Ian McMillan presents Radio 3's The Verb from the Trades Club in Hebden Bridge, North Yorkshire.  He's joined by poet Clare Shaw whose poetry extols the poetic possibilities of peat bogs and moss; Ben and David Crystal whose new book Everyday Shakespeare offers us a quotation from the bard for every day of the year; Jimmy Andrex offers a meeting place between music and poetry and singer Emily Portman and musician Rob Harbron sing the words of Irish poet Louis MacNeice

The Verb at the Trades Club

A writing and confidence masterclass - Ian McMillan's guests Denise Mina, Kathryn Williams, Ian Humphreys and Len Pennie share their tips and experiences.How much confidence do you need to write or create out of your comfort zone? What does it take to embark on unfamiliar genres - the historical novel perhaps, starting a podcast or vlog, or writing a lyric poem? And how can the great poet, performer and humorist Ivor Cutler inspire us to write our most authentic material? Is confidence a helpful word for writers?Ian is joined by one of our most versatile novelists, Denise Mina - who explores the role of certainty in her new novel 'Three Fires', by singer-songwriter Kathryn Williams (who has pubished a novel 'The Ormering Tide' and also presents her own podcast ('Before the Light Goes Out'), by the poet and editor of 'Why I Write Poetry' Ian Humphreys, and by celebrator of Len Pennie, known as Miss Punnypennie - who invites her followers on social media to enjoy 'Scots and sarcasm' and has a poetry book in the pipeline.

A writing and confidence masterclass - Ian McMillan's guests Denise Mina, Kathryn Williams, Ian Humphreys and Len Pennie share their tips and experiences. How much confidence do you need to write or create out of your comfort zone? What does it take to embark on unfamiliar genres - the historical novel perhaps, starting a podcast or vlog, or writing a lyric poem? And how can the great poet, performer and humorist Ivor Cutler inspire us to write our most authentic material? Is confidence a helpful word for writers? Ian is joined by one of our most versatile novelists, Denise Mina - who explores the role of certainty in her new novel 'Three Fires', by singer-songwriter Kathryn Williams (who has pubished a novel 'The Ormering Tide' and also presents her own podcast ('Before the Light Goes Out'), by the poet and editor of 'Why I Write Poetry' Ian Humphreys, and by celebrator of Len Pennie, known as Miss Punnypennie - who invites her followers on social media to enjoy 'Scots and sarcasm' and has a poetry book in the pipeline.

Confidence: Masterclass

Ian McMillan explores different ways into and out of and through the things we write, and discovers new ways of thinking about language and meaning; with poet Nick Thurston who has co curated The Weight of Words, an exhibition on the poetry of sculpture and the sculpture of poetry, fiction writer Alice Jolly whose new collection of stories ‘From Far Around They Saw Us Burn’ examines how everyday interactions can change our lives in new and unpredictable ways,  playwright and theatre maker Megan Barker whose novel ‘Kit’ is a long running prose poem, and poet and performer Rommi Smith reads from her new choral work Forever?, a collaborative commission with composer, Roderick Williams.  Forever? is a 21st century response to the iconic hymn Amazing Grace and which seeks to redefine its power and status  as a song of resilience and resistance.Forever? With text by Rommi Smith and music by composer Roderick Williams will premiere on July 22 at the IF MIlton Keynes International Festival.  The Weight of Words runs at the Henry Moore Institute in Leeds from 7 July – 26 November. You can find out more about the exhibition via this link: henry-moore.org/the-weight-of-wordsPresenter: Ian McMillanProducer: Cecile Wright

Ian McMillan explores different ways into and out of and through the things we write, and discovers new ways of thinking about language and meaning; with poet Nick Thurston who has co curated The Weight of Words, an exhibition on the poetry of sculpture and the sculpture of poetry, fiction writer Alice Jolly whose new collection of stories ‘From Far Around They Saw Us Burn’ examines how everyday interactions can change our lives in new and unpredictable ways, playwright and theatre maker Megan Barker whose novel ‘Kit’ is a long running prose poem, and poet and performer Rommi Smith reads from her new choral work Forever?, a collaborative commission with composer, Roderick Williams. Forever? is a 21st century response to the iconic hymn Amazing Grace and which seeks to redefine its power and status as a song of resilience and resistance. Forever? With text by Rommi Smith and music by composer Roderick Williams will premiere on July 22 at the IF MIlton Keynes International Festival. The Weight of Words runs at the Henry Moore Institute in Leeds from 7 July – 26 November. You can find out more about the exhibition via this link: <a href="http://henry-moore.org/the-weight-of-words" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">henry-moore.org/the-weight-of-words</a> Presenter: Ian McMillan Producer: Cecile Wright

New Ways of Writing

Ian McMillan explores fathers, fathering and time with Nick Laird, Katherine Rundell and Jude Rogers.Nick Laird's new poetry collection 'Up Late' (Faber) is a powerful account of what it means to think around and through grief, time and fathering, Katherine Rundell's incisive and moving account of the life of the mortality-obsessed poet John Donne (which also takes in his fathering of twelve children) is 'Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne', and Jude Rogers's story of her love of popular music and the role her father played in igniting it is 'The Sound of Being Human' - they join Ian for this Verb on family influence and family influencers.

