Something Borrowed Podcast With Harry Baker

Hey Friends - episode 13 brings us one of my favourite poets I've come across in the last year and my now very good friend, Helen Seymour!

Helen kicks us off with the best poem about a mammoth you will ever hear before sharing something from her new collection she is working on, then calls a taxi with unexpected consequences and finishes with a rendition of Blue's All Rise that I can only describe as Life-Changing. On any ordinary day I wouldn't be able to keep up with even one of these things but luckily I also brought my A-Game, with a rap that genuinely got me into medical school, a not-so-humblebrag about my knees and a refined version of the toilet seat poem from last week that nobody asked for, as well as revealing the exciting news I promised in Episode 10.

As if that wasn't enough we also had a lovely time cementing a friendship that I have no doubt will span the ages where we cover pertinent issues such as where to look during all of this and what to do if you forget the words. What a time to be alive.

You can find my entire debut rap album from 2009 Here
You can find Helen's website Here and instagram Here
Here is a cracking Toilet Charity and while we're at it Here is where I buy my toilet paper
Here is a link to my Ko-Fi page where you can donate so that I can pay my guests and spend any leftovers on said toilet paper.

Hey Friends! Welcome to episode 12 of something borrowed featuring fantastic poet and recent UK representative at the World Poetry Slam via Zoom screen share (!) Tyrone Lewis. We talk about how it is to have your poetry judged in different languages and what references may or may not make sense.

I share my thoughts on So Solid Crew's 21 seconds to celebrate being one step closer to BFFs with Lisa Maffia and borrow Vanessa Kisuule's new poem Hollow. Tyrone shares his brilliant new poem, 2 Black 2 Furious and finishes on a Star Wars poem, which is also a black poem. I also talk about toilet seats for a bit too long.

You can get Tyrone's book from his website here or if it's sold out from Burning Eye's website Here
You can see Vanessa reading her poem Here
You can donate to the show via my Ko-Fi page Here
Or tune in live any Wednesday at 7pm on instagram Here

Much Love x

Hey friends - this weeks episode brings us the completely wonderful Tony Walsh, one of my favourite poets in the country and another guest who I feel like I could talk to for hours. We geek out over the nerdiness of rhyme and how it can be used for the serious as well as the frivolous, we both try and capture the movement of music in poems. I share part of Dave's 'Black' from his Brit awards performance and Tony shares Sophie Hannah's 'Your dad did what?' before finishing on a beautiful new poem capturing the varied experiences of lockdown people have been having.

Recorded at a time where there are huge #BLM protests in both the UK and the US, I feel slightly clunky/raw around my something borrowed but don't want my own awkwardness to get in the way of a conversation that needs to be had, so have left as recorded.

You can see Dave's Brit award Performance Here
You can hear Sophie Hannah reading her poem Here
You can follow Tony Here and buy his book from his website Here
You can donate to UKBLM's Gofundme Here
You can donate to the podcast and guests Here
Or you can tune in live one Wednesday Here

Look after yourselves and each other x

Hey Friends - This episode brings us back firmly into the world of music with the glorious Phoebe Katis! Phoebe is a fellow fringe-r, a good friend and a brilliant musician, and her new album came out this week! We're lucky enough to hear some of the new tracks from it as well as some classic Carole King and an extra very special Something Borrowed indeed that makes me smile even thinking about it.

Meanwhile I am inspired to sing a song of my own about pudding, I've written a new poem for rescheduled life events, I borrow a brilliant poem from Hollie Mcnish and I've even got a proper thing for Something Blue!

You can listen to Phoebe's New album It's Ok To Cry on Spotify Here or search 'Phoebe Katis' on iTunes etc, and you can follow her on Instagram Here.

You can follow me Here if you fancy tuning in live any Wednesday at 7pm or seeing a picture of some bread I just made, and you can donate via the Ko-Fi page Here. Thanks everyone who has listened so far, 10 episodes feels like a mini-milestone and i think i would have probably given up my now if i hadn't got so many kind messages from around the world, so I'll keep going if you keep listening!

