Do you have any thoughts or ideas about the show? Send us a text!

Hello Creatives!

A journey two years in the making has reached a remarkable milestone! 
With tremendous gratitude, Sleepless Creatives is celebrating 1,000 downloads. This achievement, once impossible, belongs to the listeners who have joined us in exploring literary classics.
Whether you're an actor, a writer, an artist or a bookworm, I want to thank each one of you for your dedication to the show - you make it all possible!

To mark this special occasion, we're thrilled to announce an exciting evolution: Guest Readers will soon be joining our storytelling adventure! 
While we're still finalising details, this development promises to bring fresh voices and new perspectives to the stories we share. 
Be sure to follow our social media channels for upcoming announcements about who these guest readers will be and when they'll make their debut.

The timing couldn't be more fitting as we continue with Chapter 3 of Don Quixote, where our protagonist undergoes his transformation. 
In this episode, we follow Quixote as he convinces a bemused innkeeper to knight him in an improvised ceremony. 
The innkeeper, recognising Quixote's delusions, decides to play along rather than reason with him. 
What follows is a comical knighting ritual featuring a ledger book instead of holy texts and tavern wenches standing in as noble ladies. 
When carriers attempt to move Quixote's armour to access water for their mules, our would-be knight defends his "vigil" with surprising vigour, resulting in some unfortunate injuries and much confusion. 
The chapter culminates in Quixote finally receiving his dubious knighthood and preparing to embark on his quest for adventure.

What classic tales would you like to hear next, and which voices would you love to hear read them? Share your thoughts and join us as we embark on this exciting new chapter together!

 Sleep Tight, 

 Florence x

Support the show

Our Links:

• Subscribe to our Newsletter!
• www.sleeplesscreativespodcast.co.uk
• Our producer
• Instagram
• Linkedin

Do you want to feature as one of our Guest Readers in your own special episode? If you work or study in the Performing Arts or Creative Industry in any capacity, we would love to have you.

Applications open on 1st September every year, follow us on Instagram to keep up with the announcements!

Sleepless Creatives is hosted by Florence St Leger, and produced by Canary Studios.
The opening theme is Reflection by Birds of Norway.

Do you have any thoughts or ideas about the show? Send us a text!

Hello Creatives!

Summer's essence lives eternally in poetry.
The season's vibrant energy, profound beauty, and inevitable fading have inspired some of the world's greatest poets to capture its fleeting magic in verse.

This second instalment of our Seasonal Poetry series takes you on a tranquil journey through five remarkable poems spanning different centuries and cultures. We begin with John Clare's celebration of English summer landscapes, where wildflowers bloom and beetles play in clear lakes.
Emily Dickinson then guides us through summer's imperceptible transition to autumn with her characteristic depth and precision.
We travel to ancient China with Li Bai's mountain meditation—a perfect distillation of summer tranquillity in just a few lines.
Alexander Pushkin's "To Natasha" intertwines the Russian summer's end with romantic longing, while Charles Baudelaire concludes our journey with a dreamlike summer escape filled with beauty and symmetry.

Each poem offers a unique perspective on what summer means—not just as a season of physical warmth, but as an emotional landscape that resonates with our deepest human experiences.
Whether you're seeking a moment of calm reflection, poetic inspiration, or simply a brief escape into literary beauty, these summer verses provide a perfect companion for quiet moments.

Listen now, and let these timeless words transport you to summers past, present, and imagined.
Share your favourite summer poem with us or let us know which seasonal poetry collection you'd like to hear next!

Sleep Tight,  
Florence x

The music in this episode is Floating by Grant Borland

Support the show

Our Links:

• Subscribe to our Newsletter!
• www.sleeplesscreativespodcast.co.uk
• Our producer
• Instagram
• Linkedin

Do you want to feature as one of our Guest Readers in your own special episode? If you work or study in the Performing Arts or Creative Industry in any capacity, we would love to have you.

Applications open on 1st September every year, follow us on Instagram to keep up with the announcements!

Sleepless Creatives is hosted by Florence St Leger, and produced by Canary Studios.
The opening theme is Reflection by Birds of Norway.

Do you have any thoughts or ideas about the show? Send us a text!

