Oblivious Witness
On the Oblivious Witness podcast, host Michelle Neeling interviews a new guest each week about their travel experiences around the world and how those encounters have shaped their identity. The show explores personal stories of witnessing different cultures and events. It is produced independently and shared via Substack.
Episodes
Inua Ellams FRSL FRSA
In 2023, British-Nigerian poet, playwright and performer Inua Ellams was awarded an MBE for services to the arts. At first he didn’t want it. Given what he’d learned about the history of colonialism in Nigeria, accepting such an award felt like a betrayal.After consulting with some of his closest friends, however, Inua decided to accept the MBE so that he could be a signatory for other immigrants
Janet de Neefe
The woman behind southeast Asia’s most prestigious literary eventWhen tragedy strikes in the world, whether it be through tyrannical governments, natural disasters or the acts of malevolent individuals, many of us shut down, thinking ourselves incapable of creating positive change. Today’s Oblivious Witness guest is a sparkling example of the opposite of that reaction. When the Bali bombings happe
Sandu
The Man and the MusicianStepping into the presence of Sandu, international tabla player, is a beautiful experience. Sandu is immediately warm, kind and generous, and you can’t help but feel that you’re in the company of someone who cares about who you are. Sandu’s interest in the instrument with which he now travels the world began when he was just six years old. His parents, who were extraordinar
Colin Archibald
“I needed to understand where I was from before I could begin to understand where I was going.”When Colin Archibald moved from London to Perth twenty years ago, he started to reflect on all the many journeys that had led to him having the chance to do that. Through his research, he learned more about how his ancestors were taken from Africa and forced to cross the seas to Jamaica. He reflected on
Melati Wijsen
I’m so excited to bring you a conversation with an extraordinary young woman who has dedicated her life to helping the world. I first met Melati Wijsen at the launch of her book, “Change Starts Now – 100 Lessons from a fulltime changemaker”. Soon after, I was lucky enough to see Melati speak to and inspire hundreds of students during a school visit, an activity which she says is central to the ful
Pico Iyer
Pico Iyer is the consummate Oblivious Witness guest. Having lived on three continents and spent five decades travelling the world as a writer and journalist, he has developed insights into the way we all live that can't help but inspire tolerance, compassion and kindness.Pico's five TED Talks have been viewed over eleven million times. To meet him, though, you'd never know that he'd enjoyed such w
Kadek Sonia Piscayanti
Sonia Kadek Piscayanti is the founder and director of the Singaraja Literary Festival. She also founded the Mahima Community, which promotes literacy and literature in Singaraja, Bali. In this conversation, Sonia talks with us about what it means to be a Balinese woman, and to travel all around the world, taking her Balinese spirituality with her, and knowing that the final destination is always h
"You’ve got to put yourself out on the edge of the cliff, waiting to catch the wind."
The artist is presentThere’s something incredibly special about recording a conversation in a podcast guest’s own home. For this episode, I was lucky enough to sit with Australian artist and illustrator Jeremy Ley in his studio, which is attached to the beautiful home he shares with his partner and two children in Kerobokan, Bali. During our conversation, Jeremy often picked up books or artworks h
"Change is hard for me but I love the idea of a new life."
I always love speaking with people who follow their curiosity to create a life filled with movement and change, and those conversations are even more intriguing when the people I’m speaking with have made it their life’s work to encourage other people to seek adventure too.Alison Emerick is an American photographer, writer, and accidental expat navigating life abroad with two small children. She s
"Curiosity is the closest thing to life force that we have."
A week, six decades (and three continents) in the life of a truly brilliant writerSo far this week, Peter Godwin has launched his beautiful new book in the US, been interviewed at his NYC launch party by Booker Prize winner Marlon James, and been featured in the New York Times. And today here he is on the Oblivious Witness podcast, talking with me about Exit Wounds: A Story of love, loss and occas
"When we reclaim Aphroditic power we become untameable"
What happens when you forge your own pathMaya Vassallo di Florio was born into a family of doctors and dentists, and it was assumed by everyone around her that she’d follow in the footsteps of her family. Her parents were shocked when she declared that she wanted to study journalism, even more shocked when she moved on to drama, and completely alarmed when she became a priestess and temple keeper.
"For all who are trying to find a place among flags and nations"
Spend some time with the artistAs much as I want you to hear this conversation with the incredibly talented Robin Block, I have a suggestion… Head to Robin’s website first! I was lucky enough to see Robin on stage at the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival before I had the privilege of meeting him in person for this conversation, so I know that his music and mesmerising sensory performances are a wo
"The darkest side of life, and the brightest... I have seen both."