Ian McMillan explores fathers, fathering and time with Nick Laird, Katherine Rundell and Jude Rogers. Nick Laird's new poetry collection 'Up Late' (Faber) is a powerful account of what it means to think around and through grief, time and fathering, Katherine Rundell's incisive and moving account of the life of the mortality-obsessed poet John Donne (which also takes in his fathering of twelve children) is 'Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne', and Jude Rogers's story of her love of popular music and the role her father played in igniting it is 'The Sound of Being Human' - they join Ian for this Verb on family influence and family influencers.

Fathers and Time

From blank page to best-seller, how do you write a successful novel?  The Verb offers you a masterclass in storytelling with renowned authors Kate Mosse and Philippa Gregory, best known for The Other Boleyn Girl; and Booker prize winning novelist Douglas Stuart.How do you begin, how do you redraft and decide what to take out and what to leave in, what happens when you experiment and play with language to shapeshift and distort the form, how do you decide who is your narrator and uncover your own literary voice, and how do you know when the novel is finished?  Ian McMillan takes us on a deep dive into the craft of writing a novel from the first marks you make on the paper, to the final draft that ends up on the bookshop shelf.Presenter: Ian McMillanProducer: Cecile Wright

From blank page to best-seller, how do you write a successful novel? The Verb offers you a masterclass in storytelling with renowned authors Kate Mosse and Philippa Gregory, best known for The Other Boleyn Girl; and Booker prize winning novelist Douglas Stuart. How do you begin, how do you redraft and decide what to take out and what to leave in, what happens when you experiment and play with language to shapeshift and distort the form, how do you decide who is your narrator and uncover your own literary voice, and how do you know when the novel is finished? Ian McMillan takes us on a deep dive into the craft of writing a novel from the first marks you make on the paper, to the final draft that ends up on the bookshop shelf. Presenter: Ian McMillan Producer: Cecile Wright

The Verb at Hay Festival: How to write a Novel

Ian McMillan discusses the enduring appeal of the novel and explores how poetry and prose can collide to create a new kind of language; with Jacqueline Crooks, whose debut novel 'Fire Rush' is a tale of music and parties and love and life in late 1970s and 80s London; Liv Little, founder and former CEO of Gal-dem, a sadly now defunct online and print magazine run by women of colour, whose first book 'Rosewater' is an exploration of how it is to live a creative life in London when time and money and history all seem to conspire against you;  Lemara Lindsay-Prince, the senior commissioning editor of Merky Books, the publishing house set up by rapper and grime artist Stormzy to nurture under-represented and marginalised writers; and poet, film-maker and dramatist Owen Sheers.

The Verb at Hay Festival

Ian McMillan presents the first in a series of Verb visits to the future, asking whether we need new words, new plots and new genres to help us think about it creatively.The BBC has signed up to a climate pledge which presents an exciting opportunity for new writing (it is pledging to make sure its visions of the future aren’t simply dystopian ones,  to recognise other visions, fair and balanced ones, sustainable and informed by the science ).  To explore this opportunity we are first joined by the ecological philosopher and green activist Rupert Read to discuss 'thrutopianism', and by the writer and artist Alistair Gentry who has brought his flying saucer along to the studio.In the second half of this show we do a deep time dive into the work of one of America’s greatest visionary poets – Jorie Graham - and hear new poetry from her collection 'To 2040' (Carcanet)BBC Climate Change Pledgehttps://www.bbc.co.uk/commissioning/news/climate-content-pledge/Rupert Readhttps://rupertread.net/Alistair Gentryhttps://alistairgentry.net/performance/british-fusion-2022/

