Shelf Healing artwork

Shelf Healing

86 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 years ago - ★★★★★ - 2 ratings

Shelf Healing is UCL's bibliotherapy and wellbeing podcast. Interviews with authors, editors, academics, and more discussing the therapeutic effect of books and reading as well as Work & Life discussions focusing on workplace wellbeing and wellbeing issues encountered in daily life @Shelf_Healing on twitter

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Episodes

Orna Ross Interview

March 08, 2022 00:00 - 34 minutes - 23.8 MB

I chat with author Orna Ross about writing, poetry, and starting the Alliance of Independent Authors. We get drawn into the power of Buddhist poetry and the joy of reading about murders. Orna shares her thoughts on why guilt has no place in reading, no matter what the genre is. Orna's website Orna's Twitter Things mentioned in the podcast: Poldark series by Winston Graham Thích Nhất Hạnh WB Yeats Middlemarch by George Eliot George Eliot Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Susin Nielsen Interview

February 15, 2022 00:00 - 33 minutes - 23.1 MB

I chat with fabulous Canadian author Susin Nielsen about her new book, writing for TV and how it differs to writing for children, and why she returns again and again to middle grade fiction. We also discuss the difference in showing internal thoughts in novels and on TV and how powerful and influencing children's books can be on our lives. Susin's website Susin's Twitter Things mentioned in the episode: Tremendous Things by Susin Nielsen Family Law - tv series Word Nerd by Susin Nielsen Da...

Rashmi Sirdeshpande Interview

February 08, 2022 00:00 - 30 minutes - 20.8 MB

I chat with children's author Rashmi Sirdeshpande about her favourite books, her discovery of narrative poetry, beautiful books, and what gives her inspiration for her own writing. Rashmi writes non-fiction books for children to inspire them and also be fun. We chat about Rashmi's giant fact checking tables and how she found writing her first fiction book. Rashmi's non-fiction often covers important and heavy issues and we discuss how difficult this can be to write as well as to keep hopeful...

Carly Heath Interview

December 14, 2021 00:00 - 39 minutes - 27.4 MB

I got the chance to chat with debut author Carly Heath all about her new book The Reckless Kind and the importance of representation in YA literature. There are lots of horses alongside the disability and LGBTQ+ storyline so of course we went on a magical journey discussing writing horses in literature and the joys and perils of carriage driving! Carly's Twitter Carly's website Things mentioned in the episode: The Reckless Kind by Carly Heath Becky Albertalli The Song of Achilles by Madel...

Work & Life: Cat Mitchell & Dan Holloway on Disability & Accessibility in Publishing

December 09, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 48.2 MB

I catch up with Cat & Dan and we discuss Cat's research on disability in publishing, as well as all things friction, especially related to accessibility and disability. We talk about CV gaps, how accommodating accommodations are, the way reasonable adjustments can make a huge difference to people, and how reducing friction can make things more accessible. Cat's Twitter Dan's Twitter Cat's report Access Denied Cat's piece in The Bookseller about the research findings Cat's piece on the disab...

Marcus Sedgwick Interview

December 07, 2021 00:00 - 47 minutes - 32.9 MB

Content warning: we talk about mental illness, chronic illness, and suicide. I chat to prolific and award winning author Marcus Sedgwick all about his writing process, the therapuetic effects of writing, and how important reading can be for mental wellbeing. We also discuss Marcus' research into illness and writers and how illness has affected his writing practice, alongside his as yet unpublished book on chronic illness. Marcus' Twitter Marcus' website Marcus' books Things mentioned in t...

Tom Gauld Interview

November 30, 2021 00:00 - 26 minutes - 18 MB

This week I chat with cartoonist, illustrator and writer Tom Gauld all about drawing, writing, and creating witty comics. We also chat about his new book The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess which he wrote and illustrated. An interesting insight into the mind of a very busy creator! Tom's Twitter Tom's website Tom's new book Things mentioned in the episode: Amphigorey by  Edward Gorey PG Wodehouse Jeeves and Wooster  TV show The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann The Gashlycrumb Tin...