Hello Creatives,

The inimitable Don Quixote rides forth at last! After arming himself with his makeshift armour and mounting his bony steed Rocinante, our would-be knight slips away unnoticed one hot July morning, ready to right wrongs and protect the innocent across the Spanish countryside.

He immediately thinks something troubling: he hasn't been properly knighted, according to the chivalric laws he respects. 
This technicality would normally prevent him from engaging in knightly adventures, but Don Quixote's madness proves stronger than his logic. 
He resolves to have himself knighted by the first person he encounters, demonstrating how thoroughly his fantasy world has overtaken reality.

What follows is a masterful blend of comedy and character study as Don Quixote rides along composing flowery inner monologues about his future fame and lamenting the cruelty of his invented lady love, Dulcinea. 
When night falls, he encounters a simple roadside inn that, through his delusional perception, transforms into a magnificent castle. 
The innkeeper becomes a noble castellan, local women become highborn ladies, and even a swineherd's horn calling pigs is reimagined as a ceremonial announcement of the knight's arrival. 
The scene reaches its comedic peak during the evening meal, where Don Quixote—refusing to remove his helmet—must be fed and given drink through elaborate means while maintaining his dignified demeanour.

Join us for this delightful segment of Cervantes' masterpiece, where the gap between reality and Don Quixote's perception creates moments of pure hilarity while revealing the sincere heart of literature's most famous dreamer. 

 Sleep Tight, 

 Florence x

The music in this episode is Whisper by Reveille

Support the show

Our Links:

• Subscribe to our Newsletter!
• www.sleeplesscreativespodcast.co.uk
• Our producer
• Instagram
• Linkedin

Do you want to feature as one of our Guest Readers in your own special episode? If you work or study in the Performing Arts or Creative Industry in any capacity, we would love to have you.

Applications open on 1st September every year, follow us on Instagram to keep up with the announcements!

Sleepless Creatives is hosted by Florence St Leger, and produced by Canary Studios.
The opening theme is Reflection by Birds of Norway.

Do you have any thoughts or ideas about the show? Send us a text!

Hello Creatives,

Step back in time with us as we celebrate Pride Month 2022 through the timeless, passionate verses of Sappho – the ancient Greek poetess whose name has become synonymous with female love and desire.

Shrouded in mystery due to the passage of nearly 2,600 years, much of Sappho's work has been lost to time. 
Yet what remains offers a breathtaking glimpse into a world where love between women was captured with extraordinary beauty and emotional precision. 
From the island of Lesbos (where the term "lesbian" originates), Sappho's poetry speaks of attractions to various women with such vivid imagery and raw emotion that her words feel startlingly modern.

During this episode, we journey through several of her most powerful works. Experience "A Hymn to Venus," where Sappho calls upon the goddess of love to ease her heart's turmoil. 
Feel the ache of separation in "Anaktoria," where a beloved woman is compared to the "red-fingered moon rising at sunset." 
Perhaps most striking is "Sappho 31," which captures the physical sensations of jealousy and desire with such accuracy that readers across millennia have recognised their own experiences in her words – the failing voice, the fire beneath the skin, feeling "as pale as grass, as close to death as that."

What makes these poems so remarkable is how they transcend time to speak directly to our hearts today. 
When Sappho writes of heartbreaking farewells or the overwhelming physical response to seeing someone she desires, we understand completely. 
Her voice forms part of the foundation of LGBTQ+ literary history, reminding us that queer love and longing have always been worthy of beautiful expression.

Have you experienced these powerful emotions that Sappho captured so perfectly? Leave us a star review on Spotify and share your thoughts in the comments – it only takes five seconds and would mean the world to us.

Sleep Tight,  

Florence x

The music in this episode is Stars & Trees by Outside The Sky

Support the show

Our Links:

• Subscribe to our Newsletter!
• www.sleeplesscreativespodcast.co.uk
• Our producer
• Instagram
• Linkedin

Do you want to feature as one of our Guest Readers in your own special episode? If you work or study in the Performing Arts or Creative Industry in any capacity, we would love to have you.

Applications open on 1st September every year, follow us on Instagram to keep up with the announcements!