Ian McMillan presents the first in a series of Verb visits to the future, asking whether we need new words, new plots and new genres to help us think about it creatively. The BBC has signed up to a climate pledge which presents an exciting opportunity for new writing (it is pledging to make sure its visions of the future aren’t simply dystopian ones, to recognise other visions, fair and balanced ones, sustainable and informed by the science ). To explore this opportunity we are first joined by the ecological philosopher and green activist Rupert Read to discuss 'thrutopianism', and by the writer and artist Alistair Gentry who has brought his flying saucer along to the studio. In the second half of this show we do a deep time dive into the work of one of America’s greatest visionary poets – Jorie Graham - and hear new poetry from her collection 'To 2040' (Carcanet) BBC Climate Change Pledge <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/commissioning/news/climate-content-pledge/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.bbc.co.uk/commissioning/news/climate-content-pledge/</a> Rupert Read <a href="https://rupertread.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://rupertread.net/</a> Alistair Gentry <a href="https://alistairgentry.net/performance/british-fusion-2022/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://alistairgentry.net/performance/british-fusion-2022/</a>

Futures Verb

Ritual, seduction, silliness and sacrifice - all this and more in 'The Wicker Man Verb' - marking fifty years of the iconic horror film.Ian McMillan is joined by one of our best fiction writers - Sarah Hall. Sarah shares a new commission for The Verb imagining Summerisle in 2023.David Bramwell and Eliza Skelton have been influenced by the film as writers and performers - they give The Verb an insight into how their Sing-A-Long-A-Wickerman events work. David has just published 'The Singalong-A-Wicker-Man Scrapbook' https://www.drbramwell.com/Folk musician Brian Peters explores the old songs that sit behind the soundtrack, and Verb regular - the poet and performer Kate Fox, goes on an emotional journey with Lord Summerisle, imagining how he might operate in the world of social media influencers, and endless 'wellness' marketing.

Ritual, seduction, silliness and sacrifice - all this and more in 'The Wicker Man Verb' - marking fifty years of the iconic horror film. Ian McMillan is joined by one of our best fiction writers - Sarah Hall. Sarah shares a new commission for The Verb imagining Summerisle in 2023. David Bramwell and Eliza Skelton have been influenced by the film as writers and performers - they give The Verb an insight into how their Sing-A-Long-A-Wickerman events work. David has just published 'The Singalong-A-Wicker-Man Scrapbook' <a href="https://www.drbramwell.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.drbramwell.com/</a> Folk musician Brian Peters explores the old songs that sit behind the soundtrack, and Verb regular - the poet and performer Kate Fox, goes on an emotional journey with Lord Summerisle, imagining how he might operate in the world of social media influencers, and endless 'wellness' marketing.

The Wicker Man Verb

Ian McMillan explores the monsters that haunt our imagination, the monstrous labels that have historically been imposed upon 'the Other', and the modern day monstrosities that provoke our fears and threaten to make monsters of us all.  With Prof Roger Luckhurst who specialises in classic 19th-century Gothic, literature, film, and cultural history; his new book 'Gothic' traces our fascination and representations of the Gothic through history to its place at the very heart of popular culture today, Poet Tom Juniper whose Monstrous poems are a collection from the point of view of sundry folkloric creatures, conceptual poet and artist Ira Lightman who has written a specially commissioned poem on the theme of the Monstrous, and composer Sarah Angliss whose new opera 'Giant' tells the story of the 18th century “Irish giant” Charles Byrne, a man whose corpse was stolen to order and put on public display. Presenter:  Ian McMillan Producer: Cecile Wright

Ian McMillan explores the monsters that haunt our imagination, the monstrous labels that have historically been imposed upon 'the Other', and the modern day monstrosities that provoke our fears and threaten to make monsters of us all. With Prof Roger Luckhurst who specialises in classic 19th-century Gothic, literature, film, and cultural history; his new book 'Gothic' traces our fascination and representations of the Gothic through history to its place at the very heart of popular culture today, Poet Tom Juniper whose Monstrous poems are a collection from the point of view of sundry folkloric creatures, conceptual poet and artist Ira Lightman who has written a specially commissioned poem on the theme of the Monstrous, and composer Sarah Angliss whose new opera 'Giant' tells the story of the 18th century “Irish giant” Charles Byrne, a man whose corpse was stolen to order and put on public display. Presenter: Ian McMillan Producer: Cecile Wright

Monsters and the Monstrous

Wine flows through this Verb - through poems, toasts, rituals  - as Ian McMillan explores the images and words that evoke what it means to drink and to be drunk, in all its complexity.Poet Ramona Herdman describes the first drink of the evening; "Peter Pan at the window, laughing, reaching his hand in" in a poem from her collection 'Glut' ( Nine Arches). Fellow poet and editor Jane Commane reads a new commission for the anthology 'Ten Poems about Wine' ( Candlestick Press) and interrogates a poem called 'Charles on Fire' by American poet James Merrill. Angie Hobbs (Professor of the Public Understanding of Philosophy at the University of Sheffield) also joins us to explore Ancient Greek approaches to drinking, and award-winning wine critic Aleesha Hansel expands the lexicon of wine tasting, as well as considering the place of libations in culture.

