Scottish Poetry Library Podcast

Nothing But The Poem - Anthony Vahni Capildeo

Anthony Vahni Capildeo is the subject of the new Nothing But The Poem podcast. The SPL’s regular podcast host, Sam Tongue, takes a deep dive into two of their poems which were discussed at the online monthly meet-up of the Nothing But The Poem group.
A Trinidadian-Scottish writer of poetry and non-fiction, Anthony Vahni Capildeo has published eight books and eight pamphlets, including Measures of Expatriation which won the 2016 Forward Prize. Their most recent poetry collection is Like a Tree, Walking (Carcanet, 2021).
Beth Cochrane in The Skinny said of the collection: ‘ 'Vahni Capildeo has always been a remarkable and singular poet, and Like a Tree, Walking is yet another triumph of their warm wit, direct vision, and almost spiritual connection to the page....The collection is welcoming, disarming, and - as its blurb commands - 'defined by how it writes about love.' The poetry within is to be celebrated, read, and reread by poets and not-poets alike.'’
Jen Campbell wrote: 'I would follow Vahni Capildeo's poetry to the ends of the Earth, I just think that they're amazing...I love this book very much.' 
High praise indeed!
The two poems discussed in this podcast are To London and Migraine Improv.

Nothing But The Poem - Helen Mort

Helen Mort is the subject of the new Nothing But The Poem podcast. The SPL’s regular podcast host, Sam Tongue, takes a deep dive into two of Helen Mort’s poems which were discussed at the online monthly meet-up of the Nothing But The Poem group.
Helen Mort is an award winning poet from Sheffield who's had 3 collections of poetry published. Her most recent collection, The Illustrated Woman (2022), was shortlisted for the Forward Poetry Prize.
The book's blurb at HelenMort.com reads: 'The Illustrated Woman is a tender and incisive collection about what it means to live in a female body - from the joys and struggles of new motherhood to the trauma of deepfakes.
Andrew McMillan said of the collection: 'These are poems that will leave their indelible mark'
Kate Kellaway, reviewing the book in the Guardian, wrote: The Illustrated Woman explores tattoos through history and, lucid though these poems are, you need to reread them often to acquire the deepest sense of what is being said. Mort presents tattoos variously: as painful and cherished keepsakes, exposure and concealment combined, flirtations with indelibility.
The two poems discussed in this podcast – Ablation and The Tattooed Lady – can be found in No Map Could Show Them (Chatto) and The Illustrated Woman (Penguin).
 

Hai-Aidh! Pod-chraolaidh #3 - Meg Bateman agus Pàdraig MacAoidh

Am mìos-sa tha Meg Bateman agus Pàdraig MacAoidh a’ còmhradh air ‘Aig an Fhaing’ le Anna Frater agus ‘Duan an Dannsair’ le Flòraidh NicPhàil. Tha an còmhradh a’ dannsa eadar cuspairean a’ leithid dùthchas, treubhan, mic-talla, bròn agus cruthachadh. Stiall oirbh agus èistibh.
Mo chasan dubh, mo chasan dubh..
This month Meg Bateman and Peter Mackay chat about 'At the Fank' by Anne Frater and 'Duan an Dannsair' by Flora MacPhail. The conversation dances between topics like dùthchas, tribes, echoes, sadness and creativity. Have a go and listen.

Nothing But The Poem - Jorie Graham

Jorie Graham is the subject of the new Nothing But The Poem podcast. The SPL’s regular podcast host, Sam Tongue, takes a deep dive into two of Jorie Graham’s poems which were discussed at the online monthly meet-up of the Nothing But The Poem group.
Jorie Graham and her poetry are difficult to classify. To get some idea of her thinking and poetic process this illuminating interview should help: Jorie Graham Takes The Long View
Among many things she’s an eco-poet of tremendous power. She’s the author of 15 poetry collections, four of which were collected together as [To] The Last [Be] Human. The poems in these 4 books address the ongoing tragedy of humanity’s destruction of the natural world and, potentially, our own species.
The two poems discussed in this podcast – Full Fathom and Prayer – can both be found in [To] The Last [Be] Humananthology or can be read here on the Poetry Foundation website.

Hai-Aidh! Pod-chraolaidh #2 - Rona Dhòmhnallach agus Màrtainn Mac an t-Saoir

Air Hai-àidh! #2 tha Rona Dhòmhnallach agus Màrtainn Mac an t-Saoir a’ còmhradh air seanachas agus nòsan ùra de bhàrdachd. Tha Rona a toirt thugainn ‘A’ chionn ’s gu robh mi measail ort’ le Meg Bateman agus Martàin Mac an t-Saoir a taghadh an seann òran ‘’S ann a’ bhruadair mi raoir’. Cuspairean: ealachan, gaol, booty calls.
 
On Hai-àidh! #2 Rona MacDonald and Martin MacIntyre chat about the traditional and the modern in Gaelic poetry. Rona brings us ‘A’ chionn ’s gu robh mi measail ort’ by Meg Bateman and Martin chooses the old song ‘’S ann a Bhruadair Mi Raoir’. Topics included: swans, love, booty calls.

Nothing But The Poem - Hagiwara Sakutaro & Japanese Poetry in Translation

The SPL's regular podcast host Sam Tongue chats with translator Norman Angus, a long time resident of Japan, about the unique challenges of translating Japanese poetry into English and Scots.
Hagiwara Sakutaro is a poet Norman is passionate about bringing to the attention of the English-speaking world. Sakutaro wrote free verse, which, at the time, was revolutionary and liberatory, in a Japan where poetry followed strict rules. In an introduction to his Early Poems, Norman summed up Sakutaro's influence:
'Hagiwara Sakutaro (1886-1942) more than any other individual determined the direction which modern Japanese poetry was to take... Such was the depth of his influence that today it would be hard to name a Japanese poet whose own work has not felt that influence'. 
Sakutaro, who led a Bohemian life, and whose work was initially banned, is often called the Japanese Baudelaire, and is widely considered 'the father of modern colloquial poetry in Japan'.
In this extended Nothing But The Poem podcast Norman Angus introduces, reads, and discusses with Sam Tongue a selection of work by Sakutaro.

Nothing But The Poem - LGBTQ+ History Month Special

In this LGBTQ+ History Month special edition of Nothing But the Poem, the Scottish Poetry Library's Toni Velikova is joined by Kirsten MacQuarrie, author and Membership Officer from CILIPS Scotland, to chat about three poems by three much loved Scottish LGBTQ+ poets.
STRAWBERRIES by EDWIN MORGAN
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN by MAUD SULTER 
BIOGRAPHY by JACKIE KAY
The poems were discussed at an open-to-all meetup of Friends of the Poetry Library hosted by Toni and Kirsten. An enthralling chat ensued by all accounts!
Have a look at our website to find out about becoming a Friend, and join us for the next Nothing but the Poem meet-up. Or simply enjoy this podcast and the excellent poems therein.

Hai-Aidh! Pod-chraolaidh #1 - Pàdraig MacAoidh agus Màrtainn Mac an t-Saoir

'S e pod-chraolaidh ùr Leabharlann Bàrdachd na h-Alba a th' ann an Hai-àidh! Air gach clàr bi dà phìos bhàrdachd air a thaghadh le dà bhàrd (neo cuideigin aig a bheil ùidh ann am bàrdachd). Sa chiad fhear thagh Pàdraig MacAoidh 'Anns an Dealachadh' le Deborah Moffat agus Màrtainn Mac an t-Saoir 'Chuala sinn losgadh' le Daibhidh Eyre Leughaidh Pàdraig agus Màrtainn na dàin mus bi iad a' còmhradh le chèile mun deidhinn. 
 
Hai-aidh! is the Scottish Poetry Library’s new Gaelic language poetry podcast. In each episode two Gaelic language poems are selected by two poets (or by guests who love poetry). In this episode Peter Mackay chose 'Anns an Dealachadh' by Deborah Moffat, and Martin MacIntyre chose 'Chuala sinn losgadh' by Daibhidh Eyre Leughaidh.  Peter and Martin read the poems and have a chat about them.
 
 

Nothing But The Poem - Roddy Lumsden

In this podcast, Scottish Poetry Library's Sam Tongue introduces us to three poems by the late Scottish poet, Roddy Lumsden, whose influence continues to reverberate around contemporary poetry.
Roddy's poems were read and discussed at January's monthly online meet-up of Friends of the Poetry Library hosted by Sam. In the podcast Sam reads the 3 poems and gives us his thoughts on them and the discussion they generated.
Have a look at our website to find out about becoming a Friend, and join us for the next Nothing but the Poem meet-up. Or simply enjoy this podcast and the excellent poems therein. 

Nothing But the Poem : Will Harris

Scottish Poetry Library’s Sam Tongue runs a monthly online meet-up, where Friends of the Poetry Library get together to read and discuss a fresh poet and their poems. 
In this podcast, Sam introduces us to the general style and format, and enjoys the work of Will Harris.
Have a look at our website to find out about becoming a Friend, and join us for the next Nothing but the Poem meet-up. Or simply enjoy this podcast and the excellent poems therein.