The Poetry Bath

In this first episode of a special series chatting with friends who have deep roots in the Sussex Weald, Siân talks to Johnny Marsh about his childhood in Wadhurst and the charms of mud, pubs and churches.

On 7th & 8th September, Johnny will be taking part in Mayfield Open Studios 2024: http://www.crowboroughopenstudios.co.uk/

This episode contains strong language.

The Poetry Bath's theme tune is composed and performed by Nigel Horn.

In 2023 The Poetry Bath moved to Buzzsprout from Wildhart Radio. You can listen to all 51 earlier episodes on Wildhart's website and via Siân's too. 

The second part of Siân's interview with Orkney-based poet Lydia Harris, who joins Siân to read from her new collection Henrietta's Library of the Whole Wide World. In this episode Lydia talks to Siân about time, place, mystery and the importance of libraries.

Lydia Harris is the author of four pamphlets and two full collections. She held a Scottish Book Trust New Writers' Award for Poetry in 2017 and her first collection Objects for Private Devotion was long listed for the Highland Book Award 2022. From her study window Lydia sees the Atlantic and North Sea and her house sits between a standing stone and a broch. 

Orkney-based poet Lydia Harris joins Siân to read from her new collection Henrietta's Library of the Whole Wide World, which was published this year by Blue Diode Press. Lydia tells Siân how the collection came about when, knowing that Orkney was home to the oldest public library in Scotland, she mistakenly came to believe that her own island of Westray hosted a 17th century library.

Lydia is the author of four pamphlets and two full collections. She held a Scottish Book Trust New Writers' Award for Poetry in 2017 and her first collection Objects for Private Devotion was long listed for the Highland Book Award 2022. From her study window Lydia sees the Atlantic and North Sea and her house sits between a standing stone and a broch. 

The second part of Siân's interview with London-based poet Martin Hayes. In this episode Martin tells Siân about his sense of frustration and despair at our neoliberal society and how writing critically about work has got him into trouble.

Martin Hayes is known primarily for his writing on work, often focusing on the courier industry where he's spent more than thirty years of his life. He is the author of eight collections including Underneath (Smokestack, 2021), Ox (Knives Forks and Spoons Press, 2021) and The Things Our Hands Once Stood For (Culture Matters, 2018).

This episode contains strong language.

The Poetry Bath's theme tune is composed and performed by Nigel Horn.

In 2023 The Poetry Bath moved to Buzzsprout from Wildhart Radio. You can listen to all 51 earlier episodes on Wildhart's website and via Siân's too. 

Siân meets London-based poet Martin Hayes. Martin is known predominantly for his writing on work, often focusing on the courier industry where he's spent more than thirty years of his life. He is the author of eight collections including Underneath (Smokestack, 2021), Ox (Knives Forks and Spoons Press, 2021) and The Things Our Hands Once Stood For (Culture Matters, 2018).

In this episode Martin tells Siân about his childhood, his grounding in music and the poetry of the Romantics, and the influence of his mother and other amazing women on his life.

This episode is peppered with expletives. 

The Poetry Bath's theme tune is composed and performed by Nigel Horn.

In 2023 The Poetry Bath moved to Buzzsprout from Wildhart Radio. You can listen to all 51 earlier episodes on Wildhart's website and via Siân's too. 

In the second part of Siân's interview with Rebecca Tamás, Rebecca reads further poems from her collection WITCH and Rebecca and Siân chat about storytelling and the connection between poetry and theatre, and discuss how writers tackle difficult subjects.

Rebecca Tamás is the author of three pamphlets and co-editor of the anthology Spells: 21st Century Occult Poetry. Her collection WITCH was published in 2019 by Penned in the Margins.

This episodes contains expletives and sexual references. 

The Poetry Bath's theme tune is composed and performed by Nigel Horn.

In 2023 The Poetry Bath moved to Buzzsprout from Wildhart Radio. You can listen to all 51 earlier episodes on Wildhart's website and via Siân's too. 

Rebecca Tamás joins Siân to read from and talk about her collection WITCH. In this episode Rebecca and Siân talk about the occult as a source of creative freedom, French feminism, humour, anger and writing against logos.

Rebecca Tamás is the author of three pamphlets and co-editor of the anthology Spells: 21st Century Occult Poetry. Her collection WITCH was published in 2019 by Penned in the Margins.

This episode contains expletives and sexual references.

The Poetry Bath's theme tune is composed and performed by Nigel Horn.

In 2023 The Poetry Bath moved to Buzzsprout from Wildhart Radio. You can listen to all 51 earlier episodes on Wildhart's website and via Siân's too. 

In this second part of Siân's interview with Jessica Mookherjee Jess reads further poems from her collection Notes from a Shipwreck and talks to Siân about the body, trauma and fertility. There are also plenty more waves and wrecks, and here and there a glitter god makes its presence felt.

Jess is a poet of Bengali heritage. She grew up in Mumbles, South Wales, spent many years in London and now lives in Kent. She is the author of four full collections and three pamphlets and is also a board member of The Poetry Society and co-editor of Against the Grain Poetry Press.

The Poetry Bath's theme tune is composed and performed by Nigel Horn.

In 2023 The Poetry Bath moved to Buzzsprout from Wildhart Radio. You can listen to all 51 earlier episodes on Wildhart's website and via Siân's too. 

Jessica Mookherjee returns to The Poetry Bath to read from and chat about her collection Notes from a Shipwreck. In this episode Jess and Siân talk about wreckage, Brexit, power and, as Jess puts it, 'the glory and catastrophe of the body.'

Jess is a poet of Bengali heritage. She grew up in Mumbles, South Wales, spent many years in London and now lives in Kent. She is the author of four full collections and three pamphlets and is also a board member of The Poetry Society and co-editor of Against the Grain Poetry Press.

The Poetry Bath's theme tune is composed and performed by Nigel Horn.

In 2023 The Poetry Bath moved to Buzzsprout from Wildhart Radio. You can listen to all 51 earlier episodes on Wildhart's website and via Siân's too. 

The second part of Siân's interview with writer, artist and translator Kamilla Jørgensen. In this episode Kamilla talks to Siân about skies, ears and the making and unmaking of books.

The Poetry Bath's theme tune is composed and performed by Nigel Horn.

The Poetry Bath has moved to Buzzsprout from Wildhart Radio. You can listen to all 51 earlier episodes on Wildhart's website and via Siân's too.