Wine flows through this Verb - through poems, toasts, rituals - as Ian McMillan explores the images and words that evoke what it means to drink and to be drunk, in all its complexity. Poet Ramona Herdman describes the first drink of the evening; "Peter Pan at the window, laughing, reaching his hand in" in a poem from her collection 'Glut' ( Nine Arches). Fellow poet and editor Jane Commane reads a new commission for the anthology 'Ten Poems about Wine' ( Candlestick Press) and interrogates a poem called 'Charles on Fire' by American poet James Merrill. Angie Hobbs (Professor of the Public Understanding of Philosophy at the University of Sheffield) also joins us to explore Ancient Greek approaches to drinking, and award-winning wine critic Aleesha Hansel expands the lexicon of wine tasting, as well as considering the place of libations in culture.

The Wine Verb

Radio 3's cabaret of the word, featuring the best poetry, new writing and performance

Just listened to the interview with Tim Minchin. Delving into the writing process was fascinating. You did an excellent job of just guiding it and allowing Tim to be himself. 

All of the podcast subjects seem interesting, and I’m a new subscriber from Kansas City, Missouri, USA. 

I did wonder, did you get a Yamaha Grand for the interview or use a studio piano?

Your new fan,
Judy Calton

Great Tim Minchin interview

Verb

The Verb

January is a month of resolutions and fresh starts, of gyms and diets. This week Ian McMillan and guests tackle the language of Wellbeing and Self-Care.Poets are not generally known for their physical prowess, but in George Szirtes new collection 'Thirty Poets Go To The Gym' (Candlestick). What happens when famous poets from Lord Byron to John Berryman and from Emily Dickinson to Elizabeth Bishop try to get into shape?What are the strongest influences on the ways we chose to live our lives? Does taking care of someone meaning letting them take care of themselves? These issues are at the heart of Kendall Feaver's new play 'The Almighty Sometimes', starring Julie Hesmondhalgh. Julie discusses her role with Ian, and also examines what wellbeing means to an actor.The poet Melissa Lee-Houghton won the Somerset Maugham Award for her debut collection 'Sunshine' (Penned in the Margins), an intensely personal collection dealing with her experience of abuse, addiction and mental health issues. Melissa discusses how she protects herself when publishing such personal work. Producer: Cecile WrightPresenter: Ian McMillan.

January is a month of resolutions and fresh starts, of gyms and diets. This week Ian McMillan and guests tackle the language of Wellbeing and Self-Care. Poets are not generally known for their physical prowess, but in George Szirtes new collection 'Thirty Poets Go To The Gym' (Candlestick). What happens when famous poets from Lord Byron to John Berryman and from Emily Dickinson to Elizabeth Bishop try to get into shape? What are the strongest influences on the ways we chose to live our lives? Does taking care of someone meaning letting them take care of themselves? These issues are at the heart of Kendall Feaver's new play 'The Almighty Sometimes', starring Julie Hesmondhalgh. Julie discusses her role with Ian, and also examines what wellbeing means to an actor. The poet Melissa Lee-Houghton won the Somerset Maugham Award for her debut collection 'Sunshine' (Penned in the Margins), an intensely personal collection dealing with her experience of abuse, addiction and mental health issues. Melissa discusses how she protects herself when publishing such personal work. Producer: Cecile Wright Presenter: Ian McMillan.

The Wellbeing Verb

John Ruskin

Ian McMillan celebrates the bicentenary of writer, artist and critic John Ruskin, alongside US fiction writer Kristen Roupenian (author of 'Cat Person' - a story which went viral after being published in The New Yorker), Professor Dinah Birch, and Sarala Estruch. He also introduces a new commission inspired by Ruskin's fascination with geology (a collaboration between the musician Sonic Pleasure and Verb regular, the poet Ira Lightman).

The Verb explores 'The Midlands' - with the novelist Jonathan Coe  - on using the Midlands 'to think with' in his new book 'Middle England' , the poet Liz Berry on Black Country language, the writer and performer Steven Camden ( AKA Polar Bear) on the different influences on his 'voice'  - and musician Ben Walker and researcher Bethany Whalley offer a sound art tribute to the cult 1974 film 'Penda's Fen'.

Writing The Midlands

How has the scrolling we do on social media changed writers and readers, and what does it have in common with ancient scrolls? Join Ian McMillan as he uses the power of poetry and performance to answer these questions - with the actor and writer David Schneider, poet Ira Lightman, artist Vicki Bennett, and scroll unrollers Roberta Mazza and Richard Gameson.

