The Verb

Ian McMillan is joined by a line-up of writers and performers featuring dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson and Robert Vanderplank, an expert in global invective and insults, plus audio cartoonist Peter Blegvad, poet Paul Farley and singer Liz Green.

Ian McMillan is joined by poet Linton Kwesi Johnson and language expert Robert Vanderplank

In this programme, Ian and guests ask if there is such a thing as northern and southern poetry, and discover the neglected work of American writer Bernard Malamud, who for many once stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Saul Bellow and Philip Roth.

Ian McMillan and guests read Bernard Malamud and ask if north and south divides UK poetry.

Ian McMillan is joined by local poets Eleanor Rees and Paul Farley who try to define 'Free Verse' and explore the influence of Roger McGough, Brian Patten and Adrian Henri, whose anthology The Mersey Sound was published 40 years ago.

Plus a new play from acclaimed young dramatist Lizzie Nunnery, and a Free Thinking eartoon from Peter Blegvad.

With Ian McMillan. Poets Eleanor Rees and Paul Farley try to define 'Free Verse'.

Ian also talks to Helen Hackett about The Urania, the first love story written for women by a woman and published by Lady Mary Wroth in 1621.

Novelist Benjamin Markovits discusses fictionalising the life of Byron, and there's a new love song from Steve Adams of The Broken Family Band.

Ian McMillan and guests explore romance in literature.

The programme comes from the 2007 Hay Festival and includes poet and writer Wole Soyinka.

Shetland-based poet Jen Hadfield talks about her new collection and the importance of place in her work, while Tim Liardet reads the poem he has written for the Bath Literature Festival, inspired by his own family history.

Plus a performance from critically-acclaimed young singer-songwriter Laura Marling.

With a look at the use of the Pushkin sonnet, and poet Jan Hadfield on her new collection.

Poets Mark Thomson and Gary Robertson celebrate the Dundee dialect, read their poetry and correct Ian's attempts at the Dundee accent.

The programme rediscovers lost Nobel Laureate, Sardinian writer Grazia Deledda, and there is a performance from poet and spoken word artist George Pringle.

With author Junot Diaz discussing his first novel and a celebration of the Dundee dialect.

Ian also investigates the history and purpose of aphorisms, and there's a new story from novelist Will Ashon, about a man who lives in a hole.

Plus folk singer Julie Fowlis, who sings in Gaelic, performing in the studio.

Ian McMillan talks to poet Kei Miller about his first novel and investigates aphorisms.

With a performance by American singer Alela Diane, whose CD The Pirate's Gospel was a critical success last year, as well as comic verse from Luke Wright.

And Hungarian writer Peter Zilahy reads from his autobiography, partly a report from the streets of the former Yugoslavia in the turbulent 1980s and 90s.

With a look at two new teenage fictional heroes and a performance by singer Alela Diane.

Ian McMillan talks to hip-hop musician and performance poet Saul Williams.

He talks to Emmanuel Jal, a performance poet who explains how words have helped him overcome his traumatic past as a boy soldier in Sudan, forced into warfare at just eight years old.

Meanwhile, writers Nikita Lalwani and Mahfuz Ali have collaborated on a poem about exile by playing a game of poetic consequences. They each wrote their verses separately and only saw the last line of the previous verse. They see and read an extract from the completed poem for the first time.

David Marriott talks about his poetry and the books which have inspired it, plus a new eartoon from Peter Blegvad and the latest in the series on Lost Nobel Literature Laureates, featuring Nelly Sachs.

Ian McMillan talks to poets Emmanuel Jal and David Marriott. Plus Nellie Sachs.

Alan Brownjohn and Peter Wilkinson discuss why Gray's Elegy in a Country Churchyard has been translated into Latin by so many people, including a Lord Chief Justice, a cricketer and the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley.

Plus the programme's language spy Toby Litt reporting back on strange words and phrases he has overheard, novelist Niven Govinden with a short story as well as a look back at the work of writer and actor Ken Campbell.

Ian McMillan looks at the many translations of Gray's Elegy in a Country Churchyard.

Ian McMillan's guests include poet Daljit Nagra and performance artist HKB Finn.

Plus noted indigenous Australian poet and author Anita Heiss in a rare British interview, folk singer and song collector Sam Lee and a commission from Forward Prize-nominated poet Simon Barraclough.

With TV writer Tony Marchant on his play 24 Weeks and aboriginal author Anita Heiss.

Plus The Verb's Language Spy Toby Litt, who has been paying close attention to what is written on peoples' t-shirts, discussing what it tells us about them, and cutting edge music and song from Iranian-Welsh electro sensation Roshi.

From Broadcasting House, Ian McMillan is joined by authors AS Byatt and Alison Macleod.

With Ian McMillan. Featuring author Anthony Horowitz with a new commission.

Born near Sheffield, for many years Padma believed he was destined for a Buddhist order, but finally gave up the idea of a monk's life to write songs. Inspired by the writings of Henry David Thoreau, he currently lives in a yurt in the Pyrenees when not recording or performing, and joins Ian in the studio to perform tracks from his EP Songs for an Entryphone.

Featuring a new story from novelist Xiaolu Guo, written specially for the programme.

Including:

Speech Debelle

Rapper and singer Speech Debelle performs her unique brand of music live in the studio. Her voice is warm, youthful and light but you'd be mistaken to think her lyrics were equally so. She speaks with Ian about the personal inspiration for her songs and her love for rhyme.

Speech Debelle's Website - http://www.speechdebelle.com/

Speech Debelle's Myspace page - http://www.myspace.com/speechdebellemusic

Peter Porter

Ian interviews Peter Porter who arrived in the UK from Australia fifty years ago and considers himself part of the present-day poetical worlds of both nations. In his 80th year Porter has just published his 18th collection of poetry entitled ‘Better Than God'. He delights us with readings from the book.

Alaskan writers

On the 50th anniversary of Alaska becoming the 49th state of America, Ian speaks with Alaskan-based writers, Rich Chiappone, author of ‘Water of an Undetermined Depth' and Ronald Spatz, editor of the Alaska Quarterly Review about the literature of those wild and remote lands. We also hear a reading of Rich Chiappone's comic short story ‘Ladies' Hockey'.

http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/aqr/

Richard Chiappone gives an insight into Alaska's writing scene.

Plus novelist Iain Sinclair, who takes the audience on a tour of literary East London, and a brand new Eartoon from Sony Award-winner Peter Blegvad.

Ian McMillan is joined by guests Nitin Sawhney, Charles Simic and Iain Sinclair.

Verb language spy Alex Horne reflects on the vagaries of onomatopoeia around the word - why do the French say tick-tac to imitate a clock and not tick-tock?

Poetry Lab continues as part of the BBC's Poetry Season, with Paul Farley answering questions from poetry students on how to master the art of description. And novelist and songwriter Linda Robertson sings some sharply funny, sad tales.

June Tabor is one of our most respected folk singers, revered for her bold, clear style and masterful interpretations of songs both traditional and contemporary. She performs 'The Border Widow's Lament' and 'The Baker', and talks about the ancient imagery in ballads of mourning.

Denise Riley's poem 'Part-Song' was written after the death of her son Jacob, as was her essay 'Time Lived, without its Flow' (Capsule Editions). Denise reads from both works and explains how difficult she found it to write anything in the aftermath of Jacob's death, and why she wanted to find a way to communicate her altered experience of time.

Tony Walter is the Director of the 'Centre for Death and Society' at the University of Bath. He explores the legacy and usefulness of psychological terms for aspects of grief, and shares his research into the role of angels - specifically the way people write about them on-line.

Helen Humpreys reads from her memoir 'True Story' (Serpent's Tail) which started as a letter to her brother after he died of cancer - it explores their relationship, and her own grief. Helen explains why she found herself copying out information from an encyclopaedia of apples when she found she couldn't write her own prose - she's also the author of four books of poetry, and five novels.

Produced by Faith Lawrence.

Sheila Heti's latest book 'How Should a Person Be' (Harvill Secker) is a 'novel from life', mixing transcripts of recorded conversations, emails and prose. Sheila explains some of the unusual techniques she employed in writing the novel, and the dangers of using your friends in fiction.

Philip Davenport has edited an anthology of Language Art, The Dark Would (Knives, Forks and Spoons Press). The Dark Would asks questions about living and not living, about the physical and the non-physical. Philip fills us in on the history of Language Art and visual poetry and Ian and Philip share their favourite work including Richard Long's circular hour long walk on Dartmoor and an the mystery of Caroline Bergvall's blanked out pages.

Steven Hall has just been announced as one of Granta's Best Young British Novelists 2013. His debut novel is the innovative Raw Shark Texts (Cannongate), An extract from Steven's Work in Progress novel, 'The End of Endings', has just been published in Granta's Best of Young British Novelists 4. Steven discusses his attraction to complex forms, how his new novel will push the boundaries even further, and most importantly, why part of the book is upside down. Steven also adds to our library of 'Books That Don't Exist', documenting the tortured publishing history of the hotly tipped 'Rice Cup Moon'.

Serafina Steer spins stories from the strings of her harp, and sings songs studded with acerbic wit. Serfina performs 'Night Before Mutiny and 'The Moths are Real' from her latest album 'The Moths Are Real' (Stolen Recordings), and tells us her influences, from Sea Shanties to Borges.

Produced by Jessica Treen.

Ian McMillan is joined by Serafina Steer, Sheila Heti, Steven Hall and Philip Davenport.

Ian McMillan is joined by Damien Kempf, who talks about monsters in medieval manuscripts.

Kate Clanchy is the author of the poetry collections 'Slattern', 'Samarkand' and 'Newborn', as well as a memoir 'Antigona and Me'. Her latest book is a novel, 'Meeting The English'. Kate will be a judge on this year's Proms Poetry Competition.

Producer: Faith Lawrence.

Ian McMillan presents Radio 3's cabaret of the word and is joined by writer Kate Clanchy.

Ian's guests are the writer Toby Litt who will be reading a new commission inspired by the idea of the box - perfect material for the pop-up studio box we are broadcasting from!

The Novelist and filmmaker Xiaolu Guo was one of the Granta's 'Best of Young British Novelists' in 2013. She will be discussing Chinese Science Fiction as well as her latest novel 'I am China

Deborah Levy will be reading from and talking about her Booker Shortlisted novel 'Hot Milk.

There will be music and a plethora of vocal impressions from the performer Jess Robinson.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Faith Lawrence.

Ian's guests are Deborah Levy, Jess Robinson, Xiaolu Guo and Toby Litt.

Ian McMillan discusses the act of looking and the language of art.

Ian McMillan discusses the act of looking and what it means to translate what you see into language.

Ian McMillan gets to the heart of these questions through brand new poetry commissions, exploring the poems and poets we love, and through celebrating language's delights and quirks - all in the company of his guests: the poets Jackie Kay and Helen Mort, the actor Paterson Joseph, and the singer, songwriter and song 'treasurer' Sam Lee.

Helen Mort's latest books are 'The Illustrated Woman' and 'A Line Above the Sky'. She shares a new commission called 'Corners' about the experience of being awake at 4am. Sam Lee joins her for the performance.

Jackie Kay is the former Scottish Makar - her new poetry collection is May Day. Jackie discusses a poem by the Scottish poet Norman MacCaig called 'Toad', and reads her own poem 'Cairn'.

Sam Lee's new album is Songdreaming. Sam is an arranger, folksong interpreter, passionate conservationist, song collector and creator of live events. He performs 'Banna's Lonely Shore', a song that he heard the Irish Traveller Nan Connors perform, and which he has never heard anywhere else.

Paterson Joseph is an award-winning writer and actor, known for his powerful Shakespearian performances as well as his comic roles in television series like 'Green Wing' and 'Peep Show'. Paterson performs Lewis Carroll's 'Jabberwocky'. His novel is called 'The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho'.

Jackie Kay, Sam Lee, Helen Mort and Paterson Joseph join Ian McMillan

Radio 4's cabaret of the word, featuring the best poetry, new writing and performance

Ian McMillan's guest include Jackie Kay, Paterson Joseph, Sam Lee and Helen Mort

Ian McMillan presents the best poetry, new writing and performance

Michael Symmons Roberts' poetry collections include 'Drysalter', 'Mancunia' and 'Ransom'. This week Michael explores Robert Frost's poem 'The Road not Taken' and sheds light on the strange power of the 'neon' line in the poem (a memorable line that takes the poem to another level) 'I took the road less travelled by'.

Kate Fox is a stand up poet, spoken word artist and broadcaster, her latest poetry collection is 'Bigger on the Inside'. Kate has written a new poem for The Verb in which Emily Brontë advises us that most of our thoughts 'are nowt but hill fog' and that problems can be solved by 'a walk or a big dog', or 'a walk with a big dog'.

Malika Booker is the only poet to have won The Forward Prize for best single poem twice - she reads one of those winning poems, 'The Little Miracles' for The Verb. Malika founded the groundbreaking poetry workshop 'Malika's Kitchen' with Roger Robinson. Her books include 'Pepper Seed' and her poetry can be found in the 'Penguin Modern Poets' series.

Len Pennie's collection 'Poyums' is a best-seller, and explores domestic violence and misogyny with energy, wit and inventive rhyme, It's written in a mixture of Scots and English. Len has a huge following on social media, partly down to her celebration of a 'Scots word of the Day'. For The Verb, she reads a poem about telling the story of a relationship in your own words, and considers the influence of Robert Burns.

Malika Booker, Kate Fox, Len Pennie and Michael Symmons Roberts join Ian.

Radio 4's cabaret of the word, featuring the best poetry, new writing and performance

Ian McMillan presents the best poetry, new writing and performance with Len Pennie, Malika Booker, Kate Fox, and Michael Symmons Roberts .

A cabaret of the word, featuring the best poetry, new writing and performance.

The actor, Harry Potter star, Dickens virtuoso and national treasure Miriam Margolyes shares one of her favourite poems, the 19th century poet Robert Browning's 'My Last Duchess'.

Miriam invites listeners to imagine the Duke, who is the speaker in the poem, as being like 'Hannibal Lecter' from 'The Silence of the Lambs' - a good planner, who has killed his wife.

Irish novelist Kevin Barry has written three novels and four collections of short stories - a master of dialogue, and a beloved voice in the New Yorker magazine. He explores the poetry of the language in his most recent novel 'A Heart in Winter'.

Gwenno has won awards and acclaim for her haunting and groundbreaking song-writing and performances. Gwenno's albums Le Kov and Tresor are in Cornish (she has a Welsh mother and a Cornish father). She joins Ian to share her love of the Welsh artist and poet Edrica Huws, who achieved fame late in life as a visual artist. Her poem 'Vingt-et-un' has stayed with Gwenno, and she explains why Edrica is a creative inspiration.

The poet Owen Sheers explores a poem with a stand-out line (what we call on The Verb the 'Neon Line'). This week the poem explored is 'The Lake Isle of Innisfree' by the Irish poet W.B. Yeats. Is it the 'bee-loud glade' that has caught Owen's attention, or something else? Ian finds out. Owen has an acute ear for language, with writing often inspired by his interviews with real people, for books like 'The Green Hollow'.

Miriam Margolyes, Kevin Barry, Owen Sheers & Gwenno join Ian McMillan at the Hay Festival.

Radio 4's cabaret of the word, featuring the best poetry, new writing and performance

Hollie McNish's latest book is 'Lobster and other things I'm learning to love' - she shares a pluviophile poem that shows how much joy there can be in realistic love.

Ira Lightman is an innovative poet and artist and this week, especially for The Verb, he turns the Salford studio into a poetry version of the Tour de France - including a hot potato.

Liz Berry's latest book is 'The Home Child' - she celebrates the poetry of Charlotte Mew, and reads a brand new poem inspired by a frightening but enchanting encounter with a magpie.

Testament is a rapper, beatboxer, poet and playwright. His careful attention to the everyday language of people from different political positions, and to the language of dating apps informed his play 'Love in Gravitational Waves' - he shares some of the poetry that its characters write.

Hollie McNish, Testament, Liz Berry, Ira Lightman join Ian to share poetry full of desire.

Radio 4's cabaret of the word, featuring the best poetry, new writing and performance

Hollie McNish, Testament, Ira Lightman and Liz Berry join Ian McMillan to share poetry full of desire.

Hollie McNish, Testament, Liz Berry and Ira Lightman share poetry full of desire with Ian.

Ian McMillan's guests this week - as they explore the way a poetic image can change the way we see things,

Arji Manuelpillai is a poet and creative facilitator. His poetry collection 'Improvised Explosive Device' (Penned in the Margins) emerged through research and interviews with academics, sociologists, and former members of extremist groups and their families. He also presents a poetry podcast: 'Arji's Pickle Jar'.

Mona Arshi is a poet, and was a human rights lawyer. Her poetry collections are 'Small Hands' and 'Dear Big Gods' (Pavilion), and she recently published her first novel 'Somebody Loves You'. Mona's third poetry collection will be published next year.

John McAuliffe is a poet, and a director of the Centre for New Writing at the University of Manchester. He has published six poetry collections - and his latest - 'National Theatre' (Gallery) will be out shortly. John unravels our 'neon' line this week ( a stand-out line in a classic poem) and explains why it works so well.

Tom Chatfield is a novelist, writer and tech philosopher - and now author of 'Wise Animals: How technology has made us what we are' (Picador). He helps us pit human poets against AI or more precisely - against Large Language Models - to see what human poets can still do best.

Mona Arshi, Tom Chatfield, John McAuliffe and Arji Manuelpillai join Ian McMillan.

Radio 4's cabaret of the word, featuring the best poetry, new writing and performance

Mona Arshi & Arji Manuelpillai are two of Ian McMillan's guests in the Cabaret of the Word

To answer these surreal, and not so surreal questions - Ian McMillan is joined by Alistair McGowan, Caroline Bird, and Toria Garbutt, and presents an 'eartoon' - a cartoon for the ear, from Richard Poynton (otherwise known as Stagedoor Johnny).

Alistair McGowan is an impressionist, actor, writer, pianist, and now - poet. He joins Ian McMillan in a pun-off - the first time such an event has ever been staged on national radio (probably). Alistair's collection of poems is called 'Not what we were expecting' (Flapjack Press).

Toria Garbutt is a spoken word artist, poet and educator from Knottingley. She shares tender, funny poems from 'The Universe and Me' (Wrecking Ball Press) many of which take us into her relationship with her sister when they were young, and reveal how much poetry there is in the objects of childhood.

Caroline Bird's new poetry collection is called 'Ambush at Still Lake' (Carcanet). She reads poems of motherhood which are like 'upside down jokes' and take 'toddler logic' (like the idea that imaginary carrots have completely run out) to surreal and sinister conclusions.

Caroline also presents us with our neon line, a stand-out line from a classic poem, and explores why it works so well. It's this mystery poem which proposes that there are 'filaments of our eyes' in the 'edges of the snow'.

Richard Poynton is a writer and performer (also known as Stagedoor Johnny). He stars in his own invention, a backstory for the origin of the English language, which explains why it has so many words with multiple meanings. In this week's Eartoon Richard introduces us to a 'mean' lasagne. (you won't want to meet it down a dark alley).

A cabaret of the word, with guests Alistair McGowan, Caroline Bird, and Toria Garbutt.

Radio 4's cabaret of the word, featuring the best poetry, new writing and performance

A cabaret of the word, with guests Alistair McGowan, Caroline Bird, and Toria Garbutt and an 'eartoon' from Richard Poynton.

Brian Bilston, internet poetry sensation - and the poet behind 'Days like there' and 'Alexa, what is there to know about love?' shares poems in both human and animal languages from his new book 'Let Sleeping Cats Lie'.

Karen McCarthy Woolf writes us a brand new poem in response to AA Milne's classic book - now reaching its centenary, 'When we were very young', featuring mice, Christopher Robin and Buckingham Palace. Karen's latest book is a verse novel called 'Top Doll' - Karen gives voice to the dolls that were owned by reclusive New York billionaire Huguette Clark.

Daljit Nagra lets us into a classic poem for our Neon Line series - and helps us enjoy and understand how a great line works in a great poem. He also shares poetry from his new book 'Indiom' which evokes English as a chatty and ancient forest.

Stagedoor Johnny is back with another Eartoon that explains the history of various language quirks - this time revelling in words that contain 'ear',

Daljit Nagra, Karen McCarthy Woolf, Brian Bilston and Stagedoor Johnny.

A cabaret of the word, featuring the best poetry and performance.

[LISTEN NOW]

Gardens, balloons, parties and whales feature in this week's cabaret of the word. Ian's guests include Toby Litt, Roger Robinson, Hannah Silva and Caleb Femi.

Novelist, poet and librettist Toby Litt has wrestled Ian, written stories backwards, and been limited to a single verb, in previous Verb commissions. This week he has to write something surreal for us, and then write something even more surreal by the end of the show - whilst blowing up two balloons. Toby is also mine of writing advice and genre-challenging playfulness in his novels, in his book 'A Writer's Diary' and in his substack.

Roger Robinson's 'A Portable Paradise' won the T.S.Eliot Prize and there's no one better placed to unpick a poem and explain its most extraordinary lines for The Verb. He shows us how language really works on this week's show, as he does in his books 'On Poetry' and 'On Creativity'.

Caleb Femi is an award-winning poet and film-maker. He has said he wants to be a merchant of joy, and there's lots of joy in his celebration of the true meaning of parties in his new collection 'The Wickedest'. Caleb shares new poems with Ian.

Hannah Silva is a poet who truly understands how sound can let us into meaning. She performs a brand new commission for The Verb on the balloon - and asks Ian and his guests to play keepy-uppy during the show. Her latest book is 'My Child, the Algorithm' .

[LISTEN NOW]

Ian McMillan brings The Adverb to the stunning surroundings of Redhills, the newly-restored Durham Miners' Hall, for the city's Brass Festival.

Seams of coal infuse the poems of Ian's guests, Helen Mort, Katharine Goda and the poet laureate, Simon Armitage. Simon reads a poem about his grandparents' old coal scuttle, Katherine performs her work 'My Great-Grandpa Hands Down His Miner's Lamp', and Helen brings us extracts from her poem 'Scab'.

Interspersed with the poetry, there's music from Simon's band LYR as they perform their emotive project Firm As A Rock We Stand, a commemoration of the tragic history of County Durham's Category D Villages. Villages that were declared economically unviable in the 1950s and cut off from public funding, leading to decades of hardship and entire communities erased. Combining spoken word, soaring vocals and the haunting brass arrangements of composer and conductor Simon Dobson, performed by LYR and the Easington Colliery Band.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Elizabeth Foster

Production Co-ordinator: Julie Downing

Ian McMillan hosts Simon Armitage, Helen Mort and Katharine Goda, with music from LYR.

Radio 4's cabaret of the word, featuring the best poetry, new writing and performance.

Ian McMillan presents The Adverb from The Durham Brass Festival, with poetry from Simon Armitage, Helen Mort & Katharine Goda. Music from LYR and the Easington Colliery Band.

[LISTEN NOW]

William Leith reads from his forthcoming book 'A Northern Line Minute', which explores the experience of being trapped in a tunnel fire with only a copy of 'American Psycho' and another book about Ted Kennedy for company. It's one of a series of paperbacks commissioned by Penguin called 'Underground Lines'.

Karen Campbell reads a new commission for The Verb - an account of the Glasgow Subway as seen through the eyes of a refugee - to sit alongside her new novel ' This is Where I Am' published by Bloomsbury Circus.

Isy Suttie is well known to television viewers as Dobbie from 'Peep Show', and is shortly to be on our screens in a new series of 'Shameless'. Her comic songs have been a hit at the Edinburgh Fringe and broadcast on Radio 4. She sings about her experience of learning to drive, and explains why it's sometimes a good idea to tear books in half.

Michelle Green was a 'tram- twin' in a literary exchange, where she got to write about trams in Zagreb, and her 'twin' wrote about Manchester's trams. She shares an extract from the story that came out of this swap (commissioned by Comma Press, also shortly to publish her new short stories) .

Ian McMillan and his guests celebrate writing on and about transport.

Rain by Don Paterson and The Striped World by Emma Jones are published by Faber.

Wells Tower

Author of a collection of quintessentially American short stories, Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned and regular contributor to the literary magazine McSweeney's, Wells Tower recalls the time he fell under the influence of sinister skinheads in a startling and comic short-form memoir, written specially for The Verb.

Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned by Wells Tower is published by Granta.

Poetry Review at 100

Editor Fiona Sampson celebrates the centenary of a vital force in British poetry.

A Century of Poetry Review is out now from Carcanet.

Plus:

Free Thought

Amanda Hopkinson, professor of literary translation at the University of East Anglia, bemoans the British reluctance to learn languages.

Ian McMillan talks to 2009 Forward Prize winners Don Paterson and Emma Jones.

Ian's guests are stand-up Josie Long, who won the Best Newcomer award at the Fringe in 2006 and has been a staple of the festival ever since. Josie's new show is called 'Cara Josephine', more personal than her previous shows, she examines her life as she turns 30, and proclaims her love for Radio 3.

The theatre artist Olwen Fou退r退 has created the one-woman show 'riverrun', in which she tackles that great 'unread' book, Finnegans Wake, and becomes the voice of the river.

The playwright and poet Liz Lochhead is Scotland's Makar. Alongside Steve Kettley on Tenor Sax, she performs from her Edinburgh show 'Somethings Old, Somethings New'.

In their live performances, Frisky and Mannish have taken us through school, college and to the Job Centre using pop music. Now, in 'Just Too Much', they examine the pop-culture meltdown.

Ian McMillan is joined at the 2014 Edinburgh Festival by guests including Josie Long.

Ian McMillan is joined by a line-up of writers and performers featuring dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson and Robert Vanderplank, an expert in global invective and insults, plus audio cartoonist Peter Blegvad, poet Paul Farley and singer Liz Green.

Ian McMillan is joined by poet Linton Kwesi Johnson and language expert Robert Vanderplank

Presented by Ian McMillan

Producer Cecile Wright

The Verb celebrates 40 years of spoken word poetry with Apples and Snakes.

A special recording of The AdVerb at The Hackney Empire. Ian McMillan introduces six unique collaborations - new commissions between poets composers and musicians in collaboration with BBC Contains Strong Language and the BBC Symphony Orchestra

Poets from the East End of London team up with composers to make new pieces that tell stories of this part of the capital city in all its astonishing diversity .

1. Hannah Silva performs 'The Empire Memorial Sailor's Hostel ' with music by Evan Jolly.

2. Keith Jarrett with his new poem 'E Note' set to music by Iain Farrington

3. Christian Foley's Learning to Swim, performed by the poet with music by Calum Au

4. Poet Kat Francois and composer Lee Reynolds present Roots

5. Livia Kojo Alour and composer Charlie Bates present a new arrangement of Livia's piece Soul Death

6. Poet Yome Sode and composer James B Wilson present their collaboration Roots.

Presented by Ian McMillan with the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Lee Reynolds

Produced by Susan Roberts

Ian McMillan presents new work from six poets with music from the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

New poetry from Kat Francois, Livia Kojo Alour, Yomi Sode, Keith Jarrett, Christian Foley and Hannah Silva performed with the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the Hackney Empire.

1. Keith Jarrett with his new poem 'E Note' set to music by Iain Farrington

2. Hannah Silva performs 'The Empire Memorial Sailor's Hostel ' with music by Evan Jolly.

4. Livia Kojo Alour and composer Charlie Bates present a new arrangement of Livia's piece Soul Death

5. Yome Sode and composer James B Wilson present their collaboration Roots.

6. Kat Francois and composer Lee Reynolds present Roots

[LISTEN NOW]

The Gerry Diver Speech Project is part song, music and an unusual oral history told in very personal interviews with Irish folk greats including Christy Moore, Joe Cooley and Shane McGowan. Gerry joins Ian to share some of the astonishing song-stories he's created.

Nancy Campbell tells Ian about her concrete poetry based around words in endangered Greenlandic Inuit, a language with an alphabet of only 18 letters of which only 12 can begin a word. A single word in Greenlandic can express multiple different meanings and the suggestion of whole stories, like the word kingunikortorpoq 'He drinks a second brew from old coffee grounds or tea leaves'.

And The Verb is excited to present an extract from Will Eaves' forthcoming novel This Is Paradise. Telling the story of the Allden family over several decades, from the awkward youth of son Clive to the illness of matriarch Emily, The Verb has periodically featured extracts of This Is Paradise as a work in progress, and now follows it to publication.

Producer: Allegra McIlroy.

With Adonis's poetry, the Gerry Diver Speech Project, Greenlandic poetry and Will Eaves.

We're delving into the world of the adversary. He'll be talking to Man Booker Prize-winning author Marlon James about Moon Witch, Spider King the second book in his Dark Star Trilogy, asking why the sequel explores the psychology of a witch - a character more generally associated with evil deeds than inner motivations.

Hannah Lowe, fresh from a Costa Book of the Year win for her collection The Kids, will be exploring the adversarial side of the classroom, and unveils a special commission for The Verb. Unbuckled takes us into the world of an adversarial romantic relationship - with sad echoes of the Cinderella story.

And when it comes to the villain of the piece - how can you top Satan himself? The name means 'adversary' in Hebrew. So we're about get Satanic with Joe Moshenska. He's published a new book, Making Darkness Light, The Lives and Times of John Milton. He'll be explaining how the poet's compelling, smooth-talking creation became the template for a new type of antihero. Look no further than Paradise Lost for your embryonic Tony Sopranos and Walter Whites.

And you can't talk adversaries in literature without touching on crime. Jane Casey's new novel is called The Killing Kind. When her life is threatened defence barrister Ingrid turns to a sinister stalker she helped to exonerate for help. Where does a classic Faustian deal with the devil come in the world of adversarial writing - and how much should we root for the bad guy?

Presented by Ian McMillan

Produced by Kevin Core

Marlon James and Hannah Lowe join Ian McMillan for a discussion of adversaries.

We'll have live performances from Mike Garry bringing a flavour of Manchester to the North East and we'll also be joined by local lad Rowan McCabe - who described his 'door-to-door' poetry service as 'like the Avon lady but with rhymes.' And we'll have a performance from the ever eclectic Kate Fox as well as John Challis and Tahmina Ali.

If you like your poetry live and loud The Verb at the After Dark Festival has got you covered.

Presented by Ian McMillan

Produced by Kevin Core

The After Dark Festival at Sage Gateshead.

Poet, broadcaster and Bard of Barnsley Ian McMillan,  ??the Shirley Bassey of performance poetry ??, will be joined on stage by celebrated novelist AL Kennedy, who ??ll be giving a special sneak preview of her latest novel, and by Christopher Ricks, the man who WH Auden called  ??the kind of critic every poet dreams of finding. ?? There ??ll be poetry and comedy from Tim Key, best known for his appearances on Charlie Brooker ??s Newswipe and BBC 4 ??s We Need Answers and music from sensational singer songwriter Ana Silvera, fresh from wowing audiences at the Hay festival.

Live from the BBC Radio Theatre, Broadcasting House, Portland Place, London on Friday 9th July. Doors open at 8.45pm.

To apply for tickets, To apply for tickets, visit the BBC Tickets Website or call the BBC Ticket Line on 0370 901 1227.

We look forward to seeing you in our audience very soon.

Ian McMillan presents a special edition, including new writing from AL Kennedy.

Luke Kennard is a poet and writer of fiction. He reads from his first novella 'Holophin' (Penned in the Margins). It's set in 2031, when a tiny, dolphin-shaped microprocessor can cure your worst impulses and phobias, and comfort you in your grief or boredom. It also makes everything look much, much prettier.

Geraldine Monk was first published in the 1970s and has since has written six major collections of poetry and numerous chapbooks. Her work has been described as 'resonating with lyric moments of visionary power'. 'The Salt Companion to Geraldine Monk' was published in 2007, and her selected poems are also published by Salt. Geraldine has just edited a collection of essays called 'Cusp: Recollections of Poetry in Transition' (Shearsman).

Alex Horne is a comedian and bandleader of The Horne Section. He presents his take on Napoleon - asking what part the great leader played in catapaulting ABBA to Eurovision glory, and whether they accurately reflected his achievements in their lyrics.

Jeffrey Wainwright is a poet, critic and translator, whose latest collection 'The Reasoner' (Carcanet) is a series of ninety-five poems, in a voice that is by turns ardent, despairing and comic.

Presented by Ian McMillan. Bernard O'Donoghue, Stella Duffy, Alex Horne, Ginger and Black.

Pass the Frank...

The Verb's Language Spy Alex Horne investigates the words we use for the TV remote control, from the Frank Zappa to the Dooffer to the Rees-Mogg.

Saudade

As a new collection of poetic responses to the Portuguese song form Fado is published, poets Carol Rumens and Fiona Sampson read their translations of classic lyrics, and reflect on the true meaning of the term Saudade - a kind of yearning that only Fado can express.

Saudade: An Anthology of Fado Poetry is out now from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.

Lionel Shriver

The Orange Prize winning novelist, author of the bestselling We Need To Talk About Kevin and now So Much For That, reads an extract from a new work in progress: Vermin. A couple's pleasure in their new home turns sour when they try to evict a nest of racoons living close by.

Presented by Ian McMillan. With Alex Horne, poetic responses to fado and Lionel Shriver.

Ian McMillan's guests include Alex Preston, Sally Potter, Sofie Hagen and Chrissy Williams

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.

Getting creative with code with Eugenia Cheng and Helen Arney.

More seriously, the novelist and short story writer Rob Doyle will be celebrating his favourite long-forgotten authors.

Producer: Cecile Wright.

Ian McMillan presents Radio 3's cabaret of the word, celebrating the absurd.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Jessica Treen

The language and literature of loneliness with Kate Carr and DJ Taylor.

Ian McMillan is joined by the Booker Prize-winning novelist Alan Hollinghurst, music journalist and broadcaster Jude Rogers and the poets Chris Wallace-Crabbe and MacGillivray.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Faith Lawrence

With Alan Hollinghurst, Chris Wallace-Crabbe, Jude Rogers and MacGillivray

Radio 3's cabaret of the word with Amanda Dalton, Jennie Erdal and Emeli Sande.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Faith Lawrence

With Tracy K Smith, Terrance Hayes and Sarah Churchwell.

Ian McMillan is joined Lucy Mercer, Glyn Maxwell, Nick Chater and Tice Cin.

And former Blur guitarist and songwriter Graham Coxon presents songs from album The Spinning Top.

Ian McMillan's guests are Poet Laureate Andrew Motion and ex-Blur guitarist Graham Coxon.

Poet Daljit Nagra shares a very first look at his new work in progress, a verse retelling of the Hindu epic The Ramayana which recounts Rama's battles with the demon Ravanna and his romance with Sita. Daljit's new version of the story is written in a bolshy, modern, non-standard English with a streak of the lyrical that pulls the ancient tale into the twenty first century.

Dramatist and playwright in residence at the Royal Shakespeare Company Mark Ravenhill and political cartoonist Martin Rowson join Ian to celebrate satire and push against the tyranny of good taste as they share their versions of literary classics in Limerick form.

And Booker shortlisted novelist Mick Jackson, author of The Underground Man and The Widow's Tale, has written a new short story for The Verb inspired by his residence at the Science Museum.

Producer: Allegra McIlroy.

Ian McMillan presents Radio 3's cabaret of the word, with new writing and poetry.

Ian McMillan focuses on anthologies, and is joined by Neil Astley and Michael Schmidt.

Poet Laureate, Simon Armitage has been working with the musicians Richard Walters and Patrick Pearson to set his spoken word to music under the name Land Yacht Regatta (LYR). For the Verb they play two songs from their 2020 album ‘Call in the Crash Team', which join Armitage's lyrics with intense and atmospheric musical arrangements from Walters and Pearson.

Theresa Lola is a British Nigerian writer and poet. In 2019 she was appointed the 2019/2020 Young People's Laureate for London, and her debut poetry collection 'In Search of Equilibrium' is published by Nine Arches.

Romalyn Ante is a Filipino-born, Wolverhampton-based author. She is co-founding editor of harana poetry. Her debut collection is Antiemetic for Homesickness (Chatto & Windus). Andrea Mbarushima is Coventry born and bred. She is the author of two chapbooks and is a current cohort of the Room 204 mentoring programme with Writing West Midlands. Romalyn and Andrea is part of the CSL ‘Twin Cities' project, inviting poets to exchange postcards with writers from Coventry's 26 twinned cities.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Jessica Treen

With Simon Armitage & LYR, Theresa Lola, Romalyn Ante and Andrea Mbarushimana

The legendary punk poet reflects on his thirty-year career, and performs two new poems.

Sophie Hannah

The novelist and poet reads a brand new short story, written specially for the programme.

Ross Sutherland

Performance poetry from a young writer recently named by The Times as one of the top literary talents of 2009.

plus spoken word and music from Benin City.

Ian McMillan presents a special edition, with guests including poet Ross Sutherland.

Presented by Ian McMillan. With author Audrey Niffenegger and folk artist Sharron Kraus.

There's music and avant garde poetry from sound artist Gilli Bloodaxe. In his work as an artist, Bloodaxe takes on the persona of a Viking, and his work is attempting to make sense of the madness he's found in the twenty first century. Gilli performs a tale of a mythical creature roaming the Sussex Downs and is accompanied by Geoff Hearn on sax and Monty Oxymoron on keyboards.

And there's more from The Verb's new voices, a scheme run between Radio 3 and the Arts Council, supporting emergent talent on the spoken word poetry scene. This week we feature Bohdan Piasecki, a Polish-born performance poet, now working in the West Midlands and Fatima Al Matar, Kuwaiti-born poet who spends her days as a corporate law specialist; and from Norwich John Osborne, creator of Edinburgh Festival show John Peel's Shed.

Producers : Dymphna Flynn and Erin Riley.

Ian McMillan introduces Joe Dunthorne, sound artist Gilli Bloodaxe and Verb New Voices.

Ian's guests include the academic Rebecca Roache, who is writing a book about the mechanics of swearing. Why do certain words become 'bad'? Does sound have anything to do with it? And what is considered rude across the globe?

Peter Mackay teaches at the University of St Andrews, where he is working on an anthology of transgressive Scottish Gaelic poetry.

We also have a special commission from the performance poet and stand up comedian Kate Fox.

Producer: Cecile Wright.

Ian McMillan and guests examine rude and transgressive language.

Barbara Kingsolver was born in 1955 and grew up in rural Kentucky. Before becoming a published author, Barbara worked as a biologist. She has lived and worked in Europe, Africa and South America, all experiences that feed into her novels, which are set across the globe and amongst other big questions examine our impact on the planet. She published her first novel ‘The Bean Trees' in 1988, and came to major prominence in 1998 with the publication of her best-selling novel ‘The Poisonwood Bible'. Her new novel Unsheltered examines what it means to live through times when all our traditional forms of shelter appear to be failing us. Set in a collapsing house in Vineland New Jersey, the book moves between the stories of Willa Knox, struggling to keep her family together emotionally and financially against the background of the 2016 Presidential election, and Thatcher Greenwood, a biology teacher in 1871 whose Darwinian principals put him in opposition with the rest of the community.

In this 45-minute conversation Ian and Barbara discuss her best-selling novels, how she discovered her narrative voice, the craft of writing books that both inform and entertain, as well as her love for poetry and the gifts of her scientific education.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Jessica Treen

Ian McMillan is joined by novelist Barbara Kingsolver.

Goodbye Leopold are Madi Shrimpton, Olivia Bradbury and Rosemary Hudson - they compose and perform ethereal songs, using abstract sounds and they also experiment with singing backwards. Here they share a new work, a backwards version of George Herbert's 'Heaven'.

Michael Symmons Roberts reads from his latest collection 'Drysalter' (Cape) - which contains 150 poems, all 15 lines long. Michael talks about his fascination with car imagery, his interest in writing about the body as a way of exploring metaphysics, and whether poems allow us to step out of the body and time. 'Drysalter' has already been nominated for the T.S.Eliot Prize - the third such nomination Michael's work has received.

For the Baroque Verb AL Kennedy asks what the b-word means for contemporary writers, and finds herself appalled by pounds of gold leaf and images of chubby flying toddlers. She talks about the importance of not appearing too self-regarding in writing, which is also discussed in her new book 'On Writing' (Cape). AL's novel 'Day' won the Costa Book of the Year Award, she's published numerous collections of short stories and non-fiction, and she's known for her stand-up comedy shows.

Joel Stickley has invented a nation called 'Grob' who, for the purpose of the Baroque Verb, discover the pleasures of Baroque writing much later than any other country, and embrace it with gusto. Even recipes start to be written in Ottava Rima. Joel is the Poet Laureate for Lincolnshire and the author of the hit blog 'How To Write Badly Well', which is now a book. 'A Hundred Ways to Write Badly Well' (Nasty Little Press).

Ian McMillan explores the idea of 'Baroque writing', with guests including AL Kennedy.

The Verb presents brand new poetry especially commissioned for the centenary, and explores the corporation's relationship with poetry - including highlights from the archive. With poets Paul Farley and Hannah Silva and the Director of The Poetry Society Judith Palmer.

Celebrating 100 years of poetry on the BBC with Ian McMillan's cabaret of the word.

Ian's guests include the short story writer Helen Simpson with her new collection 'Cockfosters' (Jonathan Cape), The Bookshop Band have written a song for us, there's drama from Ian Townsend and performance poetry from Amina Jama.

Belmont House is an 18th century maritime villa that has recently been restored to its original appearance by the Landmark Trust. The villa was owned by the businesswoman Mrs Eleanor Coade, and more recently by the writer John Fowles, who set his famous novel 'The French Lieutenant's woman in Lyme Regis.

Ian's guests include the up and coming folk trio Wildwood Kin, who have been attracting attention for their close-harmony vocals. Sisters Beth and Emillie Key and their cousin Meghann Loney are working on their debut album and perform songs inspired by writers such as CS Lewis and Tolkien.

Professor of Contemporary Literature and Thought at Royal Holloway Robert Eaglestone examines the changing fortunes of John Fowles literary reputation.

Jane Feaver is a prose writer whose novels try to find the human in the landscape. She says finding the authentic voice of a place can be harder for the outsider, but it also allows a writer to observe things that people who have lived there all their lives might not see.

The poet Annie Freud's latest collection is 'The Remains' (Picador), a book inspired by the china she found whilst digging her Dorset garden.

Producer: Cecile Wright.

Ian McMillan presents Radio 3's cabaret of the word from Belmont House in Lyme Regis.

