History Now: History Podcasts: an exciting avenue for historical research or yet more populist compromise?

In this episode of History Now 2025, the rising genre of History Podcasts is explored in a discussion between Geraldine Fela and Leigh Boucher from Macquarie University, chaired by Craig Barker from the University of Sydney.In the ever-expanding podcast media universe, history is a significant player. Podcasts led by historians regularly feature in ‘top-ten’ download lists, and there is clearly an appetite amongst podcast listeners to hear experts interpret and make meaning from the past.  The contrast with declining trends in book sales by academic historians could not be sharper. Many within the discipline are understandably excited about the potential of podcasts to reach new audiences.  However, podcasting-the-past also poses big challenges.Geraldine Fela and Leigh Boucher discuss what possibilities working in this form have opened up for historical interpretation, and how they've reached new audiences with their work.  What, if anything, did they have to ‘give up’ in the move from written history to aural storytelling, and has this been a comfortable transition? The History Now 2025 podcast series is brought to you by the History Council of NSW in partnership with the Chau Chak Wing Museum and the Vere Gordon Childe Centre at the University of Sydney.This series has been supported in 2025 by the NSW Government through a grant from Create NSW. Send us Fan MailSupport the showHistory Talks Podcasts are brought to you by the History Council of NSW.Follow us @historycouncilnsw