Talking Stories is a global storytelling platform rooted in east London, bringing together voices from local communities and across the world. With an equal focus on London-based creators and international… https://listenandbeheard.net/2026/02/02/talking-stories-hosted-by-tony-cranston/

Judy Talaugon and Martha Cinader speak with Olga Kavran, founding director of JUSTICOM, about her extensive experience in international criminal law and outreach, focusing on the communication of justice, and defining justice as a multifaceted… https://listenandbeheard.net/2026/01/31/bbs2e3/

Saumya Choudhury, poet and organizer, joins Martha in the audio garden from Delhi. We also feature archival poetry from Barbara Tran. Hernan shares a rare live recording from 1986 of Eddie Harris in Paris. As always some brand new music and poetry… https://listenandbeheard.net/2026/01/29/lbhs4e4/

Tony Cranston is a renowned author, storyteller, and teacher with over 40 years of experience worldwide. Originally stationed in the UK, Cranston has traveled to over 50 cities, reading stories and collecting… https://listenandbeheard.net/2026/01/28/tony-cranston-author-teacher-and-storyteller/

Across Latitude & Language brings together voices from across the globe—poets of different races, homelands, and histories, woven together by something quietly powerful: the… https://listenandbeheard.net/2026/01/28/across-latitude-language-world-poetry-anthology-2025-edited-by-saumya-choudhury/

Saumya Choudhury is an Indian poet, writer and cultural organizer who founded Delhi Poetry Slam in 2013, helping bring performance poetry to India and creating a transformative space for self-expression and community. In… https://listenandbeheard.net/2026/01/27/saumya-choudhury-poet-organizer/

Author of the Murray McBride Trilogy, Joe Siple, joins Tony Robles in the audio garden. We feature poetry by Mary TallMountain and Suzette Clark Bradshaw, a new live recording from Hernan Ramiro Rodriguez Sierra, and also rare live recordings of Jim… https://listenandbeheard.net/2026/01/22/lbhs4e3/

Long before The Five Wishes of Mr. Murray McBride began winning awards and hitting Amazon bestseller lists, Joe Siple could be found at his computer, developing his voice as a writer. It took seventeen long years from the day he started his… https://listenandbeheard.net/2026/01/20/joe-siple-author/

The day before Murray McBride moves Jenny, his beloved wife of eighty years, into a memory care center, she convinces him to search for a case her grandfather buried long ago, said to contain “a treasure worth… https://listenandbeheard.net/2026/01/20/joe-siple-the-first-wish-of-mr-murray-mcbride/

Jason Cashman has reached the goal he spent the last twenty years seeking: raising a million dollars for charity. But instead of feeling content, he now feels empty. What comes next? When he meets Alexandra… https://listenandbeheard.net/2026/01/20/joe-siple-the-final-wish-of-mr-murray-mcbride/

With all his family and friends gone except an estranged grandson, retired Major League ballplayer Murray McBride is looking for a reason to live. He finds it in Jason Cashman, a spirited 10-year-old boy with a… https://listenandbeheard.net/2026/01/20/joe-siple-the-five-wishes-of-mr-murray-mcbride/

Populism and Performance in the Bolivarian Revolution of Venezuela explains how supporters of the emergent socialism of Hugo Chávez negotiated terms of national belonging and… https://listenandbeheard.net/2026/01/20/populism-and-performance-in-the-bolivarian-revolution-of-venezuelaby-angela-marino/

Judy Talaugon has a wide ranging discussion with Angela Marino about Venezuela and the Americas. She also gets an update from Seth Donnelly on Tax Payers Against Genocide. Hernan Ramiro talks with Olga Kavran about international criminal law. https://listenandbeheard.net/2026/01/17/bbs2e2/

Now in its 25th year of publication, the Certain Days: Freedom for Political Prisoners Calendar is required reading for radicals, leftists, and all who support political prisoners and advocate… https://listenandbeheard.net/2026/01/17/certain-days-the-2026-freedom-for-political-prisoners-calendar/

This short book deconstructs the assumption that global poverty has fallen dramatically, and lays bare the spurious methods of poverty measurement… https://listenandbeheard.net/2026/01/17/the-lie-of-global-prosperity-how-neoliberals-distort-data-to-mask-poverty-and-exploitation-by-seth-donnelly/

Seth Donnelly is a public high school teacher in the Bay Area of California, where he has taught social studies for nearly two decades. He is also an activist with the Puerto Rican independence and Black liberation… https://listenandbeheard.net/2026/01/17/author-activist-teacher-seth-donnelly/

