Welcome to the Southwark Cathedral podcast.
Hosted by members of the Southwark Cathedral team, each episode delves into an area of our mission and opens up a side of our work beyond the pulpit.
The World Needs More Poetry | Helen Smee on Henry Vaughan's The Holy Communion
In the latest episode of our 'The World Needs More Poetry,' series, the Dean is joined by our new Director of Music, Helen Smee. Helen talks about her musical background, her family's artistic influences, and her roots in London, leading to her roles in Cambridge, London, and Oxford before returning to Southwark. She shares her deep connections with the Cathedral and her passion for her current role. Helen discusses her feelings about poetry, comparing its depth to music and other art forms.
The conversation delves into the selected poem 'The Holy Communion' by Henry Vaughan, analyzing its themes, structure, and musical adaptations. Helen articulates her love for metaphysical poets like Vaughan and their influence on modern composers.
Episode 10 | The Dean in Conversation with Manni Coe on Rebuilding a Life
Episode 9 | What are the Psalms?
The Dean recently gave a talk on ‘What are the Psalms?’ Listen now to explore what the psalms are, when and why they were written, and how they speak to our faith today.
The World Needs More Poetry | Dame Mary Beard on Homer's The Odyssey
The latest podcast in our ‘The World Needs More Poetry’ series is a conversation between the Dean and Dame Mary Beard on her chosen poem ‘The Odyssey’ by Homer. Mary Beard is very well known as a Classicist and as a popular broadcaster and writer. In their dialogue together, we hear about the origin of the Odyssey, its main characters and themes, and are left to explore questions about the nature of heroism, the complications of returning home, of becoming an adult, and of understanding power.
Episode 8 | The Truth About Modern Slavery
We recently hosted writer and activist Emily Kenway to give a talk aboout her first book, The Truth About Modern Slavery. Throughout the evening Emily addressed modern slavery, and its misrepresentation in political and cultural narratives. Kenway, an advisor to the UK's first anti-slavery commissioner, emphasises the difference between the real experiences of victims and the stories shaped for political motives. She discusses the conditions that foster exploitation, the misuse of the term 'modern slavery,' and how systemic issues like weak labour rights, poor regulation, and political convenience contribute to it. Emily uses examples like car washes, nail bars, and supply chains to illustrate inconsistent attitudes towards labour exploitation. She advocates for addressing systemic issues rather than focusing on sensationalized rescue efforts, stressing the need to understand and tackle the root causes of exploitation.
Episode 7 | Why I Care with Sir Ed Davey, MP
On Monday 23 June, we welcomed the leader of the Liberal Democrats, Sir Ed Davey MP, to discuss his new book 'Why I Care and Why Care Matters’. Ahead of the event in the evening, Ed sat down with the Dean to record a podcast for those who couldn’t be there in person.
The conversation delves into Davey's personal experiences as a young caregiver, his role in caring for his son with disabilities, and his advocacy for family carers through his political work. He emphasizes the importance of recognizing and supporting family carers, sharing stories and insights from his book. The podcast touches on the societal undervaluation of care work, the bureaucratic challenges carers face, and the need for systemic changes to better support carers and those they care for. Davey argues that integrating care more centrally into policy could lead to a more compassionate and prosperous society.
The World Needs More Poetry | Bishop of London, The Rt Rev'd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally
Bishop Sarah reflects on William E. Stafford’s poem “Ask Me” — a piece that has accompanied her through moments of challenge, both as an ordained woman in the Church of England and as someone who lives with dyslexia. With honesty and grace, she explores how poetry can hold space for vulnerability, strength, and the questions we don’t always have answers to.
Episode 6 | The Boyhood of Cain
Michael Amherst regularly attends Southwark Cathedral, loving the building and the beauty of Evensong. His debut novel, 'The Boyhood of Cain', which has just been published by Faber, made The Times excitedly report that 'a literary star is born'. It is a novel about Danny, a boy on the precipice of adulthood, struggling to understand how he might give and deserve love. 'People are just like books', thinks Daniel, ' - full of hidden meanings that need to be unearthed by an attentive reader'.
In our latest podcast, the Dean talks with Michael about the book and its themes, and why the story of Cain and Abel intrigues him.
Episode 5 | The Dean in Conversation with the Precentor, Canon Kathryn Fleming on Holy Week
Episode 4 | The Dean in Conversation with Laurence Rees on The Nazi Mind
The World Needs More Poetry | Stella Kanu
We are delighted to introduce a brand new mini-series to the Southwark Cathedral Podcast. The series asks invited guests to choose a favourite poem and then chat to the Dean about why it is important to them. The first episode features Stella Kanu, Chief Executive of Shakespeare’s Globe, who has chosen Roger Robinson’s ‘A Portable Paradise’.
Episode 3 | The Dean in Conversation with Pádraig Ó Tuama
In this episode, the Dean of Southwark - The Very Rev'd Dr Mark Oakley - is in conversation with Irish poet and theologian Pádraig Ó Tuama.
Ahead of an event held at the Cathedral, Pádraig sat down with the Dean and a copy of his latest book 44 Poems on Being with Each Other and discussed a couple of his favourite poems from the collection.
Episode 2 | The Dean in Conversation with Patrick Ryan, CEO of Hestia
In the second of two conversations launching our focus on modern slavery and exploitation, the Dean is in conversation with the CEO of Hestia, Patrick Ryan. Together they discuss Hestia and the support it provides to survivors of modern slavery, the extent of slavery in London and Southwark today, how we can detect signs of slavery and where we can find more information.
Episode 1 | The Dean in Conversation with novelist Amanda Craig
Novelist Amanda Craig spoke with the Dean about why modern slavery is such an important topic and why she is grateful that the Cathedral has taken up this injustice for exploration. She speaks about her novel ‘Hearts and Minds’ in which she tells of the story of various individuals who find themselves in London, some exploited and abused, and how their lives interact with the dark underbelly of the city, as well as the good it offers.