Hello, hi,

 

I was born in Salisbury, UK, and grew up in a valley on the Jurassic coast of Dorset. My father is the contempory lutenist and troubadour, Martin Best, and my mother, Sue, is an interior designer, voice coach and stage designer. My sister, Lucy, is a fine artist and violinist. Georgia, our elder sister, who is no longer with us, was a singer and flautist. 

 

I began playing the recorder, like most kids, when I was about five. I stuck with it until I was 18 and now play for fun. I am also a trained singer and was head of choir at my prep- and high-schools. Along the way, I have studied percussion (Grade 1 distinction, which my teacher was very surprised by), drums, clarinet and piano. I have forgotten the bulk if my grade 5 music theory, though I did pass the exam on my second attempt. I have a strong interest in digital music technology, field recording and sound design and am self-taught in these.

 

At 20, while studying Psychology (BSc) at Goldsmiths College, London, I co-founded the circus troupe Circadelicus, which was a convenient way to get into raves for free. I then went on to study Philosophy (MA) at Kings College, and, while teaching English as a foreign language, pursued a career as an actor. I eventually decided that poetry would be a more lucrative direction to go in, so I moved to Norwich to study at the University of East Anglia under George Szirtes and Lavinia Greenlaw. That earned me a second MA (Poetry w/distinction). Ten years and a baby later, I moved to Germany (via Margate), where I now coach academics in writing, storytelling and communication. I have longstanding relationships with, among others, the universities of Cologne, Berlin, Hamburg, Stuttgart, and with the German Academic Exchange (DAAD). 

 

Since 2013, I have collaborated with my father and his company, The Corporate Theatre, to design and deliver Inspirational Leadership Workshops for global corporations. In this capacity, I am ‘Poet in Residence’ - drawing on my training as a poet to guide workshop delegates in telling vivid stories to inspire and bring about change. My academic background enables me to facilitate explorations of how philosophy can inform relationships in corporate settings. 

 

Based on my poetic approach to leadership development, I was offered, and accepted, a 'scholarship' to train as a Marshall Goldsmith stakeholder-centred executive coach. I am very much interested in how individuals and organisations can use language, in particular metaphor, to challenge social norms and recreate themselves for the greater good. 

 

In 2020, I founded Storylines with two colleagues here in Germany. Storylines is a consultancy focusing on how narrative can enrich and integrate academia, business and ecology. The company is currently dormant.

 

In January 2025 I released my debut album of poetry and music: The Lore of Falling Bodies (LFB). I ran a successful Kickstarter campaign to crowdfund resources for the manufacture of the vinyl and a print run of a book of the poems which feature in the album. Kickstarter awarded the campaign with a ‘Project We Love’ certification. I wrote, produced and performed all the music and poetry on the record. I also created the artwork, with input on the final design from Büro Gestalten in Cologne. In July 2025, the British Library requested that the record be donated to their Sound Archive ‘for preservation and access, for many generations to come’. The premier of the LFB live show was on June 28th 2025. 

 

As a sound and voiceover artist, I collaborate with Anthroposea: a creative impact lab exploring the reciprocal relationships between human societies and the ocean. In 2025, we presented our first film, ‘Tides of Connection’, at the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice. 

 

I live in Bergisch Gladbach, 15km east of Cologne, by myself and occasionally with my young son. My houseplants are healthy. I boulder often.