Henry Eliot Interview

November 23, 2021 00:00 - 37 minutes - 25.9 MB

This week UCL's Vice Dean of Wellbeing, Professor Samantha Rayner, chats with Henry Eliot, Creative Editor of Penguin Classics, about his new book. They meander through literary landscapes, how the time of year affects how we perceive stories, why we reach for classics, the wellbeing effects of walking and reading, and how one goes about creating compendium and companion books. Henry's Twitter Prof Rayner's Twitter Henry's new book The Penguin Modern Classics Book Henry's previous book The ...

Professor Sunny Singh Interview

November 16, 2021 00:00 - 39 minutes - 27.2 MB

I chat with writer and academic Professor Sunny Singh all about translations, why representation is needed and how important it is to see other people's stories. We also chat about the Jhalak Prize, whether teaching creative pursuits is therapeutic, and how powerful the stories and relationships attached to books can be. Prof Singh's Twitter account Prof Singh's books The Jhalak Prize Fabindia Things mentioned in the episode: Salman Rushdie Amitabh Bachchan by Prof Sunny Singh Georgette He...

Tamsin Rosewell Interview

November 09, 2021 00:00 - 36 minutes - 25.3 MB

Illustrator and bookseller Tamsin Rosewell joins me today to talk about her experiences of reading and how she made the move into bookselling and illustration. She shares her deep love of non-fiction and how the speed at which you read has no bearing on how good a book is. We chat about parcel hogs, window displays, and whether Blake's Tyger was in fact an epic cat. Tamsin's Twitter account Kenilworth Books Twitter account The Parcelhogs instagram account Things mentioned in the episode: N...

Elise Valmorbida Interview

October 18, 2021 23:00 - 36 minutes - 25.2 MB

The wonderful Elise Valmorbida joins me this week to talk all about her new book The Happy Writing Book and the positive power of creative writing for our mental wellbeing. We chat Lord of the Rings, Flaubert, Shakespeare, philosophy and more in this fun and informative episode that winds its way through the worlds of creative writing. Elise's website The Happy Writing Book by Elise Valmorbida Things mentioned in the episode: Virginia Woolf Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert Why I Write b...

Gyles Brandreth Interview on Memoir writing & Odd Boy Out

October 04, 2021 23:00 - 32 minutes - 22.4 MB

We welcome Gyles back to the Shelf Healing podcast, this time to talk all about his new Memoir Odd Boy Out and how he found writing memoir. We talk about how he chose what to write in his memoir, and how different it is to writing any other type of book, especially for someone who has written prolifically and many biographies. Gyles also talks about the relationships between sons and fathers, why diary writing is important, and how he's crammed as much wisdom and gossip as possible in his n...

Eleanor Teasdale Interview

September 13, 2021 23:00 - 37 minutes - 25.6 MB

This week I chat with Associate Publisher for Angry Robot, Eleanor Teasdale, all about her comfort reads, what books she chooses for the Angry Robot list, how she rereads outside of the genre she works in for a solid mind reset, and Angry Robot's passion and promotion of diverse fiction. We also talk about how she named her cat (and how I named mine!). Eleanor's Twitter Angry Robot's website Angry Robot's Twitter Things mentioned in the episode: A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara Old Kingdo...

Lisa Edwards Interview

September 06, 2021 23:00 - 31 minutes - 22 MB

I chat with the lovely Lisa Edwards, former publisher, now author and yoga teacher, all about her memoir Cheat, Play, Live and her thoughts on the theraprutic effects of reading and writing. We have a wonderful dive into travel writing too. Links to Lisa's book Link to Lisa's blog Because I Can Link to Lisa's Twitter Things mentioned in the podcast: Wild by Cheryl Strayed Paul Theroux The Salt Path by Raynor Winn Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar by Cheryl Str...

