We all love stories. But why do we tell them? Why do all stories function in an eerily similar way?
Stories mould who we are, from our character to our cultural identity. They drive us to act out our dreams and ambitions and shape our politics and beliefs. We use them to construct our relationships, to keep order in our law courts, to interpret events in our newspapers and social media. Storytelling is an essential part of what makes us human.
Will Storr and John Yorke, two of the UK's foremost experts in storytelling, will be in conversation about the way narrative shapes the human experience. Come on a journey to the heart of storytelling, revealing that there truly is a unifying shape to narrative forms. Along the way they will discuss how story contributes to delusional beliefs, history and society.
WILL STORR
Will is an author and journalist. Previously an award-winning long-form journalist, who specialised in human rights reporting in Latin America, Africa and the remote Aboriginal communities of Australia. His work appeared in the Guardian, the Sunday Times, the Observer, the New York Times and the New Yorker. His groundbreaking reporting on sexual violence against men earned the Amnesty International Award and the One World Press Award.
He’s been presented with the AIB Award for Best Investigative Documentary for his two-part BBC radio series.
His books include Selfie, The Status Game and the Sunday Times bestseller The Science of Storytelling.
JOHN YORKE
John is a drama producer, consultant and lecturer on all forms of narrative — from speech writing and advertising to drama. A former MD of Company Pictures where he Exec Produced Wolf Hall, he’s worked as both Head of Channel Four Drama and Controller of BBC Drama Production.
As a commissioning Editor/Executive Producer, he championed Life On Mars, The Street, Shameless, Father Brown, Waterloo Road, Our Girl and Bodies, as well as winning a BAFTA as Exec Producer of EastEnders in 2002.
In 2005 he created the BBC Writers Academy, a year-long in-depth training scheme which has produced a generation of successful television writers.
The author of Into the Woods — the best-selling book on how and why we tell stories — John was for many years Visiting Professor of English Language and Literature at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. His latest book will be out in October 2024.