Sleepless Creatives is hosted by Florence St Leger, and produced by Canary Studios.
The opening theme is Reflection by Birds of Norway.

Do you have any thoughts or ideas about the show? Send us a text!

Hello Creatives!

The whispered words of Shakespeare's Fair Youth Sonnets continue to echo through time.
As you settle in and get comfortable, prepare to drift through some of the Bard's most intimate and moving poetry, where love transcends both distance and darkness.

We journey through five remarkable sonnets that explore the beautiful torment of separation.
In Sonnet 27, Shakespeare captures the paradox of physical exhaustion paired with a mind that refuses to rest, as thoughts of the beloved transform the darkness into something beautiful.
Sonnet 28 continues this sleepless theme, with day and night conspiring against the poet to prevent any respite from longing.
The reading then moves to Sonnet 29, where Shakespeare demonstrates love's extraordinary power to elevate the spirit from deepest despair to heights that make even a king's position seem undesirable by comparison.

Sonnets 30 and 32 delve deeper into memory and mortality.
The beloved becomes a repository for all past relationships, containing "all the all" of the poet's emotional history and healing old wounds.
Finally, Shakespeare contemplates his own mortality, hoping his words will be valued not for their poetic skill but for the genuine love they express – a sentiment that resonates powerfully across the centuries to touch modern hearts.

Remember, you can find parts one and two of our Fair Youth Sonnets series on our website or through any of our regular platforms.
Which of these timeless verses speaks most deeply to you? We'd love to hear your thoughts.

 Sleep Tight, 

 Florence x

The music in this episode is Dawning by Ian Kelosky

Support the show

Our Links:

• Subscribe to our Newsletter!
• www.sleeplesscreativespodcast.co.uk
• Our producer
• Instagram
• Linkedin

Do you want to feature as one of our Guest Readers in your own special episode? If you work or study in the Performing Arts or Creative Industry in any capacity, we would love to have you.

Applications open on 1st September every year, follow us on Instagram to keep up with the announcements!

Sleepless Creatives is hosted by Florence St Leger, and produced by Canary Studios.
The opening theme is Reflection by Birds of Norway.

Do you have any thoughts or ideas about the show? Send us a text!

Hello Creators,

Dreams have a way of consuming us, transforming our perception of reality until fantasy and truth become indistinguishable. Such is the journey we embark upon with Miguel de Cervantes' timeless masterpiece, Don Quixote—a well-loved story adapted into plays, musicals, and films.

Join us as we explore the opening chapter of this 400-year-old literary treasure, where we meet a middle-aged gentleman whose obsession with chivalric romances drives him to madness. 
Through our gentle narration, experience the moment when this ordinary man decides to become extraordinary—cleaning his great-grandfather's rusty armor, fashioning a helmet from pasteboard, and rechristening his worn-out hack as the noble steed Rocinante.

What makes Don Quixote so enduringly powerful is how it speaks to the dreamer in all of us. 
We witness the methodical construction of a new identity as our protagonist transforms himself into Don Quixote of La Mancha, a knight-errant seeking adventures and righting wrongs across the countryside. 
His creation of Dulcinea del Toboso—elevating a simple farm girl into his lady love—reminds us how our perceptions shape our reality, often in beautiful, poignant ways.

This episode offers more than just storytelling; it provides a soothing escape into a world where imagination reigns supreme. 
Whether you're familiar with Cervantes' work or encountering it for the first time, this meditative reading invites you to drift off alongside our would-be knight as he tilts at windmills and chases impossible dreams.

Leave us a star review on Spotify if you enjoy our gentle journey through classic literature, and visit the Cervantes Theatre website to learn more about Spanish and Latin American culture in London. What classic tale would you like us to explore next?

Sleep Tight,

Florence x

Support the show

Our Links:

• Subscribe to our Newsletter!
• www.sleeplesscreativespodcast.co.uk
• Our producer
• Instagram
• Linkedin

Do you want to feature as one of our Guest Readers in your own special episode? If you work or study in the Performing Arts or Creative Industry in any capacity, we would love to have you.

Applications open on 1st September every year, follow us on Instagram to keep up with the announcements!

