An internal communication profession in an impenetrable bubble is no use to anyone. It helps, from time to time, to reach out, listen, learn – fill yourself up with a story from outside the corporate carousel.

It’s in that tradition that Katie Macaulay invited poet, playwright, author, former university chancellor, official poet of the London Olympics, honorary fellow of Oxford and Cambridge colleges, winner of the 2024 Hay festival medal for poetry and three-time Sunday Times bestseller Lemn Sissay to the podcast.

Together they sat down to discuss everything from the British care system in which Lemn grew up to Microsoft PowerPoint. They also explore the value of taking the word ‘busy’ out of your lexicon so you’re forced to say something more exciting, the one crucial element of any story, and following a writing scheduling that means you start each day ‘facing the fact that somebody might see what you’re doing as no good.’

Extraordinary, insightful and – to use a word Lemn doesn’t like to use too much –inspiring.

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Content warning: This episode includes discussion of suicide. Listener discretion is advised. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie