What's Your Map?

S5 Ep7: Sea Queens and Desert Ants: Celestial Navigation with David Barrie

In this episode, Jerry meets master navigator, sailing expert and award-winning author David Barrie. Together, they discuss a British Admiralty chart of the North Atlantic Ocean that tracks David’s incredible 1973 Transatlantic voyage aboard a 35-foot yacht named Sæcwen, from Halifax in Nova Scotia east across the Ocean to Falmouth in Cornwall, UKWe learn about David’s fascination with celestial navigation and the remarkable optical instrument called a sextant that he and his crew mates used during the 24-day adventure to find their positions at sea. A sextant is an extraordinary optical instrument that identifies the angle between the horizon and a celestial body - such as the Sun, the Moon or a star - to assist in the determining of latitude and longitude at sea. During the episode, we also hear about David's transition from the field of experimental psychology to his exploration of animal behaviour and wayfinding, and a glimpse into the world of supernavigators. From historians, scientists and writers, to creatives and cultural custodians, people have used maps as a source of knowledge, guidance, and inspiration for centuries. Join us as map historian Jerry Brotton invites each guest to share a map close to their heart - and unfurl the ideas, inspirations, and personal stories behind it.If you’re fascinated by history, art, adventure and culture, why not become part of a global community of fellow explorers as we ask - what’s YOUR map?The award-winning What’s Your Map? is brought to you by Oculi Mundi (‘eyes of the world’), the online home of The Sunderland Collection of antique cartography.For a fully immersive experience, visit Oculi-Mundi.com/podcast to explore each of the maps as you listen, and find more information and rabbit-holes about each guest. Image courtesy of David Barrie.All views and opinions expressed by guests on the podcast are entirely their own and do not represent those of The Sunderland Collection or Whistledown Productions. 

S5 Ep6: The Craft of Globemaking with Jonathan Wright

In this episode, Jerry meets master craftsperson, globemaker and conservator Jonathan Wright. Jonathan brings with him a twelve-inch celestial globe produced by Scottish firm James Kirkwood & Sons from 1810.For Jonathan, this globe marks a significant career milestone: it was the first one he ever restored. In his discussion with Jerry, we hear about some of the intricate conservation methods he used, the challenges he encountered - and the rather peculiar items he discovered inside the globe…Jerry also explores Jonathan's professional journey. We hear about his personal motivations, dream commissions, and the artistic and historical influences that shape his work and practice. Above all, Jonathan reflects on the profound personal meaning for him in keeping this essential traditional craft alive.From historians, scientists and writers, to creatives and cultural custodians, people have used maps as a source of knowledge, guidance, and inspiration for centuries. Join us as map historian Jerry Brotton invites each guest to share a map close to their heart - and unfurl the ideas, inspirations, and personal stories behind it.If you’re fascinated by history, art, adventure and culture, why not become part of a global community of fellow explorers as we ask - what’s YOUR map?The award-winning What’s Your Map? is brought to you by Oculi Mundi (‘eyes of the world’), the online home of The Sunderland Collection of antique cartography.For a fully immersive experience, visit Oculi-Mundi.com/podcast to explore each of the maps as you listen, and find more information and rabbit-holes about each guest.Image detail: ©Jonathan WrightAll views and opinions expressed by guests on the podcast are entirely their own and do not represent those of The Sunderland Collection or Whistledown Productions. 

S5 Ep5: Fight for your right to Map! Radical Cartography with Bill Rankin

Jerry meets Bill Rankin, a cartographer, author and Professor of History at Yale University. In this episode of What’s Your Map? they discuss two fascinating infographic maps that feature in Bill’s latest book Radical Cartography: What Maps Tell Us About Who We Are (2025). Radical cartography uses the method of mapmaking as a tool to challenge and educate on social, cultural, and political affairs. Radical maps are thematic maps that aim to give agency to the people who are represented within them and better show the nuanced world we live in. The first map they discuss was designed by civil servant and activist Gwendolyn Warren in 1971. Titled ‘Where Commuters Run Over Black Children on the Pointes-Downtown Track’, the map documents the racial inequalities of a Detroit neighbourhood and is designed to inspire change.The second map, titled ‘A Taxonomy of Transitions’ shows the ethnography of Chicago and was made by Bill in 2010. It was created using self-identification government census data and illustrates the relationships of the different neighbourhoods in the city. This map harnesses the power of infographics to better represent the people who live in the area and create a boundary-less community. From historians, scientists and writers, to creatives and cultural custodians, people have used maps as a source of knowledge, guidance, and inspiration for centuries. Join us as map historian Jerry Brotton invites each guest to share a map close to their heart - and unfurl the ideas, inspirations, and personal stories behind it.If you’re fascinated by history, art, adventure and culture, why not become part of a global community of fellow explorers as we ask - what’s YOUR map?The award-winning What’s Your Map? is brought to you by Oculi Mundi (‘eyes of the world’), the online home of The Sunderland Collection of antique cartography.For a fully immersive experience, visit Oculi-Mundi.com/podcast to explore each of the maps as you listen, and find more information and rabbit-holes about each guest.WHAT’S YOUR MAP? LIVE is making its Hay Festival debut! Join host Jerry and guests Tim Marshall, David Olusoga OBE and Emma Jane Unsworth on Wednesday 27 May at 8.30pm on the Discovery Stage as they unfurl history, culture and adventure in a live, immersive show. Find tickets: Oculi-Mundi.com/hay-2026 Image detail: ©Bill RankinAll views and opinions expressed by guests on the podcast are entirely their own and do not represent those of The Sunderland Collection or Whistledown Productions. 

