{"id":31,"date":"2026-09-18T09:38:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-18T09:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/locals.buildprosites.com\/imogen-hale-literary\/about\/"},"modified":"2026-09-18T10:25:04","modified_gmt":"2026-09-18T10:25:04","slug":"about","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/locals.buildprosites.com\/imogen-hale-literary\/about\/","title":{"rendered":"About"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"31\" class=\"elementor elementor-31\">\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-section=\"section\" data-bps-section-slug=\"about-01\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-13f704e6 section light moa-xl e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"13f704e6\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b09423ac e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"b09423ac\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2d015ac1 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"2d015ac1\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"about-01-headline-1\" data-bps-type=\"headline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0fd8d6d3 prehead elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"0fd8d6d3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">About<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"about-01-headline-2\" data-bps-type=\"headline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7307e53d pd-h1 hero-title elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"7307e53d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">I started this work because I handled a bad year badly.<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"about-01-subheadline-1\" data-bps-type=\"subheadline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e9954075 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"e9954075\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>In 2013 I was running operations for a regional logistics firm when a warehouse fire took out two thirds of our capacity overnight. We were praised for the recovery. Eleven months later half of my managers had left, and the ones who stayed had stopped telling me things. Nobody had trained me for the part after the part everybody talks about.<\/p><p>I went looking for the research and found surprisingly little of it. So I started collecting the stories myself: first as a part-time doctorate, then as four books and a stubborn habit of asking people what month seven felt like.<\/p><p>The work now sits in three places. I write &mdash; books and a Sunday letter that reaches about 34,000 people. I speak, mostly to organisations somewhere in the long middle of something hard. And I run two or three long engagements a year with leadership teams who want the slow version rather than the keynote.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"about-01-subheadline-2\" data-bps-type=\"subheadline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d7db6085 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d7db6085\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>I am not a motivational speaker, and I try never to tell a room that things happen for a reason. What I offer is more modest and more useful: a clear description of the terrain, honest language for it, and a handful of practices that hold up under load.<\/p><p>I live in Edinburgh with a bad-tempered lurcher and an unreasonable number of index cards.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7b404854 e-con-full bps-media e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"7b404854\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"about-01-image-url-1\" data-bps-type=\"image\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-99e1a9db pd-frame elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"99e1a9db\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"820\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/locals.buildprosites.com\/imogen-hale-literary\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/41\/2026\/09\/ih-a-about-820x1024.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-10\" alt=\"Imogen Hale seated in an armchair by a window, hands resting in her lap\" srcset=\"https:\/\/locals.buildprosites.com\/imogen-hale-literary\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/41\/2026\/09\/ih-a-about-820x1024.jpg 820w, https:\/\/locals.buildprosites.com\/imogen-hale-literary\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/41\/2026\/09\/ih-a-about-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/locals.buildprosites.com\/imogen-hale-literary\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/41\/2026\/09\/ih-a-about-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/locals.buildprosites.com\/imogen-hale-literary\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/41\/2026\/09\/ih-a-about.jpg 962w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"about-01-caption-1\" data-bps-type=\"headline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e01b2afe pd-caption elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"e01b2afe\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Portrait &mdash; fictional subject<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"about-01-prehead-2\" data-bps-type=\"headline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d400949b pd-rule-t prehead elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"d400949b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Credentials<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"about-01-creds-1\" data-bps-type=\"subheadline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2247606f pd-creds elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2247606f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul><li>PhD, Organisational Behaviour &mdash; Lowry School of Management<\/li><li>Visiting Fellow, Institute for Public Services (2024&ndash;)<\/li><li>Chartered Fellow, Institute of Operations Leadership<\/li><li>Trustee, The Ossei Foundation for care workers<\/li><li>Columnist, The Pellinore Review (2021&ndash;2025)<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"about-01-note-1\" data-bps-type=\"headline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bf5d8815 stat-label elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"bf5d8815\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">All institutions fictional<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div data-bps-section=\"section\" data-bps-section-slug=\"howitworks-12\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4b6c2cbe light2 moa-xl section e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"4b6c2cbe\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1590f799 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"1590f799\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"howitworks-12-headline-1\" data-bps-type=\"headline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-553f54cc prehead elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"553f54cc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Milestones<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6efcdfa7 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"6efcdfa7\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1319fe8e e-con-full e-flex day-grid row-rule e-con e-child\" data-id=\"1319fe8e\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"howitworks-12-meta-1\" data-bps-type=\"headline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3285f84c pd-year elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"3285f84c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">2013<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b186f36a e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"b186f36a\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"howitworks-12-headline-2\" data-bps-type=\"headline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f03909ce pd-mile elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"f03909ce\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">The warehouse fire. Nine days of clarity, eleven months of attrition, and the question that became the work.<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1c265766 e-con-full e-flex day-grid row-rule e-con e-child\" data-id=\"1c265766\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"howitworks-12-meta-2\" data-bps-type=\"headline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fa09222d pd-year elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"fa09222d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">2016<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b12d2246 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"b12d2246\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"howitworks-12-headline-3\" data-bps-type=\"headline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d34a1665 pd-mile elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"d34a1665\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><em>The Recovery Habit<\/em> published while finishing the doctorate. 40 interviews, one very patient editor.<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e1a602be e-con-full e-flex day-grid row-rule e-con e-child\" data-id=\"e1a602be\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"howitworks-12-meta-3\" data-bps-type=\"headline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f0b869a0 pd-year elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"f0b869a0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">2019<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9995eec3 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"9995eec3\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"howitworks-12-headline-4\" data-bps-type=\"headline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bfb3d7b8 pd-mile elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"bfb3d7b8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">First main-stage keynote, Two Rivers heads&rsquo; conference. <em>Small Brave Things<\/em> in the same autumn.<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fd538624 e-con-full e-flex day-grid row-rule e-con e-child\" data-id=\"fd538624\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"howitworks-12-meta-4\" data-bps-type=\"headline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f9cc3795 pd-year elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"f9cc3795\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">2022<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-91228cee e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"91228cee\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"howitworks-12-headline-5\" data-bps-type=\"headline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4ce16ec6 pd-mile elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"4ce16ec6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><em>Hold the Line<\/em>. Eighteen months embedded with managers through a genuinely awful winter.<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4890cb91 e-con-full e-flex day-grid row-rule e-con e-child\" data-id=\"4890cb91\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"howitworks-12-meta-5\" data-bps-type=\"headline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3583b968 pd-year elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"3583b968\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">2026<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ba1d9b9e e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"ba1d9b9e\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"howitworks-12-headline-6\" data-bps-type=\"headline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-143890e0 pd-mile elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"143890e0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><em>The Steady Middle<\/em>, and a 24-city tour I have been told is too ambitious.<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"no-sidebar","site-content-layout":"page-builder","ast-site-content-layout":"full-width-container","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"disabled","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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