Until next week x

Hey friends - Episode 9 brings us the warm and wonderful Malaika Kegode! I got to know Malaika when I moved to Bristol where she now runs her fantastic Milk poetry nights which we talk about in the show, she finds something really old to share with us, as well as some poems from her new (shiny!) book and her borrowed poem being Thom Gunn's The Hug which I never knew how much I needed until I heard it.

To celebrate the Bristol link I share a poem about when I first went to Weston Super-Mare, and to honour it being national Numeracy day I talk about how I channeled my inner maths teacher to try and impress Ice Cube, as well as sharing some of the delightful Brian Bilston for my Something Borrowed.

You can follow Malaika Here and buy her book Here
You can follow me on Instagram to watch a show live (Wednesdays 7pm) Here
You can buy my book (or t-shirts and cards) Here
You can donate to the show via my Ko-Fi page Here

Episode 8 brings us one of my absolute favourite people from poetry world - the wonderful Mark Grist! Amongst other things we discuss how we went head to head in my first ever slam, the art of univocalisms, the joy of performing at weddings, and what is or isn't a poem.

For my Something Borrowed this week I share an absolute fave with Dr Seuss's Oh The Place's You'll Go and Mark shares a brilliant poem from a mutual friend of ours Tim Clare. I kick it all off with Paper People for something old and as the title of the episode suggests Mark takes his something blue in a sweary direction.

You can follow Mark Here
You can watch any episode live at 7pm on a Wednesday Here
You can donate to the podcast/acts involved in this time of uncertainty Here

Look after yourselves x

Episode 7 features one of my favourite poets I've come across since moving to Kent - Neelam Saredia-Brayley is a fantastic writer and performer and even managed to upgrade my textbook response of "come onn" to an "Oh My God!" in this episode.

We cover #NaPoWriMo, lockdown haircuts, Shrek and whales among other things - for my something borrowed I share a favourite from the Wendy Cope and Neelam stops me in my tracks with a reading of Birthday by Andrea Gibson.

You can follow Neelam on instagram Here
You can see Andrea reading their poem Here
Tune in to watch live Wednesdays on my instagram Here
Or donate to my Ko-fi page Here

much love x

Hey friends - I hope you're ready for a whole heap of heartwarming bromance because we definitely were when we recorded this. This weeks guest is the glorious musician and dear friend of the show Chris Read!

For my something old I go back to one of the first things we ever performed together, before bringing the love in our new work. I share some Pam Eyres and Chris surprises me with his something borrowed being my own poem recited back to me, we reminisce on one of our first ever performances in something blue from me before Chris really takes it left field at the end with his passion for musical children's toys. All in all it was a genuine treat to record and I hope you enjoy it.

You can follow Chris here or me here
You can donate to the podcast here
You can watch our Russell Howard performance here
You can watch our full show here

Episode 5 brings us the wonderful poetry of Setareh Ebrahimi. We talk about the power of poetry to connect, a mutual Margate friend, and the truest interpretation of something blue yet. Also contains falafel and dinosaurs. Enjoy!

You can find Set's book here (and to be honest anything by Bad Betty is worth checking out) or follow her on twitter or Instagram. Follow Jake for the Pokémon (and soon to be crisp) world cup. You can donate to the podcast and guests via my Ko-fi page !

Hey Friends. Episode 4 brings us Edinburgh Fringe Festival best Newcomer and Star of Last Christmas - Bilal Zafar! Our Inaugural comedian on the show and an absolute pleasure at that. We discuss how Bilal almost died when we first met, our mutual love of Greenbelt festival, trusting yourself vs trusting your audience, and our favourite Pizza toppings.

I share my poem 59 for something old, and borrow some 12-year-olds responses to it without their permission, as well as my proudest interpretation of Something Blue yet. Bilal teaches me improv, name-drops Emma Thompson and humours my request for a joke about horses.

You can find Bilal's Acting School Of Excellence Videos here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ob4czQ7JIYQ

You can donate to me and future guests here: https://ko-fi.com/harrybaker/

And you can watch a live recording any Wednesday at 7pm BST here: https://www.instagram.com/harrybakerpoet/

Stay Brilliant x