Sleepless Creatives is hosted by Florence St Leger, and produced by Canary Studios.
The opening theme is Reflection by Birds of Norway.

Do you have any thoughts or ideas about the show? Send us a text!

Hello Creators,

What happens when we truly listen to the women of Shakespeare's world? 
Their voices—powerful, vulnerable, vengeful, and wise—have echoed through centuries, yet often remain overshadowed by their male counterparts.

This episode celebrates International Women's Month by bringing to life some of the most extraordinary female monologues from Shakespeare's works. 

Listen as Lady Macbeth summons dark spirits to "unsex" her and fill her with "direst cruelty," revealing the psychological complexity beneath her ambition. Experience Amelia's strikingly modern commentary on marital double standards when she boldly asserts that "wives have sense like them" and rightfully questions why women should be held to different moral standards than men.

The journey continues through Tamora's chilling description of a "barren, detested vale" where "never shines the sun," showcasing Shakespeare's gift for placing powerful imagery in the mouths of his female characters. 

Rosalind's witty critique cuts through pretension with surgical precision, while Titania's defence of her adopted child reveals an unexpected depth of maternal devotion. 

Viola's contemplation of an accidental love triangle demonstrates Shakespeare's understanding of romantic confusion and identity.

Perhaps most haunting is Queen Margaret's brutal taunting of York with a napkin stained with his son's blood—a moment of calculated cruelty that demonstrates how Shakespeare's women could wield words as weapons when denied other forms of power. 
These monologues reveal women who refuse to be silenced, who speak their truths regardless of consequence.

Whether you're an actor searching for the perfect audition piece, a Shakespeare enthusiast, or simply curious about how these centuries-old speeches continue to resonate with modern audiences, this collection offers a window into the souls of some of literature's most complex women. 

Which of these powerful voices will stay with you long after listening?

Sleep tight,

Florence x

Support the show

Our Links:

• Subscribe to our Newsletter!
• www.sleeplesscreativespodcast.co.uk
• Our producer
• Instagram
• Linkedin

Do you want to feature as one of our Guest Readers in your own special episode? If you work or study in the Performing Arts or Creative Industry in any capacity, we would love to have you.

Applications open on 1st September every year, follow us on Instagram to keep up with the announcements!

Sleepless Creatives is hosted by Florence St Leger, and produced by Canary Studios.
The opening theme is Reflection by Birds of Norway.

Do you have any thoughts or ideas about the show? Send us a text!

Hello Creators,

Stepping back in time will allow you to discover the powerful, lyrical voice of Francis E. W. Harper—a revolutionary figure whose words continue to resonate nearly two centuries after they were penned.

Born in 1825 to free African-American parents in Baltimore, Harper broke barriers as the first African-American woman to publish a short story. 
But her impact extended far beyond literary achievements. She stood shoulder to shoulder with legends like Harriet Tubman as a fierce abolitionist, suffragist, and founder of the National Association of Coloured Women Clubs, using her pen as a weapon in the fight for justice.

During this Black History Month, we're honoring Harper's legacy with a curated selection of her most moving poems. 
Journey through "My Mother's Kiss," where she captures the enduring imprint of maternal love that transcends death. 
Marvel at "A Grain of Sand," which contemplates human significance within the cosmic order through beautifully simple metaphors. 
Feel the raw emotion of "The Dying Bondman" as Harper portrays an enslaved African chieftain's final moments and his desperate plea for written confirmation of freedom before meeting his ancestors.
Finally, experience "Songs for the People," Harper's artistic manifesto that positions poetry as medicine for a weary world.

These aren't just poems—they're historical artifacts that reveal how creative expression served as both personal solace and communal healing during America's most challenging periods. 
Take a moment to get cosy, close your eyes, and let Harper's words transport you to a different time while reminding you of struggles and hopes that remain profoundly relevant today.

Sweet dreams,

Florence x

Support the show

Our Links:

• Subscribe to our Newsletter!
• www.sleeplesscreativespodcast.co.uk
• Our producer
• Instagram
• Linkedin

Do you want to feature as one of our Guest Readers in your own special episode? If you work or study in the Performing Arts or Creative Industry in any capacity, we would love to have you.

Applications open on 1st September every year, follow us on Instagram to keep up with the announcements!

