Turning Poetry and Prayer into Podcast to Persevere through Pandemic

With the COVID-19 coronavirus taking the world on a journey no one ever expected, people are looking for ways to cope and make sense of the unravelling of life as they know it. 

Voice actor and storyteller, Esther Wane, who has been featured in The Telegraph, has created a new podcast based on poetry, prayer and prose requests from family and friends, and she hopes this will help lift others up and give them some calm in a sea of corona chaos. 

As someone who was born with a congenital heart defect and an asthma sufferer, Esther knew she was at risk of complications should she contract the virus and, like so many others, went into self-isolation long before the government made this official. 

Her new podcast – plus an online community for creatives, where she will offer a series of workshops and practical coaching and gratitude sessions – is Esther’s way of giving back to the community she is a part of and dearly loves. 

Esther says: “My initial response to the outbreak of the coronavirus was one of denial, but I soon saw that if I didn’t take care of my health, I could be at risk of serious illness, and that wasn’t fair on anyone. I had the idea of creating the podcast, as I know how soothing words can be, and I was delighted that people came forward and started to give me ideas of what to record. We are all trying to process this pandemic, and its impact on mental health and wellbeing is huge. I hope that what I am doing will give people a chance to step away from the noise, and take time out for themselves, so they can start to deal with their thoughts and emotions.

She adds: “Whether it’s a poem, the words to a song, a prayer, or a few lines from the Bible, words can be extremely powerful and reach out to people when they are most vulnerable. As well as the podcast, I am holding online sessions for actors who are struggling – both mentally and financially – and giving them the tools to see a way ahead in very challenging circumstances. We all have something to give, and now is the time to do exactly that – give back to those around us and see this through together.”  Details can be seen at https://soundcloud.com/estherwane/sets/poems-prayers-and-prose