Cassandra Khaw Interview

August 30, 2021 23:00 - 40 minutes - 28 MB

TW: Horror and gore Horror writer extraordinaire Cassandra Khaw joins me on the podcast this week chatting all about researching for their visceral horror writing, the impact and inclusion of Malaysian mythos and folklore in their work, and how the pandemic has affected not only their daily life, but also their writing. We chat about how horror can be a comforting experience for the reader and how the writing process can be cathartic. Also haggis and the boob ghost Hantu Tetek. Cassandra h...

Work & Life: Tyler Shores & Prof Gloria Mark on Digital Wellbeing

August 18, 2021 23:00 - 50 minutes - 34.7 MB

I chat with the marvellous Professor Gloria Mark and Tyler Shores all about the idea of digital wellbeing. We take a dive into the world of digital shorthand, how emotions can be contagious over digital media and the effects that task switching has on the brain. Tyler chats about how multitasking and busyness can be seen as a sort of badge of honour and why that is problematic, and we end up with a fun discussion on the value of boredom and what we all do with our browser tabs. Gloria's web...

Anna Vaught Interview

August 16, 2021 23:00 - 31 minutes - 21.8 MB

I chat with the lovely author, teacher, mentor, and mental health advocate Anna Vaught all about bibliotherapy, southern gothic, reading aloud, and mentoring. We discuss her love for poetry and horror stories, mental health and the myth of recovery, and the difficulties involved in being editied. There's a small trigger warning as we lightly discuss trauma in this episode Anna's Twitter Anna's website Anna on The Bookseller Things mentioned in the episode: Out of the Darkness anthology Tu...

Dr Daniel Boswell Interview Part 2

August 09, 2021 23:00 - 34 minutes - 23.6 MB

I conclude my chat with Daniel about comics and we chat and laugh about tie-ins, keeping fans on side, character design, the brilliant rise of creator owned IP, and the expressive art found in comics. This episode has plenty of laughs, me chatting horses in comics, and Daniel struggling to pick his favourite IP. Things mentioned in the episode: Deadpool Black Widow Rob Liefeld Louise Simonson Paper Girls Miss Marvel Marvel Assembly - Preeti Chibber Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur The Inhumans ...

Jordi Nadal Interview

August 02, 2021 23:00 - 37 minutes - 25.5 MB

I chat with fabulous publisher and author Jordi Nadal all about bibliotherapy and his new book, Book Therapy. Jordi is incredibly eloquent on the subject and if you aren't quite sure what bibliotherapy is this really does strike right at its core. A beautiful, thoughtful episode I hope you love as much as I do. Jordi's new book, Book Therapy Authors and books mentioned in the episode: F Scott Fitzgerald James Salter Elena Ferrante The First Man by Albert Camus Man in the Search of Meaning ...

Dr Daniel Boswell Interview Part 1

July 26, 2021 23:00 - 36 minutes - 25.1 MB

I chat with Dr Daniel Boswell about comics research, the way comics can help learn new languages, how they are therapeutic, and how different styles mean that pretty much everyone is covered if they would like a comfort comic book! Mentioned in this episode are: Tintin Asterix and Obelix 2000AD Superman X-Men Alan Moore Garth Ennis Patrick Zircher Inkblot Jimmy Palmiotti Archie

Liam Sharp Interview Part 2

July 19, 2021 23:00 - 32 minutes - 22.5 MB

In this second part of my interview with Liam we go into detail about Liam's struggles with mental health, how writing and reading helped him and how carefully he worked on Wonder Woman knowing how important a character she is to so many people. We also chat about the huge success of Liam's kickstarter campaign and how unexpected and life changing it will be for him. To have readers so visibly show their love and support has been incredible. Liam's website Liam's Twitter More comics and cr...