The Scrolling Verb

Can algorithms help writers think more clearly and create innovative work ? On this week's 'Algorithm Verb' Ian McMillan is joined by Helen Arney, who performs a brand new love-song (written for the programme) using search engine algorithms, by Eugenia Cheng, a mathematician and pianist who is passionate about ridding the world of 'math-phobia', by the computer scientist Ursula Martin (who writes on Ada Lovelace, often credited with the first computer 'algorithm'), and by writer Kate Pullinger who is fascinated by the potential of algorithms to make stories more haunting and personal.Verb regular, poet Ira Lightman 'becomes' a living algorithm lurking in the substrata of the programme, and creates an algorithmic villanelle.Producer: Faith LawrencePresenter: Ian McMillan.

Can algorithms help writers think more clearly and create innovative work ? On this week's 'Algorithm Verb' Ian McMillan is joined by Helen Arney, who performs a brand new love-song (written for the programme) using search engine algorithms, by Eugenia Cheng, a mathematician and pianist who is passionate about ridding the world of 'math-phobia', by the computer scientist Ursula Martin (who writes on Ada Lovelace, often credited with the first computer 'algorithm'), and by writer Kate Pullinger who is fascinated by the potential of algorithms to make stories more haunting and personal. Verb regular, poet Ira Lightman 'becomes' a living algorithm lurking in the substrata of the programme, and creates an algorithmic villanelle. Producer: Faith Lawrence Presenter: Ian McMillan.

Algorithms

The Verb does a deep dive into the word 'America' - why does it have such a hold on the imagination? Ian's guests are Tracy K Smith, the US Poet Laureate, nominated for the TS Eliot prize for her collection 'Wade in the Water', and Terrance Hayes, author of 'American Sonnets for My Past and Future Assassin', which was also shortlisted for the TS Eliot. Joining them is the critic Sarah Churchwell, author of Behold, America: A History of America First and the American Dream.Presenter: Ian McMillanProducer: Faith Lawrence

The Verb does a deep dive into the word 'America' - why does it have such a hold on the imagination? Ian's guests are Tracy K Smith, the US Poet Laureate, nominated for the TS Eliot prize for her collection 'Wade in the Water', and Terrance Hayes, author of 'American Sonnets for My Past and Future Assassin', which was also shortlisted for the TS Eliot. Joining them is the critic Sarah Churchwell, author of Behold, America: A History of America First and the American Dream. Presenter: Ian McMillan Producer: Faith Lawrence

America

The Christmas Verb rejoices in the pleasure of nonsense language, nonsense stories, ridiculous rhymes and things that makes no sense at all. Presenter Ian McMillan is joined by one of the greatest children’s book partnerships of all time, Julia Donaldson and Axel Schleffer, whose made-up monster the ‘Gruffalo’ is now part of childhoods all over the world – he’s also joined by the former Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen with new poetry; Michael’s latest book celebrates the power of silliness and nonsense in all our lives.

Christmas Nonsense

This week, Ian McMillan and the guests shoot for the moon.Ian is joined by Ocean Vuong, winner of the 2017 TS Eliot prize for 'Night Sky with Exit Wounds', who has just published his first novel 'On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous' (Cape). Ocean celebrates his favourite recent moon writing by Mojave American poet Natalie Diaz. We also her from Mary Jean Chan, who has just published her debut collection 'Flèche'. As it's our last programme of The Verb season before we take our summer break, we've brought together our Verb regulars from the past year - poets Ira Lightman and Kate Fox and linguist Rob Drummond. Together they be considering how man walking on the moon 50 years ago has changed our language and our relationship with the moon, and there will be brand new poetry from both Kate and Ira.Presenter: Ian McMillanProducer: Jessica Treen

This week, Ian McMillan and the guests shoot for the moon. Ian is joined by Ocean Vuong, winner of the 2017 TS Eliot prize for 'Night Sky with Exit Wounds', who has just published his first novel 'On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous' (Cape). Ocean celebrates his favourite recent moon writing by Mojave American poet Natalie Diaz. We also her from Mary Jean Chan, who has just published her debut collection 'Flèche'. As it's our last programme of The Verb season before we take our summer break, we've brought together our Verb regulars from the past year - poets Ira Lightman and Kate Fox and linguist Rob Drummond. Together they be considering how man walking on the moon 50 years ago has changed our language and our relationship with the moon, and there will be brand new poetry from both Kate and Ira. Presenter: Ian McMillan Producer: Jessica Treen

The Moon Verb

With Will Eaves, Ben Schott, Selina Nwulu and Jeremy Noel-Tod

07/12/2018

The Verb explores the language and literature inspired by northern rocks - with Benjamin Myers, Bella Hardy, M. John Harrison, Kate Davis and Simon Bainbridge.

