What's Your Map?
From historians, scientists and writers to creatives and cultural custodians, people have used maps as a source of knowledge, guidance, and inspiration for centuries. Winner of the Gold award at the British Podcast Awards 2025 in the Education category, join award-winning expert Professor Jerry Brotton as in each episode he invites a guest to share a map close to their heart and unfurl the ideas, inspirations, and stories behind it. So 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? What’s Your Map? is brought to you by Oculi Mundi, the online home of The Sunderland Collection of antique maps and atlases.
Episodes
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
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
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 affair
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 Socie
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 incredibl
S5 Ep2: The Beauty of Blue with Richard Pegg
This week, Jerry meets Dr. Richard A. Pegg, the Director and Curator of Asian Art at the MacLean Collection, Asian map aficionado, and proud owner of Blue China Map shoes! The MacLean Collection is an astonishing private collection of Asian art and global cartography. Based in Chicago, it is home to over 5,000 historic artefacts and more than 35,000 maps.In this episode, Richard and Jerry discuss
S5 Ep1: The Explorer from the Home of the Giants with Cecilie Skog
In this episode of WHAT’S YOUR MAP? we are transported to the wild mountains of Southern Norway as Jerry speaks with adventurer, climber, and trained nurse Cecilie Skog. An extremely accomplished explorer, Cecilie has climbed all seven of the world's tallest mountains, trekked unsupported across Antarctica, and skied to the North Pole! In this intimate conversation, Cecilie guides us through an a
What's Your Map? returns on March 25 with Season 5!
The British Podcast Awards GOLD winning podcast returns on March 25th! 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 award-winning expert Professor Jerry Brotton, as in each episode he invites a guest to share a map close to their heart - and unfurl the ideas, inspirations,
S4 Ep6: From Meadow to Metropolis: Mapping a World of Sound with Michaela Vieser
In this episode, Jerry meets with acclaimed nature and travel writer Michaela Vieser. The focus of their conversation is an interactive map that charts 98 distinct sounds and silences from around the globe. The creation of this geographical sound archive is connected to her new book co-written with Isaac Yuen, The Sound Atlas: A Guide to Strange Sounds Across Landscapes and Imagination. From the
S4 Ep5: Out of the Cave: Encounters and Anima with Jago Cooper
In this episode, Jerry meets with Dr. Jago Cooper to examine a map of an ancient cave network on Isla de Mona in the Caribbean Sea. The map pinpoints the locations of markings that depict Indigenous beliefs and also trace 500 years of cross-cultural encounters. Jago is the Director of the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, a world class art museum based in Norwich with a unique perspective on how a
S4 Ep4: Smuggling Silk: WWII Escape Maps with Dr. Barbara A. Bond
In this episode, Jerry speaks with the illustrious Barbara A. Bond, the former cartographic researcher in the UK’s Ministry of Defence. Together, they pour over an important but unassuming silk escape map of Danzig (Gdansk) port from World War II. What information is presented on the map, and what has been intentionally excluded? More importantly, how did this map end up in the hands of a Prisoner
What's Your Map? Live at the British Library: Lessons in Scouting with Dwayne Fields
In this second live episode from the British Library, Jerry speaks to explorer and Chief Scout Dwayne Fields, who is accompanied by Head of the Scout Heritage Collection, Caroline Pantling.They shine a spotlight on the innovative, hand-drawn maps of the Scout movement founder Lieutenant-General Robert Baden-Powell (1857-1941), and talk about the importance of imagination and adventure.The maps the
What's Your Map? Live at the British Library: Manoeuvres along the Meridian with Nicholas Crane
In this special live episode at the British Library, Jerry speaks to celebrated geographer, author, broadcaster and former President of the Royal Geographical Society, Nicholas Crane.They discuss the discreet War Department takeover of an area of the Wiltshire countryside for British Armed Forces training, and the Military Manoeuvres Act of 1872 as demarcated on James Wyld's map of Salisbury Plain
S4 Ep3: Fighting the Robber of Youth with Dr. Animesh Sinha
In this episode, Jerry Brotton meets Dr. Animesh Sinha from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF, or Doctors Without Borders). Animesh is an infectious diseases specialist who has spent his career caring for people in remote regions with HIV, tuberculosis (TB) and hepatitis. Animesh is the principal investigator in a project named Zero TB where his team are using GIS data and maps to treat, and hopefully
S4 Ep2: Encountering the Big River with Hannah Claus
In this episode, Jerry takes another excursion to meet with Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) and English visual artist, Hannah Claus. Hannah is in London exhibiting at the High Commission of Canada in the U.K. as part of their commitment to show work by Indigenous Canadian artists. Her body of work titled tsi iotnekahtentiónhatie - éntie nonkwá:ti [where the waters flow - south shore] tells the story of th
S4 Ep1: Silver Sails: Following the Galleon Route with Dr. Katie Parker
In the first episode of Season 4, our host Jerry Brotton finds himself at one of the world's largest and most active exploration-focused institutions: the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) in London. He meets with Cartographic Collections Manager Dr. Katie Parker to pore over a mid-sixteenth century treasure that both the RGS and The Sunderland Collection are privileged to own an example of. Produc
S3 Ep7: Season 4 Launches November 5th!
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 award-winning expert Professor Jerry Brotton, as in each episode he invites a guest to share a map close to their heart - and unfurl the ideas, inspirations, and stories behind it.So if you’re fascinated by history, art, adventur
S3 Ep6: Polar Bears and the Unknown with Djoeke van Netten
Jerry journeys to the Arctic polar region with Dr Djoeke van Netten from the University of Amsterdam, following the attempts by Dutch navigator Willem Barentsz and his crew to reach China via the northeast passage.Djoeke explains the backstory of the Dutch trade missions that took place in 1594, 1595, and 1596 and how the 1596 mission was stranded in Novaya Zemlya [an island chain in present day N
S3 Ep5: Wild, Native, Extant - Exploring Emotional Geography with Anton Thomas
Jerry interviews Melbourne based artist-cartographer Anton Thomas, who discusses his latest project: a meticulously hand-drawn world map titled "Wild World." Wild World centres the animal kingdom, showcasing over 1,600 animals across a world without national borders.This intricate artwork emerged from Anton’s deep-rooted passion for mapping, which reaches back to his childhood. It also reflects hi
S3 Ep4: WWII and the Dangers of Cartographic Lethargy with Susan Schulten
Jerry and University of Denver Professor Susan Schulten delve into the groundbreaking work of Richard Edes Harrison, an artist cartographer whose innovative mapping style emerged in the tumultuous early 20th century, particularly during the lead-up to World War II. They discuss two of Harrison’s maps published in Fortune magazine, the business magazine founded by Henry Luce in 1929. Harrison’s map
S3 Ep3: The Society of Cells: Brainbow Mapping with Jeff Lichtman
Neuroscientist and Harvard Professor Jeff Lichtman walks Jerry through his astonishing work mapping the human brain. In 2024, with the help of Google Research, Jeff’s team developed the most detailed map of a human brain sample ever created, producing 1,400 TB of data from a sample the size of a pinhead. Jeff also talks about how he and Harvard biologist Dr Joshua Sanes pioneered the Brainbow proc
S3 Ep2: Introducing Geographical Storyteller Louise E Jefferson with Iris Taylor
In this episode, Jerry visits the Library of Congress in Washington DC to meet senior librarian Iris Taylor, who has nearly five decades of experience in the map department.Iris shows Jerry a series of beautiful pictorial maps, created in the 1940s by the pioneering geographical storyteller Louise E. Jefferson. In particular, she highlights a map of ‘Americans of Negro Lineage’ from 1946. This map
S3 Ep1: One World, One Ocean…One Climate with Elizabeth Hogan
Welcome to What’s Your Map? In this episode, Jerry speaks to Elizabeth Hogan, a marine biologist, Programme Director at the National Geographic Society, and a passionate advocate for marine conservation. Having spent over 15 years dedicated to protecting marine ecosystems, Elizabeth shares her experience while discussing a unique map that reorients our understanding of the world's geography.. She
S3: Season 3 launching June 11th!
