E8 - The Words Behind the Songs | with Tim Rice
Today, Wodcast sits down with Sir Tim Rice one of the world's most celebrated lyricists and one of only a small number of people to have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony, for a wide-ranging conversation about words, songwriting, storytelling and the strange alchemy of turning language into something that lasts. From Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita and Chess to The Lion King and Aladdin, Tim has written some of the most recognisable lyrics of the last half-century. But this conversation is less about…
E7 - What Does Freedom Really Mean? | with Waad Al-Kateab
What does freedom really mean when you have spent part of life without it? Today, the Wodcast sits down with Waad Al-Kateab journalist, filmmaker and activist for a deeply personal conversation about freedom, home, family, language, community and the power of imagining a different future. Waad grew up in Syria under the Assad regime and began documenting life in Aleppo during the Syrian revolution. Her extraordinary archive became For Sama, the acclaimed documentary that brought the realities of war,…
E6 - What If Surrender Is a Form of Creation? | with Nick Mulvey
What if surrender isn't the opposite of creation, but part of it? Today, the Wodcast sits down with musician and songwriter Nick Mulvey for a wide-ranging conversation about words, music, faith, creativity and the things that can only be felt beyond language. Nick arrives with the word “yield” a word that can mean both to produce and to surrender. From this apparent contradiction, the conversation opens into a deeper exploration of creativity, control and what happens when we stop trying to do…
E5 - Isumataq: Where wisdom reveals itself | with Remi Olajoyegbe
What lies in the silence between who we have learned to be and who we are becoming? Today, the Wodcast sits down with Remi Olajoyegbe, founder, female empowerment coach, business leader, co-founder of Medicine Festival and founder of the Isumataq Collective, for a deeply personal conversation about success, transformation, grief and what it means to live and lead from a place of wholeness. Having built a highly successful career in investment banking, Remi reflects on what she calls “the void of…
E4 - The Courage to Be Frequently Happy | with David Larbi
What does it take to become Frequently Happy? Today, the Wodcast sits down with David Larbi, poet, bestselling author of Frequently Happy, and one of the UK's most thoughtful voices on joy, creativity and emotional wellbeing, for a deeply reflective conversation about poetry, presence and the courage it takes to live authentically. Together they explore why happiness begins with contentment, the relationship between creativity and self-discovery, and how words can help us better understand our…
E3 - Can You Make Empathy Illegal? | with Professor David Nutt
What happens when language becomes more powerful than evidence? Today, the Wodcast sits down with Professor David Nutt, one of the world's leading neuropsychopharmacologist, psychiatrists and consciousness researchers, for a thought-provoking exploration of language, consciousness and the extraordinary power of words to shape how we think, feel and act. Together they discuss the origins of the word psychedelic, why MDMA was originally called empathy, how language has influenced public perception and…
E2- Why Romance Needs to Come Back | with Hak Baker
What if romance wasn't just about falling in love? In this conversation of the Wodcast, musician, songwriter and poet Hak Baker joins Benjamin Aston and Mabel Evans for a wide-ranging exploration of romance, brotherhood, community and the courage it takes to change. Together they discuss the forgotten meaning of romance, why transformation is rarely a solitary act, and the idea of slaying the dragon within - the lifelong battle to confront our fears, ego and destructive patterns. Through stories of…
E1.1 - Three Weight-Bearing Words from Elif Shafak
In this Word Reflections episode, we revisit ideas from our conversation with Elif Shafak through three weight-bearing words: gurbet, kairos, and democracy. Some words carry more than definitions. They hold histories, experiences, ways of seeing the world, and questions that continue to shape how we live. Together, we explore the feeling of gurbet, a longing for home and belonging, the idea of kairos, the right or opportune moment, and the meaning of democracy in our lives today. This is not an…
E1 - When Faith and Doubt Hold Hands | with Elif Shafak
What happens when faith and doubt learn to dance together? In this opening conversation of the Wodcast, bestselling novelist Elif Shafak joins Benjamin Aston and Mabel Evans for a wide-ranging exploration of language, love, storytelling and the search for wisdom in a noisy world. Together they discuss the ancient meanings hidden inside words, why different cultures understand love in different ways, the forgotten goddess of writing, the importance of oral storytelling, and what Elif calls "inner…
Season One with Stephen Fry, Elif Shafak & More
In Season One of the Wodcast, we sit down with novelist Elif Shafak, musician Hak Baker, Professor David Nutt, writer David Larbi, founder and coach Remi Olayjoyegbe, musician Nick Mulvey, filmmaker Waad Al-Kateab, lyricist Tim Rice, and writer, actor, and broadcaster Stephen Fry. Across nine conversations, we explore the words that have shaped their lives, the language that has influenced their thinking, and the stories they carry with them.
Welcome to the Wodcast with Mabel Evans & Benjamin Aston
Welcome to the Wodcast where every word carries a world inside it. The Wodcast is a podcast exploring the words that shape our lives, cultures, relationships, and imagination. Hosted by Benjamin Aston and Mabel Evans, each episode unfolds into conversations, stories, ideas, and perspectives from writers, thinkers, artists, and cultural voices. From love and belonging to courage, grief, joy, identity, and everything in between, the Wodcast invites you to slow down and look more closely at the language…