From September 2019 to December 2021, I produced episodes for the National Secular Society podcast:
63. Christian education challenged in court: a Northern Ireland case – with solicitor Darragh Mackin (21 December 2021)
62. Islamist ideology and free speech – with Pakistan-based journalist Kunwar Khuldune Shahid (7 December 2021)
61. Books for secularists – with Madeleine Goodall of Humanists UK and Bob Forder (16 November 2021)
60. Atheists in foxholes – religion and the army – with Lieut. Col. Laurence Quinn (2 November 2021)
59. The advancement of religion – with Russell Sandberg, Pragna Patel and Philip Spicksley (19 October 2021)
58. Reforming marriage law – with Megan Manson (5 October 2021)
57. Secularism around the world: Hungary – with Gáspár Békés (21 September 2021)
56. The Assisted Dying Bill 2021 – with A.C. Grayling and Baroness Meacher (7 September 2021)
55. Pastafarianism and the meaning of ‘religion’ – with Derk Venema, Tanya Watkins and Tony Meacham (24 August 2021)
54. The Catholic Church and Canada’s residential schools – with Kerry Benjoe, Indigenous Storyteller at CBC Saskatchewan (20 July 2021)
53. Religion and LGBT rights: fifty years of change – with Peter Tatchell, human rights campaigner, and Terry Sanderson, former president of the NSS (6 July 2021)
52. A new Catholic school for Peterborough – with Councillor Terri Haynes and activist Tracy Butler (22 June 2021)
51. Laïcité and free speech in France – with Caroline Fourest, former Charlie Hebdo journalist (8 June 2021)
50. The Church of England’s influence over education – with former teachers Matthew Kidd and Chris Selway (25 May 2021)
49. The early history of secularism – with history experts Eoin Carter, Matthew Kidd and Paul Fitzgerald (11 May 2021)
48. Challenging the Jehovah’s Witnesses – with Lloyd Evans, writer, film-maker and ex-JW (29 April 2021)
Webinar: Inventing Secularism – The Radical Life of George Jacob Holyoake – book launch with biographer Ray Argyle, hosted by Conway Hall (22 April 2021)
47. Blasphemy in the classroom: The Batley Grammar case – with Fiyaz Mughal, campaigner, and Khadija Khan, journalist (13 April 2021)
46. Forced marriage and the importance of RSE – with Eve Sacks of Nahamu (30 March 2021)
45. The Scottish Hate Crime Bill – with Liam Kerr MSP and Jamie Gillies of Free to Disagree (16 March 2021)
44. Post-Christian Britain and Religion in Schools – with Professor Linda Woodhead MBE (2 March 2021)
43. Charles Bradlaugh: Atheist and Republican – with Professor David Nash, historian of blasphemy, and Bob Forder, NSS historian (9 February 2021)
41. Year in Review – with members of the NSS team (22 December 2020)
40. The American religious right around the world – with Rachel Laser, President of Americans United for Separation of Church and State (8 December 2020)
39. The ‘war on Christmas’ (24 November 2020)
38. Disestablishing the Church of England (12 November 2020)
36. Faith-shaped holes in the Equality Act – with Baroness Lynne Featherstone (15 October 2020)
35. Dignity in Dying – with Lloyd Riley, policy and research manager at Dignity in Dying, along with DiD member Mick Murray, and Dr Anthony Lempert, chair of the NSS Medical Forum (1 October 2020)
34. Freedom and fairness in marriage law (17 September 2020)
33. Catholic nationalism in Poland – with Kaja Bryx, President of the Polish Rationalist Association (3 September 2020)
32. ‘Conversion therapy’ – with Nick Duffy, current affairs editor at Pink News (20 August 2020)
31. Graham Smith (not that type of republican) (30 July 2020)
30. Religious freedom in China – with Sophie Richardson, China Director of Human Rights Watch (16 July 2020)
29. Scotland’s new blasphemy law? (2 July 2020)
28. RE in Wales: a chance for fundamental change (18 June 2020)
27. Unregistered (illegal) schools with Eve Sacks (4 June 2020)
26. The Hindutva movement and its threat to secularism, with Gita Sahgal (21 May 2020)
Bonus Episode 2: Leo Igwe #FreeMubarakBala: interview with Leo Igwe on the arrest and detention of Nigerian humanist Mubarak Bala (8 May 2020)
25. American religious exceptionalism and Covid-19 (7 May 2020)
24. The early history of secularism in Britain and the role of the NSS: interview with historian Bob Forder (30 April 2020)
23. The NSS at the UN: interview with Josephine Macintosh on her work representing the NSS at the UN Human Rights Council (16 April 2020)
22. Bishops in the House of Lords: interview with Dick Taverne, Liberal Democrat peer, on why he introduced a bill to abolish the Bishops’ Bench (27 January 2020)
21. Integrated education in Northern Ireland: interview with Maddy Bridgman and Sam Fitzsimmons of the Integrated Education Fund (13 January 2020)
20. Interview with Lee and Lizanne Harris about compulsory worship in schools (16 December 2019)
19. UK general election special: the main parties’ views on secularist issues (25 November 2019)
18. The Remembrance Day ceremony and the Church of England’s role; the NSS’s campaign against clerical abuse (11 November 2019)
17. The BBC’s ‘Thought for the Day’ and its exclusion of non-religious speakers; proposed reforms to religion and sex education in Wales (28 October 2019)
16. The evangelical aims of Operation Christmas Child; the NSS’s campaign against faith schools (14 October 2019)
15. Criticisms of the term ‘Islamophobia’ and of infant circumcision (30 September 2019)
14. The NSS’s campaign against compulsory worship in schools and other education issues (16 September 2019)
10a. Behind the scenes at the NSS conference: interviews with Nick Cohen, Rachel Laser, Yasmin Rehman, Izzy Posen, and Pragna Patel (24 July 2019)
Emma Park 