At the age of 25, Ali Reza Yawari has seen a very great deal of lifeThree weeks after he was forced to flee his native Afghanistan at the age of 15, Ali found himself isolated and alone in Indonesia, a country he couldn’t previously have found on a map. He has now been in Indonesia for ten years, and his citizenship status is still unresolved.From his earliest days in a detention facility, Ali rec
"Putting down roots doesn't mean giving up wings."
Welcome to Season Two of Oblivious WitnessHow’s 2025 been for you so far, folks? What a wild ride we’re all on… I hope you’re all OK and managing to white-knuckle your way through the turmoil.Would you agree that the world is feeling more dangerously divided than ever? I’ve never felt more strongly that we need to hear people’s individual stories to remind us that when it boils down to it, we’re a
"Be slow to judge"
I LOVED every second of this conversation with the wonderful Charlene Ng, and I’m so thrilled to leave it with you as the last episode in this first season of the Oblivious Witness podcast.Charlene was born in Hong Kong, has Canadian citizenship, and studied in the United States from the age of 15. Her elite education, which culminated in a degree in Cultural Psychology from Stanford University, l
On standing out from the crowd in one of the world's largest nations
Aida Mustafina was born in a small city in the world’s ninth largest nation, Kazakhstan. When Aida was growing up, young girls were generally taught that their primary goals should be to respect men, and to value their own roles as good wives and mothers. Aida’s parents, however, were extremely progressive, and encouraged their daughters to make their own way in the world. When Aida was eighteen,
"I feel like I'm in the book, not just reading the back of it."
I’m so thrilled to have another Dutch guest on the Oblivious Witness podcast! And I have to highlight a thing that would have filled my Dad’s Dutch heart with joy… There’s conversation in this episode about a close encounter with Dad’s all-time favourite musician, André Rieu! Following in the footsteps of her adventurous parents, Tanya Busquet has lived in many places across Europe, the Caribbean,
My Dutch friend Linda Li
Twenty years after my own family left post-war Netherlands in search of a better life, Linda Li’s family found refuge there after fleeing the hardships of the Chinese Cultural Revolution.Linda’s family were the only Chinese people in a small Dutch village near the German border, and racial taunts were an unavoidable part of Linda’s childhood. Linda and her brother and sister helped their parents t
Living the life unexpected
I knew that Amy Devine was a kindred spirit the first time I met her in Beijing, China, but it was only as the months went by and I heard more of her story that I recognised why I felt such a connection.Amy Devine was brought up on a council estate in the UK, and like me, she ended up living a life of international adventure almost by accident. Amy’s childhood exposure to addiction and domestic ab
When a life looks like a movie
Hello, Oblivious Witnesses!If you have your hands free while you’re listening to this episode, head over to Instagram and check out the beautiful work of documentary and portrait photographer Lyra Lintern. Lyra’s stunning photographs give us an insight into the way she sees the world and the way she lives her life, and are the perfect visual accompaniment to her words. Lyra Lintern is an anthropol
On living passionately and refusing to pick a lane
The first time I met Corinne Canuel-Jolicoeur was on a bus travelling from Beijing to the Great Wall of China. The friend who introduced us happened to mention that we were both into writing, and that was it… The rest of the journey to the starting point of our hike went by in a beautiful blur, as Corinne and I talked about our many creative projects and passions, and I realised that I was only sc
Young, philosophical and feminist
Feminist icons take many formsIf I had a vote in whose name should be added to icons of the feminist pantheon, I’d be casting my ballot for Chinese philosophy professor Xiaojiao Cui.I was introduced to Xiaojiao when I was looking for someone to teach me about the ancient Chinese text, the Tao de Ching. Within minutes of meeting Xiaojiao in a cafe in Beijing, I could see that beneath the warm and e
The many, many lives of Masooma Kachelo
The first time I met Masooma Kachelo she was wearing a multi-coloured wig, fitted jeans and a white fluffy jacket with inbuilt flashing lights. And that was just the first of SO MANY spectacular incarnations of her that I’ve witnessed! Masooma’s life has been characterised by movement, change and adaptation. Her story contains moments of darkness - please be warned that there are conversations in
Welcome to the Oblivious Witness Podcast
At last! The long-awaited podcast!For 35 years I’ve been travelling the world, seeing extraordinary things and documenting my experiences. I’ve often thought, as I’ve talked with the incredible people I’ve been lucky enough to meet, “If only I could share this conversation with the world.” And now I can, and I’m so thrilled to share the first of those conversations with you today.Where I’m coming
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