Ian McMillan introduces a new work by Ben Okri. Plus Mark Crick on literary pastiche.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Cecile Wright

First broadcast 14 Oct 2022

Ian McMillan presents an extended interview with poet and writer Benjamin Zephaniah.

Following the death of Benjamin Zephaniah, Ian McMillan presents another chance to hear an extended interview with the poet and writer.

The Verb this week is a special extended conversation with the poet, performer, playwright and activist Benjamin Zephaniah. Benjamin's been publishing and performing his work for adults and children since the early 1980s, and recently committed his life, so far, to print in his autobiography The Life and Rhymes of Benjamin Zephaniah. The programme was recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's Contains Strong Language Festival in Benjamin's home city of Birmingham.

Ian McMillan's is joined on The Verb by poet and writer Benjamin Zephaniah.

Ian McMillan spends time with Patrick McGuinness, Kate Fox, Basia Howard and Nick Makoha.

Poet and author Elaine Feinstein discusses her new collection of poetry, 'Cities', a history of her life through the cities she has visited and the poets she has met, including such luminaries as Janos Pilinszky and Miroslav Holub.

A brand new verse drama - The Signature at Ludlow - written specially for the Verb by Australian writer and environmental activist John Kinsella. The drama explores a murder and a massacre of indigenous Australian people known about by John's own early pioneer forebears, whilst exploring issues of landscape and language.

Andin the latest of the 'Verb Poetic Problems', Sean O'Brien and Simon Barraclough explore their relationship to the audience. Is the audience a source of inspiration or consternation?

Presented by Ian McMillan. With poets John Kinsella, Billy Collins and Elaine Feinstein.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Cecile Wright

With Sam Lee, Jen Hadfield and Richard Smyth.

Dzifa Benson's explores the phenomenon of the Ghanaian drinking name which is part of her Ewe heritage, and we ask our poets to come up with their own.

Alvin Pang gives us his insight into a location which was formative in the development of poetry in Singapore in the poem Boat Quay, and Fred D'Aguiar offers us two readings as well as insights into his memoir, Year of Plagues.

Amani Saeed and Megha Harish discuss the challenges and intricacies of collaboration, and Nick Makoha considers the march of history with one of the poems that came from his collaboration - Primer.

Across Borders and Language Is a Queer Thing were developed in partnership with the Verve Poetry Festival, the British Council and the Queer Muslim Project.

Ian McMillan's cabaret of the word, recorded at Birmingham Contains Strong Language.

Ian McMillan's guests are Boo Hewerdine, Fiona Benson, Alison Binney, and Yvonne Lyon - with poetry and song celebrating the things that fall out of books, the language of trains, fathers and memory, and witches. He also presents a new Eartoon (our cartoon for the ear ) written by Stagedoor Johnny (aka Richard Poynton).

Ian McMillan welcomes guests Boo Hewerdine, Fiona Benson, Alison Binney, Yvonne Lyon , on things that fall out of books, fathers and memory, witches - as well as a new Eartoon.

Ian McMillan welcomes poetry about fathers, songs celebrating the things that fall out of books, and a poetic investigation into the women who were labelled witches, with guests Alison Binney, Boo Hewerdine, Yvonne Lyon, and Fiona Benson. Ian also presents a new Eartoon (our cartoon for the ear ) which celebrates the quirks of phrasal Verbs written by Stagedoor Johnny (aka Richard Poynton).

Alison Binney explores what it means to have a parent with dementia in a new collection called 'The Opposite of Swedish Death Cleaning' (Seren). Alison is an English teacher and PGCE course tutor - her debut pamphlet is 'Other Women's Kitchens'.

Boo Hewerdine and Yvonne Lyons' new album is called 'Things that Fall out of Books' - they're performing their new songs in multiple venues across the UK in July and August - https://www.yvonnelyonmusic.com/events/

Middenwitch' is Fiona Benson's new poetry collection and is a Poetry Book Society Summer Choice. Her poems illuminate the lives of the women who were the victims of superstitions about witches, and examines the societies who deal with fear of illness and other misfortunes by blaming outsiders.

Our Eartoon (a cartoon for the ear) this week delights in the seemingly arbitrary and confusing nature of phrasal Verbs. This is the latest episode in our series by Stagedoor Johnny 'Richard Poynton' in which he offers an origin myth for the English Language.

Ian McMillan and guests Boo Hewerdine, Fiona Benson, Alison Binney and Yvonne Lyon on things that fall out of books, fathers and memory, witches - as well as a new Eartoon.

[LISTEN NOW]

Emma Smith is Professor of Shakespeare Studies at Hertford College, Oxford, and her new book is called 'Portable Magic - A History of Books and their Readers'. Emma explains why books are like bodies, and explores the power of the inscription.

Gerry Cambridge is a poet and essayist, editor of The Dark Horse transatlantic journal - and a lover of fountain pens. Naush Sabah is a poet, with a collection called 'Litanies' now out with Guillemot Press, and runs Poetry Birmingham Literary Journal; Naush also loves fountain pens. For The Verb they agreed to create a poem together - exploring the particular resonance, and experience of writing in ink.

At the end of the programme you can hear a brand new poetry commission from Imtiaz Dharker, one of our most celebrated poets, and an acclaimed artist and film-maker; part of our series marking the BBC's hundred year relationship with poets and poetry.

Toby Litt

The novelist Toby Litt has become fascinated by the novels of Clarice Lispector, and responds with his own fiction in this, her centenary year. Lispector was born in Ukraine but spent much of her childhood in Recife, also living as an adult in Europe and the USA, as well as Rio de Janeiro. Toby is intrigued by her ability to 'dilate time', something he was also praised for achieving in his most recent novel 'Patience' (Galley Beggar ).

https://tobylitt.wordpress.com/

Victor Esses

Victor Esses is a Brazilian theatre and performance maker and a live artist based in London. He is interested in participation, autobiographical material, storytelling and multimedia as ways to investigate belonging. He performs part of his show 'Where to Belong' and discusses the way he involves the audience in his show.

https://www.victoresses.com

Ang退lica Freitas

Ang退lica Freitas grew up in Pelotas in Brazil and her poetry collections include 'Rilke Shake' and 'Um útero 退 do tamanho de um punho' ('The Uterus Is the Size of a Fist'). The Verb finds out why she feels there is a symmetry for her between the two words 'Brazil and 'Woman' . Ian McMillan's shares with her a Yorkshire Dialect version of her poem ('I sleep with myself' ) which he's written specially for this show.

Natan Barreto

Natan Barreto was born in Salvador, Brazil, and is now based in London. He explains why Clarice Lispector is such an important writer not just nationally for Brazilians, but also internationally; he also explores her sensibility and the importance of language and Brazilian landscape to his writing. Natan is the author of six collections of poetry in Portuguese, including 'A Backyard and Other Corners'. He is about to publish his first novel.

http://www.natanbarreto.com/

A Brazilian bilingual book club can be accessed via this website:

http://londres.itamaraty.gov.br/en-us/book_club.xml

Ian McMillan's guests celebrate and explore the writers of Brazil.

Poet and theatre-maker Luke Wright's new poetry collection 'The Toll' is published by Penned in the Margins, and he is also touring a show based on the book. Luke's first play 'What I Learned from Johnny Bevan' won The Saboteur award for 'Best Spoken Word Show', and his new play 'Frankie Vah' will have its premiere at the Norfolk & Norwich Festival (26-27 May).

Mervyn Morris is the Professor Emeritus of Creative Writing and West Indian Literature at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica. His collected poems, 'Peelin Orange', is published by Carcanet.

Rosemary Shirley is a lecturer in art history at the School of Art, Manchester Metropolitan University and her work focuses on contemporary rural contexts. Rosemary has curated the exhibition 'Creating the Countryside' which is at Compton Verney Gallery until June 18th.

Wendell Berry is a poet, novelist and farmer who has been awarded The National Humanities Medal and the Richard C Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award. 'The World-Ending Fire: The Essential Wendell Berry' is published by Penguin.

Producer: Faith Lawrence.

Ian McMillan examines rural imagery in Reformation literature and contemporary poetry.

Ian McMillan and his guests take in the literary air.

Clare Duffy is a founding member of Unlimited Theatre. Clare presents an extract from her new interactive play 'Money the game show', in which Lucy Ellinson plays ex Hedge-fund manager Queenie, who invites Ian to toss a coin. 'Money the Game Show' is on at the Bush Theatre in London until the 9th March.

Nigel Warburton is a philosopher whose books include 'A Little History of Philosophy' (Yale University Press) and 'Philosophy: the Basics' (Routledge). He also presents the Philosophy Bites podcast. Nigel has braved the world of business self-help books for us, and is here to share their many secrets, and their strange obsession with lists.

Nicola Mongahan is a novelist who worked as a financial analyst in the City before turning to writing. She gives us a crash course in derivatives and meeting room bingo, and reads from her work-in-progress 'Troll', steeped in the language of the internet.

Susan Briante is a poet and is an Associate Professor of Creative Writing and Literature at the University of Texas at Dallas. Susan reads her poems about the financial markets and the economic downturn

Finally, Magdalena Bielenia-Grajewska is an academic specialising in Linguistics and Economics. She discusses the role of metaphors in business language, and tells us what bears, lobster traps and white knights have to do with investment banking.

Ian McMillan explores the language and literature of banking and business.

Candace Bushnell is the best-selling author who wrote the 'Sex and The City' column which became a worldwide phenomenon following the TV adaptation starring Sarah Jessica Parker. Bushnell's latest novel is 'Killing Monica' (Little Brown)

Performer and writer Christopher Green with a new commission on Anne Sexton.

Will Abberley has celebrated the ellipsis and the exclamation mark on the Verb. He'll be talking about his latest book 'English Fiction and the Evolution of Language' (Cambridge University Press), which explores the interaction of science and fiction.

Producer: Faith Lawrence.

Ian McMillan presents, with guests Candace Bushnell, Will Abberley and Chris Green.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Cecile Wright

Ian McMillan and guests explore the world of language and literature

Ian McMillan's guests this week include Cliodna McNulty, Nicola Davies, Emily Sutton, Adam Corner and poet Lucy Burnett who will be talking about the big consequences of getting small words right when writing and communicating on these two issues.

Producer: Faith Lawrence.

Ian McMillan's guests include Lucy Burnett, Cliodna McNulty, Adam Corner, Nicola Davies.

English Chanteur Philip Jeays performs a new song in the style of Georges Brassens and poet Richard Price is our guide to the life and work of Scottish poet Iain Crichton Smith, whose collected poems have just been published. Born in 1928, he wrote in both Gaelic and English and during his long career Crichton Smith produced twenty-seven volumes of poetry, fourteen novels, twelve short story collections as well as plays.

Producers: Erin Riley and Dymphna Flynn.

Ian McMillan introduces new writing from Catherine O'Flynn and Steve Spence.

Part of Radio 3's Light in the Darkness season, illuminating winter.

Baroness Floella Benjamin is a national icon - she delighted generations of children in her role as presenter of 'Playschool' and other programmes. She is also an actress and a singer, has performed with orchestras across the country, and has long been a champion for children and for diversity. The story of her own journey from Trinidad to England, which she made as a child, inspired her book ‘Coming to England' - and it has now been turned into a children's picture book with illustrations by Diane Ewen. Baroness Benjamin shares her love of the Caribbean sun she was brought up with, her joy in snow-light, and in the visits her family would make to see the Christmas lights in London.

Scanner ( AKA Robin Rimbaud ) is a composer and sound artist whose work has always broken new ground since the release of his first albums in the 1990s, which often show a fascination with spaces and with technology. He has collaborated with leading musical lights e.g. Michael Nyman and Laurie Anderson - and has worked on installations, has scored ballets, films and has been commissioned to create sound art for the Tate Modern. He is often to be found in photos illuminated by the glow of his laptop screens ( see here): http://scannerdot.com/robin-rimbaud-scanner-biography/ For The Verb Scanner celebrates the blue light emanating from computers, which has been so important to so many social lives this year - and has made us two versions of Edwin Morgan's ‘The Computer's First Christmas Card' - one of which can be heard in the broadcast programme, the other on the podcast.

John Cooper Clarke is a poetry legend and has been an important part of the performance scene since the 1970s. His album ‘Snap Crackle and Bop' was a massive hit with tracks like ‘Beasley St' and ‘Evidently Chickentown'. But his latest work is his autobiography ‘I Wanna Be Yours' - and is the perfect book for The Verb's programme on light - detailing, with John's characteristic humour and sharp eye for detail, the bright lights of Salford when he was growing up, the light of the cinema screens that were so important to him - and the memorable lit cocktail cabinet that features in a chapter called ‘Maldano's Late Night Final' a drink billed as offering a ‘glow in every glass'.

http://johncooperclarke.com/

Caroline Bergvall is an award-winning poet, writer, sound artist and performer. She is half-French, Half-Norwegian and explains to The Verb how northern light and long twilights have inspired and informed her work. She has been organising special collaborative streamed writing events at night during this year called ‘Night & Refuge'. For the Xmas Verb she delights in the language and poetry of light that was so important to Edwin Morgan's oeuvre - and performs a poem inspired by his poetry that was commissioned for his centenary year.

https://carolinebergvall.com/

https://edwinmorgantrust.com/2020/06/29/the-concrete-world-of-edwin-morgan/

Susie Dent offers The Verb a glittering array of light sensitive words and sayings. She explains the etymology of 'silver screen', 'apricity', and tells us why Dr Johnson, the father of the dictionary, thought that to pursue perfection as a lexicographer was to 'chase the sun'. Susie is one of our best-loved lexicographers showing her passion for language and dictionaries as an expert member of team on the game-show 'Countdown' and she has just published 'Word Perfect: etymological entertainment for every day of the year'.

The Christmas Verb, with Floella Benjamin, John Cooper Clarke and Susie Dent.

Ian McMillan celebrates nonsense writing with Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler

Ian McMillan ho-ho-hosts a special Christmas edition of The Verb from Hebden Bridge.

Ian McMillan ho-ho-hosts a special Christmas edition of The Verb from the Trades Club in Hebden Bridge, with stories, verse and songs of comfort and joy.

Ian McMillan ho-ho-hosts a special Christmas edition of The Verb from the Trades Club in Hebden Bridge, recorded in front of a live audience. With stories and verse and song to bring comfort and joy, from poet Jackie Kay, singer-songwriter Amelia Coburn, international storyteller Danyah Miller and doorstep poet Rowan McCabe is knocking on stranger's doors and offering to write them a poem especially for The Verb. So pull up a chair and make yourself comfortable. Are you ready? Then we'll begin...

Ian McMillan is joined by Christopher Ricks for a celebration of his critical prose.

At a time when political conversation in the USA has been criticised for having too much heat and not enough light, Claudia Rankine explores how a poet's ability to navigate silences, stutters, and the endings of poems, can bring truth-telling and resilience to difficult encounters - especially to conversations about whiteness, inequality and friendship.

She also shares with Ian the early influences on her writer's ear: the work of the poet Emily Dickinson, the novels of Louisa May Alcott, and the poetry of Adrienne Rich.

Claudia Rankine won many awards for her last book 'Citizen- An American Lyric', including two National Book Critics Awards and the Forward Prize. One of Citizen's reviewers, the critic Kate Kellaway, said it was 'a bold work that occupies its own space powerfully, an unsettled hybrid - she eavesdrops on America and a racism that has never gone away.`

Ian McMillan is joined by the American poet Claudia Rankine to explore her writing.

Also in the programme, brand new writing from novelist Will Eaves and performance from Zena Edwards.

Producer: Laura Thomas (rpt).

Ian McMillan's guests includes Clive James and French writer Jacques Darras.

Nicci French's latest book is 'The House of Correction'. 'Harry and Chris' are performing with a socially distanced audience in May and June.

https://www.harryandchris.com/

Ian McMillan is joined by collaborators Nicci Gerard and Sean French, and Harry and Chris.

Colm Tóibín is the author of eleven novels including Brooklyn, which won the 2009 Costa novel award, and The Magician, winner of the Rathbones Folio Prize; as well as two short story collections. Three times shortlisted for the Booker Prize Tóibín was made the Laureate for Irish Fiction for 2022–2024. In 2022, he published his first collection of poems, Vinegar Hill.

Producer: Cecile Wright

Ian McMillan talks to Irish novelist Colm T\u00f3ib\u00edn in a special extended interview.

Ian McMillan presents a special extended interview with Irish novelist Colm Tóibín.

Plus controversial New Zealand poet, novelist and critic CK Stead, talking about his collected poems as well as reflecting on returning to writing after a stroke left him unable to read.

Ian McMillan's guests include award-winning novelist Colm Toibin and poet CK Stead.

This week Irish novelist Colm Toibin celebrates the life and work of Mary Lavin in her centenary year. She was born in Massachusetts and came to live with her family in the Midlands of Ireland at the age of ten. Colm knew Mary Lavin in the last fifteen years of her life and describes how she portrayed the lives of ordinary Irish women; this reflected her own life as she was widowed with three young children and supported them through her writing. She wrote at a time when her male contemporaries were more interested in the country's political struggles; and Colm says this has been a lesson to himself - to write about the human heart rather than the current climate.

Ben Okri won the 1991 Booker Prize for his novel The Famished Road, but his fiction is just one aspect of what he does; he's an essayist, an aphorist, and a poet. He explains how poetry is the primary part of his writing life, and reads from his new collection, Wild, his first book of poems for thirteen years.

Helen Simpson is one of our most celebrated short story writers and she's written a new story especially for The Verb. Torremolinos is the surprising tale of two men who find themselves in the same hospital ward.

And Peter Blegvad, cartoonist, singer-songwriter, writer, and thinker presents a Verb 'eartoon' on sonic alchemy.

Presented by Ian McMillan. With Colm Toibin, Helen Simpson, Ben Okri and Peter Blegvad.

Joining Ian are Ben Schott, the author of two novels set in the Jeeves and Wooster universe on why so many people have turned to P.G Wodehouse during lockdown, comedian Grainne Maguire on the challenges of performing to masked audiences and how comedy will adapt to socially distanced audiences, Kate Fox has written us a brand new poem on why she's found it difficult to be funny recently, and Dr Matt Winning explains how he makes climate change funny - and why humour might be the key to making people care about the planet.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Cecile Wright

Ian McMillan is joined by Ben Schott, Kate Fox, Grainne Maguire and Matt Winning

DJ Taylor is a novelist and a critic. His biography of George Orwell won the Whitbread Prize. His latest book is 'The Prose Factory' (Vintage) .

The performer Christopher Green is best known for his characters Tina C and Ida Barr, who both appear on Radio 4. For The Verb he is performing from his new show 'Prurience', which is at Southbank Centre in July.

Francesca Millican-Slater is performing from her piece examining the sin of Pride for the Penned in the Margins project 'Fair Field', a celebration of William Langland's 'Piers Plowman

And Dr Lawrence Warner, Reader in English at King's College London explains why medieval texts are so fascinated with confession.

Producer: Faith Lawrence.

Ian McMillan presents Radio 3's cabaret of the word, exploring confessions.

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 and guests share tips and experiences.

Ian McMillan's weekly digest of language and literature with Tessa Hadley and Rommi Smith.

The Cowboy Junkies made an international impact with their album 'The Trinity Session' in 1987. It included a cover version of 'Sweet Jane' which Lou Reed said was 'the best and most authentic version' of the song he'd ever heard. After nearly thirty years together making records, they've completed their most ambitious project yet, The Nomad Series - four albums which take the listener from China to the Wilderness. They perform a new song for us, 'Fairytale', and one of their best-loved tracks 'Misguided Angel'. Margo Timmins explains how she 'meets' lyrics in a way which lets the listener enter them too.

Poet Jacob Sam-La Rose was nominated for the Forward Prize for best first collection in 2012, and reads two poems, 'Rapture' and 'The Hours'. He talks about his influences, how to 'trust' a poem's own momentum, and the importance of 'local' detail when writing about his identity. (Bloodaxe)

Bryan and Mary Talbot are the co-authors of 'Dotter of her Father's Eyes', a graphic novel which has just won the Costa Award for Biography. Part personal history, part biography, it contrasts two coming of age narratives: that of Lucia, the daughter of James Joyce, and that of Mary herself. They talk to Ian about their collaboration, and how Bryan's art-work and Mary's script worked together to create a tender celebration of their marriage. (Cape)

Pete Jordi Wood is a script-writer best known for his short film 'I Don't Care' for Channel Four. He's on the writing teams for 'Shameless' and 'Eastenders. Here he presents a commission for 'The Verb' called 'Lifted' - part of our NHS drama series.

Producer: Faith Lawrence.

The language used to describe crime fiction often suggests that there's something throwaway in the ability to craft a gripping story that keeps the reader guessing. There's a suggestion that creating 'a page-turner' is something of a lesser skill when it comes to writing.

Creeping up on that idea from behind and leaving its body in the library, we have three women who know a thing or two about the literature of crime.

Val McDermid is a powerhouse of popular fiction, with works translated into 40 languages and more than 16 million books sold. She tells us about the narrative techniques she uses to keep us up late reading 'just one more chapter' of novels like 'Still Life'.

Sophie Hannah has been trusted with one of the crown jewels of detective fiction - Hercule Poirot. She tells us about the responsibility of taking on Agatha Christie's beloved character, and about how she switches modes for nail biters like 'Haven't they Grown'.

Katherine Stansfield writes the historical crime series The Cornish Mysteries - and tells us about one of the initial efforts to make the crime genre 'respectable' - formalised techniques and rules drawn up by a collection of some of the greatest popular fiction writers in the world - The Detection Club.

Presented by Ian McMillan

Produced by Kevin Core

Ian McMillan and guests explore the challenge of crime writing.

Presented by Ian McMillan. With the Ruby Dolls, Kevin Jackson and George Szirtes.

Ian McMillan's guests include story-teller Daniel Morden, on 'The Devil's Violin Company's show 'A Love Like Salt'; Daniel talks about their interpretation of old English folk stories which were an important influence on Shakespeare and Chaucer. They're also joined by Dave Morris, author of an interactive Frankenstein, Writer's Room playwright Katherine Mitchell and singer-songwriter Simone Felice - acclaimed for his 'rare, fiery brilliance'.

First broadcast in May 2012.

Ian McMillan's guests include storyteller Daniel Morden and singer Simone Felice.

As the days darken Ian McMillan is joined by Toby Litt to present a Verb special dedicated to the word 'darkling'. With incarnations from its first recorded use in Shakespeare's King Lear to Milton, Keats and Hardy, the word 'darkling' has even appeared in H G WELLS and an edition of Star Trek.

Poet Jo Shapcott has won The Forward Prize, The Commonwealth Writers Prize and the National Poetry Competition (twice). The author of 'On Mutability' unveils a brand new darkling poem written specially for The Verb.

Val McDermid, bestselling Scottish crime writer and author of the Tony Hill series has written a specially commissioned darkling story for The Verb.

The actor Ralf Little is in studio to bring to life Val McDermid's story and Thomas Hardy's poem The Darkling Thrush.

Language historian and Oxford professor of English Lynda Mugglestone joins Ian to explain the changing meaning and history of the word, from its earliest recorded appearance to its current use amongst the 'Twilight' generation.

Singer and sound artist You Are Wolf performs a song written for the Verb in response to the famous literary incarnations of the word 'darkling'.

As the nights get longer, Ian McMillan and Toby Litt investigate the word 'darkling'.

Jon McGregor's first two novels were both longlisted for the Booker prize, and today we hear an exclusive extract from his work-in-progress, which circles around the number 13.

Producer: Cecile Wright.

Ian McMillan's guests include singer-songwriter Darren Hayman and novelist Jon McGregor.

Linguistics expert Prof David Crystal responds to recent reports that teenage vocabulary can be limited to as little as 800 words, and sheds light on how vocabulary size can be measured.

In memoriam Tsutomu Yamaguchi

Poet Simon Barraclough pays tribute to the sole survivor of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bomb blasts, who has died aged 93.

Darrell Lloyd

Previous Verb competition winner Darrell Lloyd introduces 3 pieces of flash fiction (tiny short stories) - Fresh Bullet Holes, Love Story and The Edge of the World.

Science Writing

Botanist Sandy Knapp and space scientist Maggie Aderin-Pocock recommend the best scientific books for the lay reader.

Bestsellers of 1910

Phil Stone, Charts Editor of The Bookseller, takes a look at the most successful books in the UK and US a hundred years ago.

Ian McMillan's cabaret of the word includes new fiction from Darrell Lloyd.

Presented by Ian McMillan. With David Harsent, Jonathan Safran Foer and Hannah Silva.

The Forward Prize winner presents a new series of poems on the theme of blood. Begun whilst collaborating on a production with the composer Harrison Birtwistle, they're an unsettling meditation on doppelgangers and the true self.

The Best Cookery Writers You Haven't Heard of...

Tom Jaine, editor of the journal Petits Propos Culinaires, and cook, writer and broadcaster Anissa Helou make their recommendations of the best unusual cookery books to complement the Delias and Jamies on your shelf.

The Ring and the Book - in French

Academic Danny Karlin on a passionate and accomplished French version of Robert Browning's epic poem, written by under Nazi occupation.

L'Anneau et Le Livre, by Georges Connes, is published in Paris by Le Bruit Du Temps

Eleanor Rees

The Liverpool poet, whose first collection Andraste's Hair was shortlisted for a Forward First Collection Prize in 2007, presents poems from her new collection, Eliza and the Bear, accompanied by the composer and harpist Rebecca Joy Sharp.

Eliza and the Bear, by Eleanor Rees, is published by Salt.

And as we prepare to enter a new decade, this week's Verb guests name their favourite books of the last ten years.

Ian McMillan's cabaret of the word includes new writing from poet David Harsent.

Sarah Churchwell is the Professor of Public Understanding of the Humanities at the University of London and the author of Careless People: Murder, Mayhem and the Invention of The Great Gatsby (Virago) - she explains why 'The Great Gatsby' was once reviewed as being 'in form no more than a glorified anecdote'. Poet George Szirtes explains the pleasure of the Hungarian anecdote and the role of the anecdote in poetry. Songwriter Boo Hewerdine is inspired by Dorothy Parker's short poem 'Anecdote' to write a brand new song.

Presenter Ian McMillan

Producer: Faith Lawrence.

Ian McMillan presents Radio 3's cabaret of the word, celebrating the anecdote.

This week The Verb examines the idea of the 'anecdote', and delves into the diaries of the writer David Sedaris for rich source material for story-telling. Sedaris is the author of books including 'Me Talk Pretty One Day', and he has just published 'Theft by Finding: Diaries: Volume One' (Little Brown)

Sarah Churchwell is the Professor of Public Understanding of the Humanities at the University of London and the author of Careless People: Murder, Mayhem and the Invention of The Great Gatsby (Virago) - she explains why 'The Great Gatsby' was once reviewed as being 'in form no more than a glorified anecdote'. Poet George Szirtes explains the pleasure of the Hungarian anecdote and explores the role of the anecdote in poetry. Songwriter Boo Hewerdine uses the idea of the anecdote, and Dorothy Parker's short poem 'Anecdote' as inspiration for a brand new song.

Early riser Ian McMillan celebrates the Dawn Chorus. his fellow early birds include the sound artist and poet, Caroline Bergvall who presents work inspired by the sonic landscape of the early morning. Specially for The Verb, poet Geraldine Monk has written an Aubade - a poem to celebrate daybreak.

There is also work in progress from the novelist Alex Preston, who is writing a literary ornithology.

Producer: Cecile Wright.

Celebrating the dawn chorus with commissions poets Caroline Bergvall and Geraldine Monk.

The last in our series of WWI dramas is 'Songs of the Sea' by Kenneth Emson, inspired by the sinking of the ambulance transport ship, the Warilda.

Ian McMillan's guests include DBC Pierre, Jackie Kay and Martin Carthy.

Monique Roffey's novel 'The Mermaid of Black Conch' won the Costa Book of the Year Award 2020 - but its path to publication wasn't straightforward. Here Monique discusses keeping faith in your work when it doesn't appear to fit in any boxes.

And we have brand new poetry from Marvin Thompson, winner of the National Poetry Competition award for his poem '‘The Fruit of the Spirit is Love (Galatians 5:22)' and from Iona Lee who has written us a new poem on 'Determination'.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Jessica Treen

Ian McMillan is joined by guests including Paula Byrne and Iona Lee.

There's more from The Verb's new voices, a scheme run between Radio 3 and the Arts Council, supporting emergent talent on the spoken poetry scene. This week we feature poets from Stockton and their mentors.

And as the Forward Poetry Prize celebrates twenty years since its inception, founder William Sieghart and previous winner Jane Duran discusses the effect of the prize, which rewards both established and up-and-coming poets.

Horatio Clare, who's making a name for himself as a nature writer, has taken to the sea. He's currently writer-in-residence for the Maersk shipping line and sailing over the South China Sea. On a ship-to-shore telephone line, Horatio tells Ian how he's being inspired by the solitude of sailing - just 19 seamen on a ship half a kilometre long - and talks about the language and place names of the sea.

Diana Athill with new writing, 20 years of the Forward Poetry Prize, and Verb New Voices.

Charles Dance reads extracts including the trial scene from The Pickwick Papers. Malcolm Andrews, editor of The Dickensian magazine analyses why Dickens' language works so well in performance. Dickens gave professional public readings in Britain and the United States over the last twelve years of his life. Audiences of 2000 or so flocked to hear him reading favourite episodes from his novels and giving virtuoso impersonations of each of the characters. The vigour of his performances physically exhausted him afterwards.

Verb regular Kevin Jackson gives a guide to the sounds of the names of Dickens' characters. These are names you won't find in a phone book, and are some of the most unique in fiction. Characters such as Sweedlepipe, Honeythunder, Bumble, Pumblechook, and M'Choakumchild are recognizable as Dickensian even by those unfamiliar with the stories.

Christine Collister performs Dickens in song; and queen of the new wave of storytellers, Rachel Rose Reid gives a contemporary twist to the idea of Dickens' night walks - when he walked the streets of London for inspiration.

Producer : Dymphna Flynn.

Ian McMillan and guests including Charles Dance on Dickens in performance.

Natasha is a former US poet Laureate and a Pulitzer Prize winner. She brings tenderness, compassion, and forensic attention to language in her new memoir ‘Memorial Drive' (Memorial Drive), an account of growing up with violence in the home, and of her mother's killing at the hands of her stepfather. Natasha explores the layers of silence that surround intimate violence - the way children's speech is often disregarded, even if they overcome their own silencing.

Kathryn Williams is one of the most subtle singer-songwriters of her generation, crafting songs which balance strength and delicacy. Here she performs a special rendition of ‘Wolf' from her album ‘Old Low Light' ,recorded in lockdown, and speaks about the circumstances that inspired it for the first time. Kathryn's back catalogue is available in the limited edition ‘Anthology'.

Louise was one of The Verb's New Voices in 2014 - and her work has never shied away from difficult territory - described by one reviewer as razor-sharp and visceral, she is also a brilliant performer of her work. Louise reads ‘Women's Refuge' from the collection ‘Bird St' and an extract from her new collection ‘The Lolitas' (Verve Poetry Press) .

Professor Deborah Cameron researches language and communication at the University of Oxford - she has a blog called 'Language: a feminist guide' - recent posts include commentary on dieting, the word ‘lad' and the ‘tone' of voice ascribed to women https://debuk.wordpress.com/ . She is the author of ‘The Myth of Mars and Venus'.

Ian McMillan and guests on the language and myths of domestic violence.

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

An extended conversation with poet Don Paterson.

In her memoir 'The Great Below' Maddy Paxman explores her life with Michael Donaghy and the aftermath of his sudden death.

The Sound Artist Scanner has composed a new piece for this programme inspired by the idea of White Noise.

Ian McMillan and guests Don Paterson and Paul Farley consider the impact of a poet's death

The beauty of flower names, time-thieving hedgehogs, the poetry of fertile earth, and the absurdity of English spelling - all appear in The Verb this week.

Ian McMillan's guests are the poets Don Paterson, Zena Edwards, and John McAuliffe who's celebrating fellow poet Michael Longley - and we also hear a new 'eartoon' on the origin of words for numbers, by Stagedoor Johnny ( Richard Poynton).

Don Paterson shares a brand new poem in which the speaker is a hedgehog who knows 'one big thing' - a big thing that challenges the way we might think about time. Don is also a musician, and a memoirist - his most recent book is 'Toy Fights' - described by the writer Geoff Dyer as 'devastatingly funny'. His award winning collections include 'Rain', 'Landing Light' and 'God's Gift to Women'.

Zena Edwards is a poet and theatre maker who has collaborated with many different artists. Her passion for the natural world shines out in her poem 'Tincture' which she shares on the show, and which came about because of a project called We Feed the UK – which brings together spoken word poets from the climate science and poetry organisation Hotpoets, and regenerative farmers – coordinated by the Gaia Foundation.

John McAuliffe is poet, and a director of the Centre for New Writing at the University of Manchester. He has published six poetry collections - and his latest - 'National Theatre' (Gallery) is out now. John celebrates the 'miniature but not minor' poem 'Thaw' by the Belfast born poet Michael Longley who died in January.

And we hear another installment of a satirical history of the English language by Stagedoor Johnny - in which the letter 'U' has a crisis of confidence.

Don Paterson, Zena Edwards, John McAuliffe on Michael Longley, and words for numbers.

Ian McMillan's guests are Don Paterson, Zena Edwards, and John McAuliffe - who's celebrating Michael Longley - and we also hear a new 'eartoon' on the origin the words for numbers.

[LISTEN NOW]

Nick Harkaway, author of The Gone-Away World, presents a work in progress: Under Milky Way is a reimagining of Dylan Thomas's much-loved Under Milk Wood that sends the sleepy town of Llareggub and its inhabitants into space.

Novelists Toby Litt and Alan Hollinghurst pay tribute to Nemo's Almanac, one of the most fiendish literary quizzes. Over 100 years old, the first version was compiled by a Victorian governess wishing to test and entertain her tiny charges during the school holidays. In its current incarnation, the quiz is a hotly-contested annual competition offering unattributed literary and poetic excerpts on a different theme each month. Competitors must turn literary detective and track down their source. Devotees call themselves Nemoniacs.

With music from singer, songwriter, poet and artist MacGillivray, who won an award from the Slade school of art in 2003 for a unique and curious project which saw her carry a wolf carcass through the Nevada desert. Of Scottish descent, but fascinated by Native American and Inuit culture, MacGillivray sings haunting songs from the American frontier, of wolves and their hunters, love lost and lives lived in the wilderness. She's accompanied by the musician Gwalia on bass guitar.

And there is a tribute to Scottish folk storyteller and living library of Scottish Traveller language and culture Stanley Robinson who has died aged 69. Stanley was the nephew of Jeannie Robertson, herself a great folk singer and storyteller, and late in his life he was recognised for preserving and bringing to life a body of work that would otherwise have been lost.

Featuring poets Don Paterson and Nick Harkaway, plus singer MacGillivray.

Ian McMillan presents the word cabaret with guests Donna Leon and Nathan Penlington.

Dreda Say Mitchell was the head teacher of a primary school in East London when she began attending creative writing classes. During those classes, she began writing about the character Schoolboy, who would become the central character in her award-winning first novel, Running Hot. This week Dreda has written a brand new monologue especially for The Verb, which is performed in studio by Jessica Dickens.

Geezer Girls, by Dreda Say Mitchell, is out now from Hodder

Simone Felice

Simone Felice is a songwriter, singer and novelist from a tiny town in the Catskill Mountains, upstate New York. Currently touring with his band The Duke and the King, he stops into The Verb studio to play songs from their latest album, Nothing Gold Can Stay, and to preview a work in progress - his as-yet-unfinished novel Black Jesus.

Larissa Miller & Richard McKane

One of Russia's foremost lyrical poets, Larissa Miller's clear poetic voice stood out against oppression and censorship during the Communist era - often at great personal cost to herself and her family. Larissa and her translator Richard McKane read from Larissa's collection We Are Guests of Eternity and consider the role poetry plays in helping both writer and reader endure difficult times.

We Are Guests of Eternity, by Larissa Miller, is published by Arc Press

Out of the Cold Blue, by Richard McKane, is published by Hearing Eye

Alex Horne

Taking his inspiration from HW Bergerson's book Palindromes and Anagrams, Verb Language Spy Alex Horne wanted to see if our listeners would take up a daring poetic challenge: writing Vocabularyclept poetry. 'Vocabularyclept' is a term used to describe a poem that's written using all the words of another poem, but in a different order... one poem from the verbal rubble of another. Last week, Alex gave you 140 words of his choosing, and asked for poems to be sent in using only those words, and Verb listeners everywhere responded enthusiastically - not to say wittily! This week Alex reads a selection of your finest Vocabularyclept verse, and he and Ian reveal the poems they've created.

Presented by Ian McMillan. With Dreda Say Mitchell, Simone Felice and Larissa Miller.

Ian McMillan presents a special programme to mark the centenrary of Dylan Thomas's birth.

Ian's guests include the novelist Eimear McBride, who won the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction and the Goldsmiths Prize for her startling debut novel 'A Girl is a Half Formed Thing'. Her latest book is 'The Lesser Bohemians', which uses her distinctive fractured prose to examine overwhelming first love.

The comedian Ross Noble's lastest stand-up show is 'Brain Dump', a celebration of stream-of-consciousness comedy writing.

The latest poet in our 'Three Score and Ten' series is Rachael Allen. Rachael's first pamphlet of poetry was published by Faber and she is the poetry editor of Granta Magazine. Three Score and Ten is part of Radio 3's 70th season, celebrating seven decades of pioneering music and culture since the founding of the Third Programme.

Producer: Faith Lawrence.

Ian McMillan with novelist Eimear McBride, comedian Ross Noble and poet Rachael Allen.

Ian McMillan is joined by Ben Okri, Susie Dent, Kerry Shale, and Laura Watts.

Mark Waldron is a poet whose poems are full of comic imagery, but are never really joking. His latest collection 'Meanwhile, Trees' is published by Bloodaxe.

Gemma Ray is a singer-songwriter who will be performing songs from her new album 'The Exodus Suite'.

Matthew and Michael Dickman are twins. Although they write very different kinds of poetry, they are united by the unflinching poems that make up their join collection 'Brother' (Faber), a book that examines the suicide of their older brother.

Producer: Cecile Wright.

Ian McMillan presents Radio 3's cabaret of the word with guests Elena Lappin and Gemma Ray

Elif Shafak writes in both English and Turkish, and has published twelve books, eight of which are novels. She's been celebrated for her ability to blend Western and Eastern traditions of storytelling, and for bringing out the voices of women, minorities, subcultures and immigrants. Elif is also a political commentator; she's a regular contributor to the Haberturk, a newspaper in Turkey, as well as The Guardian and The New York Times. Elif talks to Ian about her relationship with language, especially the 'silent G' which occurs in Turkish, and about her new novel 'Honour' (Penguin/Viking).

Laura Gribbon uncovers the hidden messages and linguistic resonances embedded in the placards that Egyptians carried during the protests in Tahrir Square, and which they are still making today. She explains the unique history of silence in Egyptian culture, and the power of revolutionary humour. Her chapter 'Signs and Signifiers' was co-written with by Sarah Hawas, and can be found in 'Translating Egypt's Revolution' ed Samia Mehrez (American University of Cairo Press).

Jacob Polley has published three collections of poetry, the latest is called 'The Havocs' (Picador) and was nominated for the 2012 T.S.Eliot Prize. He's also written a novel in Cumbrian dialect called 'Talk of the Town'. Jacob reads his powerful poem 'Langley Lane' written in the ballad form, and explains whether he believes poems should be able to 'hold' difficult material.

BIRD are a three piece Liverpool band - the creation of Adele Emmas (singer, songwriter) Sian Williams (guitar, backing vocals) and Alexis Samata (drums, percussion). Together they create dark, haunting, atmospheric music. They perform 'I am the Mountain' and 'Waltz' and explain how Gorecki has influenced their sound. Their new EP Ophelia has just been released.

Produced by Faith Lawrence.

Ian McMillan's guests are Elif Shafak, Jacob Polley, Laura Gribbon and BIRD.

The singer-songwriter Eliza Carthy and members of her band will be joining Ian to kick off the song, celebration and dreams of new possibilities. Or to stave off the winter blues at the very least.

Poet Simon Armitage will be sharing his new translation of the most famous of Arthurian stories, the Middle English Morte D'Arthur.

Punk poet John Cooper Clarke will be performing new work.

And there'll be comedy-drama from last year's hit at the Edinburgh Festival, Joe Bone.

Producer: Allegra McIlroy.

Ian McMillan's guests are Eliza Carthy, John Cooper Clarke, Simon Armitage and Joe Bone.

Ian McMillan's guests include the author and critic Jenny Uglow, who has written an acclaimed biography of Elizabeth Gaskell. Jenny Uglow's other biographies include 'The Lunar Men' (Faber), which won the James Tait Black Memorial prize and the Hessell-Tiltman Prize, and 'Nature's Engraver: A Life of Thomas Bewick (Faber). She tells us how Gaskell's House influenced her writing.

The comedy writer Dale Shaw, author of the collection of parody writing 'Letters of Not' (The Friday Project) delves into Gaskell's correspondence.

We also feature a new commission from folk singer Lucy Ward, winner of the 2012 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards Horizon Award for best newcomer.

Ian McMillan presents the cabaret of the word from Elizabeth Gaskell's House in Manchester

Presented by Ian McMillan. With novelist Emma Donoghue reading a new commission.

With thanks to Idiane Kariri-Xoc　 who has specially recorded material for us with the Kariri-Xoc　 Indigenous community in Alagoas, Brazil.

Producer: Ruth Thomson

Ian's guests are Robin Wall Kimmerer, linguist Dr Diane Nelson and poet Katrina Porteous.

Ewan Morrison, whose new book 'Tales from the Mall' is a 'fresh and inventive' compendium of fiction and social history, which goes deep into the mirrored heart of the modern Shopping Mall.

Seamus Collins, with 'Das Goat' a new play developed as part of the BBC's Writersroom10 scheme.

John Schad, with his new short story 'Our Lives, Mrs Dalloway' which deftly weaves family archive, philosophy and modernist fiction.

And singer and multi-instrumentalist Tanya Auclair performs 'Gabriel' and explains how she builds her songs from the breath up.

Producer: Faith Lawrence.

Ian McMillan is joined by Ewan Morrison, Seamus Collins, John Schad and Tanya Auclair.

