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Artwork for What's Your Map?

What's Your Map?

Oculi Mundi
Cartography
Maps
Dutch East India Company
Joan Blaeu
World War II
British Library
History
Sunderland Collection
A New Image Of the World
Atlas Maior
Oculi Mundi
Culture
Navigation
Exploration
University Of Southern Maine
Chicago History Of Cartography Project
Wild World
Dwayne Fields
Bordeaux
Wine

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 i... more

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes39Founded2 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Society & CulturePlaces & TravelHistory

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Artwork for What's Your Map?

Latest Episodes

In this episode we have a roar-some treat: our intrepid host Jerry Brotton journeys to the legendary Barbaric Archipelago with best-selling children's author and illustrator Cressida Cowell.

Cressida’s chosen map shows the landscape she created for ... more

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-foo... more

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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 signific... more

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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 A... more

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Recent Guests

David Barrie
Sailor, navigator, author of Sextant and Incredible Journeys
Author; Fellow of the Royal Institute of Navigation
Episode: S5 Ep7: Sea Queens and Desert Ants: Celestial Navigation with David Barrie
Bill Rankin
Historian of science at Yale University; author of Radical Cartography
Yale University
Episode: S5 Ep5: Fight for your right to Map! Radical Cartography with Bill Rankin
Rohini Rai
Lecturer in sociology at Brunel University London; researcher on race, migration and identity in South Asia
Brunel University London
Episode: S5 Ep4: Un-Bordering the Map with Rohini Rai
Richard Pegg
Director and Curator of Asian Art at the MacLean Collection
MacLean Collection (Illinois)
Episode: S5 Ep2: The Beauty of Blue with Richard Pegg
Cecilie Skog
Adventure athlete and mountaineer
Seven Summits and Polar records holder
Episode: S5 Ep1: The Explorer from the Home of the Giants with Cecilie Skog
Jonathan Wright
Master Globemaker and Conservator
Episode: What's Your Map? returns on March 25 with Season 5!
Ross Perlin
Preserver of Endangered Languages
N.Y.C.
Episode: What's Your Map? returns on March 25 with Season 5!
Marcello Canuto
Archaeologist
Episode: What's Your Map? returns on March 25 with Season 5!
Debbie Ding
Singaporean artist
Episode: What's Your Map? returns on March 25 with Season 5!

Host

Jerry Brotton
Host of What's Your Map?; map historian and educator with a focus on cartography and its cultural contexts.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 46 ratings
  • A roller coaster worth every second!

    Jerry has the gift of story telling. Essential to such complex topics he is tackling. Making it’s accessible and incredibly memorable. Every episode is a treat. Highly recommended ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    jshopck
    France2 years ago
  • Great perspective

    Engaging and new perspectives on cartography. Nicely produced.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    ScottJB2
    United States2 years ago
  • Sound and vision

    Wonderful to be able to see the maps as well as hear the conversations

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    La Sposa Chic
    United Kingdom2 years ago
  • Fascinating insights!

    A range of unique perspectives on maps and the stories behind them. A highly recommended listen!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    FleurLondon
    United Kingdom2 years ago
  • A unique listen

    I love maps and love the conversation with experts and people who love maps like me. Jerry is a fantastic host too

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Papertoad
    United Kingdom2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Episodes feature diverse, expert guests that expand cartography beyond maps.
Host engages with complex topics in an accessible way.
Audience notes the show blends education with cultural storytelling.
Sound design and guest insights help listeners visualize maps and their stories.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#154
United Kingdom/History

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

S5 Ep7: Sea Queens and Desert Ants: Celestial Navigation with David Barrie
Q: Tell me about the voyage itself and your background.
He recalls growing up on England's south coast, meeting the skipper Colin McMullen, and joining the Sæcwen voyage to the United States. He describes the intense, immersive rhythm of a long ocean crossing, moments of danger with a close encounter with a merchant ship, and the enrichment of learning navigation through hands-on sextant use.
S5 Ep7: Sea Queens and Desert Ants: Celestial Navigation with David Barrie
Q: Tell me about your map.
David describes a North Atlantic chart annotated with moon positions from his 1973 voyage, explaining how the chart records routes, depths (soundings), and navigational notes that guided them across the Atlantic using a sextant to sight celestial bodies.
S5 Ep6: The Craft of Globemaking with Jonathan Wright
Q: Why do you feel it's important to keep this craft alive in a digital age?
Because these physical objects embody a historical record of knowledge, and their tactile presence provides a tangible authority and beauty that digital maps cannot replicate, offering ongoing opportunities for education and reflection on how we view the world.
S5 Ep6: The Craft of Globemaking with Jonathan Wright
Q: How did you get into this specialized field, Jonathan?
I started as a design engineer, then fell into globemaking through an apprenticeship, drawn by the combination of technical precision, artistry, and hands-on making required to create a complete globe.
S5 Ep5: Fight for your right to Map! Radical Cartography with Bill Rankin
Q: Tell me more about Gwendolyn Warren. What's she about?
Rankin explains that Warren was a key community collaborator whose data collection and lived experience rooted the map in Detroit's urban reality, and that recognizing her role helps revise the traditional heroic narrative around a single 'radical geographer' by highlighting the collaborative, activist roots of the work.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
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Frequently Asked Questions About What's Your Map?

What is What's Your Map? about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show consistently explores how maps shape culture, history, and personal narratives by inviting scholars, explorers, artists, and curators to discuss a map that's meaningful to them. Episodes center on the craft of mapmaking, colonial and radical cartography, linguistic and indigenous mappings, and the role of maps in memory, identity, and public life. A notable strength is the breadth of guests—from historians and archaeologists to climbers and poets—pulled together by a thoughtful host who draws out technical detail, historical context, and personal significance. Listeners receive a richly layered panorama of cartography across time and places, with an emphasis on education, cultural heritage, and the ways maps illuminate human storie... more

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Which podcasts are similar to What's Your Map??

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1. The LRB Podcast
2. More or Less
3. Past Present Future
4. In Our Time
5. Radical with Amol Rajan

How many episodes of What's Your Map? are there?

What's Your Map? launched 2 years ago and published 39 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on What's Your Map??

Recent guests on What's Your Map? include:

1. David Barrie
2. Bill Rankin
3. Rohini Rai
4. Richard Pegg
5. Cecilie Skog
6. Jonathan Wright
7. Ross Perlin
8. Marcello Canuto

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