1,001 Nights: A space-time odyssey

As the year winds down, why not hit pause on news and opinions? Grab your favourite rug, unplug from the digital din, and step into the wondrous world of Arabic folktales that go under the name of One Thousand and One Nights.

The podcast 'The Arabian Nights: Their Best-known Tales' is the collection that was published in 1909 and edited by American sisters Kate Douglas Wiggin and Nora A Smith, an early 20th c. window for the Western world to these stories from Persia and West Asia.

From the glittering treasure caves of 'Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves' to the high-seas escapades of 'Sinbad the Sailor' and enchanted adventures of 'Aladdin's Wonderful Lamp', these stories transport listeners to realms brimming with magic, mystery and hidden lessons. Sidestep the twee Orientalism and listen to the episode The Story of Gulnare of the Sea, a magical tale that combines the glamour of a Persian court with the fantastic mythology of sea people.


These stories are more than stories - they're windows into history, culture and the art of weaving timeless narratives.