Paolo Chianta is the latest writer who has written us a short audio drama on the theme of 'Experiments in Living', in conjection with the BBC Writer's Room. 'Brighter Later' is directed by Lorna Newman.

Malaika Kegode is a performance poet who has found herself pushed into new territory through her work with Prog-Folk band Jakabol, resulting in their autobiographical theatre-gig 'Outlier

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Jessica Treen

Hybrid forms with Max Porter and Heather Phillipson.

Ian McMillan goes to the extremes this week to explore writing on the edge of places.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Ruth Thomson

Ian McMillan talks families with Hollie MicNish, Hadley Freeman and Gillian Clarke.

Joyce Carol Oates is one of America's best loved living authors. A prolific writer in a long career spanning novels, short stories, play, poetry and non-fiction, she has just published the story of a family haunted by the wounding of their father, at the hands of the police, called 'Night. Sleep. Death. The Stars'. As Joyce explains, her writing can often be a way of confronting the memories that haunt her.

Yomi Sode is a poet, playwright and a mentor. He was awarded the Jerwood Compton Poetry Fellowship in 2019. Yomi explains how he had to look back to his own relationship with his father in order to write about his relationship to his own children. His essay on forgiveness 'The F Word', appears in 'Safe: 20 Ways to be a Black Man in Britain Today' edited by Derek Owusu (Trapeze). Yomi also performs a poem called ‘Not with You'.

Eley Williams' short story collection 'Attrib' (Influx) won the James Tait Black award and the Republic of Consciousnesses Prize in 2018. In her debut novel 'The Liar's Dictionary' (Heinemann), a young woman working for the fictional 'Swansby New Encyclopaedic Dictionary' finds herself haunted by the life of a Victorian lexicographer who has left 'mountweazels', or made up words scattered through the pages.

Ghosts' by Lucy Burke is the last in our series of short dramas on the theme of 'renewal' produced in conjunction with the BBC Writer's Room. Lucy explains how she was interested in exploring how we use everyday conversation and small talk to help us to confront difficult emotional truths. Ghosts is produced by Lorna Newman and stars Richard Fleeshman and Verity Henry. It was a collaboration with the BBC Writer's Room.

Producer: Faith Lawrence

Presenter: Ian McMillan

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 fathering with Nick Laird, Katherine Rundell and Jude Rogers.

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.

Willy Vlautin, Ben Crystal and Ross Sutherland get physical with language.

Toby Litt's current novel is 'A Writer's Diary'. Initially published in the form of daily emails to subscribers, the lines between fact and fiction appear to blur with every email. How is a work like this drafted? Paul Tran says redrafting of his poems is also a redrafting and a rebuilding of the self in the wake of trauma or extremity. For Singer-songwriter and folk historian Polly Paulusma it is through the process of drafting that ideas and images that first appear buried bubble up to the surface,

And our 'Something New' poem this week comes from Costa Award-winning poet Hannah Lowe

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Cecile Wright

Joining Ian at the drawing board are Denise Mina, Toby Litt, Paul Tran and Polly Paulusma.

Janice Galloway writes and performs an especially commissioned new story about how a visit to Glasgow for her fourteenth birthday opened up a new world for her - the world of art, and in particular the artist Bruegel. Janice talks about the importance of using detail in her writing, which has won praise for its perception of childhood. Her new memoir All Made Up covers her youth, and she explains that as a child she was very quiet, but keenly observed the world around her, in readiness for any unpleasantness.

Mike Scott, of the band The Waterboys, has created a suite of Yeats's poetry set to music. He performs two pieces in The Verb studio, Before The World was Made and Song of Wandering Aengus.

David Bellos is Professor of French at Princeton University. He and Ian discuss his new survey of translation theory, Is That a Fish in Your Ear?, where David lays out his theory that it's an illusion that language consists of words, and that the translator's task is more than mere translation of the words on the page. He imagines how the linguists working on Janice Galloway's memoirs will approach translating Scottish cultural references - like a Scotty dog ashtray, into Italian.

And there's more from The Verb's new voices, a scheme run between Radio 3 and the Arts Council, supporting emergent talent on the spoken poetry scene. This week we feature poets from Birmingham and their mentors, Sean O'Brien and Aoife Mannix.

With Janice Galloway, Yeats's poetry set to music, David Bellos and Verb New Voices.

The celebrated poet explains why cigarettes and a passion for geneaology conspired to stop her writing, as she discusses her first new collection for ten years.

Dragon Talk by Fleur Adcock is out now from Bloodaxe.

Toby Litt

Toby presents the second of a two part guide to rockstars who write, this week focussing on the novels of Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Nick Cave and Willy Vlautin.

George Szirtes

The TS Eliot prize-winning poet presents The Numbers Game, a verse drama about the 1948 film Force of Evil, which is the only Hollywood film with a script written in blank verse. The Numbers Game stars Kerry Shale as the voiceover and Mike Lewis; Daniel Fletcher as Jack, Clare Foster as Rose and Ellie Chidzey as Nancy.

Tishani Doshi

The Forward prize winning poet presents work from her forthcoming collection Everything Begins Elsewhere.

Presented by Ian McMillan. With poet Fleur Adcock and a verse drama from George Szirtes.

Producer, Cecile Wright

First broadcast 27/09/2013.

Ian McMillan explores the world of food writing in Radio 3's cabaret of the word.

Pulitzer prize-winning poet Forrest Gander discusses the Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowships. An initiative which awards $50,000 to poets of literary merit appointed to serve in civic positions to enable them to create projects that enrich the lives of their neighbours, through responsive and interactive poetry activities.

In awarding Laurie Bolger The Moth Poetry prize, Nobel Laureate Louise Glück said, 'I respond to poems that surprise me'. Laurie reflects on the impact of this assessment of her poetry, and explains why her first full poetry collection, Lady, is like a romcom blockbuster.

Marking the arrival of this year's European Poetry Festival, its founder and director, SJ Fowler, joins The Verb to share his approach to bringing poets together to create new work. With a little help from Ian, he performs one of the poems - Levels of Care - that he co-wrote for the festival with Latvian poet KrišjĀ?nis Zeļģis.

Writer and editor Rachel Segal Hamilton who specialises in photography, assesses the marriage of photography and poetry with two new examples of the form - A Difficulty Is A Light by Rebecca Norris Webb, and The Dereliction by Liz Berry and Tom Hicks.

Presented by Ian McMillan

Produced by Ekene Akalawu

Forrest Gander, Laurie Bolger, SJ Fowler and Rachel Segal Hamilton.

Ian McMillan puts poetry in the picture with Forrest Gander, Laurie Bolger, SJ Fowler and Rachel Segal Hamilton.

The Verb moved from Radio 3

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Plus novelist Toby Litt with a dog's-eye-view of literature from Lassie to Rin Tin Tin, and poetry from Caroline Bird.

Ian McMillan's guests include screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce and novelist Toby Litt.

With writer and comedian Alexei Sayle discussing his novel Mister Roberts, Free Thinking's Writer in Residence Angie Clarke, plus an 'eartoon' from Sony Award-winning musician and cartoonist Peter Blegvad.

Ian McMillan with a special edition of the programme for Radio 3's Free Thinking festival.

Producer: Faith Lawrence.

Ian McMillan with guests Sean O'Brien, Debbie Taylor, Chanje Kunda and Camille O'Sullivan.

Tony Harrison's been described as Britain's foremost film and theatre poet. Amongst other poems he performs one of his best-loved works 'Them and [Uz]',first published in the School of Eloquence and Other Poems (1981).

His most recent collection of poetry is Under the Clock (2005), and his Collected Poems, and Collected Film Poetry, were both published in 2007.

Don Paterson has published five collections of poetry, two books of aphorisms, a number of edited anthologies, and a commentary on Shakespeare's Sonnets. He is currently working on a new collection of poetry, a technical manual on ars poetica, and a prose book about music. He's been awarded the T S Eliot Prize twice and has been Poetry Editor for Picador since 1997. His Selected Poems have just been published by Faber

Laura Barber is Editorial director of Granta books and Portobello Books. She has also been the Editorial Director of the Penguin Classics list, covering the 'Black Classics', from Homer to D. H. Lawrence, the 'Modern Classics', and the New Penguin Shakespeare Series.

Tania Hershman has written two pieces of 'Flash Fiction' on the subject of 'editing' especially for The Verb. Her short story collection 'My Mother was an Upright Piano' is published by Tangent Books.

Martin Longstaff from Sunderland is 'The Lake Poets' - he performs 'City by the Sea' and 'Shipyards', both show what has been called his 'honest and hauntingly emotive blend of acoustic music'.

Ian McMillan presents Radio 3's cabaret of the word from the 2012 Free Thinking Festival.

Richard Hawley has been playing music since his teens, as a member of The Longpigs and Pulp and as a solo artist. Richard hails from Sheffield, one of the greenest cities in Europe. Richard sings 'Heart of Oak', a song inspired by a photograph taken by his wife of a hollow in an oak tree. Heart of Oak is from Richard's 2015 album, 'Hollow Meadows' (Parlophone)

The writer William Fiennes reads from his fable about a tree 'Why The Ash Has Black Buds', taken from the anthology 'Why Willows Weep: Contemporary Tales from the Woods' (Indiebooks). The Ash is an important tree for William, and his relationship with the tree stretches back to his childhood; he wrote about the trees he grew up with in his memoir 'The Music Room' (Picador), which was shortlisted for the Costa Book award.

Emmy The Great has written a new song especially for The Verb. 'Three Cities' draws lines between the trees she remembers as a child growing up in Hong Kong, to the Free Thinking Festival in Gateshead by drawing on interviews with people from China and Hong Kong who have now settled in the North East. Emmy The Great's latest album is 'Second Love' (Bella Union) and her new single is 'Mahal Kita'.

Kate Fox and Beccy's Owen's Pop -Up Choir 'The Saplings

In a special commission for the Verb celebrating the 800th anniversary of the 1217 Forest Charter. Kate collaborates on her piece 'The New Charter' with Beccy Owen's Pop-Up choir, 'The Saplings', who met for the very first time to record The Verb.

Richard Hawley, Emmy the Great, Kate Fox and William Fiennes take to The Verb Stage.

On stage he's joined by the poets Tara Bergin and Raymond Antrobus, novelist Denise Mina, and musicians Aidan Moffat and RM Hubbert.

Raymond Antrobus is a poet, teacher and facilitator. He's the author of the pamphlet ‘To Sweeten Bitter' (Out-Spoken), and his debut poetry collection 'The Perseverance' (Penned in the Margins) has just won The Ted Hughes Award for New Work in Poetry and has also been shortlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize.

Denise Mina's crime novels include The Long Drop, The DI Alex Morrow series, the Paddy Meehan series which were filmed by BBC TV, The Garnetthill series, and graphic novels. She has won many prizes and has been inducted into the Crime Writer's Association Hall of Fame.

Tara Bergin was named a Next Generation Poet by the Poetry Society in 2014 following her collection This is Yarrow. Her second collection is the T.S.Eliot nominated collection 'The Tragic Death of Eleanor Marx'. She lectures in writing poetry at Newcastle University.

Aidan Moffat is a vocalist and musician whose collaborative album released with guitarist and singer RM Hubbert is called 'Here Lies the Body'.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Faith Lawrence

Writing emotions with Aidan Moffat, RM Hubbert, Raymond Antrobus, Tara Bergin, Denise Mina

Poet Scott Tyrell brings us a brand new poem, commissioned specially for The Verb at Free Thinking. 'Hooked on Woods' lets us into the intricacies and subtle differences between North East accents and dialects and asks questions about how we navigate tribalism.

Caedmon is the first English poet whose name is known, he lived at the double monastery at Whitby, where St Hilda was Abbess. Caedmon's life was chronicled by The Venerable Bede. Chris Jones from the University of St Andrews reads the Northumbrian Old English version of Caedmon's Hymn.

Jacob Polley is the winner of the T.S Eliot prize for his book 'Jackself'. We've asked Polley to take inspiration from the story of Caedmon and here he reads his version of the hymn and another new poem 'Poor Bob's Hymn', which joins the story of Caedmon to the myths that have grown up around the blues musician Robert Johnson ( in particular, the legend that he sold his soul at the crossroads).

Singer-Songwriter Beccy Owen sees herself as having a ' happy sequence of cultural identities', rather than any one Englishness, and defines her micro-tribe as people for whom the stiff upper lip has melted.

The stand-up comedian performs a short set on his experiences as a 'Geordie Indian Man'. He tells Ian how his stand up is influenced by hip-hop, and the difficulties of performing in North East dialect to a southern crowd.

Ian McMillan with an edition for the Free Thinking Festival 2017 exploring 'Englishnesses

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Faith Lawrence

The emotional language of Leonard Cohen: loneliness, longing, desire and celebration.

Booker-prize winning novelist Pat Barker discusses her latest novel 'Noonday' (Hamish Hamilton), which is set in London during the Second World War and completes her Life Class Trilogy.

The poet and novelist Jacob Polley won the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize for his latest book of poetry 'The Havocs' (Picador). Jacob will be collaborating with musician John Alder.

Scottish folk musician James Yorkston released 'The Cellardyke Recording and Wassailing Society' (Domino), which has been called his most personal record to date.

Carmen Marcus is one of the 2015 'Verb New Voices'. In collaboration with Arts Council England, The Verb has been working with four new spoken work talents to develop their work.

Producer: Faith Lawrence.

Ian McMillan presents a special edition with Pat Barker, Jacob Polley and Carmen Marcus.

Over four collections Frieda Hughes has established a direct and vivid poetic world; her poems whizz between confession and a kind of mythic storytelling, between nature writing and striking images of childhood pain and revelation. She joins Ian McMillan to talk about her latest book of poetry, The Book of Mirrors, and to explain why she finds love poetry hard to write - unless the object of affection is a motorbike.

The Verb Guide to...the youngest-ever published authors

Verb Guide Toby Litt considers the efforts of prodigious authors, including Lucretia Maria Davidson, Marjory Fleming and a very ambitious seven-year-old H P LOVECRAFT.

Keorapetse Kgositsile and Lebo Mashile

South African poet Keorapetse Kgositsile endured many years in exile as a result of his stand against apartheid, before returning to his homeland in 1990. He is currently the South African poet laureate. Lebo Mashile is a poet, writer and actress, and grew up in the USA before returning to South Africa. In the UK as part of a tour of South African poets, they both reflect on the central role that poetry plays in the cultural and political life of their country.

For more information about the Beyond Words South African poetry tour, please go to www.applesandsnakes.org

Greyworld

Andrew Shoben from art collective Greyworld on their cutting-edge word forest installation at Radio 3's 2009 Free Thinking festival.

Ian McMillan talks to Frieda Hughes about her latest poetry collection.

We have brand new work from the legendary dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson and we're also joined by two of this year's CSL poets; Romalyn Ante, author of 'Anti-Emetic for Homesickness', and Isabelle Baafi, who won a Somerset Maugham award for her debut pamplet Ripe. Linda France is one of the shortlisted poets for this year's Laurel Prize for the best collection of nature or environmental poetry, and our 'Something New' comes from Luke Kennard.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Faith Lawrence

with Linton Kwesi Johnson, Isabelle Baafi, Romalyn Ante, Luke Kennard and Linda France

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Cecile Wright

Ian McMillan discusses funny fiction by women with guests including Helen Lederer.

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

https://www.BBC.co.uk/commissioning/news/climate-content-pledge/

https://rupertread.net/

https://alistairgentry.net/performance/british-fusion-2022/

Games Writer Rhianna Pratchett has worked across many games in a 20 year career. Some are big studio titles like Tomb Raider, where she was brought in to update the character of Lara Croft for a new generation, and others are indie games like Sketchbook Games' ‘The Lost Words', a game that Rhianna was involved in from early development and which was inspired by her own personal experiences of grief.

Philip Terry, poet and editor of 'The Penguin Book of Oulipo' lets us into the world of avant-garde language games. It's Oulipo vs the Surrealists - get your Exquisite Corpse at the ready. And verb regular Ira Lightman embraces the chaos and creates poetry with the roll of a dice. He's built our very own Verb board game, Snakes and Ladders and Words!

We also look ahead to the 'Sound of Gaming' Prom, the very first prom to centre on Computer games music with Sound of Gaming presenter Louise Blain, who also gives us an insight into the narrative possibilities computer games can offer us.

Our 'Something New' this week comes from poet Will Harris. and our Something Old Archive recording is Adrian Henri reading ‘She Loves me

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Jessica Treen

Ian McMillan hosts games day with Rhianna Pratchett, Philip Terry and Louise Blain.

Ian McMillan presents a special edition, featuring Garrison Keillor, and Ginger and Black.

Poetry Proms Competition coming soon ... see website for details.

Producer: Faith Lawrence.

Ian McMillan presents the cabaret of the word. Guests include Gary Numan and Ros Barber.

If you'd like to book tickets to the recording of The Verb at Radio 3's Free Thinking Festival at the Sage, Gateshead visit the Sage's website.

Ian McMillan's guests include Gavin Pretor-Pinney, Tom Hodgkinson and Ben Moor.

Ian McMillan is joined this week by the novelist James Robertson who is fascinated by 'time' in George Mackay Brown's work and has said his writing is 'full of beautiful sentences, big ideas, mischievous comedy, powerful tragedy and, again and again, simple observations that make you pause and say, yes, that's it, that's how it is'. James' most recent novel 'News of the Dead' also explores time.

Alison Miller is National Library of Scotland and Orkney Library & Archive's Scots Scriever - she shares her love of George Mackay Brown's poem 'Them at Isbister' which appears in 'The Storm and other Poems', his first collection. Alison invites listeners to contact BBC Radio Orkney if they have a copy; only 250 were printed and she is part of a project to track as many down as possible ( radio.orkney@gmail.com).

Josie Giles has just published a verse novel called 'Deep Wheel Orcadia' which has Orcadian dialect at its heart. 'Deep Wheel Orcadia' itself is described as 'a distant space station struggling for survival as the pace of change threatens to leave the community behind'. Josie reads poetry in Orcadian dialect and in English translation and explains how the English has been made less transparent.

Artist Anne Bevan grew up in Orkney and George Mackay Brown was a family friend. She reads letters from two 'fairies' ( Moonbeam and Rosebud) which George wrote for her when she was a child, and reads the poem he dedicated to her when she was at art school. Anne explains how he still inspires her art. http://www.annebevan.co.uk/

Ian McMillan celebrates Orkney and George Mackay Brown's writing in his centenary year.

The writer of hit TV series The Wire explains why he thinks obscure Californian novelist Don Carpenter, author of Hard Rain Falling, should be considered alongside Norman Mailer and John Steinbeck as one of America's great writers.

PsychoPoetica

As the film Psycho celebrates its fiftieth anniversary, Simon Barraclough and Heather Philipson present their own, poetic versions of Hitchcock's classic ground-breaking film.

Sparks

The Verb's series of mini-radio plays from writers new to radio continues, in collaboration with BBC Radio Drama and BBC writersroom's Sparks iniatiative. This week's plays are Trespass by Frazer Flintham and Jim by Nick Payne. Jeremy Mortimer, head of BBC Radio Drama, reflects on the potential of the form.

CERN Lexicon

As the Large Hadron Collider is switched on following a shutdown two years ago, and experiments to recreate the conditions of the Big Bang begin again, Ariane Koek, a cultural ambassador for CERN, gives The Verb a unique guide to the new language the facility has created.

Ian McMillan presents an interview with The Wire writer George Pelecanos.

Plus a new commission, written especially for the programme by author Steven Hall, whose science fiction thriller debut The Raw Shark Texts imagines a man on the run from a conceptual shark that wants to eat his personality.

Ian McMillan's guests include poet George Szirtes and author Steven Hall.

The beauty of a swimming pool seen from the air, banks that fly up and out of small towns never to return, the poetry of single objects seen from a train window, and the miniature brilliance of poetry pamphlets - all in this week's edition of The Verb.

It can be a shock when banks leave our high streets - poet George Szirtes presents a brand new commission for The Verb inspired by that experience, and reads work from his 2004 collection 'Reel' which won the TS Eliot Prize. George has just been awarded the 'King's Gold Medal' for excellence in poetry.

Cecilia Knapp finds surprising images for memories of being a teenager in new poetry on this week's show. Cecilia's first collection is 'Peach Pig' - she has published a novel called 'Little Boxes', and is Poet-in-Residence for London's City Bridge Foundation.

We look out of train windows, in a new song by Lisa Knapp and Gerry Diver ( from a new album called 'Hinterland'). Gerry has arranged music for films – and in his groundbreaking album 'The Speech Project' he created scores for the remarkable speakers including Christy Moore, the boxer Barry McGuigan and the singer Charlotte Church. Lisa Knapp has been nominated for the BBC folk awards multiple times - her recent performances on the 'Hack Poets Guild' album 'Blackletter Garland' were described as 'expert' and 'ethereal'. Gerry, Lisa and their daughter Bonnie Diver perform live in the studio.

Rishi Dastidar shares the joy of small collections - as he celebrates poetry pamphlets with Ian - exploring their appeal and their potential. Rishi is a poet, critic and copywriter. His latest collection is 'Neptune's Projects' described by one reviewer as 'add(ing) wit, postmodern panache and mythic irony to the tradition of the open sea

Ian's guests are George Szirtes, Cecilia Knapp, Lisa Knapp, Gerry Diver and Rishi Dastidar

Ian McMillan's guests are George Szirtes, Cecilia Knapp, Lisa Knapp, Gerry Diver and Rishi Dastidar.

Ian's guests include George Szirtes and Cecilia Knapp.

Ian McMillan's guests include George Szirtes, who's been awarded the King's Gold Medal.

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George Szirtes, winner of the T. S. Eliot Prize and the King's Gold Medal for Poetry, is the most recent poet to join the small selection panel for arguably the UK's most public celebration of poetry - Poems on the Underground. As the London Tube initiative reaches its 40th birthday, George discusses how poems are chosen and shares some poetry that he feels speaks to the strength of the scheme.

Depending on how you count it, this month marks the 4th or the 12th anniversary of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia - a conflict in which poetry has become a player. Iryna Starovoyt is a poet and critic from Ukraine. She reflects on the 19th century poet and artist Taras Shevchenko - regarded as a totemic figure in Ukrainian literature, and whose name is on the country's highest award for Arts and Culture, the Taras Shevchenko National Prize.

Katie Clarke, Director of Literature at The Reader organisation, shares her experiences of reading poetry with people who have dementia and the surprising power of poetry to make fresh connections at the individual and group level.

Zain Rishi's debut poetry pamphlet, Noon, is published this month. He becomes the latest poet to choose a Neon Line for The Verb's regular feature in which poets reflect on poetry lines that they feel shine out.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Ekene Akalawu

Ian McMillan is joined by George Szirtes, Iryna Starovoyt, Zain Rishi and Katie Clarke.

Radio 4's cabaret of the word, featuring the best poetry, new writing and performance.

George Szirtes on Poems on the Underground; Iryna Starovoyt on titan of Ukrainian literature 19th-century poet Taras Shevchenko; Katie Clarke of The Reader on poetry and dementia.

[LISTEN NOW]

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Faith Lawrence

Radio 3's weekly exploration of language and literature

David Constantine's new book Rivers of the Unspoilt World interweaves fictional characters and events with the real to create new ways of seeing and connecting our past, present and possible futures. Denise Riley's latest collection Lurex is a meditation on the timelessness of time, in which the past is never really past but is both then and now, haunting, our memories and our futures. Andrew Taylor's collection Northangerland conjures the ghost of Bramwell Bronte to rewrite his poetry for the modern reader. Clare Shaw's Towards A General Theory of Love seeks to summon the Spirit of those we have loved and lost.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Cecile Wright

Ian McMillan explores ghostly presences in writing.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Faith Lawrence

With Kelcey Wilson-Lee, Will Harris, Kate Fox and Toby Litt.

There is also be a chance to hear a rare interview with dissident Lithuanian poet and translator Tomas Venclova. Stripped of Soviet citizenship for his political views in 1977, he was forced into exile. His latest collection, The Junction, reflects on the aftermath of totalitarianism in his native country.

Ian McMillan's guests include novelist Graham Swift and Lithuanian poet Tomas Venclova.

Poet Kate Fox assesses the etiquette of writers' acknowledgements - who to thank? How much is too much? Is there such a thing as oversharing? Comedy writer Jack Bernhardt imagines how grateful you'd have to be - forever - if Superman saved your life. Sound artist Leafcutter John makes gratitude reverberate through a sheet of steel, and poet Michael Symmons Roberts reflects on the complexity of expressing gratitude in praise poetry, in a post-secular world.

Producer: Ruth Thomson

Ian McMillan with Michael Symmons Roberts, Leafcutter John, Jack Bernhardt and Kate Fox.

Gabriel Byrne is an award-winning actor and writer. His new memoir 'Walking with Ghosts' starts emphatically and lyrically with the landscape of his childhood home in Ireland and the great pleasure he took in it as a child. Gabriel also talks about his relationship with the earth - the experience of feeling the ground shift during an earthquake in Los Angeles and about the 'photograph he carries in his heart' - a memory of a ploughman working the land.

Pascale Petit won The Laurel Prize earlier this year (a new prize for poetry on environmental themes), for her remarkable poems fusing myth, the natural world (the teeming life of the rainforest) and her family relationships. Her new collection 'Tiger Girl' has at its heart, an encounter between a tiger and a baby - a baby who grew up to be Pascale's grandmother. Pascale also explains why the kapok tree is so special to her.

Elizabeth-Jane Burnett's 'The Grassling' has been called a 'geological memoir' - it's a book which explores her deep appreciation for the red earth of Devon, where she grew up, alongside an account of her relationship with her father. Elizabeth-Jane reads new poems on the programme, poems which bring us closer to invertebrates and mosses. Always innovative in her approach to writing about intimacy with natural world, she also explains some of the writing processes that sit behind her work.

Ian McMillan and guests on 'green' memoir, our intimacy with landscape and its language.

Poet David Morley unpacks the meaning of the River Sherbourne, which flows through and under Coventry. David is Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Warwick and his latest collection is 'Fury' (Carcanet). He is also a freshwater ecologist and brings an ecologist's attention and ear for language to his Sherbourne poem.

John Bernard also explores the River Sherbourne with a poem called 'Revered River'. John is a spoken word artist and rapper - and a finalist on Radio 1 Extra and Asian Network's ‘Words First' programme. He explores the idea that he has become 'acquainted' with the river.

Sujana Crawford reads a poem called 'Marshland Whispers' - inspired by Brandon Marsh, a nature reserve and former quarry. She was commissioned to write the poem as part of Contains Strong Language's 'Green City' project. Sujana's work has featured in many anthologies; her plays have been staged at venues including the Birmingham Rep, and the Belgrade Theatre.

Poet Olga Dermott-Bond has been spending time with the City of Coventry Brass Band learning about their history, and experiencing rehearsals. She performs two poems with Stephen McDonald and Christopher Moore from the City of Coventry Brass Band - inspired by listening to the band warm up and by their performance of the hymn 'Nicaea'. Olga is a former Warwick Poet Laureate, and was one of the winners of the 2018 BBC Proms poetry competition. 'Apple, fallen' is her debut poetry pamphlet.

Ian McMillan and guests on Coventry's green places and the river that ghosts through it.

Ian McMillan explores narratives of illness.

Following the recent earthquake, Haiti's status as the poorest country in the Western hemisphere has been well-documented. But what's remarked upon far less is the island's huge cultural wealth.

Here at The Verb, we wanted to explore and reflect that richness, and so as Haiti began the monumental task of burying its dead, housing its homeless and securing its future, we invited Haitian writers to send us new material.

We did so nervously, aware that some writers wouldn't wish to deal directly with the earthquake. We asked for fiction, non-fiction, poetry, drama, that dealt - or didn't deal - with recent events as the author saw fit. And we were pleased and humbled that so many writers responded.

We'll be featuring their work regularly over coming weeks, beginning this week with an extract from the drama The Trap by artist, novelist, poet and playwright Franketienne, often called Haiti's James Joyce. Rachel Douglas, Lecturer in French at Liverpool University, and Franketienne's translator, introduces the piece, which is performed in studio by Sean Baker and Phillip Browne.

Franketienne and Rewriting: A Work in Progress by Rachel Douglas is out now from Lexington Books.

For more information on Haitian writing please check the link below.

Bill Griffiths

Bill Griffiths was a biker with 'love' and 'hate' tattooed on his knuckles, but he was also a poet, an Anglo-Saxon scholar, and a folklorist (to name just a few of his passions). As a new edition of his early work is published, Ken Edwards and Sean Bonney discuss the legacy of a remarkable maverick.

Bill Griffiths, Collected Earlier Poems (1966 - 1980) is out now from Reality Street Editions.

Evie Wyld

Half-English , half-Australian novelist Evie Wyld works in a bookshop in London and last year won the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize for her first novel After the Fire, a Still Small Voice. In this week's programme she presents a brand new piece of non-fiction, written specially for The Verb, about the house of her elderly aunt: Forgotten Place, Sydney.

Edward Hopper

Lawrence Venuti discusses his remarkable translation of Catalan poet Ernest Farres's cycle of poems about the great American painter.

Edward Hopper, by Ernest Farres, translated by Lawrence Venuti, is out now from Carcanet.

Presented by Ian McMillan. With new writing from Evie Wyld, plus Catalan poems.

Ian McMillan is joined by Harriet Walter, Jason Singh and Gillian Allnutt.

[LISTEN NOW]

Ian McMillan is joined by actor and writer Harriet Walter, sound artist Jason Singh, poet Gillian Allnutt - and hears ritual language for glaciers - from writers Andri Snaer Magnason and Manjushree Thapa.

Dame Harriet Walter is one of our best loved actresses. She's absorbed the rhythms of Shakespeare's writing over decades of her award-winning work on the stage. For 'The Verb' Harriet performs new poems she's written for her book 'She Speaks', an anthology which gives the women characters from Shakespeare's plays a chance to explore their experiences and their relationships with each other.

Jason Singh is a sound artist, and nature beatboxer. He shares an evocative soundscape recorded at a Shinto Ceremony in Japan for a scientist who's been called 'The Mother of the Sea'. Leigh-born biologist Kathleen Mary Drew Baker made important discoveries about a type of seaweed, discoveries that have had a huge impact on Japanese Nori production. You can hear Jason's whole piece on 6th July at Pennington Flash in Leigh ( Greater Manchester). https://www.visitmanchester.com/event/flashes-festival-of-nature-2025/99390101/

Poet Gillian Allnutt was awarded the Queen's Gold Medal in 2016 - and her new collection 'Lode' has been celebrated for its 'indelible images' . Gillian reads a poem about meeting the Queen, in which the word 'plimsoll' plays a surprising part, and another poem in which she invents the word 'ditheridoo'.

Icelandic writer Andri Snaer Magnason, and Canadian-Nepali writer Manjushree Thapa have both written inscriptions to mark the dying of a glacier called Yala in the Hindu Kush Himalaya. They join Ian to talk about finding the right words for the ceremony, and what impact they hope their language will have.

Ian McMillan is joined by Harriet Walter, Jason Singh and Gillian Allnutt.

Ian McMillan is joined by Harriet Walter, Jason Singh and Gillian Allnutt. Plus glacier poetry with Andri Snaer Magnason and Manjushree Thapa.

[LISTEN NOW]

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Cecile Wright

An ode to autumn with Melissa Harrison, Amy Jeffs, Rebecca May Johnson and Joelle Taylor.

Ian McMillan's guests in Hay-on-Wye include Stephen Fry, who is the president of the festival. Stephen recently published the third volume of his autobiography 'More Fool Me' (Penguin). For The Verb, he will be talking about his love of U.A.Fanthorpe.

The novelist Irvine Welsh's latest book is 'A Decent Ride' (Vintage), which brings back the character of 'Juice' Terry Lawson from his 2002 novel 'Glue'. 'A Decent Ride' has been shortlisted for the 2015 Wodehouse prize for comic fiction.

The award-winning biographer Daisy Hay describes the relationship between Benjamin and Mary Anne Disraeli in her new book 'Mr and Mrs Disraeli: A Strange Romance' (Chatto)

There's music from home-grown country talent Sasha McVeigh, who returns to her home town fresh from Nashville where she recorded her debut album 'I Stand Alone'.

Producer: Faith Lawrence

Part of Radio 3's week-long residency at the Hay Festival, with programmes CD Review, Lunchtime Concert, In Tune, Free Thinking, The Essay and World on 3 all broadcasting from the festival.

Ian McMillan's guests at the Hay Festival include Stephen Fry, Irvine Welsh and Daisy Hay.

We also hear from the Australian novelist Peter Carey, twice winner of the Booker Prize, who will be reading from his latest novel 'Amnesia' and Tahmima Anam, who was chosen as one of Granta's 'Best of Young British Novelists'. She has just published 'The Bones of Grace', a novel about a young woman searching for love and identity in America and Bangladesh.

Producer: Cecile Wright.

Ian McMillan with a special edition in front of an audience at the 2016 Hay Festival.

Ian McMillan is joined by Karl Ove Knausgaard and Philip Ardagh at the Hay Festival.

Ian McMillan's guests are Testament, Michael Symmons Roberts, Sam Lee, Alison Brackenbury

Ian McMillan's guests celebrate hedges, with poetry from Alison Brackenbury and Testament, singing from Sam Lee, Michael Symmons Roberts explores a poem with a nightingale at its centre, and hedgelayer Paul Lamb records himself walking a hedgerow that's rich in wildlife.

This hedge-themed special features a haunted hedge from poet Alison Brackenbury, part of the anthology 'Lincolnshire Folk Tales Reimagined' (ed, Anna Milon and Rory Waterman). Alison's hedge started off life as a talking hedge in her non-fiction book 'Village' which is all about her childhood home in Lincolnshire (to be published online in July)

Testament, a world record-breaking beatboxer, rapper and poet, performs a poem called 'The Lig', based on his experiences observing three generations of farmer hedge-layers in Cumbria. Testament is a member of the Hot Poets Collective which explores climate change through spoken word poetry.

Sam Lee's most recent album is 'Songdreaming' - and he sings, not only in front of human audiences, but also with and alongside nightingales. Sam takes musicians and small groups of people into woodland for annual 'Singing With Nightingales' events - events which celebrate this vulnerable bird and our creative connection with it. Sam sings 'Bushes and Briars' on the show and explores the poetry of 19th century poet John Clare.

Poet and professor Michael Symmons Roberts chooses a 'neon line' for The Verb's ongoing series about stand-out lines in poems . His choice is from a poem that features a 'deconstructed hedge' and a singing blackbird. Michael listened carefully to the blackbirds in his garden whilst writing his new book 'Quartet for the End of Time: On Music, Grief and Birdsong', - inspired by his relationship with the music of the composer Olivier Messaien.

Ian also dips in and out of a very long hedge with the help of Paul Lamb, a hedge-layer who walks the Gower Peninsula to bring us hedge language. Paul's new memoir is called 'Of Thorn and Briar - A Year with the West Country Hedgelayer

Ian McMillan celebrates hedges with Alison Brackenbury, Testament, Sam Lee, Michael Symmons Roberts and the hedge-layer Paul Lamb.

[LISTEN NOW]

Ian explores the themes that animate Helen's work, the way the sea continues to tug at her imagination, and asks her about the influence of Russian poets, and John Updike on her writing process. Helen reads from her new novel 'Birdcage Walk' (Hutchinson) which shows 18th century Bristol through the eyes of a young woman born into a family of radicals, and from her latest collection of poetry 'Inside the Wave' (Bloodaxe, April 2017), with poems inspired by flat-pack furniture, imaginary waterfalls, and Catullus.

Ian McMillan celebrates the work of poet and novelist Helen Dunmore.

Helen Dunmore is astonishingly versatile; she's an award-winning novelist, children's author and a remarkable poet. She'll be sharing work from her new poetry collection 'The Malarkey'. The title poem won the National Poetry Competition.

Fiona Shaw is one of our best-loved actresses, winning multiple Olivier awards for her ground-breaking performances. She'll be inviting people across the UK to nominate and record their favourite love poems for a coastal art installation called 'Peace Camp'. As part of this installation, eight murmuring, glowing encampments (where you'll hear poetry recited) will appear simultaneously at remote coastal locations from County Antrim to the tip of Cornwall.

Kate Tempest writes rhymes, lyrics, poems, prose and plays. She began at 16, rapping in battles across London, and began performing spoken word at 21. She's performed her writing on stages all over the world, from Latvia to New York, as well as playing all the major UK and European music festivals, including Glastonbury.Her first full length poetry book 'Everything Speaks in its Own Way' has just been published.

Jesca Hoop is a singer-songwriter who was born in California, but comes to the Radio Theatre by way of Manchester. Her music's been acclaimed by the likes of Tom Waits, who described it as evoking the experience of 'going swimming in a lake at night'. Her new album is 'The House That Jack Built'.

Ian McMillan is joined by novelist Helen Dunmore, actress Fiona Shaw and poet Kate Tempest

This week Ian's guests include Helen Dunmore, who reads a brand new commission written specially for the programme. Known as a novelist, poet and writer for children, Helen Dunmore has created a geeky futuristic romance for The Verb.

The distinguished poet Ruth Fainlight describes how it feels to have fifty years' worth of your writing collected in a single, weighty volume.

The Peruvian writer Santiago Roncagliolo describes writing fiction in the shadow of the Peruvian Nobel Laureate Mario Vargas Llosa. And, with the Columbian writer Oscar Guardiola-Rivera gives an insight into the changing literature of his homeland and Latin America more widely.

Finally, 100 years to the month after Virginia Woolf said that human character changed irrevocably in December 1910, her biographer Hermione Lee joins Ian to explain why.

Presented by Ian McMillan. Helen Dunmore with a new commission and poet Ruth Fainlight.

And poet and playwright Rita Ann Higgins reads from her new book 'Tongulish' (Bloodaxe), poetry written in the language of 'sweet talk, babble and blather, quibble and quizzical

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Cecile Wright.

Ian McMillan presents Radio 3's word cabaret, with guests Helen Mort and and Ann Higgins.

Mick Herron is the author of the 'Slough House; series of spy thrillers about a group of discarded and overlooked M15 agents. The first book in the series, Slow Horses has been adapted for TV starring Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb, and he has just published the eighth instalment, Bad Actors.

Kayo Chingonyi discusses the Black British poetry anthology he has edited; More Fiya, a sequel to the seminal 1998 collection The Fire People, edited by Lemn Sissay. Kayo Chingonyi is a poetry editor at Bloomsbury. He won the Dylan Thomas prize for his debut poetry collection Kumukanda, and his most recent collection A Blood Condition was shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best Collection, the T.S. Eliot Prize, and the Costa Poetry Award.

Hannah Lowe won the Costa Book Award for her poetry collection 'The Kids'. In her chapbook Old Friends, Hannah walks the streets of Limehouse in search of traces of London's first Chinatown.

Our 'Something Old, Something New commission this week comes from Sarah Howe, whose debut collection 'Loop of Jade' won the TS Eliot prize.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Jessica Treen

With Mick Herron, Kayo Chingonyi, Hannah Lowe and Sarah Howe.

The poetry of war is the thread that runs through today's edition of The Verb, Radio 4's poetry performance and discussion programme led by Ian McMillan.

Hollie McNish talks about her new poetry collection, Virgin, which explores the damaging power of this word and asks for a broader understanding of its possibilities. Her readings on today's programme include her heartbreaking new poem 'virgins, to the back' about the young soldiers of the First World War and their battle eve brothel visits.

Major General Tim Hodgetts was Surgeon General To the UK Armed Forces. He discusses his poetry collection, Frontlines and Lifelines, which features the poetry he wrote as an Army doctor to help him process the things he faced as he dealt with the human casualties of combat in theatres of war across the world.

Julia Nemirovskaya has been collecting poetry speaking out against Russia's invasion of Ukraine since February 2022. Her 'Kopilka' (coin bank in Russian) archive has led to three collections including Disbelief: 100 Russian Anti-War Poems, and Dislocation: An Anthology of Poetic Response to Russia's War in Ukraine. She's joined by the distinguished critic and translator of Russian literature, Robert Chandler to discuss why the war has proved to be a major moment for Russian poetry.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Ekene Akalawu

Ian McMillan and Hollie McNish, Maj.Gen. Tim Hodgetts, Julia Nemirovskaya, Robert Chandler

Radio 4's cabaret of the word, featuring the best poetry, new writing and performance.

Ian McMillan discusses poetry and war with Hollie McNish, Maj.Gen. Tim Hodgetts, Julia Nemirovskaya and Robert Chandler

Ian McMillan hosts Radio 4's cabaret of the word.

[LISTEN NOW]

We continue our series looking at the language of Instruction Manuals with a new commission from sound poet Holly Pester.

Poet George Szirtes explains why his fellow countrymen think that Winnie the Pooh is much better translated into Hungarian.

And novelist Michel Faber explains why he came up with a new language for his latest novel which is about a Christian missionary in space.

Ian McMillan's guests include Hong Ying, George Szirtes, Michel Faber and Holly Pester.

Joining Eimear is Andy Miller, author of 'The Year of Reading Dangerously' and presenter of the Backlisted Podcast. Andy Miller celebrates his favourite author, Anita Brookner, and her Booker Prize-winning classic novel, 'Hotel du Lac

And Roger Luckhurst is the author of 'Corridors: Passages of Modernity', on corridors, 'Monster hotels', and the fictional hotel corridors that populate our imaginations.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Jessica Treen

With Eimear McBride, Andy Miller and Roger Luckhurst

Joining Ian is the comedian Margaret Cho, who was profoundly influenced by her friend and mentor Joan Rivers. Margaret is a groundbreaking American comic who has been Emmy and Grammy nominated five times, hosts the podcast 'Monsters of Talk' and is currently on tour with her latest stand-up show 'Fresh Off The Boat'.

Tim X Atack is a composer and sound designer who works across film, music and theatre; we commissioned him to create a audio piece inspired by the classical myth of Mentor and Athena.

The award winning poet Sarah Howe explores mentoring in the world of poetry.

This week Hollie McNish introduces us to the poetry of Rosy Carrick - who has been influenced by the Russian poet Mayakovsky.

Producer: Faith Lawrence.

Guests include Margaret Cho, Sarah Howe, Tim X Atack, Hollie McNish & Rosy Carrick.

