Episodes
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paying attention
Karl talks to Patricia Hamzahee about listening as a survival skill, being an ally, paying attention and the difference between equality and equity. (And Patricia has a great story about what happened recently when a Black Lives Matter protester was given the stage at a Make America Great Again...
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my mum on death
A no holds-barred and occasionally raucous conversation around one of the trickiest subjects of all: death and dying. Karl and his Mum have always been able to talk openly about most things. But as Jilly gets older they have had up until now only vague conversations about how to deal with the end...
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eight nine ten
For a long time now I've been interested in listening to children. And it seems to me that between the ages of eight, nine and ten there's a kind of special time. Children of this age are conscious of the world, but not too badly spoilt by it. They have something to say, they're prepared to...
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celia's story
One of the most extraordinary conversations in the series so far. In the early summer of 2014, a man called Colin called Karl out of the blue to say there was someone he felt might be interesting for him to talk to. A date and time were quickly arranged and soon Karl was travelling up to East...
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sounds of pain
A fascinating, moving and sometimes profane conversation between Karl and the hugely talented Isobel Anderson, singer, song-writer and sound artist. The conversation, with Isobel's music as an underscore, is about tinnitus, pain and the effect these two things have had on Isobel's life and work.…
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why not me? part 1
A challenging but inspiring conversation for anyone who is feeling robust enough to listen to it. At the age of 15, Jane was attacked and raped in her own home. In this edit she talks honestly and graphically to Karl about what happened to her that night, how it affected her as a young woman and...
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a different kind of justice
A compelling rendition of a story about forgiveness, empathy and the courage to change. A podcast of Karl's first show for BBC Radio 4, A Different Kind of Justice, produced by Russell Finch for Somethin' Else, first broadcast in January 2013. In the show, Karl reveals the inside story of a...
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meeting margaret
The first unedited 12 minutes of Karl talking to Margaret in preparation for their conversation that was to become part of Karl's first programme for BBC Radio 4, A Different Kind of Justice, first broadcast on January 11th 2013. This is an addendum to the show in order to answer some of the many...
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if i wasn't optimistic
A conversation conducted In New York between Karl James and Sandra who runs the Village Postal Center in Greenwich Village. Sandra is a positive, energetic woman with a rich, warm gorgeous New York accent that has to be heard to be believed. Over the counter she talks with Karl about life, love…
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a little like empathy
Understanding difference and the art of listening. On March 12th this year, Karl was asked to talk with the writer Roman Krznaric at the Stone Club in London on Listening and Empathy. This is a specially recorded podcast version of that talk, in which Karl talks about terror, possibility and...
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happy birthday
A unique and uplifting conversation. Jess enjoys a life enriched by a particular form of Tourette's Syndrome. She has an alarm bell. And a serious sense of humour. Her day to day is full of challenges but her attitude is no longer one of being afraid. After a recent furore in the British press…
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you don't talk
A study of tenderness, Karl talks to Adrian a pain doctor about his approach to the most delicate of doctor patient relationships. He considers the value of silence in his work, the dedication to empathy and the challenges that working with people in pain can present for those who care,...
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story listening
You don't have to be Stephen Fry to be eloquent. A animated video podcast from a live talk given by Karl James at an event in London called The Story early in 2011. Essentially, the talk was about the role that listening can play in creating, mining or extracting great story telling from people…
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when I saw myself on fire
An uplifting and fascinating conversation with Anjelo, a gentle joyful man whose life was changed through an extraordinary experience. One minute, he was watching the World Cup on TV. The next moment someone threw a firebomb through his front window and it had landed in his lap. His understanding...
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tears, gravity and distance
A rare opportunity to hear an astronaut talk poetically and eloquently about what it's like to look down on our planet from space. Jean-Francois Clervoy talks with Karl about the unique perspective that only thousands of miles of distance can give you, the extraordinary power and effects of…
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four strokes
What do you associate with the idea of the stroke of a cane? Pain or pleasure? A compelling short edit of two dialogues with a common thread. Both conversations contain graphic descriptions of the same action but what you hear are two totally different experiences: Nikki's is one of unrelenting...
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almost as good
An honest, open and frank conversation on sexuality and confidence. Olivia was a great woman to meet. She and I were maybe a little nervous in each other's company at first. And we tackled some fairly juicy subjects that I had decided to ask about that never made it to the edit: female…
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how's taegen?
An inspiring, tender and open conversation between Karl James and Chris. Taegen was Chris's first daughter. At the age of five she was diagnosed with Lukemia. For 12 months, Chris gave up his work and spent his time day in, day out with Taegen, in and out of hospital, sharing the toughest of…
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prepared to love
A tender, gentle and explicit dialogue between Karl James and Adrian. At the age of 42, Adrian decided it was about time he had penetrative sex. So he saved up some money and hired a male escort for just one night. What he got was an experience he'll never forget. Adrian is one of the most...
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Stephen on Listening
A beautiful conversation on the subject of Listening between Karl James from The Dialogue Project and Stephen. In a small room in a large house in France in May 2002, Karl sat down with Stephen and they talked for about 25 minutes. They were at the end of the second day of the first Round Table…
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when we should be speaking
A conversation between Karl and Rebecca Meredith who (in partnership with Marlena Valles) took part in a debating competition in which she was verbally abused with a series of sexist and misogynistic comments from a group of young men from Glasgow University Union. This ugly and unprovoked attack...