On Persevilience with Alastair Campbell

About this episode

Questions, suggestions, or feedback? Send us a message! Welcome to the Where Shall We Meet podcast. Our guest this week, back for a second time, is Alastair Campbell, who is co-host of The Rest Is Politics with Rory Stewart. His new book is Persevilience: The Word the World Needs Now, which went straight into the Sunday Times bestseller list. In it he coins a word for “the ability of an individual, group or organisation to turn any situation, setback or meaningful experience into a positive opportunity to grow, to advance and secure their core interests.” His case is that perseverance and resilience are both negative, defensive ideas, and that our time calls for a more positive mindset built on belief and integrity. The book mixes political analysis with personal reflection on grief, disappointment, mental health, friendship, family and love. Campbell was Tony Blair’s press secretary from 1994 and then director of communications and strategy in Downing Street from 1997 to 2003. Before that he was a political journalist for the Daily Mirror. In 1986 he had a psychotic breakdown, and since then he has campaigned on depression and mental health. His other books include several volu