Malika Booker founded the poetry workshop 'Malika's Poetry Kitchen' alongside fellow poet Robert Robinson twenty years ago, inspired in part by the American writer June Jordan's ideas in 'Poetry for the People: A Revolutionary Handbook' . The workshop has included many of our most exciting poets, and an anthology celebrating the workshop is published on 5th August, called 'Too Young, Too Loud, Too Different' ( edited by Maisie Lawrence and Rishi Dastidar).

Greg James and Chris Smith have turned an idea that came to Greg in a dream, into a novel for children called 'The Great Dream Robbery'. With a an acute ear for the sound of language, and a Dadaist expertise in the absurd , Greg and Chris celebrate the power of the imagination and the power of Llamas ( with bananas) - but will these things make it into our manifesto?

Celebrated for her songwriting, Kathryn Williams' first novel 'The Ormering Tide' (Wrecking Ball Press) may have a listening manifesto at its heart. Its narrator is a curious listener, both to the natural world, and the people on her island. It's Rozel's listening which gives the reader hints of something mysterious that happened a long time ago -and which unsettles the present. As Kathryn has such an acute sensitivity to place, we asked her to write a special song to celebrate the places where manifestos are conceived.

Greg James, Chris Smith, Kathryn Williams and Malika Booker and Ian McMillan on manifestos

Ian McMillan is joined by three writers to uncover how to write a best-selling novel.

Ian's guests are the writer and sociologist Professor Ann Oakley, who popularised the word 'gender' in the 1970s, and founded the Social Science Research Unit at the UCL Institute of Education, the novelist and critic Dr Siri Hustvedt on her new novel 'Memories of the Future', the poet Salena Godden on her new collection 'Pessimism is for Lightweights: 13 Pieces of Courage and Resistance' - and he presents brand new work from sound artist and composer Ingrid Plum.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Faith Lawrence

The Verb on sexism and language with Ann Oakley, Siri Hustvedt, Salena Godden, Ingrid Plum

Ian Martin

Recently unmasked as the genius behind Malcolm Tucker's expletive-strewn invective in The Thick of It and In The Loop, writer Ian Martin tells Ian McMillan why he can't stand to hear swearing in the street.

Arto Vaun

The American-Armenian poet discusses his collection Capillarity; explains why he never quite feels at home speaking either English or Armenian; and reflects on how that feeling has influenced his poetry.

School of Night

The late Ken Campbell's unique improvisational troupe apply their anarchic energy to Shakespeare, from his unfunniest funny scenes to a wealth of 'Boring Lords'.

Margaret Tait

The Orcadian poet and film-maker, born in 1918, trained to be a doctor before travelling to Italy to study film. Throughout her life she made a series of short films which she called 'film poems', as well as self-publishing three now-rare collections of poetry: The Hen and the Bees; Subjects and Sequences; and Origins and Elements. Poets Lavinia Greenlaw and Richard Price consider her work and her ideas.

Ian McMillan's word cabaret features poet Arto Vaun and improvisation by School of Night.

Ian McMillan presents an extended interview with novelist Ian McEwan.

Ian McMillan presents Radio 3's cabaret of the word with guests including John Banville.

Ian McMillan presents Radio 3's cabaret of the word from London's Southbank Centre.

Ian Rawes runs the London Survey which aims to archive and preserve the everyday sounds of London Life. He has just published 'Honk, Conk and Squacket: Fabulous and Forgotten Sound Words from a Vanished Age of Listening'.

The Novelist Linda Grant's latest book is 'The Dark Circle', which follows twins Lenny and Miriam as they are forced to leave their lives in Post-war London to live in confinement at a TB sanatorium in Kent.

Meike Ziervogel is an author and also runs Peirene Press, which publishes best-selling European novels in new English translations.

Oli Hazzard is the latest poet to tackle the 'Three Score and Ten' commission to celebrate Radio 3's 70th birthday. Oli has worked on his commission with Radio 3's composer in residence, Matthew Kaner.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Jessica Treen.

Ian McMillan's guests are Ian Rawes, Meike Ziervogel, Oli Hazzard and Matthew Kaner.

The humorist Simon Rich's latest collection of short stories is 'Spoiled Brats' (Serpent's Tail). For 'The Verb', Simon offers a satirical portrait of a louche swimming pool attendant as part of our series on instruction manuals.

Canadian folk quartet The Barr Brothers perform from their new album 'Sleeping Operator' (Secret City), and talk to Ian about how to write about love when you give up giving up on it.

Ian McMillan's guests include Imtiaz Dharker, Simon Rich and The Barr Brothers.

featuring Yrsa Daley-Ward

Rommi Smith reads a poem specially written for The Verb celebrating the colour purple; in 'The Night Alphabet', Joelle Taylor's first novel, one woman's tattoos are each portals to a story of repression and women's resistance, violence and justice; Kim Moore's poetry explores and exposes everyday sexism, gender, class and also performance as a female poet; Shirley May writes from the perspective of the Caribbean diaspora and reflects on stories of the women who came before her, and the young women poets finding their voices now.

Ian McMillan explores poetry as a tool for women's empowerment.

Ian McMillan explores how women poets are using poetry and writing to empower women through words.

The 'Into the Forest' Verb is part of a Radio 3 week exploring the enchantment, escape and magical danger of the forest in summer, with slow radio moments featuring the sounds of the forest, allowing time out from today's often frenetic world.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer:Faith Lawrence.

A literary walk through a world forest, with new work from international writers.

We explore the forest as metaphor with Terry Deary, Pascale Petit, with music and poetry from Claire Tr退vien and Kate Arnold, and Jack Bernhardt reminds us why teenagers should never go into the woods in horror films...

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Faith Lawrence

The Verb explores the forest as metaphor with Terry Deary and Pascale Petit

Ian is also joined by Carrie Etter and Ira Lightman to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the death of American poet Hart Crane - and to explore the pleasures of 'difficult' poetry.

Poetry Proms Competition coming soon ... see website for details.

Ian McMillan is joined by Inua Ellams, Cate Le Bon, Ira Lightman and Carrie Etter.

Ian McMillan is joined by four guests for more poetry and performance .

After a year characterised by wet weather, Alan Connor constructs a poem from 188 Words for Rain collected on travels around the country for his new book with that title. Comedian and writer Isy Suttie treats us to a new song written with the approaching Bonfire Night in mind, but the fireworks in the studio don't only come from her guitar. The other guests get a chance to join in too.

Poet Pascale Petit opens up her first novel which took 17 years to write, examining the differences and similarities between poetry and prose and Deryn Rees Jones reads from her own work and takes on this week's neon line, 'all the worse things come stalking in'.

Produced by Cecile Wright

Editor Susan Roberts

Poets Pacale Petit and Deryn Rees Jones join Isy Suttie and Alan Connor for The Verb.

Ian McMillan's guests this week are the writer and crossword editor Alan Connor, Isy Suttie - comedian singer and novelist, and two poets, Pascale Petit and Deryn Rees Jones

A cabaret of the word, featuring the best poetry, new writing and performance.

[LISTEN NOW]

Producer: Faith Lawrence.

Ian McMillan's guests include Jackie Kay, Jean Sprackland, Jane Feaver and Tom McRae.

In Nicola Barker's experimental new novel H(A)PPY (William Heinemann) she is attempting to obliterate the narrative. Nicola has been longlisted three times for the Booker prize and her novel 'Wide Open' won the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award.

Ode to Leeds' is a new play by young writer Zodwa Nyoni. Based on her experiences as part of Leeds Young Authors, 'Ode to Leeds' is at the West Yorkshire Playhouse from 10th June.

Performance artist Scottee is a regular fixture on Radio 4's 'Loose Ends' as well as the cabaret circuit. His work often examines gender, body image and masculinity. In a new commission for The Verb, 'Felt Tips', he writes about the relationship he had with his mother as a small boy.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Jessica Treen.

Ian McMillan presents the word cabaret, with Jackie Kay, Nicola Barker and Scottee.

Deep Dialect

Is there a new dialect poetry movement? Ian finds out from Anna Robinson (who's come up with a new way to represent the Cockney glottal stop in poetry), and Jacqueline Gabbitas from Worksop, who shares her love of the word is t'other .

Anna Robinson's 'The Finders of London' is available from Enitharmon, and Jacqueline's Mid Lands is published by Seeing Eye, her new pamphlet Earthworks is out from Stonewood Press.

Emma Bennett and 'Two Tries Robin

Emma performs her birdsong-inspired work live in the studio - where she talks like a bird talking about a bird.

Invented Languages

Why have so many writers and musicians invented their own languages? Stuart Maconie traces their history from The Tower of Babel to Simlish.

Liz Fraser invented her own language as part of 'The Cocteau Twins'. She talks about why she decided to eschew obvious meaning in her lyrics for her trademark transcendent and enigmatic sounds.

And forthcoming - don't forget to get your free tickets for:

The Verb at Octoberfest

11th October

Doors open 10.30am

Ian's guests at this recording include The Fast Show's Charlie Higson, who'll be talking about his new zombie novel 'The Sacrifice' and the language of horror. He'll be joined by Blake Morrison who revisits the landscape of his childhood in Yorkshire and evokes the mysterious world of the Pendle Witches in his new book 'A Discoverie of Witches' Helen Mort's poems will explore the musical landscape and heritage of Sheffield, whilst Essex-born performance poet Luke Wright will be explaining why Jake Thackray (a Leeds songwriter in love with French chanson) has been such an influence on his work.

Follow this link for tickets:

http://www.BBC.co.uk/showsandtours/shows/shows/octoberfest_2012

or contact The Crucible Box Office: 0114 249 6000.

hero and the perfect villain.

Plus Wales's National poet Gillian Clarke reading from her latest collection, Zimbabwean novelist Brian Chikwava, author of Harare North, with a new short

story written specially for the

programme and music in Gaelic from Alyth.

Ian McMillan talks to bestselling thriller writer James Patterson and poet Gillian Clark.

Technology theorist and author of 'Netymology', Tom Chatfield examines the truth behind 'The Cloud

Nathan Jones from Liverpool arts collective Mercy presents a new 'language event' on the theme of convergence.

The Poet Karen McCarthy Woolf reads from her latest collection 'An Aviary of Small Birds'.

Ian McMillan with James Robertson, Tom Chatfield, Nathan Jones and Karen McCarthy Woolf.

James Yorkston is a folk musician from Fife and an early member of the group of artists known as 'The Fence Collective'. His songs have been described as being 'not so much written, as carefully retrieved from your own subconscious, played with an intuition bordering on telepathy.' He plays new songs from the album 'I was a Cat from a Book' ( Domino), 'Border Song' and 'A Short Blues'.

The incomparable John Hegley began his poetry career in 1980, and is now publishing his 19th book - 'Love, Peace and Potatoes' (Serpent's Tail). He shares poems about his grandparents and performs new work commissioned for 'The Verb', addressed to one of his favourite writers, DH Lawrence.

Sophie Hannah is the author of six internationally bestselling psychological thrillers - the latest of which is 'The Carrier' (Hodder and Stoughton). She explains why she created a character who confesses to a murder but claims he has 'no motive'.

Ian McMillan is joined by James Yorkston, Polarbear, Sophie Hannah and John Hegley.

Jan takes us inside her writing practice, including discussion of her strong musical sense (she even sings sentences aloud), her love of the exclamation mark and why three is the magic number when it comes to writing drafts. Finally, after a life-time of making connections and putting them into words, and considering what she believes is the 'self-centred' nature of her job, Jan is an advocate for 'kindness', which she calls 'the ultimate virtue'.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Penny Boreham.

A special extended interview with travel writer Jan Morris.

Diego Marani is a senior linguist at the European Union and writes a column for a Swiss newspaper about current affairs in Europanto, a language that he has invented. We'll hear extracts from his work in Europanto, and he'll describe how he devised the language.

Australian poet John Kinsella reads from his new book Armour.

And poet and travel writer Kapka Kassabova is fascinated with the global subculture of Tango - and writes and reads a new commission especially for the Verb, and takes us through the language of the dance.

Musician Jarvis Cocker discusses his lyrics and John Kinsella presents new poetry.

Born and raised in Jamaica, Jean Binta Breeze is an internationally renowned dub poet and storyteller, and the first woman to come to prominence in the male dominated dub poetry scene. As she writes in her poem 'The Garden Path', 'I want to make words/music/move beyond language/into sound'. Her latest book is 'The Verandah Poems' (Bloodaxe)

Karen McCarthy Woolf is one of the poets invited by Radio 3 to write a new poem to celebrate its 70th anniversary as part of the 'Three Score and Ten' Series. She published her debut collection 'An Aviary of Small Birds' (Carcanet) in 2014.

Katy Layton-Jones is a Cultural historian and historical consultant. She examines our changing relationship with the city in her book 'Beyond the Metropolis' (Manchester University Press).

Ian McMillan's is joined by Jean Binta Breeze, Katy Layton Jones and Karen McCarthy Woolf.

Jeet Thayil's 'Narcopolis', is a dream-infused novel about opium dens in 1980s Mumbai; it was short-listed for the Booker Prize last year. He shares extracts from a work-in-progress, 'The Sex Lives of the Saints' , the sequel to 'Narcopolis' (Faber).

James Ward is the founder of Stationery Club, London's annual 'Boring Conference', and the author of a forthcoming book 'Adventures in Stationery' (Serpent's Tail). On this week's show he celebrates 'the man who didn't invent the paper-clip'.

Lowri Evans is a performance artist whose stage show about her own life 'The Secret Life of You and Me' is described as a live scrap book, that's still evolving. It had its premiere at The Lowry earlier this year and will tour this summer.

Chris Beckett's 'Ethiopia Boy' (Carcanet) is a collection of poems capturing the soundscape and friendships of a childhood spent in Ethiopia - his parents moved there from the UK in the nineteen-sixties. Chris reads new poems inflected with Amharic traditions.

Produced by Faith Lawrence.

Ian McMillan's guests include TS Eliot Prize winner Jen Hadfield.

The award-winning poet discusses her new collection, Of Mutability, and how it's been shaped by serious illness, collaborations with scientists and artists, and a desire to know everything.

Of Mutability is out now from Faber.

Christos Tsiolkas

Australian novelist Christos Tsiolkas won the 2009 Commonwealth Writers Prize for his exhilirating portrait of suburban life amongst second-generation Greek, Indian and Lebanese Australians. This week on The Verb he presents a memoir of a long hot summer in 1970s Melbourne, Forty Degrees.

Peter Blegvad

The Verb's Sony award-winning Eartoonist makes a long awaited return with a brand new song, Golden Helmet, inspired by a medieval illustration of a knight's disused helmet being used as a hive for bees.

Adam O'Riordan

Adam discusses his first poetry collection, In The Flesh, which draws on the year he spent on a Wordsworth Trust residency at Dove Cottage, Wordsworth's former home in the Lake District.

In The Flesh is out now from Chatto and Windus.

Ian McMillan presents new poetry by Jo Shapcott and fiction from Christos Tsiolkas.

Ian McMillan is joined by Joelle Taylor, Anthony Joseph, Luke Wright and Rob Drummond.

How does it feel to be adopted? How does naming things affect experience? Why does a mysterious sound make Ian want to get out of the studio in Salford? Is it ever a good idea to pretend to have a particular accent? Poems, questions and much more - on this week's Verb.

Ian McMillan is joined by poets Joelle Taylor, Anthony Joseph, Luke Wright, and sociolinguist Rob Drummond.

Joelle Taylor brings us a brand new commission inspired by the 50th anniversary of the BBC television series 'The Changes' - with its mysterious sound that transforms and challenges modern life. Does it still have resonance today? Joelle won the TS Eliot Prize for poetry in 2022, and her most recent book is a novel - 'The Night Alphabet', which has been described as 'relentlessly inventive.

Anthony Joseph is a poet, musician and academic. He shares poetry of intimacy and intimacy with language - in work from his selected poems 'Precious and Impossible'. Anthony won the TS Eliot prize in 2023 with his 'luminous' collection 'Sonnets for Albert'.

Luke Wright is a ground-breaking performer and poet - currently touring with his show 'Joy'. He reads new poems which look at the power of early experiences: a book that helped him understand the experience of being adopted, and a poem which celebrates the beauty of the view from his window in Suffolk.

Did the contestant who faked a Welsh accent on 'The Traitors' TV series make a good decision? And what poetry was there to be found in the series? Ian talks to Rob Drummond, Professor of Sociolinguistics at Manchester Metropolitan University.

[LISTEN NOW]

A special archive repeat of The Verb with John Ashbery who died on 3rd Sept 2017.

John Bramwell is the singer and songwriter of Manchester based band 'I am Kloot'. John performs songs from their new album 'Let It All In' (Shepherd Moon), and tells us what makes a lyric 'Klootish'.

The American humourist Simon Rich has written novels, short story collections, and has been a writer for Saturday Night Live and The New Yorker, all before his 30th birthday. Simon shares his new short story collection 'The Last Girlfriend on Earth', (Serpent's Tail), which uses unusual situations to convey the extreme pleasures and pains of love. Simon reads from a story about a caveman love triangle, 'I Love Girl'.

The first ever radio drama broadcast on BBC Radio, in 1923 was an extract from Julius Ceasear. To celebrate the 90th anniversary, this same extract has been recorded with Jenny Jules and Harriet Walter, part of the cast of Phyllida Lloyd's all female production which recently ran at the Donmar Warehouse. Poet and Playwright Amanda Dalton discusses the craft of writing for radio, and explains why she has twice chosen to adapt silent films. We hear an extract from 'The Midnight Cry of the Deathbird', her version of 'Nosferatu' produced for Radio 3.

For more information about Radio Drama at Ninety: http://www.BBC.co.uk/programmes/b01qzjjz.

John Cooper Clarke

The legendary performance poet, best known for classics such as Beasley Street and I Married a Monster from Outer Space, presents brand new material and reflects on his career.

Matthew Holness

The Perrier Award winning comedian and creator of Garth Marenghi presents a brand new commission.

Alex Horne

The Verb's Language Spy investigates the world of eighteenth century slang.

Laura Dockrill

The performance poet and writer, a.k.a. Dockers MC, presents new material.

With Ian McMillan. Featuring new writing from award-winning comedian Matthew Holness.

One of America's most celebrated novelists, the author of The World According to Garp, A Prayer for Owen Meany and Hotel New Hampshire tells Ian McMillan why a writer doesn't always get to choose his subject.

Last Night in Twisted River, John Irving's latest novel, is out now from Bloomsbury.

Frank Cottrell Boyce

The award-winning author and screenwriter, who won the Carnegie Medal for his book Millions, and wrote the scripts for 24 Hour Party People, Hilary and Jackie and Welcome to Sarajevo, presents a brand new ghost story, Some Things You Never Get Used To, written specially for the programme.

Beware the Kids

Free Thinking 2009 writers-in-residence Karen Laws and Fiona Evans discuss the drama they've written for Radio 3's festival of ideas in Gateshead.

Beware the Kids is performed at the Baltic Centre, Gateshead, on 24th October and is broadcast on Radio 3 on 25th October.

Free Thought

As the Oxford English Dictionary prepares to launch its first-ever historical thesaurus, which groups words according to their meanings, one of its editors, Christian Kay, reflects on the basic human urge to organise and categorise.

Ian McMillan's guests include novelist John Irving and writer Frank Cottrell Boyce.

Ian McMillan and guests celebrate writer, artist and critic John Ruskin.

The Poetry of John Updike

Continuing The Verb's series on novelists who write poetry, Christopher Bigsby, Professor of American Studies at the University of East Anglia, considers the poetry of John Updike, who died earlier this year.

List! List! Oh List!

As Italian novelist, philosopher and semiotician Umberto Eco publishes his latest book The Infinity of Lists, about the place of the list in Western culture, The Verb asks writer and critic Kevin Jackson to provide us with the ultimate list - of lists.

The Infinity of Lists by Umberto Eco is out now from MacLehose press. Invisible Forms: A Guide to Literary Curiosities by Kevin Jackson is also out now, from Thomas Dunne Books.

Laura Gibson

Singer songwriter Laura Gibson discusses her latest album Beasts of Seasons, and why she decided to divide the songs on it into two groups - Communion Songs and Funeral Songs.

Word of the Year

Every year Oxford University Press runs a competition to find a 'word of the year' - OUP lexicographer Ammon Shea announces 2009's winner.

Nigar Hasan-Zadeh & Richard McKane

Azerbaijani poet and rising international poetry star Nigar Hasan-Zadeh's recent collection On Wings Over the Horizon has been compared to the work of Russian 'Silver age' poets like Anna Akhmatova and Maria Tsvetaeva. Nigar and her translator, Richard McKane, reflect on the Sufi tradition in Azerbaijani poetry, and on the impact of Nigar's decision to write in Russian, rather than her native Azeri.

Ian McMillan talks to Azerbaijani poet and rising star Nigar Hassan-Zadeh.

Presented by Ian McMillan. With Jon Boden and Nigerian writer Kachi A Ozumba.

We launch a new series examining the language of Instruction Manuals. Technical writer Alison Peck advises on how to write a good guide, and the poet John McAuliffe presents the first in a series of responses to Instruction Manuals.

Ian's guests include poet John McAuliffe and former major of Reykjavik Jon Gnarr.

Laura Dockrill reads a letter to Dolly Parton - from Jolene's point of view.

Poet Eva Salzman, a self confessed science fiction nut as a teenager, visits the new Science Fiction exhibition at the British Library - and in thinking about other realities is inspired to write a new piece of fiction for the Verb.

And in the month that Chas 'n' Dave bow out of live performances, Ian and musicologist Laurie Stras discuss - is this the end of the Cockney Song?

Presented by Ian McMillan. With Jon McGregor and Laura Dockrill.

director Chris Goode, actor Christian Roe and poet Matthew Welton.

Download the podcast to hear an more of Matthew's poetry, and an extra song from Beccy:

http://www.BBC.co.uk/podcasts/series/theverb.

Ian McMillan presents Radio 3's word cabaret, with guests including author Jonathan Coe.

Novelist Janice Galloway launches The Verb's brand new writing competition with some advice for would-be Chekhovs, and writer and critic Zinovy Zinik tries to pin down the magical elements of the Chekhov short story. Please see our front page for competition details and terms and conditions.

Jonathan Lethem

The author of The Fortress of Solitude and Chronic City tells Ian why we should avoid reading famous novelists in favour of their more obscure contemporaries. Check out Jonathan's reading list below.

John Ashbery

The veteran of the New York School of poetry reflects on his fifty-year writing career and reads from his new collection, Planisphere.

Elvis at 75

Guardian music writer Laura Barton considers the poignant legacy of Elvis Presley's fame, on what would have been The King's 75th birthday.

Ian McMillan meets novelist Jonathan Lethem and avant-garde American poet John Ashbery.

The acclaimed American novelist gives Verb listeners his guide to books about The Soul. Joshua's new book The Unnamed tackles the philosophical and scientific conundrum of the soul through the character of Tim Farnsworth, a successful lawyer who loves his family, but is forced by a mystery disease to walk at unpredictable moments - out of a meeting, a court case, a family dinner, the life he knows. Whilst researching the novel, Joshua explored literary, philosophical and scientific writing about the soul - tune in to hear his recommendations.

Ginger and Black

The comedy duo bring their deadpan comic songs to The Verb studio, and invite their fellow guests to join them in a little audience participation.

JD Salinger

Kevin Jackson reveals the history of a unique 'bootleg' edition of JD Salinger's early and uncollected work.

Niven Govinden

The novelist presents a brand new - and chilling - short story, We Are Always At Your Service, about a spa town with a dark secret. Read in studio by Ewan Bailey.

Presented by Ian McMillan. With novelist Joshua Ferris on books about the soul.

Producer: Cecile Wright

Ian McMillan presents a special extended interview with American writer Joyce Carol Oates.

Tania Hershman who presents 'Massless' - a piece of 'Flash Fiction' written especially for The Verb and inspired by the discovery of the Higgs-Boson. Her short story collection 'My Mother was an Upright Piano' is published by Tangent Books.

Charles Fernyhough, with an investigation of the way memory works, 'Pieces of Light', in which he combines science writing and autobiography (Profile Books).

Julia Copus reads from her new poetry collection 'The World's Two Smallest Humans', which explores her fascination with the arc of time, and interior landscapes (Faber).

Paul Heaton's songs have been the soundtrack for a generation. He honed his songwriting as part of the Housemartins and The Beautiful South - now he's touring with a project called 'The 8th' - described as a hybrid, part pop song cycle, part opera. He also performs music from his forthcoming solo album.

Ian McMillan is joined by Julia Copus, Charles Fernyhough, Tania Hershman and Paul Heaton

Carys Davies is the author of the short story collection 'The Redemption of Galen Pike' (Salt), winner of the Jerwood Fiction Uncovered prize and the International Frank O'Connor Short Story Award.

Frank McCabe is one of the BBC Writersroom 10 and the author of 'Tongues', the latest in our series of short dramas on the theme of revolution.

Producer: Cecile Wright.

Ian McMillan presents the word cabaret. Guests include Julian Barnes and Marry Waterson.

Ian McMillan's guests include Julian Cope, Maggie Gee and Ruth Keggin.

Ian McMillan presents Radio 3's cabaret of the word live from the BBC Radio Theatre.

Presented by Ian McMillan. With Justin Cartwright, Anthony Browne and Arto Vaun.

This year playwright Kaite O'Reilly published her selected plays 'Atypical Plays for Atypical Actors'. The book is a collection of dramas which redefines the notion of normalcy. From monologues, to performance texts, to realist plays, Kaite's work explore disability as a portal to new experience.

Trevor Cox is Professor of Acoustic Engineering at the University of Salford and the author of ‘Sonic Wonderland: A Scientific Odyssey of Sound' (Vintage).

Caoilinn Hughes is one of the new poets commissioned by Radio 3 to create new work as part of their 'Three Score and Ten' series, celebrating 70 years of broadcasting.

Scottish composer and musician Christopher Duncan performs under the name C Duncan. He performs songs from his new record 'The Midnight Sun' (Fat Cat)

Guests include playwright Kaite O'Reilly, poet Caoilinn Hughes, and musician C Duncan.

Singer Kate Rusby on her writing process, why she thinks 'rhymes could power cars !', why the sea so often features in her lyrics, and her experience of collaborating with Paul Weller, amongst other artists, for her new album '20'.

Poet Helen Farish on the pleasures and difficulties of capturing music in language, writing from imagination, and her new collection 'Nocturnes at Nohant' (Bloodaxe), which explores the relationship between Chopin and the novelist George Sand. Pianist Sarah Gait performs Chopin's Prelude no 17 and his Nocturne in C Sharp Minor to accompany the poems.

Playwright Fiona Evans with a new commission, 'Rooftop Romeo' - a drama inspired by a residency on hospital wards and with nurses working in the community. Fiona shares her experience of writing about people suffering from dementia, and how they engage with poetry and music.

Ian McMillan is joined by singer Kate Rusby, poet Helen Farish and playwright Fiona Evans.

Producer: Faith Lawrence.

Many of the events at Contains Strong Language are available to view online, please see the website for more details: https://www.BBC.co.uk/events/ezb3v2

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Jessica Treen

Record at the Contains Strong Language Festival.

Producer: Cecile Wright

Ian McMillan explores poetry on the page and the stage with dance.

Ian McMillan explores the wonderfully different ways we use language with poets Daljit Nagra, Nasser Hussain and Safiya Kamaria Kinshasa.

Rob Drummond, The Verb's resident linguist has been keeping an ear out for the neologisms of our time, and Kate Clanchy presents some of the work written by her students as part of their weekly online poetry classes.

With more time to read, many of us are finding solace in our bookshelves, and discovering new resonances in classic texts. In a piece especially recorded for The Verb, Julie Hesmondhalgh reads from Ruth, by Elizabeth Gaskell, accompanied by Nicholas Howson & Ruth Montgomery from the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, just two of the many musicians who have turned their creative energies towards new ways to perform and collaborate.

We also hear from just a few of the poets and performers responding to Lockdown - Hollie McNish, Michael Dickman, and Morgan Bassichis.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Jessica Treen

With Kate Clanchy, Rob Drummond and Julie Hesmondhalgh

Kassia St Clair is the author of 'The Golden Thread: How Fabric Changed History', a book that illustrates just how important textile technology has been to our human story, and shows us the ways langauge and fabric are intertwined. The poet Amy key is the author of two collections, Isn't Forever and Luxe. We commissioned Amy to write a brand new poem on the theme of clothing as part of our Experiments in Living series. Linda Grant is the author of 'The Thoughtful Dresser', a collection of essays that takes getting dressed seriously, and asks why fashion has been seen as merely frivolous for so long.

And we have the last in our series of Verb Dramas, 'Reflection', by Lettie Precious.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Jessica Treen

With Linda Grant, Kassia St Clair, Amy Key, plus new drama from Lettie Precious.

Our 'Something' New poem (marking 100 years of the BBC) is by Menna Elfyn.

Ian McMillan enjoys last lines with Stuart Maconie, Caroline Bird and Sinead Morrissey.

Producer: Faith Lawrence

Ian McMillan enjoys last lines with Stuart Maconie, Caroline Bird, and Sinéad Morrissey

Luke Wright

Latitude Festival veteran Luke Wright, who ran the Poetry Tent at the festival for eleven years. Luke performs from his new show 'Luke Wright@ Poet Laureate', and explains how he keeps his performances fresh night after night.

Travis Alabanza

Poet and performer Travis Alabanza reads from their debut chapbook 'Before I Step Outside You Love Me', and discusses how to make the streets as safe a place as the stage.

Octavia Poetry Collective

The Octavia poetry collective was put together by Rachel Long, who is joined by just a few of its talented members - Amina Jama & Victoria Adukwei Bulley. The podcast edition of the programme contains an exclusive performance from Sunayana Bhargava.

Joelle Taylor

Joelle reads from her new collection 'Songs My Enemy Taught Me'. The book came out of workshops with marginalised women, and here Joelle celebrates their unheard voices.

Harry & Chris

Harry Baker and Chris Read are the UK's 'Favourite Comedy-Rap-Jazz Duo'. They join Ian on stage at The Speakeasy to celebrate the pleasures of being in a performance Duo, and to sing a song they've written in the voice of a panda. And download the podcast for an extra performance from them too...

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Jessica Treen

Join Ian and guests at the Latitude Festival's Speakeasy stage

Ian McMillan's guests include Laura Veirs, Benjamin Markovits and Alex Horne.

Ian McMillan presents. With Lawrence Sail, Sunjeev Sahota, Ginger and Black, Ammon Shea.

Producer: Erin Riley and Dymphna Flynn.

Ian McMillan presents Radio 3's cabaret of the word, featuring novelist Leila Aboulela.

The celebrated Australian poet talks about his love of words, his relationship with Australia's Macquarie Dictionary, and the innovations of Australian English.

Loan Words

Writer Kevin Jackson on the words English steals (never mind borrows) from other languages, and the words we loan out in return.

Glyn Maxwell

The poet and dramatist discusses his libretto for new opera The Lion's Face, which centres on a character with Alzheimer's Disease.

The Lion's Face premieres at The Brighton Festival on May 20th before touring round the country throughout the summer. More details at thelionsface.wordpress.com

Aminatta Forna

The novelist presents a brand new story, Haywards Heath, written specially for The Verb, and read by Don Warrington.

Presented by Ian McMillan. With Les Murray, Kevin Jackson, Glyn Maxwell, Aminatta Forna.

BBC Radio 3's Free Thinking Festival takes place at Sage Gateshead 25-27 October and is broadcast for three weeks on Radio 3 from Friday 25 October.

Ian McMillan presents Radio 3's cabaret of the word from Free Thinking 2013.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Cecile Wright

What does it mean to be free? Ian McMillan and guests consider Liberation Narratives.

The first living female playwright to have a play - Her Naked Skin - performed on the National Theatre's Olivier Stage, Rebecca is also the author of Shoreditch Madonna; A Soldier's Tale and The Night Season. She presents a brand new commission written specially for the programme.

Luke Wright

Poet-in-residence on Radio Four's Saturday Live, Luke Wright is a winner of the Time Out Critics' Circle Award and 'the hard-working heir to John Hegley', according to The Guardian. He performs new work from his show The Petty Concerns of Luke Wright.

The Factory

Specialising in improvised versions of celebrated plays, The Factory have been called 'super cool' and 'unforgettable' by critics. As part of Radio 3's ongoing Chekhov celebrations, they give his play The Seagull the unique Factory treatment.

Toby Litt

Novelist Toby Litt presents another of his much-loved Verb Guides, this time to 17th-century Japanese poet Matsuo Basho's famous 'frog haiku':

Faru ike ya

kawazu tobikomu

mizu no oto

Tune in to hear it in English!

Christopher Reid

The winner of the 2009 Costa Book Award discusses his moving poetry collection The Scattering.

Ian McMillan presents a special edition from the BBC Radio Theatre.

Loyle Carner is a hip-hop artist with a love of poetry that began when he was a child. His debut album, 'Yesterday's Gone' was nominated for the Mercury Prize and he released the follow up, 'Not Waving But Drowning' in 2019. Loyle shares Guyanese heritage with one of his poetic heroes, John Agard. One of our best loved poets, John agard was awarded the Queen's Gold Medal for poetry in 2012. Poets Siana Bangura and Roy Mcfarlane have been comissioned by Contains Strong Language to walk 'In Ira Aldridege's Footsteps', here, they celebrate the groundbreaking African American actor-manager and his connection to Coventry.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Jessica treen

With Loyle Carner, John Agard, Siana Bangura and Roy McFarlane.

Live from Leeds, Ian McMillan introduces public poets from around the world.

Producer : Erin Riley.

Ian McMillan live from the Radio Theatre with Chris Difford, Jane Harris and Toby Litt.

Presented by Ian McMillan. With P J Harvey, Hanif Kureishi and Salena Godden.

In 'Spandex and the City' (Orbit), novelist Jenny Colgan finds out what happens when a romantic heroine meets a superhero, and we hear an extract from 'Lord Fox', a collaboration between the writer Kirsty Logan, harpist Esther Swift and songwriter Kirsty Law

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Cecile Wright.

Ian McMillan's guests are David Crystal, poet Mike Garry and novelist Jenny Colgan.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Faith Lawrence.

Ian McMillan shares extended interviews with poets Lorna Goodison and Jorie Graham.

Producers: Erin Riley and Dymphna Flynn.

Presented by Ian McMillan. With novelist Maggie Gee and singer-songwriter Paul Heaton.

Producer: Ruth Thomson

Ian McMillan talks to Margaret Atwood and Alice Oswald about their poetry.

[LISTEN NOW]

Ian McMillan talks to Margaret Atwood about her writing process.

Writer and poet Maria Popova on taking inspiration from 19th century ornithological studies for her new publication, An Almanac of Birds – 100 Divinations for Uncertain Days.

Slam poet Aditya Narayan has had an impressive winning streak this year – winning the Roundhouse Poetry Slam in April and the Loud Poets Grand Slam final in August. He discusses writing poetry for performance and rhyming English, Hindi, and Urdu.

Kimberly Campanello and D.M. Black are members of a distinguished group - poets who have translated Dante's epic poem, The Divine Comedy. They reflect on their different approaches to the 14th century three part work which takes the reader to hell, purgatory, and heaven - Kimberly weaving in her personal history including her Parkinson's diagnosis and the history of Italy in her translation of Part 1: Inferno, and D.M. Black drawing upon his experience as a psychoanalyst in his award-winning translation of Part 2: Purgatorio, and his recently published Part 3: Paradiso.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Ekene Akalawu

Ian McMillan with Maria Popova, Aditya Narayan, Kimberly Campanello, and DM Black.

Radio 4's cabaret of the word, featuring the best poetry, new writing and performance.

Ian McMillan on poetry as divinations, a call to action, and a guide to life, in the company of Maria Popova, Aditya Narayan, Kimberly Campanello and DM Black.

[LISTEN NOW]

Novelist Marina Lewycka talks about Gerrard Winstanley's standing as one of the most significant prose writers and radical thinkers of early modern England. After the Civil War, England was a fecund ground for new ideas, attitudes and actions and Winstanley and the Diggers were pioneers of 'direct action' and communal living.

Jonny Trunk is interested in retro culture in the information age; and talks to Ian about the re-issue of Seasons - a CD made by the Radiophonic Workshop in the 1960s for 'music and movement' classes in schools. It's a mix of unexpected electronics, percussion and poetry by Ronald Duncan.

Stella Duffy looks at her bookshelf and talks about how writers use prologues to set up the work that follows. She guides us through some of the prologues in literature, from the most famous - Chaucer's prologue to the Canterbury Tales - to The Taming of the Shrew, where Shakespeare reassures the audience that what they're about to see is just a play within a play, to Erica Jong's Fanny where the author must interrupt her prologue to attend to a sick dog, leaving the reader to peek at the work she's left on her desk.

And there's new writing from Chibundu Onuzo, a twenty-one year old student from London who's just published her first novel. She reads Easter Sunday, a story set in her native Nigeria.

Producer : Dymphna Flynn.

Ian McMillan is joined by writers Marina Lewycka, Stella Duffy and Chibundu Onuzo.

Sarfraz Manzoor talks about the challenge of adapting the memoir of his obsession with Bruce Springsteen into a one-man show - and what The Boss taught him about perfecting a persona for the stage.

The Boss Rules' tours London, Otley, Birmingham and Halesworth in October and November.

Mark Haddon, poet, novelist and dramatist, shares extracts from his tallk 'Swimming and Flying' and explains how adapting 'The Curious Incident of The Dog and the Night-time' helped him think about the way audiences 'hear' writing in performance.

Mark's novel 'The Red House' is published by Jonathan Cape

Frances Leviston was nominated for the T.S.Eliot prize for her first poetry collection 'Public Dream' - she shares a new poem 'Pyramid' and reflects on how thinking about form and shape helped her to write differently.

Pyramid' is to be published in The Manchester Review, and Frances' new collection 'Disinformation' is forthcoming from Picador.

Tony Crowley grew up in Liverpool and has now written the definitive history of Scouse dialect. He shares Scouse poetry and explains why Scouse is a more recent invention than Liverpudlians tend to think.

Scouse: Social and Cultural History' published by Liverpool University Press.

Ian McMillan's guests include Mark Haddon, Frances Leviston and Sarfraz Manzoor.

Martha Wainwright sings Piaf

Wainwright was introduced to Edith Piaf when she and brother Rufus found their mother's stash of the great singer's records. Her bilingual upbringing in Montreal has undoubtedly helped her get to grips with Piaf's lyrics, but - she tells Ian - she still feels the need to avoid famous tracks like La Vie En Rose in favour of more obscure treasures. Martha's latest album is Sans Fusils, Ni Souliers, A Paris: Martha Wainwright's Piaf Record.

Paul Durcan

The hugely popular Irish poet, known for a comic flair that regularly reduces his readers to hysterics at readings, reflects on forty years of writing as a new anthology of his work, Life is a Dream: Forty Years of Reading Poems, is published.

Verb Guide to... the world's oldest published authors

Following his investigation of the youthful publishing efforts of Lucretia Maria Davidson, Marjory Fleming and H P LOVECRAFT, Toby Litt turns his attention to writing in old age, with a look at the work of George Bernard Shaw, Samuel Beckett and Stanley Kunitz.

Lost Laureate

When Icelandic novelist Halldor Laxness won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1955, the Nobel academy credited him with renewing 'the Icelandic language as an artistic means of expression'. Still much-loved in Scandinavia, his novels - including Independent People and The Atom Station - are little known in the UK. His biographer, Halldor Gudmundsson, tells the story of an author determined to put Iceland on the literary map.

With Martha Wainwright on the lyrics of Edith Piaf, plus poet Paul Durcan.

Sandeep Parmar talks about the poetry of Hope Mirrlees, whose poem Paris has been hailed as a lost modernist masterpiece. Eleanor Bron reads extracts from the poem, which is a journey through one day in post First World War Paris, and was considered by Virginia Woolf as 'obscure, indecent and brilliant'.

There's new fiction from Ross Raisin, a young writer who's considered one of our most promising authors; one of America's most interesting writers Padgett Powell talks about his new book You and I.

Produced by Jennifer Chevalier.

With music from guitarist Martin Simpson and Sandeep Parmar on poetry by Hope Mirrlees.

Ian McMillan takes to the stage again with Mary Coughlan, Daljit Nagra and Joanne Harris.

The poet reads from his new collection, in which every poem begins or ends with the word Apparently, and reflects on the slippery implications of that term in modern speech and culture.

CK Stead

As he collects a major new short story prize, the New Zealand poet and novelist considers his home country's special relationship with the short story and recommends a reading list.

Sparks

Sparks is a BBC Writersroom initiative designed to develop new writing talent, and at a recent workshop we challenged young writers to create a short radio drama for The Verb. In the first of a two-part series, Ella Hickson and Nicholas Pierpan, both Sparks graduates, present their plays Oranges and From A Distant Room.

Writing and Social Work

As the Orange Prize's chair of judges Daisy Goodwin complains that this year's longlist was so full of misery memoirs it made her feel 'like a social worker', The Verb talks to two social workers who write - Gaynor Arnold and Alistair Findlay - about how they combine the two activities.

Willy Vlautin

The novelist and singer songwriter discusses his passion for Raymond Carver and sings songs from the seedier side of the American Dream.

With CK Stead on the art of the short story, and American songwriter Willy Vlautin.

Novelist and The Verb regular Toby Litt talks about some of the lesser-known poet laureates of the period, including Robert Southey, William Wordsworth and the unfortunate Alfred Austin, Tennyson's much-mocked successor, whom Robert Browning dismissed as the 'Banjo Byron'.

Ergo Phizmiz presents some 'pointballing', his series of eclectic experiments in sound and language, this time with a Victorian flavour and in the spirit of the nonsense poetry of Edward Lear and Lewis Carroll.

And novelist Gregory Norminton, author of Serious Things, reads The Chronic Omnibus, his new Wellsian tale of how the Victorians saw the future.

Presented by Ian MacMillan. Exploring the literary life of the 19th century.

Ian's guests include the poet Steve Ely whose book The European Eel is an epic poetic odyssey following the imagined journey of a single eel from the Sargasso Sea to the rivers of Europe, and back to its birthplace, to mate and die, Robin Robertson whose new collection Grimoire is a series of retellings and imaginings of Scottish folktales that are often brutal, but with a strange beauty, the film maker Alastair Cole who takes us into the Gaelic language and its stories of the tide and waves, and Imogen Hermes Gowar whose novel The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock, set in 18th-century London, explores the destructive sexual power of the mermaid, combining myth and legend with the harsh realities of the past.