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 award-winning expert Professor Jerry Brotton, as in each episode he invites a guest to share a map close to their heart - and unfurl the ideas, inspirations, and stories behind it.So if you’re fascinated by history, art, adventur
S2 Ep6: Mapping Songlines with Margo Neale
Every society has myths and legends that are passed down through the generations, some of which can be read in features of the landscape. In this episode, Professor Margo Neale guides Jerry around the story of the Seven Sisters: a songline from Australia. She delves into the intricate symbolism of her map, revealing that it charts not just physical spaces, but also spiritual and ancestral connect
S2 Ep5: Venice to Japanggu: Fra Mauro's World Map with Mike Yamashita
Mike Yamashita is a distinguished photographer with over 40 years of experience working for National Geographic. Among his stunning collections of works that capture landscapes, peoples, and animals, Mike filmed two documentaries about Marco Polo for National Geographic in 2004 and 2022.In this episode of What's Your Map, Mike and Jerry explore Fra Mauro’s legendary world map from 1450. Measuring
S2 Ep4: The Wonder of the Stars with Heidi B. Hammel
Have you ever seen a shooting star? Did you know that there are different stars in the sky during winter and summer? In this episode, Dr Heidi Hammel takes Jerry on a jaunt around the constellations, and talks to him about the cutting edge of space exploration.Heidi is an interdisciplinary scientist at NASA and Vice President of Science at the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy
S2 Ep3: Riches and Rivalries: the Evolution of European Cartography with Matthew Edney
Matthew Edney, Osher Professor at the University of Maine and Director of the History of Cartography project, takes Jerry to 16th century Amsterdam, where silver from the New World is flowing copiously, and maps have been elevated from the scientific designs to sumptuous works of art. Joan Blaeu’s vibrant 1662 world map shows the world in twin hemispheres, surrounded by celestial Roman gods, the f
S2 Ep2: Lines that Divide: the Melancholy of Colonial Mapping with Sathnam Sanghera
Jerry meets journalist and best-selling author Sathnam Sanghera, to discuss the impact of a single line on a map.Splitting families, communities, and religions, and leading to horrific loss of life and displacement, the Partition of India in 1947 sent shockwaves through Southeast Asia and has been described as the “central historic event” in the region’s recent history.Sathnam examines a map of th
S2 Ep1: Wherefore the Map? with Ed Parsons
In this episode, Ed Parsons, digital geographer and geospatial wizard at Google, traces the history of digital mapping. He leads Jerry from its roots in Gerard Mercator’s iconic map projection, to the Google Maps we use today – and beyond…. Ed’s chosen map is the “Christian Knight” map, produced in Amsterdam by Jodocus Hondius in 1597. It is the first map to use Mercator’s projection after his dea
Season 2 launching January 29th!
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 award-winning expert Professor Jerry Brotton, as in each episode he invites a guest to share a map close to their heart - and unfurl the ideas, inspirations, and stories behind it.So if you’re fascinated by history, art, adventur
S1 Ep6: Vintage Cartography: Mapping the World of Wine with Jane Anson
Jerry is joined by self-confessed map geek and wine expert Jane Anson, to talk about the remarkable maps that she created for her book ‘Inside Bordeaux’.Jane travelled the world as a journalist before moving to Bordeaux over twenty years ago. A passionate connoisseur of French wines, she is a writer, critic, and tutor.In this episode, Jane unfurls a beautiful map of the chateaux and terroir of the
S1 Ep5: Lost Treasures: Reconstructing Al-Idrisi with Adam Lowe
In this episode, Jerry is joined by Adam Lowe, founder of Factum Arte and the Factum Foundation. Factum is a pioneering digital media studio, working to record, preserve, and restore cultural heritage - particularly where it is in a fragile state.Adam’s map is Factum’s re-creation of the world map produced by Muhammad Al-Idrisi for King Roger II of Sicily in the 12th century. The map is two metres
S1 Ep4: Tolkien's Pipe: Maps and Fantasy with Roz Kaveney
Content warning: this episode contains references to sexual assault In this episode, our host Jerry Brotton is joined by writer and pioneering LBGTQ+ rights activist Roz Kaveney. Roz is best known for her cultural critiques, poetry, fantasy writing, and editing. From Tolkien's draft map of Rohan from The Lord of the Rings, Jerry and Roz launch into a discussion about the importance of fantasy, a
S1 Ep3: The Heart of Maps: Plotting Power with Peter Barber
In this episode we are joined by Peter Barber, the former head of the British Library's map rooms, which hold more than 4.5 million maps! Peter is one of the world's foremost experts on European cartography. He has curated numerous exhibitions, and has written extensively on the history of maps. Exploring a heart-shaped world map created in 1544 by Gemma Frisius, Jerry and Peter unveil the hid
S1 Ep2: A Journey to the Top of the World with Dwayne Fields
In this second episode of What’s Your Map? host and map historian Jerry Brotton is joined by Dwayne Fields, the first Black Briton to reach the magnetic North Pole. Through a map printed in the Times of London in 1909, they recount another journey by African American explorer Matthew Henson, who reputedly was the first person to reach the North Pole back in 1909. To see a high-definition image of
S1 Ep1: Do No Harm: Mapping the Jain Cosmos with William Dalrymple
Welcome to the first episode of What’s Your Map? where host Jerry Brotton is joined by historian William Dalrymple, who unfurls a beautiful Jain cosmological map to explore the meaning and history of the ancient Indian religion.To see a high-definition image of the map as it’s discussed, please go to: https://oculi-mundi.com/podcast William untangles Jain beliefs through their cosmological map of
S1: What's Your Map? Coming September 25th
We all want to make sense of this vast and messy world. From etchings on cave walls to sea charts, globes and atlases, humans have been making maps for thousands of years.Join historian Jerry Brotton as he explores the fascinating world of maps. In each episode, we ask our guests to unfold a map that is special to them and tell us the story behind it.Celebrated historian William Dalrymple will joi
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