David Olusoga spotlights a Peterloo massacre survivor in his latest podcast series

David Olusoga has released a new podcast show that centers on the testimony of a Peterloo massacre survivor, bringing to audio a key moment in Britain’s industrial and political history and framing it as a turning point in how power and representation were distributed during the early 19th century. The project appears in the historian’s curated podcast roundup, which highlights standout audio releases across the week.

The Peterloo segment is connected to the People’s History Museum in Manchester and focuses on the 1819 massacre, when people gathered to demand political reform were met with violent force. In the show’s preview, Olusoga describes Manchester at the time as a place without a single Member of Parliament, underscoring the context of systematic disenfranchisement that surrounded the events of 1819.

According to the description accompanying the weekly podcast selection, the series ties the survivor’s experience to broader themes about industrial capitalism and the political order of the period. Olusoga calls the massacre the “ground zero of industrial capitalism,” using the episode to connect workplace and economic change to representation, policing, and civic legitimacy.

The Guardian’s podcast round-up also points to a separate new program described as “Desert Island Discs … for words” from the People’s History Museum, presented as a more “wholesome” listening option. The museum-linked audio concept continues the institution’s outreach beyond exhibitions, using narrative and personal storytelling to draw wider audiences into debates about labor, rights, and public memory.

In the same week’s selection, Olusoga’s show elevates an eyewitness account as the anchor for the listener’s understanding of Peterloo, rather than treating the event only as an abstract historical dispute. The approach reflects a broader cultural trend in long-form audio toward reconstructing the past through personal testimony, while still situating that testimony in political and social conditions.

For listeners, the practical effect is expanded access to museum-backed historical programming through mainstream podcast platforms. For the People’s History Museum, the releases may also extend audience reach beyond visitors to physical exhibits, linking its collection and interpretive work to regularly consumed media.

The publications and promotional materials for the week do not, in the details provided, specify broadcast dates, episode counts, or the full roster of participating speakers. Further information would be needed from the podcast provider or museum for definitive release schedules and production credits.