This week, journalist and author Sathnam Sanghera joins How To Fail and kicks off by saying how flattered he was to be asked to contribute to a podcast on failure because he hates hearing nice things said about himself. So that’s good.
As well as discussing his failure to take a compliment, Sathnam talks movingly about growing up in a household where both his father and his sister had schizophrenia. At first, he tried to run away from accepting it and then when that didn’t work, he wrote a brilliant, award-winning memoir called The Boy With the Topknot which was later adapted for the BBC. (Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling is a fan).
Sathnam talks about his social failure at university (and his inability to get a girlfriend for three years), as well as his failure to learn an instrument, his failure to score a high Uber rating and his failure to read back his own handwriting moments after he’s written something down.
Along the way, we cover his childhood job in a Wolverhampton sewing factory, the modern tendency to confuse anxiety with serious mental health issues, grief and how he coped with the death of his best friend, heartbreak, success, the concept of 'negative mindfulness', racist dogs and Sathnam’s undying love for George Michael and Club Tropicana.
We also spend longer than necessary trying to remember the common colloquial phrase 'prepare for the worst, expect the best' which is embarrassing given that we both make a living from words.
How To Fail is hosted by Elizabeth Day and produced by Chris Sharp
How To Fail is sponsored by Moorish
The Boy with the Topknot is published by Penguin and available to buy here.
Sathnam Sanghera’s website is here.
Social Media:
Elizabeth Day @elizabday
Sathnam Sanghera @sathnam
Moorish @moorishhumous
SPECIAL EPISODE! How to Fail: Mo Gawdat on how to cope with anxiety in a time of Coronavirus
S7, BONUS EPISODE! How to Fail: Deliciously Ella
S7, Ep8 How to Fail: Frankie Bridge
S7, Ep7 How to Fail: Adam Pearson
S7, Ep6 How to Fail: Marian Keyes
S7, Ep5 How to Fail: Eniola Aluko
S7, Ep4 How to Fail: Tom Kerridge
S7, Ep3 How to Fail: Mabel
S7, Ep2 How to Fail: Malcolm Gladwell
S7, Ep1 How to Fail: Andrew Scott
S6, Ep 8 How to Fail: Jane Garvey
S6, BONUS EPISODE! How to Fail: Lemn Sissay
S6, Ep7 How to Fail: Fearne Cotton
S6, Ep6 How to Fail: George Alagiah
S6, Ep5 How to Fail: Shirlie Kemp
S6, Ep4 How to Fail: Lisa Taddeo
S6, Ep3 How to Fail: Cush Jumbo
S6, Ep2 How to Fail: Alain De Botton
S6, Ep1 How to Fail: Camilla Thurlow
S5 BONUS EPISODE! How to Fail: Philippa Perry and Sadie Jones
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
50 Tastes Of Gray
Dear Alice | Interior Design
Spider-Man Crawlspace Podcast
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Anne of Green Gables
The Magnus Archives
Fresh Air