Desperately Seeking Wisdom

James Graham - Part 1

James Graham is an exceptionally talented playwright and screenwriter. His critically acclaimed plays and scripts – including Ink, Sherwood, Brexit: the Uncivil War, and Dear England, have captured the imagination of critics and audiences. He often takes pivotal moments in our history to show how and why we’ve ended up where we are now. In this part, James talks about how he believes story-telling is important for individuals and society as a whole and why he thinks telling both sides of a story is crucial. This is part one of our conversation, part two will be released on Thursday 15th February. This episode is produced by Red Bicycle.

This is a podcast where well-known people talk about what they’ve learned from life - particularly the tough times. Guests have come from the worlds of entertainment, politics, business and journalism, including: Richard Curtis, George Alagiah, Amber Rudd, the Rev. Richard Coles, Lyse Doucet and David Baddiel. It’s a chance to hear their wisdom - and to think about how it might apply to your life… After the Brexit vote, Craig Oliver's high-powered job and privileged position at the heart of the British government came to an abrupt end. In the aftermath of that bruising battle, he despaired at how divided society had become, but also came to realise something fundamental was missing from his own life. Outwardly he was still achieving; but he realised he'd never felt comfortable in his own skin. Life had always felt more of a grind than a gift – he'd always believed that if he only worked harder, he'd find fulfilment. Now he realised that wasn't the case. Like many others, he asked himself why he'd always had a constant feeling of unease and discontent? He wondered what wise people had to say about how we can live better. Craig decided to try a different path to the one he'd travelled before, reading and listening to many people. Some had little to offer, but he found many revelatory. Throughout this podcast series, Craig talks to some extraordinary people about the wisdom they've been able to take from the ups and downs of life - including traumas and triumphs - and finds out what they believe will help others gain peace of mind and heart.