arena
• [07:21] – Announcement of the new series’ release date and platform

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Conclusion

In this warm, accessible, and intellectually engaging conversation, Misha Glenny shares his enthusiasm for leading “In Our Time,” reflecting on the show's high standards and commitment to fostering deep, wide-ranging discussions. With a diverse background and a clear commitment to audience engagement and scholarly debate, Glenny promises to continue the program’s legacy while bringing his own multidisciplinary perspective to new subjects.

Transcript

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[Misha Glenny]

Simon. Welcome.

[Interviewer (Simon)]

No, you welcome. Tell everybody who you are.

[Misha Glenny]

So, my name is Misha Glenny and I am the new presenter of In Our Time. I have to say I have to pinch myself sometimes when I tell people that I'm the new presenter of In Our Time because certainly from my perspective, this is the best job in radio. There's nothing to compare with it.

[Interviewer (Simon)]

And you know where you're sitting don't you?

[Misha Glenny]

I do. I'm sitting in the studio where Melvyn Bragg himself broadcast almost all of the over 1000 episodes of this program hitherto. I'm very grateful to Melvin's support, by the way. I've talked to him since I was appointed. He was incredibly supportive and he gave me his blessing when it was announced that I was taking on this job. So I'm very grateful to him.

[Interviewer (Simon)]

Okay, I'm going to ask, why do you think you're the right person for this role?

[Misha Glenny]

Well, you'll have to ask other people for that, but it may be to do with my background. I have a humanities degree in drafting. I was a BBC foreign correspondent for many years covering the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe and then the fall of Yugoslavia. And after that I wrote a variety of books, including a big history of the modern Balkans. I wrote a book about the favelas of Brazil. And more recently I've been looking a lot at technology and science. I wrote a book on hacking. So I've been following scientific innovation, development in technology in particular, very closely. So I think it might have to do with that cross disciplinary interest and ability that I may have. I can only presume.

[Interviewer (Simon)]

It sounds like you're very busy already. So why do you want this role?

[Misha Glenny]

I'm dropping things in order to take this role on because there is nothing better. Look, every week I come into the studio and it'll be a different subject. It could be plate tectonics, it could be the rise of Adolf Hitler, it could be dragons, it could be anything under the sun, really. And over the space of a week, I do a deep dive into that subject. And then I am privileged to quiz three great experts, academics, who always really know their stuff on this, so that the key points of a subject are highlighted, but put together in a form which makes them comprehensible. Because one thing we never want to do on in our time is dumbed down at the end of the program, after 48 or 50 minutes, whatever it is, I am much the wiser and I hope that I will be able to bring the listeners along with me. So they too will be much the wiser. Because I see myself as being the voice of the listener in the studio, surrounded by this extraordinary body of knowledge.

[Interviewer (Simon)]

I've got my own answer to this. But I wondered, why does it matter to in our time that it's not simply you talking, doing your research, but you've got three really great people in the room with you?

[Misha Glenny]

Well, because there's not much I can learn in a week compared to a lifetime of the three guests around me. And what's interesting for me is when those guests who are all steeped in a subject actually disagree about something. And with that we can have a creative, civilized conversation, dispute, argument so that we come out all the wiser. And in fact that interestingly, that relates to the first topic that I'll be dealing with in our time on Liberty by John Stuart Mill. Because John Stuart Mill argues early on that there is no monopoly on truth. And you always get closer to the truth if you listen to different opinions. So we'll be listening to different opinions, but ones which are expressed in a civilized and constructive fashion, I hope.

[Interviewer (Simon)]

What else is coming up after that?

[Misha Glenny]

Well, after John Stuart Mill we've got the Mariana Trench, which is of course the deepest point of the ocean, two kilometers deeper than Mount Everest is high. Then of course we've got the Roman Arena.

[Interviewer (Simon)]

Yeah.

[Misha Glenny]

Which is great fun because it's all about lions and gladiators and Russell Crowe. Well, actually we don't mention Russell Crowe, but it's really fascinating to hear actually what Hollywood got right and what Hollywood got wrong about the Roman Arena. But the thing that really struck me about that subject is these games lasted for over 500 years. That's half of a millennium of people beating the hell out of each other and being devoured by lions or killing leopards and baboons.

[Interviewer (Simon)]

So when can people listen?

[Misha Glenny]

So people can start listening to the new series of in our time first on BBC Sounds with our first episode available on Thursday 15th January. Please join me then.

[Interviewer (Simon)]

Very good. Do you want a tea or coffee?

[Misha Glenny]

It'll be a tea for me, thank you, Simon.

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