Scottish Poetry Library Podcast

We're up in the Black Isle this week with poet, novelist and short-story writer Angus Dunn, one of the founders of the Black Isle Words Festival. He talks about how his work comes from a sense of feeling at home in the Black Isle, why he eschews publishing a poetry collection and we also get to hear a few of his poems. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser of Anon Poetry Magazine http://www.anonpoetry.co.uk Music by Ewen Maclean. Twitter: @byleaveswelive & @anonpoetry. Mail: [email protected]

In another podcast recorded at this year's Edinburgh International Book Festival, Ryan speaks with poet Kate Fox about her Fringe show Kate Fox News, the trials of standup comedy and her literary work in the North East of England including the marvellous Durham book festival. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser of Anon Poetry Magazine http://www.anonpoetry.co.uk Music by Ewen Maclean. Twitter: @byleaveswelive & @anonpoetry. Mail: [email protected]

Ryan chats to Donald S Murray while he was at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. They discuss his non-fiction book on St Kilda, The Guga Hunters, the importance of place in poetry, the difference between island and mainland poetry and Donald's new book which focuses on the Italian Chapel in Orkney. We also get to hear a few of Donald's poems. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser of Anon Poetry Magazine http://www.anonpoetry.co.uk and @anonpoetry. Music by Ewen Maclean. Contact: @byleaveswelive or mail [email protected]

Scottish literary powerhouse Ewan Morrison - filmmaker, novelist and short-story writer - talks to Ryan at the Edinburgh International Book Festival about the poetry of the shopping mall, his latest multimedia project. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle at @forpub. Produced by Colin Fraser of Anon Poetry Magazine http://www.anonpoetry.co.uk and @anonpoetry. Mail: [email protected] and tweet @byleaveswelive

We've been at the Edinburgh International Book Festival this past week, and caught up with two very different poets who have been involved with the events strand the SPL has curated together with Don Paterson. The first is Lorraine Mariner, who we caught up with after her event in the Spiegeltent. The second is award winning poet Kathleen Jamie, who reads some of her remarkable new work. We also mark the passing of Scotland's Makar, Edwin Morgan, and his former editor at Carcanet, SPL director Robyn Marsack, shares a few words about Eddie. Edwin Morgan was the top trend on Twitter last Thursday - something we think he'd have been very chuffed by. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Music by Ewen Maclean. Twitter: @anonpoetry & @byleaveswelive. Email: [email protected]

Musician and journalist Chris King, co-ordinator of the amazing Poetry Scores project - http://poetryscores.blogspot.com - was kind enough to chat with Ryan over Skype to talk about his inspirational music and poetry project. They discuss his work popularising Turkish poetry, working with Australian poet Les Murray and the difficulties of producing large creative projects. We also include the track "The City Standing on its Haze" from the poetry score to The Sydney Highrise Variation by Les Murray with Three Fried Men. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser of Anon http://www.anonpoetry.co.uk Music by Ewen Maclean. Twitter: @byleaveswelive & @anonpoetry Mail: @[email protected]

Mario Petrucci - scientist, thinker and poet - unravels an engaging discussion with Ryan on poetry, poetics, science, the challenges of pushing the boundaries in poetry and much else. They discuss Mario's fantastic Heavy Water collection as well as his most recent, i tulips, and we pepper things with a few choice readings. Produced by Colin Fraser of Anon Poetry Magazine http://www.anonpoetry.co.uk Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Music by Ewen Maclean. Twitter: @anonpoetry and @byleaveswelive.

Brian Johnstone, poet and former director of the StAnza poetry festival, discusses the highlights of his StAnza career, what he thinks makes a good poetry festival, his own work and his creative improvisations as part of jazz-poetry combo Trio Verso. Featuring the tracks "Storm Chaser" and "The Sound of Breaking Glass". Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Music by Ewen Maclean. Twitter: @byleaveswelive & @anonpoetry. Mail: [email protected]

Author and comedian David O'Doherty, past winner of the Edinburgh Comedy Award, chinwags with Ryan about jazz, literature, comedy, the pressures of working in the creative industries, good stand-up, his favourite poetry and much else. Including comedy excerpts from David's new CD, "Let's David O'Doherty". Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Music by Ewen Maclean. Twitter: @byleaveswelive & @anonpoetry. Mail: [email protected]

Poet, playwright, bicyclist and novelist Kevin MacNeil chats to Ryan about why he's glad he started off life as a poet, the challenges of performance and why he describes himself as a "writer" rather than a "poet turned novelist". He also tells the amazing tale of his journey cycling along the Danube on possibly the first fixed gear bike trek in that part of the world. Including a track from Kevin's band and some readings from his excellent "Love and Zen in the Outer Hebrides". Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Music by Ewen Maclean. Twitter: @byleaveswelive & @anonpoetry. Mail: [email protected]