Scottish Poetry Library Podcast

Judy Brown's first book, Loudness (Seren, 2011) was shortlisted for the 2011 Forward Felix Dennis prize for best first collection. Jennifer Williams meets her to discuss how she approaches poetry, using her poem 'Spontaneous Combustion' as a way into her work and methods of composition.

The image of Judy Brown was taken by Chloe Barter.

In 1972, Liz Lochhead published her debut collection, Memo For Spring, a landmark in Scottish literature. In an extended interview with Colin Waters, the National Poet of Scotland discusses what the early 1970s poetry scene she emerged into was like, one in which women poets were few and far between. She recalls early meetings with the elder generation - Norman MacCaig, Edwin Morgan, Robert Garioch - and with contemporaries such as Tom Leonard, James Kelman and Alasdair Gray. The future Makar also speaks about life during the era of the three-day week and compares it with an economically troubled present-day that, in some respects, mirrors 1972. And she reads several poems from Memo For Spring. The image of Liz Lochhead is provided by Norman McBeath.

Exciting news! The SPL is changing the way it does its podcasts. Join regular host Ryan Van Winkle and new SPL podcasters, poet JL (Jennifer) Williams and Colin Waters, as they talk you through the new set-up. Plus Ryan and Jennifer read their own work.

Ryan chats with Vermont poet Mary Ruefle about craft, visual poetry and her approach to writing. She also reads a number of her poems. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle @rvwable. Produced by Colin Fraser @anonpoetry. Music by Ewen Maclean.

Ryan recently visited the Clunes Booktown Festival in Australia, where he met multitalented poet, novelist, screenwriter, librettist, songwriter and doctor Peter Goldsworthy. They discuss his thoughts on narrative compression and his preferred modes of writing, his love of eastern European poetry, inventing translations, achieving your voice through imitation, Australian identity and why he doesn't want to work full time as a writer. Peter also reads a number of his poems. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser @anonpoetry. Music by Ewen Maclean.

Gregory O'Brien recently visited the Scottish Poetry Library and we took the opportunity to have a chat about his remarkable journey to the Kermadec islands. He talks about how he got involved in the project, which was organised by PEW Environment Group and reads some of the work which came out of his involvement. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser @anonpoetry. Music by Ewen Maclean. Links: http://www.thekermadecs.org/ and http://vimeo.com/33871056

In the last of our StAnza 2012 triptych we sit down with Michael Symmons Roberts. In a wide ranging discussion, he talks about poetry as a process of discovery and connection making, poetic license, genomics, the ethics of drugs companies, collaboration, hotels, civil war and being asked to write a poem for a 9/11 anniversary. Michael also reads from a number of his poems. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser @anonpoetry. Music by Ewen Maclean. Photo: Martin Bence

We chatted with Hilary Menos, winner of the Forward Prize for First Collection, at the StAnza 2012 poetry festival in St Andrews. She discusses, among other things, people reading personal things into poems, farming, her editing process and the gestation process of her poems. She also reads a number of her poems. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser @anonpoetry. Music by Ewen Maclean. Mail: [email protected]

Ryan talks with Lavinia Greenlaw at the StAnza 2012 festival in St Andrews. They discuss landscape, distance, fruitful misreading, the relationship of image and self, being labelled a particular kind of writer, finding the right fit for a collection and the long gestation involved in writing some poems. She reads a selection of poems including some from her recent Casual Perfect. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser @anonpoetry. Music by Ewen Maclean. Mail: [email protected]

In the last of our podcasts recorded in San Francisco, we meet up with Greg Wrenn, winner of Brittingham Prize in Poetry and Stegner Fellow at Stanford University. Greg talks about how his method of writing relies very much on not being prescriptive and talks us through how he approaches his work. A refreshing insight into the work of a young poet, Greg also reads a selection of his poems. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser @anonpoetry. Music by Ewen Maclean.