Northern Rocks

Ian McMillan explores German poetry after the fall of the Berlin Wall – with two of Germany’s most celebrated and groundbreaking poets Durs Grünbein and Nora Gomringer. He is also joined by Professor Karen Leeder who’s explored the ways in which contemporary German literature is ‘haunted’ by the GDR, and by Ira Lightman who reads a new poem haunted by Rainer Maria Rilke – the German language poet most often translated into English - and a translation of one of Durs' poems.Presenter: Ian McMillanProducer: Faith Lawrence

Ian McMillan explores German poetry after the fall of the Berlin Wall – with two of Germany’s most celebrated and groundbreaking poets Durs Grünbein and Nora Gomringer. He is also joined by Professor Karen Leeder who’s explored the ways in which contemporary German literature is ‘haunted’ by the GDR, and by Ira Lightman who reads a new poem haunted by Rainer Maria Rilke – the German language poet most often translated into English - and a translation of one of Durs' poems. Presenter: Ian McMillan Producer: Faith Lawrence

German poetry after the Berlin Wall

This week The Verb is looking at modern retelling and remixing of ancient stories. Jenny Lewis discusses her book 'Gilgamesh Retold' (Carcanet), Fiona Benson explains why Zeus is at the heart of her new collection 'Vertigo &amp; Ghost' (Cape), there's new poetry from Richard Scott and Jack Bernhardt is off to Sherwood Forest, Hollywood style. Presenter: Ian McMillanProducer: Faith Lawrence

This week The Verb is looking at modern retelling and remixing of ancient stories. Jenny Lewis discusses her book 'Gilgamesh Retold' (Carcanet), Fiona Benson explains why Zeus is at the heart of her new collection 'Vertigo &amp; Ghost' (Cape), there's new poetry from Richard Scott and Jack Bernhardt is off to Sherwood Forest, Hollywood style. Presenter: Ian McMillan Producer: Faith Lawrence

Myths Re-imagined

Ian McMillan peers into the pop-up tent that is 'festival' writing with Murray Lachlan Young - he introduces new fiction from Louise Welsh, new poetry from William Letford and Hollie McNish joins the programme to explore, in conversation with Dr Peter Mackay, the kind of festive language and rituals associated with Scots Gaelic literature. Ian is also joined by Professor Sarah Churchwell to unpick the language of the great American novelist Philip Roth - who died this week - and to celebrate not only the meaning, but the sound and texture of Roth's sentences. Roth's best-known novels include the darkly comic 'Portnoy's Complaint' and the Pulitzer Prize winning 'American Pastoral'.

Ian McMillan peers into the pop-up tent that is 'festival' writing with Murray Lachlan Young - he introduces new fiction from Louise Welsh, new poetry from William Letford and Hollie McNish joins the programme to explore, in conversation with Dr Peter Mackay, the kind of festive language and rituals associated with Scots Gaelic literature. Ian is also joined by Professor Sarah Churchwell to unpick the language of the great American novelist Philip Roth - who died this week - and to celebrate not only the meaning, but the sound and texture of Roth's sentences. Roth's best-known novels include the darkly comic 'Portnoy's Complaint' and the Pulitzer Prize winning 'American Pastoral'.

The Festival Verb

The 'feel' of another language and the impact of its sound is hard to convey in translation. Are there ways to be more faithful to the visceral experience of a prose piece or a poem? Or should we be questioning the idea that a translator can or should be faithful? Rowan Williams discusses the 'verbal spring' of the iconic Welsh bard Taliesin and the work attributed to him, novelist Adam Thirlwell and Palestinian writer Adania Shibli explore the pleasures and possibilities of simultaneous translation and performance, and Sophie Collins shares her experience of translating (from the Dutch) Lieke Marsman's poetry.Producer: Faith LawrencePresenter: Ian McMillan

The 'feel' of another language and the impact of its sound is hard to convey in translation. Are there ways to be more faithful to the visceral experience of a prose piece or a poem? Or should we be questioning the idea that a translator can or should be faithful? Rowan Williams discusses the 'verbal spring' of the iconic Welsh bard Taliesin and the work attributed to him, novelist Adam Thirlwell and Palestinian writer Adania Shibli explore the pleasures and possibilities of simultaneous translation and performance, and Sophie Collins shares her experience of translating (from the Dutch) Lieke Marsman's poetry. Producer: Faith Lawrence Presenter: Ian McMillan

