The Verb

The Walk


Listen Later

You can talk the talk but can you walk the walk? At The Verb, we do both, as Ian McMillan is joined by guests who consider the deep connection between writing and walking. From the strut to the swagger, the amble to the lope, English has many words to get from A to B - all conveying a slightly different meaning. So where does writing and the physical journey meet?

Jini Reddy talks about the quest for magic in the great outdoors, which is the subject of her Wainwright shortlisted book Wanderland.

Theatre maker Testament tells us about his work "Black Men Walking" and proves that the inspirations and insights of a walk don't have to be based in the countryside, with a performance of his work City Song, a rap which sees us float through an urban landscape almost in a sleepwalk.

Ira Lightman has recorded a special reaction to Wordsworth - surely the poet who is most often associated with the restorative powers of a walk - but the relationship with walking and feeling good is more nuanced for Ira.

And Stuart Maconie gives us his insights into the ramble, stressing that walking should be all about inclusion. He asks us to be wary of language that suggests anyone is not welcome in the outdoors, and considers stepping out as a spur to creativity.

Presented by Ian McMillan

Produced by Kevin Core

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

The VerbBy BBC Radio 4

  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4

4.4

30 ratings


More shows like The Verb

View all
In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,389 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,839 Listeners

Start the Week by BBC Radio 4

Start the Week

162 Listeners

Front Row by BBC Radio 4

Front Row

125 Listeners

Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,898 Listeners

Arts & Ideas by BBC Radio 4

Arts & Ideas

296 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,781 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,046 Listeners

Witness History by BBC World Service

Witness History

962 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

1,925 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,080 Listeners

The LRB Podcast by The London Review of Books

The LRB Podcast

292 Listeners

Bookclub by BBC Radio 4

Bookclub

236 Listeners

Private Passions by BBC Radio 3

Private Passions

39 Listeners

London Review Bookshop Podcast by London Review Bookshop

London Review Bookshop Podcast

124 Listeners

The TLS Podcast by The TLS

The TLS Podcast

186 Listeners

Word of Mouth by BBC Radio 4

Word of Mouth

60 Listeners

Backlisted by Backlisted

Backlisted

580 Listeners

The Book Club by The Spectator

The Book Club

85 Listeners

The Waterstones Podcast by Waterstones

The Waterstones Podcast

36 Listeners

Folk on Foot by Matthew Bannister

Folk on Foot

65 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

740 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

2,972 Listeners

This Cultural Life by BBC Radio 4

This Cultural Life

103 Listeners

Close Readings by London Review of Books

Close Readings

55 Listeners