Author and master storyteller Martin Shaw brings us the Smoke Hole Sessions – a series of vital conversations with inspirational people, in the hope that in the crackle of the thinking, the fire of the language, the visioning and the wildness of the exchanges, we may find breadcrumbs that lead us out of the forest again, and into a deeper life. Inspired by his new book Smoke Hole, Martin speaks to some of today’s most admired writers, musicians, comedians, activists and more about their own ...
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EP10: LIVE at Conway Hall, feat. Martin Shaw
54:12
54:12
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54:12We’re delighted to return to the Smoke Hole Sessions with a LIVE recording with Martin Shaw. To celebrate the paperback release of Smoke Hole, Martin tells one of the three ancient stories from the book to a live audience at London’s iconic Conway Hall. He also reflects on how the book has shaped his journey in the years since it was published and …
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EP 9: Growing Your Hands Back, feat. John Densmore
42:35
42:35
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42:35In the season 1 finale of the Smoke Hole Sessions, Martin talks to music legend and icon, John Densmore, drummer for one of the greatest bands of all time: The Doors. They dive into the last year and the publication of John’s new book The Seekers, where he pays homage to artists that have fed his creativity over a lifetime. They discuss their own e…
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EP 8: What’s the Narrative of Your Life? feat. Natasha Khan
45:37
45:37
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45:37In the next episode of the Smoke Hole Sessions, Martin Shaw chats with Bat for Lashes singer songwriter and musician, Natasha Khan. Natasha talks about her move from the UK to California four years ago and her evolution as a mystic artist, explorer and new mother. They discuss the joys of parenthood and how the experience of sharing art, be it musi…
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EP 7: Preparing the Grail, feat. Sir Mark Rylance
58:51
58:51
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58:51Martin has a wonderful, lyrical conversation with Academy Award winning actor and friend, Sir Mark Rylance. The pair discuss everything from the global shutdown to Shakespeare. They speak candidly about loss on a global and personal level, the interconnectedness of life and happy accidents in art; and the challenge of thinking about craft by not ‘r…
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EP 6: Helping the Peacemakers, feat. Ariel Burger
1:00:45
1:00:45
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1:00:45Martin Shaw talks to rabbi, artist and author Dr. Ariel Burger, who reminds us that 'there are certain kinds of madness that really do constitute sanity in a world gone mad.' Ariel explains that this has been a theme in many of the Jewish mystical teachings that have inspired him, and he and Martin delve into how ancient stories help us to think ab…
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EP 5: What Books Got You Through Your Childhood? feat. John Mitchinson
1:08:14
1:08:14
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1:08:14Martin Shaw talks to publisher, author, podcaster and smallholder, John Mitchinson about the most powerful, precious and provocative objects in the world – books. More than simply content, more than print on paper, books are repositories of knowledge and a portal to anyone and anything, anywhere. John and Martin discuss the feeling of finding a kin…
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EP 4: Mouth Open, Story Jump Out, feat. Jan Blake
52:39
52:39
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52:39In this episode renowned storyteller Jan Blake recounts her journey into storytelling as a young woman growing up in Manchester. Jan has been performing worldwide for over twenty-five years, specialising in stories from Africa, the Caribbean and Arabia; she is both dynamic and generous in her storytelling. Both Jan and Martin have spent decades hon…
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EP 1: Reintroducing Ourselves to the World, feat. Tommy Tiernan
56:24
56:24
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56:24Welcome to the Smoke Hole Sessions, a series of vital conversations with some of our most admired writers, musicians, artists, comedians and more. In this first episode, Martin Shaw chats to longtime friend and Irish comedian Tommy Tiernan. They discuss what sorts of stories, performances and practices have helped them get through the last year (of…
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EP 2: What Animal Do You Have Under Your Cloak? feat. Jay Griffiths
48:00
48:00
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48:00Martin Shaw chats with author and Boudicca incarnate, Jay Griffiths. They discuss their calling to the creative arts and Jay’s new book, Why Rebel. As they look back to lockdown and the ensuing pang of melancholy that comes with solitude, they realise that melancholy can make us self-forgetting and look beyond ourselves. This episode is for those s…
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EP 3: Mad, Dead or a Poet, feat. David Keenan
1:17:09
1:17:09
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1:17:09Author David Keenan and Martin Shaw are true kindred spirits. Steeped in the music scene as a journalist and drummer respectively, their experiences have many magical parallels that they explore in this engrossing meeting of minds. From punk rock to poetry, they discuss writing, art and music, cultural amnesia and sonic spirituality. Dive in. Get 3…
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Author and master storyteller Martin Shaw brings us the Smoke Hole Sessions – a series of vital conversations with inspirational people, in the hope that in the crackle of the thinking, the fire of the language, the visioning and the wildness of the exchanges, we may find breadcrumbs that lead us out of the forest again, and into a deeper life. Ins…
…
continue reading