Öznur Yüksek has just completed a thesis on speechwriting. She travelled the world to find out more about the secretive profession.
When did you first become interested in speechwriting?
From 2012-2014, I worked as a press advisor to the previous president of The Council of Higher Education in Turkey. It started when the president asked me to write a speech for a graduation ceremony. Since then, I’ve done research into speechwriting. It’s one of the most interesting jobs in the world. You can hear speechwriters everywhere but you can’t see them. That’s just fantastic.
A former speechwriter to Al Gore will deliver a masterclass at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh next month.
The workshop, titled Wisdom from the White House will give delegates some insights into how craft speeches like an American President.
Eric Schnure serves as an Adjunct Professor at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore where he teaches speechwriting.
Many people are shocked that speechwriters exist. At first they think it’s a dubious trade. Why can’t top people write their own speeches? Later in the conversation it can be a problem explaining what we do and how we do it.
We asked members of the European Speechwriter Network to take part in a competition to come up with their own definition of what they do.
A speechwriter makes sure that when the speaker finishes, the audience applauds.
Harold Gordon
1) BREXIT!
On 23 June 2016, Britain voted to leave the European Union. It was contrary to the wishes of the Government, the advice of most experts and the views of most leading politicians.
We’ve seen the Eurosceptics’ speeches: Nigel Farage and Daniel Hannan in the European Parliament.
American speechwriting guru, Mike Long, was in London this week to deliver a special workshop on ‘Strategic Speechwriting’ for the European Speechwriter Network. One of the many highlights was his mnemonic for constructing a speech introduction.
It went as follows:
Acknowledgements
Rapport
Topics
Sub-topics
The Acknowledgements are the important people in the room you’ve got to recognise. Read more
In 2008, I attended my first ever speechwriting conference in Washington DC. I’m now looking forward to my 17th!
There are three reasons why I enjoy them: it’s my tribe – I find other delegates are just like me.
I learn stuff – for example, at my first one, I heard Drew Westen, who opened up my mind to the links between psychotherapy and politics.
Speechwriters enjoy ‘wisdom literature’ and there is no better place to put an inspirational quotation than a tea towel.
So we’ve produced our first piece of European Speechwriter Network merchandise – a luxury organic tea towel.
We’ve only printed 100 and they’ve been designed by Mirek Lucan of Lucan Art. They’ve been printed by AMP Merchandise.
1) Son caractère inhabituel
Selon les dires d’Henry Boettinger, ‘De bonnes présentations sont comme des fleuves; de mauvaises comme des canaux’.
Dans un milieu de travail, chacun désire naviguer sur des canaux: alors que cette conférence est une descente en eau vive pour professionnels de la communication. L’un des délégués de l’an passé remarqua avec étrangeté la totale participation à toutes nos conférences.
Edinburgh-based speechwriter, Rodger Evans, wrote this speech for our autumn conference in Berlin.
1 Who wrote a widely praised book detailing the ordeal of being speechwriter for the Governor of South Carolina?
a) Barton Swain
b) Barton Fink
c) Joey Barton
