Speakers

Alastair Campbell is a writer, communicator and strategist best known for his role as former British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s spokesman, press secretary and director of communications and strategy. Still active in politics and campaigns in Britain and overseas, he now splits his time between writing, speaking, broadcasting, charities and consultancy.

He has written seventeen books in the past fourteen years, including ten volumes of diaries, four novels, a Number 1 best-selling analysis of what it takes to win in politics, business and sport, Winners and How They Succeed, and two personal memoirs on depression and the pursuit of happiness. His latest, Living Better: How I learned to survive depression, was also a Sunday Times best-seller.

He was for many years chairman of fund-raising of Bloodwise, Britain’s main blood cancer charity, but in recent years has become increasingly involved with mental health charities and causes, speaking about his own experience of depression, psychosis and addiction, and of his brother Donald’s lifelong struggle with schizophrenia. A former ‘Mind Champion of the Year’, he is an ambassador for several charities, including Mind, Rethink and  Alcohol Concern. He is a patron of Maytree, the country’s only charity for the suicidal, and of Kidstime, which supports the children of mentally ill parents. He is a Global Ambassador for Australians for Mental Health.