Where to start with No Country For Young Women

“Where do I begin?!”

We’ve all asked ourselves this question before when starting something new, and whenever we at Pod Bible interview hosts and producers from podcasts, we always try to give our readers a point of entry, whether it’s episode 1 or an episode the creators feel is their strongest.

The problem is, we can’t interview everyone (though we sure are trying!) and we won’t always have an opportunity to give you a diving board for the next thing that comes your way. What we can do is offer you some suggestions on how to find your own point of entry when someone makes a podcast suggestion to you; and for today’s example, we offer No Country For Young Women‘.

A programme like the one Sadia Azmat and Monty Onanuga create offers us as listeners so much: fun and insightful discussion, humour, thought-provoking and emotional moments, and topics we can relate to. Plus, it sounds great and has an extensive back catalogue to explore. But much like the anxiety that has befallen us all lately as we stare into the endless abyss of streaming service content, massive back catalogues can quickly feel overwhelming. So where do we begin?

Sometimes the best option is to try whatever’s most recent, but sometimes those can be one-off live episodes, a special feature, or even a message letting the audience know the show is going on a (hopefully brief) hiatus. Instead, we recommend viewing a list of episodes, starting with the most recent and scrolling back – but not too far. Sometimes shows change over time – getting new hosts, altering formats – and you want to make sure you’re getting a clear picture of what the program can offer. Within this selection, it’s time to look out for topics, guest names, and keywords that jump out at you.

As an avid reader, our Online Editor Jordan Rizzieri was keen to try the August 4 episode of No Country For Young Women, as it featured a book she’d recently read, “Such a Fun Age” and the book’s author Kiley Reid. The podcast also brought together a panel of women to discuss the book – not simply for plot devices and character development, but as a critical voice in today’s society.

Sometimes a podcast sits on your “to listen” list for ages – usually for no other reason than you’re not sure where to start. And just when you feel completely exhausted with the idea of digging in, a new episode will appear, dead in the middle of the intersection between “voices I want to hear from” and “ideas I want to hear about”. That’s where your point of entry is waiting. Time to dig in!

No Country For Young Women is a BBC Sounds podcast. Find it on BBC iPlayer, Spotify and everywhere you get your new favourite podcasts!