Angela Marino’s research focuses on contemporary Venezuela and political cultures of the Southwest, Caribbean, and Latin America. https://listenandbeheard.net/2026/01/17/author-researcher-professor-angela-marino/

Olga Kavran is a Fellow at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel completing a PhD on the topic of international criminal courts’ obligation to provide information to the public, and the Founding Director of IUSTICOM,… https://listenandbeheard.net/2026/01/17/international-criminal-law-expert-olga-kavran/

Zakiyyah Modeste, a spoken word artist, actress and athlete based in Harlem, is our special guest in the audio garden. We also listen to new music from Sound System Culture at Smalls Live, some new poetry and more. https://listenandbeheard.net/2026/01/15/s4e2/

Existing in the liminal space of sound of spoken word and music, Sista Zock introduces a unique Afro Jazz Fusion Sound with a touch of Hip-hop. Her latest project, Zock Solid, Where the Stem Meets the… https://listenandbeheard.net/2026/01/15/sista-zock-zock-solid-where-the-stem-meets-the-root/

Azucar, poet, therapist and open mic host, is Martha's guest in the audio garden. Also featured, a hidden track from Groove Collective, Sarah Sophie Flicker talks about the Mamdani Campaign, and Zakiyyah Modeste, aka SistaZock, on her training in… https://listenandbeheard.net/2026/01/08/s4e1/

Sidepiece Sanctifications is the second poetry chapbook of work written by Simone "Azúcar" Nikkole. In Sidepiece Sanctifications, Simone "Azúcar" Nikkole documents the journey of love, infatuation and… https://listenandbeheard.net/2026/01/08/simone-azucar-nikkole-sidepiece-sanctifications/

Simone "Azúcar" Nikkole is a songwriter, screenwriter, author, Spoken Word poet, and Sí.Nik Productions and L.A. Sugar Factory founder. Her work is featured in Silver Tongue Devil Anthology (Amazon), Poets Without Limits IncarNATION… https://listenandbeheard.net/2026/01/07/simone-azucar-nikkole/

The Resistance Revival Chorus, a collective of more than 70 women and non-binary singers have announced their debut album This Joy to be released on October 16th via Righteous Babe Records. The album features original… https://listenandbeheard.net/2026/01/02/resistance-revival-chorus-this-joy/

Please enjoy this last episode of 2025, into the first week of 2026... We will be back on January 7, with fresh poetry, fresh new guests, fresh conversations and new music that you won't hear anywhere else. https://listenandbeheard.net/2026/01/01/s3e37-rewind/

We are the Network. We create, communicate, reach out to each other in the street, across oceans, and, in our communal dreams. We are nurturing archetypes, together, and they are growing and changing as we all reach for something better.… https://listenandbeheard.net/2025/12/28/from-me-to-you-2025/

Happy Holidays Remix Volume 8 features the collaborations of Martha Cinader and Hernan Romiro (Jay) Rodriguez Sierra, reflections on the past year, and announcements about the new parent non-profit of L&BH Network, Sound System Culture, upcoming… https://listenandbeheard.net/2025/12/25/s3e37/

Our Season 2 begins in January, 2026. Please enjoy this rewind during our production break. Nilsa Rivera, in Florida, brings her professional and personal experience of home insecurity to a… https://listenandbeheard.net/2025/12/20/beyond-borders-rewind-episode-10-talking-about-home-insecurity/

Please enjoy this rewind during our holiday production break. Remix Volume 6 by Jay Rodriguez Sierra features Q.R. Hand jr., Martha Cinader, Genny Lim, Meredith Leigh, Donna Janell Bowman, Dorsía Smith Silva, Mary Oishi, Kellie Richardson,… https://listenandbeheard.net/2025/12/18/s3e35-rewind/

Remix Volume 7 features Barbara Tran, Candelario Obeso, Eileen Tabios, Vi Khi Nao, Freda Epum, Martha Cinader, Hazel Smith, Megan Marshall, Monica Maconsantos, Mary Oishi, Vida Cruz Borja, Tony Robles, Olivia Eggena, Joseph Jason Santiago Lacour,… https://listenandbeheard.net/2025/12/11/s3e36/

Martha Cinader, Judy Talaugon and Jay Rodriguez Sierra are joined by darkroom masters Russell Frederick, Anderson Zaca and Ozier Muhammad to talk about Season One of the Darkroom MCs, the making of it, and the photographers who are featured.

