Welcome to The Conversationist

The First Conversation: Between Me and You

Hello welcome to my Substack. This is the first and, I think, most important conversation. It’s the one where YOU ask the questions and I tell you what this is all about …

Why The Conversationist?

When I was about 11 years old, if anyone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, or even if they did not ask for that matter, I told them in no uncertain terms I wanted to plant trees and save animals from extinction, I would be a Conversationist. What I meant, of course, was a Conservationist, but it turns out my statement was rather prescient. Conversations have become the basis of my career.

And the majority of these conversations are about Books.

Reading books, LOTS of books, is something I am very lucky to call ‘Work’. And not just reading, but doing so with a view to discussing them with their author, normally over an hour long conversation, at live events, online or on the radio. I love it; the chance to delve into into the mind it all came from. To reflect on the words, share thoughts and observations and hear the author’s stories, both from within, and outside of, the pages.

Why can’t you keep it to yourself?

Often these books are non fiction (in the end all the best stories are true). And often I’m sceptical at the start, wary that this will not really be “my thing.” But inevitably, a few pages in, I’m hooked. I pour over each book with highlighters, pens and Post Its, scribbling thoughts and questions in the margins. And then this book, these conversations, become ALL I want to talk about. To everyone and anyone who’ll listen.

So this is where you come in. Partly to spare the particular best friend and family WhatsApp group from becoming an endless, over effusive flurry of messages about each new subject and screen grabs of quotes & anecdotes. But mostly because it feels all too fascinating, too funny, too sad, too helpful, too beautiful, too moving …or just too much not to share.

Are authors reflections really that interesting? I can just read the book …

There is a school of thought that says Author ‘Intention’ is irrelevant once a book is out in the world. This is more said of fiction, but in either case, while it may be true that the reader interprets texts in the way they want to and therefore that they give it meaning, hearing an author’s thoughts and personal stories: the whys, wheres and hows, can only enrich the experience.

I have long wanted to make more of these conversations, on everything from history, politics, science and global issues to lifestyle, food, the arts … really ANYTHING goes. They seem too fleeting. I want to preserve them, to share the reflections on and insights into society and our world, their advice on how we navigate our way and find our place within it.

SO here it is! I hope you’ll enjoy the eclectic mix of subjects and surprise yourselves as I have by what interests you and what you then want to share in your conversations.

Here you can get inside the minds of, and learn from, many masters and creators, then decide for yourselves if you want to buy their books. Or just come to hear and read ideas and advice that may help you or purely engage and pique your interest.

What else is on offer and is there a cost?

I hope you will agree that preserving all these wise words is a valuable pursuit. So, while it will be free for now, there will be more elements: discounts on books, tickets to talks, and original interviews: written or in audio or visual versions. And some may come at a small cost.

When will I receive / be able to read these?

You will get one guaranteed letter a week, sometimes more. In some, two or three conversations will be weaved together and others will get articles of their own. Day of delivery is TBC, but, given freelance life, this may well be, like all else, slightly changeable!