Better Known

Ivan Wise

Each week, a guest makes a series of recommendations of things which they think should be better known. Our recommendations include interesting people, places, objects, stories, experiences and ideas which our guest feels haven't had the exposure that they deserve.

  1. 5/07

    Ian Proud

    Ian Proud discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Ian Proud is an expert in strategic thinking, politico-economic analysis and diplomatic tradecraft. He was a member of His Majesty's Diplomatic Service from 1999 to 2023. During that time, he was one of the Foreign Office's most accomplished crisis experts and was Chair of the Crisis Committee at the British Embassy in Moscow when the Salisbury nerve agent attack happened in March 2018. He posts international relations articles and podcasts from his Substack page, The Peacemonger. His first novel, Searching, is now available at https://www.amazon.co.uk/Searching-love-story-Ian-Proud-ebook/dp/B0GFYC25YZ/ Curiosity –One reason we see so much racism and intolerance is a lack of curiosity in society. Boat 813 – for me the most vivid symbol of the destructive power of the 2004 tsunami is the 60-ton Royal Thai Navy patrol boat that was dragged 2 kilometres inland. I saw it for the first time just a few days after that tragic event beside the road as I drove towards Takua Pa. Stink beans – the first time you eat stink beans, or sataw as they are known in Thai, the taste is bitter and overpowering. The second time you eat them you might be addicted, like me. A Town Like Alice – Nevil Shute’s 1950 book explores our human ability to endure terrible suffering and yet survive, potentially find true love and live happily ever after. This is a theme I explore in Searching. King Charles Street – the façade of the Foreign Office, directly adjacent to Downing Street, is grand and intimidating, which doesn’t help the perception that British diplomats are out of touch elitists. And yet the vast majority are not. Sleep – in a crisis, I can work for forty hours without sleep, although I wouldn’t recommend it. A healthy pattern of sleep is the foundation for our physical and mental wellbeing. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

  2. 31/05

    Séamas O'Reilly

    Séamas O'Reilly discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Séamas O'Reilly is a writer and author who has worked as a columnist for the Observer, the Irish Times and the Irish Examiner. He is Features Editor of London satirical magazine, The Fence and his writing has appeared in The Guardian, the New Statesman and the New York Times. His memoir Did Ye Hear Mammy Died topped the Irish Times Bestseller List for seven weeks, and won Best Biography at the 2021 Irish Book Awards. Séamas currently lives in Walthamstow, London with his family. His new novel is Prestige Drama, which is available at https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/seamas-oreilly/prestige-drama/9780349727899/. The book "On Bloody Sunday" by Julieann Campbell https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/jan/30/on-bloody-sunday-by-julieann-campbell-review-the-most-powerful-account-of-a-brutal-day The writer Flann O'Brien/Myles na Gopaleen https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v41/n07/clair-wills/anti-writer The Dyatlov Pass Incident https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/05/17/has-an-old-soviet-mystery-at-last-been-solved AI Is A Scam https://www.gardenofmemory.net/historian-vs-ai-the-technology-sucks-and-is-basically-a-scam/ Alan Moore's Top Ten comics series https://pagechewing.com/comic-commentary-top-10-by-alan-moore/ John Carpenter's The Thing Is Probably The Best Film Of All Time https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/thing-2-review/ This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Sobre

Each week, a guest makes a series of recommendations of things which they think should be better known. Our recommendations include interesting people, places, objects, stories, experiences and ideas which our guest feels haven't had the exposure that they deserve.

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