Ian Grosz talks with writer, performer and activist Matt Sowerby about the Nature Chronicles Prize, the lessons we can learn from our relationship with the whale, and what hope might mean in the climate emergency. 

Matt reads an extract from his essay ‘Hope is the Thing with Flippers’, which won the Nature Chronicles Prize in 2024. He discusses the story of the whale and whaling, the inspiration and thinking behind the writing of the essay, which focuses on the whale skeleton hanging at the entrance to the Natural History Museum, and his journey as both an activist and writer. Matt goes on to discuss his practice and the relationship between writing, activism and performance. The episode closes with a discussion around an event that brought writers and activists together in Aberdeen’s Maritime Museum in 2024, Matt’s current writing focus on oil and the ocean, what hope might mean in the context of the climate emergency, and a second reading from Matt’s award winning essay. 

You can learn more about Matt’s work at mattsowerby.co.uk

This episode was recorded in March 2025.