Arts & Ideas Oral tradition and oracy
Mar 20, 2026
Stephen Batchelor, secular Buddhist teacher and writer, on oral transmission and listening practices. Reetika Subramanian, researcher and podcaster, on women’s work songs as environmental archives. Tom F. Wright, historian of rhetoric, on teaching oracy and memory. Philip Collins, former speechwriter, on political speechcraft and persuasion. Edith Hall, classics professor, on ancient rhetoric and the somatic voice. They discuss orality, rhythm, public speaking and oral archives.
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Make Speeches Around One Clear Core Message
- Keep speeches centered on one clear, memorable core message.
- Philip Collins praises Angela Rayner's speech for having two simple points: we are failing and she'd do better, which made it communicative despite imperfect craft.
Oral Memorization Sustained Religious Canons For Centuries
- Buddhist and Vedic traditions preserved large canons through systematic memorization long before writing.
- Stephen Batchelor notes the voiced text is primary; writing later served as a memory aid and transcript.
We're Entering A New Age Of Orality Through Media
- Modern media (podcasts, audiobooks, short video) has revived orality, reversing the simple orality-to-literacy narrative.
- Tom Wright argues education should adapt to a renewed cultural emphasis on listening and spoken forms.
