The Verb

George Szirtes, Cecilia Knapp, Lisa Knapp, Gerry Diver, Rishi Dastidar


Listen Later

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

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 ground-breaking 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'

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

The VerbBy BBC Radio 4

  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4

4.4

30 ratings


More shows like The Verb

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,707 Listeners

Ask Penguin by Penguin Books UK

Ask Penguin

155 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,038 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,550 Listeners

In Our Time: History by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: History

1,882 Listeners

In Our Time: Philosophy by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Philosophy

870 Listeners

In Our Time: Culture by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Culture

608 Listeners

In Our Time: Science by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Science

725 Listeners

Arts & Ideas by BBC Radio 4

Arts & Ideas

292 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,829 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,060 Listeners

Great Lives by BBC Radio 4

Great Lives

514 Listeners

Backlisted by Backlisted

Backlisted

598 Listeners

London Review Bookshop Podcast by London Review Bookshop

London Review Bookshop Podcast

128 Listeners

Front Row by BBC Radio 4

Front Row

133 Listeners

Start the Week by BBC Radio 4

Start the Week

161 Listeners

Word of Mouth by BBC Radio 4

Word of Mouth

52 Listeners

Private Passions by BBC Radio 3

Private Passions

44 Listeners

The TLS Podcast by The TLS

The TLS Podcast

183 Listeners

The Waterstones Podcast by Waterstones

The Waterstones Podcast

36 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,158 Listeners

This Cultural Life by BBC Radio 4

This Cultural Life

113 Listeners

Take Four Books by BBC Radio 4

Take Four Books

5 Listeners

A Good Read by BBC Radio 4

A Good Read

30 Listeners