Have A Kind Word With Yourself: The Podcast

“Give love to the things you can’t control, and peace to the things you can.”

What a brilliant chat for the final episode of Season Two! Keisha Thompson is a multifaceted artist and creative leader, whose work includes roles with The Guardian, the Independent Theatre Council and Olympia’s Music Foundation and Contact Manchester. We chat about her love of beetroot, and the multitudes of ways that we can find ...

“I dream that kindness becomes as common as a handshake.”

Today’s episode is with actor and musician Josh Ranville, a Métis actor from Winnipeg, Manitoba. We discuss kindness, self-care and creativity and Josh’s recent role in ‘Rattle’ with Root Sky and Incarnate Theatre companies.

Despite kindness sometimes feeling rare in today’s world, Josh believes in radical self-care to help us be bet...

“It doesn’t take much to be kind.” 

I had a beautiful chat with Zara Sehar, a Muslim British-Pakistani Poet based in Halifax, West Yorkshire. We chat through her journey in poetry - from placing third in the Roundhouse Slam to featuring on BBC Women’s Hour. Zara shares her inspiration from her grandmothers, and the value of laughter in cultivating connections.

A quick note that we touch on bereavement i...

“Intention really matters.” 

I’m overjoyed to share my chat with Victoria Perrie, a Two-Spirit Métis Cree lawyer and artist based in Winnipeg. She has won awards, been recognised for her incredible legal and community work, and she makes a huge impact through a vast range of projects. We discuss her work in Nunavut, the access to justice advocacy she does via her TikTok channel "@arcticlawyer," and her creati...

“When you’ve got no one else to talk to, paper is a good listener.”

This week I speak with the incredible writer, Mohamed Saloo. The words above make up title of one of his poems … and these words leapt out for me in our discussion. 

Among his many accolades, he is the co-founder of Batley Poets, and has published several poetry collections. In this wonderfully insightful chat, Mohamed also discus...

“The world needs more Canada right now.”

This week I chat with fellow Winnipeg creative – and CBC content marketing producer – Justin Deeley. It’s a six hour time difference between Winnipeg and Manchester, so Justin had his Tim Horton’s coffee nearby for this chat! We talk about his background in theatre and comedy, and how storytelling, community, and kindness are meaningful components of his r...

“Books have always been these magical things to me.”

This was a truly uplifting chat with author Sairish Hussain. We talk about finding inspiration in everyday life, and the huge importance of self-compassion, curiosity, solitude, and rest. We share a huge love of books and how, as Sairish says, “You have to be a reader to be a writer.”

Instagram: @sairish.hussain

Books: https://harpercollins.co.uk/blogs/au...

“Notice when people are being kind and they're acknowledging the importance of other creatives.”

Football somehow keeps getting mentioned! But in this chat with acclaimed poet Culain Wood, it totally works. I speak with Culain about connections, community, and variety in his creative work. We talk about bigging up other artists (see the giant list of links below!) and celebrating those who have influenced us. Plus, we h...

“Do the thing that’s instinctive to you.”

I chat with TS Eliot Prize winning poet and author Joelle Taylor. Our discussion goes on the most brilliant tangents and tributaries about analog creativity, empathy, lesbian representation - particularly on her current tour of her stunning collection “Maryville” - and the deep, lasting value of friendships. There is some mature language in our chat, so a heads...

"Poetry comes from that kind act of observation."

I chat with Nick Barley, founding Director of the National Poetry Centre. We talk about facilitating other peoples’ creativity, the value of modelling kindness, meeting angelic cyclists in Spain, and how we write poetry to make sense of ourselves in the world.

• National Poetry Centre: www.nationalpoetrycentre.org.uk
• Edinburgh International Book Festival: www.edbookfest.co....

Hey listeners, it's Rose from Have A Kind Word With Yourself: The Podcast. It's June 2026. It's Pride Month. It's raining a lot in Manchester, and it's pretty tough in the world.

So, perhaps Season Two of Have A Kind Word With Yourself: The Podcast can offer a bit of soothing space where you can listen to chats about creativity, kindness, and connection.

This season, I'll speak with amazing people working in poetry, theatre, broadc...

It's the final episode of Season One ... and what a treat it is! I chat with the wonderful Eleonora Rosca - a musician and music therapist from Romania. Ellie and I have been friends and creative collaborators for years, and she's making huge strides in her music therapy work.

We recorded in January -- when Ellie was fresh off of a supervision course in Bristol -- and the ripples of vulnerability, empathy and kindness from the cour...

What an honour to speak with Ivan Wadeson, Executive Director of Manchester City of Literature! I'm so grateful for the time we had to reflect on art, audience connections, community and kindness! We relate about being library-loving kids, and how we’ve gotta keep libraries as kind and democratic spaces. Plus, hear Ivan promote the upcoming Festival of Libraries in Greater Manchester, June 10-14, 2026. 

Below are links ...

Can a podcast be delicious? This episode definitely is! I chat with Constance Menzies, owner of Chocolatier Constance Popp in Winnipeg, Canada. Her shop is the first cacao-bean-to-bar maker and her scrumptious food has featured at prestigious events (and in my suitcase every time I visit Winnipeg!) We discuss her journey into chocolate making, and how important relationships and community have been along the way. We highlight how s...

The incredible Griot Gabriel joins the Have A Kind Word With Yourself podcast chat! Winner of the 2025 Forward Prize for the performance of his poem ‘Where I’m From’ Gabriel is a Manchester-based poet and youth worker. We talk about his journey into poetry, inspired by figures like Malcolm X and Tupac Shakur, and his work with diverse communities. We delve into the importance of faith, community, and creativity (i...

Tune in for this delightful chat with Carys Nelkon, a senior leader in climate justice and youth development. A self-proclaimed creative problem-solver, Carys shares her experiences at Arts Emergency and her current work in education. We discuss the power of storytelling, the importance of nuance in activism, the joy of crafting, and the significance of rest.

Below are links for organisations and projects that we discussed:

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I speak with the wonderful Sharena Lee Satti, a Bradford-based poet and educator who is aiming to be unapologetically herself this year! We chat about her journey, starting with Simon Widdop's support at a Wakefield festival, and her current work with the Sisterverse Festival. We celebrate small acts of kindness, like pausing for self-care and connecting with others, and taking a moment to breathe.

Below are links for organisation...

This episode brings a joyful chat with Blue Saint, a Liverpool-based rapper and poet from the Democratic Republic of Congo. We delve into our creative processes, and the importance of storytelling and curiosity. Blue speaks enthusiastically about intentional kindness, and how honesty (with consideration and care) is a powerful tool for connection.

Below are links for organisations and projects that we discussed:

Blue’s websi...

In this episode, I’m joined by two guests - acclaimed poets / creative practitioners Tina Sederholm and Ciarán Hodgers. We explore self-compassion, curiosity, and using kindness as a tool for overcoming challenges. Tina and Ciarán share highlights of their ‘Mourning Pages’ programme, and they share a few phrases that are gems of reminders for self care. 

Below are links for some of the things that we discuss...