Why do stories matter?
How stories help us connect, teach us empathy, and set the rules of society.
Telling stories is one of the ways we connect to one and other. Stories teach us empathy and allow us to feel what it’s like to walk in someone else’s shoes. They evolve to show us what our society considers acceptable - and what will not be forgiven. Sandra Kanthal explores why stories matter.
Guests:
David JP Philips – Communications Expert
John Yorke - Author: Into The Woods
Mirta Galesic - Professor in Human Social Dynamics, Santa Fe Institute
Jamie Tehrani, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Durham University
Elizabeth Kperrun - Founder; Zenafri Limited
Samantha Armstrong - Senior Publisher, Oxford University Press
Sandra Newman – Author: The Heavens and How Not To Write a Novel
Music Track: Make America Great Again – performed by Dave Fenley
(Photo: Woman holding an open book bursting with light. Credit: Getty Images)
Last on
Clips
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Is President Trump a master storyteller?
Duration: 01:19
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What is the world's oldest story?
Duration: 01:57
Broadcasts
- Mon 1 Apr 201908:06GMTBBC World Service East and Southern Africa & East Asia only
- Mon 1 Apr 201912:32GMTBBC World Service except News Internet
- Mon 1 Apr 201917:06GMTBBC World Service Australasia
- Tue 2 Apr 201901:32GMTBBC World Service
- Mon 8 Apr 201908:06GMTBBC World Service East and Southern Africa & East Asia only
- Sat 25 Jul 202022:32GMTBBC World Service except Americas and the Caribbean
- Mon 27 Jul 202001:32GMTBBC World Service
- Mon 27 Jul 202008:06GMTBBC World Service
- Mon 27 Jul 202012:32GMTBBC World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
- Mon 27 Jul 202014:06GMTBBC World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
- Mon 27 Jul 202019:06GMTBBC World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
- Mon 27 Jul 202019:32GMTBBC World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
Podcast
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The Why Factor
The extraordinary and hidden histories behind everyday objects and actions





