Recorded at the Contains Strong Language Festival of poetry and performance in Hull, this week The Verb is examining young poets and young writing and celebrating 20 years of the Foyle Young Poet Award.

Ian is joined by three previous winners of the the award. Phoebe Stuckes published her debut pamphlet Gin & Tonic in 2017, is a Barbican Young Poet, and has been a Foyle Young Poet four times. Jay Bernard won the 2017 Ted Hughes Award for their performance piece Surge: Side A, and was a Foyles winner in 2005. Their debut collection 'Surge' will be published in 2019. Caroline Bird published her debut collection 'Looking Through Letterboxes' when she was only fifteen years old, and having previously been a Foyles winner, was a judge for this years competition along with Daljit Nagra.

Ian also introduces two of the winners of the 2018 award - Georgie Woodhead and Maiya Dambawinna.

Jay Bernard and Phoebe Stuckes will also be taking part in a special gala celebrating 20 years of the Foyle Young Poets at Southbank Centre on Tuesday 23rd October. For more information please visit: https://poetrysociety.org.uk/event/and-the-air-sang-20-years-of-foyle-young-poets/

Presenter: Ian McMillan