In a society fractured by polarisation, where algorithms reinforce echo chambers and genuine dialogue feels increasingly rare, how can we truly connect with those, especially those who see the world differently? Emily Kasriel invites us to discover Deep Listening—a transformative practice that builds understanding even when we profoundly disagree. Her book, Deep Listening: Transform your Relationships with Family, Friends and Foes has recently been published by HarperCollins in the US and UK

Drawing on her extensive work as a BBC journalist, Executive Coach and mediator, Emily has developed an innovative approach that moves beyond surface-level conversation to create genuine connection. Her rigorous research has evidenced that Deep Listening establishes connection, fosters authentic expression, and opens pathways to understanding, even in the most divided spaces.

Emily will explore how we can all cultivate this rare and radical skill. Whether navigating differences with family, leading teams, or building bridges across communities, she will reveal practical tools to listen more deeply, understand more fully, and reconnect with those around us.

Drawing on real-world experiences – from her work with leaders to listening to President Mandela listen to being listened to by First Nation Canadians and Japanese Tea Ceremony practitioners – Emily demonstrates that the ability to truly listen may be the most valuable life skill we can develop. At a time when divisions threaten to isolate us, Deep Listening offers a path toward a more empathetic and resilient families and communities.

This will be an interactive evening, with all participants invited to practice Deep Listening firsthand.

Drinks and nibbles will be served.

About Emily Kasriel

Emily Kasriel is an award-winning author and media executive with over two decades at the BBC, where she reported and produced from five continents. Her book Deep Listening: Transform Your Relationships with Family, Friends and Foes has been published in the US and UK with HarperCollins, with translations forthcoming in Korean and Portuguese.

As a Senior Visiting Research Fellow at King’s College London Policy Institute and a Visiting Scholar at Columbia University, she has developed and implemented her Deep Listening approach with diverse cohorts of leaders, from Anglo American, the Ford Foundation to Pearson PLC. She led the BBC British Council’s global Deep Listening training programme, engaging over 1,000 participants from 119 countries, and previously directed the BBC Crossing Divides project. She is also an accredited workplace mediator and Executive Coach and has held positions as Senior Adviser to the Skoll Foundation and Visiting Fellow at Oxford University’s Said Business School.