Clare Foges - Antiseptic oratory

Poet and David Cameron's speechwriter Clare Foges writes about the demise of great political orators here.

Neil Gaiman's "Make Good Art" speech

The now famous words of Neil Gaiman:

"When things get tough, this is what you should do: Make good art. I'm serious. Husband runs off with a politician -- make good art. Leg crushed and then eaten by a mutated boa constrictor -- make good art. IRS on your trail -- make good art. Cat exploded -- make good art. Someone on the Internet thinks what you're doing is stupid or evil or it's all been done before -- make good art."

For more on the speech see here and here.

Hannah Nelson speech in full

"Good morning. My name is Hannah Nelson, I am 16 years old and I am from Belfast. I have been thinking about an important question: how do you make peace permanent in Northern Ireland? 

Permanent peace in our country is not just a simple dream for me as a teenager growing up today in Northern Ireland. It is a sincere, genuine aspiration. I believe that enduring peace can only come about through true respect for others. We have a right to express and celebrate our diverse cultures.We all have an obligation to value each other as individuals. 

As a 16 year old I dont want to live in the past, I want to live for the past. I want to live in a country where it is not my religion that is important but my value as a person which is significant. It is important that we all have a unique identity. A choice in life to chose who and what we want to be. We are growing up in a world where we are taught to be tolerant. To live peacefully we must put this into practice.