Richard Leaf: The Real Stories from the AIDS Pandemic Artwork

Love, Loss & Life: Real Stories From The AIDS Pandemic

A podcast series from the National HIV Story Trust, the charity telling the story of HIV and AIDS in Britain. Presenting a perspective of the crisis in the 1980s and 1990s through the lives of a diverse set of individuals, this series recognises the true tragedy of HIV and AIDS, and shares tender stories of love, unending compassion, and the unity of a disparate community in the face of a global crisis.

Introduced by Anita Dobson and voiced by actors Christopher Ashman, Elexi Walker, and Kay Eluvian, the series features stories taken from NHST’s first book, a collection of essays, reflections, and testimonies also entitled ‘Love, Loss & Life’ which was published in 2021. The book and podcast series feature in short-form just some of the moving and tragic recollections that the NHST archive of over 100 filmed interviews, currently housed at the London Metropolitan Archive, capture in expansive detail. This extensive archive provides a 360-degree thought-provoking view of the AIDS pandemic in Britain through the real-life experiences of those who were there. Since 2015, over 120 interviews have been filmed with survivors, family members, friends, advocates, and medical professionals candidly remembering their personal experiences. Through archiving these films at the LMA, and sharing the stories collected through education, media, and art projects, NHST’s mission is to preserve the story the HIV and AIDS pandemic for those who know it, and to teach it for the first time to those who do not.

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Love, Loss & Life: Real Stories From The AIDS Pandemic

Richard Leaf: The Real Stories from the AIDS Pandemic

July 10, 2024 • National HIV Story Trust, Anita Dobson, Richard Leaf, Christopher Ashman • Season 1 • Episode 19

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Richard Leaf, an English writer, pursued his education in San Francisco and then embarked on a career in theatre. His journey led him to the Royal Shakespeare Company and appearances in notable films such as Braveheart, Hannibal Rising, The Fifth Element, and Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix. In the early 80s, he bore witness to the challenges of the AIDS pandemic in San Francisco, and in the 1990s, he devoted himself to volunteering at the Mildmay Hospice, an experience that left an indelible mark on his heart.

He says the shared struggles of having HIV/AIDS fostered generosity and encouragement between individuals at the Mildmay hospice. Their shared experience of facing a terminal illness and stigma brought them together to support each other through difficult times, which Richard Leaf admires as an embodiment of unconditional love.

This podcast series features stories taken from our first book, a collection of essays, reflections, and testimonies also entitled ‘Love, Loss & Life’ which you can buy here.

An audiobook is also available here.

Visit the National HIV Story Trust website

People on this episode