Liam Sharp Interview Part 1

July 12, 2021 23:00 - 25 minutes - 17.3 MB

I chat with comics artist, writer, and novelist Liam Sharp about the therapeutic effects of reading and the power of comics in this, the first part of our interview. Liam does a wonderful deep dive into the world of drawing comics and mental health. Liam's website Liam's Twitter So many comic creators and writers were mentioned I hope I have covered them all! Grant Morrison Philip Larkin The Boys Garth Ennis Marlon Brando Elektra Assassin Stray Toaster Bill Sienkiewicz Green Lantern Dave ...

Work & Life: Tinker Secor on the perils of burnout in high pressure environments

July 07, 2021 23:00 - 1 hour - 45.8 MB

I chat with Tinker Secor former US Marine and penetration tester in information security and current security tester in Industrial Control Systems and Operational Technology. We chat about the role infosec has and it's importance as well as the pressure the work puts on staff. Tinker discusses his experience of severe burnout that lead to an FND diagnosis and how important it is for management to take care of staff. We finish up with a brief chat about how security and safety are becoming in...

Ram V Interview

July 05, 2021 23:00 - 25 minutes - 17.8 MB

I chat with award winning comic writer Ram V this week all about how he fell into writing for comics and his interesting journey into reading comics. We discuss how comics are subtle or not so subtle pieces of social commentary, how representation and  new takes on classic characters is essential for the future of comics. Links to: Ram's website Ram's Twitter Works and creators mentioned in the episode: Joe Abercrombie Jon Delillo Bill Sienkiewicz Liam Sharp Sandman by Neil Gaiman Sequenti...

Bonnie Hawkins Interview

June 28, 2021 23:00 - 29 minutes - 20.3 MB

This week I chat with illustrator and artist Bonnie Hawkins. We discuss how reading has saved her life, how illustrations appear in her head as she reads, her love of illustrated books, and whether drawing is therapeutic. An absolutely delightful episode with so much joy and beautiful books! Do go check out: Bonnie's website Bonnie's Twitter The 52 Crows Project This week's episode artwork is the drawing that started Bonnie's illustration career. Works and people mentioned in the episode ...

Work & Life: Creative Assembly & Safe In Our World on Mental Health in Videogame Development

June 23, 2021 23:00 - 44 minutes - 30.3 MB

I chat with Head of HR at the award winning games developer Creative Assembly, Sarah Howell, alongside Sarah and Rosie from Safe in Our World, a videogames specific mental health charity. We discuss the importance of wellbeing in an industry that is rife with burnout and crunch, what support is available both at CA and SIOW, the difficulty of working from home and how to move forward with flexible working conditions, and we finish up with a great discussion on the importance of diversity an...

Professor Martin Paul Eve Interview

June 21, 2021 23:00 - 32 minutes - 22.4 MB

This week I chat with Prof Martin Eve about what therapeutic reading actually means when you look hard at it and how writing can be significantly more therapeutic at times. We discuss the wellbeing benefits of Open Access publishing, the fears surrounding it, and how entwined the nature of the literary critic is for Martin when he reads. Works and Authors mentioned in the episode: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy Brett Easton-Ellis Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pync...

Philip Connor Interview

June 14, 2021 23:00 - 32 minutes - 22.1 MB

This week I chat with Philip Connor, Commissioning Editor at Penguin Random House Audio and host of the podcast What Editors Want. We chat about how Philip's reading habits have changed and moved more into non fiction as well as how he found himself searching for himself in books on grief and dying. The importance and suprising nature of finding representation in literature and how audio has lent itself to him rereading books and now commissioning works in audio. Joan Didion CS Lewis Anna K...

BONUS Replenish Festival Cathy Rentzenbrink & Dr Samantha Rayner

June 09, 2021 23:00 - 41 minutes - 28.3 MB

Dr Samantha Rayner talks with Cathy Rentzenbrink about her book Dear Reader, and the therapeutic effects of reading on mental health and wellbeing. It's a lovely episode that travels through time with books that affect multiple generations, how books are enjoyed for what they are not who they are marketed at, and how writing can be hard but the satisfaction of finishing is worth the difficulty. Cathy Rentzenbrink's books Everyone is Still Alive debut novelThe Last Act of Love A Manual for H...

