The New Japanese Poetry

Poet and Editor Jordan Smith uncovers the unexpected skills of global poets who worked in detention centres and prisons, helping the youth detainees within them process their experience.

American poet Seth Michelson has been working with young children in migrant detention centres, who have been separated from their families and everything they know. Across the ocean, in Japan, poet RYO Michico brought poetry workshops to Nara Juvenile prison which housed youth offenders who have been convicted of crimes. While the young poets they work with are processing trauma of very different circumstances, both Seth and Michiko helped the children find a voice through which to narrate and grasp their own pasts, and to find hope.

Jordan Smith brings Seth and RYO together in conversation to share their experiences, and to hear powerful poetic works that come from unexpected voices.

All the poetry in this programme is written by the young detainees. Seth's work culminated in the poetry anthology Dreaming America. RYO Michico's work has resulted in three poetry books in Japanese - Chose White because the Sky Is Blue, And Kindness Flowed Out, and For a More Beautiful World. An excerpt translation is available in the Tokyo Poetry Journal volume 10.

Produced by Anishka Sharma
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

Spotlighting the poetry of young people in migrant detention centres and juvenile prisons.

Poet Jordan Smith explores how Japanese poets are pushing creative boundaries.

Poet and Editor Jordan Smith uncovers the unexpected skills of global poets who worked in detention centres and prisons, helping the youth detainees within them process their experience.

American poet Seth Michelson has been working with young children in migrant detention centres, who have been separated from their families and everything they know. Across the ocean, in Japan, poet RYO Michico brought poetry workshops to Nara Juvenile prison which housed youth offenders who have been convicted of crimes. While the young poets they work with are processing trauma of very different circumstances, both Seth and Michiko helped the children find a voice through which to narrate and grasp their own pasts, and to find hope.

Jordan Smith brings Seth and RYO together in conversation to share their experiences, and to hear powerful poetic works that come from unexpected voices.

All the poetry in this programme is written by the young detainees. Seth's work culminated in the poetry anthology Dreaming America. RYO Michico's work has resulted in three poetry books in Japanese - Chose White because the Sky Is Blue, And Kindness Flowed Out, and For a More Beautiful World. An excerpt translation is available in the Tokyo Poetry Journal volume 10.

Produced by Anishka Sharma
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

Spotlighting the poetry of young people in migrant detention centres and juvenile prisons.

Poet Jordan Smith explores how Japanese poets are pushing creative boundaries.

Poet and editor Jordan Smith follows the work of Japanese poets who are experimenting with new poetic forms in order to embed poetry into the Tokyo landscape.

Jordan meets Tokyo based poet Nagae Yuki who has taken inspiration from the genre of steric poetry to celebrate a phenomenon that is completely unique to this city. He also follows a theatrical poetry project, known as Heterotopia, which aims to preserve the historic influence that Asian immigrants have had on Tokyo. A group of Japanese poets came together to lay poems at specific landmarks around the city, creating a virtual audio tour for thousands of visitors. And finally, we hear poet Shiraishi Kazuko's sensual homage to the city, entitled `My Tokyo`.

Produced by Anishka Sharma.

With thanks to Darin Dahlinger and Jae Bordley.

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

Following the Japanese poets who are embedding poetry into the city of Tokyo.

Poet Jordan Smith explores how Japanese poets are pushing creative boundaries.

Poet and editor Jordan Smith follows the work of Japanese poets who are experimenting with new poetic forms in order to embed poetry into the Tokyo landscape.

Jordan meets Tokyo based poet Nagae Yuki who has taken inspiration from the genre of steric poetry to celebrate a phenomenon that is completely unique to this city. He also follows a theatrical poetry project, known as Heterotopia, which aims to preserve the historic influence that Asian immigrants have had on Tokyo. A group of Japanese poets came together to lay poems at specific landmarks around the city, creating a virtual audio tour for thousands of visitors. And finally, we hear poet Shiraishi Kazuko's sensual homage to the city, entitled `My Tokyo`.

Produced by Anishka Sharma.

With thanks to Darin Dahlinger and Jae Bordley.

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

Following the Japanese poets who are embedding poetry into the city of Tokyo.

Poet Jordan Smith explores how Japanese poets are pushing creative boundaries.