Remix Volume 6 by Jay Rodriguez Sierra features Q.R. Hand jr., Martha Cinader, Genny Lim, Meredith Leigh, Donna Janell Bowman, Dorsía Smith Silva, Mary Oishi, Kellie Richardson, Eileen Tabios, Ozier Muhammad, Tony Robles, Megan Marshall, Kim McMillon… https://listenandbeheard.net/2025/12/04/s3e35/

This week we take the opportunity to revisit this illuminating conversation between Monica Maconsantos and Tony Robles, originally aired on June 26, 2025. Our featured guest is essayist, Monica Macansantos, author of Returning to My Father's… https://listenandbeheard.net/2025/11/27/s3e19-rewind/

Martha Cinader, Judy Talaugon and Jay Rodriguez Sierra are joined by Arnoldo García, community-based poet, musician, visual artist, human rights organizer and dedicated restorative justice… https://listenandbeheard.net/2025/11/22/beyond-borders-rewind-episode-4-with-special-guest-arnoldo-garcia/

Remix Volume 5: featuring our guests from Seasons 3 reading their poetry and stories. Deepika Singh, C.L. Willis, Billy Mills, Brett Cook, Andrew Lam, Zora Neale Hurston, Alejandro Murgía, Jonathan Thirkield, Dorsía Smith Silva, Suzette Clarke… https://listenandbeheard.net/2025/11/20/s3e34/

This week we take the opportunity to revisit this illuminating conversation between Brian Kimmel and Martha Cinader, originally aired on February 13, 2025. Martha talks with Brian Kimmel about Blue Skies, Troubled Waters, a World War II account… https://listenandbeheard.net/2025/11/13/s3e4-rewind/

We are taking the opportunity during the holiday months to highlight some of our favorite episodes from the first season of Beyond Borders, while we work on Season 2 just for… https://listenandbeheard.net/2025/11/08/beyond-borders-rewind-episode-3-with-award-winning-photojournalist-ozier-muhammad/

This week we take the opportunity to revisit this illuminating conversation between Tony Robles and Vida Cruz Borja, which originally aired on May 1, 2025. Tony Robles welcomes Vida Cruz-Borja to talk about Philippine speculative fiction, the… https://listenandbeheard.net/2025/11/06/s3e13-rewind/

Tony Robles speaks with participants in the Cork International Short Story Festival, part 2. We listen to an Irish poem and fairytale. Jay Rodriguez Sierra plays with Chucho Valdez in a rare live recording. New poetry from Martha Cinader. https://listenandbeheard.net/2025/10/30/s3e33/

Laura Cassidy is publisher and co-editor at the literary journal and small press Banshee, where along with her co-founders she was named a Bookseller Rising Star. Her novels for young adults were published by Penguin Ireland,… https://listenandbeheard.net/2025/10/29/laura-cassidy-writer-publisher/

Mahreen Sohail was born in Pakistan. She has an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College where she studied as a Fulbright scholar; and was a Writing Fellow at A Public Space and a Charles Pick Fellow at the University of East Anglia. Her work… https://listenandbeheard.net/2025/10/29/mahreen-sohail-writer/

Laura Jean McKay is the author of The Animals in That Country – winner of the prestigious Arthur C. Clarke Award, the Victorian Prize for Literature, the ABIA Small Publishers Adult Book of the Year and co-winner of the Aurealis… https://listenandbeheard.net/2025/10/29/laura-jean-mckay-writer/

Mary O’Donnell has written award-winning poetry, novels, short fiction collections and dynamic essays. Published fiction includes the novels The Elysium Testament and Where They Lie. In 2023 she received an An Post/Irish Book Award for… https://listenandbeheard.net/2025/10/29/mary-odonnell-writer/

Patrick Cotter is an Irish poet, born in Cork City where he still lives and works as a literary festival organiser and editor. His poems have been published in journals such as the Financial Times, The London Review of Books, Poetry and… https://listenandbeheard.net/2025/10/29/patrick-cotter-poet/

In this masterful collection, Mary O'Donnell explores the subtle fractures and quiet transformations that shape modern life. Her characters navigate a society in flux, where traditional certainties give way to new complexities. https://listenandbeheard.net/2025/10/28/mary-odonnell-walking-ghosts/

A family of cat farmers gets the chance to set the felines free. A group of chickens tells it like it is. A female-crewed ship ploughs through the patriarchy. A support group finds solace in a world without men. With her… https://listenandbeheard.net/2025/10/28/laura-jean-mckay-gunflower/

In twelve kaleidoscopic stories, Mahreen Sohail shifts our perspective on this question from moment to moment. Two girls observe a group of child soldiers and one reflects: “My sister and I were only small scale sinners.”… https://listenandbeheard.net/2025/10/28/mahreen-sohail-small-scale-sinners/