Producer: Cecile Wright

Michael Laskey has produced six collections of poetry since his first pamphlet in 1988. That was also the year he co-founded the Aldeburgh Poetry Festival. His career in poetry which has seen him teach, edit, and publish and has resulted in him becoming this year's recipient of the King's Gold Medal for Poetry. As his Collected Poems is published, he looks back on charting his life in poetry.

When Michael Schmidt met Elizabeth Jennings, he was a student and she was a celebrated poet. As managing director of Carcanet Press he become her publisher. A relationship that endured until her final collection in 2001. In her centenary year, he talk about her distinctive qualities as a poet and shares his favourite poem of hers.

Michelle Penn takes inspiration from the Latin American iteration of the retablos art form for her new book - Retablo for a door. The poetry collection in part explores the female experience, but also turns its attention to subjects as varied as the first atomic bomb test, and Leonardo da Vinci's drawing, Vitruvian Man. She discusses why she found retablos such a useful creative aid for her poetry.

In Redacted: Writing in the Negative Space of the State, academic Rachel Douglas-Jones reflected on the poetic power of redaction to interrogate and understand the General Data Protection Regulations. She explains why redaction, currently in the news for its power to obscure, can also lead to revelation.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Ekene Akalawu

Michael Laskey, Michael Schmidt, Michelle Penn and Rachel Douglas-Jones join Ian McMillan.

Radio 4's cabaret of the word, featuring the best poetry, new writing and performance.

Michael Laskey on his new King's Gold Medal for Poetry, Michael Schmidt marks Elizabeth Jennings' centenary, Michelle Penn on retablos, and Rachel Douglas-Jones on redaction

[LISTEN NOW]

His major themes are war, nature and love. Perhaps his best-known poem is 'Ceasefire', which, like many of his poems, was inspired by The Iliad and was first published in the Irish Times in 1994 thr week the ceasefire was announced. Michael lives in Belfast, but spends much of his time in Carrigskeewaun, which provides the backdrop for many of his nature poems. But for Michael, the love poem is the most important. If poetry is a wheel, as he says, 'The hub of the wheel is love.

Ian visits Michael at home in Belfast for a conversation that ranges over a career in poetry that spans over 50 years. Michael published 'The Candlelight Master' in 2020 and later this year will see publication of his latest collection 'The Slain Birds'. Together they talk about form, trees, writer's block, the passing of time and the joy of grandchildren.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Jessica Treen

An extended interview with poet Michael Longley at his home in Belfast.

Michael is best known for his critically acclaimed novel, 'The English Patient', turned into an Oscar winning film starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche, and now on the shortlist for the Golden Man Booker Prize - celebrating the past 50 years of winners.

One of the most important musical ideas that informs Michael's work comes from the jazz musician Ornette Coleman - who said that 'you begin with the territory and what follows is the adventure'. Ian riffs off the 'territory' outlined in Michael's rich and sensuous poem 'Death at Kataragama', and uses its themes to inspire an adventure through his books - starting with his first novel 'Coming Through Slaughter' and including his seventh, 'Warlight' (Cape), set in the aftermath of World War Two.

In this programme, Michael reads 'Death at Kataragama' from his poetry collection 'Handwriting' (Cape), from his novels 'Warlight', 'The English Patient', 'Coming Through Slaughter', and from his memoir 'Running in the Family'. We also hear extracts from 'In the Skin of a Lion' and his afterword to 'The Collected Works of Billy the Kid'.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Faith Lawrence

Ian McMillan is joined by Michael Ondaatje for a special edition of The Verb.

Poetry Proms Competition coming soon ... see website for details.

Producer: Faith Lawrence.

Ian McMillan is joined by Michele Roberts, Rachel De-Lahay, Sarah Jackson and RM Hubbert.

Poet Hissa Hilal has just been named runner up in the UAE's wildly popular 'Millions Poet' competition for her combative political verse using an old Bedouin poetic style. Clinton Bailey, an expert on Bedouin poetry and culture, tells Ian McMillan about the history of the form.

WNP Barbellion

Kevin Jackson profiles the obscure but brilliant diarist whose 'Journal of a Disappointed Man' has been called one of 'the most moving diaries ever created.' With readings by Tobias Beer.

Beirut 39

Palestinian novelist Ala Hlehel and Adania Shibli discuss an energetic new collection of contemporary Arab writing and consider how their situation as Palestinian writers living in Israel impacts on their work.

Black Wine

The novelist Rupert Thomson, author of new memoir This Party's Got to Stop, tells the story of how he won over 'the most terrifying waiters in Barcelona' at a bar famous for its Patatas Bravas.

Alice Munro

Celebrated American novelist Lorrie Moore on her passion for the master short-story writer Alice Munro, winner of last year's International Man Booker Prize and the woman who Margaret Atwood has called 'an international literary saint.'.

Presented by Ian McMillan. Including Bedouin poetry and a profile of WNP Barbellion.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Cecile Wright

Looking into the mirror with Rebecca Solnit and Ira Lightman.

Presented by Ian McMillan. With the Proms Poetry Competition, plus Mohsin Hamid.

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 and his guests discuss the metaphor of the monster and the monstrous other.

Radio 3's regular writing programme hears about the concept of being 'parentified' from Warsan Shire in her new collection examining the experience of displacement endured by her family.

And Ruth Padel joins us to talk about Daughters of the Labyrinth, a novel which sees central character Ri investigate a secret history. Ruth also takes us through the Cretan performance poem the Mantinades, and even gives us a rendition. Think beautiful, ancient Cretan rap battle...

And Hollie McNish reads us her poem Sweet Separation about the pangs felt when a daughter begins the process of developing her independence. Hollie discusses the somehow inadequate terminology of motherhood and how we consider, or rather reject, the postpartum female body.

And following the death of beloved children's author and illustrator Shirley Hughes, Lissa Evans describes an artist with a unique ability to capture the small details of children's lives and encompass them in kindness. She discusses how Shirley's work made a difference to her non-traditional family, and how adopting daughters led to an interest in the experience of wartime evacuees. Her latest book is V for Victory.

Presented by Ian McMillan.

Produced by Kevin Core.

Warsan Shire, Ruth Padel, Hollie McNish and Lissa Evans join Ian McMillan.

Best known as the author of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Spark began her writing life as a poet, and went on to edit Poetry Review before coming to fiction in her 40s. As her autobiography Curriculum Vitae is re-published for the first time since her death, Paul Farley and Elaine Feinstein consider Spark the poet and Spark the editor of poetry.

Sean Taylor

As his latest album, the highly-rated Calcutta Grove, is released, the singer-songwriter discusses the lyrics of the blues and why it's a form uniquely adaptable to documenting contemporary concerns.

New American Gothic

Writer and critic Diane Roberts considers the resurgence of the Gothic in contemporary American fiction, and recommends the best of American Gothic fiction, old and new.

Diane's Reading List...

Wieland, by Charles Brockden Brown

Her Fearful Symmetry, by Audrey Niffenegger

The Monsters of Templeton, by Lauren Groff

Invisible, by Paul Auster

A Song Among the Stones

Poet Kenneth Steven presents a new cycle of poems, written specially for the programme. Sixth-century monks - known as the Papar - are thought to have made the perilous journey by sea from Scotland to Iceland as a kind of religious quest, centuries before Scandinavians would undertake the same voyage in reverse. A Song Among the Stones imagines what they found, and what drove them to risk their lives for their faith.

Other works by Kenneth Steven include Iona and Making the Known World New.

BBC Introducing

Thanks for continuing to send your poetry, spoken word and songs to BBC Introducing. The Verb's always on the look out for talented new writers, and this week we've particularly enjoyed the work of performer Mac Dunlop and singer-songwriter Sam Sallon. More details on them below.

Ian McMillan presents. Featuring Muriel Spark's work and singer-songwriter Sean Taylor.

Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Paul Muldoon has also been trying to bottle the lightning of musical creativity on the page. He's edited and annotated a comprehensive collection of Sir Paul McCartney's lyrics. Paul explains how to look anew at songs we know so well and considers a talent that the best songwriters and poets often share: mimicry.

Malika Booker reads a specially commissioned poem in our Something Old, Something New section, taking as her inspiration a line from The Verb Manifesto. From the archive, we hear Tony Harrison's Them and Uz.

Anthony Joseph has been on a quest to learn more about a father he describes as largely absent. The result is 'Sonnets for Albert', which explores the sonnet form yet infuses it with calypso and the natural delivery of his father's voice. Anthony performs his poem 'Rings' for us.

And Edmund Finnis tells us about Out of the Dawn's Mind, currently touring with the Soprano Ruby Hughes. He describes the challenge, not of capturing music on the page, but of travelling in the other direction, and bringing five poems of Alice Oswald from the page to musical life.

Presented by Ian McMillan

Produced by Kevin Core

From Sir Paul McCartney to Fat White Family - when words and music collide.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Faith Lawrence

With Richard Scott, Fiona Benson, Jack Bernhardt and Jenny Lewis

John Hegley, Angie Hobbs, Kei Miller and Michael Symmons Roberts discuss 'undersung' poets

Acclaimed poet Layli Long Soldier joins Ian McMillan to explore her poetry.

Join The Verb each week for ‘experiments in living' and experiments in language, as we build a new writing manifesto with the help of all our guests.

The first experiment is in nature poetry, and this week Ian is joined by Simon Armitage, the Poet Laureate. Simon has founded the Laurel Prize, an annual award for the best collection of nature or environmental poetry published over the last five years. He's joined by fellow Laurel Prize judge, Moniza Alvi, whose latest poetry collection is ‘Blackbird, Bye Bye'.

Shortlisted for the Laurel Prize are Colin Simms for his collection ‘Hen Harrier Poems', Pascale Petit for ‘Mama Amazonica' and Karen McCarthy Woolf for ‘Seasonal Disturbances'. We hear readings of their poems on the programme. Karen's work is scored by Andrea Allegra.

And we also welcome poet, musician, editor and plant-whisperer Jade Cuttle, who, along with Simon Armitage, will be judging the Gingko Prize for Ecopoetry . The prize is for a single poem; for more information on how to enter please visit https://ginkgoprize.com/

Jade Cuttle: https://www.jadecuttle.com/

Moniza Alvi: https://www.moniza.co.uk/

Simon Armitage: https://www.simonarmitage.com/

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Faith Lawrence

With Simon Armitage, Moniza Alvi and Jade Cuttle

The celebrated author discusses winning the CILIP Carnegie Medal - a literary prize influenced by librarians across the country - for his novel The Graveyard Book, which was previously featured on The Verb as a work in progress.

Seth Lakeman

The Mercury-nominated singer songwriter-discusses his new album Hearts and Minds, and the history of West Country radicalism which influences his work.

Fiona Sampson

The poet and editor of Poetry Review discusses her latest collection, Rough Music, and reveals why the more personal poems in the collection embarrass her.

Neil LaBute

The dramatist and director, known for his tales from the dark side of gender and race relations, presents a new piece of short fiction. In Fox in the Snow a bored and arrogant young man sets his sights on winning the affections of his attractive neighbour. And the fact that she's already in a relationship - with another woman -doesn't discourage him in the least...

Ian McMillan presents new short fiction from Neil LaBute and music from Seth Lakeman.

The singer-songwriter Neneh Cherry rose to fame with her debut solo album 'Raw Like Sushi', which featured the number 1 single 'Buffalo Stance'. Cherry's latest album is 'Blank Project', and she discusses her songwriting process.

After the death of Bertolt Brecht, 2,000 poems were discovered, which are now being translated into English for the first time. David Constantine has edited a selection of 78 poems in 'Bertolt Brecht: Love Poems' (Liveright), and discusses what we can learn about Brecht from these personal poems.

The dramatist April de Angelis has adapted 'The Life and Times of Fanny Hill' for the stage. She tells us about working with erotic language on the stage.

This programme contains Adult Themes.

Produced by Faith Lawrence.

Ian McMillan's guests include Neneh Cherry, David Constantine and April de Angelis.

Novelist Aleksandar Hemon, author of The Lazarus Project, discusses his new collection of the best European short stories, and argues that the quantity of short fiction now being written threatens the survival of the form.

Best European Fiction 2010, Edited by Aleksandar Hemon, is out now from Dalkey Archive.

Hennecker's Ditch

The poet Kate Kilalea presents a brand new cycle of poems, written specially for the programme.

Epitaphs

The writer and film-maker Kevin Jackson has been peering at the inscriptions on grave stones for The Verb.

Laura Veirs

Singer-songwriter Laura Veirs's album July Flame is shot through with vivid and beautiful nature writing - she explains to Ian how a having a scientist for a father, growing up in Colorado and studying geology all contributed to her unique voice.

July Flame is out now from Bella Union.

New international poetry from the Contains Strong Language festival 2023, including poets from the Language is a Queer Thing project.

Ian McMillan presents some of the most exciting international poetry and poets - recorded in Leeds at the Contains Strong Language festival 2023. He's joined by Andre Bagoo from Trinidad, Ramya Jirasinghe from Sri Lanka - and poets from the 'Language Is a Queer Thing' project - an international poetry development programme from The Queer Muslim Project and the British Council.

The musician and songwriter Damon Albarn - and award-winning poets Don Paterson and Elizabeth-Jane Burnett - all join Ian McMillan to illustrate these provocations, which are designed to help launch a new era of poetry, story-writing and performance. The composer and producer Gerry Diver has also contributed a piece of sound art inspired by the cadences of the human voice called 'You May be Mistaken'.

Across our 'Experiments in Living' season, The Verb asked over a hundred guests ( including Margaret Atwood, Yanis Varoufakis, Claudia Rankine and Simon Armitage ) for their ideas about how we might write most powerfully, and creatively in these times. Certain themes surfaced again and again, including time, uncertainty, the non-human world, and listening. Find out how they made their way into our manifesto, and inspired our six new rules.

Ian McMillan reveals the ideas in our new manifesto with guests including Damon Albarn.

Architectural critic and writer Jonathan Glancey's new book is called 'How to Read Towns and Cities (Bloomsbury). Jonathan examines the language of New Towns - why are they still called 'New' after so many years?

Producer: Cecile Wright.

Ian McMillan presents the cabaret of the word with guests including the Magnetic North.

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-words

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Cecile Wright

Ian McMillan explores new futures in Form.

In her novels and short fiction, Tessa Hadley often writes about people aiming to preserve 'niceness' and keeping up appearances in trying circumstances. In her latest novel 'Late in the Day', the comfortable dynamics of lifelong friends are shifted forever.

Jesse Schwenk is the author of the last in our series of Verb dramas. A Quark In My Cosmos is directed by Andrew Smith.

Brian Bilston has been called 'unofficial poet laureate of Twitter'. We commissioned Brian to write a new poem making use of the word nice - going against the advice of many English teachers. Brian's new novel is 'Diary of a Somebody'.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Jessica Treen

With Tessa Hadley, Brian Bilston and Jesse Schwenk.

Ian McMillan's guests include Nicholson Baker, Nathaniel Mann and Lynne Murphy.

Novelist Nick Harkaway (The Gone Away World) presents an extract from his new novel Anglemaker, read by Tom Hollander.

The divided selves of Sony Award Winning Eartoonist Peter Blegvad encounter the god of love, Eros, with chaotic consequences.

Beth Jeans Houghton and her fabulous band The Hooves of Destiny perform songs from their new album Yours Truly, Cellophane Nose.

And poet Gwyneth Lewis presents her new translation of The Tempest into Welsh, performed by Gwawr Loader and Ioan Hefin.

Ian McMillan with music from Beth Jeans Houghton and the Hooves of Destiny.

The programme is part of Radio 3's 'Night Blossoms' - a week exploring the unexpected, the shadows and the counter-cultural in Japanese music and arts.

Producer: Faith Lawrence

Presenter: Ian McMillan.

The Verb meets the language of night-time Japan - in comedy, poetry and 'the blues'.

Dave Haslam is a writer, broadcaster and Dj and the author of 'Life After Dark', a comprehensive history of nightlife in Britain. Geraldine Quigley's debut novel 'Music Love Drugs War' follows a group of young friends trying to have a good time against the background of the troubles in Derry, Theater Maker Rachael Young examines both the good and the bad sides of going out in her piece 'Nightclubbing', and there's brand new work from Christopher Green on his love of dancing.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Cecile Wright

We have a special commission from the Shetland based poet Jen Hadfield.

Producer: Cecile Wright.

Ian McMillan celebrates the writing of the northernmost parts of the world.

The iconic 1960s television series 'The Twilight Zone' is replete with sudden ruptures to daily life -Don Paterson explains how he used the series to write poems that explore our relationship with obsolescence. Sound artist and composer Caro C shares a new commission for The Verb, the novelist famed for conceiving 'cyberspace', William Gibson, considers the disappearance of the future, and K??lက Túb??sún explains why he strives to give Nigerian English and the Yoruba language a technological presence.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Faith Lawrence

With William Gibson, Don Paterson and K\u1ecd\u0301l\u00e1 T\u00fab\u1ecd\u0300s\u00fan and Caro C

And in our Something Old Something New series celebrating 100 years of poetry on the BBC we hear an archive poem from Michael Longley, and a new commission from Rachael Boast, inspired by hearing an 1890 recording of Tennyson reading The Charge of the Light Brigade.

Producer: Ruth Thomson

Ian McMillan and guests explore the language, poetry and perceptions of old age.

Claudia Rankine's book 'Citizen: An American Lyric' (Penguin) won the 2015 Forward Prize for poetry. Her prose poetry style has raised questions about what poetry is. For Claudia, poetry is any writing concerned with the structure of feelings rather than events. The writer AL Kennedy publishes her new novel 'Serious Sweet' (Jonathan Cape) in May. For AL Kennedy being a writer means 'saying something you have to say in the best possible way'. The poet Don Paterson believes that form is always up for revision. Don Paterson won the Costa Prize for Poetry with his collection '40 Sonnets' (Faber).

Producer: Cecile Wright.

Ian McMillan looks at form with writers Claudia Rankine, Don Paterson and AL Kennedy.

Claudia Rankine's book 'Citizen: An American Lyric' (Penguin) won the 2015 Forward Prize for poetry. Her prose poetry style has raised questions about what poetry is. For Claudia, poetry is any writing concerned with the structure of feelings rather than events. The writer AL Kennedy publishes her new novel 'Serious Sweet' (Jonathan Cape) in May. For AL Kennedy being a writer means 'saying something you have to say in the best possible way'. The poet Don Paterson believes that form is always up for revision. Don Paterson won the Costa Prize for Poetry with his collection '40 Sonnets' (Faber).

Producer: Cecile Wright.

Ian McMillan literary form with writers Claudia Rankine, Don Paterson and AL Kennedy.

Smriti's books often seek to acknowledge loss and sadness whilst suggesting through image, rhythm and story that we are never truly alone. Smriti reads from ‘Rain Before Rainbows' and explains how carefully she thought about the balance of dark and light in this book for young children, and about the nature of time. Smriti shares the language that sustained her as a child - Louise May Alcott's ‘Little Women' and Oscar Wilde's ‘The Happy Prince'. Books by Smriti are read all over the world: ‘I'm Sticking with You' was a number one bestseller in the U.S.A and recent stories include ‘The Little Island' and ‘Elephant in my Kitchen'.

Screenwriter and author of children's books Frank Cottrell-Boyce, reads us his story about a world surrounded by cloud and a girl called Sunny who realises there's life beyond it. ‘Murcaster' is a story written as a ‘hope' to give to children during this pandemic (it's one of over 100 such ‘hopes' included in an anthology by Katherine Rundell ). Frank explains how the writing process itself is inevitably an act of hope, and discusses the influence of hymns - the way even their rhythms can communicate a kind of hopefulness. Frank also considers the way ‘hope' is integral to the DNA of the ‘Doctor Who' (he has written for the series) . His most recent book for children is ‘The Runaway Robot'.

Gaia is an award-winning science journalist, author, and broadcaster. She's interested in how human systems and Earth's planetary systems interact. Her book ‘Adventures in the Anthropocene` won the Royal Society Prize for Science Books. She discusses her writing on co-operation and on the idea that we are now part of a collective she's named ‘Homni' (explored in her new book 'Transcendence') . Gaia reads a special commission for The Verb - a letter to her children for them to open when they're in their eighties.

Fresh from captaining Loughborough University on University Challenge, stand-up poet and Verb regular Kate Fox shares the most interesting comments on hope she has come across this year, and quotations from her own childhood reading. These include the extended railway metaphor employed by Government scientist Jonathan Van-Tam, ideas about hopeful journeys from 'Jane Eyre' and 'Alice in Wonderland' and the enduring resonance of 14th-century mystic Julian of Norwich's phrase ‘All shall be well'.

Ian McMillan with Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Gaia Vince, Smriti Halls and Kate Fox.

Patti Smith has just published her second volume of memoir 'M Train' (Bloomsbury), a book that follows Patti around New York as she writes, reads and drinks coffee.

Grayson Perry's recent exhibition at the Turner Contemporary in Margate 'Provincial Punk' examined his interests in contemporary Britain from class and taste to war.

Anthony Horowitz has just published his second James Bond novel 'Trigger Mortis' (Orion). He explains where he gets the permission to take on another writer's most famous character.

The poet and sound artist Holly Pester examines the phenomenon of 'vocal fry' in a special commission for The Verb.

Producer: Faith Lawrence.

Ian McMillan's guests are Patti Smith, Anthony Horowitz, Holly Pester and Grayson Perry.

Ian's conversation with Paul covers his whole life in writing, and includes his poetry, translations, and letters. Paul discusses his epistolary friendship with J.M Coetzee, the importance of baseball to the American psyche, the moment that made him a novelist, and we hear invaluable writing advice for those struggling with their work.

The first of his New York Trilogy novels, 'City of Glass' has recently been adapted into an innovative stage show by 59 Productions; a theatre company working at the cutting edge of technology - it can be seen at HOME in Manchester until 18th March before transferring to the Lyric Hammersmith.

http://cityofglass.org/

Producer: Faith Lawrence.

This week on The Verb Ian McMillan is joined by Paul Farley, author of the bird-centred 2019 poetry collection 'The Mizzy'. Especially for The Verb he's written us a brand new poem that considers birds on our workplace, inspired by new 'Nature Postive' building regulations.

Malika Booker is tackling this week's 'Neon Line' poem. Booker won the Forward Prize for 'Best Single Poem' in 2023 and she takes us through the 2024 winners, who have recently been announced.

Linguist and author of 'You're All Talk', Rob Drummond brings us up to speed on langauge change.

And there's a brand new comission from Kate Fox on Strictly Season as well as a reading from her new book 'On Sycamore Gap' - inspired by the famous tree near Hadrian's Wall that was felled last year

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Jessica Treen

A cabaret of the word, featuring the best poetry, new writing and performance.

Ian McMillan is joined by Paul Farley, Malika Booker, Rob Drummond and Kate Fox for the best in poetry, new writing and performance.

[LISTEN NOW]

Eley Williams reads a brand new commission for The Verb, a very short story, which delights in the longest dash of all - the em dash, putting it at the heart of a romance. Eley is the author of the novel 'The Liar's Dictionary' and a BBC National Short Story Finalist.

Verb regular and stand-up poet Kate Fox offers a very personal review of various forms of punctuation - imagining them as rest stops. Is a full stop like 'bunking in a hostel on a Scottish island and rolling over on to a pocket full of Kendal Mint Cake in the middle of the night'? Kate thinks so.

Poet and essayist Kei Miller discusses the way he uses space on the page, particularly in his new book of essays 'Things I have Withheld', to explore what is buried or repressed in silences. He also reads from his poetry collection 'In Nearby Bushes'.

Angela Leighton, poet, critic and translator, opens brackets up for us - showing how they let us listen, especially in a poem, in a remarkable variety of ways. Angela also reads from her collection 'One, Two', evoking the soundscape and listening of the first lockdown of 2020.

Ian McMillan punctuates with Kei Miller, Angela Leighton, Eley Williams and Kate Fox.

We also hear from academic James Garvey on his new book 'The Persuaders'.

Producer: Cecile Wright.

Ian McMillan and guests examine the language of persuasion.

Ian McMillan presents a special edition of Radio 3's cabaret of the word, recorded in front of an audience at the Sage, Gateshead, during the Free Thinking festival.

Peter Flannery

The celebrated dramatist and writer made his name as resident playwright at the Royal Shakespeare Company in the late 1970s. It was there that he wrote Our Friends in the North, later adapting the play into a multi-award winning TV series starring Christopher Eccleston, Daniel Craig and Gina McKee. More recently, he has received plaudits for his ambitious drama The Devil's Whore, set during the chaos of the English Civil War. In 1997 he received the Dennis Potter award for television writing. He talks to Ian about his writing career and presents a sneak preview of a new work - James Miranda Barry, about the life of the swashbuckling 19th-century surgeon and duellist who was revealed, on his deathbed, to be a woman.

Kachi Ozumba

Kachi Ozumba's novel The Shadow of a Smile received plaudits for its portrayal of corruption and unfair imprisonment in the author's native Nigeria. Now living in the UK, Ozumba has made Newcastle his home, and tells Ian McMillan about his struggle to understand Geordie when he first arrived in the city - and how as his growing familiarity with the dialect emboldened him to use Nigerian English (Pidgin) in his novel.

Alec Finlay and Linda France

Renga is a Japanese poetic form that Alec Finlay calls 'a haiku with consequences.' Alec and Linda have for many years been running workshops all over the country, giving poets and non-poets alike a chance to try their hand at Renga. They discuss adventures with their flat-pack 'Renga Platform', which has travelled with them, and reflect on how Renga can be used to capture images of landscape.

Beccy Owen

The Newcastle based singer-songwriter plays tracks from her latest album Down With Gravity.

Ian McMillan's guests in a Free Thinking edition are Peter Flannery and Kachi Ozumba.

Ian McMillan's guests include Scottish Makar Peter Mackay & Jamaican poet Lorna Goodison

[LISTEN NOW]

Poets Alan Brownjohn and Eva Salzman discuss the life and work of the poet Peter Porter who died last week, asking how his Australian roots and personal tragedy impacted on a body of work which earnt him nearly every major poetry award - from the Forward Prize to the Queen's Medal.

Jacob Polley

A brand new commission for the award winning writer and poet Jacob Polley - part myth, part fable and part historical re-imagining, The Bugle explores an encounter between a beggar, a boy and the man in the moon.

Polar Bear

Performance poet Polar Bear's new work explores a new form for the spoken word in 'Return', a spoken film script set in his home town of Birmingham and reveals what inspired him to explore the link between cinema and poetry.

City Poems on smartphones

The Guardian's former new technology correspondent, and poet, Victor Keegan discusses City Poems, a down loadable A-Z of London, which puts poems in the geographical locations which inspired them, a 21st century exploration of the nature of poetry and place.

Ian McMillan's cabaret of new writing includes a tribute to the late poet Peter Porter.

Jane Urquhart has written poetry, short fiction but is best known for her novels. She is one of Canada's leading authors - and most award-winning. She reads a new story especially written for the Verb. Jane's won praise for the way she describes the human need to remember and memorialise those who have departed in novels like the Stone Carvers and The Underpainter, which won Canada's most prestigious literary prize, The Governor General's Award.

Presented by Ian McMillan. With a discussion on the life and work of poet Peter Redgrove.

Bettany Hughes is a historian, author and broadcaster. She shares her passion for Venus (planet and goddess) and looks at the first poem where the moon is depicted as 'silvery'. Bettany is exploring the big questions of the universe in films called 'Tea with B', and in her interview with author Ben Okri describes poetry as 'The Mothership'.

Two of the earth's most exciting sound poets - Hannah Silva and Tomomi Adachi tell Ian how they created sound poetry for Pluto, and explored its ambiguous status (it is not officially a planet any more). They also perform a spontaneous sound poem, especially for The Verb, celebrating the vast number of icy bodies with fascinating names in the Kuiper Belt.

JO Morgan's collection 'The Martian's Regress' is a remarkable thought experiment - imagining humans leaving Earth for Mars, and then returning here in thousands of years' time, only to be disappointed by our solitary moon. In poems which explore what it means to 'subjugate' a planet to make it support life, Morgan also considers the role of myth and story in building our relationship with a planet.

Kate Greene almost lived on Mars. She was one of a team selected by Nasa to take part in an experiment in Hawaii, where she lived in a geodesic dome for four months in order to simulate what it would be like on Mars. A journalist, author and poet, Kate found herself thinking differently, and considering the relationship of the body to the Earth. Her account of the experience can be found in her book 'Once Upon a Time I Lived on Mars'.

Planets and poetry with Ian McMillan and guests including Bettany Hughes and JO Morgan.

Chuquai Billy is the only Native American stand up comedian in the UK and he performs on the Verb. The humour is self deprecating but Billy says that's developed since he's lived in England rather than intrinsic to his Chocktaw and Lakota Sioux tribal background. He had to 'google' the meaning of his own name as he was never taught it, and was bitterly disappointed to find out it has no connection to the wilds of North America.

James Davies describes himself as a poet and 'literary activist' and works on the spoken word scene in his home town of Manchester. His new book, Plants, contains 'unmade poems' - poems that he has written in the past and deleted. Like the poem 'Apples'.

Written, typed, altered, deleted.

Poet Carol Watts joins Ian and James to give a history of the unmade poem.

And on the first night of the Proms, a reminder about Radio 3's poetry competition. Ian writes a poem inspired by the rarely performed Rossini opera, William Tell; and music critic Susan Hitch talks about the myth of William Tell. To enter the competition, listeners are invited to write a poem based on a piece of music from this year's Prom Concerts.

Producer : Dymphna Flynn.

Simone Kirby reads new work by Billy Roche. Plus Chuquai Billy on Native American comedy.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Cecile Wright

This week on The Verb Ian McMillan raises the curtain on playwriting.

On this week's edition of The Verb: Ian McMillan basks in the glow of a Neon Line explained by the celebrated Faroese poet and novelist Carl Jóhan Jensen; Karen Downs-Barton shares poems from her debut collection, Minx, which reflects on her Romani childhood; Cristóbal Bianchi, cofounder of the Casagrande Collective, on their Bombing Of Poems project; and Naz Knight, poet-in-residence at Luton Town FC, on drawing poetic inspiration from the terraces.

Presenter Ian McMillan

Producer: Ekene Akalawu

Barnsley Bard Ian McMillan is joined by guests for poetry performance and discussion.

Faroese writer Carl Jóhan Jensen, Anglo-Romani poet Karen Downs-Barton, Cristóbal Bianchi, cofounder of the Casagrande Collective, and Luton Town FC poet-in-residence Naz Knight.

[LISTEN NOW]

Douglas Dunn is the author of over ten poetry collections. He published his debut in 1969, whilst working in the Brynmor Jones Library at Hull under Philip Larkin. The book, Terry Street, won the Somerset Maugham Award. Since then Douglas has continued to write poems that shine a light on the human condition - on our foibles, our desires, our fragility. His 2019 collection, The Noise of a Fly, was shortlisted for the TS Eliot award. Among other awards he received the Whitbread Book of the Year in 1985 for Elegies, a moving account of his wife's early death from cancer. Dunn was awarded the OBE in 2003 and is an Honorary Professor at St Andrews.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Cecile Wright

Ian McMillan and the Poetry Book Club audience are joined by Douglas Dunn.

Jo Shapcott published her first collection 'Electroplating the Baby' (Bloodaxe) in 1988. In 1999 she won the Forward Prize for best collection for 'My Life Asleep' (Oxford). For The Poetry Book Club, Jo will be discussing her collection 'Of Mutability' (Faber). A book of poems at turns dark and playful, but always brave, Jo's meditation on change won the Costa Book of the Year award in 2010.

Recorded at Media City, Salford, Ian is joined by our Poetry Book Club audience, who will also put their questions to Jo.

Producer: Cecile Wright.

Ian McMillan presents the Verb Poetry Book Club, with guest Jo Shapcott.

Ian Mcmillan introduces Paul to our studio audience as one of 'the great shapeshifting poets' who 'over decades of work at the poetry face... has produced a body of writing that has taken him from memories of Northern Ireland and family and religion and politics into a long swim in the endless seas of world myth, storytelling, the delights of rhyme and the possibilities of song'. Ian is joined by a studio audience to explore the ideas and the imagery that animate the poems in 'Why Brownlee Left', a collection published in 1980, and to get closer to understanding the writing process behind them. Muldoon talks about the importance of surprise, the immediacy of his first lines, and considers the importance of the reader's interpretation versus the intention of the poet. He disputes the notion that a poet needs to think first and foremost about 'finding their voice'. A new edition of 'Why Brownlee Left' has just been published (Faber).

Produced by Faith Lawrence.

Ian McMillan presents The Verb's Poetry Book Club, celebrating poet Paul Muldoon.

Making Cocoa for Kingsley Amis' is Wendy Cope's debut poetry collection. The book was a bestseller when it was first published in 1986.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Faith Lawrence.

A special Poetry Book club with Wendy Cope on Making Cocoa for Kingsley Amis.

Tony Harrison grew up in working class Leeds, and this background has inspired him throughout his work, from his first collection 'The Loiners', published in 1970, to his controversial narrative poem 'v' and his work for theatre and television. Harrison says 'poetry is all I write, whether for books, or readings, or for the National Theatre, or for the opera house and concert hall, or even for TV.

Recorded in front of an invited audience at the University of Newcastle, Ian McMillan asks Tony Harrison to examine his 'Selected Poems' (Penguin), focusing on his 'From The School of Eloquence' sonnets exploring class and education.

Producer: Cecile Wright.

Ian McMillan presents a special Poetry Book Club edition, with poet Tony Harrison.

Ian McMillan celebrates an iconic poem that inspired a generation of poets and readers - Tony Harrison's 'Them and Uz'.

His guests include the new US Poet Laureate Arthur Sze, the former Poet Laureate of Belfast Sinéad Morrissey who brings us an autumnal 'Neon Line', zoologist and poet David Morley on his new book 'Passion', and Daniel Sluman on a landmark anthology 'Versus Versus - 100 Poems by Deaf, Disabled & Neurodivergent Poets' - edited by Rachael Boast, with the help of an Advocacy and Advisory Panel (including Daniel). Poets included in the anthology will be reading at London's Southbank Centre on 25th October.

Presented by Ian McMillan

Produced by Faith Lawrence

Ian McMillan's guests are Sinead Morrissey, David Morley, Arthur Sze and Daniel Sluman.

Radio 4's cabaret of the word, featuring the best poetry, new writing and performance.

Ian McMillan celebrates Tony Harrison's 'Them and Uz' - his guests include the new US Poet Laureate Arthur Sze, and the poets Sinéad Morrissey, David Morley, and Daniel Sluman.

[LISTEN NOW]

Ian talks to Zoe Heller about her passion for novelist Nancy Mitford, and Forward Prize Winner Daljit Nagra has advice for aspiring poets

There is also a new, moving short story from novelist Joseph Smith, author of The Wolf.

Ian McMillan talks to novelist Zoe Heller and Daljit Nagra has advice for aspiring poets.

Long-term prisoner turned writer Noel Smith presents a new commission; academic Molly Murray reveals the history of 16th and 17th century prison writing, and novelist Toby Litt visits Parc Prison in Wales to learn about its innovative creative writing programme, meeting inmates and writer-in-residence Graham Hartill.

Another chance to hear The Verb investigating creative writing in prison.

Singer, comedian and songwriter Lorraine Bowen is known to many as the 'Crumble Lady' - her song about cooking crumble won her huge audiences on 'Britain's Got Talent', and went viral on social media. We find out about how the word 'crumble' translates into other languages and Ian offers a Yorkshire dialect interpretation of the 'Crumble Song'.

Joseph Coelho shares his spooky pudding poetry and reads a special commission for The Verb - a poem which explores the pleasure of disastrous puddings. His first poetry collection 'Werewolf Club Rules' was published in 2014.

What if Emily Dickinson, T.S.Eliot and Maya Angelou took part in a poetry themed bake-off? That's the kind of thought experiment that stand-up poet Kate Fox likes to conduct for The Verb. She imagines their baking - and wonders if you can tell how well a poet will cook from their poetry.

D Fariha Shaikh is a New Generation Thinker and Senior Lecturer in Victorian Literature at the University of Birmingham. She tells us about the pudding making of emigrant Catharine Parr Traill, born in 1801, who emigrated to Canada and wrote many books on her life there and on natural history, for women readers in particular.

Frances Atkins is a Michelin star winning chef. She explains the difference between a pudding and a dessert and argues that descriptive pudding names are most likely to excite the palate.

Ian McMillan on poetry and puddings.

Ian McMillan and his guests explore the power of puns and wordplay

There is also the latest in our series of short dramas about WWI, 'Sapper Dorothy' by Janys Chambers, based on the true story of Dorothy Lawrence; the only British woman to fight on the frontline.

Ian McMillan's guests on the cabaret of the word include Rebecca Front and Ruth Padel.

Plus the band The Leisure Society, nominated for an Ivor Novello Award for their song The Last of the Melting Snow. Songwriter Nicholas Hemming tells Ian McMillan his rise from bein an unknown to competing with the likes of Elbow for a major music award.

Ian McMillan's guests include dramatist Rebecca Lenkiewicz, with a brand new monologue.

Follow The Verb on Twitter: @R3TheVerb.

Presented by Ian McMillan. With guests Rebecca Solni, Rozi Plain and Richard J Williams.

Rebecca Watts has just published her third poetry collection - The Face In The Well. She discusses writing poems that engage with the work of an earlier generation of poets, turning a cherished childhood memory into poetry, and Emily Brontë's love of ironing.

Poet and writer Brian Bilston is as much a fan of the American writer, artist, and designer Edward Gorey as The Verb. He accepted our commission to create an updated version of one of Gorey's most celebrated poems - The Gashlycrumb Tinies. He premieres his approach to Gorey's alphabetical and flatly macabre list of children's final fates - The Garbledoom Tiddlers.

Cristina Rivera Garza is a Pulitzer Prize-winning Mexican writer, poet and professor. Her new book, Death Takes Me, fuses crime fiction, literary theory, and the poems of Argentinian poet Alejandra Pizarnik. She discusses the power of language to reflect, proscribe, and change society.

Deryn Rees-Jones is a poet, a professor, and editor at Pavilion Poetry. She talk to Ian about the art of creating a poetry collection and how deciding on the order of the poems in a new collection can be a surprisingly physical activity.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Ekene Akalawu

Rebecca Watts, Brian Bilston, Cristina Rivera Garza and Deryn Rees-Jones join Ian McMillan

Ian McMillan is joined by Rebecca Watts, Brian Bilston, Cristina Rivera Garza and Deryn Rees-Jones to discuss, amongst other things, the art of creating a poetry collection.

A cabaret of the word, featuring the best poetry, new writing and performance.

[LISTEN NOW]

Ian McMillan is joined by poetry writers and poetry lovers - including BBC Newsreader and journalist Reeta Chakrabarti, Fred D'Aguiar, Edward Wilson-Lee - and TS Eliot Prize shortlisted poet Ella Frears whose new book 'GoodLord' is a genre expanding exploration of renting, rented spaces and much more.

Reeta Chakrabarti, Fred D'Aguiar, Edward Wilson-Lee and Ella Frears.

Ian McMillan is joined by guests Reeta Chakrabarti, Fred D'Aguiar, Edward Wilson-Lee and Ella Frears.

Flames and poetry - what poetry tell us about the Los Angeles fires, the pleasure the poet John Keats took in reading - a poem-letter to an imaginary estate agent, and magical language. To explore all this McMillan is joined by poetry writers and poetry lovers.

Ian's guests:

BBC newsreader and journalist Reeta Chakrabarti is a trustee of the Keats-Shelley Memorial Association. She shares her passion for John Keats' poem 'On First Looking into Chapman's Homer' - with its 'realms of gold' and a planet that 'swims'.

Fred D'Aguiar is a British-Guyanese poet who lives and teaches in Los Angeles - he shares a powerful new commission which bears witness to the Los Angeles fires, and asks how we might depict and talk about fire in an age of rising temperatures.

What does it mean to be a tenant, or an artist in residence in someone else's house - at a time when it is harder to buy houses than in the past?

The poet Ella Frears has written a book-length poem exploring rented and borrowed spaces - addressed to an imaginary estate agent - full of tender and frank observations about modern life.

Edward Wilson-Lee's new book 'The Grammar of Angels - A Search for the Magical Powers of Language' explores the attraction (and the rejection) of language that has a powerful effect, or casts a spell on us - including the speech of angels and inscriptions on amulets. The book invites us to consider when sound is more powerful than sense, and why that might have concerned our ancestors.

[LISTEN NOW]

Ian is joined by Chris McCabe, poet and National Poetry Librarian. During lockdown the Southbank Centre's National Poetry Library ran the 'lost quotes' service, reuniting remembered fragments of poems with the rest of the text. His latest book is 'Buried Garden', in which he searches for the lost poets of Stoke Newington's Abney Park Cemetery, hoping to revive their forgotten words. Mona Arshi has just published 'Somebody Loves You', a poetic novel about a young girl who chooses silence as a protective mechanism when everything around her feels fragile. The poet William Letford used to be a roofer, and he's written a brand new poem especially for The Verb about returning to his old profession to help out family. And Kate Fox considers repair and the meaning of home.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Jessica Treen

With Mona Arshi, Chris McCabe, William Letford and Kate Fox.

What does reverie mean to writers in 2021? Is it simply a waste of time and a state of procrastination? Novelist and neuroscientist Rachel Genn argues that a reverie can be a creative state, a propping open of the self, which lets the world 'sniff around'.

The state of reverie was important to Wanda Coleman, the American poet known as 'the unofficial poet laureate of Los Angeles'. Coleman died in 2013, and her selected poems 'Wicked Enchantment' has just been published. The collection is edited and introduced by the poet Terrance Hayes, who joins us to celebrate her work, and to share one of her 'American sonnets', which inspired the form of his own collection 'American Sonnets for my Past and Future Assassin'.

How does modern technology affect reverie? Can we truly get lost in our thoughts in the age of the 'doomscroll' and the 'rabbit-hole' of the internet? Theatre-maker Bea Roberts has written us a short audio piece taking us on an online reverie through auto-harps and silk pyjamas.

