The Art of Conversation

Available for 34 days

Catrin Nye is back with a new series of The Idea – food for the mind and inspiration for the soul. This week’s theme is The Art of Conversation – in which three speakers share their wisdom and experience on the subject of communication. Rev Dr Andrea Russell, Warden of the Gladstone Library in Flintshire, tells us why conversation – if we do it well – could really change the world. She says: “I’ve got this idea that a conversation is probably the most amazing, joyous, risky, terrifying thing we will ever do as human beings.” Playwright Lowri Jenkins talks about why putting a show on the stage is, for her, the best way of starting a big conversation about identity, sexuality and politics. And Prof Michael Handford, a linguistics expert, scans the way that cancer doctors talk to their patients about their condition, and he draws partly from his personal experience. The Idea brings us some of the best talks with a Welsh connection, and interviews with the speakers talking in depth about their big idea. The Idea is a Bengo Media production for BBC Radio Wales Links relevant to the programme: https://wp.lancs.ac.uk/melc/the-metaphor-menu/ https://www.gladstoneslibrary.org/ https://www.shermantheatre.co.uk/