Intelligence Squared: Michael Rosen on Hope, Happiness and Finding Joy in the Small Things (Part One)

Date: December 24, 2025
Host/Moderator: Elle Ostili Wood
Guest: Michael Rosen, author, poet, broadcaster
Location: Recorded live at the Shaw Theatre

Episode Overview

This special live episode welcomes celebrated poet and author Michael Rosen to discuss his latest book, Good: An A–Z of Hope and Happiness. With characteristic wit, candor, and warmth, Rosen reflects on finding joy in ordinary moments, the ongoing journey of recovery and hope after hardship, and the lasting influence of his parents’ politics, values, and humor. The conversation moves through poignant anecdotes, philosophical reflections, and laughter, making themes of hope, grief, resilience, and curiosity accessible and heartfelt for all listeners.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Introducing Michael Rosen and His New Book

• Celebrating Rosen’s Contributions: Elle Ostili Wood opens with praise for Rosen’s humor and humanity, referencing his over 200 books and recent recognition with the PEN Pinter Prize (03:00).
• On Writing 'Good: An A–Z of Hope and Happiness':
  • Rosen describes how the idea for the book arose from a conversation with his editor after his memoir on grief and recovery. They wanted a text about finding optimism, but not in the self-help “blueprints” tradition. (04:36)
  • Quote:
    "You never get better, you just go on getting better... And so can you think of anything kind of, you know, hopeful, like hope? [The idea was] an Alphabet... So in fact, in the book, L is for little by little. And the book was written little by little." – Michael Rosen [05:38]

The Concept Behind the Book: Sparks, Not Blueprints

• Intent and Philosophy:
  • Unlike prescriptive self-help, Rosen aims for a work that sparks ideas rather than provides a formula.
  • Quote:
    "These aren't blueprints. Whatever it is, I'm writing about the idea is these are things that have made me happy and hopeful. And so maybe what they are, they will generate ideas. There will be more of a spark than a blueprint... It's a book of sparks." – Michael Rosen [07:22]
  • Rosen humorously compares the book to a Van der Graaf generator: winding up thoughts to produce creative sparks (08:23).

Voltaire, Cultivating Our Garden, and Optimism (A is for Arrouet)

• Opening with Voltaire:
  • Rosen begins his alphabet with a playful twist: A is for "Arrouet," Voltaire’s real name.
  • He explores the final line from Candide: “Il faut cultiver notre jardin” (“Let us cultivate our garden”), unpacking its literal, metaphorical, and even ecological meanings. (08:31)
  • Philosophical Reflection: The phrase can mean focusing on the tangible, fostering self-reliance, or, seen through a modern lens, caring for the earth—"Maybe there's a kind of eco message in it... we've got to look after the earth, because if we don't, we're all screwed." [13:39]
  • Anecdote: Rosen recounts his youthful rebellion against his father’s obsession with gardening, only to reflect more deeply on what “cultivating one’s garden” might really mean.

Curiosity as a Source of Resilience (C is for Curiosity)

• Education and Curiosity:
  • Rosen critiques the rigid, knowledge-rich curriculum, advocating instead for curiosity and agency.
  • Quote:
    "The only problem about it is it doesn't leave much room... for you to do anything for yourself, because it's being done to you. It's what used to be called the old jug and mug theory of education." – Michael Rosen [14:42]
  • Personal Story: He shares vivid memories of his parents’ Marxist ideal of “camping where it rains a lot,” walking for miles to see historical sites, and catching “the curiosity illness” from them despite occasionally resenting it as a child. [16:22]
  • Family Banter:
    "Of course, it's good if it's old. Anyway, I didn't manage to get them excited by that [barn beam]. So, see, for curiosity. I do believe in it." – Michael Rosen [19:45]

Family Influence: Politics, Unions, and Solidarity

• The Ever-present Parents:
  • Rosen reflects lovingly and humorously on the profound influence of his parents, both active in left-wing politics, and their role in shaping his worldview.
• Union Lessons (U is for Union):
  • Anecdote of his mother celebrating increments toward equal pay, revealing early lessons in social justice (23:29).
  • Striking Story: Rosen recounts how his parents taught him solidarity during the 1958 London bus strike—sending him (and a 10-bob note) to the local strike fund bucket.
  • Quote:
    "My mother, she did sort of run the tea table... I remember my mum opening this envelope and saying, you know, I've got the fourth increment... [They] campaigned for equal pay... She's got her fourth increment." [23:34]
  • Union Metaphor: Rosen shares a Yiddish parable his father learned—“Voss is a union? You take one match, you can break... but the whole box of matches you can’t break”—showing how values are passed through generations. [26:57]
• The Battle of Cable Street:
  • His parents attended this iconic anti-fascist protest, and his mother would recount political stories at the kitchen table—rendering history personal and immediate (29:00).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Michael Rosen on Self-help Books (06:59):
  • "You get up in the morning, look in the mirror and say you're great. And then you look in the mirror and you think, actually, I'm not great, I'm actually crap."
• On Making Meaning from Catastrophe (08:44):
  • "I have to say, my father was an obsessive gardener and I hated it... Cotoneasters, they don’t really excite you very much when you’re 17 and a bit of a yobby rebel."
• Curiosity in Practice (16:22):
  • "We used to go camping... in Marx, in Das Kapital somewhere... it says you must go camping where it rains a lot."
• Parental Humor and Politics (26:57):
  • "You take one match, you can break. Two, you can break. Three, you can break. But the whole box of matches—you can't break. That's his 'voss is a union.'"

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Intro & Rosen’s Background: 02:36 – 04:36
• Origin of the Book / A is for Arrouet (Voltaire): 04:36 – 14:17
• Curiosity (C is for Curiosity): 14:17 – 19:51
• Family Influence, Union, and Politics: 23:11 – 35:34

Concluding Tone

The episode is filled with laughter, wisdom, and warmth—true to Rosen’s reputation for blending irreverent humor and deep compassion. Stories are often self-deprecating, interactive with the live audience, and peppered with Yiddish phrases, family banter, and political asides. Rosen’s ability to find the extraordinary in the ordinary, hope in hardship, and joy in small things is at the heart of this conversation.

Summary

This intimate, engaging live recording offers more than just literary insight—it’s a heartfelt meditation on how we find happiness not despite difficulty, but because we keep cultivating our inner and outer gardens, stay curious, and draw strength from stories, family, and solidarity.

For listeners:
Whether you’re familiar with Michael Rosen’s iconic children’s work, his personal writing on grief, or are encountering his voice for the first time, this episode is an uplifting and profoundly human invitation to notice—and create—joy, even in difficult times.