Scottish Poetry Library Podcast

As part of our month long celebration of song lyrics, we've been chatting to some exciting musicians and songwriters about their lyrics, poetry and songwriting. Folk punk musician Billy Liar is an excellent example of the breed - smart, thoughtful and a connoisseur of fine words in music. He chats with Ryan about what he looks for in good music and we get a chance to listen to some of his latest tracks. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle of the Scottish Poetry Library. Produced by Colin Fraser for Lets Get Lyrical, http://www.letsgetlyrical.com and Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature.

We present a bonus podcast featuring a great friend of the podcast, singer songwriter Hailey Beavis whose track 'Snow' was on our Holiday Season episode. We chat to her about lyrics, songwriting and you'll get the opportunity to hear her new track 'Jennifer' with the band Wax featuring Jed Milroy, Jenny Hill and Cammy Sinclair. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle of the Scottish Poetry Library. Produced by Colin Fraser for Lets Get Lyrical, http://www.letsgetlyrical.com and Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature.

We speak with the amazing Dan Willson aka Withered Hand about song lyrics, poetry, songwriting and how his writing is informed by his own life. Including numerous tracks by one of music's brightest new talents. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle of the Scottish Poetry Library. Produced by Colin Fraser for Lets Get Lyrical, http://www.letsgetlyrical.com and Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature.

Ryan chats with writer, musician and former nuclear physicist Doug Johnstone about lyrics, writing, poetry and the art of being creative. Part of the Let's Get Lyrical campaign, a celebration of words in music running all through February. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle of the Scottish Poetry Library. Produced by Colin Fraser for Lets Get Lyrical, http://www.letsgetlyrical.com and Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature.

Mike Scott of The Waterboys chats song lyrics and poetry with Ryan Van Winkle. They discuss Mike's new project, An Appointment With Mr Yeats, where he has created rock songs from the work of WB Yeats and muse on the relationship lyrics and words have to music. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle of the Scottish Poetry Library. Produced by Colin Fraser for Let's Get Lyrical, http://www.letsgetlyrical.com and Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature.

We visit Amherst, Massachusetts, home of Emily Dickinson, where Ryan talks with Dickinson experts Tevis Kimball, curator of special collections at the Jones Library, Emily Dickinson House director Jane Wald as well as the charming poet and tour guide Henk Rossouw. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser of Anon Poetry Magazine http://www.anonpoetry.co.uk and @anonpoetry. Email: [email protected]

In a bumper packed edition of the podcast, we present the wonderful Elizabeth Burns reading from her recent collection Held which was launched at the SPL last year. We also chat to legendary publisher, poet, cosmologist, editor Kevin Williamson and poet, script doctor, ex-exile Michael Pedersen, organisers of new Edinburgh poetry night, Neu Reekie. Also featuring a track from Michael Pedersen and Craig Finnie. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser of Anon Poetry Magazine http://www.anonpoetry.co.uk and @anonpoetry. Email: [email protected]

Award winning Scottish poet Tom Pow takes us on a tour of his remarkable Dying Villages poetry project which was exhibited at the Scottish Poetry Library last year. The project is aimed at responding in poetry and prose to the social, ecological and cultural effects of demographic changes on villages in Europe. Check out http://www.dyingvillages.com or Tom's own site http://www.tompow.co.uk Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser of Anon Poetry Magazine http://www.anonpoetry.co.uk and @anonpoetry. Email: [email protected]

In our holiday season podcast we have a bumper stocking of poetry goodies for you. We start off with the marvellous Hailey Beavis and Jed Milroy with their track "Snow". For mains we present Paul Muldoon and Norman McBeath talking about their poetry and photography project Plan B. And there might be a special something at the end. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser of Anon Poetry Magazine http://www.anonpoetry.co.uk and @anonpoetry. Email: [email protected]

We chat with Rob A Mackenzie, author of The Opposite Of Cabbage, associate editor at Magma magazine and organiser of the monthly Poetry At... series. Rob discusses what he's working on at the moment, his views on criticism and the poetry industry and we get to hear a few of his recent poems. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser of Anon Poetry Magazine http://www.anonpoetry.co.uk and @anonpoetry. Email: [email protected]