Hi, I’m Nick Parer. Here’s my bio, things I can speak on, and things I’ve been in.
Looking for my bio?
Want some blurb about me to put in your programme or on your website?
Obviously I’d prefer to tailor it specifically, but if it’s last minute and you can’t get hold of me, use this:
Nick Parker is a writer. He runs the language strategy studio ‘That Explains Things’, where he says he helps brands ‘find their voice, tell their stories, and explain their things’. He writes the celebrated Tone Knob Substack, where he dives deep into brands doing interesting things with their language, and he created Voicebox, the method used around the world by in-house teams, agencies and copywriters to create brilliant brand voices. Before all that, he worked for the world’s uncoolest magazine, wrote jokes for the radio, and cartoons for Viz.
Hire me as a speaker
I’ve spoken at football stadiums in front of thousands, conferences for hundreds, and at intimate off-sites for the hand-picked few. The jumping off point is me sharing great examples of brilliant brand voices, and from there we can weave in more or less of whatever’s interesting to you: from ‘creativity in the AI age’ to ‘how to stay creatively inspired’ to ‘finding your personal voice’ to ‘how language shapes culture’. It’ll be loads of fun. The Economist Conferences once said ‘Nick is the best speaker we’ve ever had’. Which was nice. Interested? Get in touch.
Things I’ve featured in
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read the interview →
The Subtext
The Subtext has become the definitive publication covering copywriting and language in branding, marketing and advertising. I join them to talk about authority, the state of language in the age of AI, and why using your tone of voice to show ‘aliveness’ might just be the most important thing a brand can do right now.
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watch the interview here →
D&AD Still Learning Live
D&AD did a series of workshops and interviews with people from across the creative industries. I joined Rebecca Wright to talk about how my learning has developed and impacted my career over time. (Fun fact: Randomly, me and Rebecca briefly worked together in a bookshop over 25 years ago! This is the first time we’d met since then.)
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Here's my interview →
Being Freelance
Being Freelance is a podcast that talks about the isolating but equally rewarding experinece of being a freelancer and entrepreneur. Steve Folland is a terrific host and a great interviewer. I really enjoyed talking about brand voice, and the difference between thinking of yourself as a ‘freelancer’ or as a ‘Company of One’.
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LISTEN HERE →
The Dad Mindset
I share my thoughts on parenting as a ‘creative process’ with The Dad Mindset. Rich Bolus is a great host of a superb podcast series, and it was a super-interesting discussion.
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READ MORE HERE →
The Writing Desk (Haydn Grey)
Katherine Wildman is a fellow writer who runs a blog called ‘The Writing Desk’, where she interviews (in her words) ‘funny, witty and generous souls from around the world’. And also me.
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READ THE INTERVIEW HERE →
The Writers Walk
Sarah Finley is a brand writer who walks. She interviews other writers who walk. I am also a writer who walks. It was only a matter of time until our paths crossed (literally). Sarah interviewed me as we walked around Oxford, which included a fascinating chat in the Pitt Rivers Museum with a curator, about magic, witches and totems.
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LISTEN TO THE SOUND OF SILENCE HERE →
The Sound of Silence
The Sound of Silence is an art project where artist Steve Chapman sits in total silence with his guests for three minutes. There are 100 episodes recorded over 2.5 years. Other guests include Jim Moir, Eddie Izzard, and Rebecca Humphries. It was a weird experience and of course, no silence is ever really totally silent.
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READ THE INTERVIEW HERE →
So What If...
Copywriter Jonathan Wilcox quizes me, while in hospital, with a broken leg. I was off my head on painkillers. I don’t really remember any of this.
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Read the rest here →
Pro Copywriters
I’ve spoken at CopyCon a few times (you have to go to the conference to see that). I did this interview back in 2017 when I was just launching Voicebox. The interviewer said, and I quote, ‘we should all be kissing Nick Parker’s feet’. Equal parts flattering and disturbing.