The Sound of Translation

Don Paterson

The Verb this week is an extended conversation with the poet, editor, mentor, teacher and aphorist Don Paterson. Don Paterson first came to prominence in the early 90s, winning the Forward Poetry Prize for Best First Collection for ‘Nil Nil’ in 1993. The following year he was selected as one of the Poetry Society’s ‘New Generation Poets’ alongside contemporaries such as Simon Armitage, Carol Ann Duffy, Kathleen Jamie and his friend and mentor Michael Donaghy. He has published nine collections of poems, two of which have been awarded the TS Eliot Prize; God’s Gift to Women in 1997, and again in 2003 for Landing Light. He was awarded the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry in 2010. He also teaches at the University of St Andrews and is the Poetry editor at Picador. In a 45-minute conversation, Ian takes a forensic look at Don Paterson’s language map. They discuss the concept of the ‘true poem, the relationship between inspiration and spontaneity, where the impulse to write a poem comes from – and when to give up on a poem.We hear a close examination of poetic language as Don considers ‘the dance between vowels and consonants’, the weight of an ending, his love of an ellipsis. Don also explains why he dislikes poems set to music, and why you shouldn’t worry too much about your poetic voice…Don Paterson’s latest publication is his book of New and Collected Aphorisms, ‘The Fall at Home’. This book, and all his collections of poetry are published by Faber.   Presenter: Ian McMillanProducer: Cecile Wright

The Verb this week is an extended conversation with the poet, editor, mentor, teacher and aphorist Don Paterson. Don Paterson first came to prominence in the early 90s, winning the Forward Poetry Prize for Best First Collection for ‘Nil Nil’ in 1993. The following year he was selected as one of the Poetry Society’s ‘New Generation Poets’ alongside contemporaries such as Simon Armitage, Carol Ann Duffy, Kathleen Jamie and his friend and mentor Michael Donaghy. He has published nine collections of poems, two of which have been awarded the TS Eliot Prize; God’s Gift to Women in 1997, and again in 2003 for Landing Light. He was awarded the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry in 2010. He also teaches at the University of St Andrews and is the Poetry editor at Picador. In a 45-minute conversation, Ian takes a forensic look at Don Paterson’s language map. They discuss the concept of the ‘true poem, the relationship between inspiration and spontaneity, where the impulse to write a poem comes from – and when to give up on a poem. We hear a close examination of poetic language as Don considers ‘the dance between vowels and consonants’, the weight of an ending, his love of an ellipsis. Don also explains why he dislikes poems set to music, and why you shouldn’t worry too much about your poetic voice… Don Paterson’s latest publication is his book of New and Collected Aphorisms, ‘The Fall at Home’. This book, and all his collections of poetry are published by Faber. Presenter: Ian McMillan Producer: Cecile Wright

To mark 100 years since the end of the First World War, The Verb presents ‘Unwritten’, a special edition of the programme telling the neglected stories of those who fought in the British West Indian Regiment, and the stories of those they left behind, through a series of new poems. 15,600 men from the Caribbean served everywhere from Messines to Egypt, Passchendaele to Palestine – and many received medals for their bravery. However, as the poet Karen McCarthy Woolf comments, ‘The wartime stories of these Caribbean servicemen were largely unheard at the time and have remained so ever since…We know many of their names and the roles they played, but we have few first-hand accounts to tell us what their lives were like during the conflict… “Unwritten: Caribbean Poems After the First World War” is an attempt to address this gap in the narrative.’Those poets commissioned by this project, writing and researching new work, come from both the Caribbean, and the Caribbean diaspora. Performing are: Jay Bernard, Jay T John, Ishion Hutchinson, Kat Francois, Tanya Shirley, Vladimir Lucien, Charnell Lucien, Malika Booker and Karen McCarthy Woolf.Recorded at the Contains Strong Language Festival in Hull, ‘Unwritten’ is a co-commission by 14-18 Now, The British Council, and BBC Contains Strong Language. As part of the Unwritten project, many of the poets involved visited Jamaica. All the poems in this programme are included in the book ‘Unwritten: Caribbean Poems After The First World War’, published by Nine Arches Press in partnership with Wrecking Ball Press.  Full versions of the broadcast poems can be heard in The Verb podcast.https://www.1418now.org.uk/ https://www.britishcouncil.org/