S5 Ep4: Un-Bordering the Map with Rohini Rai

In this episode, Jerry speaks with Dr. Rohini Rai, a sociologist of race, ethnicity, and migration, and lecturer at Brunel University in London. She is also the co-founder of the Critical Himalayan Collective, a scholarly, activist network focused on reimagining Eastern Himalayan studies through Indigenous knowledge, art, and critical dialogue.Rohini shares a map from the Royal Geographical Society Collections showing the colonial borders imposed on her home, Sikkim. The ‘Sketch Map of Sikkim and parts of Darjeeling, Nepal, Tibet and Bhutan’ was initially produced to accompany a report of a British surveying expedition in 1884-1886 led by Colonel Tanner.We learn about Rohini’s research on the politics of the Eastern Himalayas and Himalayan diaspora in the UK. We also hear about Rohini's personal history in the region and the inspired projects using embodied practices like dance to reclaim colonised archival materials and remap ancestral lands. From historians, scientists and writers, to creatives and cultural custodians, people have used maps as a source of knowledge, guidance, and inspiration for centuries. Join us as map historian Jerry Brotton invites each guest to share a map close to their heart - and unfurl the ideas, inspirations, and personal stories behind it.If you’re fascinated by history, art, adventure and culture, why not become part of a global community of fellow explorers as we ask - what’s YOUR map?The award-winning What’s Your Map? is brought to you by Oculi Mundi (‘eyes of the world’), the online home of The Sunderland Collection of antique cartography.For a fully immersive experience, visit Oculi-Mundi.com/podcast to explore each of the maps as you listen, and find more information and rabbit-holes about each guest.WHAT’S YOUR MAP? LIVE is making its Hay Festival debut! Join host Jerry and guests Tim Marshall, David Olusoga OBE and Emma Jane Unsworth on Wednesday 27 May at 8.30pm on the Discovery Stage as they unfurl history, culture and adventure in a live, immersive show. Find tickets Oculi-Mundi.com/hay-2026 Image detail: ©RGS-IBGAll views and opinions expressed by guests on the podcast are entirely their own and do not represent those of The Sunderland Collection or Whistledown Productions. 

S5 Ep3: To Hear the World in a New York Street with Ross Perlin

This week, Jerry meets Ross Perlin, a linguist, writer, and translator focused on exploring and supporting linguistic diversity. Ross is the co-director of the Endangered Language Alliance (ELA), a non-profit organisation dedicated to documenting Indigenous, minority, and endangered languages, and supporting a mosaic of languages in New York City - Lenapehoking and beyond.Ross shares an incredible interactive map (www.languagemap.nyc) that illustrates the rich tapestry of languages in New York with a focus on language at risk of disappearing. We delve into the City's foundational language, Lenape, and trace the journeys of native speakers and inspiring revitalisation projects for some the 700 languages that thrive and survive in New York.As well as learning about some of the challenges of mapping and preserving languages, the questions around AI and language legacy, we also hear about Ross’ career in linguistics. This includes his language investigations in the Eastern Himalayas and the influence of his mentor, eminent linguist Hongkai Sun.From historians, scientists and writers, to creatives and cultural custodians, people have used maps as a source of knowledge, guidance, and inspiration for centuries. Join us as map historian Jerry Brotton invites each guest to share a map close to their heart - and unfurl the ideas, inspirations, and personal stories behind it.If you’re fascinated by history, art, adventure and culture, why not become part of a global community of fellow explorers as we ask - what’s YOUR map?The award-winning What’s Your Map? is brought to you by Oculi Mundi (‘eyes of the world’), the online home of The Sunderland Collection of antique cartography.For a fully immersive experience, visit Oculi-Mundi.com/podcast to explore each of the maps as you listen, and find more information and rabbit-holes about each guest.WHAT’S YOUR MAP? LIVE is making its Hay Festival debut! Join host Jerry and guests Tim Marshall, David Olusoga OBE and Emma Jane Unsworth on Wednesday 27 May at 8.30pm on the Discovery Stage as they unfurl history, culture and adventure in a live, immersive show. Find tickets Oculi-Mundi.com/hay-2026 Image detail: ©Ross Perlin, Daniel Kaufman, Jason Lampel, Maya Daurio, Mark Turin, Sienna Craig, eds., Endangered Language Alliance.All views and opinions expressed by guests on the podcast are entirely their own and do not represent those of The Sunderland Collection or Whistledown Productions.