Everyday Obituaries: Remembering Josh Langley

 

 

I can’t remember where I was when I first met Josh Langley but I know where I was when I read he had died.

Sitting on a concrete step in a dusty nondescript lane in Sanur – waiting to pick up my laundry. Josh may have liked the starkness of the scene or the implied loneliness for one of his stories.

Josh’s husband Andy had written a poignant and beautiful tribute on Facebook.  I knew Josh had been very ill but I was taken aback in that way you inevitably are when a friend dies.

Josh died of brain cancer and had been sick for around 18 months.

He was a radio copywriter, author and podcaster. I don’t know how old Josh was, maybe he was approaching 50 , ten or more years younger than me. I know he always looked youthful and maintained a zest and vitality for life.

Josh wrote non fiction books – perhaps not so ironically now – on the topic of what happens to us when we die.

His greatest works however I believe were his kids books – that are just as relevant for adults and I’m certain will endure the test of time.

Some of the titles included ‘Being you is enough’,  ‘It’s ok to feel the way you do’, and  ‘Magnificent mistakes and fantastic failures’. The simplistic but powerful messages were that it was important to be yourself, be happy with who you are, mistakes are normal, and always show up no matter how anxious you feel. You might, after all, be surprised at what you can achieve.

These delightful books are replete with Josh’s quirky colourful illustrations.  His stories were always positive, fun, relatable and full of warmth. They are the sort of book I would have loved to read as a kid and still do as an adult.

From what I understand, life for Josh as a young man in Perth wasn’t always easy. He wasn’t sporty. He was more of a day dreamer. A kid who liked to draw and think deeply about life and all its wonders. He was also gay, growing up in an era of homophobia.

He knew what it was like to be on the outer and this added to the empathy Josh showed toward others. I’m told that his talks to primary schoolers around Western Australia were some of the most popular. I read that at one he was introduced as coming from Gnomesville  – a tourist attraction full of clay gnomes south of Perth. Josh, short in stature, found it hilarious.

When I worked in Bunbury I’d occasionally bump into Josh down the street. We would discuss how brutal and fickle it was working in the media. At the end of the conversation we would both end up shrugging our shoulders and laughing it off.  But the pain and uncertainty was real.

I’d go back up the road to the ABC and he’d make his way to Triple M next to Bunbury’s main shopping complex. Sometimes Josh was a guest on my afternoon radio show. No matter the topic he always made me laugh and proved entertaining for the listeners.

I think I lasted longer in the media than Josh. He was more sensitive and in touch with his feelings more than me. That was his great strength when it came to writing books for kids. A ‘weakness’ became his superpower.

When I told Josh that my youngest daughter had invented an imaginary bird called the Sqwabwabble, Josh wanted to know more. Eight-year-old Ellie explained the bird to Josh including the birdcall of this flightless wonder. Josh included the Sqwabwabble in his next book. I’m not sure who was more delighted – Ellie or me. Ellie’s nickname became and still is ‘Sqwabby.’

When my memoir dealing with mental health, ‘Second Innings’, was published in August of 2021 it was Josh who read it in one sitting and immediately contacted me. It was Josh who first expressed his appreciation and related parts of the book that resonated with him. It was Josh who gently and carefully spoke to me for his podcast at a time when it felt like I was barely functioning.

It was this kindness from a friend that will never be forgotten. He was in many ways emblematic of everything that is good in the world.

Josh was a gentle soul taken far too soon, but the memory of him and his work will live on.

If you have a child (grandchild, niece, nephew etc) or friend who needs some support or even just wants some some fun, I’d suggest you look up Josh’s books at joshlangley.com.au

I guarantee you will feel uplifted.

RIP Josh my friend. And my love to Andy, family and friends.