logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2018
1h 26m

The Power of Poetry, with William Siegha...

Intelligence Squared
About this episode

Poetry is the perfect medication against some of life’s challenges, so William Sieghart has found. In this accessible and warming exchange, from tea towel poems to T.S. Eliot, Sieghart brings to life a few of the experiences that inspired his book ‘The poetry pharmacy: Tried-and-True Prescriptions for the Heart, Mind and Soul’. Here he has collected poems that can each serve a different need: fear of the unknown, unrequited love, stagnation, purposelessness, convalescence and oppression, to name a few. 

Joining Sieghart in conversation are actor Helena Bonham Carter, author Jeanette Winterson, comedian Sue Perkins, actor Jason Isaacs, and actor Tom Burke along with journalist Sarah Montague as your host for the night. Together they explore poetry’s remarkable ability to calm, console and, above all, connect us to the minds and experiences of others. 

This event was recorded on the 2nd March 2018, in London and Produced by Executive Producer Hannah Kaye

We’d love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, who we should have on and what our future debates should be about. Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to podcasts@intelligencesquared.com or Tweet us at @intelligence2

At Intelligence Squared we’ve got our own online streaming platform, Intelligence Squared+ and we’d love you to give it a go. It’s packed with more than 20 years’ worth of video debates and conversations on the world’s most important topics as well as exclusive podcast content. Tune in to live events, ask your questions or watch on-demand, totally ad-free with hours of discussion to dive into. Visit intelligencesquaredplus.com to start watching today



Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Up next
Yesterday
The Specialist | The Most Valuable Car in the World, with Gord Duff And Marcus Breitschwerdt
This is an episode of The Specialist, your weekly dose of wonder. In The Specialist, explore the significance and journey of an extraordinary work through the eyes of those that know it best. On this episode, the extraordinary story of the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Cou ... Show More
18m 48s
Oct 5
Anthony Scaramucci on Trump and the Threat to American Democracy (Part One)
Anthony Scaramucci, former White House Communications Director turned outspoken Trump critic, comes to Intelligence Squared in September for a straight-talking conversation on the fallout from Trump’s second presidency. From his brief but explosive tenure inside the Trump White H ... Show More
35m 46s
Oct 4
The Thick of It: 20 Years On, with Armando Iannucci, Peter Capaldi, Chris Addison and Rebecca Front (Part Two)
Malcolm Tucker. Pet ASBOs. A law requiring everyone in Britain to carry around a plastic bag. It’s been twenty years since Armando Iannucci‘s The Thick of It first brought the chaos and drama of the fictitious ‘Department of Social Affairs and Citizenship’ into our lives. First a ... Show More
38m 25s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2020
Life Through Poetry with IN-Q
IN-Q is an award-winning poet, best-selling author, and multi-platinum songwriter. His groundbreaking achievements include being named to Oprah’s SuperSoul 100 list of the world’s most influential thought leaders, being the first spoken word artist to perform with Cirque Du Solei ... Show More
47m 22s
Jun 2018
Elisa New on Poetry in America and Beyond
Elisa New believes anyone can have fun reading a poem. And that if you really want to have a blast, you shouldn't limit poetry to silent, solitary reading  - why not sing, recite, or perform it as has been the case for most of its history? The Harvard English professor and host o ... Show More
54m 10s
Oct 2023
Andrea Gibson | The Year of No Grudges
Colorado's new poet laureate Andrea Gibson takes the stage to illuminate and heal through raw, vulnerable spoken word poetry. A pioneering LGBTQ voice, Andrea discusses poetry's power, the courage growth requires, and their guiding ethos that authenticity matters more than suffer ... Show More
1h 7m
Mar 2020
IN-Q | Poetry Rising
IN-Q is a National Poetry Slam champion, award-winning poet, and multi-platinum songwriter. His groundbreaking achievements include being named to Oprah's SuperSoul 100 list of the world's most influential thought leaders, being the first spoken word artist to perform with Cirque ... Show More
1 h
Jun 2021
Jacqueline Suskin on Poetry in Everyday Life
Jacqueline Suskin is a poet, educator, and author of many books and collections. She is best known for her project Poem Store, where she composes improvisational poetry for patrons who choose a topic in exchange for a unique verse. Poem Store has been her main occupation since 20 ... Show More
49m 53s
Mar 2023
Toni Morrison
Today we are celebrating Women’s History Month and looking at the pioneering writer, Toni Morrison. From her poem, ‘Someone leans near’ to her debut novel, ‘The Bluest Eye’, Susie and Gyles delve into the books, poetry, and legacy of the Nobel Literary Prize winner. We encounter ... Show More
34m 52s
Jul 2020
Ellen Bass on the Power of Poetry
Ellen Bass is a poet, non-fiction author, and teacher. She is the author of many collections and books including Like a Beggar, The Human Line, and Mules of Love. Ellen’s poems also appear frequently in The New Yorker, American Poetry Review, and many other journals. She’s been a ... Show More
44m 22s
May 2019
Tracey Emin
Guest host Razia Iqbal speaks to contemporary artist Tracey Emin. Emin talks about the moments that shaped and inspired her voice, including her family's sudden poverty, her sexual encounters with older men as a teenage girl, and her emergence as one of Britain's most famous and ... Show More
46m 34s
Oct 2022
Emma Watson, Blind Reveal, Conan O' Brien w/ Sarah Fraser
Joining the Deux U classroom this week is TV Host, podcaster, producer and comedian, Sarah Fraser. We're discussing the week's hottest topics, including: Conan O'Brien Hollywood publicists An Emma Watson blind item Daniel McKenna’s Peloton departure Kelsea Ballerini Grey’s Anatom ... Show More
1h 5m
Jun 2024
Vogue Williams - ‘I love therapy’
Ugh I just adore this woman. I had a girl crush on her from afar and recently was lucky enough to meet her properly when she interviewed me on tour. Let me tell you that Vogue Williams is EVEN BETTER in person than she is on screen or in our ears. You’ll know her as one half of o ... Show More
51m 20s