In this episode, Jerry is joined by Adame Lowe, founder of Factum Arte and the Factum Foundation. Factum is a pioneering digital media studio, working to record, preserve, and restore cultural heritage - particularly where it is in a fragile state. Adam’s map is Factum’s re-creation of the world map produced by Muhammad Al-Idrisi for King Roger II of Sicily in the 12th century. The map is two metres wide, and made from pure silver. While this astonishing object was lost to history,...

 In this episode, our host Jerry Brotton is joined by writer and pioneering LBGTQ+ rights activist Roz Kaveney.  Roz is best known for her cultural critiques, poetry, fantasy writing, and editing.  Content warning: this episode deals with the topic of sexual assault.  From Tolkien's draft map of Rohan from The Lord of the Rings, Jerry and Roz launch into a discussion about the importance of fantasy, adventure, and never giving up – no matter the odds and no matter the times that we live...

  In this episode we are joined by Peter Barber, the former head of the British Library's map rooms, which hold more than 4.5 million maps!  Peter is one of the world's foremost experts on European cartography.  He has curated numerous exhibitions, and has written extensively on the history of maps.   Exploring a heart-shaped world map created in 1544 by Gemma Frisius, Jerry and Peter unveil the hidden messages from the map maker, who lived at a time of huge upheaval and war. They also...

In this second episode of What’s Your Map? host and map historian Jerry Brotton is joined by Dwayne Fields, the first Black Briton to reach the magnetic North Pole.  Through a map printed in the Times of London in 1909, they recount another journey by African American explorer Matthew Henson, who reputedly was the first person to reach the North Pole back in 1909.  To see a high-definition image of the map as it’s discussed, go to: https://oculi-mundi.com/podcast  Dwayne Fields has many...

Welcome to the first episode of What’s Your Map? where host Jerry Brotton is joined by historian William Dalrymple, who unfurls a beautiful Jain cosmological map to explore the meaning and history of the ancient Indian religion. To see a high-definition image of the map as it’s discussed, please go to: https://oculi-mundi.com/podcast  William untangles Jain beliefs through their cosmological map of the universe. He recounts his visit to a Jain temple where he bore witness to heartbreak and...

We all want to make sense of this vast and messy world. From etchings on cave walls to sea charts, globes and atlases, humans have been making maps for thousands of years. Join historian Jerry Brotton as he explores the fascinating world of maps. In each episode, we ask our guests to unfold a map that is special to them and tell us the story behind it. Celebrated historian William Dalrymple will join Jerry for our first episode on September 25th to discuss a beautiful map from the ancient...