A Verb about 'reverie' would not be complete without a reverie about the word 'reverie' itself. Our regular guest, the poet Ira Lightman lets us dream ourselves into its heart with a new poem commissioned for The Verb - and invites our guests to collaborate with him on air. And do we need a more approachable sounding word for 'reverie' ?

Ian McMillan and guests explore the dreamlike experience of 'reverie'.

Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins tells Ian McMillan about the influence of poetry on his writing, and shares poems written by his own mother. Ian also explores the influence of a very competitive mother on the life and poetry of former National Poet of Wales Gwyneth Lewis. And as it's the first Verb of the year, stand-up poet Kate Fox suggests new names for all the calendar months, whilst Stagedoor Johnny brings a new 'eartoon' (which explains why the names of baby animals can be so confusing).

Richard Dawkins' new book is 'The Genetic Book of the Dead

Gwyneth Lewis' memoir is 'Nightshade Mother

Kate Fox's latest book is 'On Sycamore Gap

Ian talks to Richard Dawkins, Gwyneth Lewis & Kate Fox - and introduces a new 'eartoon'.

Ian talks to Richard Dawkins, Gwyneth Lewis, and Kate Fox - and introduces a new 'eartoon' by Stagedoor Johnny.

[LISTEN NOW]

Ian McMillan's guests this week are the singer and songwriter Richard Dawson, T.S. Eliot prize winning poets Jacob Polley and Sarah Howe and Children's Laureate Frank Cottrell Boyce - who celebrates Professor John Carey and the art of poetry criticism.

Richard Dawson and Jacob Polley light up the past and make the future of energy and community life seem more real - by bringing their different sensibilities to 'Ancestral Reverb' - an album created by north east organisation 'Threads in the Ground' (directed by Adam Cooper). 'Ancestral Reverb' contains music spanning over 100 years, and the words of those connected to coal. DJ and producer Bert Verso sampled historic music for this album, and wove it through with his own new compositions. The records are embedded with fragments of coal. Richard Dawson's latest album is 'End of the Middle' and Jacob Polley's 'Hymn to Water' can be heard on BBC Sounds (www.BBC.co.uk/sounds/play/m002mw7t)

Sarah Howe's new book is 'Loop of Jade' which beautifully takes on threads from her T.S. Eliot prize winning collection 'Loop of Jade'. Sarah explores a 'Neon Line' for us from the work of the American 20th century poet Elizabeth Bishop - a stand-out line that lets us into a poem. Sarah tells us about the power of the messy first draft, and where it can lead a poet.

Children's Laureate, novelist and writer of the 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony - Frank Cottrell Boyce celebrates the wit, generosity, and pithy opening sentences of Professor John Carey, whose distinctive voice as teacher, critic and broadcaster led so many into a deep engagement with poetry.

Presented by Ian McMillan

Produced by Faith Lawrence

Ian's guests are Richard Dawson, Jacob Polley, Sarah Howe and Frank Cottrell Boyce.

Radio 4's cabaret of the word, featuring the best poetry, new writing and performance.

Ian's guests are Richard Dawson, Jacob Polley, Sarah Howe and Frank Cottrell Boyce on Professor John Carey and the art of criticism.

[LISTEN NOW]

Ian McMillan with Paul Farley, Griot Gabriel, Kate Fox and Ulrich Baer

Radio 4's cabaret of the word, featuring the best poetry, new writing and performance.

[LISTEN NOW]

The poet Claire Askew's debut collection is 'This Changes Things' (Bloodaxe). Her collection examines the lives of often marginalised women. And there's more poetry from Greta Bellamacina & Robert Montgomery who present their poetic collaboration 'Points For Time in the Sky'.

Producer: Cecile Wright.

Ian McMillan's guests include musician RM Hubbert and poet Claire Askew.

Ian's guests are Rob Colls on George Orwell and intellectualism, Paul Taylor on the post-modern, Stephen Law on Pseudo-profundity and Bidisha, whose work-in-progress novel features an intellectual President.

This programme was first broadcast on 10th May 2013.

Ian McMillan presents an 'intellectual' edition of Radio 3's cabaret of the word.

Joining 'Alpha Male' Ian McMillan are Jenny Colgan, author of many romance novels including 'The Endless Beach'. Jenny explains the challenges of writing for 'buttoned-up' characters. Matthew Ingram, the author of 'Personal Space', the first in our new series of Verb Dramas. 'Personal Space' was developed by the BBC Writer's Room. It stars David Judge and James Quinn and was directed by Lorna Newman. Kiru Taye grew up in Nigeria reading Mills & Boon romance novels. As an adult, she wondered why none of the characters she read about looked like her and her friends. So She decided to write her own romance novels with African protagonists. Dr Jarlath Killeen lectures at Trinity College Dublin. Jarlath takes us through the history of romance novels and assumptions about their readers and tells Ian how romantic dialogue has changed since Jane Austen. Finally, Verb regular Kate Fox brings us down to earth with romantic dialogue in tedious circumstances...

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Jessica Treen

With Kate Fox, Jenny Colgan, Matthew Ingram, Jarlath Killeen and Kiru Taye.

David Morley grew up in the traveller community in Blackpool, and uses Romany language in his poetry. He reads poems from his forthcoming collection, 'The Gypsy and The Poet' (Carcanet), which elaborates on a real encounter between the poet John Clare and a gypsy called Wisdom Smith. David explains how Wisdom Smith came to inspire his work in a rather unusual way.

Dan Allum runs The Romany Theatre Company, which celebrates Romany culture, and helps to challenge misconceptions about that community. He worked with a group of traveller and non-traveller writers to create a play called 'The Yellow Dress'. It takes as its starting point a traveller woman's experience of lost love during Second World War. The actress Candis Nergaard, who was also one of the writers, performs two extracts from the play.

The Yellow Dress' will be touring shortly, details will be posted on the company's website:

http://www.romanytheatrecompany.com

Sam Lee is a folk song collector and singer who travels the country unearthing hidden gems. His album 'Ground of its Own' (The Nest Collective), features his versions of songs learnt from travellers. As well as discussing the pleasures of birdsong, Sam performs 'My Ausheen', taught to him by his late mentor, Stanley Robertson, and 'Goodbye My Darling'. Sam has been nominated this year both for the Mercury Music Prize and the Songlines music award.

Ian McMillan presents Radio 3's word cabaret, exploring Traveller and Romany writing.

To close the Verb season, Dr Jason Allen- Paisant reads his poem 'A Sound From The Throat of God', written after the killing of George Floyd. Allen-Paisant's work has been published in Callaloo and PN Review and his debut collection is forthcoming from Carcarnet. He is Lecturer in Caribbean Poetry and Decolonial Thought at the University of Leeds.

Salman Rushdie's latest novel is ‘Quichotte' - a story with echoes and plot rhymes, where the main protagonist is in love with a celebrity called Salma R, and goes on a road trip with an imaginary son. It's a story where people are capable of turning into rhinoceroses, communicate in chess moves, and which also interrogates ‘cancel culture'.

Salman Rushdie is the author of thirteen novels including 'Midnight's Children', for which he won the Man Booker Prize and Booker of Bookers Prize, and one collection of short stories. He has also published four works of non-fiction, including the internationally acclaimed bestseller, Joseph Anton, and co-edited two anthologies. His children's fiction has also been much praised. Rushdie was knighted in 2007 for services to literature. His books have been translated into over forty languages.

Ian McMillan talks to Salman Rushdie about his writing process and 'cancel culture'.

Ian McMillan's guests are Sara Maitland, Richard Lloyd Parry, Tony Trehy and Phil Smith.

Ian McMillan presents Radio 3's language cabaret, including a commission from Sarah Hall.

With celebrated author of The Yacoubian Building, dentist-turned-novelist Alaa Al-Aswany, assessing contemporary Egyptian literature, and music from self-styled 'diseuse' George Pringle.

Plus the results of The Verb's short story competition, as Ian and fellow judge Rob Cowan announce the winner.

Ian McMillan talks to Nobel Prize-winning poet Seamus Heaney.

Our 'Something New' poem (celebrating 100 years of the BBC) is by Jean Sprackland, and our 'Something Old' poem is 'Sea Fever' by John Masefield.

Ian McMillan presents again next week - exploring the power and pleasure of last lines.

Luke Wright's guests are Helen Mort, Kate Fox, Anita Sethi and Martin Rowson.

Shaun Usher's Letters of Note project became a cultural empire spanning multiple books, stage shows, and an online archive. He's now produced Diaries of Note - a collection of diary entries that span centuries from the great and the good . He discusses the relationship between a diary entry and a poem.

Katrina Naomi on her latest pamphlet of poems, Dance As If, in which she reconnects with her body, as a woman of a certain age, through the medium of dance.

Amani Saeed on the culmination of the Language Is A Queer Thing project which for the last three years has brought poets from India and England together to create new work.

Mother and daughter, Fran Edwards and Jennifer Jones, on Rebirth - a collection of poems which began as a private conversation reflecting on their relationship, during the pandemic.

Presenter Ian McMillan

Producer: Ekene Akalawu

Ian McMillan hosts Shaun Usher, Katrina Naomi, Amani Saeed, Fran Edwards & Jennifer Jones.

Radio 4's cabaret of the word, featuring the best poetry, new writing and performance.

Ian McMillan is joined by Shaun Usher, Katrina Naomi, Amani Saeed, Fran Edwards and Jennifer Jones to explore the poetry that emerges between the private and the public.

[LISTEN NOW]

Ian McMillan is joined by Blake Morrison with the poetry of sibling relationships, Natalie Shapero - who reports poetically from the world of cinema in L.A., and Tara Bergin, who looks at how to escape from a poem, as well as sharing a 'Neon Line' with us.

We also have our cartoon for the ear - an 'eartoon' exploring the origins of confusing words in the English language - written and performed by Stagedoor Johnny (Richard Poynton).

Blake Morrison's new poetry collection is 'Afterburn' (Chatto and Windus) - his new book on writing memoir 'On Memoir' is published in April.

Natalie Shapero's collection 'Stay Dead' is published by Outspoken Press.

Tara Bergin's 'Savage Tales' is published by Carcanet

Produced by Faith Lawrence

Ian McMillan's guests are Blake Morrison, Natalie Shapero and Tara Bergin.

Radio 4's cabaret of the word, featuring the best poetry, new writing and performance.

Ian McMillan's guests are Blake Morrison, Natalie Shapero, Tara Bergin

[LISTEN NOW]

Ian McMillan's guests include the Poet Laureate Simon Armitage with poetry from his latest collection 'New Cemetery', impressionist and poet Alistair McGowan and Joelle Taylor with her new book 'Maryville'.

Poet Laureate Simon Armitage shares poems from his recent collection 'New Cemetery' - inspired by a cemetery that was being built near his house during lockdown. The poems incorporate a litany of moth species' names, meditations on writing, the dead as an audience for nature - and include responses to the death of Simon's father. Simon also contributes to our 'Neon Line' series - where we ask a poet to celebrate a remarkable line from any poem.

Alistair McGowan is an impressionist, a stand-up comedian, as well as a pianist and a poet. In his poems featured on this week's show we encounter a tussle between a sofa and a cat, a critique of using 'that' instead of 'who' or 'which', and a tender exploration of the names we give siblings. His poetry collection is called 'Not what we were expecting'.

Joelle Taylor brings us brand new poems from 'Maryville' - the story of a mythical bar in a snowglobe, a stage and a space for lesbian lives and relationships that might otherwise be forgotten. It's been described by Bernadine Evaristo as 'a consistently dazzling work of art'. Joelle won the TS Eliot Prize for poetry for 'C+nto & Othered Poems' and has since published her acclaimed novel, 'The Night Alphabet'.

Ian McMillan's guests include Simon Armitage, Alistair McGowan and Joelle Taylor.

Radio 4's cabaret of the word, featuring the best poetry, new writing and performance.

[LISTEN NOW]

Ian McMillan's guests include Simon Armitage and Joelle Taylor.

Radio 4's cabaret of the word, featuring the best poetry, new writing and performance.

[LISTEN NOW]

Ian McMillan is joined by Simon Armitage, Josienne Clarke with Ben Walker and Jane Haynes.

Simon Garfield revels in the language of maps, and asks whether digital maps will change our sense of self.

On the Map', Profile Books

Rachael Boast won the Forward prize for Best First Collection last year - she reads new poems that delight in borders, uncertainty and the pleasures of getting lost.

Sidereal', Picador

Scanner (AKA Robin Rimbaud) maps and recovers sounds that most of us would miss - he shares a new piece which evokes the language of 'haunted' rooms.

Live at the Liverpool Biennial October 6th.

Sam Riviere was awarded the 2012 Forward Prize for Best First Collection this week - he explains why he decided to take on 'poeticisms' like the creative writing advice 'show not tell' in his collection '81 Austerities'. His poems were celebrated by the judging panel for their 'sophistication, wryness and self-awareness'.

81 Austerities', Faber.

Ian McMillan is joined by guests Rachael Boast, Simon Garfield, Sam Riviere and Scanner.

How does AL Kennedy's insomnia inform her prose? Amy Liptrot, author of The Outrun presents excerpts from her diary of motherhoood, there's brand new poetry from Bridget Minnamore on her experience of disordered sleep, and Marina Benjamin on her new book 'Insomnia

Producer Cecile Wright

With Al Kennedy, Amy Liptrot, Marina Benjamin and Bridget Minamore.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Cecile Wright

Boo Hewerdine and Kate Fox on how friendships change in difficult times.

Sound First work featured:

Speaker - poem by Jacob Polley, sound designer Nicky Elson

Atlas - poem by Joelle Taylor, sound designer Amanda Priestley

Root Your Words in the Earth - poem by Malika Booker, sound designer Louis Blatherwick

Ian McMillan is joined by Michael Symmons Roberts, Kate Fox, and Jacob Polley.

Writer and performer Sophie Woolley has over the years amazed and delighted with her ability to play all the characters in stories such as When to Run and Fight Face. She presents a new short story, Poodle Mood, written specially for the programme.

Verb language spy Alex Horne launches an audacious poetic experiment:

Vocabularyclept poetry is the art of making one poem from the words of another: One person takes a poem, writes down all its words in alphabetical order and sends this list to another person. This second person then tries to write their own poem with those words. It is an intriguing word-game and we invite listeners to send us your Vocabularyclept poems.

The rules are simple:

Budding Vocabularyclept poets must make their poem from the following list of words only. All the words in the list must be used. The poem can take any form or style you choose.

The aim of the experiment is to see if poems written using exactly the same words have similarities. Will writers choose the same rhymes? And, more importantly, will anyone be able to accomplish the task?

The words you must use are:

Bloke

Called

Crimes

Dylan

Glorious

He'd

Jazz

Like

Made

Mixed

Once

Plotted

Quite

Skill

There

Verse

Villain

Was

Whose

Send us your poems! You can email them to theverb@BBC.co.uk or write in to The Verb, Room 7045, Broadcasting House, Portland Place, London, W1A 1AA.

You can also post them on The Verb or Alex Horne's Twitter pages. Details are below.

Singer and folk song collector Sam Lee has travelled the length and breadth of the British Isles to record the traditional songs of traveller and Romany communities and tells the programme about his work. He is joined by Thomas McCarthy, a singer and songwriter of the Irish traveller tradition.

Ian McMillan presents a new commission from writer and performer Sophie Woolley.

Ian McMillan's guests are the poets Inua Ellams, Hannah Silva, Sabrina Mahfouz and Luke Kennard.

Hannah Silva presents a special poem marking the transfer of the Arts Council's collection to the Poetry Library at Southbank.

The programme also features a new commission from Inua Ellams, the first in our 'Three Score and Ten' series to celebrate 70 years of Radio 3.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Faith Lawrence.

Ian McMillan presents a special edition for National Poetry Day.

Part of Radio 3's Sounds of Shakespeare weekend (22-24th April) celebrating 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death.

Live from Stratford, Ian McMillan with a Shakespearean edition of the cabaret of the word.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Faith Lawrence

With Mark Haddon, Kate Fox and Rachael Allen.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Cecile Wright

With Frank Skinner, Zaffar Kunial, Rob Drummond and Joseph Bond.

This week Ian peers into the yellow heart of the daffodil to find out what makes a great spring poem, and shares poetry by some of the most remarkable poets of our moment, as well as those inspired by the colours of crocuses past. Spring is always beautiful, but there is earthiness and grief in the language of the season too. His guests will include writers and those who work with and study the earth itself.

Ian is joined by Booker Prize-winning novelist and keen gardener Penelope Lively who has contributed an essay to the new anthology 'In The Garden' (Daunt) on 'the Gardening Eye', passing the passion for growing on to her daughters, and gardening later in life.

In his poem 'Here Too Spring Comes to Us with Open Arms', Caleb Femi takes us to spring on a South London Estate.

In books such as the T.S Eliot prize shortlisted collection 'The Mizzy' (Picador), Paul Farley turns our attention to the overlooked and unloved places, finding spring thrives here just as in the meadow.

We also hear a selection of poems read by Colin Tierney and Indira Varma:

Crocuses - Richard Meier

Lines Written in early Spring - William Wordsworth

April - Mona Arshi

Loveliest of trees, the cherry now - AE Housman

March - Patrick Kavanagh

I So Liked Spring - Charlotte Mew

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Jessica Treen

Ian McMillan is joined by Paul Farley, Caleb Femi and Penelope Lively to celebrate spring.

Producers: Erin Riley and Dymphna Flynn

Presented by Ian McMillan. Cellist Steven Isserlis and writers David Vann and Alison Carr.

The Queen of 'Tartan Noir', Denise Mina is the author of the Paddy Mehan crime novels, several of which have been televised on BBC1. Her 2012 novel 'The End of the Wasp Season' (Transworld) won the Martin Beck Award and the Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award.

Since publishing his first collection, 'Nil Nil' (Faber) in 1993, Don Paterson has been awarded several major poetry prizes including the T.S Eliot and the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry. He teaches at St Andrews and is the poetry editor for Picador. Alongside Nick Laird, he recently edited the poetry anthology 'The Zoo of the New' (Penguin).

Tessa Hadley is the author of six novels and two short story collections. Her writing can also be found in The New Yorker. She is the Professor of Creative Writing at Bath Spa University.

Jack Bernhardt is the author of the Radio 4 sitcom 'The Lentil Sorters', and frequently contributes to The Guardian, The News Quiz and Dead Ringers.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Faith Lawrence.

Ian McMillan's guests are Don Paterson, Tessa Hadley, Jack Bernhardt and Denise Mina.

For musician, broadcaster and synesthete LJ Rich, the world is drenched in music. With the help of a piano, she lets us inside her experience of the world, where tastes, colours and even the most boring train station make beautiful music.

Verb regular, the linguist Rob Drummond has been researching the colour associations we all have with certain vowel sounds and has discovered some intriguing patterns.

And there's plenty of poetry to stimulate your senses, Ruth Padel's latest collection is 'Emerald' (Chatto). The book is a meditation on grief, but is also shot through with colour. Hannah Silva presents her 'musical shirt', as made for her by Tomomi Adachi, the shirt is an invention that allows her to turn movement into sound poetry. And finally, poet and performer Abi Palmer finds that her synesthesia is heightened by the experience of water, so especially for The Verb she presents a poem written while taking a 'musical bath'...

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Jessica Treen

Hearing colours and tasting words with Hannah Silva, LJ Rich, Rob Drummond and Ruth Padel

Ian McMillan comperes at the annual TS Eliot Prize readings at the Royal Festival Hall.

Ian McMillan presents highlights from the TS Eliot Prize Readings - extraordinary poetry from 2024.

Poetry books featured :

Raymond Antrobus 'Signs, Music' (Picador Poetry)

Hannah Copley 'Lapwing' (Pavilion Poetry)

Helen Farish 'The Penny Dropping' (Bloodaxe Books)

Peter Gizzi 'Fierce Elegy' (Penguin Poetry)

Gustav Parker Hibbett 'High Jump as Icarus Story' (Banshee Press)

Rachel Mann 'Eleanor Among the Saints' (Carcanet Press)

Gboyega Odubanjo 'Adam' (Faber & Faber)

Carl Phillips 'Scattered Snows, to the North' (Carcanet Press)

Katrina Porteous 'Rhizodont' (Bloodaxe Books)

Karen McCarthy Woolf 'Top Doll' (Dialogue Books)

Highlights of the TS Eliot Prize Readings - extraordinary poetry from 2024.

A cabaret of the word, featuring the best poetry, new writing and performance.

[LISTEN NOW]

This is a special edition of the show recorded at the annual prize reading at the Royal Festival Hall in London (hosted by Ian) a day before the announcement of the winner - Joelle Taylor.

Ian celebrates the impact and achievement of Joelle's collection 'C+nto' and of the other shortlisted collections.

Poets featured:

Jack Underwood

Hannah Lowe

Daniel Sluman

Kevin Young

Victoria Kennefick

Ruth Padel reading the work of Selima Hill

Raymond Antrobus

Kayo Chingonyi

Michael Symmons Roberts

Ian McMillan celebrates the poetry collections on the TS Eliot Prize shortlist.

This year, Roger Robinson won the prize for his collection 'A Portable Paradise' (Peepal Tree Press). The chair of the judges John Burnside talked about how Roger is able to find 'in the bitterness of everyday experience, continuing evidence of ‘sweet, sweet life' '.

The shortlisted poets who feature alongside Roger in this edition of The Verb are: Anthony Anaxagorou, Fiona Benson, Jay Bernard, Paul Farley, Ilya Kaminsky, Sharon Olds, Vidyan Ravinthiran, Deryn Rees-Jones and Karen Solie,

The T.S. Eliot Prize is run by the T.S. Eliot Foundation and was initiated in 1993 by Valerie Eliot.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Faith Lawrence

Ian McMillan shares highlights of the T.S. Eliot Prize readings at the Royal Festival Hall

Alongside readings from the poets themselves, Ian reflects on the resonance of their poems during this period of uncertainty. In keeping with our season 'Experiments in Living', he asks, 'how do these poems ask us to see the world?', what do they tell us about how we might live?

Glyn Maxwell - How the hell are you (Picador Poetry)

Ella Frears - Shine, Darling (Offord Road Books)

Shane McCrae - Sometimes I Never Suffered (Corsair Poetry)

Sasha Dugdale - Deformations (Carcanet Press)

J O Morgan - The Martian's Regress (Cape Poetry)

Daisy Lafarge - Life Without Air (Granta Poetry)

Natalie Diaz - Postcolonial Love Poem (Faber & Faber)

Wayne Holloway Smith - Love Minus Love (Bloodaxe Books)

Will Harris - RENDANG (Granta Poetry)

Bhanu Kapil - How to Wash a Heart (Pavilion Poetry)

Ian McMillan presents readings from poets shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot Prize.

Join Ian McMillan for a celebration of remarkable poets and poetry as he presents highlights of the annual T.S. Eliot Prize readings, recorded in front of an audience at London's Southbank.

The poets featured this year are:

Gillian Allnutt, Isabelle Baafi, Catherine-Esther Cowie, Paul Farley, Vona Groarke, Sarah Howe, Nick Makoha, Tom Paulin, Natalie Shapero, and Karen Solie.

Ian McMillan presents a poetry highlight of the year - the T.S. Eliot Prize readings.

Radio 4's cabaret of the word, featuring the best poetry, new writing and performance.

Join Ian McMillan for a celebration of remarkable poetry as he presents highlights of the annual T.S. Eliot Prize readings, recorded in front of an audience at London's Southbank.

Ian was the host for the TS Eliot Prize readings at the Royal Festival Hall - where shortlisted poets read from their shortlisted collections in front of a packed audience.

For this edition of The Verb Ian has selected poems featuring infinity pools, slush, shopping malls, family inheritances, the beaver, and lost keys - and tells us which collection scooped the prize of £25,000, awarded by the T.S.Eliot Foundation.

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Producer: Cecile Wright

The Verb explores writing and language on the appeal of risk.

Guyda Armstrong, author of the forthcoming 'English Boccaccio' reveals why the number ten is at the very heart of the medieval masterpiece 'The Decameron', Catherine Blyth asks whether writers will ever truly love decimal terms, or will quarts always be more appealing than kilometres? Poet Paul Farley reads from his acclaimed new collection 'The Dark Film', singer Liz Green performs music from her album 'O Devotion', and in honour of our anniversary Ian starts to compile 'Ten Writing Commandments'.

Ian McMillan celebrates ten years of Radio 3's cabaret of the word.

The composer Kerry Andrew has previously performed on The Verb as 'You Are Wolf'. She returns the the programme to launch our 'Terms & Conditions' series with a specially composed song on the theme. Kerry performs alongside the other members of her vocal ensemble 'Juice', Sarah Dacey and Anna Snow.

Tom Chatfield is the Verb's Techno-linguist and he's here to explain what lurks behind the Terms & Conditions online. What are we missing when we tick a box and don't read the text? Tom Chatfield is the author of 'Netymology'.

The novelist Nick Harkaway discusses his latest novel, 'Tigerman', set on the fictional island of Mancreu.

Ian McMillan presents the word cabaret, examining the world of 'terms and conditions'.

Presented by Ian McMillan. With Terry Deary, Christian Bok and Kerry Andrew.

Producer: Cecile Wright

Ian McMillan presents a special extended interview with Tessa Hadley.

Jane Draycott reads from her new translation of The Pearl, the fourteenth century poem by the unknown writer of the Gawain poem, and talks about how she recreated the imaginative intensity of the original.

Storyteller Daniel Morden breathes new life into the tale of Sleeping Beauty as he performs the opening of his new version which concentrates on the themes of love, separation and reunion.

May sees the 70th birthday of Bob Dylan, and conceptual poet Ira Lightman celebrates his lyrics, and illustrates them on the ukelele.

Ian McMillan presents a special commission from Tessa Hadley.

Testament presents poetry in performance from Daljit Nagra, Kate Fox, Andrew McMillan and Kirsty Taylor

The Adverb is recorded in front of a studio audience in St George's Hall, Bradford at the Contains Strong Language festival. Part of the Bradford 2025 City of Culture celebrations.

Testament is a writer, rapper, educator and world-record breaking beatboxer. Daljt Nagra won the Forward Poetry Prize for best single poem in 2004 for 'Look We Have Coming to Dover!' Verb regular Kate Fox's recent books include 'Bigger on the Inside' and 'On Sycamore Gap'. Andrew McMillan won the Guardian First Book award for his debut collection Physical and Kirsty Taylor is a writer and educator inspired by her beloved hometown Bradford - she opened the City of Culture year in January performing to 20,000 people in City Park.

Presenter: Testament

Producer: Jessica Treen

Exec Producer: Susan Roberts

Testament presents poetry from Daljit Nagra, Kate Fox, Andrew McMillan and Kirsty Taylor

Testament presents poetry in performance at the Contains Strong Language festival in Bradford from Daljit Nagra, Kate Fox, Andrew McMillan and Kirsty Taylor.

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Simon Armitage, Hanan Issa and more stellar poets join Ian McMillan at the Hay Festival.

The Verb's performance wing - The Adverb. Simon Armitage, Hanan Issa, Joseph Coelho, Owen Sheers and Jazz Money perform at the Hay Festival.

Radio 4's cabaret of the word, featuring the best poetry, new writing and performance

Ian McMillan presents poets in performance from the Hay Festival; guests include the Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, the National Poet of Wales Hanan Issa, former Children's Poet Laureate Joseph Coelho, Professor of Creativity Owen Sheers - and Jazz Money, an Australian poet of Wiradjuri heritage. They share poetry of snow, rivers, labyrinths and the heart.

Adverb captures the best of poetry performances from across the country. Simon Armitage, Hanan Issa, Joseph Coelho, Owen Sheers & Jazz Money join Ian McMillan at the Hay Festival.

Dr John Cooper Clarke is a legend of the punk poetry scene and gets us into gear with a poem about the thrilling allure of the hire car. The best art can come out of limitations and Luke Wright shows his amazing lyrical dexterity with a poem entirely based on the assonance of the letter A.

And TS Eliot prize winner Joelle Taylor spellbinds the crowd with an autobiographical poem about growing up as a butch lesbian, touching on her early life in Accrington.

Along the way, the Barnsley Bard Ian McMillan offers us some of his own work, including a no-holds-barred anaylysis of the perils of drinks machines.

Presented by Ian McMillan

Produced by Kevin Core

Ian McMillan presents the best poetry and performance recorded at the Latitude Festival.

John Cooper Clarke, Joelle Taylor and Luke Wright join Ian McMillan for The Adverb, The Verb's cabaret of the word - the best poetry and performance from the Latitude Festival.

Radio 4's cabaret of the word, featuring the best poetry, new writing and performance

Ian McMillan presents from the Latitude Festival - the best poetry and performance.

Imtiaz Dharker, poet, film-maker and national treasure is on first. She is a recipient of the Queen's Gold Medal and reads new poems from her collection 'Shadow Reader' - some of which explore the uncanny experience of having her 'shadow' read in order to predict her life-span.

Rachael Allen is a legendary poetry editor as well as a poet; she shares poems of scrupulous attention to a relationship breaking down. Her readings come from the narrative poem in her new book 'God Complex'.

Salena Godden's new book 'With Love Grief and Fury' is full of love poems for people and for the planet. She is a poet, memoirist and fiction writer.

Her debut novel 'Mrs Death Misses Death' won the Indie Book Award for Fiction and the People's Book Prize.

We have selected poetry highlights - but Outspoken is also a music night, and was recorded at Southbank in London.

Thanks to the Outspoken team for welcoming Radio 4:

Joelle Taylor

Anthony Anaxagorou

Tom MacAndrew

Karim Kamar

Sam Junior Bromfield

A cabaret of the word - the best poetry and performances from Outspoken at Southbank.

Radio 4's cabaret of the word, featuring the best poetry, new writing and performance

Recorded in front of an audience at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, Ian McMillan hosts poets Liz Lochhead, Robert Crawford and Hannah Lavery at the city's annual arts festival.

Hannah Lavery is a writer and former Makar of Edinburgh whose work has been described as a “beautiful and shattering ritual of rage and mourning ?. She performs her work 'Edinburgh Is A Story', commissioned by the Edinburgh International Festival, along with 'My Work Is Loving The World' and 'Miss Has Started Using Sunbeds'.

Robert Crawford, author of books about writers as different as TS Eliot and Robert Burns, reads from his new collection 'Old World', a Scots version of Enheduanna, and brings us right to the heart of the city with 'Camera Obscura' and 'Mons Meg'.

Liz Lochhead, former Makar of Scotland, reads a selection of poems including 'Trouble Is Not My Middle Name', 'Coming To Poetry' and the wonderfully wicked 'Song For A Dirty Diva'.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Elizabeth Foster

Ian McMillan hosts Liz Lochhead, Robert Crawford & Hannah Lavery at the Edinburgh Festival

Ian McMillan presents The Adverb from the Edinburgh Festivals. With poetry performances from Liz Lochhead, Robert Crawford and Hannah Lavery.

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For this edition of The Adverb recorded at this year's Hay Festival, The Barnsley Bard Ian McMillan is joined by a veritable paean of poets: For over five decades national treasure Michael Rosen has been writing poetry praised for its “ability to address the most serious matters of life in a spirit of joy, humour and hope ?; Len Pennie has won acclaim and admirers for her muscular use of the Scots language; Alex Wharton is currently Children's Laureate Wales but he writes poems for everyone and his fans include racing driver Sir Lewis Hamilton who had one of Alex's poems stitched into his Met Gala suit last year; Natalie Ann Holborow describes poetry as “a powerful and precious thread that runs through the tapestry of our lives ?. With three poetry collections under her belt, the thread is strong in this one. And to mark sixty years since the death of Eleanor Farjeon, there's a tribute to the distinguished children's writer with a special reading of one of her most loved poems – Cats Sleep Anywhere.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producers: Ekene Akalawu and Jessica Treen

Ian McMillan presents poets in performance for The Verb's performance wing, The Adverb.

The Adverb at the Hay Festival with Ian McMillan joined by Michael Rosen, Len Pennie, Alex Wharton, and Natalie Ann Holborow, and a tribute to children's writer Eleanor Farjeon.

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Ian McMillan presents poetry in performance with Jackie Kay, Hollie McNish and Michael Pedersen in this recording of The Adverb at the Ledbury Festival.

They share poems of friendship, childhood, and of love in its many forms - from the love of a child for a parent, to the love of balconies.

Jackie Kay is the former Makar (Poet Laureate) of Scotland - she shares poems of great tenderness from her latest collection May Day and from earlier collections too.

Hollie McNish is one of our best-loved poets. In books like 'Nobody Told Me' and 'Lobster', her work explores taboos around the body and the experience of motherhood. In this programme we hear her poetry of friendship too.

Michael Pedersen is a poet and author, as well as the Makar for Edinburgh. He has been acclaimed for his attention to male friendship in his collection 'The Cat Prince' and for the poetic writing in his new book 'Muckle Flugga' - which is filled with warmth and humour.

Ian McMillan, Jackie Kay, Hollie McNish & Michael Pedersen at the Ledbury Poetry Festival

Ian McMillan is joined by Jackie Kay, Hollie McNish and Michael Pedersen at the Ledbury Poetry Festival

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The Dharug people are the traditional custodians of the land upon which this performance was recorded in front of an audience.

Here 7 of the best perform their work.

Presented by Ian McMillan with

L-Fresh the Lion

Yleia Mariano

Adrian Mouhajer

Hani Abdile

Mohammed Awad and

Dobby

The Adverb brings you the best in poetry & performance from across the country and beyond

Ian McMillan presents a special Adverb edition recorded in Sydney Australia featuring poets from the other side of the world. A cabaret of the spoken word to savour .

Bringing you the best in Australian spoken word poetry . A special edition of Adverb, recorded at the Riverside Theatres in Parramatta the creative edgy hub of Sydney. The exciting Bankstown series of poetry slams. have been attracting huge audiences to poetry . Here we hear 7 of the best perform their work both unaccompanied and with music .

Adverb brings you the best in poetry and performance from across the country and beyond

Radio 4's cabaret of the word, featuring the best poetry, new writing and performance

Ian McMillan presents a backwards programme, with Toby Litt, Helen Zaltzman and Tim Atack.

Ian McMillan's guests include writer Francis Spufford and poet Hollie McNish.

Joining Ian to talk about the language of food from 'clean' to 'dirty' are Benjamin Zephaniah, who became a vegan instinctively before he even knew the word for it, and who is perhaps best loved for his plea to be kinder to animals at Christmas; 'Talking Turkey'. The novelist Jonathan Safran Foer first examined morality and food in his 2009 non-fiction book 'Eating Animals', and it's a subject he has returned to in his latest book 'We are the Weather: Saving the Planet Begins at Breakfast'. Argentinian novelist Agustina Bazterrica explains the challenges of not eating meat in a country where it is central to the culture, and discusses her dystopian novel 'Tender is the Flesh'. And meat runs throughout the poetry of Rachael Allen, who is in fact a vegan.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Jessica Treen

With Benjamin Zephaniah, Jonathan Safran Foer, Agustina Bazterrica and Rachael Allen

Testament, beatboxer, rapper and writer - presents a festive Adverb (complete with a yuletide salad battle), with his guests the former Scottish Makar Jackie Kay, poetic legend John Hegley, Mercury prize nominated folk singer Sam Lee, as well as satirical supremo Brian Bilston.

They bring iconic robins, soul stirring music, poetic Christmas questions, and quirky Yule traditions to an audience in the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra Hall in Salford.

Brian Bilston's very funny books include 'You Took the Last Bus Home', and 'Alexa, what is there to know about love'? His latest book is called ‘A Poem for Every Question'. He shares new poems and poems from his book ‘And so this is Christmas':

John Hegley brings surreal festive interaction and poignantly playful poems to the Adverb. He also celebrates a playful December celery battle recorded in the letters of Romantic poet John Keats.

Sam Lee's album is ‘Songdreaming' – he's joined by pianist James Keay to perform songs that sing us deep into this time of year. Sam organises 'Singing with Nightingale' events, so we find out where nightingales go for Christmas.

Jackie Kay's latest book is 'May Day' - she shares a poem by one of her favourite poets Norman McCaig - which stars a robin - and tender winter poems from her collections.

Testament's festive guests are Jackie Kay, Brian Bilston, John Hegley and Sam Lee.

Radio 4's cabaret of the word, featuring the best poetry, new writing and performance.

Testament's guests are Jackie Kay, Brian Bilston, John Hegley and Sam Lee - performing festive poetry and songs.

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John Hegley gives us the taste of a French Christmas and of thick skinned roast potatoes, Kathryn Williams and Carol Ann Duffy present brand new Christmas songs from their new album 'Midnight Chorus', Jay Rayner gives us Yule commandments (including the advice that gravy solves everything, and more controversially 'don't serve Christmas pudding'). Ian McMillan channels the New York poet Frank O'Hara to write a special Christmas poem (featuring tangerines and the mystic Julian of Norwich). As usual, Radio 3's cabaret of the word is stuffed full of language play.

Come and warm your hands at The Verb's fire - the words are sparkling!

Ian McMillan is joined by John Hegley, Carol Ann Duffy, Kathryn Williams, and Jay Rayner.

Ian McMillan presents a Christmas edition with guests Guy Garvey and John Hamilton May.

Joining Ian are the novelist Jenny Colgan on the 'City of Invention' (which the late novelist Fay Weldon uses to describe literature in her book 'Letters to Alice: On First Reading Jane Austen'), by skateboarder and poet Olly Todd on his new collection 'Out for Air', by the writer and novelist Reinier de Graaf, who explores the corporate language of architecture (and the need for all new buildings to be 'officially amazing'), and the poet Geraldine Monk, who shares a brand new commission - part of our BBC centenary series 'Something Old, Something New'.

Ian McMillan and guests on writing the city.

Catherine Coldsteam's new memoir is ‘Cloistered', a book about the twelve years she spent in a Carmelite monastery where she lived the life of a silent contemplative nun.

Hannah Sullivan won the T.S. Eliot award for her collection ‘Three Poems'. Her latest book ‘Was it For This' considers a life shrunk small by new motherhood.

The last in our series of Verb Dramas is Ghost In The Machine by Karen Featherstone

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Jessica Treen

Ian McMillan discusses writing and claustrophobia with guests Holly Pester, Catherine Coldstream, Hannah Sullivan and Karen Featherstone.

Poets Philip Gross, Jacqueline Saphra, Heather Phillipson (the next artist to be curating the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square) and writer Cathy Rentzenbrink join Ian McMillan.

Producer: Faith Lawrence

Presenter: Ian McMillan

with Philip Gross, Jacqueline Saphra, Cathy Rentzenbrink and Heather Phillipson.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Jessica Treen

Ian McMillan presents Radio 3's Cabaret of Cuteness as we examine all things cute.

Ian McMillan presents Radio 3's Cabaret of Cuteness as this week we examine all things cute. With guests Tom Morton-Smith, Karen McCarthy Woolf, Isabel Galleymore and Kate Fox.

The poet won the T.S Eliot prize in 2012 for her last collection, 'Stag's Leap'. She published her latest collection earlier this year, 'Odes'.

Heather Phillipson presents the last new commission in Radio 3's 70th anniversary season 'Three Score and Ten', which features new original poems from up and coming writers.

The writer Kevin Jackson examines literary eccentricity. His latest book is 'Constellation of Genius: Modernism Year One'. (Windmill)

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Faith Lawrence.

Ian McMillan presents Radio 3's cabaret of the word, exploring eccentricity.

Producer: Ruth Thomson

Michael Rosen, Lauren Elkin, and Christopher Green talk diaries with Ian McMillan.

Stand up Comedian Mark Steel is the presenter of several radio and television series including 'The Mark Steel Lectures' and 'Mark Steel's in Town'. As well as writing a weekly column for The Independent, his books include 'Reasons to be cheerful' and 'Vive la Revolution'.

Delphine de Vigan's 2011 novel 'Rien ne s'oppose

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's guests include Murray Lachlan Young, Louise Welsh, and William Letford.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Cecile Wright

Join Ian McMillan and his guests for a festive edition of The Verb.

But in a mood of celebration Ian McMillan and his guests put the number 3 in the spotlight as they explore the magic and the power of three in poetry, storytelling and writing; with poet and memoirist Don Paterson to guide us around those poetic forms based on the number three, by long-time Verb favourite Ira Lightman with a brand new commission, storyteller and author Daniel Morden and The Bookshop Band who'll be performing songs inspired by books and by The Verb.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Cecile Wright

Ian McMillan and his guests put the number three in the spotlight.

Ian McMillan and his guests put the linguistic spotlight on the number three.

But in a mood of celebration Ian McMillan and his guests put the number 3 in the spotlight as they explore the magic and the power of three in poetry, storytelling and writing; with poet and memoirist Don Paterson to guide us around those poetic forms based on the number three, by long-time Verb favourite Ira Lightman with a brand new commission, and The Bookshop Band who'll be performing songs inspired by books.

Ian McMillan is joined by the academic and writer Sarah Churchwell, author of 'Careless People: Murder, Mayhem and the invention of The Great Gatsby', to discuss why the language of the book is still so resonant to us today.

And poet and playwright Inua Ellams considers the quality of 'emptiness' in the text and how Fitzgerald's writing made this glittering world of parties feel so hollow.

Jonathan Bate's new book is 'Bright Star, Green Light: The Beautiful and Damned Lives of John Keats and F. Scott Fitzgerald'. Bate joins us to take us on a 'Keatsian' reading of The Great Gatsby

And to examine the idea of the public domain, we'll also be looking at what it means to remix and play around with a text with musician, broadcaster and technologist LJ Rich. LJ is a synesthete - how does she Fitzgerald's book, famously drenched in colour from green lights to yellow cocktail music?

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Jessica Treen

Ian McMillan is joined by Sarah Churchwell, Inua Ellams, LJ Rich and Jonathan Bate.

Ian's guests are the writer John Lanchester on his new dystopian novel 'The Wall' (Faber), poet Hannah Sullivan who recently won the TS Eliot Prize for her debut collection 'Three Poems' (Faber), comedian and 'Mash Report' star Rachel Parris on the art of the musical parody and Nina Stibbe whose novel 'Reasons to Be Cheerful was awarded The Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for comic fiction.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Jessica Treen

Ian McMillan is joined by John Lanchester, Hannah Sullivan, Rachel Parris and Nina Stibbe

Hay Festival guests Michael Morpurgo, Caitlin Moran and Imbolo Mbue join Ian McMillan.

The Verb celebrates rhyme and rap in hip hop.

