Speechwriters have a difficult task.
Not only have they got to write compelling speeches, they also have to hope that their speakers will have the ability to deliver the speech effectively.
They like writing for charismatic personalities who enjoy using humour and want to connect emotionally with an audience.
They have a vested interest in helping the best performers get to the top.
William Hague first became famous when he made a political conference speech aged 16.
Liz Truss gave her first speech at the LibDem conference in her late teens.
More than at any time in history mankind is facing a crossroads.
One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness. The other to total extinction.
How do we articulate this unenviable choice to our fellow citizens?
One of the consequences of living in a ‘liberal’ society is that we like to pretend that political conflicts do not exist.
Immigration is necessary because we need a flourishing economy – so anyone who objects to immigration is undermining essential public services, like the NHS, and who would do that?
The book is up there with some of the best books I’ve ever read in terms of depth, accessibility and humour, but the content will only really appeal to people who are interested in rhetoric.
And the study of rhetoric is about as popular as Scientology.
Coleridge’s poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner begins with the mariner stopping a wedding guest on route for the ceremony. With a ‘glittering eye’ he is compelled to tell his story.
Is politics about listening to what the candidate says?
Or is it about the character of the individual saying it?
As speechwriters we’re aiming to support our clients with the magic of eloquence.
This time last year, I couldn’t quite believe my eyes. I had got to know Liz Truss before she became an MP.
And now she was about to become Prime Minister.
We shared a secret. Back then, I’d started working as a professional speechwriter and she asked me how to improve her public speaking.
Last November I went to a wonderful conference called Wordstock organised on a Saturday in London by the writers’ group 26.
I paid £100 for a ticket, travelled up from Bournemouth on the train, heard a couple of brilliant presentations, had some good conversations, met some old acquaintances and bought a couple of books. It was one of the best days of my year.
Congratulations to Patrick Ross, from West Wing Writers in the United States, who won this year’s Fred Metcalf Award for After-Dinner Speaking.
There were 20 entries to the competition which took place in Brasenose College Dining Hall on 23 March 2023.
Kathleen Wyatt’s new book, The Social Superpower – The Big Truth About Little Lies argues that fibs are necessary and protect us from harm
Wyatt is a journalist turned speechwriter. One might speculate that she has been motivated to write a book about deceptive trades because she is uncomfortable in her new role (although that’s a bit generous, as some would argue that journalists have a complex relationship with truth, too).
