Top picks of our guests, Annie and Samantha

Our guests, Annie Neimand and Samantha Wright, share a list of recommendations that will allow us to explore storytelling even more deeply as a lever for social and environmental change:

The book Prisms of the People
What elements make collective action a success or a failure? Annie Neimand recommends the landmark book Prisms of the People, in which researchers Hahrie Han, Elizabeth McKenna, and Michelle Oyakawa ask precisely that question. They offer a way forward: Movements achieve victory when they transform participation into political power. A book that brings theory to life through case studies—and a must-read for all change agents.
The television series I May Destroy You
Annie Neimand was profoundly affected by I May Destroy You, the television series by British producer and writer Michaela Coel. The series tells an acutely personal story with style, humor, and powerful emotion, and demonstrates every effective strategy we know in the science of storytelling.
The case study about the film Chasing Coral‘s campaign
Samantha Wright recommends watching Exposure Lab’s powerful and inspiring film Chasing Coral, then reading this case study on the impact campaign built around the work. Together they remind us of how much we can and must do to address the climate emergency.
The podcast “The Snowball Effect”
Why do some social movements take off, while others fizzle out? “The Snowball Effect”, an episode of the Hidden Brain podcast, presents a conversation with Damon Centola, a sociologist whose work has shaped Samantha Wright’s thinking on narrative change and mobilisation campaigns.
The Doc Society’s tool kit
Has Raccords’s conversation with Samantha Wright inspired you to start your own impact film campaign? She recommends this tool kit produced by the Doc Society that can assist filmmakers, strategists, and organisers dedicated to driving change.

Read the other sections of this issue

THE PODCAST

Can storytelling inspire us to engage in change?

In communications, the message in and of itself guarantees nothing about its reception, let alone its impact. Reaching your target audience is a complex goal, one that doesn’t intimidate Samantha Wright… Read more and listen to the podcast

THE INTERVIEW

How to build a transformative narrative?

For impact organisations working daily on social and environmental challenges, engaging stakeholders is a crucial lever in the attainment of their objectives. However, there’s a significant gap between raising awareness… Read more

THE ART WORK

Minimum Monument, Rome, 2020

This installation is an ephemeral work that is part of the series Minimum Monument by the Brazilian artist Néle Azevedo. Read more and view the art work