Welcome to the next in the Podcast Showcase series, where we share podcasts with you in the words of the podcasters themselves. This time, we talk to How To Be… Books Podcast.
Sum up your podcast in three sentences
The How To Be…Books Podcast looks at having challenging conversations about social change and mental wellbeing through books and their wonderful authors – from an intersectional perspective.
From motherhood, gender euphoria, and housing insecurity to social media addiction and fighting for freedoms – these vital issues are important in making strides for our society as a whole.
As Martin Luther King Jr said: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
Who is your ideal listener? Who loves your show?
Readers, of course! But social and grassroots activists, and any one working towards promoting improved mental health.
What made you start this podcast?
The How To Be…Books Podcast actually started as aversion therapy to public speaking, as well as a space to showcase my voice from bed as I recovered from the latest relapse of my degenerative neurological condition. And since being diagnosed with Hereditary Neuropathy with Liability to Pressure Palsies, I’ve had a lot of time to read since 2017.
Precisely, a book a day!
I amalgamated at least a decade worth of social activism with my 15+ years of journalism experience to try and produce something of value to people.
What have you learned about your subject thanks to this podcast?
Like most people, I am a student of life and have little expertise in the areas I look into. For that very reason I speak to those with huge amounts of knowledge in their area.
The podcast is a place to showcase this vital information.
This includes the likes of Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr Shirin Ebadi, who talked to me about how the recent revolution in Iran differs from before, or top 100 cited scientists in the world Professor Tim Spector OBE telling me about what exactly is worth eating for someone who has various gastrointestinal issues!
And I felt hugely energised speaking to award-winning journalist Poorna Bell about her book Stronger and looking at women’s physical strength. As a disabled woman of colour, it gave me the confidence to keep believing in myself and my body.
Hence I learn something completely different in each episode.
What has your experience of podcasting been? What do you love / hate about the process?
It’s not easy! That’s a fact. Podcasting is a full-time job, which can be a lot to manage if you already have a permanent role. And audio quality is an absolute must.
This means practice makes perfect.
The best podcasts tend to be the ones that sound completely different from the first episode – it’s amazing to hear the improvements. And one of the best parts is the community that you create and you join. There is so much camaraderie in this industry as we all try to navigate it together.
I love the people I have met and spoken to, I honestly feel like a totally different person from when I started. I definitely feel more confident – for someone who hated public speaking!
If someone wants to start listening to your podcast, which episode would you recommend they start with? Why?
There are two episodes I recommend because there are different branches that people may be more interested in. .
- For those who prefer mental wellbeing content: Why and When it’s a Good Time to Quit – with The Dip author Seth Godin
- For those interested in social change: Why Identity Politics is the New Norm – with Who Are We author Gary Younge
Which other podcasts do you love listening to?
As a journalist, I listen to a lot of podcasts including: Tortoise Media’s Sweet Bobby and Hoaxed, Serial of course, Freakonomics, The News Agents, and Untold: The Daniel Morgan Murder.
Aside from this, I recommend The Comfortable Spot, Fresh Air by NPR, How To Talk To People, Stuff You Should Know, and Song Exploder.
If people want to find you online, where can they do so?
- Subscribe for all the amazing book content on the YouTube channel
- Website
- Subscribe to the podcast
- Watch bonus material from the interview
- FOLLOW ON SOCIALS:
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