To mark 100 years since the end of the First World War, The Verb presents ‘Unwritten’, a special edition of the programme telling the neglected stories of those who fought in the British West Indian Regiment, and the stories of those they left behind, through a series of new poems. 15,600 men from the Caribbean served everywhere from Messines to Egypt, Passchendaele to Palestine – and many received medals for their bravery. However, as the poet Karen McCarthy Woolf comments, ‘The wartime stories of these Caribbean servicemen were largely unheard at the time and have remained so ever since…We know many of their names and the roles they played, but we have few first-hand accounts to tell us what their lives were like during the conflict… “Unwritten: Caribbean Poems After the First World War” is an attempt to address this gap in the narrative.’ Those poets commissioned by this project, writing and researching new work, come from both the Caribbean, and the Caribbean diaspora. Performing are: Jay Bernard, Jay T John, Ishion Hutchinson, Kat Francois, Tanya Shirley, Vladimir Lucien, Charnell Lucien, Malika Booker and Karen McCarthy Woolf. Recorded at the Contains Strong Language Festival in Hull, ‘Unwritten’ is a co-commission by 14-18 Now, The British Council, and BBC Contains Strong Language. As part of the Unwritten project, many of the poets involved visited Jamaica. All the poems in this programme are included in the book ‘Unwritten: Caribbean Poems After The First World War’, published by Nine Arches Press in partnership with Wrecking Ball Press. Full versions of the broadcast poems can be heard in The Verb podcast. <a href="https://www.1418now.org.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.1418now.org.uk/</a> <a href="https://www.britishcouncil.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.britishcouncil.org/</a>

Unwritten

Ian McMillan with writing inspired by molluscs (snails, slugs, and cockles) - he's joined by the novelist Jill Dawson on Patricia Highsmith's pet snails, poets Isabel Galleymore and Kate Fox, and Richard Gameson on the mystery of snail battles in the margins of medieval manuscripts.

How do you write a fight? Ian McMillan and Hollie McNish are joined by Ross Sutherland, Ben Crystal, Willy Vlautin and Theresa Lola to talk about punching with a pen.Willy Vlautin is an American novelist and musician. He is the lead singer for Richmond Fontaine, and his latest novel 'Don't Skip out on Me' (Faber), follows a young man who dreams of being a championship boxer.The poet Ross Sutherland has written a brand new commission for The Verb inspired by the Jackie Chan film 'Rumble in the Bronx'Hollie McNish introduces Theresa Lola, a British Nigerian poet and workshop facilitator. Based in London, Theresa hosts 'The Rhythm And Poetry Party', an evening of hip-hop-inspired poems and hip-hop song.The Shakespearean actor and producer Ben Crystal explains how to bring alive a fight scene from page to stage, showing us how the seeds of physical combat are often sown into the fabric of the play without us necessarily knowing.Producer: Cecile WrightPresenter: Ian McMillan.

How do you write a fight? Ian McMillan and Hollie McNish are joined by Ross Sutherland, Ben Crystal, Willy Vlautin and Theresa Lola to talk about punching with a pen. Willy Vlautin is an American novelist and musician. He is the lead singer for Richmond Fontaine, and his latest novel 'Don't Skip out on Me' (Faber), follows a young man who dreams of being a championship boxer. The poet Ross Sutherland has written a brand new commission for The Verb inspired by the Jackie Chan film 'Rumble in the Bronx' Hollie McNish introduces Theresa Lola, a British Nigerian poet and workshop facilitator. Based in London, Theresa hosts 'The Rhythm And Poetry Party', an evening of hip-hop-inspired poems and hip-hop song. The Shakespearean actor and producer Ben Crystal explains how to bring alive a fight scene from page to stage, showing us how the seeds of physical combat are often sown into the fabric of the play without us necessarily knowing. Producer: Cecile Wright Presenter: Ian McMillan.

Fighting Talk

Examining autism, and the experience of being autistic through comedy, poetry, fiction and footnotes with guests Henry Normal, James McGrath, Kate Fox, and Alicia Kopf.Producer: Faith LawrencePresenter: Ian McMillan.

Examining autism, and the experience of being autistic through comedy, poetry, fiction and footnotes with guests Henry Normal, James McGrath, Kate Fox, and Alicia Kopf. Producer: Faith Lawrence Presenter: Ian McMillan.

Autism: poetry, language and writing

Puns have a long history in human writing.  Most of us recognise them as those little gems of comedy genius that make you laugh, or groan, but they're useful for being more than just funny, they're also fundamental to what makes poetry work and they provide the engine of change in language by allowing ideas to slip from one meaning to another. Artist and composer Hannah Catherine Jones, comedy writer Jack Bernhardt, poet Nasser Hussain and Sam Leith - Literary editor of The Spectator - join Ian Macmillan to reveal the linguistic power of the pun.

Puns and Wordplay

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