Professor John Mullan Interview

June 07, 2021 23:00 - 36 minutes - 25.2 MB

eA lively and entertaining interview with Professor John Mullan about theraprutic reading and his very favourite authors Charles Dickens and Janes Austen. John takes us on a deep dive into what we can enjoy in literature and how he finds humour to be the very best comfort read possible. We travel through literature from Shakespeare, stopping at 18th century literature, then right though to modern day authors and thrillers. John's most recent books: The Artful Dickens What Matters in Jane A...

Work & Life: Jordan Harbinger on starting over from scratch

June 02, 2021 23:00 - 26 minutes - 17.9 MB

I have the great honour this week of interviewing a podcasting legend, Jordan Harbinger. On The Jordan Harbinger Show, Jordan deconstructs the playbooks of the most successful people on earth and shares their strategies, perspectives, and practical insights with the rest of us. He has hosted a Top 50 iTunes podcast for over 14 years and receives over eleven million downloads per month, making The Jordan Harbinger Show one of the most popular podcasts in the world.  Huge thanks to Jen Harb...

Work & Life: Jordan Harbinger on restarting & creating meaningful feedback

June 02, 2021 23:00 - 26 minutes - 17.9 MB

I have the great honour this week of interviewing a podcasting legend, Jordan Harbinger. On The Jordan Harbinger Show, Jordan deconstructs the playbooks of the most successful people on earth and shares their strategies, perspectives, and practical insights with the rest of us. He has hosted a Top 50 iTunes podcast for over 14 years and receives over eleven million downloads per month, making The Jordan Harbinger Show one of the most popular podcasts in the world.  Huge thanks to Jen Harb...

Joanne Harris Interview

June 01, 2021 16:00 - 37 minutes - 25.9 MB

I chat with the wonderful Joanne Harris MBE, an author across an incredible number of media. We chat about the therapeutic effects of reading and writing, how personifying illness can be beneficial and the ups and downs of translations. We have a very interting chat about reading as a bilingual, the joy of graphic novels, and sneaking those books your mother doesn't want you to read at the library. Works and authors mentioned: Lee Child Georgette Heyer Nine Princes in Amber by Roger Zelazny...

Hay Festival with Chair Caroline Michel

May 26, 2021 23:00 - 35 minutes - 24.2 MB

I have a wonderful chat with Chair of the Hay Literary Festival Caroline Michel all about the festival in all its forms across the globe. We discuss the move to digital online festivals, the succes of the festival in multiple countries, the difficulty in discoverability of events in an online setting, and how wonderful authors and speakers are. We also chat about the therapeutic effects of reading and books, and how wide ranging the Hay Festival talks and authors are across multiple language...

Alasdair Stuart Interview

May 24, 2021 23:00 - 40 minutes - 27.6 MB

 I chat with the wonderful Audioverse Award winner and multiple Hugo and BFA finalist pop culture journalist and podcaster Alasdair Stuart all about the therapeutic effects of reading, consuming media, and writing about your favourite things. This is a fun lively chat that goes from magicians Penn and Teller all the way to The Abyss, stopping via Nick Cage and a Dalek Escape Room. All in all a wonderful insight into the perspective of a pop culture journalist writing on very popular IP with ...

Ian Livingstone Interview

May 17, 2021 23:00 - 32 minutes - 22 MB

I chat with the delightful Ian Livingstone, games legend. Co-founder of Games Workshop, co-creater of the Fighting Fantasy genre of books, videogames star who brought us the brilliant Lara Croft. We chat all about the therapeutic effects of reading, how he and Steve Jackson created an entirely new genre of books that encouraged children to read and increased literacy rates. He shares some amusing stories about the launch of the first book and how they are still in print today. We also discus...

