The Power of Story, Tim Lott & John Yorke

This is the first in a new series looking at the power of story and myth in how we understand ourselves and the world, hosted by award-winning novelist and journalist Tim Lott.

For this first episode he's joined by John Yorke, one of the UK's top TV writers and executives, and author of the seminal book on storytelling, 'Out of the Woods'.

Tim says: "Stories are everywhere. Not only in books or films or dramas, but in politics, in advertising, in our very heads. They are ubiquitous because humans cannot live without them. But what is a story? What makes it work? Why is it so crucial to our sense of ourself that fortunes can be made by harnessing the power of story - as storytellers as diverse as JK Rowling, Hilary Mantel, George Lucas and Lin Manuel Miranda are proof of.

Ever since humans emerged into self consciousness, they have told one another stories - at the highest collective level, in form of myth or religion. Many of us how think myths and religions are outdated fairy tales . But in fact they are world dreams, that offer us profound messages about who we are and help us make sense of the world and how we should live in it. Great stories are rooted deep in the human subconscious. An artist's job is not to create them, but excavate them.

In this series of podcasts I will be trying understand the nature of stories and the craft of storytelling, with my guests from all branches of the arts, the cultural arena being the place which continues to generate story on a massive scale on a daily basis, globally. My first guest is John Yorke, author of ‘Into the Woods, not only one of the greatest story theorists of his generation, but the multiple Emmy award winning producer behind ’Shameless’, ‘Eastenders’ and many other BBC dramas. I'm Tim Lott, a novelist of 25 years standing and a veteran story teacher and mentor. Together we will examine the story of - story. Where stories come from - and what makes one come alive and speak to us all."

The next episode of The Power of Story will be recorded live next Monday 5th July, with Will Storr, the author of 'The Science of Storytelling'. Will and Tim will be looking at the neuroscience of story and myth. Tim says: "Everyone has a story about how story works. Some think we source the great ancient myths, buried in the collective unconscious, in a new form when we tell a story. Others think it arises out of the wiring of the human brain - the thesi/antithesis/synthesis translating into Act 1 Act 2 Act 3. No-one really knows for sure, but Will Storr’s brilliant book ‘The Science of Storytelling’ attempts to get beyond the theories and into the hard empirical evidence about how the brain has evolved not only for story, but for character."