Living Gratefully

Mona Siddiqui speaks to Lindsay Paterson, who is Professor of Educational Policy in the School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh. His main academic interests are in education, civic engagement and political attitudes. Here he speaks of his passion for education, why education should be seen as a moral good and the issues of fairness and expectation in higher education. 

Mona Siddiqui speaks to Bishop Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church in the US.  Born in Chicago, he is the first African American to serve as presiding bishop in the Episcopal Church and has been a very vocal campaigner for all kind of human rights and social justice causes. Here he speaks of his experience of loss and love at an early age, the call of the ministry, the humbling experience of his powerful sermon at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and why in the end, love is the only way.

Mona Siddiqui speaks to Farah Jasmine Griffin, who is the William B. Ransford Professor of English and Comparative Literature and African American Studies at Columbia University. Griffin studied at both Harvard and Yale and her major interests are in American and African American literature, music and history. She has published widely on race and gender, jazz and cultural politics. Here she speaks of the power of education to instil hope, how the call for healing can compromise the call for justice and the generosity and creativity of young people. 

Mona Siddiqui speaks to Alastair Bruce, Governor of Edinburgh Castle and a reservist in the Army. Alastair has a deep interest in royal and constitutional matters and works as a historian and commentator for Sky News,  as well as being a historical adviser on many drama productions such  as Downton Abbey and The King’s Speech. Here he speaks of gratitude for his privileged background, his service in the army, the UK’s relationship to the monarchy and the reasons why promoting diversity and inclusion in the Army matter so much to him. 

Mona Siddiqui speaks to Professor Khaled Abou El Fadl, the Omar and Azmeralda Alfi Distinguished Professor of Law at the UCLA School of Law, and founder of the Institute for Advanced Usuli Studies. Professor El Fadl is one of the world’s leading scholars of Islamic law and ethics and in 2020, was the recipient of the American Academy of Religion, Martin E. Marty Award for the Public Understanding of Religion. Here, he speaks of a home full of books, the influence of his mother’s strong faith and sense of ethics and his personal quest for beauty in the Islamic faith. 

Mona Siddiqui speaks to her colleague Professor Linda Bauld. Linda holds the Bruce and John Usher Chair in Public Health in the Usher Institute, College of Medicine at the University of Edinburgh.  Linda is a behavioural scientist, who also serves as Cancer Research UK’s cancer prevention champion and is currently one of the most widely respected voices in the media speaking on the Covid crisis. Here, she speaks of growing up in Canada, her work on  prevention of disease, gratitude for the support of her colleagues, and the small vase of flowers which has become the backdrop to her online appearances. 

Mona Siddiqui speaks to Peter Geoghegan, the well-known Irish writer, broadcaster and investigations editor at the award-winning news website openDemocracy.

Born and raised in Ireland, now living in Glasgow, Peter looks back on his childhood in Ireland, his education and travels to the US, rebuilding family relationships, and the continued appeal of journalism. His focus on a troubled democracy led to his latest book, Democracy for Sale: Dark Money and Dirty Politics, which became a Sunday Times' best-seller."

Mona Siddiqui speaks to her colleague and friend Dr Joshua Ralston at the University of Edinburgh’s School of Divinity. Born and raised in California, Joshua is a Christian theologian and Reader in Christian-Muslim relations. Here, he speaks of being an American in Scotland, a theologian interested in Islam and why trust and hope in God still sustain his life and work. 

The conversation podcast series Living Gratefully returns for a second season. 
In the first episode of the new series, Mona Siddiqui speaks to the multi award winning Scottish comedian, actor and writer Janey Godley. Raised in the east end of Glasgow, Janey knew early on she was funny and could tell a story. She began her stand up career in 1994 in a male-dominated environment. Here she speaks of growing up in poverty, her comedy and politics and her advice to struggling artists today, to go online and simply get out there. 

In the final episode of this series of podcasts exploring the topic of gratitude, Mona Siddiqui speaks to John Crichton, Consultant forensic psychiatrist, Chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland and Vice President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists UK.  John speaks about his happy childhood despite his dyslexia, his interest in psychiatry from an early age, and the importance of looking after all aspects of our mental health. For John, it is a privilege that his patients open up to him, and with the stresses of Covid-19, conversation is all we have left.