Work & Life: UCL MASc in Creative Health with Prof Helen Chatterjee & Lord Alan Howarth

May 12, 2021 23:00 - 46 minutes - 31.9 MB

This episode introduces UCL's new MASc (Master of Arts and Science) in Creative Health.  I chat with The Rt Hon. Lord Alan Howarth of Newport CBE and Professor Helen Chatterjee MBE who have spent many years working and researching in the area of Creative Health. We discuss what Creative Health is, how it can help people, and what the new Masters degree will cover. Links to everything mentioned in this episode UCL MASc in Creative Health National Centre for Creative Health All-Party Parliam...

Work & Life: UCL MASc in Creative Health with Prof Helen Chaterjee & Lord Alan Howarth

May 12, 2021 23:00 - 46 minutes - 31.9 MB

This episode introduces UCL's new MASc (Master of Arts and Science) in Creative Health.  I chat with The Rt Hon. Lord Alan Howarth of Newport CBE and Professor Helen Chatterjee MBE who have spent many years working and researching in the area of Creative Health. We discuss what Creative Health is, how it can help people, and what the new Masters degree will cover. Links to everything mentioned in this episode UCL MASc in Creative Health National Centre for Creative Health All-Party Parliam...

Professer Kiernan Ryan Interview

May 10, 2021 23:00 - 46 minutes - 31.7 MB

This week I have the delightful job of chatting to my old Shakespeare professor, Emeritus Professor Kiernan Ryan, all about the therapeutic effects of his sonnets, speeches, and plays. How Shakespeare has remained relevant four centuries after first being performed, and what there is to be gained and lost in watching, listening, and reading his work. We discuss rhetoric, the draw of tragedies, how Shakespeare mirrors both the audience and the characters themselves, the importance of empathy,...

Nick Coveney Interview

May 03, 2021 23:00 - 38 minutes - 26.5 MB

I chat with the wonderful Nick Coveney of Rakuten Kobo. We chat about Nick's early experience of reading It and what kinds of books he finds therapeutic. We also chat about problematic authors and their effects on being able to gain comfort from their books, how well represented LGBTQ+ is in literature and publishing and problems arising from perceived rulebooks. We discuss the role of the ebook and audiobook on reading habits and how publishers like Rakuten Kobo can decide which books are a...

Work & Life: UCL Deans Stella Bruzzi & Sasha Roseneil

April 28, 2021 23:00 - 42 minutes - 28.9 MB

With me today are UCL's Dean of Arts and Humanities, Stella Bruzzi, and the Dean of Social and Historical Sciences, Sasha Roseneil. We talk about the difficulties of balancing work and life, how research fits into the role of a Dean, the effects of the pandemic on academic life and research, and the joy of being allowed to go out swimming again. We also talk about Pebbles the Warwick campus cat, Indiana Bones UCL's Archaeology therapy dog and how all departments should have a pet. Sasha talk...

Tor - Rachel Taylor & Amanda Melfi Interview

April 26, 2021 23:00 - 31 minutes - 21.4 MB

I chat to the fabulous people behind the Tor family of twitter accounts Rachel Taylor and Amanda Melfi all about how they try to be fun and engaging on social media on behalf of the Tor family without putting pressure on their authors. We chat about favourite books, hilarious twitter moments, sending John Scalzi secret burritos, and why it's important to them to make the Tor spaces a safe space for authors and readers alike. Check out the Shelf Healing Twitter account for debates on what cou...

Diana Evans Interview

April 19, 2021 23:00 - 32 minutes - 22.5 MB

This week I chat with award winning author Diana Evans about the therapeutic effects of reading, why we no longer lend books to people, the emotional connection one has with a physical book, and why audiobooks are wonderful creations. Link to Diana's website where you can buy all of her books Link to Diana's Twitter profile Diana gives a whole host of wonderful author and book suggestions which are listed below: Mary Oliver Mark Doty Anne Sexton Ursula le Guin James Baldwin Olive Kitteridg...

