A few things she enjoyed in the last year were: spending two months working from a haunted Victorian jail cell, arriving in the middle of the Wyoming desert to the scene of a forty-year old murder, telling a family that their parents’ love story from the battlefields of WW2 would be brought to life as a podcast by HISTORY TV channel, and being given the opportunity by NASA to explore behind the curtain of the Kennedy Space Centre.

Tell us a little about your podcast…?

I have worked on many podcasts as a writer, but my first podcast of my own creation and partnership is The Letters of Love in WW2 with HISTORY UK. It was a podcast concept I’ve been working on for a couple of years, entirely told through real letters. When HISTORY said they were interested in producing it, I knew it was going to be an amazing collaboration, there is no better network than HISTORY for this production.

If you could go back to just before you recorded the first episode of your podcast and give yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?

I would tell myself to stop worrying if people would “get it” and just make what I feel is right for the story.

What makes a great podcast guest?

There are two things that make a great guest, one is a person who really knows their subject. Even if they are nervous, their words will come naturally and confidently if they know their stuff. The other thing is the importance of making a guest feel at ease. When a podcast guest is relaxed and you make sure they know there is no pressure, and it’s not a live broadcast (and can be edited) they often forget they are being interviewed. It’s more like a natural conversation.

What makes a great podcast host?

One that has a natural passion for their subject.

What’s been your worst podcast moment?

Probably when I was on the other side of the coin. I don’t enjoy public speaking so being interviewed myself was a nerve-wracking experience for me.

What is it about podcasts that appeals to you?

I love imaging the scenes people are describing or discussing in my mind. I also love the fact that really, anyone can make a podcast.

What annoys you about podcasts/other podcasters?

Nothing! As long as people support each other and appreciate everyone has different tastes and ideas, it’s a great industry to be in.

Is there anything you found annoying as a podcast listener… but then understood when you started making your own?

Not really, but it’s impossible to truly understand the time and energy that goes into a podcast until you actually work on one.

Which one podcast episode of your own means the most to you?

Oh that’s a toss up! The first podcast episode I ever wrote, which was Casefile True Crime Podcast #42 Sherri Rasmussen means a lot to me, because I knew from that moment on I had found my calling. But also, the first episode of Letters of Love In WW2 being released and having the family be truly happy with what I had put together meant the world to me.

Which one podcast episode not of your own means the most to you?

In 2015, Criminal Podcast released an episode called “The secret People of Carville”. There was a time in our history when 450 patients with Leprosy were quarantined in a low security prison in Louisiana with 500 criminals. Over a 100 year period, people with the disease were isolated there often against their will, and in a way treated like criminals.  It’s a story about human nature, misconceptions and how for many of these patients, the facility became a place of somewhat peace. This episode inspired me to be a storyteller.

Listen to Letters of Love in WW2 on Apple Podcasts, Acast & Spotify.

The post THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO… Anna Priestland // Letters Of Love In WW2 appeared first on POD BIBLE.

Tell us a little about your podcast…?

Letters of Love in WW2 is TV channel HISTORY’s first foray into podcasting in the UK and tells the story of a real-life couple’s war through their letters to each other. Voiced by Downton Abbey’s Amy Nuttall and broadcaster and writer Johny Pitts, Olga and Cyril’s family also provide interviews that book-end each episode and provide context and reflection for us today.

It’s a beautiful series, and one of the most gratifying projects I’ve ever worked on. Keeping history alive in this way, and inspiring our generation to forge connections with their past before it’s too late is a great motivator and is incredibly rewarding.

If you could go back to just before you recorded your first podcast and give yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?

It’s not as easy as it seems! Granted, you don’t have to worry about what things look like with filming video, and no cameras mean one less technical consideration, but that can also lead to all sorts of other issues… For one, you need to be meticulous with your notes and well organised in the edit as it’s so much harder to find the bit you want without a visual cue.

What makes a great podcast guest?

A great podcast guest wants to be there! You can really tell when a guest doesn’t know what they’re doing, doesn’t strike a rapport with the presenter and doesn’t want to be there. A podcast is so personal – you’re listening in to a conversation, usually just you and a pair of headphones, and it needs to feel intimate. The guests on A Stab in the Dark were all crime fiction authors or actors and you always knew there was going to be common ground and an insightful conversation as a result.

What makes a great podcast host?

A great podcast host is genuine, authentic, and able to speak on the same level as their listeners. Enthusiasm is absolutely key. They don’t necessarily need to be high-octane, but passion is infectious, especially in the podcast world when you’re speaking directly to an audience.

What’s been your worst podcast moment?

Booking guests on The Magic Sponge was the worst! Wrangling ex-professional footballers was like herding cats and there were a fair few occasions where we were left with no guest just before a record.

What is it about podcasts that appeals to you?

I have a fairly long commute, and I’m not sure how I’d survive if it wasn’t filled with the endless podcasts I have to listen to. The sheer variety of what’s available – comedy, history, football, wildlife, drama – it doesn’t matter what mood you’re in there’s always something to listen to. If anything, if sometimes feels like there’s too much!

What annoys you about podcasts?

I have to admit that I’m a bit of a stickler for mouth noises – clicks, pops, vocal fry etc. Smoothing it out completely can make for a long edit, but I think it’s well worth it.

Is there anything you found annoying as a podcast listener… but then understood when you started making your own?

Advertising had only just launched when I started making podcasts, but it had already become widespread. It’s pretty infuriating, but a necessary evil for the industry to keep on growing. And when sponsorship is done well it can be just as good as the content of the episode (hats off Adam Buxton!)

Which one podcast episode of your own means the most to you?

The first episode of Letters of Love in WW2 is incredibly meaningful. The production window for this series was very tight and if it wasn’t for our excellent team and the involvement of the family it probably wouldn’t have happened. Alongside a couple of other similar projects it has also encouraged me to find out more about my grandparent’s experiences during the war – something that I didn’t know very much about.

Which one podcast episode not of your own means the most to you?

If it wasn’t for Adam Buxton & Joe Cornish’s various endeavours I don’t think I’d have ever properly discovered podcasts in the first place, so it would have to be something that they’ve done. I’ll pick one of their recent Christmas specials.

Listen to Letters of Love in WW2 on Apple Podcasts, Acast & Spotify.

The post THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO… Sam Pearson // Letters Of Love In WW2 appeared first on POD BIBLE.