HAVE YOU HEARD?
Explore the fascinating world of maps with What’s Your Map?
Have You Heard? is where the Pod Bible team meet the people behind the podcasts you may not have heard of yet. What’s Your Map? is a fortnightly podcast all about the world of maps and the stories behind them. We spoke to Oculi Mundi, the online collection of maps which publishes What’s Your Map?, to find out more about making of the podcast – including what to expect from series two, which launches today, 29th January!
Who are you and what’s your podcast about?
Oculi-Mundi.com – the Eyes of the World – is the online home of a collection of early, mostly European, maps and related material. The objects in the collection range from the 13th to the 19th centuries and are world maps, celestial maps, atlases, globes, manuscripts, and books.
Our podcast is What’s Your Map? In it, the well-known historian and author Jerry Brotton meets people from around the world and from all sorts of fields, who love maps. They each bring Jerry a map to discuss that is particularly influential for them.
Jerry Brotton, host of What’s Your Map?
How did the idea for What’s Your Map? come about?
We have always admired Jerry’s work, and very happily got to know him through the map ecosystem. He asked if we had ever thought of doing a map podcast; we had not, but it sounded like a brilliant idea! And we always love an adventure.
At Oculi Mundi, we are very intent on sharing the joy of maps and all the ideas and stories around them. Doing a podcast with Jerry is such an exciting way of building on that.
What’s the first podcast you ever listened to?
Why did you decide to start podcasting in the first place?
We couldn’t find any other podcast that actually talked to people about the maps they love, and their personal stories; all we could find were educational podcasts. Those are great – but in our view, maps are all about people: people who make maps, who use them, who get inspired by them. Maps are incredibly complex, contextual objects: there are so many stories to tell from them and about them.
We thought it would be fascinating and great fun to meet people and their maps – past and present. At Oculi Mundi we are a collection, not experts per se; and having someone as knowledgeable, experienced, and engaging as Jerry to host was a no-brainer. The podcast also allows us to present and explore maps that are beyond our specific collecting remit.
Which podcasts do you take inspiration from?
Jerry has done a number of podcasts and radio programmes before. He made a series called Blood and Bronze for BBC Sounds on the Italian Renaissance artist Benvenuto Cellini, and listens to Waldy and Bendy’s Adventures in Art. Our producers, Whistledown Studio, are also very experienced. They produce shows like Our Broken Planet and The Reunion on BBC Radio 4.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt so far as a podcaster?
Have a great producer! And be prepared as far in advance as possible.
We put all the maps being discussed during What’s Your Map? online at Oculi Mundi, so that listeners can zoom in and follow along; so we make a full webpage for each guest. It also contains information on key themes or life experiences discussed by Jerry and the guest. It is important for us to take time to listen to the podcast episodes and think about what to feature online – what kinds of rabbit holes there are – and to ask questions. We also like to make sure that we have all the permissions in place to use digital images of maps that are outside the collection, as well as other images and content.
Blaeu’s World Map, showing the Copernican solar system, 1662. Credit: Oculi-Mundi.com
What can you tell us about series two of the podcast?
Series 2 is going to be great fun – we are very lucky and honoured to have an eclectic, wonderful mix of guests, talking about a terrific group of maps. Our first guest is Google Earth’s Ed Parsons; then we meet the journalist and writer Sathnam Sanghera, NASA scientist Dr Heidi Hamel, cartographic historian Matthew Edney, National Geographic photographer and documentary maker Michael Yamashita, and Margo Ngawa Neale, an expert and curator of Indigenous Australian cultures. Series 2 will launch on 29th January on all major platforms – and as always, the maps will be available at Oculi-Mundi.com/podcast.
Who’s your dream guest for the podcast?
We have many dream guests! Among them would be cellist Yoyo Ma (who did a beautiful Silk Road project) and someone from the world of aviation. It would also be wonderful to speak with the artist Yinke Shonibare, and to find a specialist in mapping the flow of languages – or maybe the human brain. Other artists we would love to speak with are William Kentridge and Grayson Perry, who use maps in their work.
Which episode would you say is the perfect introduction to your podcast?
From Series 1, the second episode featuring explorer Dwayne Fields. It shows how deep and how human the context of maps can be, and what maps don’t say as much as what they show. Dwayne is incredibly inspiring, with his polar expeditions re-writing history.
Do you have a favourite episode of the podcast, or one you are proudest of?
A favourite episode from Series 1 is the last one, with Jane Anson. Jane is a wine expert living in Bordeaux. Not only is she very engaging and knowledgeable about wine, but she demonstrates the fascinating history, uses, and sources of mapmaking in an industry and a region that are not obvious when you think about cartography.
Where can the Pod Bible readers find out more about you?
All the episode webpages and maps, along with information about Jerry and What’s Your Map? can be found at www.Oculi-Mundi.com/podcast.
Listen to What’s Your Map? on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other popular podcast apps >>
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