Work & Life: Cat Mitchell & Dan Holloway on Accessibility & Disability in the Workplace

April 14, 2021 23:00 - 56 minutes - 38.8 MB

A brilliant episode in which myself, Cat Mitchell, and Dan Holloway discuss the role of accessibility in the workplace, how those with disabilities should be included in decision making processes for accesibility, and how the pandemic has affected the accessibility of the workplace. We also chat about our worries of the disabled community being left behind as the country leaves lockdown, and how accessibility needs to be incorporated into many more things including job applications and workp...

Dr Christine Yao Interview

April 12, 2021 23:00 - 29 minutes - 20.2 MB

I got  the chance to chat with the lovely Dr Xine Yao all about literature, the potential harm to be found in reading, and the sense of entitlement often seen when discussing and reviewing books in an ethnographic space. Some seriously fascinating thoughts in this episode alongside great recommendations. So many great ideas and topics covered in our short thirty minutes! Works and authors mentonined in the podcast: Works: Indian in the Cupboard by  Lynne Reid Banks The Never Ending Story by...

Mary Robinette Kowal Interview

April 06, 2021 13:00 - 38 minutes - 26.3 MB

I had a blast chatting to Hugo Award Winning author Mary Robinette Kowal all about her thoughts on bibliotherapy, the therapeutic effects of writing, and the importance of the membership non profit Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America of which Mary Robinette is President. We chatted a lot about the role of the intermediary in storytelling, both through audio with her work as a voice artist and with the visual with her work as a puppeteer. We discuss that distance between author and...

Work & Life: Gabriella Bergstedt - Fika & the Swedish Work/Life Balance

March 31, 2021 23:00 - 37 minutes - 25.7 MB

I have a lovely catch up with one of my lovely old colleagues from Sony Mobile in Sweden, Gabriella Bergstedt. We chat about the joy of fika and what it entails. The differences between working in Sweden, Denmark, and Ireland, and how important it is to have certain types of policies and workplace attitudes to create a productive welcoming environment. We go over Sweden's parental leave policy and what it means for parents, how well rounded the work benefits are, the wonderful ergonomics ac...

Nigel Beale Interview

March 29, 2021 23:00 - 39 minutes - 27.1 MB

I chat with Nigel Beale and my co host Lisa Dalton all about beautiful books this week. We take a journey into Nigel's literary critic role, his podcast interviews and how they intersect with his love of literary tourism. Nigel discusses how the very visual nature of a book can be therapeutic in and of itself and how he collects a wide variety of books and book related items, all chosen for their beauty. Things mentioned in the podcast: Shakespeare Bruce Taylor Martin Amis  JM Coetzee Cul...

Work & Life: Team Brit - Driving Disability

March 18, 2021 00:00 - 39 minutes - 26.8 MB

I get the chance to chat with Dave Player, founder of Team BRIT and KartForce, and Andy Tucker, one of Team BRIT's racing drivers all about the motosport team and the role of disability. Team BRIT is a competitive motor racing team consisting of disabled drivers. They are a competitive racing team, not a charity, and they race against teams of able-bodied drivers on a totally level playing field — something that no other sport can offer. They aim to make racing history and take a team to th...

Megan Rosenbloom Interview

March 16, 2021 00:00 - 39 minutes - 27 MB

I chat to the lovely academic librarian Megan Rosenbloom this week all about her thoughts on therapeutic reading, death positivity, researching human skin books, and how Ulysses has stayed with her and should be read as part of a community. There is so much in this episode, brilliant ideas about librarianship along with a hidden gem of an archive open to the public. Megan's constant journey to read all the books that she can, and how being a medical librarian affected her way of looking at ...

Guests

Alasdair Stuart
1 Episode

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