Sleepless Creatives is hosted by Florence St Leger, and produced by Canary Studios.
The opening theme is Reflection by Birds of Norway.

Do you have any thoughts or ideas about the show? Send us a text!

Hello Creators,

Fairy tales have power beyond their fantastical elements—they shape our understanding of suffering, resilience, and redemption. 
The Brothers Grimm tale "The Girl Without Hands" holds special significance for me, having seen its stage adaptation, "Wild Bride" by Kneehigh Theatre Company, during my Theatre Studies GCSEs.
That performance sparked my acting ambitions and has remained close to my heart ever since.

This haunting story follows a miller who accidentally promises his daughter to the devil in exchange for wealth. 
When the devil cannot claim the pious young woman, he forces the desperate father to cut off his daughter's hands. Despite this unimaginable cruelty, she journeys forth with remarkable courage. 
Her path leads to a king's garden where she eats a single pear to quell her hunger. The king, enchanted by her presence and beauty, falls in love, has silver hands crafted for her, and makes her his queen.

Their happiness is short-lived when the devil intercepts and alters messages between them while the king is at war, forcing the queen and her newborn son to flee into the wilderness. 
For seven years, they live under divine protection, during which time her hands miraculously regenerate. 
Meanwhile, the king searches tirelessly across the land, neither eating nor drinking, sustained only by his determination to find his beloved family. 
Their eventual reunion brings healing full circle—not just the physical restoration of her hands, but the emotional wholeness of their reunited family.

The tale's darkness never fully eclipses its message of endurance and divine compassion. 
Like the handless maiden who refuses to surrender to despair, we too face moments that test our resilience. 
What hands have you lost? What silver replacements have carried you through? And what natural healing might yet await you? 
Listen, reflect, and perhaps discover something of your own journey in this timeless tale.

Sleep tight,

Florence x

Support the show

Our Links:

• Subscribe to our Newsletter!
• www.sleeplesscreativespodcast.co.uk
• Our producer
• Instagram
• Linkedin

Do you want to feature as one of our Guest Readers in your own special episode? If you work or study in the Performing Arts or Creative Industry in any capacity, we would love to have you.

Applications open on 1st September every year, follow us on Instagram to keep up with the announcements!

Sleepless Creatives is hosted by Florence St Leger, and produced by Canary Studios.
The opening theme is Reflection by Birds of Norway.

Do you have any thoughts or ideas about the show? Send us a text!

Hello Creators,

The year closes, the room dims, and we light a small lamp for winter words. 
If you're feeling stressed out and run down by the craziness of the holiday season, then let this collection of poetry take you back to some gentle simplicity.

We start with Emily Brontë’s bleak resolve, a speaker held by storm and choosing stillness. 
Robert Frost follows with the most famous pause in American poetry, where lovely, dark woods meet the tug of promises and the miles ahead. Shakespeare turns the key toward human weather, arguing that the winter wind is kinder than ingratitude, while a jolly refrain keeps spirits up without denying the sting. 
Thomas Hardy brings frost’s spectre and a world run thin, then a thrush that threads hope through the grey; Kathleen Jamie answers with a river bird whose unowned song reminds us that moments of grace visit, not obey.

Sylvia Plath writes winter as text—jays inscribe, squirrels blot, birches tell—until dawn erases the page. 
Miguel de Unamuno closes with snowfall that falls like forgetting and stays like comfort, a white coverlet for heavy ground and restless minds. 

If a line stays with you, share it with a friend and send it our way. 
Follow us for the next season of readings and reflections, leave a review so others can find this corner, and tell us: which winter poem carries you forward?

Sweet dreams,

Florence x

Support the show

Our Links:

• Subscribe to our Newsletter!
• www.sleeplesscreativespodcast.co.uk
• Our producer
• Instagram
• Linkedin

Do you want to feature as one of our Guest Readers in your own special episode? If you work or study in the Performing Arts or Creative Industry in any capacity, we would love to have you.

Applications open on 1st September every year, follow us on Instagram to keep up with the announcements!

Sleepless Creatives is hosted by Florence St Leger, and produced by Canary Studios.
The opening theme is Reflection by Birds of Norway.