The Verb considers the poetics of rap, rhyme and flows with a celebration of 50 years of hip hop.

Ian McMillan presents poetry readings from poets from all over the world.

Roger Luckhurst has written extensively on horror, science fiction and Gothic Literature. His latest book is Zombies: A Cultural History. As well as tracing the journey of the Zombie from the Caribbean to our cinema screens, Roger will be examining the unique prose style of H P LOVECRAFT, from his classic stories like 'Call of Cthulu' to his many, many letters and his lesser known poetry.

Johnny Mains was introduced to the Pan Book of Horror series as a young boy, sparking a lifelong obsession. The author of 'Back from the Dead: The Legacy of the Pan Book of Horror Stories' delves into the paperbacks that inspired a generation.

Kill the Beast! theatre company's new show is Don't Wake the Damp. Here we meet Juniper Berry, once the star of the cult TV show 'The Crystal Continuum', now her home is threatened by a new monster - damp.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Jessica Treen.

Ian McMillan presents a spooky edition of Radio 3's word cabaret.

Steven Moffat is a writer and television producer - celebrated for his writing on Doctor Who. He is joined on the programme by Dr Peter Dong (Peter runs a research programme in particle physics at the Large Hadron Collider) to explore a story called 'Going Dark' - which Steven wrote for the collection 'Collision' published by Comma Press. 'Collision' was edited by scientists Rob Appleby and Connie Potter - and brought together a number of writers who were keen to produce stories inspired by research linked to the CERN laboratory, liaising with scientists working on different projects.

Polly Morland's 'A Fortunate Woman' (Picador) has been described as a 'compelling, thoughtful and insightful look at the life and work of a country doctor'. Partly inspired by John Berger's book focusing on a doctor in the same valley ( published in 1967) - Polly spent many hours walking and talking with the current doctor and listening to local people to produce an intimate and detailed picture of the importance of GPs' capacity for telling and holding stories.

Arji Manuelpillai's new poetry collection is 'Improvised Explosive Device' (Penned in the Margins) and is full of inventive and powerful metaphors that help us understand violence, extremism and compassion. He interviewed those affected by extremism to inform his poems, and to understand the political and personal impact of language.

Ian McMillan is joined by Steven Moffat, Polly Morland, Arji Manuelpillai and Peter Dong.

Ian is joined by the former Makar (National Poet of Scotland) Jackie Kay, with a brand new commission for The Verb - by Liz Berry, who shares poems about an ancestor called Eliza from her new collection 'Home Child' - and by Christopher Reid with explorations of childhood (and an imaginary character called Theodore Faddlefoot) all taken from his collection 'Toys/Tricks/Traps' - just published.

Ian McMillan's guests include Jackie Kay, Liz Berry and Christopher Reid.

Writer and journalist Anita Sethi reads from her book 'I Belong Here: A Journey Along the Backbone of Britain' , the story of how a race-hate crime on a train led her to undertake a series of journeys through northern landscapes. Anita discusses the importance of thinking about deep time and the natural world, and listening as an act of restoration.

Technology philosopher Tom Chatfield's new book is called 'How to Think' and it touches on many of the themes that have been surfacing and resurfacing on The Verb over the last year, including 'uncertainty' and the way language can help us think clearly about technology and ecology.

Our regular Verb guests, the poets Ira Lightman and Kate Fox also join us for the season's coda programme. Kate shares a new collage poem which contains the words spoken by our guests at 20 minutes and 21 seconds within each of our Verb recordings - to see what it might reveal about the thinking of our guests in this challenging year. Ira helps us think about language and time and reads a brand new commission for The Verb which we hope will help us futureproof our manifesto.

The academic and writer Julie Schumacher has examined the culture of bureaucracy within academia in her novel 'Dear Committee Members', an epistolary novel using Letters of Recommendation.

Ian McMillan explores the language of bureaucracy with Paul Taylor and Heather Phillipson.

Critic Ismene Brown explains how to write about dance, plus poetry from Nathan Walker.

As part of the festival programme, Carolyn Forch退 was going to be in conversation with Sandeep, so here we give Sandeep a chance to ask just a few of the questions she wanted to ask. Carolyn has recently published her first collection of poetry in 17 years, 'In the Lateness of the World' (Bloodaxe). Juana Adcock discusses her translation of the Mexican poet Hubert Matiuwaa, and reads a poem from her collection 'Split' (Blue Diode), set to music by Jer Reid. Kaveh Akbar's debut collection 'Calling A Wolf A Wolf' was published to great acclaim in 2017, and here he reads work in progress. Sandeep Parmar has written the afterword to a new edition of Hope Mirrlees's ‘lost' modernist masterpiece 'Paris'.

The festival has been able to move a small number of events online, including Kaveh Akbar in conversation with Danez Smith and Juana Adock and Martha Sprackland will be taking part in a Spanish Poetry Translation Duel, posted by Clare Pollard.

For more details about Ledbury and to register for online events please visit https://www.poetry-festival.co.uk/

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Jessica Treen

With Carolyn Forche, Kaveh Akbar, Juana Adcock and Sandeep Parmar.

Also joining Ian is Verb regular Hollie McNish who will be introducing us to Vanessa Kisuule, who has jut been announced as Bristol's Poet Laureate.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Cecile Wright.

Sarah Hall, Hollie McNish & Vanessa Kisuule, Ari Eldjarn, and Rob Drummond.

Ian MacMillan has love in mind as he is joined by a swoon of poets all interested in the subject of love in lyric form.

Kim Moore's poetry collections include The Art of Falling and All The Men I Never Married. She's chosen this week's Neon Line, The Verb's feature on lines that shine out from their poems, from a love poem that has long moved her. She also shares a new love poem from her forthcoming collection, The House of Broken Things,

Deborah Alma, poet, editor, and co-founder of The Poetry Pharmacy is a fan of love poetry anthologies She discusses the approach she took in her own love poetry anthology - Words For Love, and why she finds The Emma Press Anthology of Love edited by Rachel Piercey and Emma Wright, and Something New: Alternative Poems for Alternative Weddings edited by Caroline Bird and Rachel Long, such appealing collections.

In Rob Macaisa Colgate's debut poetry book, Hardly Creatures, he models his collection of poems on the experience of a fully accessible art gallery, inspired by his work in disability arts gallery in Toronto called Tangled. Hardly Creatures features a series of love poems which Rob calls Benches to reflect the fact that he sees them as places of rest in a collection often concerned with the practicalities, the pain, and the politics of disability.

Mark Connors, co-founder and editor of Yaffle Press, on the love song inspired poetry in their latest publication - Poems Inspired By the Best Songs of All Time.

Presented by Ian MacMillan

Produced by Ekene Akalawu

Love poems with Deborah Alma, Rob Macaisa Colgate, Mark Connors and Kim Moore.

Radio 4's cabaret of the word, featuring the best poetry, new writing and performance.

With Valentine's Day on the horizon, Ian MacMillan discusses love poetry with Deborah Alma, Rob Macaisa Colgate, Mark Connors and Kim Moore.

[LISTEN NOW]

Novelist M.J.Hyland shares new writing from the latest edition of Granta (Medicine) in which she explores the language of diagnosis, and explains how she dealt with being told she had Multiple Sclerosis.

And a new drama commission for The Verb - playwright Chloe Moss offers an insight into the language of victimhood with her play 'Because I'm worth it'. (Rpt)

Produced by Faith Lawrence.

Presented by Ian McMillan. With MJ Hyland, Carol Watts, Roger Kneebone and Chloe Moss.

Part of Radio 3's weekend of programming in partnership with Wellcome Collection: 'Why Music? The Key to Memory'.

Ian McMillan presents a 'memorisable' cabaret of the word with Jenny Uglow & Julian Glover

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 'Fl耀che'.

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

With Ocean Vuong, Kate Fox, Rob Drummond, Ira Lightman and Mary Jean Chan.

The Morecambe Poetry festival hosts Ian McMillan and the Verb at the Morecambe Winter Gardens, for a special recording with poets Pam Ayres, Raymond Antrobus and Henry Normal, three performers much- loved by audiences.

Pam Ayres takes us back to the beginning of her career with the first poem she ever performed live whilst working for the Royal Air Force. This preceded her memorable winning appearance on the TV talent show Opportunity Knocks.

Raymond Antrobus reads from a long sequence of poems written after he learned he was going to be a father. One of his poems describes the sign language his hearing son - born in 2021 - communicated with before he could speak. Raymond's own deafness was diagnosed when he was six.

Henry Normal has a long association with the Morecambe Poetry festival. He was involved in its creation and is almost its resident poet. He reads poems inspired by libraries saying he would not have become a writer were it not for free access to the wide world through the pages of books.

Produced by Susan Roberts

Pam Ayres, Raymond Antrobus and Henry Normal performing at the Morecambe Poetry Festival.

Ian McMillan presents a special edition of the Adverb recorded in front of an audience at the Morecambe Winter Gardens with poets Pam Ayres, Raymond Antrobus and Henry Normal.

[LISTEN NOW]

So much care given in hospitals and GPs' surgeries is non-verbal, but how do we talk about and pass on expertise that lacks a lexicon?

Ian introduces an NHS tribute poem, a brand new commission for The Verb from nurse Molly Case, and contributions from surgeon Professor Roger Kneebone (who collaborates with experts outside medicine e.g. chefs, magicians, musicians), puppeteer and dramaturg Rachel Warr, drummer and poet Antosh Wojcik and from our spoken word curator Hollie McNish.

Peter Godfrey Smith is the author of ‘Other Minds: The Octopus, The Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness'. The book has become a cult classic, introducing many people to the remarkable intelligence of the octopus and other cepahalopods, and asking questions about what the evolution of that intelligence might mean for humans. Peter shares his experience of an incredible cuttlefish display, watching it change colour repeatedly, and shares his sense that cephalopods are often as interested in humans as we are in them.

Whilst writing her latest book, Tania Hershman was surprised to find herself with a female octopus as an imaginary friend. Tania reads from her work-in-progress, a poetry collection entitled ‘Still Life with Octopus' in which the poet discovers her octopus reading several books at the same time, and performing feats of flexibility (a sequence partly inspired by reading ‘Other Minds').

Matthew Welton has just published ‘Squid Squad: A Novel' (Carcarnet). Spoiler alert - it contains only one brief reference to a cephalopod, and is not a novel in the traditional sense. Not to be deterred, The Verb detects a ‘squid aesthetic' in Matthew's work, hinted at in the title poem, with its cast of characters who might be said to interact in the manner of a squid's connected but independent tentacles.

This week Verb regular Kate Fox has formed a psychic link with ‘Pauline the Octopus'. Pauline is the sister of Paul the Octopus, who famously predicted the results of the 2010 Men's Football World Cup. Pauline is an eminent octopus film reviewer and through Kate offers up her thoughts on the Octopus as represented by humans on celluloid - for which she has coined the word ‘Schlocktopus

This week's lockdown poem comes from Catherine Ayres, who has been considering her complicated relationship with the octopus and has found it offers a useful metaphor for social distancing. The poem features in 'Write Where We Are Now', curated by Carol Ann Duffy and Manchester Metropolitan University. www.mmu.ac.uk/write

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Faith Lawrence

With Peter Godfey Smith, Matthew Welton, Kate Fox, Catherine Ayres and Tania Hershman.

Joanna Neary

Comedian Joanna Neary brings the sighs, and the 'ohs' of her beloved character, Celia Jesson (otherwise know as 'repressed housewife') to The Verb studio, with a piece entitled 'Oh !'.

Daljit Nagra

The poet Daljit Nagra reads from his new collection 'British Museum'. For Daljit, there is a big contrast between the self-reserved English poetic 'o', and the Indian 'O', which is an exclamation from the heart.

Professor Clive Upton

As part of Radio 3's Uproot festival we celebrate Hull with an exploration of one of the most distinctive aspects of the East Yorkshire accent, called 'goat-fronting' (it's when the vowel in words such as goat is articulated with the main body of the tongue pushed further forward in the mouth than is the case with a more traditional Yorkshire pronunciation). The linguist Clive Upton delves into the theories behind Hull's vowel sounds and also brings his expertise on 'Received Pronunciation' to the Verb studio .

Vicky Foster

Hull based poet Vicky Foster is so proud of her hometown that she's written the poetic love-letter 'Why I Love Where I live'. Vicky's poem also celebrates Hull's distinctive vowels.

Adriana Jacobs

The vowel is not represented in everyday Hebrew - though small diacritical marks are usually used to indicate vowels in Hebrew poetry. So why is it political statement to remove these marks, and what happens when a poet only uses these marks, and avoids using consonants altogether? Adriana Jacobs reads us a poem that is all vowel...

As Radio 3 visits Hull for Uproot, Ian McMillan discusses vowels and goat-fronting.

The Norfolk born writer Jon Ransom wrote The Whale Tattoo, which won the Polari first book award, on his phone on the bus. His new novel The Gallopers opens in the aftermath of the 1953 North Sea flood where 19-year-old Eli yearns for Jimmy Smart, the handsome older fairground worker his aunt has taken in.

And award-winning poet Victoria Kennefick has written on the back of her child's drawings and on shop receipts when an idea urgently strikes. She tells Ian McMillan about her collection Egg/Shell, inspired by a lockdown encounter with a swan whose eggs wouldn't hatch.

Produced in Salford by Olive Clancy.

Helen Mort, Victoria Kennefick and Jon Ransom join Ian McMillan.

Award-winning writers Helen Mort, Victoria Kennefick and Jon Ransom discuss things physical from birth to running, tattooing and the act of writing itself.

Trinidadian poet and musician Anthony Joseph performs new poetry set to music from his album and collection of the same name, Rubber Orchestras.

Poet and novelist Vanessa Gebbie, author of The Coward's Tale, joins Ian with a specially commissioned short story read by the actor Owen Teale.

Johnny Daukes is a musician, singer-songwriter and radio and film producer. He talks to Ian about his new film in verse Acts of Godfrey, starring Simon Russell Beale and Harry Enfield.

Producer Allegra McIlroy.

Presented by Ian McMillan. With Dinah Roe on Christina Rossetti, and Anthony Joseph.

Chris McCabe is a poet and the joint librarian of the National Poetry Library (based at the Southbank Centre). He performs a new commission for The Verb - inspired by the fossils ('scavengers and predators') in the limestone at the Royal Festival Hall. Chris has just edited 'Instagram Poetry for Every Day' and his poetry collections include 'The Triumph of Cancer' ( Penned in the Margins).

Safiya Kamaria Kinshasa is a dancer and poet. In 2019 she became the first person to win the BBC Edinburgh Fringe Slam Championships, become a BBC 1 Extra & Asian Network Talent Search finalist and the Hammer and Tongue UK Poetry Slam Champion in the same year. Safiya has been thinking about walls and their multiple meanings during the pandemic. She performs a poem called 'Plastered Heart, August'. Her poetry is to be published by Out-Spoken Press.

Anthony Anaxagorou is the founder of Out-Spoken - which encompasses poetry and performance nights and a press. Out-Spoken has partnered with the Southbank Centre, breaking down barriers between poets, genres, and sharing the work of marginalised groups. Anthony's poetry collection ‘After the Formalities' ( Penned in the Margins) was nominated for the T.S. Eliot Prize.

Joelle Taylor is an award-winning author, performer and poet, and the founder of Slambassadors - her latest collection is `Songs My Enemy Taught Me` (Out-Spoken Press). She is also an editor for Out-Spoken.

This episode is part of the programming for BBC Radio 3's residency at London's Southbank Centre.

New poetry inspired by the limestone and concrete walls of London's Southbank Centre.

How do they think the language of politics could change to become more compassionate? And what about their perception of the word ‘authority'? Can writers help us see it differently? And why did the young Ed Miliband love the 1980s US soap opera Dallas so much - which was all about the power and authority exerted by Stetson-wearing characters like JR Ewing?

Ian McMillan's guests are Ed Miliband, Jackie Weaver, Emilie Robson and Kate Fox.

Ian's guests include the poet Luke Wright who shares a tour de force poem in defence of pretentiousness and pretentious things (eg children called 'Hopscotch and Entwhistle', 'carpaccio of stoat' smeared across a brick, 'tweedy too-short trousers' ). Also on the programme, the spoken word poet Jenny Lindsay delves deep into the art of the humblebrag (the pretence of self-deprecation, most frequently spotted on social media ) with a brand new poem. Angie Hobbs, (Professor of the Public Understanding of Philosophy at the University of Sheffield) takes us back to Ancient Greece to talk about pretentious sandal-wearing on the part of great philosophers' acolytes - and she explains how Plato, the founding father of Western philosophy shows his teacher Socrates dealing with pretentious orators. And finally writer and critic Tomiwa Owolade explores the advice given by George Orwell on how to avoid pretentious prose - and finds out whether Orwell always followed his own advice.

Ian McMillan on pretentious writing.

Toby Litt is an acclaimed novelist whose books are named in alphabetical order. It was his idea to celebrate the letter Q on The Verb, and to that end he has been commissioned to write a poem in quatrains almost entirely composed of Q-words.

Sharon Olds is one of the leading voices in US contemporary poetry; her new collection Stag's Leap has just been shortlisted on this side of the Atlantic for the TS Eliot Prize. Sharon reads a poem called Q and explores the significance of the letter Q in Stag's Leap - which details the break-up of her marriage.

Leafcutter John is a musician and artist who has created a Q soundscape especially for The Verb, incorporating samples of many voices saying Q words, Q in morse code and a baby's first Q.

Ira Lightman is a conceptual poet who also makes public art and performance pieces. He explores the Q-ness of the French writer Raymond Queneau for The Verb.

This programme was first broadcast on 26th October 2012.

Ian McMillan presents Radio 3's cabaret of the word, celebrating the letter Q.

We are also joined by Grace Nichols, recipient of the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry in 2021 and the Young People's Laureate for London, Theresa Lola, linking verse past and present in an intimate setting with an astonishing history.

Produced by Kevin Core and Jessica Treen

Ian McMillan with Simon Armitage, Grace Nichols, Stella Panayotova and Theresa Lola.

Ian McMillan celebrates 100 years of BBC Radio drama with some brand new commissions.

Ian McMillan's guests on scrolling and scrolls include David Schneider and Ira Lightman.

Carmen Marcus tells us about her poetry collection and podcast the Catch and its distinctly personal link to the sea. She explains how the discovery of a letter from her father set her on a course to understand the changing fishing communities of her childhood home Redcar.

And a maritime classic - we assess a defining keystone of the American imagination, that unforgettable story of a denizen of the deep pitted against man's hubris - Free Willy. Whoops - Moby Dick, sorry.

Professor Hester Blum of Penn State University is editing the new edition and she explains why it's weighty reputation can undermine its extraordinary playfulness.

And comedy writer Madeleine Brettingham stands at the shoreline and considers if a house at the beach will automatically make her enigmatic and interesting.

Presented by Ian McMillan.

Produced by Kevin Core

Ian McMillan talks to Maggie Gee about her new novel The Red Children.

Ian McMillan is joined by Victoria Smith, author of 'Hags: the demonisation of middle-aged women' , by poet Patrick McGuinness (sharing poems from his forthcoming collection 'Blood Feather') by Jenny Lewis, author of 'Gilgamesh Retold' (her retellings of Mesopotamian myth reveal a female inn-keeper at the edge of the world) , and by folk legends Marry Waterson and Lisa Knapp (performing as 'Hack Poets Guild ) who share haunting songs of silenced and traduced women.

We also hear our latest BBC Centenary commission - this week it's 'Deep Listening' by Emily Berry.

Ian McMillan's guests explore the stories we tell about women's inner lives.

Do we really need 'The Sentence'? Why are sentences in the writing of Americans like John Cheever so evocative?

And how does the sentences get on with its poetic cousin 'the line'? To find out, Ian McMillan is joined by guests A.M. Homes, Glyn Maxwell, Ronnie Cann and Martin Creed.

Martin Creed is a British artist and musician. He won the Turner Prize in 2001 for Work No. 227: the lights going on and off - an empty room in which the lights went on and off. His artwork for the Olympics was Work No 1197, 'All the Bells in a Country Rung as Quickly and Loudly as Possible for Three Minutes'. He performs two songs from his album 'Love to You' (Moshi Moshi) and explains that his songs rarely contain 'proper' sentences.

Professor Ronnie Cann holds the Chair in Linguistic Semantics at Edinburgh University - he takes the role of 'sentence doctor' in the programme, and explores whether sentences really exist in natural speech.

Glyn Maxwell is an award-winning poet and playwright, whose new book 'On Poetry' (Oberon) invites would-be poets to consider the importance of the breath and the contribution of the white space on the page during the writing process. It's been described by one reviewer as the 'best book about poetry that he's ever read'.

A.M. Homes is the acclaimed author of the novels, 'This Book Will Save Your Life', 'Music For Torching', 'The End of Alice', 'In a Country of Mothers', and 'Jack', as well as the short-story collections, 'Things You Should Know' and 'The Safety of Objects'. She reads from her new book 'May We Be Forgiven' and discusses the character of the 'American sentence'.

Ian McMillan's guests are AM Homes, Glyn Maxwell and Martin Creed.

John Burnside has written eleven collections of poetry - the last of which, 'Black Cat Bone' won the 2011 T.S.Eliot Prize. He's also the author of five works of fiction, and acclaimed memoirs. John reads from his new collection of short stories 'Something Like Happy' (Jonathan Cape), which all meditate, in different ways, on cold weather. He explains why he finds snow and ice so appealing, both in fiction and in life.

Gillian Clarke has been the National Poet for Wales, was recently awarded the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry; her last poetry collection 'Ice' was nominated for the 2012 T.S.Eliot Prize. Gillian reads poems about the sound of ice-scapes, snow memories and the pleasures and difficulties of being snowed in.

Gavin Francis is the author of 'True North - Travels of Arctic Europe' and a new memoir 'Empire Antarctica - Ice, Silence and Emperor Penguins' (Chatto and Windus). He recalls the sound of his breath freezing when he spent a winter at the South Pole, the comforting presence of penguins, and the influence of 'endurance narratives' on our perception of Antarctica.

Ian McMillan's guests include John Burnside, Gillian Clarke and Gavin Francis.

Novelist Will Self argues that 'Never before has Debord's work seemed quite as relevant as it does now, in the permanent present that he so accurately foretold'.

In this programme Will joins Ian McMillan, along with artist Paul Harfleet and writer Nick Harkaway to consider the idea of 'the spectacle', and, in the first of a new Verb series, Hollie McNish introduces new poetry from Keisha Thompson.

Ian McMillan's guests include Will Self, Nick Harkaway and Paul Harfleet.

Nick Drake was a musician and song-writer, whose unique style led critics to wonder about his influences - he died when he was only twenty-seven. It now transpires that Nick's mother Molly was also a song-writer, and her music and poetry have just been released for the first time. Actress Gabrielle Drake, Nick's sister, discusses Molly's writing and the influence she had on their creativity. The album 'Molly Drake' is out now (Bryter Later).

Keith Ridgway's latest novel is the multi-layered and unpredictable 'Hawthorn and Child' (Granta). He's here with the first in our commissions on the idea of 'Fairy Tales for Mid-life', asking what happens to our lives if we stop trying to make stories out of them.

The novelist Ben Marcus's latest strange world is The Flame Alphabet (Granta), which imagines a place where words have a dangerous power, and language, particularly that spoken by children, can be deadly. Ben discusses the difficulties of communicating across the generations.

Christopher Green is a performance artist whose characters include the much loved Tina C and Ida Barr. Christopher presents a song from his latest incarnation, 'The Singing Hypnotist', he also discusses the language of hypnotism throughout history, which he researched as 'Artist in Residence' at the British Library. The Wellcome Trust are funding him to continue developing and researching the act.

Produced by Faith Lawrence.

Ian McMillan's guests are Gabrielle Drake, Keith Ridgway, Ben Marcus and Christopher Green

Sound First work featured:

Listening to Tennyson - poem by Rachael Boast, sound designer Noah Lawson

Companion Piece - poem by Glyn Maxwell, sound designer Joe Chesterman

The Truth is Never Too Old - poem by Roy McFarlane, sound designer Emily Kiely

Ian McMillan is joined by Benbrick, Hannah Silva and Noah Lawson.

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

With Rowan Williams, Adam Thirlwell and Adania Shibli.

Polar Bear presents a brand new commission for our series celebrating the BBC's centenary ('Something Old, Something New') which includes the sounds of his childhood home, John McAuliffe shares poems of deep sighs and his work inspired by the experiences of organ donors and recipients, Jay Griffiths lets us into the way our fellow creatures take pleasure in sound and the importance of wild sound to humans, and Shirley May explores the importance of breath in her work, and the role of the body in performance - something she teaches as artistic director of 'Young Identity' - the youth spoken word collective.

Testament, poet, and world-record-breaking human beatboxer, explores sounds between words.

Ian's guests include the poet Raymond Antrobus whose new collection All the Names Given explores different kinds of space: physical, philosophical and cultural; the architectural critic, Jonathan Glancey, who understands more than most people how human beings relate to space; the poet and Britain's first professor of Radio, Sean Street who celebrates the work of that great explorer of the radio space Piers Plowright, and we meet Ai-Da, an Artificial Intelligence robot, who is writing poetry in response to Dante's The Divine Comedy. Lucy Seal who is curating this remarkable refashioning of Dante's poem explains how AI technologies might offer both a vision of heaven and hell through that space in between, Purgatory.

Ian McMillan on space in language and writing.

A masterclass in using 'tense' for writers. Philip Pullman, author of the 'His Dark Materials' series, explains why the fashion for the present tense can limit writers of fiction and celebrates the 'classical tone' of Philippa Pearce. Francesca Martinez delights in the present tense of comedy, whilst Hollie McNish introduces Erin Fornoff and her poem of 'back and forth' tenses. Linguist David Denison reveals how the 'simple present' tense in English is being 'marginalised' by the progressive. We're loving it.

Philip Pullman, Hollie McNish, and Francesca Martinez join Ian McMillan.

Tania Hershman writes poetry, short stories and flash fiction. She curates ShortStops.info, a website celebrating short fiction in the UK and she co-edited 'Writing Short Stories' (Bloomsbury) with Courttia Newland.

Jude Rogers is a journalist whose writing has appeared in the Observer, The Guardian, the Sunday Telegraph, Marie Claire, and the New Statesman. Jude also presented the recent Radio 4 documentary 'The Shock'.

Simon Armitage is the Oxford Professor of Poetry and has written plays and non-fiction as well as poetry. He reads from his new collection 'The Unaccompanied' (Faber)

Professor Richard Gameson specialises in the History of the Book and teaches at Durham University. He has published over ninety studies on medieval manuscripts, book collections, art and cultural history.

Poet Simon Armitage and journalist Jude Rogers on 'truth' in poetry and 1980s pop lyrics.

Ian McMillan presents poetry from the TS Eliot Prize.

Ian McMillan introduces poetry readings from the collections shortlisted for one of the major events in the poetry calendar, the TS Eliot Prize.

Ian McMillan presents poetry readings from the T.S. Eliot Prize.

Ian's guests are poets Kate Fox, Malika Booker, Ira Lightman, Luke Wright, Cia Mangat (who was born the same year as The Verb), and novelist Toby Litt. We also present a piece of mystery audio which stars the award-winning poet Joelle Taylor.

As if that's not enough for one week, in this episode we launch a brand new recurring feature called 'Something Old, Something New' celebrating the BBC's role in commissioning and broadcasting poetry over the last hundred years. In each programme over the next year we'll be sharing a remarkable poem from the archive, and a contemporary poet will present a new commission. This week you can hear the Irish icon and public poet W.B.Yeats reading his poem 'Song of the Old Mother' in 1935, and our contemporary poet is Luke Wright; he reads a poem called 'Covehithe Beach'.

Ian McMillan and guests celebrate 20 years of poetry and performance on The Verb!

Film director Mark Cousins considers the moment when the 'unseen' becomes the 'seen' in film and photography, Isobel Rogers performs songs which satirise 'selfie' culture, writer Glen Neath takes us behind the scenes of the drama 'Seance' - staged in a dark shipping container, and Hollie McNish introduces us to the poetry of William Letford.

Ian McMillan explores the 'unseen' with Mark Cousins, Isobel Rogers and William Letford.

Joining Ian are the best-selling author Joanna Trollope, whose new book 'An Unsuitable Match' (Mantle) examines the bumpy journey towards harmony for blended families and Verb New Voice Kirsty Taylor, whose work tells the untold stories of children growing up in the care system, and Verb regular Hollie McNish performs.

We also hear from The Unthanks, who perform music from their recent collaboration with actor and writer Maxine Peake, 'The Last Testament of Lillian Bilocca', a play with music about a Hull hero, the leader of the headscarf revolutionaries, Lillian Bilocca.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Cecile Wright.

Ian McMillan and guests discuss 'The Many' from the Free Thinking Festival in Gateshead.

Joining Ian are Tom Jackson, the curator of the hugely popular Twitter feed and now book 'Postcard from the Past', in which Tom finds poetry in our old holiday postcards. The poet Sin退ad Morrissey has written a new poem especially for The Verb using language from Tom's extensive archive of postcards.

We feature new drama from Verb New Voice Sarah Sayeed, whose work 'My Heroes are Behind Me' celebrates extraordinary women, there's new poetry from the Newcastle-based poet Rowan McCabe who asks what destiny means in 2018 and there's also music from Kathryn Williams.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Cecile Wright.

Kathryn Williams, Sinead Morrisey, Tom Jackson, Rowan McCabe and Sarah Sayeed.

His guests are: the poet Lemn Sissay, whose latest book, for children, is a celebration of curiosity and belonging; by Monica Ali, who casts her eye across family matters in her new novel 'Love Marriage'; by Daniel Morden - a consummate storyteller and performer, acquainted with all the myths of belonging; and by Tishani Doshi, whose poetry and prose is alert to the possibilities of a home - in the poem or in the body.

Also in the programme - a brand new poetry commission by Pascale Petit, winner of the inaugural Laurel Prize for nature poetry - written especially for the BBC's centenary, part of our 'Something Old, Something New' series, and you can also hear a poem from the archive by Gwyneth Lewis - former National Poet of Wales.

Ian McMillan's guests are Lemn Sissay, Monica Ali, Tishani Doshi and Daniel Morden.

In the second of two programmes recorded in front of an audience at this year's Hay Festival, Ian McMillan is joined by Jennifer Egan, Gurnaik Johal and Allie Esiri.

Jennifer Egan won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for her novel 'A Visit from the Goon Squad', she has just published a companion novel, 'The Candy House'. Gurnaik Johal's debut short story collection is 'We Move', a group of tales that chart multiple generations of immigrants in West London.

Allie Esiri is an award-winning anthologist and curator and host of live poetry events. She has edited the best-selling poetry anthologies Shakespeare for Every Day of the Year, A Poem for Every Day of the Year and A Poem for Every Night of the Year.

Our 'Something Old, Something New' commission is from Liz Berry, author of Black Country and The Republic of Motherhood.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Jessica Treen

Elizabeth Strout is the Pulitzer Prize winning author of 'Olive Kitteridge' (Penguin). Her latest book is 'Anything is Possible'.

Owen Sheers is a poet and playwright and the presenter of the BBC 4 series 'A Poet's Guide to Britain'. His film poem 'The Green Hollow', originally broadcast on BBC 1 Wales commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Aberfan disaster.

Judith Kerr is the author of the beloved children's books 'The Tiger Who Came to Tea' and 'When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit' as well as the 'Mog' series. Judith looks back across her whole career, and on her relationship with her father (who was a German writer and theatre-critic), as well as reading from her new book 'Mr Cleghorn's Seal' (Harper Collins).

Novelist and Journalist Hari Kunzru has just published 'White Tears' (Hamish Hamilton), a literary thriller infused with the language of sound, set in the world of New York's modern-day record collectors.

As well as our guests, Hereford College of the Arts will be collecting examples of language passed up and down the generations, to be illustrated and used as part of the programme.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Faith Lawrence.

Ian McMillan presents the word cabaret from the BBC tent at 2017's Hay Festival.

The Verb at Hay with Ian McMillan and guests.

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 shape-shift 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

First broadcast in June 2023.

From blank page to bestseller, how do you write a novel?

The Verb offers another chance to join a masterclass in storytelling with Kate Mosse, Philippa Gregory and Douglas Stuart.

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.

Charlie Higson is an actor, comedian and writer - best known to parents for his performances as comic characters like Swiss Toni and Sir Ralph Mayhew on The Fast Show, and to their children for his Young Bond series, which has now sold over a million copies in the UK. Charlie is a huge fan of horror films and books, and talks to Ian about 'Sacrifice', the latest in his zombie series for teens (Puffin).

Luke Wright is a poet who writes satirical tales about British life from his vantage point in East Anglia. Originally an Essex boy, Luke performs a poem inspired by the songs of a Yorkshire man - the late Jake Thackray, and explains why he thinks it's time for a Thackray revival.

Musician John Watterson tours as Fake Thackray, taking Jake's songs to venues across the UK. He performs 'Little Black Foal' and 'Rain on the Mountainside'.

Blake Morrison was born in Burnley, and grew up in Skipton. His books include two poetry collections, Dark Glasses and The Ballad of the Yorkshire Ripper; two bestselling memoirs, And When Did You Last See Your Father and Things My Mother Never Told Me; a children's book, The Yellow House; several play adaptations and libretti; and three novels, including South of the River and The Last Weekend. He lives in south London and is Professor of Creative Writing at Goldsmiths College. Blake reads from A Discoverie of Witches, a collaboration between Smith/Doorstop and Lancaster Litfest.

Helen Mort has published two pamphlets with tall-lighthouse press, 'the shape of every box' and 'a pint for the ghost', a Poetry Book Society Choice for Spring 2010. Five-times winner of the Foyle Young Poets award, she became the youngest ever poet in residence at The Wordsworth Trust, Grasmere. Helen reads poems specially commissioned for The Verb which explore the music and place names she grew up with in Chesterfield and Sheffield. Her collection 'Division Street' is out soon from Chatto & Windus.

Produced by Faith Lawrence.

Radio 3's cabaret of the word comes from the BBC's Octoberfest in Sheffield.

Joining Ian for the festivities are the Booker-prize winning author James Kelman on his new novel 'Dirt Road' (Canongate), a book infused with the music and rhythms of the American South, and the poet Lemn Sissay who has just published his new and selected poems 'Gold From The Stone (Canongate).

There is also music from cabaret star and song interpreter Camille O'Sullivan, with an extract from her new show 'The Carny Dream' as well as stand up that examines the stories we tell ourselves from Grainne Maguire and parody from the master of the form, Jake Yapp, whose new show 'One in a Million' wonders if we are really as unique as we think we are?

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Jessica Treen.

Ian McMillan presents Radio 3's cabaret of the word from the 2016 Edinburgh Festival.

Recorded in front of a studio audience as part of Contains Strong Language, a season of Poetry and Performance from Hull.

Producer: Faith Lawrence.

Ian presents a host of international poets recorded as part of the Hull 2017 Celebrations.

Mark Doty is the winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award, and is the only American poet to have been awarded the T. S Eliot Prize. He reads from his new collection 'Deep Lane' (Cape).

The stand up Mae Martin was brought up in Canada and now lives in the UK. Mae has an ear for the peculiarities of everyday speech, so we've asked her to keep her very own 'Overheard at the Festival' diary.

Crime Writer Denise Mina has just published the fifth book in her Alex Morrow series, 'Blood, Salt, Water (Orion).

The performer Will Pickvance is a pianist and composer. 'Alchemy of the Piano' is his latest Edinburgh hour, where he combines music and storytelling in a show about what the piano means to him.

Producer: Faith Lawrence.

Ian McMillan presents a special programme from the 2015 Edinburgh Festival.

Ian's festival guests include the best selling Irish writer Colm T　ib퀀n. Colm is the author of the novels 'The Master' and Brooklyn'. His latest book 'The House of Names', is a retelling of Greek tragedy, where he turns his attention to the gaps in the myths, imagining what might have happened to Agamemnon's son Orestes.

Stand up Aditi Mittal has previously been heard in her Radio 4 series 'A Beginner's Guide to India'. For The Verb she explains the dangers lurking behind innocuous English phrases like 'Nice to meet you...

And we also feature a performance by the winner of the BBC Poetry Slam.

Ian McMillan is back in festival mode with guests including Colm Toibin and Aditi Mittal.

The Verb audience at Imperial College Union can be heard offering 'cries of delight' for Jason to loop across the introduction to the show, and they gamely attempt to find a replacement town for 'Tipperary' to create a new version of the famous song 'It's a Long Way to Tipperary'.

Contains Strong Language:

If you want to be part of A Verb audience later this month at the 'Contains Strong Language' festival, you can join Ian McMillan and guests at our Hull recordings on the 29th and 30th September. Free tickets are available if you follow this link:

https://www.BBC.co.uk/events/e6xj6q

Ian McMillan is joined by Michael Palin, Anne Dudley, Jason Singh and Mojdeh Stoakley.

Jason Singh & Caleb Femi perform their collaboration 'The Raven', from The Lost Words Prom. Jason Singh also gives us a short lesson in how he uses his voice to become a raven, and Caleb explains the place of dance in his work. Debris Stevenson performs her poem written to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Sir Henry Wood, the Founder-Conductor of the Proms. Her poem 'The Breakables', draws a line between the start of the proms and the present day, taking us to our final guest, Jules Buckley, who is conducting 'The Breaks' prom which celebrates breaking and early hip-hop culture.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Jessica Treen

Recorded at the 2019 BBC Proms.

Ian McMillan presents The Verb from Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire.

Ian McMillan is joined by a host of spoken word talent to celebrate the story of spoken-word performance in the UK on the 35th anniversary of 'Apples and Snakes'.

John Agard has been performing spoken word across the UK for over 30 years. His poem celebrates the Voice as he reminds us that 'Shakespeare was a performance poet'. Hannah Silva is an innovative playwright and performer, who presents a brand new poem. In this piece, specially commissioned by Apples and Snakes to celebrate their 35th anniversary, Hannah digs around in their archives to find poetic inspiration.

The Verb has also commissioned new work, a collaborative piece by SLAMbassadors UK founder Joelle Taylor and Zena Edwards. 'I remember you' examines the political history of spoken word. We also hear from Grace Nichols who brings a carnival spirit to the proceedings, Yomi Sode who takes us back to his awkward teenage years, and Dizraeli reads brand new work addressing toxic masculinity.

Apples and Snakes have also commissioned collaborative work from London based poet and grime artist Debris Stevenson and Hull's very own breakout grime star Chiedu Oraka.

John Hegley's first public performance was in Hull many years ago, so it's only fitting that he returns to the city to celebrate the birthday of Apples and Snakes, who have been an important part of his career for the past 35 years.

And there were so many fantastic performances at this Contains Strong Language event that we couldn't fit them all into the broadcast edition of the show, download our podcast to hear extra performances from all our guests and an extra podcast only appearance from poet and rapper TY and a brand new collaboration, commissioned by Apples and Snakes between Yomi Sode and Dizraeli.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Jessica Treen.

Ian McMillan presents the story of spoken word in the UK - from Hull, with John Hegley.

Producer: Cecile Wright

Ian McMillan ho ho hosts a special Christmas edition of The Verb from Hebden Bridge.

Ian McMillan ho ho hosts a special Christmas edition of The Verb from the Trades Club in Hebden Bridge with stories, verse and song of comfort and joy.

Ian McMillan presents The Verb from Contains Strong Language in Bradford - with poets Imtiaz Dharker, Kieron Higgins, Nabeela Ahmed, and Katrina Porteous (reading poems from her Laurel Prize winning collection Rhizodont).

Rock, stone and sediments are everywhere in this celebration of poetry and poetry in Bradford. We have millstone grit and the story of stone in a specially commissioned poem from Queen's Gold Medal winner Imtiaz Dharker, the influence of ska on the sediments of language that turned Kieron Higgins into a poet. Nabeela Ahmed reads from her new book 'From Kashmir to Yorkshire' and explores the layers of languages, including Pahari, that helped to tune her poetry ear, and the winner of this year's Laurel Prize for Nature or Environmental poetry, Katrina Porteus, reads from her collection 'Rhizodont'. She was described by the judges as 'always keeping faith with the north-east' and the book was praised as a 'a crucial act of the imagination. speaking as non-human entities (eg an ice core) ...loving, knowing and authoritative'.

Produced by Faith Lawrence

Radio 4's cabaret of the word, featuring the best poetry, new writing and performance.

Ian McMillan presents The Verb from Contains Strong Language in Bradford with Imtiaz Dharker, Kieron Higgins, Nabeela Ahmed, Katrina Porteous.

[LISTEN NOW]

Ian McMillan explores translating and argumentation with Clare Pollard and other guests.

In our final programme recorded in front of a studio audience at the Contains Strong Language Festival of poetry and Performance in Hull we are taking language journeys down river and to unloved and overlooked places.

Hull's very own Vicky Foster & The Broken Orchestra present excerpts from their collaboration, 'Fair Winds & Following Seas', commissioned by the Freedom Festival and Contains Strong Language. Using cutting-edge technology, the piece is a site-specific walk along Hull's overlooked River, The River Hull. Their audio piece, mixes poetry and soundscape, and is inspired by considering Hull's future as well as its past.

in 2016 Stuart Maconie followed in the footsteps of the Jarrow Marchers, who walked in 1936 from their home in Jarrow to London in order to present a petition to parliament asking for work. Stuart's book 'The Long Road from Jarrow' weaves the story of the Jarrow Marchers, with his own travelogue, and the tales of the people he meets along the way.

There's also music from song interpreter Camille O'Sullivan, who performs Nick Cave's 'Sad Waters', and explains why she feels such an affinity to his music - and why she couldn't perform them all, and poetry from Zena Edwards.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Jessica Treen

Ian McMillan presents The Verb from Hull with Stuart Maconie and other guests.

BBC Contains Strong Language 2024 took place in Sydney Australia in partnership with Red Room Poetry and ABC Australia . This special edition of The Verb was recorded in State Library of New South Wales n front of a audience as part of the festival.

With guests Eileen Chong the first Asian Australian poet to be on the school syllabus, who came to Australia from Singapore in 2007.

Singer songwriter Paul Kelly - described as the Laureate of Australia - whose latest project sets the work of poets as varied as Shakespeare and Les Murray to music .

Omar Sakr - the son of Turkish and Lebanesemigrants whose collection The Lost Arabs won the prestigious Prime Ministers Literary Award .

