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How do you find an original angle with somebody who’s discussed the same story hundreds of times? Especially when that person is one of the best-loved and most-interviewed people in their field?

That’s the challenge I faced when approaching this interview with the great Captain Liz Clark. The occasion was the paperback release of Swell, Liz’s much-loved book about her decade-long voyage around the Pacific, with the author at the end of what was essentially her second round of promotion for the same tale.

And Swell really is a modern maritime classic; much more than ‘just’ a straight retelling of Liz’s incredibly gruelling, challenging and rewarding journey, as eloquently and honestly as she tells that tale.

It’s also about how we cope with the biggest themes of the lot: the generational accumulations that have brought us to this particular point, how a challenge such as Liz’s can be the canvas upon which we engage in the grandest acts of self discovery, and also how we can learn to face life’s challenges with grace and equanimity. It’s also about Liz’s own environmental awakening, a theme that brings us full circle to the present day.

In the end, I decided to go full Looking Sideways on this one: eschewing the questions Liz has been asked a gazillion times before: ignoring all the received podcasting interview wisdom (and believe me, there’s a LOT of that about these days); leaning into my full repertoire of lengthy digressions, two-minute long questions; and generally trusting Liz would get I was trying to have a conversation we’d both (and hopefully, my listeners) appreciate on a more human level.

I’m happy to report that Liz went seemed to be as into the idea as I was, and the result is the chat you’re about to listen to. Hope you enjoy it, and fo let me know what you think if you get a second.

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