When Words Fail Us

Kathryn Mannix, author and palliative care specialist, joins Michael Rosen to think about those discussions we would rather avoid. She calls them "tender" conversations.

In the moments that really count, how do we respond to someone sharing bad news or raw emotion? How do we listen well? What do we say – and what should we not say?

Kathryn and Michael talk about why we tell stories to help us process important moments and how silence is often the most caring response to someone in distress. They also talk about having conversations aloud or in our heads with loved ones who have died and how this can help us work through loss.

Kathryn Mannix is the author of Listen: How to Find the Words for Tender Conversations and With the End in Mind: How to Live and Die Well.

Produced by Sarah Goodman for BBC Audio in Bristol.