Ali Cobby Eckermann - a First Nation poet who only met her birth mother as an adult. She, her mother and grandmother were all stolen , tricked or adopted away from their families . Her poetry talks powerfully about this personal and national story .

Recorded with an acknowledgement of the Gadigal people the traditional custodians of the land where this edition of The Verb took place

Produced by Susan Roberts

A special edition of The Verb with Ian McMillan recorded as part of CSL in Sydney.

Ian McMillan presents The Verb recorded with an audience in the State Library of New South Wales in Sydney, with guests Eileen Chong, Paul Kelly, Omar Sakr and Ali Cobby Eckermann.

[LISTEN NOW]

Radio 3's 'Cabaret of the Word', presented by Ian McMillan. Zadie Smith, Michael Symmons Roberts, The Eccentronic Research Council and Yursa Warsama join him to celebrate the programme's new home at MediaCity.

Michael Symmons Roberts presents the first poem ever to be written about the BBC's new home at MediaCity, Salford Quays (especially commissioned for The Verb). His poetry has won the Whitbread Poetry Award, and been shortlisted for the Griffin International Poetry Prize, the Forward Prize, and twice for the T.S. Eliot Prize

Zadie Smith talks about representing the suburb of Willesden in her new novel NW. White Teeth was her first novel -she's also written The Autograph Man and On Beauty, which was shortlisted for The Man Booker Prize 2005 and won The Orange Prize for Fiction 2006.

The Eccentronic Research Council discuss their album '1612 Underture' - an electronic concept album which explores the trial of the Pendle Witches in 17th century Lancashire.

Yursa Warsama, performance poet and theatre practitioner, presents poetry from her film 'Music's in the Bones'. it's set in Manchester and was commissioned and developed for a project called '10 by 10', by the Eclipse Theatre Company Ltd. It's one of ten films by different writers all set in UK cities. You can watch it here:

http://thespace.org/items/e0000qce.

Ian McMillan presents the word cabaret, with Zadie Smith and Michael Symmons Roberts.

Ian McMillan broadcasts live from Hull with poetry inspired by the city.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Cecile Wright

Ian McMillan and guests explore the voice of the narrator.

Ian McMillan presents Radio 3's cabaret of the word, examining lateness.

Novelist and essayist Tim Winton has been twice shortlisted for the Booker prize for his novels 'The Riders' and 'Dirt Music'. In his most recent book, 'The Boy Behind the Curtain', he returns to his childhood.

The comedian Stewart Lee has honed the art of the callback over a long career writing for television and radio alongside his stand-up touring schedule.

Angie Hobbs is the Professor of the Public Understanding of Philosophy at the University of Sheffield. It's been many years since she's read Milan Kundera's cult classic 'The Unbearable Lightness of Being', and we've asked her to return to the text.

Bea Roberts wrote and performed 'Infinity Pool', a modern retelling of Madame Bovary and a hit at the 2016 Edinburgh Fringe. For The Verb, we've asked her to tackle the language of the Tripadvisor review.

Producer: Faith Lawrence

Ian McMillan presents the word cabaret, exploring the possibilities of looking back.

Producer: Cecile Wright.

The cabaret of the word visits Brighton for a summer holiday.

Alongside readings from the poets themselves, Ian reflects how their work reverberates with the here and now, refreshing the language and giving us maps and signposts for these turbulent times.

The shortlisted poets featured along with Anthony Joseph are Victoria Adukwei Bulley, Philip Gross, Denise Saul, Yomi Sode, Mark Pajak, Jemma Borg, James Conor Patterson, Zaffar Kunial and Fiona Benson.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Cecile Wright

Join Ian McMillan for a celebration of the collections shortlisted for the TS Eliot Prize.

Hilary Mantel published her first novel Every Day is Mother's Day in 1985. She won the Winifred Holtby Memorial Prize for Fludd, and the Hawthornden Prize for An Experiment in Love. Her memoir, Giving Up the Ghost won the MIND Book of the Year award. Mantel is the first British writer to win the Booker Prize twice.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Jessica Treen

The Verb this week is another chance to hear an interview with novelist Hilary Mantel.

Taiye Selasi was born in London, raised in Massachusetts, and currently lives in Rome. She reads from her first novel 'Ghana Must Go' (Penguin Viking). Set between America and Ghana, it's the story of a remarkable, but fractured family trying to piece themselves back together as they come to terms with the death of their father. Taiye discusses the meaning of 'home', and the similarity between writers and twins.

Glasgow based musician Alasdair Roberts interprets traditional songs as well as writing his own material. Alasdair thrives on collaboration and his latest album of original songs 'A Wonder Working Stone' (Drag City), released as 'Alasdair Roberts & Friends', features many of his 'like-minded folk'. Alasdair performs 'Fusion of Horizons' from that album.

Robin Robertson's latest collection 'Hill of Doors' (Picador) combines retellings of myths about Dionysus with versions of Ovid and meditation on a Scottish childhood. Robin reads 'Corryvreckan', and discusses navigating that notoriously unpredictable stretch of water. Robin also discusses his collaboration with folk musician Alasdair Roberts. Together they have written a song cycle about the archipelago of St Kilda. 'Hirta Songs' will be released by Stone Tape Recordings in September and Alasdair performs 'Exodus' from that album.

Murray Lachlan Young is a Glastonbury veteran, he's been the poet-in-residence on BBC 6 Music and is the author of How Freakin' Zeitgeist are you' (Unbound).

Nadia Rose came 5th on the BBC Sound of 2017 Shortlist, and released her debut EP 'Highly Flammable' in January

Debris Stevenson's show 'Poet in Da Corner' is inspired by Dizzee Rascal's 2003 Mercury Prize Winning album 'Boy in Da Corner'.

Kathryn Williams' new album 'Songs From the Novel Greatest Hits' is a companion piece to Laura Barnett's novel 'Greatest Hits'.

Lisa Hannigan's latest album is called 'At Swim'.

Ian ponders a new way to live with Murray Lachlan Young, Nadia Rose and Kathryn Williams.

Jini Reddy talks about the quest for magic in the great outdoors, which is the subject of her Wainwright shortlisted book Wanderland.

Theatre maker Testament tells us about his work 'Black Men Walking' and proves that the inspirations and insights of a walk don't have to be based in the countryside, with a performance of his work City Song, a rap which sees us float through an urban landscape almost in a sleepwalk.

Ira Lightman has recorded a special reaction to Wordsworth - surely the poet who is most often associated with the restorative powers of a walk - but the relationship with walking and feeling good is more nuanced for Ira.

And Stuart Maconie gives us his insights into the ramble, stressing that walking should be all about inclusion. He asks us to be wary of language that suggests anyone is not welcome in the outdoors, and considers stepping out as a spur to creativity.

Presented by Ian McMillan

Produced by Kevin Core

Ian McMillan, Testament and Ira Lightman explore words and walking.

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.

Melissa Lee-Houghton, Julie Hesmondhalgh and George Szirtes.

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 a emotional journey with Lord Summerisle, imagining how he might operate in the world of social media influencers, and endless 'wellness' marketing.

Producer: Faith Lawrence

Ian McMillan presents The Wicker Man Verb - marking 50 years of the iconic film.

Ian McMillan marks 50 years of the iconic film - with guests Sarah Hall, David Bramwell, Eliza Skelton and Brian Peters.

Ritual, seduction, silliness and sacrifice - all this and more in 'The Wicker Man Verb' - marking fifty years of the iconic horror film.

Produced by Faith Lawrence

Ian McMillan presents The Wicker Man Verb - marking fifty years of the iconic film.

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.

Ian McMillan explores the language and poetry of wine and spirits.

Ian McMillan revisits the UK's biggest poetry and performance festival for new writing: BBC Contains Strong Language in Leeds to present a gathering of poets from all over the world. The World in Words event brought together poets from countries in Africa, as well as New Zealand, the Caribbean and Sri Lanka.

Ian McMillan presents poetry readings from poets from all over the world.

Ian McMillan presents a gathering of poets from all over the world.

The Verb. The World in Words

The World in Words, presented by Ian McMillan, who is joined by poets from around the world including Felene Cayetano from Belize and Andre Bagoo from Trinidad and Tobago.

Rapper and Playwright Testament hosts The Verb to celebrate 50 years of Hip Hop Culture. He's joined by UK rapper Jehst, writer and spoken word performer Michelle Scally Clarke and hip hop luminary Paul Oddball Edmeade to discuss the poetics of raps, rhymes and flows, and to reflect on hip hop's influence on the literary world and beyond.

Rapper and Playwright Testament celebrates 50 years of Hip Hop Culture on The Verb

Rapper and Playwright Testament presents a celebration of 50 years of Hip Hop Culture on The Verb

Ian is joined by Michael Schmidt, Peter Sansom, Malachi McIntosh, and Nell Nelson.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Faith Lawrence

With Michael Schmidt, Peter Sansom, Nell Nelson and Malachi McIntosh

His guests include the novelist Tim Lott, who's just published 'Under the Same Stars' - the tale of a road-trip across America taken by two brothers - Nell Leyshon, award-winning playwright, who'll be explaining how she gave a 19th century farm girl an authentic voice in her new novel 'The Colour of Milk', expert story-teller and performance poet Kate Fox on her intense relationship with the written word, and singer Kathryn Williams 'without doubt one of the most authentic folk voices in the country', who'll be performing tracks from her latest collaboration 'The Pond' - a melting pot of vintage beats,1960s pop, and Eastern flavoured loops.

Poetry Proms Competition coming soon ... see website for details.

Ian McMillan is joined by Tim Lott, Nell Leyshon, Kate Fox and Kathryn Williams.

Over 45 minutes they discuss the influences on his language, exploring the writing process behind the music and lyrics from his acclaimed musicals (the Tony award winning 'Matilda' and the more recent 'Groundhog Day'), and the pleasure he takes in letting the sounds of word lead his writing in his comic songs. He also talks about publishing his first children's book, 'When I Grow Up' (Scholastic), inspired by the hit song from Matilda, and illustrated by Steve Antony, and explains how pictures can play a similar role to music.

Ian and Tim discuss his fascination with the clash (particularly in satirical songs) of content and form, and 'the balance between dark and light' elements. For Tim, the satisfaction of song-writing is similar to that of solving puzzle, particularly when he plays with the effect of internal rhyme. He also considers the debt he owes to Roald Dahl, whose subversiveness he emulated as a young boy, and he admiration for Kurt Vonnegut's ear for ordinary speech. Ian also asks Tim about his interest in science writing - and his notion that 'science is simply the word we use to describe a method of organising our curiosity'.

Producer: Faith Lawrence.

Ian McMillan speaks to comedian, author and composer Tim Minchin.

Ian McMillan's cabaret of the word includes new writing from biographer Blake Bailey.

Producer: Faith Lawrence.

A special on time, with William Gibson, Sally Rodgers, Ira Lightman and Geoff Ryman.

In this Verb he explores the language of slowness with Oxford University geographer Professor Danny Dorling, asks poet Rachael Boast to read time-bending poetry from her new collection 'Hotel Raphael' (and also to take us deep into the different time-modes and time-zones inhabited by the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge). Philosopher Roman Krznaric explains how to write about future time and how to be a good ancestor, and Verb regular, stand-up poet Kate Fox offers an insight into the smooth running of book groups for other species: the slow-reading flies, and the fast-reading deep sea isopods.

Suggestions for a time-themed Book Club:

Danny Dorling - Slowdown

Roman Krznaric - The Good Ancestor

Rachael Boast - Hotel Raphael

Ian McMillan on timescales with Danny Dorling, Rachael Boast, Roman Krznaric and Kate Fox

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Cecile Wright

Leontia Flynn is a rising star in the world of poetry. She's been celebrated as an orginal poet and in her new collection Profit and Loss, she examines a fugitive life, including a reaction to the banking crisis of 2008. Leontia reads from the collection and talks about the contemporary poetry scene in her native Northern Ireland.

Ian and writers Alison MacLeod and Tom Rachman discuss the short story's ability to depict the modern day as the Small Wonder short story festival opens at Charleston, Sussex.

And there's more from The Verb's new voices, a scheme run between Radio 3 and the Arts Council, supporting emergent talent on the spoken poetry scene. This week we feature poets from Norwich.

Presented by Ian McMillan. With Tom McCarthy, Leontia Flynn and poets from Norwich.

As the 2010 World Cup in South Africa gets underway, novelist Tony Parsons reads a brand new short story inspired by Britain's 1966 world cup win.

Grace Nichols

In a rare interview Grace Nichols discusses her early life in Guyana, the influence of the tradition of carnival on her work, and her latest collection of poetry, I Have Crossed an Ocean.

Who Wrote the King James Bible?

Kevin Jackson on the extraordinary collaborative effort that created the King James Bible, and its influence on our language and literature.

Poetic Problems: How does poetry express emotion?

Poets Kate Kilalea and Richard Price on how poems make us feel, and the pitfalls of tackling highly emotional subjects in verse.

Presented by Ian McMillan. With a story by Tony Parsons and Guyanese poet Grace Nichols.

Chevalier shot to fame with Girl with a Pearl Earring, her second novel, which sold 4 million copies worldwide and was turned into a film starring Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. Her writing since then has taken in the lives of other historical and cultural figures, from poet William Blake in 'Burning Bright' to fossil hunter Mary Anning in 'Remarkable Creatures.' This week on The Verb she gives an exclusive preview of a work in progress - as yet untitled - about The Underground Railroad, the secret network which helped escaped slaves in 19th century America.

Toby Litt

The novelist presents the first of a two part Verb Guide to Rockstars who write. This week - the poetry of Leonard Cohen, Jim Morrison and Marc Bolan.

New Labour Fiction

As the Labour party begin looking for a new leader and a philosophy to take them beyond New Labour, novelists Jonathan Myerson and Matt Thorne consider how the era of Blair and Brown has been represented in fiction.

Xhosa Poetry

Jeff Opland on a South African poetic form which plays a vital role in public life.

Oral Epic Poetry from Homer to the Zulus is at Kings Place in London on Monday 7th June at 7pm.

Presented by Ian McMillan. With a new work by Tracy Chevalier and novelist Toby Litt.

Ian McMillan and guests celebrate 200 years of the passenger railway and 200 years of railway inspired writing - by taking a train journey through poetry from Leuchars in Scotland to Bangor in Wales.

Poets Don Paterson, Carmen Marcus, Bella Hardy and Patrick McGuinness are Ian's guests, reading and exploring new work inspired by trains, train stations, railway

myths and railway memories.

Ian McMillan with Don Paterson, Carmen Marcus, Patrick McGuinness & Bella Hardy on trains

Radio 4's cabaret of the word, featuring the best poetry, new writing and performance.

Ian McMillan and guests Don Paterson, Carmen Marcus, Bella Hardy and Patrick McGuinness on train and train station poetry

[LISTEN NOW]

Producer: Ruth Thomson

Ian McMillan with Sarah Moss, Peter Wohlleben, Jason Allen-Paisant and Sheena Blackhall.

McMillan talks to Pamuk, who is as controversial figure in his own country as he is feted abroad, about the political stance he has taken on issues such as the history of Turkey's relationship with its Armenian population, and the personal cost to him of that stance. Pamuk also discusses his new novel, The Museum of Innocence, and its portrayal of a Turkish elite stranded between the traditions of their own country and the shallow distractions of Western consumerism.

Ian will also be exploring the lasting influence of the poets who made up the Ikinci Yeni, or Second New, Turkey's avant garde poetry scene in the 1950s. The work of Ece Ayhan, Ilhan Berk and their colleagues remains little-known outside Turkey, and yet their influence is discernible in the work of many contemporary Turkish writers, Orhan Pamuk among them.

The programme will also feature the best new Turkish writing and profile the English writers who have chosen to make Istanbul (one of this year's European Capitals of Culture) their home.

Ian McMillan presents a special edition focusing on Turkish literature. With Orhan Pamuk.

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/

The Verb presents 'Unwritten: Caribbean Poems After The First World War

Val McDermid explores our fascination with the language of The Leveson Inquiry, in particular the phrase 'country supper'. She explains why it evokes for her, not the Chipping Norton set, but the world of Beatrix Potter - the tantalising glimpses of 'other peoples food' that children come across in stories.

John Gallas shares the creative process which led him to invent a twelve year old boy who wants to escape his own life, and the demands of 'evolution' in his new poetry collection 'Fresh Air and The Story of Molecule' (Carcanet)

Nicola Davies introduces 'A First Book of Nature' - in which she celebrates those first, important experiences of the natural world for young readers (Walker Books)

And Jane Rogers employs the voices of young people in different ways in her writing - here she reads from a new short story 'Morphogenesis' (Comma Press) in which she imagines the consciousness of the ten year old Alan Turing, and she also discusses the heroine of her novel 'The Testament of Jessie Lamb', which just won the Arthur C Clarke award for the best science fiction book published in 2012 (Canongate).

Ian McMillan presents Radio 3's 'Cabaret of the Word'.

As the UK's first literary festival dedicated to first fiction opens at the University of Sussex, critic Suzi Feay and first-time novelist Wendy Jones discuss the art of the d退but novel.

Poet Kenneth Steven has translated the award winning Norwegian writer Lars Saabye Christensen, and presents a Verb masterclass on his work - novels such as The Beatles and The Half Brother which show how he depicts the inner lives of adolescents. Ewan Bailey reads extracts from a short story, Waterproof and from The Half Brother.

And composer, writer and artist Ergo Phizmiz performs a scientific-operatic treatise on the art and mechanics of turning things upside down.

Producer : Dymphna Flynn.

With Valerie Bloom, Kenneth Stevens on Lars Saabye Christensen, and Ergo Phizmiz.

Sara Maitland is the author of numerous works of fiction, including the Somerset Maugham Award-winning Daughters of Jerusalem, and several non-fiction books about religion. Her new book 'Gossip from the Forest' explores the idea that fairy stories came out of our forests, and includes her versions of stories like Little Red Riding Hood. Actress Julie Hesmondhalgh reads an extract from Hansel and Gretel which shows the characters in middle-age.

Kathryn Williams and Neill MacColl perform two songs from their acclaimed album 'Two': 'Christmas in Hell' and 'Come with me'. The over-arching idea for the album was 'to capture a moment before it's lost forever'. Kathryn explains to Ian that they wanted to 'empower the small song'.

Poet Harry Baker is the World Slam Champion for 2012 - he performs two specially commissioned poems for The Verb - 'Christmas Poem' and 'Wonky Donkey'.

Kate Mosse's 'Labyrinth' was a New York Times bestselling novel and a popular and critical success on an international scale, as was 'Sepulchre', the second part of the trilogy. Kate reads from the final part of the series 'Citadel', which is set during the Second War, and discusses the impact of the Orange Prize for Women's Fiction, which she co-founded.

Ian McMillan presents Radio 3's cabaret of the word from Gorilla in Manchester.

Ian McMillan introduces Verb New Voices from ARC in Stockton-on-Tees.

Ian McMillan from Birmingham, with The Verb New Voices, David Lodge and Sathnam Sanghera.

The Norwich-based writer Philip Langeskov has studied creative writing at the prestigious University of East Anglia and is a hotly tipped writer of short stories. For The Verb he reads a new piece inspired by landscape of Dunwich on the Suffolk coast, a place which fired the writing of the late W.G Sebald whose 'Rings Of Saturn' confirmed him as the bard of this part of England.

Professor Karmadillo is on a mission to make science fun and accessible by performing songs of science on topics ranging from particle physics to genetics. He performs his classic song 'You Must be Mendel' for the Verb.

And Chris Gribble from the Writer's Centre Norwich and poet Tim Clare discuss how to evaluate spoken word poetry.

Ian McMillan introduces the second of the Verb New Voices performances.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Cecile Wright

Ian McMillan and guests celebrate the rhythms of everyday speech.

Ian's guests are Inua Ellams, who will be performing from his show 'An Evening with An Immigrant', a personal story - and updating it to reflect impact of the global pandemic. James Shapiro discusses his latest book 'Shakespeare in a Divided America', and Kapka Kassbova reads from 'To the Lake'. And finally we're joined by the director of the Hay Festival, Peter Florence, on how they hope to preserve some of the magic of the festival in the digital space.

For information on how to take part in the digital festival please visit the Hay website: hayfestival.com/home

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Cecile Wright

With Kapka Kassabova, James Shapiro and Inua Ellams

Ian McMillan's guests include Viv Albertine, Hollie McNish and Salena Godden.

The poet SJ Fowler celebrates the avant garde in his work and he has written a new piece for us inspired by the work of 'Hearing of the Voice'. Fowler's latest collection of poetry is 'Enthusiasm' (Test Centre).

Ian McMillan examines voice-hearing with writer Charles Fernyhough and poet SJ Fowler.

As part of our series examining 'Foreign Books in a Foreign Land', Jeet Thayil looks at the popularity of 'Mein Kampf' in India.

Will Abberley, one of Radio 3's New Generation Thinkers, explores the appeal of 'the dash', once considered 'sloppy' punctuation.

And David and Ben Crystal unmask Received Pronunciation.

Ian McMillan's guests include Jeet Thayil, Vona Groarke and David Crystal.

Writer's block, the silence of the blank page, words for the Cornish landscape, the Welsh concept of 'inspiration', 'the sea as metaphor of the sea' - hear about all of this and more in our W.S.Graham special. The Verb is in St Ives to celebrate W.S.Graham (known as Sydney), a poet fascinated by language, its possibilities and difficulties, who also wrote about 'love imagined into words' . In honour of Graham's centenary year, we hear unpublished poems (broadcast for first time), new commissions inspired by him ( written especially for The Verb), and we also present innovative performances of Graham's work. All this takes place in a remarkable venue called the 'St Ives Arts Club' in front of a poetry and art-loving audience.

Graham grew up in Greenock in Scotland, but moved to Cornwall in the 1940s and spent the best part of his life there, in the midst of a flourishing community of artists (including Peter Lanyon, Roger Hilton, and Terry Frost ).

T.S. Eliot was Graham's editor at Faber and Faber - he argued that Graham wrote some of the most important poems of the 20th century. His long poem 'The Nightfishing', with lines like 'sea as a metaphor of the sea' and ' the iron sea engraved to our faintest breaths', is one of Graham's greatest achievements, but as The Verb discovers he was also a remarkable poet of place, and of intimacy and thwarted intimacy. Above all he was preoccupied by language as his medium and subject.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Faith Lawrence.

The Verb visits Cornwall to celebrate the centenary of the poet W.S. Graham.

Bosnian author Vesna Maric remembers cult Croatian trainer brand Starta. Her memoir of coming to the UK as a refugee from the war in Bosnia, Bluebird, was BBC Radio 4's Book of the Week in early 2009. She takes a look at the curious cult history of Startas, the Croation trainer brand she grew up wearing.

Ian McMillan presents the weekly programme about language.

Ian's guests at this recording are Wendy Cope, who's been called the 'wittiest of contemporary English poets' - she'll be launching the Proms Poetry Competition, and Barb Jungr - one of the nation's most respected interpreters of popular song, who'll be performing 'Blind Willie McTell' from her tribute album to Bob Dylan 'The Man in the Long Black Coat' and her own composition 'Sunset to Break Your Heart'. Joining them will be Joanne Harris to talk about revisiting the characters and landscape of 'Chocolat' in her new novel 'Peaches for Monsieur Le Cure', and the performance poet Simon Mole with 'Rebel, Rebel', a poem which explores the pleasures and difficulties of having baby-boomer parents

Proms Poetry Competition opens to entries from 25th May.

Producer: Faith Lawrence.

Ian McMillan is joined by poet Wendy Cope, singer Barb Jungr and novelist Joanne Harris.

One of Britain's best-known poets, Wendy Cope's 1986 collection Making Cocoa for Kingsley Amis assured her a place in the hearts of readers everywhere with its wry reflections on life and its disappointments. This week on The Verb she gives listeners a sneak preview of poems from her forthcoming collection Family Values.

Inua Ellams

The writer and performer presents an extract from his new play, Untitled, which tells the story of twin brothers born in Nigeria and separated at birth and opens at to Soho Theatre in London on 28th September.

Jyager & Seb Rochford

Trilingual rapper Jyager discusses which of his three languages produces the best rhymes, English, French or his native Portuguese. He's joined in studio by the drummer Seb Rochford from band Polar Bear, and together they present songs from their new collaborative album, Common Ground.

Punjabi Poetry

Poets Amarjit Chandan and Shazea Quiraishi discuss the poetry of their native Punjab, the difficulties posed both by writing in English, and of translating between the two languages.

Voices from the Punjab is at the Free Word Festival in London, which is running from 14th September to 5th October.

Presented by Ian McMillan. With Wendy Cope, Inua Ellams and Jyager with Seb Rochford.

Ian McMillan's guests on the word cabaret are Wendy Cope, Joanna Bourke and Tim Clare.

Ian McMillan's guests are Wendy Cope, Ira Lightman, Shalom Auslander and Ana Silvera.

On this week's edition of The Verb, Ian McMillan gathers together -

Wendy Cope - the poet whose 1986 debut collection 'Making Cocoa For Kingsley Amis' became that rare thing - a poetry best seller. As her first collected poems are published she reflects on poetry forms and why some of her old poems are making their first public appearance in her new book.

Ira Lightman, poet and artist, reflects on the nature of the epic. A marathon endeavour for poets and readers, it's usually seen as an ancient style but it is a form of poetry that contemporary poets continue to embrace including Ira himself.

Susie Dent, known for her ability to find just the right word, discusses her new novel, Guilty By Definition in which a group of lexicographers use their dictionary-making skills to solve a mystery.

Theresa Lola, former Young People's Laureate for London reads from her new collection, Ceremony for the Nameless, a poetry disquisition on the subject of naming.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Ekene Akalawu

The Verb - Cabaret of the spoken word with Ian McMillan.

Ian McMillan's guests are the poets Wendy Cope, Theresa Lola, the lexicographer Susie Dent and The Verb irregular Ira Lightman.

[LISTEN NOW]

Ian McMillan's regular foray into the world of language and literature

Wild Poetry 'Call-out' !

From Ian McMillan: 'As part of the BBC's celebration of our wild isles, we thought we'd tap into the deep waters of the Verb listeners' collective and individual imaginations. We want to see your poems that use the idea of wildness as their seed - they could be as short as a haiku - or as long as twenty lines - that's the limit. We're particularly interested in poems that take the word ‘wild' itself on a journey. Email your poems to Theverb@BBC.co.uk. Although we won't be able to respond to each poem, together they'll give us a national snapshot - a moment in wild time that we'll explore later in the year; we'll share some of your poems on-air.

Send us your poems by the 23rd of June.

He talks to veteran poet Dannie Abse about his six decades of writing.

American poet Fred D'Aguiar reads from his collection Continental Shelf, and reveals new work The Pirate Songbook - with a little musical help from Meone.

Novelist Will Self presents an extract from book, Walking to the World, which charts his journey from the late JG Ballard's house in Shepperton to The World in Dubai, a collection of artificial islands shaped like countries.

And writer and performer Zena Edwards presents tales from the London Underground - Tube Sage (R)

Producer Belinda NaylorLaura Thomas.

A special edition featuring Will Self, Dannie Abse and Fred D'Aguiar.

Presented by Ian McMillan. William Boyd gives a masterclass in screenwriting.

Ian McMillan is joined by William Boyd, Naomi Alderman, Peter Blegvad and Alex Horne.

William Gibson

The cyberpunk creator considers the future of Science Fiction and explains why it's better suited than naturalistic modes of writing to explaining the age we live in. He also discusses the work of post-cyberpunk writer Lauren Beukes, whose novels Zoo City and Moxyland offer an intriguing portrait of contemporary South Africa.

William Gibson's Zero History is out now from Penguin. Moxyland and Zoo City by Lauren Beukes are available from Angry Robot.

Siddharta Bose

The playwright and film-maker presents his first poetry collection, Kalagora, a Joycean celebration of a life lived across three continents.

Kalagora by Siddharta Bose is available from Penned in the Margins.

Louise Welsh

The author of Naming the Bones and The Bullet Trick presents a brand new short story, Hootenannies, written specially for the programme.

CK Williams

The American poet reflects on what poetry can do that politics and philosophy can't, as his latest collection, Wait, is published.

Wait by CK Williams is available from Bloodaxe Books.

Fiona Sampson has just published a new of poetry 'Come Down', which is situated in two contrasting landscapes in Hertfordshire and Australia. Her previous work, 'Limestone Country (Little Toller), is also rooted in place, telling personal stories about four particular limestone landscapes: a farming hamlet in Perigord, France, the Karst region of Slovenia, Coleshill, a rural parish in Oxfordshire, and Jerusalem.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Cecile Wright

With Alice Oswald and Fiona Sampson

Ian's joined by four Radio 3 presenters to discuss the challenges of all sorts of music writing, from concert reviews to programme notes, memoirs, poetry, fiction, and scripts for radio. His guests are Essential Classics Georgia Mann who pored over Oasis reviews in the N.M.E. in her teens, Hannah French from The Early Music Show who once read a biography of Pablo Casals in a day, Composer of the Week's Kate Molleson who started out writing concert reviews at University in Montreal, and Corey Mwamba who presents Freeness and immersed himself in jazz books at Southampton library whilst doing his A-Levels.

Producer: Ruth Thomson

Ian McMillan with Radio 3's cabaret of the word exploring writing about music.

Notebooks, memoirs, reviews, poetry and prose: Ian explores writing about music for print and broadcasting with Georgia Mann, Hannah French, Kate Molleson and Corey Mwamba.

Which ideas from Wordsworth's 'Preface to the Lyrical Ballads' appeal most to our guests? Ian finds out and hears brand new poetry.

The Verb comes from Grasmere to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Wordsworth's birth.

The poet Roger Robinson won the T.S. Eliot award and the Ondaatje prize for his collection 'A Portable Paradise' (Peepal Tree). Roger explains how the title poem, with it's theme of finding paradise inside yourself, has been taken to heart by many in the age of Covid-19.

Ingrid Persaud won the BBC National Short Story Award in 2018, and the Commonwealth Short Story Prize in 2017, and Love After Love (Faber) is her debut novel. Set in Trinidad, the novel centers on an unconventional family unit and examines questions of unconditional love and the legacy of violence.

Writer, Poet and Theatre Maker Malika Booker was the first Poet in Residence at the Royal Shakespeare Company. Her work in progress involves marrying the language King James Bible with the languages and culture of the Caribbean.

Jacob Sam La Rose was born in the UK and his family are from Guyana. He has always felt he inhabits a liminal space between these cultures which has inspired his poetry. His collection, Breaking The Silence is published by Bloodaxe. Jacob shares brand new poems 'The Truth and Nothing But' and 'For The Young Men Popping Wheelies on Southwark Street in Late Afternoon Traffic

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Cecile Wright

Roger Robinson, Malika Booker, Jacob Sam-La Rose and Ingrid Persaud.

Ian McMillan is joined by writers Ben Rawlence, Andri Snaer Magnason and Lisa Merrick-Lawless who has 20 years experience in the language of advertising and communications.

Ian McMillan asks his guests what a good future looks like and how we can write it.

What does a good life mean in 2023 and beyond? The Verb returns to the future for a look at stories for a fast-changing planet. This week we hear from some of the most talented storytellers in the world - who have looked at (both literally and metaphorically) the retreat of the glaciers and asked themselves “what can I do now as a writer to help make a good future?'.

Ian McMillan is joined by Ben Rawlence, author of 'The Treeline: the last forest and the future of life on earth' (and co-founder of Black Mountains College), by Icelandic author Andri Snaer Magnason ('On Time and Water'), and by Lisa Merrick-Lawless co-founder of 'Purpose Disrupters' (who has 20 years experience in the language of advertising and communications).

Ian also hears from John Marshall in America, who co-founded 'Potential Energy' - a coalition of creative, analytic and media agencies who want to shift the conversation on climate change. John reveals his international research into the language that really makes us think.

We also share the best wild poems from our call-out in the summer, and road-test an 'eco' sting for radio broadcasts (inspired by 'EcoAudio' - a new certification for greener, sustainable audio productions that is now available for BBC programme-makers).

Producer: Faith Lawrence

AL Kennedy is a writer and stand-up comedian - for The Verb she explores the importance of 'no' in conversation and in writing, the illusion of spontaneity in comedy and the reasons why Meg, one of the characters in her latest novel 'Serious Sweet' (Vintage), is sceptical of 'talking cures'. AL Kennedy won the Costa Book of the Year award in 2007 for 'Day'.

Rachel Parris and Amy Cooke-Hodgson are part of 'Austentatious', the cult Edinburgh fringe performance group. Austentatious improvise plays in the style of Jane Austen using only audience suggestions. You can hear more from Austentatious in their own BBC Radio 4 show http://www.BBC.co.uk/programmes/b08tvyw0

The poet Kathryn Maris is the author of the collections 'God Loves You' (Seren) and 'The Book of Jobs' (Four Way Books). Kathryn explores the influence of psychoanalysis on the work of American poets, and argues that younger poets in Britain are also finding it a rich source of inspiration. Kathryn's work will be appearing alongside Sam Riviere and Frederick Seidel in 'Penguin Modern Poets 5: Occasional Wild Parties'.

Producer: Faith Lawrence

Photo credit: Toby Glanville.

Ian McMillan visits celebrated psychoanalytic writer and therapist Adam Phillips.

Producer: Ruth Thomson

Ian McMillan on 'writing at home' with Maggie O'Farrell and Brian Bilston.

Ian McMillan talks to poet Don Paterson about music as a mnemonic tool, his youthful attraction to the art of origami, and the perils of confectionary. He talks to writer Sally Bayley about her sequence of books that capture the language fragments and stories from a childhood where facts were 'thin on the ground' - and about the part Shakespeare and his characters play in her latest book 'No Boys Play Here'. And Donovan McAbee, professor and poet, also joins Ian to explore the influence of childhood experiences on the work of Serbian-born poet Charles Simic - who became Poet Laureate of the US (writing in his fourth language), and died earlier this year. We also hear a poem from the BBC archive - Sylvia Plath's 'Purdah'.

Ian McMillan is joined by Don Paterson, Sally Bayley and Donovan McAbee

1.The Poetry of Mid-life

Sharon Olds has been celebrated for the 'chivalry and grace' she showed in poems from her latest collection 'Stag's Leap', which was awarded the T.S.Eliot Prize. Her work explores the difficulty of remaking the self in mid-life, after the break-up of a long marriage. Sharon reads three poems for The Verb, and talks about the origin of the astonishing images she found for the experience of separation.

Essayist and poet Kathleen Jamie reads from her new collection 'The Overhaul' (Picador) which won this year's Costa Poetry Prize. She talks to Ian about the way in which her book relates to the experience of mid-life and the writing process, how both can feel like a 'waiting game'. Kathleen also talks about the importance of 'listening' for poems rather than 'finding a voice'.

2.Writing the Mid-life Crisis

Paul Taylor is a Senior Lecturer in Communications at Leeds University, whose most recent publication is 'Zizek and the Media' (Polity Press), philosopher and writer Alain de Botton has just published 'Religion for Atheists' (Penguin). Together they discuss the language of the male mid-life crisis, its place in our culture, and whether contemporary writers have a responsibility to explore kindness, virtue and sacrifice in mid-life as well as relationship breakdown.

Isy Suttie writes and performs a brand new song for The Verb about disappearing into the wormhole of the smartphone, and considers throwing her devices into the sea. But will that just encourage sharks to tweet, she wonders? Isy won a Sony Award for her radio series 'Pearl and Dave'; her novel 'Jane is Trying' is published later this year.

Political Analyst and essayist Nanjala Nyabola tells us about the satisfaction of finding Kiswahili words for technological terms conceived in English, and how important the right language is for shaping our political futures. Nanjala shares her love of the work of Botswanan writer Bessie Head and discusses her collection of essays 'Travelling While Black'.

Poet Jack Underwood's new book is a lyric essay, combining poetry and prose; it's called 'Not Even This: Poetry, parenthood and living' and is a tender exploration of time, uncertainty and fatherhood. Jack argues for poetry as a respite from the risks of generalisation and certainty that much of today's technology seems to encourage.

Dr Paul Taylor is a senior lecturer in communications theory at the University of Leeds, and he avoids social media completely. Paul explains why he looks for insights into how technology may be influencing not just how we use our time - but what we think we are here for - in the work of Italian novelist Italo Calvino and in the novels of French existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre.

Isy Suttie and other writers on how technology shapes our time and thinking.

The Verb on The Midlands with Jonathan Coe, Liz Berry, Polar Bear

The Oxford Professor of Poetry, Alice Oswald is a great listener to the weather, something she has written about as being part of her experiences as a gardener. She has shown great attentiveness to water in all forms - with books like ‘Dart' her long river poem and with her writing on rain for Radio 3. Along with her co-editor Paul Keegan, Alice has put together an anthology of weather writing called ‘Gigantic Cinema ‘. For The Verb she reads from Daniel Defoe's 'The Journal of the Plague year'; and from her own book ‘Nobody'. She also shares the following works: ‘My Cocaine Museum' by Michael Taussig , ‘Gargantua and Pantagruel IV' by Francois Rabelais , ‘Conversation about Dante' by Osip Mandelstam, and ‘Trees in the Garden' by DH Lawrence. The anthology is described as a 'bare-headed' collection, which in part means that titles from the selections are only referred to on the contents page - this allows the reader to experience the weather writing as if it all takes place on a single day.

Artist Wayne Binitie bring us the sounds of ancient weather. He has been collaborating with the British Antarctic Survey, and shares with us original compositions (made with his collaborator Art Lewy ) that allow us to hear a soundtrack of air bubbles being released from Antarctic ice cores which are thousands of years old. The compositions (Ice Fragments 1 and 2) also weave the music of Ravel and Debussy into these bubble sounds, as a way of exploring memory. Wayne is fascinated by the different states of water, and his work explores freezing and melting, condensation and evaporation, sublimation and deposition states. We are focusing on his sound art, but Wayne's work takes in other senses, as his exhibitions have demonstrated ( http://waynebinitie.com/ ). All of Wayne's work with the BAS helps us reflect on what it means to talk about the weather at a time when the climate is changing in profound ways.

Jenny Offill thought deeply about how we talk about the weather in ways that are true to our experiences and our thoughts, in order to write her novel ‘Weather'. ‘Weather' is narrated by Lizzie a librarian who ends up answering the mail for a doom-laden podcast called 'Hell and High Water'. Soon she is fielding questions from those worried about climate change. The novel is written in fragmented paragraphs which show how weather thoughts move through our thinking - and contain beautiful and comic observations. She discusses humour, the difficulty of talking about glaciers and the pleasure of manifestos. Jenny's previous novel is the equally playful ‘The Department of Speculation'.

Ian McMillan talks to Jenny Offill, Alice Oswald and Wayne Binitie about weather language.

Ian McMillan's weekly foray into language and literature explores the well-travelled life.

Ian will also announce the winners of this year's prestigious Verb New Voices scheme. In association with Arts Council England and a range of writing organisations, The Verb will be mentoring four new writers from across the North to produce innovative new work for radio. Ian will introduce the very youngest of the winners on this show.

Producer: Jessica Treen

BBC Radio 3's Young Artists Day.

Radio 3 salutes some of the new and upcoming talent active in the arts today under the age of 25. As well as hearing from young choreographers, composers, musicians and writers throughout the day, Radio 3 will be playing music of great composers in their youthful periods, alongside recordings of seminal performers made when they were young.

For Radio 3's Young Artists Day, an edition celebrating young writers and performers.

Alice Gretton is representing Kent for this year's #BBCLocalPoets Project - Jardel Rodrigues and Yandass Ndlovu are the stars of 'Alphabus', a collaboration between FlexN & Young Identity (commissioned and produced by Manchester International Festival). Verb regular Jack Bernhardt explores the power tussle between super-hero and super-villain, and the latest in our series of Verb dramas is 'Borders', by Willow Mirza, directed by Emily Demol.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Faith Lawrence

With Jardel Rodrigues, Yandass Ndlovu, Willow Mirza, Alice Gretton and Jack Bernhardt.

Ian is joined by three previous winners of the the award. Phoebe Stuckes published her debut pamphlet Gin & Tonic in 2017, is a Barbican Young Poet, and has been a Foyle Young Poet four times. Jay Bernard won the 2017 Ted Hughes Award for their performance piece Surge: Side A, and was a Foyles winner in 2005. Their debut collection 'Surge' will be published in 2019. Caroline Bird published her debut collection 'Looking Through Letterboxes' when she was only fifteen years old, and having previously been a Foyles winner, was a judge for this years competition along with Daljit Nagra.

Ian also introduces two of the winners of the 2018 award - Georgie Woodhead and Maiya Dambawinna.

Jay Bernard and Phoebe Stuckes will also be taking part in a special gala celebrating 20 years of the Foyle Young Poets at Southbank Centre on Tuesday 23rd October. For more information please visit: https://poetrysociety.org.uk/event/and-the-air-sang-20-years-of-foyle-young-poets/

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Jessica Treen

The Verb at the 'Contains Strong Language' festival in Hull with the Foyle Young Poets

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Cecile Wright

First Broadcast 12 May 2023

Ian McMillan talks to Zadie Smith in a special extended interview.

Ian McMillan presents a special extended interview with Zadie Smith.

Ian McMillan presents a special extended interview with Zadie Smith. Her audacious first book 'White Teeth', written when she was just 24, was one of the most talked about debut novels of all time. Most of Smith's novels take place in North West London, where she grew up, and which she has described as the location of her imagination, and her heart. In her latest novel 'The Fraud', also set in the area, Smith moves into historical fiction with a story inspired by an extraordinary real life court case.

Jenny Ogilvie is directing a revival of James Bridie's play 'Dr Angelus at the Finsbourgh Theatre, alongside performance from some of the cast she discusses the experience of reviving Bridie's forgotten language.

John Crace & John Sutherland's 'The Incomplete Shakespeare' condensed and poked fun at the Bard's plays in his 400th anniversary year. For the Verb they turn their parody skills to a new commission.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Cecile Wright.

Ian McMillan's guests include Zaffar Kunial, John Crace and John Sutherland.

Yanis Varoufakis' new novel is 'Another Now', Jade Cuttle's album of poem/songs is called 'Algal Bloom', and Patrick McGuinness's most recent publication is the novel 'Throw me to the Wolves'.

Zero-Growth with Yanis Varoufakis, Patrick McGuinness, Jade Cuttle and Seren Griffiths.