Ways to Change the World with Krishnan Guru-Murthy

In this episode of Ways to Change the World, Krishnan Guru-Murthy is joined by bestselling author Ann Patchett to discuss her novel, Whistler and the personal inspiration behind it, which she calls the “most romantic” book she has written. A story which explores memory, and chance reunions.

Beyond her acclaimed fiction, Patchett is one of the world's most passionate advocates for independent bookselling. As the co-founder of Nashville’s Parnassus Books and creator of the Parnassus Foundation, she has dedicated years to championing childhood literacy and bringing books directly into local schools across the US state of Nashville.

They also discuss her love of reading and why Ann has chosen not to own a phone.

Known as the Godfather of heavy metal, Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi changed the way the guitar could sound. 

After a factory accident cost him the tips of two fingers, he was told he would never play again. Instead, he built his own prosthetic fingertips, adapted his guitar and developed a darker, heavier sound that would define a new genre. 

In this episode of Ways to Change the World, Krishnan Guru-Murthy talks to Tony Iommi about growing up in industrial Birmingham, forming Black Sabbath with Ozzy Osbourne, the riffs that changed rock music and the friendship that endured through decades of break-ups and reunions.

As he releases his latest album From The Dark, he also reflects on Black Sabbath’s emotional final performance with Ozzy, his friend’s death shortly afterwards, and why he’s still making music.

Navi Pillay is a renowned human rights lawyer and the recipient of the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize. Her most recent fight for justice was as Chair of a UN Commission which concluded Israel committed acts of genocide in Gaza.
Pillay’s career emerged out of a struggle against apartheid in South Africa where she was born. She became the first woman to establish a law firm defending apartheid activists and political prisoners, and made headlines in 1973 when she secured legal rights for the imprisoned Nelson Mandela. Pillay later became the first non-white woman judge in South Africa’s High Court. She then went on to serve as judge on the UN-backed International Criminal Tribunal for the genocide in Rwanda. 
In this episode of Ways to Change the World, Pillay talks to Krishnan Guru-Murthy about her lifelong fight for justice which has challenged impunity at the highest of levels. Pillay’s award has most recently led to both the US and Israeli leaders condemning the decision and issuing sanctions against the International Criminal Court. The 85-year-old also reflects on what international justice looks like today in a conflict-ridden world increasingly dominated by strong men.

Simon Armitage believes poetry changes the world not by telling us what to think, but through persuasion, wonder and the possibilities of language.

In this episode of Ways to Change the World, the Poet Laureate joins Krishnan Guru-Murthy to discuss his new version of Gilgamesh, a story of friendship, power, loss and immortality that has survived for thousands of years. He reflects on discovering poetry through Ted Hughes, leaving behind his career as a probation officer, writing for moments of national significance, and why the oldest stories can still help us make sense of the world today.

Donald Trump called her a “nasty woman”. In private, he called her “the killer”. Now Chrystia Freeland says the lesson for America’s allies is simple: do not capitulate.
In this episode of Ways to Change the World, Krishnan Guru-Murthy speaks to the former Canadian Deputy Prime Minister about standing up to Trump, why she believes Ukraine must defeat Putin, and the growing threat to liberal democracy.
Drawing on her new book Unreliable Boyfriend, Freeland explains how the Western alliance fractured, how it could be rebuilt, and why she remains optimistic about the future of democracy.She also reflects on her journey from journalist to politician, growing up in a small Canadian town, and standing up to Trump at the negotiating table.