S14, Ep5 How To Fail: Michael Rosen

How To Fail With Elizabeth Day

Sony Music

Society & Culture

4.8 • 9.4K Ratings

🗓️ 8 June 2022

⏱️ 64 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

My sound engineer Chris is a lovely man, but he is not easily impressed. After an interview, if Chris says 'yeah, that was good' I know I've struck GOLD. Today's episode garnered TWO SEPARATE 'yeah that was good'(s) from Chris which is why I know it's a very special one. And of course it would be, because my guest is the truly wonderful Michael Rosen. He is the author of more than 200 books, including some of the most beloved children’s stories of all time. We’re Going on a Bear Hunt is one of his, a book which is now (terrifyingly) over 30 years old.
When the Covid-19 pandemic hit in March 2020, Michael was one of the first to be hospitalised. He spent 47 days in Intensive Care, some of them in an induced coma and on a ventilator. He returned home in June to discover that his poem, These Are The Hands, had become a viral anthem for NHS care workers.
He joins me to talk about all of this, as well as his failures in cricket, academia and health. In one of the most moving conversations I've ever had on this podcast, we also talk about the death of his beloved son Eddie from meningitis at the age of 18 and how Michael still feels (misplaced) guilt over what happened.
Thank you Michael for being so open and vulnerable. This is a wonderful listen - but do have tissues nearby.

--

Michael's latest book, Please Write Soon: a story of Two Cousins in World War II is out now an available to order here: https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Please-Write-Soon-by-Michael-Rosen-author-Michael-Foreman-illustrator/9780702303180

--

How To Fail With Elizabeth Day is hosted by Elizabeth Day, produced by Naomi Mantin and Chris Sharp. To contact us, email [email protected]

--

Social Media:

Elizabeth Day @elizabday

How To Fail @howtofailpod

Michael Rosen @michaelrosenyes

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Need an extra glow before a night out?
0:02.4	Get in some results with Garnier Sheetmasks, the number one sheet mask brand in the UK.
0:07.4	Brighten and re-energise, rebalance and restore, or smooth and replump in just 15 minutes.
0:13.3	Share the Garnier-love this Christmas, pop a sheet mask into a card and send to a friend.
0:18.2	Garnier Sheetmasks are approved by cruelty free international under the Leaping Bunny program.
0:22.8	Save a third on selected Garnier Sheetmasks at SuperDraft, verify it garnier.co.uk, such terms, such number one.
0:35.6	O2's Black Friday deals are now on.
0:38.4	Save up to £432 on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra 5G from just 2750 a month, our lowest ever monthly cost.
0:47.7	Search O2 Black Friday. O2, we're better connected.
0:51.4	Plus, RPI Plus 3.9% 432 pounds saving over 48 months and 7th December 2022.
0:56.0	48 month device pound with linked airtime plan up to 24 months, 18 plus credit checks eligible to in terms of lie.
1:13.8	Hello and welcome to How to Fail with Elizabeth Day.
1:17.5	The podcast that celebrates the things that haven't gone right.
1:21.8	This is a podcast about learning from our mistakes and understanding that why we fail ultimately makes us stronger.
1:29.2	Because learning how to fail in life actually means learning how to succeed better.
1:35.2	I'm your host, author and journalist Elizabeth Day, and every week I'll be asking a new interviewee what they've learned from failure.
1:43.9	My guest today has written more than 200 books, including some of the most beloved children's stories of all time.
1:51.5	We're going on a bare hunt, is one of his, a book which is now over 30 years old and yet still retains its ability to entertain and charm new generations.
2:02.6	An author, poet, teacher and broadcaster, he served as children's laureate from 2007 to 9.
2:09.7	He is, of course, Michael Rosen.
2:13.2	Rosen was born in Harrow, Middlesex. His parents, both teachers, told him that on the night he made his appearance into the world,
2:21.0	the church next door to their home burned down.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Sony Music, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Sony Music and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.